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Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

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Commissioners approve construction of onsite medical clinic for employees

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ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met Monday, May 1, with multiple budgetary requests on the agenda.

The board first approved a $10,000 grant for the George Washington Carver College, Inc. after-school program.

“What we did was team up with Communities in Schools, Asheboro City Schools and the City of Asheboro,” said George Washington Carver Community Enrichment Center Chairman Clyde Faust. “We got Communities in Schools to go and help us find retired teachers that would help create a foundation for developing those study habits. Some professional teachers who are going to come in and who are going to help these middle school kids get those study habits that are so important.”

“The second part of the day is bringing in professional artists. In theater, we work with RhinoLeap Productions, and they bring in professionals in the theater department. We work with artists from UNC Greensboro who brought in professionals that teach dance. We brought in professional painters who are painting a mural for Russell Murphy, who was a community leader back in the 1970s and 1980s, and people in our after-school program are actually helping to create that mural. And why the arts? The arts teach you how to think outside the box. The arts teach you how to be original, how to speak up for yourself, how to have self-confidence.”

According to Faust, the program costs parents just $25 every three months and includes professional training from teachers and artists, a hot meal and a snack, and the Carver Center is a designated bus stop for both South Asheboro and North Asheboro Middle School.

The board also approved a contract renewal with Mediko, Inc for inmate medical services.

“As a part of the contract renewal, we are requesting an additional licensed nurse practitioner,” said Chief Deputy Aundrea Azelton. “This additional position would be responsible for completing medication distribution and medical screenings during intake. There is currently only one LPN who does those duties in addition to doing the daily inmate medical sick calls and attending to emergent medical needs of inmates. The new position would provide additional coverage Monday through Friday.”

The contract’s total cost is $1,420,762 for the year, which is a $26,000 increase from the base contract price last year.

The board also approved a new Human Services Planner/Evaluator II position.

“As the opioid settlement funding work has progressed, it has become very clear that Randolph County could benefit from having a human services planner or evaluator that would provide support for the settlement funds project, including implementation of strategies and compliance with the North Carolina Memorandum of Agreement and any activities approved by this board,’ said Public Health Director Tara Aker. “The HR planner or evaluator will work closely with the organizations that apply for and receive funding.”

The board then approved the abolishment and subsequent reformation of the Farmer Fire Tax District in order to remove the $0.15 cent tax cap that had previously been put on the districts.

Farmer is the final district to be approved for the change, which will not affect the area of service, nor is it an actual tax increase.

The board also approved the funding and construction of an on-site medical clinic at Northgate Wellness Center for employees and their dependents that Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist will staff.

“There are many advantages to having an on-site medical clinic,” said Wellness Administrator Sam Varner. “Number one, probably the most important, is reduced healthcare costs which will save the county money. It will also improve employee productivity. Having an on-site medical clinic will definitely improve the retention of our current employees. It will improve access to quality medical care, especially for our at-risk employees. It will also reduce the annual biometrics screening cost.”

The approved cost from the county is $405,000, with a $50,000 startup cost. The design for the clinic will be done by Smith-Sinnett Architecture.

“All in all, the research from four independent studies states that for every dollar we invest in an on-site medical clinic, we will save $3 on healthcare savings,” Varner said.

Finally, the board approved a renewal of its Microsoft 365 contract totaling $888,600.

“With all the hacking that’s going on today, it’s a protection for our employees and the citizens of this county too,” said Chairman Darell Frye. “There’s a lot of records that are kept in this county. A lot of personal records are in our system here.”

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet June 5.

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Asheboro’s Aldi cleared after penalties

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ASHEBORO — The Aldi store in Asheboro passed reinspection after paying nearly $4,500 in penalties for excessive price-scanner errors.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division reported last week that the store at 1318 Dixie Dr. had a 0 percent error rate in March’s visit.

In December, an initial inspection found an error rate of 6 percent based on three overcharges in a 50-item lot. A follow-up in January showed a 3 percent error rate.

The store paid $4,470 in penalties, according to the NCDACS.

Also, the Dollar General on South Main Street in High Point was listed on the Randolph County report. That store failed inspections in August, September and November and was assessed $7,655 in penalties. The store passes in March with a 2 percent error rate.       

The NCDACS conducts periodic, unannounced inspections of price-scanner systems in businesses to check for accuracy between the prices advertised and the prices that ring up at the register. If a store has more than a 2-percent error rate on overcharges, inspectors discuss the findings with the store manager and conduct a more intensive follow-up inspection later. Undercharges are also reported but do not count against a store.

