Blog – Moore County Edition

Nov

08

2023

Pinecrest, North Moore open playoff runs with victories

Sportsnorth moore football, pinecrest football

Both local teams were victorious in the first round of the state playoffs on Friday and will advance to round two this week. Pinecrest 45, South Garner 31 The Pinecrest Patriots stormed back in the second half to defeat South Garner 45-31 on Friday night in the first round of the state playoffs. Pinecrest trailed 24-14 at the half, with the scoring coming from two Jaylin Morgan touchdowns. The Patriots erupted for 21 points in the span of about three minutes in the third on two touchdowns by Zymire Spencer and a blocked punt in the end zone recovered by…

Nov

08

2023

By Ashley White

Film on Wilmington Massacre sheds light on forgotten history

Features

ASHEBORO — The John Locke Foundation held a screening of “In the Pines,” a short film about the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, at the Asheboro Public Library on November 2. Directed by Dugan Bridges, “In the Pines” is a piece of historical fiction following Scarlett Manning, played by Pandora Broadwater, as she shares her memories of the events leading up to the massacre. The younger Scarlett, portrayed by Amara Ayler, navigates the challenges of the time with her friends Ashleigh, played by Corrinne Mica, and Ashleigh’s love interest, Sam, played by John Potvin. The film provides a narrative framework for…

Nov

08

2023

By Randolph Record

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Christopher Betancourt

Sportsathlete of the week

Christopher Betancourt is a sophomore on the North Moore men’s soccer team. The younger brother of previous Athlete of the Week Ricky Betancourt, the duo has been the offensive spark for the Mustangs this season. Christopher ranks near the top of the team in goals and assists. His penalty kick goal gave North Moore the early lead in 4-1 win over Vance Charter in the second round of the state playoffs. The 3-seed Mustangs played Southside after press time for a berth in the round of 8.

Nov

08

2023

By North State Journal Staff

Taylor, Ficklin claim seats on Pinehurst Village Council

Government, News

PINEHURST — In completed unofficial election results for Pinehurst Village Council, John Taylor and Barb Ficklin prevailed on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Taylor won the most votes with 2,727, nearly 28% in the five-person race. Ficklin's total was 2,412, nearly 25%. Finishing in third and fourth were Claire Berggren and Lydia Boesch. Boesch, an incumbent, was elected in 2019. Cara Mathis finished fifth in the contest.

Nov

08

2023

By North State Journal Staff

Pizzella wins Pinehurst mayoral race

Government, News

PINEHURST — Pinehurst Village Councilmember Patrick Pizzella was elected mayor in completed unofficial results on Tuesday, Nov. 7. With all five precincts in Pinehurst reporting, Pizzella earned 2,477 votes, good for 48% of the total. Councilmember Jeff Morgan finished second in the race, with 1,892 votes, around 37%, and Kevin Drum, a former member of the village council, finishing with 765 votes, around 15% of the total.

Oct

11

2023

By Asheebo Rojas

Athlete of the Week: Jakarey Gillis

Sportsathlete of the week, moore county football

Jakarey Gillis is a senior running back for the North Moore football team. The Mustangs won their third straight game last Friday, a 48-7 shellacking of Seaforth, and Gillis was a big reason why. He rushed for 244 yards on 18 carries and scored four touchdowns, giving him 14 on the season, one shy of his total for all of last year. Gillis has 998 rushing yards on the year and has more touchdowns than any two other Mustangs combined.

Oct

11

2023

By Asheebo Rojas

Jakarey Gillis, explosive first half push North Moore past Seaforth, 48-7

Sportsmoore county football

North Moore football head coach Andrew Carrouth worried about his team’s focus ahead of Friday’s game against Seaforth, as homecoming festivities created potential distractions. But in route to a 48-7 victory over the Hawks, the Mustangs started the homecoming celebrations early after locking in and playing their brand of football the right way. The Mustangs took care of business behind an explosive 41-point first half and a career night from senior running back Jakarey Gillis. “I really liked the first half,” Carrouth said. “We had a couple of miscues here and there, but I thought we really did a good…

Oct

11

2023

By A.P. Dillon

Moore County Principal is first recipient of True Trailblazer Science of Reading Award

NewsTrue Trailblazer Science of Reading Award

RALEIGH — On Oct. 3, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) honored Principal Ashlee Ciccone as the first recipient of the True Trailblazer Science of Reading Award. Ciccone is the principal of Pinehurst Elementary School in Moore County Public Schools. NCDPI’s account on the social media platform X issued a post congratulating Ciccone as being “recognized for her exemplary efforts to guide the school through its shift to SoR [Science of Reading], positively impacting professional & student knowledge & collaboration.” According to the district, Ciccone had begun using LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional…

Oct

11

2023

By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Pinehurst council approves RV space rental fees, reviews new library costs

GovernmentVillage of Pinehurst Council

PINEHURST — The Village of Pinehurst Council met Tuesday, Sept. 26, primarily focusing on reports. The council began by appointing Carol Henry as the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction representative for the Planning and Zoning Board and Board of Adjustments. “[Henry] holds previous planning and zoning board experience with the Village of Pinehurst having served from around 2014 to 2016, and she’s going to be a benefit to us with that previous experience,” said Planning and Zoning Board Chairman Jeramy Hooper. “Carol will not only fill the ETJ seat for the planning and zoning board but also she will be a voice for…

Oct

11

2023

By Ryan Henkel, North State Journal

Aberdeen to install stop signs on Shepherd Trail

GovernmentAberdeen Town Board

ABERDEEN — The Aberdeen Town Board tackled road and financial matters at its meeting on Monday, Sept. 25. The meeting kicked off with the Aberdeen Police Department swearing in two new officers, Jose Zapol and Seanessey O’Dowd. The board approved the installation of two stop signs at Shepherd Trail intersections in response to residents’ concerns about speeding. “A few weeks ago, we received phone calls from concerned residents within Shepherd Trail,” said Director of Public Works Joe Wood. “We’ve had this problem, several phone calls over the past few years… Shepherd Trail is being used as a shortcut from Roseland…