North State Journal - Vol. 1, Issue 15

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 15

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2016

www.NSJONLINE.com

the Sunday News Briefing

flame of hope Cadets in the 139th State Highway Patrol Basic School carry the “Flame of Hope” up Wilmington Street in Raleigh during the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics of North Carolina on June 2.

Federal judges reject redistricting complaints Raleigh A three-judge panel rejected complaints Thursday over the redistricting map that state legislators drew in February after the previous map was ruled unconstitutional. With this ruling, the June 7 primary is still in place.

The previous map was ruled unconstitutional because of its reliance on race as a factor in determining district lines, particularly in Districts 1 and 12.

NC House passes bill to stop I-77 toll project Raleigh The N.C. House on Thursday passed a bill 8127 with bipartisan support to cancel the contract to construct the Interstate 77 toll. If the bill is approved, it would end the 50year contract with I-77 Mobility Partners, a part of the Spanish firm Cintra.

The toll project has been met with much objection since its proposal in November, but the Transportation Secretary said Wednesday that cancelling the contract may cost $250 million.

US strikes Islamic State target from Mediterranean

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Berlin U.S. fighter jets on Friday launched strikes against the Islamic State from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. Navy said, marking the first time a U.S. aircraft carrier targeted areas in the Middle East from the Mediterranean since the Iraq War began in 2003.

The jets departed from the USS Harry S. Truman, according to the Navy. It gave no immediate details on whether the targets were in Iraq or Syria, or the type of targets that were hit.

NC man sentenced for tax evasion, flying without a license Thomasville, N.C. Paul Douglas Tharp was sentenced Wednesday for tax evasion and four counts of serving as a pilot without a license from 2012-14. Tharp failed to report he owned an airport and an investment firm, and concealed his business bank accounts and rental income. He also flew four flights in and out of Davidson County Airport after surrendering his pilot certificate.

race for governor

McCrory, Cooper talk small business with NFIB

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — The candidates for governor each got a unique chance to speak directly to small business owners this week during the same event. In an election season that has, so far, been void of side-by-side issue vetting, Gov. Pat McCrory and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Roy Cooper each had their time in front of the North Carolina chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a small business association, on Wednesday. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest also addressed the group, but the gubernatorial candidates were not present during the other’s speeches, a point not lost on the audience.

McCrory points to economic triage and growth McCrory, in lieu of a speech, engaged in a Q&A on issues of the economy’s latest progress, tax reform, and workforce development.

“This economy was a wreck [in 2013]. In fact, state government was in a wreck, in a very, very difficult stage and was very inefficient,” McCrory said, adding that he came into office to fix and reform such issues. “I’m pleased to report, as of about three weeks ago, it was announced that North Carolina had the fastest growing economy in the last three years of any state in the United States of America.”

McCrory pointed to reforms of

House bill 2

H.B. 2 petition state totals Illinois 18,207

North Carolina 18,452

Florida 8,875 New York 6,415 Texas 6,004 Pennsylvania 5,316

Total of other states 60,120

California 96,984 Cece Pascual | north state journal

By Donna King North State Journal

Coca-Cola 600’s best stories are off the track B4 Sports Scoop your way across the state with our local ice cream guide. C4 the good life

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Attorney General Roy Cooper addresses members of the National Federation of Independent Businesses during a luncheon in honor of Small Business Day on June 1 in Raleigh.

Special section $2.00

RALEIGH — The sun is high, and it’s 95 degrees at a gas station at the intersection of Tryon Road and South Wilmington Street on Thursday afternoon.

About 30 runners turn in following a member of the local police department holding a torch to represent the Law Enforcement Torch Run that raises funds and awareness for the Special Olympics. The always-lit torch is on its final stretch after weaving through North Carolina to finish in Raleigh for the start of the Summer Games on Friday.

The North Carolina Torch Run raises approximately $1.1 million per year, which covers the costs for equipment, coaching and travel, according to Lt. Charles Lee, the N.C. Highway Patrol Torch Run coordinator.

“Whereas you and I grew up

playing rec ball, our parents payed a fee, had to go buy a uniform and everything, the wonderful thing about Special Olympics is these athletes don’t have to pay for their uniforms, equipment and coaching,” Lee said.

For participants like Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, a senior police officer at NC State, it is a win-win — running and giving back.

“I like running,” Fitzpatrick said. “My mom worked with folks with developmental disabilities for her career, so it is a big part of our life. It is my part of contributing.”

For Lee, it’s seeing how happy it makes the Special Olympics athletes.

“I do it to see the joy in their face and their reaction and the thrill they get for being included to compete — just finishing the race or finishing the game — the thrill and joy they get from that,” Lee said. “That is my reward.”

85 percent of H.B. 2 protest petitions were from out of state

An uncommon bond ties the UNC lacrosse title teams B1

20177 52016

By Liz Moomey North State Journal

See NFIB, page A2

INSIDE

5

Law Enforcement Torch Run fuels NC Special Olympics

8

North Carolina voter’s guide for the June 7 primary election

RALEIGH — In an audit of the petitions against House Bill 2 delivered to the N.C. governor’s mansion on April 25, Californians submitted more than five times the number of opposing petitions than North Carolinians did on the North Carolina law.

The audit was obtained by North State Journal through a public records request and shows that the west coast state delivered more opponents to House Bill 2 than the next ten states combined.

The petition drive was organized by the Human Rights Campaign, the Campaign for Southern Equality and The ACLU of North Carolina. The groups, led locally by now-Representative Chris See petition, page A8

McCrory signs for Medicaid reform waiver Right to hunt and fish bill On Murphy to Manteo, page A5

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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NS J datebook

THE BACKSTORY District 13 boasts nearly two dozen candidates

Fast facts about voting residency in NC

By Jill Osborn For the North State Journal

• Your legal voting residence is your place of permanent domicile.

CLEMMONS, N.C. - As of June 3, an unprecedented 22 candidates are flooding the ballot in hopes of winning the U.S. Congressional seat in North Carolina’s new District 13. Seventeen Republicans and five Democrats are all vying for the seat that spans five counties. The group will be whittled down after the primary on June 7.

But how did we end up with the redrawn 13th District and all these candidates?

First we need to look back to the early 1990s when the Democrats had control of North Carolina with a majority in both the state House and Senate, plus the governor’s office. The Democrats drew new voting district lines, hoping to gain more votes in their favor throughout the state — known as gerrymandering. The Republicans filed lawsuits claiming the new districts were unfair, but to no avail.

Fast-forward to 2012, and the Republicans took over the Executive Mansion when Pat McCrory was sworn in as governor. With control of the legislative and executive branches, conservatives returned the favor on redistricting, drawing new lines for the upcoming election.

But the re-districting left District 13 without an incumbent.

“It creates a really interesting dynamic,” said Elon Political Science professor Kenneth Fernandez, who has been tracking North Carolina politics the past four years as Elon’s Director of Polls. “It would be practically impossible to poll for so many candidates. I haven’t seen any polls out there. But clearly there are far more Republicans than Democrats in the race because the district is drawn in such a way that it is pretty clear a Republican will win.”

The new district includes parts or all of these counties: Iredell, Davie, Davidson, Guilford and Rowan. The Republicans’ gerrymandering, Democrats accused, could tilt District 13 in favor of a conservative candidate.

“It’s a new political game,” Amanda Kornegay, partner at Mascata-Kornegay Group in Washington, D.C., said. Kornegay, who has worked with Sen. Richard Burr and is a national political fundraiser, is very familiar with North Carolina politics and its inner workings.

“Look at Trump. It is very nontraditional,” Korenegay said. “That’s why you have 22 candidates running in District 13. It is anybody’s game.”

It has left voters confused or altogether unaware of June 7 primary.

“The redistricting and adding of the new congressional seat threw me and others in our community for a loop,” said Davie County resident

• If you are homeless, you may still register and vote. If your residence is not a traditional residence associated with real property, the location of your usual sleeping area shall be controlling as to your residence.

• You may continue to vote in your usual North Carolina county if you only temporarily relocate.

• You may not vote in a county if you are only living in that county on a temporary basis.

• When you move to a new county or state, you are no longer eligible to vote in your previous county.

• If you move away and establish a new residence for an indefinite period, you are no longer eligible to vote in your previous county, even if you believe that you may eventually return to your previous residence.

• If you move away, register and vote in another county or state, you will no longer be eligible to vote in your previous county.

• College students may register and vote in the county where they are attending college. If a student registers at his or her school address, that registration cancels any previous registration in another county.

Early voting takes place for District 13 at the Old Courthouse in downtown Greensboro on May 31. Early voting started for the state congressional primaries on May 26 and ran through June 4.

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Courtney Randleman. “To add a new primary and voting time right at the start of the summer, it seems somewhat unnecessary and sneaky.”

Based on disclosure statements, it appears Republican candidates Dan Barrett, Ted Budd and Andrew Brock have raised the most money for the election. Seven candidates have not disclosed any cash they may have raised. According to the Federal Election Commission, candidates do not have to disclose any contributions until they have raised $5,000.

But will money even be a determining factor in District 13 given the number of candidates?

With so many in the race, frequent donors might be unwilling to donate to candidates until the pack thins out. A large war chest can often predict the winner, but for every Barack Obama, there is a Jeb Bush who also raised piles of cash and fell short.

“Money can help with name identification, but it takes a long time to create that,” Kornegay said. “So in this race, money will not win the race. What is going to win the race is name identification — people who have made a name for themselves in the past or someone who stands out above the rest.”

Only two people in this race have received money from Political Action Committees (PAC): Republicans Julia Howard and Ted Budd.

Howard, who is a realtor in addition to being a state representative, has support from the National Association of Realtors. They have donated $326,533 to her campaign. More than three-quarters of that money ($257,500) has been used on television advertisements.

Budd has campaigned as a political outsider,

but his biggest supporter, SuperPAC Club for Growth, is very familiar with Washington politics and has been criticized in the past as trying to influence federal elections. Open Secrets.org notes Club for Growth has spent around $12.4 million on Republican candidates the past two years, with Budd receiving $493,915. Like Howard, the majority of that money has been used on television advertising.

Despite the money being thrown into the primary by some candidates, voter turnout will likely be low, according to Fernandez.

“Traditionally a primary has a lower turnout than the general election,” Fernandez said. “And the presidential primary is already gone, which drew out people. So there will be such a low turnout that it creates an unpredictable dynamic. It will be interesting to see which candidate will emerge and with how many votes.”

Charlie Collicutt, director of Guilford County Board of Elections, says early voting was on par with other special primaries held during the summer.

“Even when there’s popular candidates on that ballot we still see things like this [lower turnout],” he said. “I think that it’s just not on the radar of the voter as much.”

Low turnout makes every vote cast that more valuable.

“I am worried we will have a low turnout and that people aren’t informed about the election,” Randleman said. “On the bright side, I hope this will give us a chance to see some new leadership take office — real people who care about our communities and not just making a career out of politics.”

Visit www.ncsbe.gov for more information

NFIB from page A1

we stand corrected To report an error or a suspected error email corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

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North State Journal ISSN: 2471-1365 Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Managing Editor Drew Elliot Opinion Editor Will Brinson Sports Editor Jennifer Wood Features Editor Published each Sunday by North State Media, LLC 819 W. Hargett Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27603 Inquiries: 866-458-7184 Annual Subscription Price: $250.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices.

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workforce development and the unemployment insurance program in the state, which was $2.6 billion in debt to the federal government, as having benefited both businesses and workers.

“So we, together with the legislature, decided not to continue to extend unemployment [in 2013] and to reform unemployment and make our unemployment offices not unemployment offices, but career centers and connect people with jobs or education to get them, not to become dependent on government, but to get them to start working for you and be productive citizens in our society,” McCrory said.

Under the reforms, North Carolina’s unemployment insurance debt has been paid off, and more than $1 billion placed in reserve funds.

“Now we’re reducing your unemployment tax, which will have an impact on your payroll, and hopefully you can reinvest that money into your employees, or into your business, or into capital,” McCrory told the business owners.

McCrory also spoke of reforms to the community college system to focus on closing skills gaps with more vocationally focused, industry-driven courses as part of the NCWorks initiative.

“You don’t read about it on the front page of the newspaper, but these are things that we’re doing behind the scenes that are having a positive impact, not only for today, but we’ll see the real impact five to 10 years from now,” McCrory said.

On taxes, McCrory was asked about his view of expanded sales taxes, being reminded that a majority of NFIB members are opposed to such expansion while also favoring reduced income taxes.

“I don’t believe in reducing the personal income tax down to zero,” McCrory said, explaining that a diverse tax system is more reliable in his view. “If you rely too much on any one tax, I think you’re putting our state budget at risk.”

Republicans in the General As-

madeline gray | north state journal

sembly have indicated a desire to continue reforms in the direction of eliminating state income taxes altogether, moving instead to a system of consumption taxes that requires expanding which types of businesses collect such taxes.

McCrory expressed a more cautious approach.

“I think we need to be very careful about what services we do increase taxes on,” McCrory said.

“We hadn’t had tax reform in over 60 years; we shouldn’t do it every two years.”

In closing, McCrory recognized the importance of small business to economic growth in the state.

“We don’t take you for granted,” McCrory said. “I admire ya, ’cause your pressures are much greater than mine. We need you to succeed because it’s small business that’s the future of North Carolina.”

Cooper calls for bigger state budgets Cooper addressed the crowd of business owners, legislators and lobbyists to make his case for replacing McCrory on Blount Street come 2017. He did not take questions from the audience, in-

stead giving his familiar stump speech. He emphasizing his eastern North Carolina values and recollecting how he once blocked famous Tar Heel Phil Ford’s shot as a basketball player for Northern Nash High School, before touching on economic issues.

“I’ve said all over North Carolina about trying to improve our economy and trying to get better paying jobs in the state, that I believe that small business is going to be the key in making sure that we create better paying jobs,” Cooper said. “In order for small businesses to thrive, we gotta make sure that everyday people have more disposable income, and that we have better paying jobs for them so that they can do business with your business.”

“Everyday people, people on the street that you talk to, many of them, most of them I dare say, are working longer and harder and for less money than they were before the recession,” Cooper said. “The numbers show that we have not had the wage growth over the last few years that other states have.”

As a solution, Cooper proposed more government spending on education and workforce train-

Gov. Pat McCrory, right, addresses members of the National Federation of Independent Businesses during a question and answer session with Gregg Thompson, NFIB North Carolina State Director, left, at a luncheon in honor of Small Business Day on Wednesday in Raleigh.

ing, as well as enacting targeted tax incentives, in order to help the small-business community.