Penalties are assessed if a store fails a follow-up inspection. In addition to the penalties paid, the store will be subject to reinspection every 60 days from the last inspection until it meets the 2-percent-or-less error rate.

Richard Petty statue unveiling in Randleman April2023

Randleman’s Petty statue honors driver for many deeds 

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RANDLEMAN – Hundreds of residents and fans gathered Saturday afternoon in Randleman to see the unveiling of a statue of the “King of NASCAR” himself, Richard Petty, at the new Richard Petty Tribute Park. 

The event was the culmination of five years of planning and fundraising by the Randolph County Tourism Development Authority, which raised the funds for the statue and park, along with a donation from NASCAR. 

The public ceremony took place on Hilliary Street, behind the police station and next to the library. 

The opening ceremony drew a crowd estimated of more than 200 people, consisting of the extended Petty family, Randleman mayor Gary B. Betts Sr., Asheboro mayor David Smith, Brian Biggs (R-NC House-70), county commissioners, North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey, residents, and fans of the Pettys. 

At the ceremony, Betts and the Board of Alderman announced a special proclamation declaring April 3 of each year as Richard Petty Day in Randleman. 

The statue of Richard and Lynda Petty was cast by Carolina Bronze Sculpture Inc in Seagrove and was sculpted by owner Ed Walker. He worked with the Pettys, including spending time with the late Lynda Petty’s hairstylist. 

The City of Randleman dedicated the park to the Petty Family “in honor of their service to community organizations, philanthropy through the Petty Family Foundation, leadership on the school and tourism boards and more,” according to a statement. 

“We are proud to have Richard Petty as a friend of our tourism industry in Randolph County,” said Amber Scarlett, executive director of The Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau. “He may not realize the true impact of his continued presence in Randleman. Thousands of visitors from all over the world travel to the Petty Museum and Garage and Victory Junction each year. Richard Petty made a conscious decision to stay in his hometown and make an impact here in Randleman, in Randolph County. We love having him as our hometown hero that promotes our area every day.” 

In a news conference prior to the unveiling, Petty spoke briefly about calling Randolph County home. 

“Racing has given me the opportunity to go to Europe, Asia, Australia, all over the world, and I’ve never been anywhere where I didn’t like something, but I’ve never been anywhere where I like as much as I do Randolph County,” he said. “… It’s just home. I grew up here. I know the people here.” 

The Petty family has been involved in the community for decades beyond Petty Fest and NASCAR Day. According to its website, The Petty Family Foundation has supported Randolph Community College, Operation North State, Disaster and Hardship Relief, Hospice of Randolph County, Local Youth Athletic Programs and Veteran Organizations, and nationally several charities supporting children and veterans. 

Probably the most far-reaching, the Victory Junction camp was founded in honor of Adam Petty who was tragically killed in a practice session for a Busch Series race in 2000. Now a part of the Serious Fun Children’s Network, the camp “enriches the lives of children with serious illnesses and chronic medical conditions by providing life-changing camp experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering; all in a medically-safe environment at no cost to the camper or their family,” according to its website.  

Since opening in 2004, it has provided more than 115,000 experiences to children across the country. Kyle Petty’s annual charity ride helps to raise money for the camp. 

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Strider family dealership continues legacy 

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ASHEBORO  — A dream that began as a high school boy working at a service station cleaning cars has transformed into a family legacy for the Asheboro community and beyond. Donald and his son, Toby Strider, have long been patrons of the area and have plans to continue their legacy by allowing new ownership of the Strider-Buick-GMC-Subaru dealership and the expansion of their used car dealership Home Plate Motors.  

“The dream of having a new car dealership just evolved,” Toby said. “He [Donald] went from washing cars to buying and selling a few used cars, to having his own lot.” 

In 2001, Toby and his father bought Donald’s partner out of Strider-Buick-GMC-Subaru, making the dealership their own family business. Toby was twelve years old when he began working at the dealership, starting with washing cars. 

“The first time I sold cars was the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college,” Toby said. “I was nervous as could be, but my dad said, “Son, it’s not that hard. If there’s a problem with a car, if there’s a dent, scratch, stain, or whatever, show that to the customer first. Don’t try to hide anything.” 

A month after Toby graduated from college, he began handling the parts and services aspects while his father handled sales.  

