Commissioners honor National 4-H week

ASHEBORO — Children in Randolph County 4-H told the Board of Commissioners about their favorite things they do in the youth development program. During the regular meeting on Oct. 5, the commissioners passed a proclamation for National 4-H Week Oct. 4-10.

“The 4-H Club in Randolph County is one of the first organizations I really got involved in. I learned to appreciate what they do, especially for the young people in Randolph County,” Commission Chair Darrell Frye said.

North Carolina 4-H is run by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension in partnership with NC State University and NC A&T State University. The proclamation noted that Randolph County’s 4-H program serves more than 12,000 young people and has 41 volunteers.

4-H agents Allison Walker Allen and Jenni May introduced the six children. Rilen Wright of Franklinville thanked the program for giving him the chance to travel and learn life skills to prepare him for college. He said, “I’ve gone on to do a lot of things in cow showing. I thrive in competition.”

Jonathan Scarlett of Asheboro said he’s been with 4-H for 10 years. He said, “4-H is a community. I’ve made so many friends through 4-H. It’s amazing to see.”

Quill Gravitt of Asheboro Hybrid Academy said it gives her a place to experience things she can’t do at home or in school. Standout moments for her were a sushi class and sewing.

Commissioners’ agenda

Nobody spoke at the public hearing for the 2027 property appraisal’s proposed schedules, standards and rules. However, County Manager Zeb Holden said commissioners won’t vote on them until November. He said there is a copy to review at the tax department, and the plan is to post the proposals online to give people more time.

Frye showed everyone the binder of schedules, standards and rules, emphasizing how many pages were in it. “This is what’s involved in the 2027 process,” Frye said. “Most of this is statutory.”

“The book is hundreds of pages long,” Holden said. “It’s easier to make available online than the print copies when asked.”

■ Social Services Director Tracie Murphy asked commissioners to approve new income maintenance worker jobs to help her department process Medicaid and SNAP food benefits. She told them the extra help is critical, because the new state budget and federal laws have shifted more of the financial burden to the counties. She said that the federal law often referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill penalizes states if they are above a 6 percent payment error rate. North Carolina’s error rate was 7.36 percent in 2025.