“Over the last few years we have not done what we should to make sure we are strong in the area of public education,” Cooper said. “We can work to try to create and stimulate more capital. We can look at targeted tax credits and tax incentives, particularly in the small-business area.”

Cooper said the quality of the available workforce is more important to businesses than tax policy, although he doesn’t think raising taxes will help the economy.

“I don’t think we need to raise taxes to help our economy, but I do think we need to be consistent,” Cooper said in reference to sales taxes. “The last thing that business needs, particularly small businesses, are things like sales tax [expansion] that has been confusing for small businesses.”

Cooper mentioned no specific proposals he’d implement as governor to address business regulations or workforce skills gaps, two of the NFIB’s top stated concerns.

McCrory and Cooper will participate in a televised debate hosted by the North Carolina Bar Association in Charlotte later this month.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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BUSINESS & ECONOMY the DASHBOARD

19%

the amount that Blue Cross Blue Shield requested to raise health insurance rates to cover individuals subsidized by the Affordable Care Act.

Matt Bales

24%

rate increase that Aetna also requested this week, saying individuals covered under ACA tend to have higher healthcare costs than expected.

Jan. 1, 2017

The deadline for the N.C. Department of Insurance to decide whether to allow the rate increases.

Fighting rising healthcare costs

the

BRIEF

T

he Kaiser Family Foundation released a study recently that revealed businesses, on average, paid $11,500 for each employee’s healthcare in 2014. To put that in perspective, Brown & Wood Automotive in Greenville, N.C., has to sell roughly 20 cars just to cover the health insurance premiums of a single employee.

If you’re like most North Carolinians, you didn’t know that health insurance mandates are the No. 1 reason our healthcare prices are rising so rapidly, almost 30 percent in the past year alone.

Google to supply Wi-Fi on school buses Caldwell County, N.C. Students in Caldwell County will soon have a “rolling study hall” courtesy of Google. The school district is kicking off a pilot program that allows a teacher to board the buses and gives kids a chance to do their homework via Wi-Fi. Google operates a large data center in Lenoir, the county seat of Caldwell County.

Founder of Food Lion dies at age 95

The average family health insurance premium in 2014 was almost $5,000.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DaJon Brandon, of Mosquito Authority, sprays a home on Banbury Road in Raleigh on June 3.

Mandates are laws that require health insurance companies to pay for something. They enforce coverage for certain providers, benefits or patient populations. You may have heard of mandates in the context of the Affordable Care Act, but mandates passed by individual states on an ongoing basis are even more common. And the more mandates we pass, the more expensive healthcare becomes for all of us.

Why? Simple economics.

To cover the cost of each mandate, health insurance providers raise everyone’s prices. That’s why the average family premium in 2014 was almost $5,000. But many mandates benefit just a sliver of North Carolina’s population.

If we want to keep attracting new businesses and top talent to our state, North Carolinians must join together and fight costs that are hurting local businesses — and ultimately our state’s fiscal health.

The Coalition for Fiscal Health is a 501(c)(4), nonpartisan corporation that is fighting for lower healthcare costs in North Carolina.

For more information visit FiscalHealthNC.com.

Matt Bales is executive director for North Carolina Coalition for Fiscal Health.

Zika concerns spark surge in mosquito spraying

By Liz Moomey North State Journal

F

ear of contracting Zika may not be helping the tourism economy, but it has provided a boost for mosquito spray businesses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 11 travel-associated cases confirmed in North Carolina.

Although there have been no cases of locally acquired Zika in the country, businesses like Mosquito Squad have seen customers taking extra precautions to prevent mosquitos infected with Zika.

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has been an advocate of legislation to provide an emergency fund to battle Zika.

“Zika is a very serious public health threat, and we need to act,” Burr said. “The CDC has indicated that the mosquitoes responsible for spreading the virus could be found in a significant portion of the United States, including my state of North Carolina.”

He added he is worried about the lack of organization to combat the virus.

“It is concerning that we do not have drugs to prevent or treat Zika, and we will likely not have them until after the summer when mosquitoes are present in many of our communities back home.”

Haze Lancaster, the owner of The Mosquito Authority, said they have definitely seen a positive impact on business as more people become aware of the diseases mosquitoes can carry. He has seen an increase in pregnant customers because of the connection to the Zika virus and birth defects.

“Large percentage are women who are pregnant, are planning on getting pregnant or may get pregnant in the future,” Lancaster said.

The Mosquito Authority is currently offering a free initial treatment for expecting mothers in certain markets. Lancaster said it is a fine line between protecting people from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry and fear tactics, but Zika has provided more concern and awareness about mosquitoes than other mosquito-carrier viruses.

“This is just a whole other fear more than Chikungunya virus or West Nile ever was,” Lancaster said.

N.C. DHHS recommends, especially for pregnant women, to avoid being bitten by using repellent with 20 percent DEET, covering exposed skin, eliminating outdoor standing water and making sure windows and doors have proper screens.

N.C. DHHS also suggests pregnant women avoid regions the Zika virus is spreading, which includes South America and the Caribbean.

The World Health Organization concluded there is a link between the Zika virus and microcephaly, which is a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies.

Two babies have been born in the U.S. with microcephaly after their mothers were bitten by a mosquito in Honduras and Brazil.

The latest WHO warning, issued Tuesday, recommended people who traveled to regions where the Zika virus is found should follow safe sex practices or abstain from sex for at least eight weeks rather than four as previously suggested.

Salisbury, N.C. Ralph Ketner, the co-founder of Food Lion, died at age 95 after a battle with colon cancer.

Ketner founded Food Town, later to be renamed Food Lion, in 1957, and remained at the helm of the grocery store chain until 1991. By the time he retired, the 800-store chain was grossing $8.3 billion annually. Ketner is believed to have created more millionaires in North Carolina than anyone else. Those who bought $1,000 worth of stock in the the chain in 1957 saw it appreciate to $16 million worth of stock by 1989.

SciQuest purchased to go private for $509 million Morrisville, N.C. SciQuest, a Triangle-based software company, is being purchased, for $509 million by a private equity firm. The purchase price is 34 percent more than the stock price. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter, but SciQuest is allowed to shop around for better offers during the next 25 days. The 510-employee operation will remain in Morrisville.

EU advises support for “sharing economy” like Uber and Airbnb Brussels The European Union threw its weight behind the “sharing economy” on Thursday, saying governments should only ban services such as ride-hailing app Uber and Airbnb as a last resort.

DJF Builders houses fundraiser for Raleigh’s Boys & Girls Club

By Liz Moomey North State Journal RALEIGH — On Granville Drive in Raleigh, a four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom house is being built.

The 6,000-plus square foot designer show house, though, is different. The proceeds of the sale will go to Raleigh’s Boys & Girls Club.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for the Boys & Girls Club to raise some significant resources to further their mission in touching the lives of our youth,” DJF Builders consultant Joyce Kohn said.

DJF Builders announced the launch of DJF Builds Great Futures May 6. The campaign, in partnership with Allen Tate Realtors and Sheri Hagerty Reality Group, is supporting the local Boys & Girls Clubs. Chrissy Gupton, DJF Builders’ vice president of development and operation, said

this type of home is unique to the area.

“We just felt like it was the perfect opportunity to give back to the community and puts Raleigh on the map for custom building and the designers,” Gupton said.

Each room in the home will be designed by different designers from the East Coast.

“You will see one room that is totally modern and one room that is super traditional, but I think it will flow,” Gupton said. “What we will do is have the middle rooms all flowing together well, so it links everything together. We don’t want every one to be old Southern traditional. We want people to have really modern taste to come in love it too.”

Julian Williamson, the chair of the Boys & Girls Club board of directors, said he is excited about the finished product and the cause.

“We are hopefully going to raise a lot of money to help support the

programs that we have for the club,” Williamson said. “That is the most exciting thing for the Boys & Girls Club especially. As an individual, I am excited to come see what it is going to look like once it gets built.”

Williamson added the funds from the house will go to the operating costs of the club. He said he is unsure of how much money they will raise, however.

“It is a new thing for us,” Williamson said. “We have never done this type of fundraising effort.”

The designer home will be on the market in November and cost about $1.6 million. They will also have open house fundraisers, which will also benefit the Boys & Girls Club.

“I am most excited about seeing that transformation and seeing the design and their vision and their creativity within the house,” Kohn said. “That is what will be

Martin Borden, a Boys and Girls Club board member, walks through a designer show house that is currently under construction in Raleigh on May 6.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

of interest to folks who come and buy a ticket and tour the house once it is completed. I am really excited about what it will look like as a finished product.”

According to Hagerty, they are also donating all of their sale commission to the Boys & Girls Club.

“This is a really cool project, and my thing is to help children

in need — who are less fortunate,” Hagerty said. “What are we all doing here if we can’t give back?”

Williamson said the process of building and the open houses will educate the community about the organization.

“It not just about raising money,” Williamson said. “It is about raising awareness for the Boys & Girls Club, too.”

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

Murphy

Where to vote on June 7

to

Manteo

Jones& Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Bill proposes constitutional amendment protecting hunting and fishing

On June 7, polls open across North Carolina for voters to elect their candidates to the U.S. House, N.C. Supreme Court and other November races. Voters’ congressional district may have changed during the redistricting in February. Voters can visit ncsbe.org to identify their district by address.

WINSTON-SALEM

In 2013, North Carolina enacted the Voter Information Verification Act, which requires most voters to show a valid photo ID when voting starting in 2016. Photo identification includes a N.C. Driver’s License, N.C. Identification card, some Tribal Enrollment cards, U.S. passport/card, Military ID or Veteran’s ID card. The law has exceptions to the ID requirement. Voters without an approved form of ID may notify their precinct to receive a provisional ballot. For more information, MURPHY visit voterid.nc.gov.

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By Donna King North State Journal

GREENSBORO MANTEO

ROCKY MOUNT RALEIGH HICKORY GREENVILLE ASHEVILLE

CHARLOTTE NEW BERN FAYETTEVILLE

2016 N.C. Congressional Districts

WILMINGTON

RALEIGH — A bill filed this week in the N.C. General Assembly proposes a constitutional amendment to guarantee citizens’ rights to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife. Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) introduced Senate Bill 889 with Sens. Andrew Brock (R-Davie) and Jim Davis (R-Macon).

The bill was referred to the Senate Rules Committee Thursday after passing first reading in the Senate.

“Hunting and fishing are very important parts of our heritage here in North Carolina,” Newton said. “It is important that we preserve, protect and enhance the right of people to hunt and fish, especially in the future.

Hunting and fishing are the best way to maintain our natural resources and preserve them for the future.”

The bill would put the amendment on the November statewide general election ballot. If passed by voters, North Carolina would become the 20th state to constitutionally

guarantee a right to hunt and fish.

Vermont’s constitutional provision dates back to 1777. The other 18 states (including North Carolina’s neighboring states of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia) have passed constitutional provisions since 1996. California and Rhode Island have constitutional provisions that protect fishing, but not hunting.

The full language of the amendment that would be on the ballot is: The right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, shall not be infringed, subject to laws and regulations to promote wildlife conservation and management, to maintain natural resources in trust for public use, and to preserve the future of hunting and fishing.

Public hunting and fishing shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife. Nothing herein shall be construed to modify any provision of law relating to eminent domain, trespass, or property rights.

SOURCE: NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS INFOGRAPHIC BY LAUREN ROSE AND CECE PASCUAL

NC submits Medicaid reform app to feds PIEDMONT

WEST Second man dies from golf course plane crash Boone, N.C. A second man has died of injuries sustained during a plane crash at the Boone Golf Club. Steven Cox Berry, 43, of Banner Elk died May 29. Ben Chappell, 69, of Boone, also died. The crash occurred after a failed landing attempt at Boone airport. While trying to regain altitude, the plane struck trees damaging its wing and causing it to crash and explode on the ground.

Woman says black bear licked her she was doing yoga Lake James, N.C. A Burke County woman said a black bear approached her while she was doing yoga near Lake James. Kristen Jones said she was practicing yoga with her earphones in when a bear came up to her, sniffed and licked her ear and then walked away.

WSOC-TV

WATAUGA DEMOCRAT

Downtown streets to honor Henderson Co. residents Former youth coach charged with spanking players Hendersonville, N.C. Former Little League baseball coach Jonathan Shawn Russell, 33, plead guilty on Tuesday to spanking the bare bottoms of four boys without their parents’ permission. Russell was charged with four misdemeanor counts of assault on a child under age 12. The assaults happened between August 2014 and January 2015 when the boys were 8 and 9 years old. He was sentenced to 60 days in Henderson County jail.

Henderson County, N.C. Downtown sidewalks in Hendersonville have been chosen for the Walk of Fame, a joint city-county project to recognize present and former residents with monuments on Church and King streets. A five-person panel will nominate the residents and recommend they submit an application.

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES

BLUE RIDGE NOW

SBI investigates man shot during struggle with police Wentworth, N.C. Rockingham County police have not commented on whether a deputy was wearing a body camera during the fatal shooting of Todd Burroughs on May 29. A county commissioner said at least one deputy was wearing a body camera.

According to the SBI who is currently investigating, Burroughs did not pull over immediately, but when he did several miles later, he got out of his vehicle, struggled with the deputies, and was fatally shot.

EAST

Nearly 900 Durham Co. voters can recast ballot Durham The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted Tuesday to allow 892 voters to recast ballots that were mishandled by election officials. The decision came after BOE director found about 200 provisional ballots missing from the elections office. The voters will be able to cast their ballot again for the March 15 primary election. The new ballots will be sent after the June 7 primary.

DURHAM HERALD-SUN

GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD

Raleigh police chief’s son arrested for stealing Dead & Company to donate $100K from Charlotte show Charlotte Dead & Company announced it will perform in North Carolina June 10 and donate $100,000 to various organizations that fight against discrimination, including the Human Rights Campaign and Equality NC. Other performers have canceled concerts in the state because of H.B. 2.

WRAL

Raleigh David Louis Brown, son of Raleigh’s chief of police, was arrested Tuesday after police found him with a stolen dirt bike on Capital Boulevard. Brown is facing a felony charge, according to police records.

He has two previous criminal charges, which include defrauding an innkeeper and failure to return property. Brown is the son of Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown.

WRAL

High school senior dies in Lake Gaston drowning

Woman finds body in freezer she bought Goldsboro, N.C. An unidentified Goldsboro woman said her neighbor’s daughter sold her a freezer that she discovered held human remains. Marcella Jean Lee, who sold the freezer, has been charged with failing to report her mother’s death, and a continuing investigation could lead to more charges. Lee gave the neighbor instructions not to open the freezer until church members got the contents inside. Three weeks later the woman decided to open the freezer and found the body of the seller’s mother, Arma Ann Roush.