“A smile goes a long way; listening and genuinely caring about their [customers’] concerns instantly tends to build trust,” Toby said. “I had to learn to work with the public at sixteen years old, and that’s a valuable education that you can’t get in a classroom.” 

Strider-Buick-GMC-Subaru has long held its reputation of having trustworthy staff, some of whom have been working with the company for over 25 years. 

“The day we sold, we had four employees that had been with us since the day Dad bought the store. We also had a couple of other employees who had been with us, left for a few years, and then came back,” Toby said. 

Andy Perdue began working for Donald when he was in high school before Donald bought Strider-Buick-GMC-Subaru. 

“My dad tells a story about Andy when he came into Dad’s used car lot when he was a junior in high school,” Toby reminisced. “My dad said, ‘Andy, where are you going to college?’ Andy said, ‘I ain’t; I’m coming to work for you.’” 

Toby has plans to continue providing for his community through his used car sales and even through coaching local high school and middle school sports teams. He believes in shopping locally and supporting businesses in the area.  

“Times have changed. We sell more cars today out of town and out of state than we ever have just due to the internet,” Toby said. “But still, by and large, our business comes from Asheboro and the surrounding areas. That’s our community, that’s who supports us, that’s who we want to support and give back to, and I think we can continue to do that here at Home Plate.” 

The used car lot has been in the Strider family since 1970. Toby’s plan is to expand Home Plate Motors from what was once a business with 20 to 30 vehicles to one with 50 to 60. Toby plans to provide bank financing and extended warranties on the lot; their goal is to offer everything a new car dealership would offer aside from new cars.  

“Anybody that wants a used car, we want to be able to provide an option for them,” Toby said. “Whether it’s on the lot financing or a year-old used car with 10,000 miles.” 

RandolphCountySchools

Randolph Board of Education approves proposed budget for 2023-24 school year

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County Schools Board of Education met Monday, April 17, with recognitions as well as budgetary matters as the central parts of the agenda. 

The board started the meeting by recognizing the two students from Randolph County who were selected for the North Carolina Governor’s School. 

“The North Carolina Governor’s School is a four-week summer residential program for gifted and talented high school students, integrating academic disciplines, the arts, and unique courses on each of two campuses,” said Public Information Officer Tim Moody. “The program is administered by the Public Schools of North Carolina, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Instruction through the Division of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education. Students are selected to attend the North Carolina Governor’s School through a competitive process after being nominated by their public school unit or non-public school.” 

The program, which is open to rising seniors, with exceptions made for rising juniors in selected performing/visual arts areas, is located on two campuses, Salem College in Winston-Salem and Meredith College in Raleigh, and has a maximum of 335 students at each location. Each student is also selected for a primary course of study that they will focus on while at the school. 

The two students who were selected were Noelle Swaim from Providence Grove High School for the primary course of study of Natural Science and Jaiden Collins-Russell from Trinity High School for the primary course of study of Visual Arts. 

The board then went over the RCS proposed budget for the 2023-24 school year. 

The proposed budget includes a request for a $1,428,000 increase –  6.39% – in local funding, making the total budgetary request $24,762,040. 

Those additional costs include continuation costs totaling $711,000, salary increases for lead custodians and school treasurers totaling $173,000, funding for additional SROs totaling $114,000, and a 1.5% supplement increase for classified employees totaling $430,000. 

“We’ve spent quite a bit of time this afternoon discussing this and going over it,” said Board Chair Gary Cook. “If you notice, Todd’s voice is weak. His voice was as deep as Johnny Cash earlier in the day, but he’s kind of lost his voice going over it.” 

The board approved the proposed budget, and the next step is for it to be presented to the County Commission.  

The final action the board took was the approval and acceptance of a grant. 

“Wheatmore High School received an NRA Foundation Grant in the amount of $1,536.00,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Cathy Waddell. “This grant was received on March 9, 2023, and will provide funding for clay targets for the Hunter Safety team. 

The Randolph County Schools Board of Education will next meet May 15. 

 

 

 

 

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Ben Medinger

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Uwharrie Charter Academy, baseball 

Medinger has been a steady performer for the Eagles, and he’s one of the core veterans on the team. 

UCA went 3-0 last week, including winning a pair of tight Piedmont Athletic Conference matchups with Eastern Randolph. Medinger scored a run in the team’s 3-0 decision against Eastern Randolph. 

Medinger, a senior utility player, is among the top UCA players in on-base percentage and run production. 

