SOPHIA — Matt Hirschman, a Pennsylvania driver, became the first driver to secure a spot in November’s 19th annual John Blewett Memorial North-South Shootout at Caraway Speedway.
Hirschman did so by winning an open Modified Series event race at Star Speedway in New Hampshire. His $17,322.50 winnings for the result marked the largest payday of his career. There were 41 initial entries in the race.
The next scheduled qualifier for automatic entry to the North-South Shootout comes Aug. 21 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem.
On Saturday night, a full card of racing is scheduled at Caraway Speedway.
Points races in Late Models, Challengers and Mini Stocks will be contested along with a special U-Car all-star front-wheel drive race. Other events planned are a demo derby, school bus racing and an appearance from Monster Truck “Bad News Travels Fast.”
ASHEBORO — Randleman third baseman Hunter Atkins was selected as the PAC-7 Player of the Year in baseball.
Atkins’s teammate Andrew Cox was picked as Pitcher of the Year in the league for the eventual Class 2-A state champions. The league’s Coach of the Year is Glen Hunt of Providence Grove.
Asheboro head coach Brett Hoogkamp pats Tatum Marsh on the head after a triple against Southwestern Randolph on june 4, 2021. Hoogkamp won the Mid-Piedmont Coach of the year award for the 2021 season. He lead the Blue Comets to a 13-3 record and to the third round of the 3a state playoffs. (PJ WARD-BROWN/North State Journal)
In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Southwestern Randolph’s Bryson Hogan was picked as Player of the Year. Asheboro’s Brett Hoogkamp of the regular-season co-championship team was named Coach of the Year for the league.
CHARLOTTE – Bojangles announced an all-new, hand-breaded chicken sandwich this week. The N.C.-based purveyor of fried chicken already had a fried chicken sandwich but had not elevated its menu to compete in the hand-breaded sandwich competition that includes Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Hardee’s and Wendy’s.
The new Bojangles hand-breaded chicken sandwich
“Bojangles knows a thing or two about delicious, perfectly flavored chicken served right, so who better to give fans a chicken sandwich that is sure to please,” said Chef Marshall Scarborough, vice president of menu and culinary innovation for Bojangles. “Our team had a blast perfecting this sandwich, and we can’t wait for you to try it for yourself,”
The new sandwich features a marinated chicken breast, hand-breaded with a crispy buttermilk coating and dusted with Bojangles’ secret mix of bold spices. Standard condiments are mayonnaise and thick-cut dill pickles.
Beginning this week, the Bo’s Chicken Sandwich is available at local locations for $3.99.
RALEIGH — The three Republicans representing Randolph County in the General Assembly reported fundraising numbers from the first six months of 2021. State Sen. Dave Craven, in his first full term representing Randolph County in Raleigh, reported raising $43,345 in the fundraising period. He spent $25,422.71 and has just over $42,000 in cash on hand.
The county’s two state representatives, Pat Hurley and Allen McNeill, reported similar amounts. Hurley raised $17,125 and spent $6,042, and has $14,217 on hand. McNeill reported raising $18,525 and spent $4,642 and has just shy of $16,000 on hand.
ASHEBORO — Downtown Asheboro will be filled with activity this weekend as the summer concert series continues Friday with Departure, a Journey tribute band, at Bicentennial Park. On Saturday, the Zooland Region 30th Annual Antique Car Show kicks off at 9am and a BMX Show will start at 10am on Fayetteville Street. All of the downtown events will feature local vendors.
ASHEBORO — After a year of coping with a global pandemic, the Randolph County Master Gardner Extension Program is finding new ways to engage citizens with plants and gardening.
Volunteers with the Master Gardeners held two programs in June for Randolph County employees and kicked off a gardening program with Alpine Health and Rehabilitation of Asheboro. Research studies show that interaction with nature can positively impact our physical and mental health resulting in increased productivity and satisfaction in the workplace.
Pat Holder discusses the importance of native plants in our landscapes before the garden installation.
At a “lunch and learn” event, volunteers and county staff installed North Carolina native pollinator plants in the courtyard of the Randolph County Office Building. These plants were donated by Master Gardener, Pat Holder, who is also the Triad Chapter NC Native Plant Society Certification Coordinator. Employees of the office building came by during their lunch break to plant trees, learn how native plants help to sustain healthy ecosystems, and learn how to incorporate native plants into their home landscape. “Educating people in our community about the benefit of native plants is one of my major life goals,” said volunteer Pat Holder. “This lovely bed in front of the Randolph County Office Building was a welcome opportunity to share the value of natives.” Plants selected for the Pollinator Garden included: Orange Coneflower, Purple Coneflower, Phlox, and Butterfly Weed. The garden will soon be one of very few sites in Randolph County certified by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation as a Butterfly Highway site.
Maxine Wright teaching Houseplants 101 to county employees during the “lunch and learn” wellness program.
A second lunch program was taught by Master Gardener, Maxine Wright, is a retired member of the Asheboro Police department. Wright teaches therapeutic horticulture practices for the ABLE program at Randolph County Community College. The program focused on the basics of houseplant selection, care, pest control, and placement. Participants were given a pothos or begonia plant at the end of the event to introduce to their office.