Outer Banks, N.C. First Flight High School and the broader community are mourning the death of senior Dylan Turner who accidentally drowned in Lake Gaston on May 29. According to Gaston Volunteer Fire Department, Turner and a companion had been out on the lake in a paddleboat that began sinking. Both boys got out of the boat and began swimming toward a pier, but Turner failed to make it to shore. The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation.

OUTER BANKS SENTINEL

TWC NEWS

Bald Head attorney pleads guilty to bank fraud Bald Head Island, N.C. Attorney Joseph Hal Kinlaw, 63, plead guilty to bank fraud in federal court, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office release. The release stated Kinlaw took collateral loans and used the money for other real estate investments and other loans, which caused more than $18 million in losses to banks and businesses. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

WILMINGTON STARNEWs

Kmart employee accused of stealing more than $22,000 of items

By Josh Hyatt North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed the state’s Medicaid reform proposal on Wednesday, putting the state’s plans for the program’s overhaul in federal hands.

Addressing a crowd of legislators, doctors and health care providers at the Executive Mansion, with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Rick Brajer in attendance, McCrory summarized the proposal’s changes for Medicaid.

Medicaid reforms were passed by the General Assembly in 2015.

“The main goal of this reform is to transition away from the fee-forservice model to a model that actually rewards healthcare outcomes for Medicare patients,” McCrory said.

“Now, as part of this reform, and building on our progress today, I am

announcing that this administration and this governor is applying for a waiver that will allow us to have a North Carolina plan. This waiver application I will sign today puts our Medicaid reform plan in motion and focuses on (six) key areas.”

According to a release from the governor’s office, those areas aim to: • Pay for improved patient outcomes • Integrate physical and behavioral health • Increase flexibility to invest in external factors to improve health • Extend care to families to increase the likelihood of children being reunited with their parents • Encourage providers to achieve the long-term goal of improving health outcomes • Health plans and providers sharing responsibility with the state for achieving healthy outcomes within budget

Rocky Mount, N.C. A Kmart employee was charged with embezzling more than $22,000 over a 10-month period.

Sergeant McNeal Cooper, 20, of Rocky Mount, was arrested and charged with felony larceny by an employee. He was accused of stealing jewelry, clothing, drinks and a cell phone. The Kmart in Rocky Mount is scheduled to close later this year.

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North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

A6

north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Drew Elliot, opinion editor | Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor

LETTERS

EDITORIALS | RAY NOTHSTINE

Conservatives prize clear convictions Ellmers instead has cozied up to Republican leadership and sent mixed signals concerning her philosophy on the role and purpose of government.

Make N.C. coal ash law stronger

FORMER U.S. SEN. BILL FRIST called Jesse Helms “a guidebook” for holding “clear convictions,” adding he was not swayed by the “mood of the moments.” Famous for standing alone, Helms once courageously filibustered Ronald Reagan’s nickel tax increase on gasoline. This is the kind of principled men and women North Carolinians must send to represent them in Washington.

When Renee Ellmers defeated Bob Etheridge in 2010, there were understandably high hopes for a new conservative face to challenge the entrenched Washington establishment of both political parties. Ellmers instead has cozied up to Republican leadership and sent mixed signals concerning her philosophy on the role and purpose of government.

Most pressing is Ellmers inability to stand up to a Republican leadership that continues to bury the American people under a mountain of debt. There is no reason for Republicans in Washington to keep spending at unsustainable levels and to ignore the kind of belt-tightening needed to sustain our republic.

To their credit, Walter Jones and Mark Meadows have set the right tone as leaders for N.C. as they desperately try to tackle the debt crisis as members of the House Freedom Caucus. Yet, Ellmers seemed all too giddy again to go along with leadership in its support of last year’s $1.1 trillion budget boondoggle, exacerbating the crisis and supporting legislation packed with frivolous spending. Time and again she has done little to fight the spending cabal.

Once the darling of Americans for Prosperity in North Carolina, the fiscally conservative grassroots organization is now working to oust her in part because of her inability to tackle our exploding federal debt.

Ellmers supported legislation to reauthorize the support of the crony Export–Import Bank that uses taxpayer funds to pick winners and losers in the market.

It was disappointing to see Ellmers abandon the right to life movement on the eve of the national March for Life when she pulled her support for a bill that banned abortions after 20 weeks in 2015. She opposed Amendment One in 2012. While passing immigration reform is important, it’s unclear if Ellmers is solidly committed to securing our borders.

In March, Ellmers seemed to pledge support to Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the presidential race, saying, “He sounds the most mature.” Barely a week later she turned around and endorsed Trump.

The fact that Ellmers seems to be trying to cobble together a coalition of Republican establishment supporters with anti-establishment Trump voters should signal to voters she’s unclear about her governing philosophy. It seems more like she will do whatever it takes to keep her power and congressional seat.

The American Framers designed the U.S. House to be agents of the people, not parents of the populace. Political parties are important but their ultimate goal is to enlarge their own power, which so often corrupts. Electing represenatives who stand on clear principles better reflects the capacity for self-government guaranteed in our founding documents.

Ellmers likes to say that it is better to get things done, but as Calvin Coolidge once remarked, “It’s much more important to kill bad bills than pass good ones.”

This is a critical time for our community and all North Carolinians. Decisions being made right now by lawmakers in Raleigh could have an impact on our communities, customers’ pocketbooks and the safe management of coal ash for years to come.

Fortunately, elected officials in the General Assembly are considering common-sense legislation that would strengthen the 2014 Coal Ash Management Act. Those revisions would help make sure decisions to close ash basins throughout the state protect the environment, people’s water supply, our economy and household budgets.

There is broad, bipartisan support in the General Assembly, as well as from community leaders, neighbors, businesses, and many environmental advocates. The proposed legislation would reestablish the Coal Ash Management Commission, which

has a vital role in making sure closure decisions are based on the full range of considerations, including sound science and engineering, potential impacts to customers’ bills, and disruptive truck and train traffic.

Since 2014, Duke Energy has made significant progress, moving millions of tons of ash to safe, lined disposal sites. We have a lot more work ahead of us in the months and years ahead.

There is much at stake. It is important that we get it right. We hope lawmakers and the governor will continue down a smart path for North Carolina when it comes to deciding how ash basins will be closed and how those plans affect our community and others throughout the state.

Mike Hughes Vice President, Community Relations Duke Energy

BE IN TOUCH Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 819 W. Hargett St. Raleigh, N.C. 27603. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIALS | DREW ELLIOT

A premium case against Obamacare We need to move on. We should stop discussing how we got Obamacare and what it does.

EVERY AUTUMN, American families wait in fear as the insurance companies prepare their plan offerings for the next year. For many, skyrocketing health care premiums negate any income gains the family has made during the year. These cruel annual hikes are a gut punch to the middle class, to productivity and to the entire American economy. And all indications are that this fall will be no different.

Most non-elderly Americans, whether they buy through their employer or on the individual market, obtain their health insurance through the private market (the biggest exception being those who work for the government or for very large companies that self-insure their employees).

A report from the Congressional Budget Office says that premiums for these plans are “high and rising,” projecting premiums for family coverage to climb to $15,500 a year by 2026. The report also projects that premiums will increase about 2 percentage points faster than income per capita over the next decade, meaning more of a family’s income will be devoted to premium increases each and every year.

Much of the focus on Obamacare has been on whether the president lied to get it passed, the fact that its supporters in Congress were largely ignorant of its contents, how much it intrudes on religious liberties, whether the mandate that

individuals purchase polices is constitutional and other details. Some of that is historical at this point and some is still a matter of debate. But all of those disputes pale in comparison to what will ultimately bring down the law: cost to the middle class. That’s the issue that is nonideological and that will not go away.

Across the land, people have seen their deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance all increase, while their coverage networks have shrunk and customer service has gone from bad to nonexistent. Americans feel like they are paying more for less, and they’re right.

All the talk, way back in 2010, about doctors and plans, and who would be able to keep what, seems quaint now. When we were told that the law would control costs, most experts with knowledge of health care found this assertion implausible. But many were apparently willing to let it go because the greater goal — insuring millions of uninsured Americans — was more important than whether health care costs would rise after the law was passed. After all, costs were going up before Obamacare. So if they continued to rise after the law passed, and more people had access to care, the trade seemed like a good one to them.

In reality, costs flattened somewhat before increasing once again. And the good part of

the trade-off, that more people would have access to care, has proven more complex than anticipated. Yes, more Americans are insured.

But as premiums rise, fewer can afford the plan they actually need. So many must choose a highdeductible “catastrophic” plan that forces them to forego care entirely or postpone care until they have a health catastrophe. This wait-for-theworst strategy is, of course, the exact opposite of what Obamacare’s master planners were trying to accomplish.

We need to move on. We should stop discussing how we got Obamacare and what it does. We should start debating how we will replace it and with what. There are plans that lean left and ideas that lurch right, and they should be thoroughly discussed and vetted. With a president not named Obama coming into office, we must seize the chance to stanch the bleeding.

Only then can we begin to heal.

We can all hope that one day soon, things will change. It will be nice when autumn surprises are confined to the outcome of football games and how colorful the leaves are, not of the annual premium hike notices of today.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

A7

GUEST OPINION | KENNETH GOODMAN

CAL THOMAS

Snoop Dogg is right Y MUSICAL TASTES do not include rap and hip-hop, but when Snoop M Dogg comments on the “Roots” remake,

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Jeaneane Williams of Greensboro participates in early voting at the Old Courthouse in downtown Greensboro on May 31.

Ballot access for unaffiliated voters

A I will file a bill that opens up the ballot to all registered voters, not just Democrats or Republicans.

S WE HAVE watched the presidential primaries unfold, countless political observers, commentators, consultants, and elected officials have been bewildered by the droves of new voters who have turned out for Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Their campaigns have sparked some fire in the hearts and minds of voters who truly are “fed up” with the state of affairs in our various levels of government.

To a great extent I agree with many of these voters who are truly frustrated by the political gridlock and the inability for the two parties to sit at the table and come to agreement on the key issues that need our utmost attention and scrutiny.

Too often the political parties take opposing views not as a matter of principle but purely on the basis of politics. That fact alone is a large reason we are seeing more voters register unaffiliated in our state. As a matter of fact, there are 50 counties out of 100 that have more registered independent voters than one of the traditional parties and seven counties where unaffiliated voters represent a plurality.

So how do we improve state government and the state of politics in North Carolina?

One legislative idea I will propose in January 2017 is allowing more competition in the political process. If we truly want accountability and transparency, the best way to accomplish that is with allowing independent voters greater access to the ballot by allowing them to file for election

without having to secure a ridiculous number of signatures and petitions from registered voters.

I will file a bill that opens up the ballot to all registered voters, not just Democrats or Republicans.

If the voter is registered unaffiliated they will be allowed to file and run for any office in the state just like a registered Democrat or registered Republican.

If two or more unaffiliated candidates file for the same office, then there will be a primary just like you have in the two party primaries each election cycle.

The top vote-getter in the independent primary will then have a position on the general election ballot.

Currently, there is only one unaffiliated member of the North Carolina General Assembly. State Rep. Paul Tine of Dare County won his election in 2014 as a Democrat but changed his party affiliation after the election. Under my legislation, more independents could get access to the ballot. With the growing numbers of unaffiliated voters, it is only fair that they have access to the ballot so they can fairly participate in the political process.

Frankly, their voice needs to be heard and that competition at the ballot box will help keep both parties honest. That competition will make both parties more attune to the critical needs of their voters rather than the party bosses and power brokers who want to control things in Raleigh.

State Rep. Kenneth Goodman is a Democrat from Rockingham, N.C. serving his third term in the General Assembly.

COLUMNIST | ZEB SMATHERS

Cherokees take action to create a ‘recovery community’ Y LAST COLUMN concluded with a hope that the courage and bold endeavors of the M Eastern Band of Cherokee to address mental health

Like many communities across America, the Eastern Band is experiencing a growing problem with addiction and mental illness.

diagnosis and treatment could provide possible applications to North Carolina’s troubled system.

With the assistance of Cherokee Indian Hospital’s public relations officer, B. Lynne Harlan, and its behavioral health clinical director, Doug Trantham, this column will provide a look into the history of the Cherokee and their current passion to create a comprehensive continuum of mental health care and recovery.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) home is the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, North Carolina. The tribe controls over 56,000 acres scattered across five counties in the southern Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina.

The tribe has more than 15,000 tribal members worldwide with an estimated 8,000 residing on tribal lands. Tribal government is responsible for maintaining services to tribal members and the nearly 3 million visitors who visit Cherokee each year. Those services are provided through a constitutional tribal government.

The EBCI are the descendants of those Cherokee who fought and resisted the United States Indian Removal Act. During the 1830s the US government sought to remove all Native American populations from the southeastern United States. During that time the Cherokee Nation was reduced from eight southern states to limited lands in North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. After the forced removal of Cherokees from the southeast, a small band of Cherokee remained in North Carolina who fought for holding their remaining lands, citizenship, and an independent tribal government.

The EBCI has worked to provide and fund services to tribal members through economic development, tourism, and in the late 20th century, casino gaming. Since 1997, the tribe has relied on Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort for the majority of funding for tribal operations, which has improved tribal services through infrastructure improvements such as water treatment facilities, education expansion through two new school facilities, improvement of housing, roads, and the construction

of a new hospital facility.

Like many communities across America, the Eastern Band is experiencing a growing problem with addiction and mental illness. Substance abuse has a dramatic impact on the health and wellness of the community and can be seen in many areas including domestic violence, child abuse, criminal justice, health costs and increasing demand for residential treatment services. As a result, community leaders realized that population health goals cannot be achieved without truly addressing addiction and mental health. A 2013 Tribal Health Assessment found the community very concerned with the impact of alcohol and drug use on families, and as a result the Tribal Health Improvement Plan established substance abuse, depression and diabetes as the top health priorities for the community moving forward.

The tribe is taking decisive action to address these challenges. In 2013, the tribe directed Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority to develop and manage behavioral health services previously managed by the tribe. In addition, the Healing and Wellness Coalition and Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority prepared a report and 15-point plan, with significant community involvement, that recommended development of a comprehensive, holistic and culturally appropriate system of care. This plan was approved and funded by Tribal Council. This vision of a “Recovery Community” is implemented within a fully integrated health system which requires close collaboration with Tribal Court and Justice Center, Juvenile Justice, Cherokee Central Schools and Public Health and Human Services.