He was one of two UCA selections for the All-PAC team in 2022. 

Entering this week with an 8-9 record, the Eagles are within two victories of matching last year’s win total that came in 25 games. 

 

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Asheboro sees uptick in chemical prices for Water Services Department

ASHEBORO — The City of Asheboro Council met Thursday, April 6, with multiple budgetary matters on the agenda.

The first action the council took was the approval of a contract not to exceed $41,500 for auditing services for the 2023 fiscal year.

“The Finance Department recommends the firm of Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams and Co. as the most responsive bidder for the City of Asheboro audit,” said Assistant Finance Director Steve Hackett. “The firm has six offices, and the audit will be staffed out of the Whiteville office with assistance from the Cary office if needed. Alan Thompson, a partner with the firm with over 25 years of experience, will be the partner in charge of the audit, and it will be staffed by an audit manager with three senior staff.”

The council was then given a preliminary presentation for a request from Downtown Asheboro Inc. for a $550,000 budget request in order to purchase property at 105 North Fayetteville Street.

“After doing some surveying on the property and assessing what available space we had with Trade Street and this project, it was found that this acquisition was needed to make sure we properly fit the required trash and power, and it will also provide additional parking,” said DAI Executive Director Addie Corder.

According to Corder, the $550,000 would be used to support the city’s Trade Street Project by purchasing property for the parking as well as to have a place for businesses to place trash receptors and power transforming units.

“By providing space for the transformer bank in that location, it frees up access on Trade Street, as well as saves some money in the distribution of electricity,” said Mayor Pro Tem Walker Moffitt. “There would have been a tremendous cost had we not had an alternate location, not to mention ongoing maintenance costs. So, it’s a partial reallocation as opposed to a straight expense.”

No vote was taken on the request, but one will be presented before the council at a later date.

The council then approved two change orders, one for $74,000 in order to add North Street to the Wooten Company’s engineering services contract related to the proposed Trade Street renovations and the other for $3,436 for additional design services by Prospect Landscape Architecture, PLLC related to the development of the David and Pauline Jarell Center City Garden Project.

“The City received a state grant for the purpose of improving the look and value of Trade Street while also maintaining that particular access,” said Community Development Director Trevor Nuttall on the first change order. “In the course of the staff team’s work on this project and after review of information that was starting to be compiled by Wooten, it became apparent to us that addressing the issues on trade street without having a plan for doing the same on the short segment of North Street between Trade and Sunset would be ill-advised. While we have the design team out there, now is the time to capitalize on that.”

The cost to add North Street was approximately 1/3 of the total design cost, according to Nuttall.

The council approved a resolution authorizing an application for a state loan for the Lake Lucas Dam Intake Improvements Project.

“The project did not score very well last year, and we’re trying to find any low-hanging fruit that we can to improve it,” said Water Resources Director Michael Rhoney. “It’s not looking great, but they’re expecting that there are no principal forgiveness loans this year. All loans, no grants, so I don’t think the competition is going to be as big.

“The criteria that they have, we just don’t meet a lot of the things. We don’t have the need that other people have, but we continue to try.”

The council then also approved contracts with five different companies for the purchase of seven different chemicals needed by the water resources department for the next year.

The chemicals include Liquid Alum at $399 a ton provided by C & S Chemicals, Liquid Caustic at $938 a ton, Fluosilicic Acid at $498 a ton, and Sodium Hypochlorite at $1.71 a gallon provided by Univar, USA, Inc., Calcium Nitrate at $2.71 a gallon provided by Aulick Chemical Solutions, Sodium Permanganate at $19.87 a gallon provided by Amerochem Corporation, and Calcium Hydroxide/Magnesium Hydroxide Slurry Blend at $1.70 a gallon provided by Polytec, Inc.

In terms of cost, according to Rhoney, it’s an overall increase of around 28% this fiscal year to purchase all of the same chemicals the department needs.

The City of Asheboro Council will next meet May 4.

RandolphCommissionersApril

Board of Commissioners approves two economic developments

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ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met Monday, April 3, with various public hearings and property matters on the agenda.

The first action the board approved was to allow the exchange of property between the Randolph County School Board and the City of Archdale.

“At our last Board of Education meeting, our board declared a piece of property as surplus, but before we can make this exchange with the City of Archdale, we have to give you [the board of commissioners] the first right to this land at either fair market value or a value agreed upon between the board of commissioners and board of education,” said Randolph County Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Gainey.

