Blog – Moore County Edition

Jan

24

2024

Pinehurst denies Golf Channel request to close downtown to traffic

Businessdowntown, Pinehurst, US Open

PINEHURST – The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, Jan. 16 as a continuation from the prior week’s weather-delayed meeting. The USGA and Golf Channel sought to create a temporary pedestrian-only district in downtown Pinehurst to anchor its US Open broadcast, a decision the council would have to approve — but with local businesses most affected, they had a lot to say. “The USGA approached the Village and asked us if we would be interested in accommodating the Golf Channel’s request,” said Doug Willardson. “I reached out to all of our downtown business community and I had 39 responses, 22…

Jan

24

2024

By North State Journal Staff

5 members join Sandhills Community College Sports Hall of Fame

SportsSandhills Community College Sports Hall of Fame

Sandhills Community College held its induction for the school’s Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday. The group was celebrated at a morning banquet and inducted at halftime of Sandhills’ basketball game against Mountain Gateway Community College. The Flyers won, 135-100, for their fifth straight win, improving to 14-7 on the year. Five new members joined the school’s hall: Emmett “Shelton” Raynor: A Clinton native, Raynor played for the SCC baseball team in the 1970s. He continued to play semi-pro baseball until age 62. He also contributed to the region by founding the Optimist Club of the Sandhills and the Sandhills…

Jan

24

2024

By A.P. Dillon

Moore County Schools ‘potential school shooting’ threat deemed not credible

NewsMoore County Schools

RALEIGH — On Jan. 18, Moore County Public Schools (MCPS) announced the district had received a threat to its schools which later was deemed to not be “credible” or “actionable.” “On Tuesday, at approximately 11:40 a.m., we received a notification from the Southern Pines Police Department regarding an anonymous threat call made to a local business, pertaining to a potential school shooting,” a MCPS update on the incident stated. “However, the call did not provide specific information about any particular time or school in Moore County.” The update said MCPS continued its typical operations but had initiated precautionary measures such…

Jan

18

2024

By Lauren Rose

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Elijah Melton

Sportsathlete of the week

Elijah Melton is a junior forward for the Pinecrest boys’ basketball team. Melton, who also starred for the Patriots’ football team in the fall, came up big in Pinecrest’s 62-58 win over Lee County last week. Melton hit 6-of-12 from the field for 13 points, with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Melton leads Pinecrest in scoring (13.3 ppg), shooting (63%), rebounding (5.2 rpg) and blocks. He ranks third in the Sandhills conference in double-doubles.

Jan

18

2024

By Randolph Record

New leader in boys power rankings as Union Pines falls

SportsMoore County sports

Boys’ basketball The Pinecrest boys snapped a two-game losing streak with a 62-58 win over Lee County. The win earned the Patriots their first conference win of the season and was enough to move Pinecrest past a slumping Union Pines in the Moore County rankings. Jaden Saunders had 15 points and Elijah Melton 13. Azir Gillespie had four steals. Pinecrest is now 7-4, 1-2 in the Sandhills. The Union Pines boys lost their second straight game and fourth in the last five outings. Richmond blew the Vikings out on their home floor, 75-47. Jaylen Kyle got a double-double for Union…

Jan

18

2024

By A.P. Dillon

Moore County School Choice Expo returns for third year in a row

Newsschool choice

PINEHURST — The third annual Moore County School Choice Expo is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 27, in Pinehurst, coinciding with the final day of this year’s National School Choice Week. The event will be at Sandhills Community College Campus with the aim of providing information to Moore County parents about various K-12 education options. "At our last two Expos, we realized that a growing number of local parents are eager to explore all the alternatives available to them where the education of their children is concerned,” said Caroline Kelly, one of the event's chief organizers. “Parents prefer to visit face-to-face…

Jan

11

2024

By Jordan Golson

Pinehurst warns downtown businesses on public trash cans

Newscommerical, Pinehurst, trash

PINEHURST — The Village sent a letter to the downtown business community last week to remind business owners to not use public garbage cans for commercial trash. “Village staff has noticed increased commercial trash being placed in the Village’s public receptacles scatter throughout downtown,” the message read. “This trash has included boxes, papers, food containers, etc., with the names of several downtown businesses on the garbage itself.” In some instances, the trash receptacles have been overflowing with so much commercial garbage that they aren’t able to be used by the public. The missive didn’t name names, but the message was…

Jan

11

2024

By North State Journal Staff

Union Pines still atop rankings as local teams struggle to start new year

SportsMoore County sports

Boys’ basketball The Union Pines boys have hit a slump. The Vikings lost two of three in holiday tournament action, then dropped their first game of the new year, 58-52, at Scotland. A 68-32 win over Western Harnett to close December broke up the three losses. In the two days prior, Union Pines fell to Overhills and Triton. Jaylen Kyle and Trent Hilburn tied for top scoring honors in two of the three holiday games, while Kingsley Donaldson led the way in the third. Union Pines is now 9-4, 1-1 on the year. The Pinecrest boys dropped their first game…

Jan

11

2024

By North State Journal Staff

Interest in school board leads Moore County primary ballot

NewsMoore County, School Board

CARTHAGE — Races for four of the five seats on the Moore County School Board will be narrowed down by voters on March 5. Filing for 2024 took place last month and candidates for this year’s primaries have just under two months to make their case to voters. The four school board races are nonpartisan and the top two vote-getters will move to the November general election. In District I, four candidates are on the ballot: Amy Dahl, Kevin Lewis, Oscar Romine and Jim Boyte. The current board member, Stacey Caldwell, did not file for reelection to the seat. In…

Jan

04

2024

By Lauren Rose

First Medicaid expansion data shared

Newsmedicaid expansion

More than 600,000 North Carolinians are newly eligible for health coverage through a recent expansion of NC Medicaid, and the state has recently shared numbers on how many residents have enrolled in the expansion. Moore County has seen 1,980 newly eligible adults sign up for Medicaid, some 3.6 percent of the county’s 54,637 adult population between 19 and 64 years of age. This data is current as of December 1, though the data was only recently made available by the state. Numbers will be updated monthly. "Hundreds of people each day are gaining health care coverage and getting the care…