The coordinated system includes a Recovery Center, Residential Support programs for men, women and mothers with young children, and the construction of a state-of-the-art residential treatment center in the Snowbird community of Graham County.

This series of articles will describe the Cherokee plan and consider potential implications for the Old North State.

Zeb Smathers, a graduate of Duke University and the UNC School of Law, is a lawyer in his hometown of Canton, N.C.

saying he is tired of movies about slavery and would prefer a series “about the success that black folks are having,” he is singing my song.

The original “Roots” drew a phenomenal 130 million viewers when it aired on ABC in 1977. The remake, now playing on The History Channel, will probably draw far fewer viewers, just because it is on cable and most are familiar with the storyline.

The filmmakers apparently are targeting a younger generation.

While there is no question that slavery has left an indelible mark on the descendants of slaves and the nation (former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called it America’s “birth defect”), continuing to dwell on the subject does nothing to improve a single black life.

Snoop’s point is that seeing more stories about African-Americans who are successful would inspire more minorities to overcome the difficult circumstances in which many find themselves. He is correct.

“Roots” is depressing. Stories about overcoming obstacles are inspirational and can produce motivation. Add hard work and any life can be improved.

The kinds of examples Snoop is talking about can be found everywhere if one will seek them. My search took me to a webpage called Tech.Co and an article “38 Black Entrepreneurs Share Their Origin Stories.” There is also a link to another article: “21 Most Successful Black

What all of these men and women have in common is that they did not accept present conditions as the final verdict on their lives. They committed themselves through hard work and the vision for a brighter future.

Entrepreneurs Throughout History.”

Here’s one of my historical favorites: “Stephen Smith grew up as an indentured servant in Pennsylvania. From a young age, he was assigned to work in the lumberyards by Thomas Boude, whose wealth stemmed from his extensive lumber business. After buying his freedom for $50 at the age of 21, he continued to work in the lumberyards until establishing his own lumber business in 1822, as well as dealing coal. By the 1850s, Smith was grossing $100,000 in annual sales. By 1857, Smith was worth $500,000 (approximately $13.5 million today). On top of being a businessman, Smith was a minister and served as chairman of the black abolitionist organization in Columbia, PA.” The stories of modern African-American entrepreneurs and visionaries may not be as dramatic as the historical ones, but they are still compelling.

What all of these men and women have in common is that they did not accept present conditions as the final verdict on their lives. They committed themselves through hard work and the vision for a brighter future.

Take the time to read their stories. I’ll bet you’ve never heard of most of them.

Even during Black History Month, many of their stories are never told.

Why is that? One would think that these inspirational stories are tailor-made for so-called civil rights leaders, who could tell African-American kids, “If they could do it, so can you.” Instead, we get stories about slavery, discrimination and charges of racism.

I live in a suburb of Washington, D.C. At night the local TV stations frequently lead with crime stories. Many involve young African-American men with guns. The image conveyed to viewers is a negative one.

There is no secret to becoming successful, or at least self-sufficient: Stay in school, avoid drugs and crime, get married before you have children and work to stay married, develop a vision.

Snoop Dogg’s criminal background and misogynist lyrics may not make him the best role model for young AfricanAmericans, but he’s right about being fedup with slavery movies. So am I. Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist. His latest book is “What Works: Common Sense Solutions for a Stronger America.” Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

A8

NATION& WORLD Libertarian presidential ticket cemented

NEWS IN IMAGES

By Josh Hyatt North State Journal

Mohammed Salem | Reuters

Palestinian boy Mohamad al-Sheikh, 12, who is nicknamed ‘Spiderman’ and hopes to break Guinness world records with his bizarre feats of contortion, demonstrates acrobatics skills in Gaza City June 2.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

The Thunderbirds perform a fly-over as graduates from the Air Force Academy toss their hats in the air at the conclusion of their commencement ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., on June 2.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Libertarian Party held its nominating convention over Memorial Day weekend in Orlando, Fla., and named Gary Johnson and William Weld as its presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.

Both candidates are former Republican governors. Johnson, governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003, has been the Libertarian Party presidential candidate for the last two election cycles. Since leaving office, Johnson has served as the CEO of a cannabis company. Weld joined the Libertarian party two weeks ago. He was in charge of fundraising for Mitt Romney’s presidential bid and supported John Kasich in this year’s Republican primary.

The party hopes Johnson will lead the way for its efforts of “moving America in the direction of more personal freedom, fiscal responsibility and less military intervention.”

“We already have over 411,000 registered Libertarian voters,” said Nicholas Sarwark, the party’s chair. “And now we’ve nominated Gov. Gary Johnson as our presidential candidate for 2016. Together, he and the other Libertarian candidates will propel the rapid growth of the Libertarian Party all across America and give disenfranchised voters a real choice for less government and more freedom.”

After winning the second ballot, Johnson used his acceptance speech to ask the delegates to elect former Massachusetts governor Weld as his running mate. Needing a majority, Weld barely eclipsed the 50-percent vote needed — with 50.06 percent.

“This is the highest-profile ticket in the Libertarian Party’s history,” Sarwark said. “And it comes at a time when Americans yearn for a credible alternative to Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.”

A gravedigger takes part in the first Hungarian grave digging championship in Debrecen, Hungary, June 3, competing for the national crown, which is awarded based on accuracy, speed and aesthetic quality.

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson gives an acceptance speech during the National Convention held in Orlando, Fla., on May 29.

A record 985 delegates and 344 alternate delegates were credentialed for the 2016 Libertarian Nominating Convention, visiting from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Hoping to prove the Libertarian Party’s relevance in the upcoming presidential election, party officials pointed to Johnson’s recent polling numbers, including a recent nationwide Fox News poll of registered voters, which showed him racking up 10 percent of the voters’ preference versus Trump (42 percent) and Clinton (39 percent).

“Another poll showing one of our presidential candidates in double digits affirms the likelihood that the Libertarian Party will have sizable influence in the 2016 election,” Sarwark said.

U.S. State Department issues warning of possible terrorist attacks in Europe

By Liz Moomey North State Journal

Laszlo Balogh | Reuters

Kevin Kolczynski | REUTERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. State Department issued a warning on Tuesday of possible terrorist attacks in Europe during the summer, adding that the European soccer championship, UEFA Euro 2016, in France may be targeted, along with restaurants and other sites.

The department says there are not specific threat details, but there are concerns about “soft targets” as the travel season gets underway.

“The large number of tourists visiting Europe in the summer months will present greater targets for ter-

rorists planning attacks in public locations, especially large events,” the travel alert stated.

France will host UEFA Euro 2016 June 10 to July 10, and the Tour de France bicycle race is July 2-14. The French government extended its state of emergency to July 26 to cover the events. Their state of emergency was imposed after the Paris attacks on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people.

“Euro Cup stadiums, fan zones, and unaffiliated entertainment venues broadcasting the tournaments in France and across Europe represent potential targets for terrorists, as do other large-scale sporting

events and public gathering places throughout Europe,” the U.S. State Department said.

Poland is also host to the Catholic Church’s World Day event on July 26‑31, which is expected to attract 2.5 million visitors.

“Poland will impose border controls at all of its national borders from July 4 to Aug. 2, and visitors to Poland during this period should be prepared to show their passport and undergo stricter security screening throughout Poland,” the alert said.

The U.S. travel alert will expire Aug. 31.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Tourists stroll on the Trocadero square in front of the Eiffel Tower during a rainy day in Paris on May 30.

Shailesh Andrade | REUTERS

A worker carries a part of a used car inside a shop at a second-hand automobile parts market in Mumbai, India, on June 1. charles platiau | REUTERS

petition from page A1 Sgro, head of Equality NC, delivered boxes of petitions with fanfare and a press conference in front of the N.C. Legislative building in April. The governor’s office’s calculations show that the groups delivered more than the 185,000 petitions they originally claimed, but the governor’s office tweeted at the time that the petitions filled two boxes and most of the others stacked at the press conference were empty.

The petition audit comes the same week Gov. Pat McCrory’s campaign called on Attorney General Roy Cooper to resign, calling his refusal to defend the state in the lawsuits over H.B. 2 “gross negligence.” The call comes after Cooper filed a notice in federal court saying he plans to defend the state, and then publicly said he did not. He quickly qualified the filing saying he only submitted it to buy the state enough

time to file a federal complaint on the issue. Cooper has repeatedly said he would not defend the state because he disagreed with the law. Last week he filed a request for an extension on the time allotted to the state to respond to a federal lawsuit. However the 30-day window was not expiring, leading some to speculate about his motives.

“It is at least a tacit admission that the attorney general has a duty to defend the state of North Carolina,” said Senator Buck Newton (R-Wilson) who is the Republican nominee for attorney general for the November election. “I believe the real reason is that he rightfully is being criticized for not doing his job and he is trying to deflect attention away from the fact that he is not.”

The controversial law passed in March sparked legislation on both sides of the debate over transgender individuals’ right to access to multi-stalled restrooms

that do not match the sex listed on their birth certificate. This week, the Massachusetts state House passed a bill that not only mandated access, but imposed criminal penalties for business owners who denied such access. The Massachusetts Senate passed a similar measure earlier this year.

Meanwhile in Atlanta, the executive director of the Georgia American Civil Liberties Union resigned Tuesday over the national organization’s focus on transgender bathroom access legislation nationwide. Maya Dillard Smith told the media that despite her years of working to promote civil rights, she found she was of a fundamental difference of opinion on this topic and the ACLU was not willing to “engage in dialogue.” She launched a new website called www.findingmiddleground.org aimed at finding compromise.

In a statement, she accused the ACLU of being “a special interest

organization that promotes not all, but certain progressive rights.

In that way, it is a special interest organization not unlike the conservative right, which creates a hierarchy of rights based on who is funding the organization’s lobbying activities.”

Dillard Smith argued that transgender rights have “intersectionality with other competing rights, particularly the implications for women’s rights.”

“I have shared my personal experience of having taken my elementary school age daughters into a women’s restroom when shortly after three transgender young adults over 6 feet with deep voices entered,” she writes. “My children were visibly frightened, concerned about their safety and left asking lots of questions for which I, like many parents, was ill-prepared to answer.”

Georgia recently joined Kansas and 11 other states in a lawsuit over the Obama administra-

tion’s directive telling U.S. public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identities. Georgia’s Republican governor, Nathan Deal, said a “one-size-fits-all solution to this is totally inappropriate.” Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin are also in the suit, calling the directive “a massive social experiment.”

The administration’s letter paves the way for fights over federal funding and legal authority by relying on an interpretation of Title IX, which protects people from discrimination based on sex in education initiatives that receive federal financial assistance. The letter did not have the force of law but contained an implicit threat that schools that do not abide by the directive could lose federal aid.

Reuters contributed to this report.

the Sunday Sideline report

SPORTS

NASCAR Martin Truex Jr. dominated on the track but the best stories from the Coca-Cola 600 are the ones off the beaten path.

Read them on B4 & B5.

1. Warriors beat Cavaliers 104-89 in first game of 2016 NBA Final 2. Baseball, softball added as Olympic sports beginning in 2020 3. Former NC State baseball standout Trea Turner called up by Washington Nationals 4. Knicks named Jeff Hornacek next head coach on three-year, $15M deal

UNC Lacrosse

A tale of two titles

5. Baylor hired former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe to replace Art Briles

@jakodeleon: Shot to the groin and you’re to blame.

Delly, you give Cavs a bad name. #NBAFinals @AdamSchefter: As of today, Deflategate is 491 days old. It has lasted nearly 7 times longer than Kim Kardashian’s marriage to the Hawks’ Kris Humphries. @CoachJim4UM: “Amazing” to meAlabama broke NCAA rules & now their HC is lecturing us on the possibility of rules being broken at camps. Truly “amazing.”

courtesy Jeffery Camarati | UNC Athletics

The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams celebrate their respective NCAA Championship victories by posing on the field with the two trophies following the men’s victory on May 31 at Lincoln Financial Field.

How Dan Tracy lived vicariously through his daughter’s championship run at UNC

College Football

By Brooke Pryor North State Journal

More turmoil at Baylor as scandal continues

C

Former U.S. Solicitor General Ken Starr announced his resignation as the Chancellor at Baylor. The school also fired two football aids, although it did hire former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe to stablize the football program following the suspension (with intent to fire) of Art Briles.

PGA

Trump blasts PGA for moving WGC from FL The presumptive Republican presidential candidate lambasted the PGA Tour for moving the World Golf Championships from a Trump course in Florida to Mexico beginning in 2016.

Trump called the move a “sad day” and said he hopes the PGA has “kidnapping insurance.”

NBA

Celtics give Ainge, Stevens extensions The Boston Celtics handed out long-term deals to both president Danny Ainge and coach Brad Stevens earlier in the week. Stevens was already signed through 2019, and finished second in the Atlantic the last two seasons.

College Sports

Woody Durham puts the mic down Woody Durham, the playby-play voice for UNC football and basketball for 40 years, said Wednesday he would no longer be making speeches or hosting events because of a neurocognitive condition, primary progressive aphasia. Durham won NC Sportscaster of the Year 13 times during his career.

Bill Streicher | USA TODAY SPORTS images

North Carolina Tar Heels midfielder Sammy Jo Tracy (13) stick handles during the second half at Talen Energy Stadium. The North Carolina Tar Heels won 13-7.

HESTER, Pa. — Dan Tracy had to get to his daughter but he couldn’t get through the crowd.

Throngs of parents and siblings and friends and alumni filled the stairs at Talen Energy Stadium, clogging up his path to the short wall separating the spectators from the field where his daughter and her North Carolina teammates were celebrating their second women’s lacrosse national title. The Tar Heels had just thumped No. 1 Maryland, 13-7.

Wearing a brand new, oversized national championship t-shirt and a giant smile to match, Sammy Jo Tracy ran from the field toward the hordes of familiar faces leaning down from the concrete partition, clamoring to get close to their champions.

She had to get to her father.

Faced with an impenetrable wall of

people in front of him, Dan climbed over the metal railing of the stairs, swinging his right leg over followed by his left, partially covered by a flesh-colored compression sleeve, until he stood balanced on the outside of the railing on the small sliver of stairs not meant for pedestrian traffic.

Carefully, he sidestepped down a couple of levels until he could lower himself to the stadium’s next plateau, only about two feet below him. Even still, he couldn’t get to Sammy Jo. So he jogged down the line of people at the balcony until he found an opening just in time for his oldest child to reach her father.

There, finally, Dan and Sammy Jo reunited, grasping hands in an extended highfive, celebrating all of their achievements.

“I was going to get there anyway I could,” he said with a signature New York accent.

