Blog – Moore County Edition

Nov

29

2023

Pinecrest boys post lone win for county schools this week

Sports

Before a brief break for the Thanksgiving holiday, four of the county’s six boys and girls basketball teams were in action last week, with mixed results. Union Pines boys, girls swept by South View After a season opening win over Montgomery Central, the Vikings dropped to 1-1 on the young campaign with a 85-72 loss to South View last week. Senior Trent Hilburn led the way for Union Pines, scoring 31 points on 10-of-25 shooting from the field. He was 4-of-8 from three-point range and had 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Junior Aiden Leonard was also in double figures with…

Nov

29

2023

By Associated Press

University of North Carolina shooting suspect found unfit for trial, sent to mental health facility

NewsUNC shooting

RALEIGH — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate student charged with fatally shooting his faculty adviser has been found unfit for trial after two mental evaluations, a judge ruled Monday. Tailei Qi, 34, is accused of killing associate professor Zijie Yan in a science building at the state's flagship public university on Aug. 28. He is being held without bond on charges of first-degree murder and misdemeanor possession of a firearm on educational property. Orange County Superior Court Judge Alyson Grine said Monday that two separate mental evaluations found Qi likely suffers from untreated schizophrenia. "Qi demonstrated…

Nov

21

2023

By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Pinehurst council appoints historic preservation chair, approves ADU

NewsVillage of Pinehurst Council

PINEHURST – The Village of Pinehurst Council's meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14, addressed a variety of property and budgetary matters. The session began with the appointment of Richard Vincent as chairperson of the Historic Preservation Commission. Village Manager Jeff Sanborn said, “With John Taylor’s election to Council, we have a need to replace him as the chairperson of the Historic Preservation Commission. Richard Vincent has a vast amount of experience on our HPC and he is endorsed by John Taylor and we think he is the person best suited to fill that position from the candidates that are available.” The…

Nov

21

2023

By Randolph Record

Athlete of the Week: Nathaniel Dyer

Sportsathlete of the week

Nathaniel Dyer (4) is a senior quarterback and free safety for North Moore’s football team. The Mustangs saw their season end in a loss to Wilson Prep on Friday, but Dyer led North Moore to a conference title and into the NCHSAA playoffs’ third round. In addition to quarterbacking the team and leading the North Moore offense, Dyer was also a big play contributor on defense and special teams. He had a pass defense and fumble recovery during the regular season, and he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone against Wilson Prep to cut the deficit to seven…

Nov

21

2023

By Randolph Record

Pinehurst tree lighting set for Dec. 1

NewsPinehurst tree lighting

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst is set to kick-off the Christmas season with its annual Christmas Tree Lighting event. This year, the celebration is scheduled for Friday, December 1, at Tufts Memorial Park, located in the heart of downtown Pinehurst. From 5pm to 7:30pm, the park will become a hub of holiday festivities, inviting the community and visitors to enjoy an evening filled with music and the opportunity to meet Santa Claus. The highlight of the evening, the official tree lighting ceremony, is planned for 6:30pm. Complementing the holiday cheer, local vendors will be present, offering a variety of…

Nov

21

2023

By Randolph Record

North Moore football finishes season, basketball opens play across county

SportsMoore County sports

Football comes to an end North Moore saw its season end in the third round of the state playoffs. The 6-seed Mustangs lost to 3-seed Wilson Prep in the round of 16 by a 42-15 score. North Moore had no answer for the Wilson Prep run game, which featured three 100-yard backs. The Tigers scored six touchdowns on the ground in the contest. The Mustangs got on the board with a pass from Colby Pennington to Kolby Ritchie, then tightened things up when Nathaniel Dyer recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. North Moore could never close the gap,…

Nov

15

2023

By Maggie Horzempa

HORZEMPA: NC crime: a need for data-driven, targeted solutions

Opinionscrime, opinion

We’ve all felt the fear as we see media coverage hyper-focusing on crime-ridden cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York City. In North Carolina, even one crime victim is too many, but the emotional fearmongering of local and national media often dominates news and public opinion. We all want to know: Are our cities safe? What are the facts? Recent reports are debunking the perception that North Carolina is a state plagued by increasing violent crime while also exposing the complex issues shouldered by some of our biggest cities. According to the most recent FBI report, The 2022 Crime…

Nov

15

2023

By North State Journal Staff

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: William Miller

Sportsathlete of the week

Pinecrest, football William Miller is a junior kicker and defensive back on the Pinecrest football team. Pinecrest saw its undefeated season end after 11 straight wins with a loss to Clayton in the second round of the playoffs on Friday, but Miller did a bit of everything to try to carry his team into round three. Miller kicked a 30-yard field goal to move Pinecrest within one score of the lead, while also adding an extra point. On defense, he added an interception, returning it 29 yards. Miller led Pinecrest in interceptions this year and was third on the team…

Nov

15

2023

By Randolph Record

Playoff roundup: North Moore football, soccer advance

Sports

Men’s Soccer playoffs North Moore got goals from Ricky and Christian Betancourt to defeat East Wake Academy in Zebulon, 2-0. The win earned the third-seeded Mustangs a berth in the NCHSAA 1A soccer playoffs final four, where they played the top seed, Hobbton, Tuesday night after press time. The game was marred by a fracas with just over 11 minutes to go. North Moore’s leading scorer, Ricky Betancourt was fouled on a play that occurred right in front of the Mustang bench. Several members of the team felt it was an overly violent foul, and a shoving match ensued. North…

Nov

15

2023

By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Moore school board reviews calendar, endorses grant application

NewsMoore County Schools

CAMERON – The Moore County Schools Board of Education convened on Monday, Nov. 6, to discuss multiple items, including a review of the 2024-25 school calendar and an endorsement of a grant application for school renovations. The board revisited the previously approved 2024-25 school calendar, which adheres to the state’s traditional calendar law. Board member David Hensley expressed his dissatisfaction with the mandated schedule, stating, “Everyone knows that I’m not a fan of this politically driven school calendar. I’ve advocated for this board to exhibit civil disobedience and do what’s best for the education of our children, not what’s best…