Blog – Moore County Edition

Jun

03

2024

The O’Neal School — Class of 2024

NewsThe O'Neal School

The O’Neal School — Class of 2024 Commencement will be at 9am on Friday at Owens Auditorium of the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center at Sandhills Community College. Congratulations to all the graduates! Charles Kuzma — Valedictorian Lauren Kuhn — Salutatorian Caroline Acker Jacob Bates Aidan Blackwell Louis Blackwell Noah Blocklinger Savannah Campbell Summer Compton Mia Franco Luke Harper Honor Hicks Lauren Hobbs Brennan Hodges Mary Grace Huntley Reily Johnson Nicholas Joyce Tamiya Judd Boyd Kenny Audrey Kim William Kitchens Sahara Kokott JP Lee Clayton Manning Maxwell Martin Alex Martin Olivia Maxwell Robert Mays Katie McCloskey Quinn Mitchell Richard Mullis Tylar…

Jun

03

2024

By Bob Sutton

$450M Ross Stores warehouse coming to Randleman

NewsNC Department of Commerce

Ross Stores, a Fortune 500 retail chain, is planning to build a regional distribution center in Randleman, state officials announced Tuesday. The warehouse will bring as many as 852 jobs to Randolph County by late in 2026, an investment listed at roughly $450 million. The Randleman site — covering about 330 acres near N.C. 74 in the northwest corner of the city — will be the company's ninth distribution center. The 1.7 million square-foot facility will handle warehousing, fulfillment and packing operations. Ross Stores is a $20 billion company that operates two off-price chains including Ross Dress for Less, the…

Jun

03

2024

By Jordan Golson

DMV unveils new, more secure license designs

NewsNC DMV

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) this week announced the release of new designs for driver's licenses, permits, and identification cards featuring advanced security features designed to prevent fraud. According to a DMV press release, the new credentials are the most secure in the state's history and are claimed to be among the most secure identifying documents worldwide. The new cards are made of polycarbonate and are personalized using laser engraving technology, resulting in a distinctive look, feel, and sound. The cards are stiffer than their predecessors and feature embossed and debossed patterns and lettering on the surface.…

Jun

03

2024

By North State Journal Staff

Two local players head to NCAA baseball tournament

SportsMoore County sports

The NCAA baseball tournament starts this weekend, and a pair of graduates from county high schools will be competing to make the College World Series in Omaha. Ten local players were on a college baseball team at some level this season. Two of them are still standing as the tourney shifts into gear at 16 sites around the nation. RJ Sales, a member of Pinecrest’s class of 2021, will be leading UNC Wilmington into the tournament. Sales, who won conference player of the year while leading the Patriots to the Sandhills Conference championship as a senior, is a redshirt sophomore…

Jun

02

2024

By Cory Lavalette

Athlete of the Week: Wesley Little

Sportsathlete of the week, Pinecrest, Pinecrest High school, Wesley Little

Pinecrest boys’ lacrosse junior Wesley Little is the Athlete of the Week. The three-time conference champions have won 28 straight games in the United 8/All American/Sandhills Conference, including a 10-0 mark in the league this year. Little, the Patriots’ goalkeeper, led the conference in goals-against average and save percentage. He also finished second in the state in save percentage and sixth in goals against average. That earned him all-state and all-region honorable mentions, as well as a spot on the all-conference first team. He was also voted the team’s defensive MVP.

May

24

2024

By A.P. Dillon

Civil rights complaint filed against Moore Public Schools

NewsMoore County Board of Education, Moore County Schools

RALEIGH — Two activist groups have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights alleging discrimination over Moore County Schools' implementation of North Carolina's new Parents' Bill of Rights (PBR) law. That law was enacted by the General Assembly on August 16, 2023, after both legislative chambers overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 49. After the PBR was enacted, the Moore County Board of Education adopted an amendment to its Comprehensive Health Education Program policy on November 6, 2023. The amendment included a prohibition on “instruction on sexual activity or sexuality” in Kindergarten through…

May

24

2024

By Ena Sellers

Moore volunteer fire depts. receive more than $14K in grants

NewsMoore County, volunteer fire

The North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal announced the recipients of the 2024 Volunteer Fire Department Fund, also known as Fire Grant, on May 15. Two departments in Moore County received more than $14,000 between them. Eastwood Fire was awarded $11,200 and Westmoore Fire received $3,068. The money will go towards new equipment and must be paired with matching funds. "Fire and rescue organizations protect our communities large and small across North Carolina, but sometimes their budgets don't grow with their responsibilities," stated Brian Taylor, State Fire Marshal in the announcement. "Our emergency service personnel should be supported with…

May

24

2024

By PJ Ward-Brown

US 421 to become I-685 from Greensboro to Sanford

NewsNC Department of Transportation, NC Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins, Senator Richard Burr, Senator Tom Tillis

LIBERTY — State and local leaders gathered Monday in Randolph County to celebrate the designation of U.S. Highway 421 as the future Interstate 685. The event, held next to the under-construction Toyota Battery Manufacturing plant, featured the unveiling of new Future I-685 signs that will be going up along the route from Greensboro to Sanford. "Today's unveiling of the Future Interstate 685 sign is a true testament to the collaboration and teamwork that is fueling our economic momentum here in the Carolina Core," said Loren Hill, Carolina Core Regional Economic Development Director, at the event. I-685 will eventually run from…

May

24

2024

By Ryan Henkel

Board of Education approves removal of some fees

NewsMoore County Board of Education

The Moore County Schools Board of Education approved changes to the student fee schedule in its May 13 meeting. The changes remove middle and high school “other semester courses” and “math” fees, as well as enacting a decrease in the daycare tuition for 2024-25. Board member David Hensley wanted to remove graduation and science fees as well: “You tax what you don’t want and you reinforce what you do want and we want our students to graduate and we want our students to take math classes,” Hensley said. “But we punish them with a tax. We can say, ‘Oh, it’s…

May

24

2024

By North State Journal Staff

Athlete of the Week: Janie Spicer

Sportsathlete of the week, Janie Spicer, Moore County sports, Union Pines

Janie Spicer is a senior for the Union Pines’ girls’ lacrosse team. The Vikings won their first-ever state title and wrapped up an undefeated season. Spicer led the way winning NCHSAA Most Valuable Player honors after scoring three goals, with four assists, in the championship game. She also took the NCHSAA Sportsmanship Award. For the season, Spicer led Union Pines in shots on goal and was second in goals and assists. She also led the squad in ground balls and was second in turnovers forced. ‌