The board also approved the reclassification of two soil and water positions.

“We are requesting to reclassify the Soil and Water Administrator to a Soil and Water Environmental Education and Support Coordinator,” said Soil and Water Department Head Kaitlyn Johnson. “That position would start identifying more educational opportunities in the county and work to provide new educational programs, classroom activities, teacher workshops, and even adult education programs.

“The other position would be transitioning the Environmental Specialist to a Soil and Water Director role. That would still allow us to provide the technical assistance that that position has typically always done as well as just oversight of the office and supervisory functions that are needed to keep the office progressing.”

The board also was presented with the proposed renovation plan by Smith Sinnett Architecture for the Northwest Human Services Center.

In the 15,825 square foot building, the plan lists 14 offices, eight on the upper level and six on the lower, three areas of open office space, a break room, a mailroom, two conference rooms, one training room, and a large multipurpose area with a final cost estimate of $3,120,000.

“When I was reading this, I was glad I was sitting down because we paid $1.5 million for the building, and I wasn’t thinking that it was going to take twice that to renovate it,” said Vice Chair David Allen.

As such, the board requested for the firm to break the costs down between the two floors and see about having the bottom floor listed as a bid alternate expenditure cost and then for that plan to be brought back before them at a later date.

The board then approved the awarding of a contract to Garanco Construction for the Health Department Renovation Project. According to County Engineer Paxton Arthurs, the base bid for Garanco is $1,975,200 for construction costs, but for all the alternates, the cost would go up to $2,351,500.

The board was then presented with two economic development opportunities, one for Project Spring and the other for the Caraway Speedway.

“[Project Spring] is a Texas-based manufacturing facility that has been in business for several years,” said Economic Development Business Development Director Crystal Gettys. “Their product and their business in sales has been expedited to the point where they feel the need to have a second facility to cover east of the Mississippi. This has been a search for an existing building over the last six months or more across multiple states. They have narrowed that pool down to the top two, and Randolph County is in that top two.”

According to Gettys, the incentive package includes $33,340 over a five-year period, and the state of North Carolina will also provide incentives, including a OneNC grant and a building reuse grant.

The board approved the economic development incentive package following a public hearing.

“In expending its Coronavirus state fiscal recovery funds, the state of North Carolina created something called the Motorsports Relief Fund,” said Associate County Attorney Aimee Scotten. “The purpose of this fund is to enhance amenities and increase the opportunities for events at motorsports venues in recognition of the impact that those events have on the local tourism, travel, and hospitality industries. Randolph County received a grant from this fund specifically for the benefit of Caraway Speedway in the amount of $485,000. Caraway plans to use that money to replace some aging and kind of dilapidated seating and to repave certain sections of the track.”

The board also approved the use of the Motorsport Relief funds for the Caraway Speedway.

The board then held public meetings for the restructuring of five Fire Tax districts – Coleridge-Erect, Fairgrove, Julian, Northeast, and Staley – in line with the other dozen or so that have already been restructured. 

There were no comments made for or against the restructuring, and so following the hearings, the board voted to abolish and then reform the districts in order to remove the $0.15 tax cap.

The change is not a direct tax increase but simply gives the district the ability to ask for a higher tax rate from the county commissioners should the need ever arise. The new districts also cover the exact same area as before.

The board finally approved a budget amendment to cover a change in the schedule for USDA debt service payments in relation to the Farm, Food, and Family Education Center.

“Last year, we got approved for two $2 million loans through the USDA going through REMC,” said Assistant County Manager Will Massie. “Since going through the approval, REMC has been trying to work with USDA to get the funds down here. Currently, they’re not down yet. We don’t have the loan and haven’t closed on that, but they think they’re pretty close. One of the things that the USDA has requested is to have monthly payments rather than annual ones. If we do close this month, that would indicate that we would have a debt service payment in May and June.”

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet May 1.

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Lanie McDaniel

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Eastern Randolph, softball

Eastern Randolph carried a four-game winning streak into spring break, and McDaniel did her part.

Posting two hits in a Piedmont Athletic Conference victory against Randleman was among her contributions.

McDaniel, a senior infielder, also drove in two runs in the Randleman game. She had a hit and scored a run in a 2-1 victory at Northern Guilford. She also scored in a one-run decision against Providence Grove.

With six doubles and 13 runs batted in, she’s among the team leaders in several offensive categories. 

McDaniel was an All-PAC girls’ golfer in the fall.

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