Climbing down from the stands would’ve See Tracy, page B8

Men’s lax honors coach’s late son with NCAA run

By Brooke Pryor North State Journal HILADELPHIA — They stood there in front of the P spot where Chris Cloutier scored

the title-winning goal, embracing one another, but only briefly.

Reality set in after a few seconds, with the players quickly realizing the delightful gravity of the situation: North Carolina’s unseeded men’s lacrosse team had broken its quarter-century NCAA title drought and shocked No. 1 Maryland 14-13 in overtime.

The team threw off their helmets, dropped their sticks and sprinted over to the deafening section of the remaining Carolina-blue clad crowd.

The first few players climbed up the stairs, hurdling themselves into the raucous group of fans, and becoming enveloped in the celebration. The next wave of players stood below, screaming and shouting in fervent disbelief. And finally, with the last group of players came the trophy, the one that eluded the Tar Heels since 1991 and matched the one already bob-

Bill Streicher | USA TODAY SPORTS images

bing up and down in the crowd, earned by UNC’s women’s lacrosse team a day earlier.

The two trophies were passed atop the sea of people until they were hoisted side by side, the perfect ending to a perfect weekend, created by the

perfect confluence of so many improbable factors.

“I knew that they were there and I knew they were in the section with all the Carolina people,” UNC men’s lacrosse coach Joe Breschi said. “After the game, I also saw some photos of

The North Carolina Tar Heels players cut the net after defeating the Maryland Terrapins 14-13 in overtime to win the national championship game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

both trophies up in the stands.

And I was like, that is what it’s all about, the men’s and the women’s teams together and celebrating all of their success, the family aspect of Carolina.”

See mens, page B8

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

B2

NS J beyond the box score

06.05.16

Nick Saban: Alabama coach complained about the lack of compliance involved with satellite camps at the SEC meetings.

He also mentioned Jim Harbaugh by name, who fired back aggressively on Twitter.

Marlon Byrd: The Indians outfielder was suspended 162 games Wednesday

by Major League Baseball after testing positive for growth hormone secretagogue Ipamorelin. Byrd was previously suspended 50 games in 2012 for a positive test.

Johnny Manziel: Ex-Browns QB reportedly went missing and noshowed a family party in the Hamptons. He was later “found” in a New York night club when someone posted a video of him on Instagram.

Villanova: Jay Wright’s team visited the White House Tuesday and were congratulated by President Obama for winning “maybe the best title game of all time” in their NCAA Championship win over North Carolina.

Steve Spurrier: Former Duke, Florida and South Carolina coach (and Heisman Trophy-winning QB) made his debut on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the 2017 class.

Spurrier, 71, retired in October 2015 as the winningest coach in both Florida and South Carolina history.

potent quotables

French open

Heavy showers forced the cancellation of Monday’s French Open action, the first time an entire day at Roland Garros was lost in almost 16 years. Men’s No. 1 Novak Djokovic, seen below wearing a reporter’s rain cap during a mid-match interview, became the first player in tennis history to reach $100 million in career earnings with a victory on Tuesday that propelled him into the quarterfinals.

David Butler II | USA TODAY SPORTS images

“We don’t have to answer any more questions about Indiana or Butler, or Duke, or North Carolina.”

Celtics president Danny Ainge discussing Brad Stevens’ new multi-year contract Susan Mullane | USA TODAY SPORTS images

NBA FINALS SCHEDULE

Handing out fists

College Sports

Game 1

Warriors 104, Cavaliers 89

Game 2

Cavaliers at Warriors Sunday, June 5, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)

Game 3

Warriors at Cavaliers Wednesday, June 8, 9 p.m.

ET (ABC)

Game 4

Warriors at Cavaliers Friday, June 10, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)

Game 5*

Cavaliers at Warriors Monday, June 13, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)

| USA TODAY SPORTS images

Kyle Bursaw | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Phil Mickelson was back in competition for the first time since the Securities and Exchange Commission required him to pay back $1 million in profits from insider trading at The Memorial this weekend. “I’m pleased that it’s behind me, that it’s over,” Mickelson told ESPN.

Verne Lundquist, the legendary college football voice, announced he will step away from the “SEC on CBS” after 2016. Brad Nessler will take his place alongside Gary Danielson and Allie LaForce. CBS said Lundquist will continue calling golf and college basketball.

Game 6*

Warriors at Cavaliers Thursday, June 16, 9 p.m. ET (ABC)

Game 7*

Cavaliers at Warriors Sunday, June 19, 8 p.m. ET (ABC) * if necessary

NFL

Two Triple-A baseball teams, the Pawtucket Sox and Buffalo Bisons, battled over Tom Brady in the promotional department. The Sox dropped prices to $12 (Brady’s number) and admitted anyone named “Tom” or “Brady” for free on “Free Brady Friday.” The Bisons hosted a “Keep Brady Suspended” night with BOGO tickets to anyone who brought a properly inflated football.

Winslow Townson | USA TODAY SPORTS

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

B3

Carolina Hurricanes

James Guillory | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Carolina Hurricanes former players Rod Brind’Amour, Kevin Adams, and Glen Wesley bring in the Stanley Cup trophy celebrating the 10th anniversary celebration before the game against the New York Islanders at PNC Arena.

Rod Brind’Amour

believes Canes are on the come-up

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal ALEIGH — It’s been seven seasons since the Carolina R Hurricanes made the playoffs.

Rod Brind’Amour, center, signs autographs for James West, right, of Pearland, Texas, and Nat Walker, left, a North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame board member, before being recognized as an inductee in the 2016 class of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame on May 5 at the Museum of History in Raleigh.

Despite hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup nearly one decade ago — June 19, 2006, to be exact — the franchise has rarely looked like a serious contender since.

The first man to lift the lone professional championship trophy in N.C. history? Captain Rod Brind’Amour. Now he’s hopeful the team is building toward a roster that can compete for more titles in the years to come.

The current assistant and development coach sat down with the North State Journal to discuss his North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame induction, the trade that brought him to Carolina and his thoughts on the Canes’ future.

North State Journal: Take me back to being traded from the Flyers to the Hurricanes.

What were your thoughts at the time compared to now?

Madeline Gray | north state journal

Rod Brind’Amour: Well, it was just different. I was going from a place that was a huge professional sports town to a spot where they didn’t know anything about hockey and loved college sports. (Laughs) It was a shock, for sure. But I think there’s a reason why people come here and never leave. The people, the area and the organization makes you want to stay here. This is my home now.

You will forever be the first person to lift a professional championship in North Carolina. How important is that to you and the franchise?

I think that moment was a statement for not only the Hurricanes, but professional sports in general. Soon it’s going to be a footnote with how well the Panthers and Hornets are playing.

You’ll never be able to take that away from us, though. It helped us in N.C., but also opened eyes around the nation that we can be competitive in hockey, too.

What does making the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame mean to you?

It’s a great honor for me. For me it’s special because it’s showing what hockey has done here and what it’s still doing. You look at

all the other sports and it’s still relatively new, but it’s 20 years we’ve been here now. We’ve created our own little niche and history, which is great. Ron Francis getting in (to the Hall) a few years ago made us viable.

Now I hope I’m opening the flood gates for more.

What sets hockey apart from the other sports in the area?

What’s great about hockey is everyone can get behind us.

Whether you’re an NC State, UNC or Duke fan, suddenly you can all watch together and root for one team. I feel like I’m a big part of that and hope that I can be a big part of it moving forward.

How much has the culture of hockey changed in North Carolina?

Well, the Hurricanes are the reason for the growth of hockey.

When we’re good, it’s amazing to see how much people embrace the sport. The problem is we’re still competing with other sports and the best athletes are still playing basketball, football and baseball. We have to keep stealing those away, which we are.

What direction do you think this franchise is heading in

right now?

I think it’s in great hands right now. I think with Ronny Francis back in charge we’re seeing Carolina building toward the future. It takes a little more time in hockey to really change things drastically, but I’m excited to see the direction that he’s pointing us in. This team is going to be good for the long haul. You want to get on the bandwagon now because this team’s going to be good for a long time.

How important was it when you retired to remain a part of the organization?

Well, it’s my team. I’m not heading anywhere to coach any other team. This is my home and this is my team. I’m going to do whatever I can to help make us relevant in the NHL again.

That’s my goal and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Your son, Skyler, recently committed to your alma mater Michigan State. How big of a deal was that for you?

Oh man, that was huge for us.

Everything really took off for him this year. He’s played hockey here his whole life, so that shows how far the Jr. Hurricanes have

Rod Brind’Amour Age: 45 Hometown: Campbell River, B.C., Canada College: Michigan State Team: Carolina Hurricanes Drafted: 9th overall, St. Louis Blues (1988) Current Position: Assistant and development coach come. And he’s not the only one.

There are about five or six kids from that team that are getting noticed. He was the first of that group to earn a college commitment, which was huge for me.

I’m just glad he’s proving you can play hockey here and go places.

With the Hall of Fame induction and your son excelling, does it feel like everything has come full circle for you in North Carolina now?

It’s like icing on the cake that I’ve already eaten. I feel guilty because it’s like I’m going back for seconds. (Laughs) I’ve had my time and my moments here, so this is just more validation that I made an impact. I don’t view it as me being recognized as much as the sport. That’s what’s important to me.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

B4

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

B5

more than just a race Coca-Cola 600’s best stories are off the track

By R. Cory Smith Photos by Eamon Queeney North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — Watching a single driver lead nearly an 600 miles doesn’t always make for an exciting race. But Martin Truex Jr. — an underdog on a single-car team — making NASCAR history during a win is still a thrilling result.

Especially when it’s the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s grueling race of the year.

The sport is about so much more than just fast cars going in a circle. Memorial Day weekend was a perfect example: tributes to fallen soldiers, decade-long traditions and an emotional, overdue trip to Victory Lane.

These are the best stories from Charlotte Motor Speedway.

BK Racing jackman Mitch Lash, center, races around David Ragan’s No. 23 Bubba Burger Toyota during a pit stop.

Cruz Aguina, left, and Cpl. Urbano Guerrero Jr., right, watch from the top of Bryan Ballard’s bus as the cars head through turn four.

Smashed beer cans litter the infield at Charlotte Motor Speedway before the Coca-Cola 600.

Truex, Pollex beating more than just the field T he summer of 2014 was hard for Martin Truex Jr. He was kicked off Michael Waltrip Racing the year before, struggled through his first season with Furniture Row Racing and then came the bombshell: Sherry Pollex, his longtime girlfriend, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Fast forward to Sunday night when Pollex showed up to the track free of cancer, able to end her evening in Victory Lane.

“She gives me a lot of inspiration and we just keep fighting,” Truex said. “We never give up. We never quit. ... We’ve been through a lot as a group. I’ve been through a lot personally. I’ve been through a lot with Sherry and just it’s fun to have her here and have her celebrate.”

Truex is following up a strong 2015 with things NASCAR has never seen. Truex led 392 laps out of 400 and 588 miles in Charlotte, both NASCAR records. Maybe he “stunk up the show” from an entertainment standpoint, but he was more than OK with the easy win after suffering through a number of close calls on the track in recent years, including a last-lap dagger from Denny Hamlin to narrowly lose the Daytona 500 this year.

Truex erased all the heartache in Charlotte and sealed the evening with a hug from Pollex.

“I keep telling him he had to lose all those races and that God was building his character to win a big one and this is huge for us,” Pollex said. “We’ve been through so much.

This is just icing on the cake.”

Jodi Baum, of Altoona, Pa., points out the name of his brother Marine Gunnery Sgt. Ronald E. Baum on May 29. Baum was lost during hostile action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on May 3, 2004.

‘Unreal’ tribute to military K Racing’s small two-car team has six retired veterans on its pit crews — the third most in B NASCAR. And to honor those who serve, the team

emblazoned more than 100 names of fallen soldiers along Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 83 car, opposite a hood that read, “Home of the free, because of the brave.”

“That 83 car, that’s unreal. That’s my favorite car out here,” Mitch Lash, a former ejection seat mechanic on F-14 Tomcats in the Navy and current jackman for the team’s other car, said.

“Most people get it, but you can watch social media and understand just how many Americans don’t understand what this day is about. It’s good to know people who come up with the money and the sponsorships for our teams do.”

DiBenedetto knows first-hand what it means to see a loved one serve: his brother, Austin, is currently enlisted in the Air Force.

“It’s really neat to be able to come together as a whole community to honor those who have served

Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota does a celebratory burnout after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29.

Truex made NASCAR history by leading more laps and more miles than any other driver in any race in NASCAR history while landing himself in Victory Lane.

and given the ultimate sacrifice,” Matt said. “Having a brother who serves, it hits close to home for me every time I see the car. I can’t imagine dealing with that loss, so this is honestly the least we could do for those who can’t be here with us.”

One name across the back cut deep for first-time race spectator Jodi Baum. Baum came to honor his brother, Gunnery Sgt. Ronald Baum, a Marine who was killed in Iraq in 2004 when his Humvee was hit by a rocket.

The loss still hurts, of course, but Jodi was proud to honor his brother in Charlotte.

“People always tell me, ‘I’m so sorry for your loss,’ but there’s nothing to be sorry about,” Jodi said. “It’s tough. It’s hard. But it makes Memorial Day a special day because we can truly honor his life. He’s been gone for over 10 years now and I still remember him every day because of the impact he made on me.

“The impact he made on the rest of the world was far greater than that.”

Two brothers and a bus ack in 1974, Bill “Bubba” Hammond took a renovated short bus from Rock B Hill, S.C. to Charlotte Motor Speedway

Brothers Chris, left, and Mike Efaw, right, of Rock Hill, S.C., and Chris’ soon-to-be daughter-in-law Lauren Stanford, far right, talk about their dad Bill “Bubba” Hammond in the bus their family has taken to Charlotte Motor Speedway for more than 30 years prior to the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29.

to enjoy the Coca-Cola 600. Even though Bubba is gone, the bus still makes its way to Charlotte every year.

Hammond died three years ago but his sons, Mike and Chris Efaw, still make two NASCAR trips a year. With Hammond serving in the Army during the Vietnam War, Chris feels the bus always needs to be at the track on Memorial Day weekend.

“We’re just trying to keep his spirit alive,” Chris said. “He brought the bus to the track for a long time and started the red, white and blue right after 9/11. He always supported the troops — giving them anything they want on the bus — so we keep that going every year.

“It was in Daytona when Earnhardt won and it was in Daytona when Earnhardt was killed.”

Signatures line the top of the bus, more than Guinness could count, according to Chris. Despite the hours it takes to keep the 40-year-old bus running, the history is something both brothers are proud to keep at the track.