Volunteers also worked with Alpine Health and Rehabilitation Center to plant raised bed gardens with staff and residents. Program participants at the rehabilitation center helped to plant and water in the garden under the direction of Randolph County Extension staff. Colorful perennial pollinator plants and natives were prioritized to stimulate conversation, memory, and the senses of sight and touch. An herb bed was also planted to add an aromatherapy component to the space. The group will hold another program in the Fall to replace the warm season annuals with cool season annuals to keep blossoms and green growth present during more baren winter months. Plant selection and design was facilitated by Horticulture Agent, Annie Mills and advised by Master Gardener Kim Lemons.
The Master Gardners Extension program hosts a Plant Toolbox at plants.ces.ncsu.edu where visitors can learn more about the plants used in these programs and how to incorporate them into their own landscape projects.
Annie Mills is a horticulture agent with the Randolph County Cooperative Extension Service. The group is accepting applications for the Master Gardener Program in Randolph County until August 2. Interested participants should contant Annie Mills at [email protected] or 336-318-6000 or visit https://go.ncsu.edu/atwxzkt.
ASHEBORO – -Candidates showed interest in mayor positions on the first day of candidate filings for Randleman and Trinity.
Alderman Gary Betts has filed to move into the mayor’s position in Randleman when filings began Monday.
Also in Randleman, Craig Hancock and Melissa Blalock filed for alderman seats in Ward 2 and Nancy Henderson filed in Ward 3. Blalock and Henderson are incumbents.
In Trinity, Richard McNabb is back on the ballot in a bid to remain mayor.
The filing period remains open until noon Aug. 13. Other municipalities in Randolph County had filing deadlines earlier this month.
ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Board of Education approved several administrative changes for the 2021-2022 at their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, July 15.
“We’re pleased to announce Ms. Julie Brady will be the new principal at South Asheboro Middle School and Mr. Chris Burian will move into his first principal position at Charles W. McCrary Elementary School,” said Dr. Aaron Woody, Superintendent in a statement released by the school system. “While we are saddened to see the departure of Mr. Ron Dixon, current principal at South Asheboro Middle School, we know he will continue the tremendous ‘heart’ work of engaging and impacting students across North Carolina.”
Ms. Julie Brady – South Asheboro Middle School
Ms. Brady has served as principal at Charles W. McCrary Elementary School for the last 13 years. Under her leadership, the school has received high marks for academic proficiency and growth, and she has supported a number of special clubs and activities to help close the opportunity gap for students. With her wealth of knowledge and experience as a school administrator, she will provide strong leadership for the team at South Asheboro Middle School.
Mr. Chris Burian – Charles W. McCrary Elementary School
McCrary will move forward under the leadership of Mr. Chris Burian. Mr. Burian began working in Asheboro City Schools in 2006 and has served in a number of classroom and administrative roles at Balfour Elementary, Lindley Park Elementary, North Asheboro Middle, and Donna Lee Loflin Elementary schools. He is a proven educational leader and is excited to join the team at Charles W. McCrary.
Ms. Tracie Ross – Director of Exceptional Children
The district will also welcome Ms. Tracie Ross this year as the new Director of Exceptional Children (EC). Ms. Ross has over 25 years of experience working in EC across the Piedmont-Triad. Ms. Ross is a veteran educator well versed in the complexities of managing an effective Exceptional Children’s program. She is described as a strong leader, collaborative, a problem-solver, and passionate about serving students.
ASHEBORO — The Randolph County School Board adopted a resolution Monday night ending mask mandates in the county’s largest school system for the 2021-2022 school year. The resolution, adopted unanimously by the board, is effective immediately which allows teachers and students currently in summer school programs to make their own choices regarding mask usage. The new board policy cites CDC guidance and the board’s concern for individuals’ rights to make decisions regarding their own personal health in making the change. The resolution also said harassment, discrimination, bullying, or intimidation based a person’s decision to wear or not wear a mask would not be tolerated.
“It’s a big day for Randolph County Schools,” said board chairman Gary Cook following the unanimous vote. “We were one of the first school systems to step out last year and go to school when a lot of systems didn’t and we made a decision tonight that not a lot of school systems can make.”
The resolution referenced Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive orders and noted that his June 11, 2021, order rescinded the statewide mask mandate for indoor activities with only a few exceptions. The board expressed their position that promoting in-person learning, and not enforcement of mask mandates, is critical to education and health of the children of Randolph County.
The Asheboro City Board of Education will likely take up the question of mask mandates at their August 12 meeting, according to the school board’s press office.
The King James Version of the Bible has over 780,000 words. With over 32,000 words, the Book of Jeremiah is the longest, followed by Genesis and Psalms, which also top 30,000 words each. Psalms has the most chapters. Overlooked sometimes are the shortest books of the Bible. There are five books with fewer than 500 words: Third John, Second John, Philemon, Obadiah, and Jude. Over the next five weeks, we will take a look at these succinct books, starting with Third John, which contains less than 300 words and has only 14 verses.
The Third Epistle of John is the third-to-last book of the Bible, with only Jude and Revelation following. This book is a personal letter send from John to a man named Gaius. The letter encourages Gaius, telling him to “follow not that which is evil, but that which is good” and warns him of a man named Diotrephes who John accuses of “prating against us with malicious words.” Ultimately, this short book teaches us that when Christians “walk in truth” there is joy and that unlike Diotrephes, we should welcome everyone to the church.
3 John 11
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
“Saint John the Evangelist” by El Greco (circa 1605) is a painting in the Prado Museum, Madrid. (Public Domain)