Trips to Florida for either Daytona races are out of the question these days, but both brothers never miss a Charlotte race. Between the Memorial Day tradition and family atmosphere — they still park in the same spot as their father — no place feels closer to their father than the infield at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Our daddy is present here more than anywhere else,” Mike said. “This really gives us time to spend together with our family and honor him. Several generations have come out just to be here and at this race.”

A photo of Bill “Bubba” Hammond, of Rock Hill, S.C., hangs with an array of military patches inside the bus Hammond would bring every year to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hammond passed away three years ago after more than 30 years of attending the Coca-Cola 600, but now his sons carry on the tradition.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

B6 Duke basketball

Freshmen get head start for loaded Duke team

By Shawn Krest North State Journal URHAM, N.C. — The campers at the K Academy, the D week-long, $10,000 Duke basket-

ball fantasy camp, got quite the surprise on their first day. Former Blue Devils are an annual staple for campers but in addition to getting instruction from Grayson Allen, Cherokee Parks and Jahlil Okafor, the 2016 campers got a first glimpse at Duke’s future, getting greeted by Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and the rest of Duke’s top-rated recruiting class.

“For the first time this year, a few of our incoming freshmen were able to graduate early,” Mike Krzyzewski explained. “So four of them are in the first session of summer school, which we haven’t done before.”

In addition to Giles and Tatum, incoming freshmen Frank Jackson and Javin DeLaurier are already on campus. So the freshman class is getting a head start on their Blue Devil careers. As if Duke basketball needed another advantage.

“You have to anticipate one and done with one or more of them,” Coach K said. “This gives us a chance to get to know them better, get to train them better. We are allowed to do certain things with them now. They’ll get accustomed to one another by the time the school year comes. They’re friends. They’re acclimated. They can hit the ground running.”

A fifth freshman, center Marques Bolden, will join the group next week, for the fourweek intensive summer session that starts June 8.

The extra time will benefit

“They’ll get accustomed to one another by the time the school year comes.

They’re friends. They’re acclimated. They can hit the ground running.”

Mike Krzyzewski

Giles, who is recovering from knee surgery that cost him his senior year in high school. The phenom is currently rehabbing twice a day, in addition to his coursework.

“The good thing for Harry, besides to going to school, is that he can develop,” Krzyzewski said.

“Basically, because of his injury, he was kind of home schooled this past year. He had a program with the school. It turned out great with the amount of work he did, but he didn’t have to get up early each morning to get the school bus or a ride. So this first six weeks, it’s a lot about the discipline of doing.”

The incoming freshmen will join a roster already fortified by a pair of surprise returnees. Power forward Amile Jefferson was given an extra year of eligibility after missing most of last season due to injury. Guard Grayson Allen turned down a shot at the NBA to return for his junior year.

The coaching staff was recruiting under the expectation they’d have to replace both stars. As a result, Duke’s roster, never short on talent, is flat-out loaded for next season.

“We didn’t know Amile and Grayson would be back,” Krzyzewski said. “We just went out, and

Winslow Townson | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski talks to his players during practice a day before the first round of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament at Dunkin Donuts Center. with the turnover rate, not just with one-year guys but two and three-year guys, you have to recruit a pretty big-sized class every year. It worked out now that we have a full complement of scholarships, which we’ve never had before.”

As a result, Duke enters the season as the prohibitive favorite for the 2017 NCAA title.

“I think we’ll be really good,” Krzyzewski said. “Do we believe we’ll be in there? We do. We believed that last year, even after Amile got hurt. We do have more

resources this year, though.”

The game is still only played with five guys on the court and one ball. The inherent scarcity of shots opens up the possibility of several talented players becoming unhappy with their minutes and shots.

It’s a risk Krzyzewski is willing to take.

“There’s chemistry danger on every team,” he said. “There’s also a chemistry opportunity. I’d rather have a lot of good players than a limited number of good players.

Look, on any team there will be

one, two or three who are better. I don’t care. We’re not talking about what they’ve done or what they might do. Even with [an] Olympic team, there are a few that are better, and you have to figure out a system that will engage those guys and build around them. It’s not an equal amount of minutes or anything like that. It’s, ‘What do you have to do to win?’ You would hope everybody buys into that.

“We anticipate everybody buying into it. I try to anticipate good stuff, not bad.”

Carolina Hurricanes

Climbing

Carolina names AHL coach; Peters looks to 2016-17

Sport climbing quickly rising as 2020 Olympic hopeful

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

R

ALEIGH — For the third time in as many seasons, the Hurricanes have a new coach for their top affiliate. Former NHL defenseman and New York Rangers assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson was hired Tuesday as the new Charlotte Checkers head coach. He replaces Mark Morris, who left the American Hockey League team after one season to return to the college ranks as coach at St. Lawrence University.

Samuelsson is a familiar face: the rugged, often controversial defender was a former teammate of Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis, starting his career in Hartford before heading to the Penguins as part of the deal that brought Francis — and eventually two Stanley Cups — to Pittsburgh.

“I think that hire made our organization stronger and I’m all about that,” coach Bill Peters said Wednesday. “I want to surround ourselves — me, my coaching staff — with good people and make each other better and challenge each other to reach the ultimate goal.”

Peters accomplished some goals of his own since Carolina’s season ended, winning a gold medal coaching Canada at the World Championships last month. He also got a close look at prized prospect Sebastian Aho, who played for Finland at the tournament and is expected to be in Carolina’s season-opening lineup.

“Sebastian was outstanding in the semifinal against Russia,” Peters said of last year’s second round pick who won’t turn 19 until July 26. ”[He] scored the game-winner and the insurance marker, both on the power play, to give them the 3-1 lead.”

Peters didn’t mince words about his expectations for Aho, who was named to Finland’s entry at the World Cup of Hockey in September and was the only Carolina player named to the tournament.

“I’d be shocked if he comes in and can’t make our hockey team from what I’ve seen of him,” Peters said.

Until then, Carolina’s focus turns to the upcoming NHL Draft on June 24-25 in Buffalo, N.Y., and the beginning of free agency on July 1.

Peters said the team’s biggest need is at forward, where the departure of Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg left big holes after last season’s trade deadline.

“We want to be able to generate offense, want to play a puck possession-style of hockey that’s exciting and rewarding for our fans who come out and support us,” Peters said. “We need to finish off more plays than we did. So we need to find a way to score on a more consistent basis and score throughout the lineup.”

There are also plans to talk about Peters’ future with the team: the coach is heading into his third year behind the Carolina bench.

“I think we’re going to go out for supper Saturday night, and then we’ll spend some time together in Buffalo [at the draft] and see where it leads,” Peters said.

By Samantha Gratton North State Journal ith the clock winding down, the star athlete makes one last jump W into the air ... and grabs the top of the

wall. Yes, the wall. And no, this isn’t basketball, football, baseball, or any of your more “normal” sports. This is sport climbing.

Rock climbing has been rising in popularity, with new indoor climbing gyms popping up all over the country, including about 15 more just this year.

In North Carolina alone, there are over 25 different facilities that feature indoor rock climbing walls, including several gyms dedicated solely to the sport.

Climbing has become so popular it is among the new sports the International Olympic Committee will vote on in August for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. On June 1, the IOC executive board supported the package proposal of five sports, which also included surfing, karate, skateboarding, and baseball/softball.

The sport is international in appeal and the local growth in North Carolina is a perfect microcosm of rock climbing’s growing popularity. On May 14, the USA Climbing Sport & Speed Youth Regional Championship was held at Triangle Rock Club’s Morrisville location — the same day 15 other regional championships took place across the country.

To compete in the divisional championship, climbers had to participate in two local competitions earlier in the year. Traveling from all over Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina, 135 youth climbers competed in Morrisville with the top ten scorers in each category (based on age and gender) moving on to the divisional championship on June 18-19 in Charlotte. Each of them holds out hope advancing to the national championship held in Atlanta this July.

So what does a climbing competition look like? To the average person, it might look like a bunch of people climbing up a rock wall. But like many sports, once you dig below the surface, there’s far more nuance to how the game is played than what meets the eye.

Specifically to climbing there are three primary disciplines: bouldering, sport climbing and speed climbing.

Bouldering is climbing a route or “problem” that is shorter, but without the use of a harness or ropes. Don’t

Scott Gratton For the North State Journal

Shelby Bauer, 15, of Murfreesboro, TN clips into the next bolt on a lead climbing route with a crowd of spectators watching. worry, there is a safety mat on the ground for falls in bouldering. Sport climbing is a longer route climbed by either top-roping or lead climbing, so the climber is attached to a rope by a harness with someone else working as a belayer to take up the slack in the rope while they climb. Speed climbing consists of top-roping a route that is scored by the length of time it takes to complete.

Sport climbing routes are graded by the Yosemite Decimal System, which goes from 5.0 (flat ground) to 5.15c (most difficult route) and in a competition, they are set progressively so that the beginning of the route may start off easier (for instance, a 5.9) and gradually get more difficult (perhaps a 5.12) by the end.

Not only are competitors trying to complete the route without falling, but they are given points based on how they do it. The scoring for sport climbing is very subjective. Scott “Skinny” Eney, facilities manager and comp coordinator at Triangle Rock Club, compared it to figure skating, in that spectators don’t often see or realize the slight distinctions in a move, but the judges do, and score accordingly.

Routesetters, the certified people who set the climbing routes prior to the competition, create a scoring sheet for the judges that show the intended way to climb the route, assigning point values to each hold. Judges then track the

climbers as they progress through the route, tallying up the points based on the various techniques used. Only after completing the route does the competitor get to see their score and learn how the points were assigned.

Sport climbing competitions start like a trivia game show, with competitors going to an isolation room so they can’t see the routes or interact with other climbers who have already climbed.

Once on the clock, they are brought into the competition room where they have three routes to complete — five minutes for each one — with a break in between each route. Points are tallied across the three routes in order to rank competitors within their group.

The speed climbing portion of the competition, while far easier to understand as spectator and judge, is optional. Many competitors at the divisional championships opted out completely. While he prefers the technique and strategic climbing required in sport climbing, Eney said, “I really see speed climbing as the only hope for making it in the Olympics just because it’s easier for someone who’s never climbed before to understand. It’s exciting; it turns over quickly.”

As for the Olympic potential of the sport as a whole, Eney added it will “only do good things for the industry.”

Whether it is included in the 2020 Olympics or not, interest in the sport is quickly climbing.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

B7

NBA

redskins

Golden State’s bench is too much for Cleveland to handle

5 things to know about Skins OTAs

By Brian Geisinger North State Journal

By Sean Labar North State Journal

n Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors held serve on their Ihome floor, thanks to contribu-

FL OTAs are officially in motion throughout the country.

N Veterans are honing their skills.

tions from bench stars Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.

The good news for the Cleveland Cavaliers:they held the Splash Brothers — Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson — to 20 combined points on 8 of 27 shooting. The bad news, however: they still lost by 15 points, falling to the Warriors 104-89.

Here’s how they fell short and what to expect over the rest of the NBA Finals.

Young guys are absorbing a ton of information and beginning to scrap for a roster spot. For the first time in a long time, football doesn’t seem so far away. It’s nice to see everyone back in the saddle.

After an impressive draft and the signing of all-pro cornerback Josh Norman, there are plenty of storylines swirling in Ashburn as the Redskins embark on a new season.

Here are five storylines from Washington OTAs so far.

“Iggy Thump” Golden State’s bench is superior Cleveland’s. This is an indisputable NBA fact. In the opening match, the obvious was given even more clarity. Golden State’s bench mob, led by Andre Iguodala (12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) and Shaun Livingston (20 points, 8-of-10 shooting), outscored Cleveland’s backups 45 to 10.

Livingston and Iggy shared the floor for 26 minutes Thursday night and, per NBA.com, the Warriors scored 1.28 points per possession during that stretch, while holding the Cavs to just .83 points per possession. That’s another critical difference between Golden State and Cleveland: the Warriors are capable of winning big games even when their stars don’t shine. Cleveland can’t say the same thing, especially as it relates to their alpha and omega, LeBron James.

Iguodala did a fantastic job defending Kevin Durant in the Western Conference Finals and will be the primary defender on LeBron throughout this series.

He did well Thursday, holding James to 9-of-21 from the field with four turnovers. Cleveland scored just .98 points per possession with LeBron on the floor — a massive decline from his normal production.

The Cavs have sizzled from deep in the playoffs, and five of LeBron’s teammates are shooting 40 percent or better on 3-pointers after receiving a pass from James, including Channing Frye, who’s shooting 56 percent on such possessions. Frye, a center who can splash threes, has been a real boon for Cleveland. In Game 1, though, LeBron’s teammates went just 5 of 17 on 3-pointers (29.4 percent).

For the Cavs to win some games this series, that has to improve.

Quickly.

What’s up with the receiving corps?

Ezra Shaw | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) dunks the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) during the first quarter in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.

A Love-less defense Critique Kevin Love’s offense all you want, but the fact of the matter is he’s a very gifted player.

Love is a terrific shooter, an underrated post scorer and a quality passer. Love’s issues don’t come from him being marginalized in an offense (justifiably) dominated

by James and Kyrie Irving. However: Love is a defensive liability, and the Warriors are built to exploit his deficiencies.

The Cavaliers are giving up 103.6 points per 100 possessions in the playoffs. That number increases to 106.7 points when Love is on the floor. Love can rebound, but he’s slow and robotic defensively, and probably shouldn’t play more than 20-25 minutes per game in this series. The Warriors’ motion offense is a constant blur of split action, screens and cuts.

They’ll put Love on the move, and his weaknesses could tank Cleveland’s defense.

The Thunder pushed the Warriors last round by switching on every screen, a tactic they picked up from the San Antonio Spurs.

Golden State is especially dangerous when Curry and Draymond Green run pick-and-rolls, and Curry is the league’s preeminent ball handler in this type of action — his 1.11 points per possession led the NBA during the regular season.

The Cavaliers are incapable of replicating this kind of defense and it’s exacerbated when Love is

in the game.

These two teams met twice during the regular season, with Golden State winning both contests. During their second matchup, a 132-98 Warriors victory, the Dubs scored 1.27 points per possession during Love’s 21 minutes of action.

Even with Cleveland defending pick-and-rolls in the more customary fashion — having the big defender drop back while the perimeter defender recovers — they still can’t survive with Love defending Green. Sag off Curry and he’ll bury an endless supply of 3-pointers.

Love doesn’t have the lateral quickness to slide with Steph for a dribble or two before recovering back to his man. If both defenders lunge at Curry, he can slip a pass to Green, who now has a 4-on-3 advantage going to the rim. OKC cut this off by switching, but that’s not a viable solution for Cleveland.

Tyronn Lue will continue to place Love on Golden State’s centers: Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli and Marreese Speights.

This will dampen their rim protection, but there are only so many options.

Golden State’s chess move in this situation is playing their “Death Lineup,” a five-man group without a true center that eliminates any potential defensive hiding place for Love. Even if he checks Iguodala, the Warriors will just deploy Iggy as their

screen-setter. Lue sat Love for multiple fourth quarters during the playoffs when his team needed more speed on the floor.

Now that we’re in the Finals, though, and the competition is been ramped up exponentially for Cleveland, will Lue have the confidence to go away from Love if he deems the situation necessary?

You come at the king, you best not miss Last year, Golden State won this series in six games (after being down 2-1). It would be nice to see LeBron, playing in the Finals for an amazing sixth straight season, win his third ring, but this Warriors team may just be too much.

LeBron and Cleveland’s threepoint shooting should be enough to win a game or two, but the Warriors have positional advantages all over the court. The Cavs are much healthier than a year ago, and it showed in Game 1: they held a lead for a brief period of time in the second half.

Cash in more on opportunities around the rim — the Cavs were just 18 of 42 (43 percent) on attempts within eight feet of the basket — and Curry and Thompson’s off nights could’ve been exploited.

Cleveland won’t be swept, but the Warriors are just too good.

Their perimeter shooting, offensive dexterity and athleticism will be too much to handle.

panthers

Panthers excited by offensive options Reuters

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HARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers’ biggest move the past few months was letting Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman walk. Their most notable free agent addition — cornerback Brandon Boykin — was released in mid-May. Judging by the transaction list, it’s tough to argue the defending NFC champs improved their roster.

Then you remember they’re getting receiver Kelvin Benjamin back.

“It’s going to be exciting, it really is. I think we have some potential to be better,” coach Ron Rivera said after Tuesday’s Organized Team Activity session.

“I think we’ll be better across the board as a football team. But talking about it isn’t going to help you. You have to go out and do it.”

As has been the plan since the winter, Benjamin isn’t fully back yet. Less than 10 months after a torn ACL ended his sophomore season in Spartanburg, the Panthers are playing it safe.

So the 6-foot-5 wideout, who caught nine touchdowns and passed 1,000 yards as a rookie, has to watch team drills from

Jim Dedmon | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Keyerris Garrett (15) makes a catch at Carolina Panthers practice fields.

the sideline until training camp.

For now, he’s limited to individual position drills. It’s not exciting, but the running and cutting are important tests for his surgically repaired left knee.

“I try not to baby it. I try to go hard. Whatever the route is, I try to trust in the process that we have been doing, the rehabbing.

So I just go ahead and make that plant,” Benjamin said.

Understandably, Benjamin’s conditioning isn’t yet where it

needs to be. What matters more is he’s still on pace for a full return at training camp, where he’ll join an offense that led the NFL in scoring and finished second in red zone touchdown efficiency.

Opposing defensive coordinators had a big enough problem trying to solve the suddenly potent Panthers last year. Now they could face a pick-your-poison situation like this: Newton in the shotgun alongside running back Jonathan Stewart with Pro Bowl tight end

Greg Olsen lined up inside twin towers Devin Funchess and Benjamin.

“That’s the beauty of getting Kelvin back,” Rivera said. “Now all of a sudden you throw that other guy into the mix and everybody’s going to go, ‘How do we defend that?”

Good question. But in a league full of egos, that could turn into an issue.

“That’s always kind of the million-dollar problem,” Olsen said.

“You have a lot of good players, but everybody is not necessarily willing to accept where they fit into the team aspect of offense.

“Kelvin is the rare guy that’s a No. 1 talent but understands how he fits in the whole big picture.

Any time you can add more guys like that to a team, you can’t help but improve.”

That’s the Panthers’ plan, at least. To them, getting Benjamin back is like adding an extra firstround pick. It’s also a lot cheaper than winning the offseason.

“It’s going to be exciting, it really is. I think we have some potential to be better,” Rivera said.

“I think we’ll be better across the board as a football team. But talking about it isn’t going to help you. You have to go out and do it.”

There’s been a ton of hype surrounding Washington’s 2016 receiving corps. Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Jordan Reed and rookie Josh Doctson look the part.

But they have yet to prove anything. Doctson is already sending the fanbase into a mild panic with minor injuries stifling his offseason progress. Last week he was sidelined with an Achilles tweak.

This week, he injured the same foot and is limited to taking mental reps. Offseason reps are critical for a rookie wideout — the sooner he can learn the offense the better.

Jackson has yet to show his face up to Redskins Park for OTAs. Surprise, surprise. It’s possible this is a “30-year-old wideout in the final year of his deal” absence (which means both everything and nothing at all). There’s no denying his playmaking ability, but it would be nice to see him this time of year.

Searching for safeties DeAngelo Hall is a lock at free safety. He’s making the jump from cornerback, and showed he can fill in nicely when thrown in packages last season. Strong safety raises more questions than answers. In practices so far, former Bronco David Bruton has been plugged in the No. 1 spot. He was a menace on special teams in Denver, but never really blossomed as a defensive back. Duke Ihenacho and Will Blackmon are also possibilities.

Skins fans might want to see rookie Su’a Cravens in the mix, but as of now, the hybrid player has been pegged as a linebacker.

Tracking Mr. Jones The Washington coaching staff has been pretty adamant second-year running back Matt Jones will be the guy in 2016. He flashed early in the season, looking like a hard runner with big-play explosion. But a fumbling problem hindered Jones’ progression (five fumbles, four lost), and it’s a hard sell to count him as the long-term option or to look at this position as a strength.

ESPN’s John Keim reported Jones has been studying old Tiki Barber film to fix the fumbling issue.

No Galette yet The expectations for Junior Galette are crazy for a guy who has yet to play a down in the burgundy and gold. He missed all of 2015 with a torn Achilles, but somehow still earned a new deal in the offseason. He had 12 sacks in 2013 with the Saints, and another 10 in 2014. Past production is a decent reason to be excited, but he still hasn’t played a snap in D.C. At least he’s excited about the team — Galette even went as far as to get a Redskins logo tattooed on his right arm. He’s planning to make a return when training camp rolls around.

Cousins keeps progressing It’s shocking to see quarterback as one of Washington’s most stable positions. For so many years, the Skins swapped signal-callers and couldn’t find a sustainable option.

With a full offseason as the starting QB, Kirk Cousins is poised for another strong year. He’s taken on a leadership role during OTAs, with the team fully behind him.

Cousins is detailed and meticulous.

He called current and former NFL quarterbacks just to pick their brains and grow as a passer. It’ll be hard to top last year’s performance of more than 4,000 yards passing and 29 touchdowns. Just don’t tell Cousins that.

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North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

Tracy from page B1 been impossible for Dan a year ago.

A few months prior to the 2015 women’s lacrosse final four, Dan was in the front car of a passenger train on the Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem line when it struck a car on the tracks near Valhalla, New York.

Six people died, and Dan, once an All-American defenseman at Maryland, nearly lost his leg.

Now, he has a metal rod inserted into his left leg, but significant blood flow and swelling issues require him to move frequently.

They also make long-distance car trips, like the 8-hour trek to the ACC championship in Blacksburg, Virginia from their Bedford, New York home, impossible.

“It was just one of those things, everybody has things that happen to them,” Dan said. “It’s just unfortunate that it happened to me. Everybody rallied around me. My son was here, he was a senior in high school at the time.

He was great and so was my wife.

We tried to play it down to Sammy because she’s away at school and I didn’t want to, I just told her I banged up my leg a little bit.

She had no idea the extent of it at the time. If anything, it brought us together.”

Sammy Jo, the oldest of Dan and Cheryl’s two kids, has always been close with her father. She picked up a lacrosse stick and started playing in first grade because of Dan. But it was her own determination that helped her develop her own unique flare for the game.

Dan’s connections at Maryland brought his former teammates and coaches to stay with the Tracy family while they ran camps in the area. The parade of lacrosse greats helped mold Sammy Jo, who spent her formative years in the sport absorbing as much information as possible. Once she had the basics, she quickly advanced, diversifying her game with an arsenal of trick shots.

“She used to just go out and fool around in the back in the lawn, and she’d just spend hours out there trying this and trying that,” Dan said. “All kind of different stuff. I was a defenseman. I wasn’t even a goal scorer.

I scored three goals in my whole life … That’s something that she would watch the girls on TV and she would go out in the back. It was something she developed on her own.”

By eighth grade, she was play-

Bill Streicher | USA TODAY SPORTS images

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Jenny Levy has ice water dumped on her in celebration of a victory in the national championship game against the Maryland Terps at Talen Energy Stadium on May 29.

ing on Fox Lane’s varsity squad, and soon, it was time for her to decide where to continue her career. Her dad’s alma mater heavily recruited her, but Sammy Jo wanted to be a part of building a program, rather than just another cog in the wheel of a national championship-winning machine.

“I was always looking to start a new culture, or not a new culture but my dream was to come here and help them win a national championship, the first ever,” she said. “And Maryland is a dynasty. So being able to do something different and my father being so supportive of me doing something different was awesome. That was a little change up. Everyone thought I was going to Maryland and I thought so too. Things change, and I’m so happy I’m here obviously.”

She wasted little time establishing tradition at North Carolina as she scored the game-winning goal in triple overtime for the team’s first national title in her freshman season.

For a moment, it was the perfect way to fulfill her dreams.

But after playing through persistent pain in her foot throughout her freshman season, she finally saw a doctor after the national championship. The news was devastating. Sammy Jo had

been playing on a broken navicular bone in her foot and needed surgery. But instead of taking one surgery to fix the break, she needed three. Recovering wasn’t easy and she missed the entire 2014 season.

Instead of being defeated by the injury, she used the year off the field to develop her stick skills and cerebrally analyze the game from the sideline.

But midway through the 2015 season, Sammy Jo received devastating news of her father’s train accident.

The family tried to downplay it, primarily trying to keep it from affecting her game. She played through the heartbreak, checking in on Dan as much as she could while helping the Tar Heels return to the national title game, where Dan watched on from the stands, a pair of crutches resting beside him.

This year, for the first time in her UNC career, Sammy Jo played and started all 22 games and with two goals in the national championship game, she finished as the team’s fourth leading scorer and the go-to draw control specialist, winning 108 draw controls this season.

With a bevy of trick shots at her disposal, she’s the team’s goto spark plug, whipping in a twizzler or a behind-the-back goal to energize the team just when they need a boost.

While Sammy Jo is undoubt-

edly a serious player, she has fun with the game, which makes her such a vital part of UNC’s success in the last four years.

“We really want creative players,” UNC coach Jenny Levy said, “And what I’ve learned is that if you want your players to be creative, you’re going to have to kind of swallow hard when the creativity doesn’t look so good because at another moment, it may be brilliant. You kind of have to allow that freedom to happen if you want to see it in a big stage at a big moment.”

Even after leaving home to establish her own legacy at a school more than eight hours away, Sammy Jo remains incredibly close to her father, and she calls him every day just to check in.

“I have the coolest bond with Sammy,” he said. “I literally talk to her every day. What dad whose daughter is in college calls him every day? She’ll call me every morning at work and go ‘Hey dad, this is what happened at practice yesterday. What do you think? What should I say? I’ve got to give this speech before the game.’ And it’s just a little something we have together. It’s really cool. I’m just thankful that we have something that makes us close like that.”

An hour and 15 minutes before Sammy Jo took the field at

MENS from page B1 Family man When Breschi finally made his way over to the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, three of his four daughters and his wife were already on the field. But the tight security made it difficult for 14-year-old Samantha to get to the rest of her family.

With the help of the lacrosse families in the stands, she made her way down the stairs and leapt into her dad’s arms, clutching him as they both cried.

“I think whenever we win games or we’re here in Fetzer or games at that level on that sort of stage, we all like to have our kids with us,” Breschi said. “You preach family all the time, but to actually live it and see the smiles and the tears, we were all crying.

I was like, ‘This is fun!’ It was tears of joy. It was just a special moment to spend with my family.”

Just a week earlier, when the Tar Heels took on Notre Dame in Columbus, Ohio, the tournament brought Joe and his family back to a painfully juxtaposed past. It was in Ohio, more than 20 years ago, where Joe began his Division I coaching career at Ohio State.

But it was also in Ohio, in 2004, when Joe’s only son Michael was killed in an automobile accident at just 3 years old.

Before the game, the team visited Michael’s grave and heard senior Patrick Kelly give a heart-wrenching, uplifting speech, dedicating the quarterfinal to Michael.

In playing for their coach and his lost son, the Tar Heels tapped into something much bigger than themselves en route to a monster upset of No. 3 Notre Dame that earned the program’s first final four berth since 1993.

Bill Streicher | USA TODAY SPORTS images

The North Carolina Tar Heels players celebrate after winning the national championship against the Maryland Terrapins at Lincoln Financial Field on May 30. The Tar Heels won 14-13 in overtime.

“We look at coach as a father-figure, and he absolutely raised this team up with the power of his words and the power of his son’s memory,” senior midfielder Jake Matthai said before the final four. “We did it for him and we did it for his son.”

It was the kind of emotional energy that inexplicably transforms a team and led to a situation where an unseeded squad that barely earned an NCAA tournament bid was playing the best lacrosse of their season — good enough to propel them to a national championship.

“We all love coach Breschi,” Cloutier said on the field afterwards. “He’s like a father figure to all of us. After everything he’s been through, it’s just so nice to get this for him.”

All in the family Sitting side by side at a table in the men’s lacrosse film room Monday morning, Breschi and women’s lacrosse coach Jenny Levy beamed like proud parents.

Breschi’s brand new championship trophy sat next to him on the table, while an identical one sat in some apartment, somewhere in Chapel Hill, recovering from a Stanley Cup-esque tour of the town.

“Where’s your trophy?” Breschi joked to Levy sitting beside him. “We’ll share.”

The two programs, the second ever to win men’s and women’s lacrosse titles in the same season since Princeton did so in 1994, got used to sharing things during their championship weekend, beginning with the Philadelphia hotel.

Though the two teams were hyper-focused on their respective goals, they took time to encourage each other, trading nods in the hallway and playful jabs of encouragement. After winning their semifinal against Penn State Friday, the women were the first to tackle the national championship game.

“It’s not jabbing each other in a bad way, but just kind of like brotherly-sisterly competition and just kind of, ‘Look, hey, you guys better get one up there,’” said senior attack/midfielder Patrick Kelly. “Kind of chirping us. And it’s great. “[The women’s team] motivated us and I think we’ve pushed each other this year a little bit.”

While the women packed their bags and prepared for battle Sunday morning, the men quickly

Talen Energy Stadium M afternoon, she slipped into a stall in UNC’s locker room, took out her phone and dialed the same numbers that she dials before every game.

A couple hundred yards away, another phone rang in the stands, and a man, pacing back and forth out of both nerves and necessity, answered.

Like he always does, Dan spoke to his daughter before the third national semifinal game of her collegiate career. The conversation was brief, a father giving a few pointers and plenty of good wishes to his daughter.

After a few minutes, the pair hung up. Dan kept pacing as Sammy Jo ran out on the field with the rest of the No. 3 UNC women’s lacrosse team to take on Penn State.

A couple of days later, before Sammy Jo took the field for the final time this season, she had the same conversation with her dad, only with a twist. Sammy Jo slipped out of the locker room, sprinted to the parents tailgate outside the stadium and surprised her father with a faceto-face version of their pregame ritual.

“It always gives me that extra boost that I need to get pumped up,” she said.

On the outside of Sammy Jo’s left wrist are two small initials — DT. It not only symbolizes the bond with her father, but the bond and admiration she has with the three most important men in her life — her grandfather, father and brother — three generations of Dan Tracy. She got the tattoo after her grandfather, who was a New York City firefighter, died two years ago.

In moments where she needs strength or she celebrates a big play, Sammy Jo kisses her wrist.

It’s a good luck thing and a small way to honor the men who have shaped her life the most.

“I can’t even put it into words,” Dan said of the tattoo. “It’s really special. It’s the greatest thing and I can’t be any more thankful.

It’s beyond lacrosse. It’s beyond anything just to have that kind of relationship with my daughter.

It’s just the best.”

And when the final buzzer sounded Sunday afternoon, long before she could make it over to embrace her dad, she made eye contact with him and communicated a nonverbal celebration in a language that only the pair could understand.

“I kissed my wrist,” she said, “and he knew.”

finished their team breakfast and dashed toward the hotel lobby to form a celebratory sendoff tunnel for their sister lacrosse program.

“I was up in my room and there’s an atrium in our hotel, and I could hear all this craziness and I thought wow, our parents are going nuts,” Levy said. “And then I looked down and I was like, ‘Oh my God it’s the men’s team! That’s awesome!’ I just thought it was a really cool moment for the players in both programs.”

Opting to forgo the prearranged flight to Chapel Hill following their own national championship defeat of Maryland on May 29, the women’s team returned the favor by staying for the men’s game the following day and take a bus back home afterwards.

They’re a family. And family sticks together.

When both teams finally reunited in Chapel Hill Monday night, they reconvened for a giant family reunion as UNC athletes from all over the country drove in to celebrate.

“The family atmosphere at this whole entire athletic department is very special,” Kelly said. “I think we had athletes, field hockey athletes that were in Charlotte and down at the beach, they all drove back. Football players, guys coming back, driving three hours to celebrate with us last night.

“I was sitting there talking to Hanna Gardner, who won a national championship her freshman year in soccer, and I told her, ‘I remember celebrating your national championship with you guys. It’s one of my most fun nights my freshman year and now we’re sitting here celebrating this national championship together.’

“That’s why you come to North Carolina.”

NS J

frolic

Grab a spoon, the ice cream’s on us! From historic soda shoppes to fresh new scoops — we have you covered across the state this summer.

See page C4

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

at home with

SUNDAY

6.5.16

playlist June 6-12 Triangle Restaurant Week The Triangle Triangle Restaurant Week is a weeklong celebration designed to incorporate top Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and surrounding area restaurants. During the week, participating restaurants offer special menu options and fixed pricing, a wonderful opportunity for residents and visitors to enjoy the area’s finest food. trirestaurantweek.com

June 9-12 Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show, Saddlebred Show Blowing Rock The 92nd Annual Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show is one of the oldest horse show events in the country – a North Carolina tradition since 1923! View the spectacle and excitement of amateur and highperformance competitors. blowingrockhorses.com Highlands Motoring Festival Highlands Enjoy the cool climate of the highest Motoring Festival in the Eastern United States.

Saturday is the featured classic car show at the Park.

Many makes and models of both American and foreign vehicles will be on display. highlandsmotoringfestival. com EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Amber Liggett helps her two-and-a-half-year-old son Foster put another hold on the climbing wall they built in the garage of their Durham home, Monday, May 16. She hopes to climb professionally in the future with help from her sons and husband.

Rock climbing with the whole family Some families cheer each other on at soccer, some spend their days playing music — some rock climb.

By Samantha Gratton North State Journal

W

Honoring Eden’s legendary son, the Charlie Poole Music Festival is a music festival celebrating old-time string and bluegrass music indigenous to the Eden area, and recognizing the importantce of this music to North Carolina’s cultural heritage. charlie-poole.com

Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament Morehead City The Big Rock is one of the oldest and largest sport fishing tournaments in the country.

Throughout tournament week there are various ticketed events open to the public as well as daily weigh-ins on the Morehead City waterfront. thebigrock.com CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Inside

21st Annual Charlie Poole Music Festival Eden

June 10-18

hen Amber Liggett first started indoor rock climbing three years ago, she was immediately hooked. While finishing her last semester at Duke she managed to get into a beginning rock climbing class and quickly realized her passion and propensity for it.

Around the same time, she met her now-husband, Greg Liggett. As it turns out, he had been climbing for several years prior and was working as the manager and head route setter at the climbing wall in Duke’s Wilson Recreation Center.

“It was a happy coincidence that I was dating the manager of the climbing wall,” said Amber with a laugh. It not only gave her some extra time on the wall, but he encouraged her to climb harder routes and take on new challenges. When traveling to visit with his family in San Francisco a few months later they decided to enter in a nearby rock climbing gym’s competition. Not only did she compete in the recrea-

See CLIMBING, page C6

June 10-11

Amber Liggett top ropes at Triangle Rock Club on Tuesday, May 17.

GREEN THUMB

Part two from N.C. tomato man, Craig LeHoullier, gives you garden guidance for strong healthy tomatoes.

See page C3

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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necessities oh, behave

history marked

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

June 7, 1973

eople love checking the mailbox and hoping for P something more wonderful

than bills. Magazines and party invitations bring joy, but the surprise handwritten thank you note tops the list.

With the month of June here, we’re in full graduation and wedding season where gifts are bountiful and thank you notes are necessary.

Invest in nice personalized stationary, if you don’t already have it, which includes your name, monogram, or personal logo. White or offwhite stationary with the personalization in blue or black ink are the traditional choices.

Use Mr., Mrs., or Ms. in the salutation. Please note, Miss is reserved for ladies under 18. If you have mutual rapport with the addressee, then switch to calling the person by his/her first name, as in ”Dear Faye.”

Thank you notes allow the giver to know that you received the gift, that the package arrived safely from the store (in the case of sent items), that you enjoyed the event — whether it is dinner or a play — and that their thoughtful gesture meant something to you.

For a thank you regarding gifts, be sure to mention in your note what the gift is, how you’ll use it, or how it fits your personality. (The blue striped picture frame is the perfect way for me to display me and my friends in our caps and gowns on my desk at college.)

In notes for things such as being a guest at dinner, be sure to mention you had a good time, you found something about the event to be memorable, and you appreciate the invitation and would love to do it again. (Your new lasagna recipe was delicious as was the chocolate raspberry soufflé for dessert.)

Thank you notes convey sincerity and promptness.

Follow the three-day rule: write a note and mail it within three days after the event. Of course, we all have the best of intentions, but often times our notes may be a few weeks late.

Send it anyway.

Graduation notes should be written before the start of college. Wedding notes should be written within one year of the wedding date.

In the end, you’ll be happy to have sent a proper thank you, and your giver will be happy to receive one.

Two Galápagos tortoises became the first residents of the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, slated to open the following year. The huge reptiles, native to the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, were purchased by the North Carolina Zoological Society.

June 8, 1917

The first of 2,300 Germans arrived by train at Hot Springs to begin life in a World War I internment camp.

Their civilian merchant ships had been docked in various American ports two months earlier when the United States entered the war. At that time, the government seized the German vessels and declared their officers and crews “alien enemies.” Unable to return the men home while war was raging, the government leased the luxurious Mountain Park Hotel in Hot Springs to house them.

Each of the hotel’s 200 steamheated, electric-lighted bedrooms accommodated between three and five German officers, while rows of barracks and accessory buildings were constructed on the resort’s grounds and golf course to house crew members.

Information courtesy of N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

just a pinch backyard Every summer as the temperature creeps up, they come. Some years seemingly overnight, descending to overtake your carefully planted and cared for trove of beloved garden loveliness. But if you watch for signs of garden pests you can usually catch them early and keep them from becoming a plague upon your plenty.

Watch your tomatoes for spotted leaves and pull them off the plant the minute they develop. This may stop diseases like blight from sucking the life out of your plants so you can enjoy a better harvest.

Cruise your rows of squash early in the morning and you may find the dreaded squash bug — the scourge of this crop. Don’t be squeamish and let them suck the life out of your hard work. Carry a mason jar with a little water inside to pick them off and drop them right in.

After all the hard work you put in planting, this is the home stretch of paying close attention to keep those pests at bay. It will pay off on your plate before you know it.

gather Morganton hosts State of Origin Beer Festival

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal o you want to enjoy a refreshing beer on a warm June day and also support North Carolina D products? Then the State of Origin Beer Festival is

turn the page A love for reading begins at a young age. When we read to our little ones, not only do we get to introduce them to the wonderful characters and stories in the books, but we get to read and enjoy it alongside them. Thanks to Pomegranate Books in Wilmington, here are some great children’s books to pick up at your local bookstore.

“Spot, the Cat”

by Henry Cole

released March 1, 2016

probably the perfect event for you.

Twenty North Carolina breweries will converge on Courthouse Square in Morganton on June 11 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to showcase beers made with North Carolina-sourced ingredients. Three ambassador breweries from Arizona, Illinois, and Texas will also attend in support of the farm-to-pint event.

Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton created the festival, which will have breweries from across the state that use local ingredients to make their beers.

Ingredients like kiwis, sweet potatoes, beets, and persimmons are just some of the more interesting North Carolina-grown products that find their way into some of the state’s beers.

“The entire event is a celebration of local ingredients,” says Fonta Flora co-founder David Bennett. “One of our main focuses at our brewery is local culture and local agriculture. We practice what we preach every single day, and the festival is a natural extension of that.”

The North Carolina breweries that will be at the event are: from Asheville — Burial Beer, Highland Brewing Company, and Wicked Weed Brewing; from Boone — Appalachian Mountain Brewery; from Carrboro — Steel String Brewery; from Charlotte — Birdsong Brewing, Free Range Brewing, Lenny Boy Brewing, Salud Beer Shop, Triple C Brewing, and Wooden Robot Brewery; from Durham — Fullsteam Brewery; from High Point — Brown Truck Brewing; from Hillsborough — Mystery Brewing Company; from Morganton — Fonta Flora Brewery and Catawba Brewing Company; from Raleigh — Trophy Brewing; from Saxapahaw — Haw River Farmhouse Ales; from Shelby — Newgrass Brewing Co.; and from Weaverville — Zebulon Artisan Ales.

Arizona Wilderness Brewing from Gilbert, Arizona, Jester King Brewery from Austin, Texas, and Scratch Brewing in Ava, Illinois, are the three out-of-state brewers who will be at the event.

Tickets to the event are $50, but there is also an optional upgrade to an $86 ticket that includes Fonta Flora’s Funk Fuzz American wild ale, which is made with local peaches and nectarines and is barrel-aged. Designated drivers will also be available for $25.

The State of Origin Craft Beer Festival takes place on the lawn of the historic Morganton Courthouse in downtown Morganton.

“Playground”

by Mies Van Hout released April 1, 2016

“There Is a Tribe of Kids”

by Lane Smith

released May 3, 2016

“Thunder Boy Jr.”

by Sherman Alexie released May 10, 2016

“Finding Wild”

by Megan Wagner Lloyd released May 10, 2016

“School’s First Day of School”

by Adam Rex

releases June 28, 2016

Voices Contributors to this section this week include: Jay Barnes Samantha Gratton Laura Ashley Lamm Cory Lavalette Craig LeHoullier Amy Richards

Tell us Know a North Carolina story that needs telling?

Drop us a line at features@nsjonline.com.

ANDY JAY | For the north state journal

stir it up “We use punch as an amuse-bouche of sorts. Everyone who comes in gets a little cup to sip on as they look over the cocktail menu. We also have a menu of punches you can share with others. It’s a really beautiful, very social experience — kind of like a familystyle meal. I think there’s an incredible elegance to simplicity. When I go to make the daily punch, I ask myself, ‘What do we have on hand, and what does the day feel like?’ All punch should have a spice component, but it doesn’t have to be a traditional spice. You can use tea, fresh herbs, bitters—there are a zillion possibilities. This one uses mint syrup and organic kombucha from Charlotte’s Lenny Boy Brewing Co., and it tastes like a sunny day.”

— Bob Peters, The Punch Room, Charlotte

Mother May I Punch Serves 8 16 ounces Beefeater gin 8 ounces fresh lemon juice 24 ounces Lenny Boy Good Ol’ Ginger Kombucha 8 ounces mint syrup* (more or less to taste)

*Heat and stir ½ cup each sugar and water until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat, stir in ¼ cup roughly chopped mint leaves, and let sit for 15 minutes. Strain, then chill.

Stir ingredients together in a punch bowl, then fill with ice.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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green thumb tomatoes | North Carolina Bales and containers can be used to convert a sunny spot into a garden anywhere on your property — even your driveway.

STEPHEN GARRETT | For the north state journal

By Craig LeHoullier For the North State Journal

Remove side shooters/ suckers for maximum growth.

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ry to begin your journey toward superb tomatoes by focusing on choices, timing, and seed starting.

With those healthy seedlings in hand, finish the job in order to reach the finish line with a bountiful crop.

Transplanting Seedlings benefit from a deep transplant into a larger container, burying the stem up to the first set of leaves. After the transplant, a few days rest in the shade or indoors followed by a gradual introduction into the sun will lead to healthy plants that will adjust well when planted into the garden, containers, or straw bales. Young seedlings can dry out quickly or be harmed by chilly winds, so ensure they are well watered and in a safe place before they are adjusted to being out in the elements.

Where to grow and how to plant Tomatoes thrive in a traditional garden, raised bed, container, or prepared straw bale. The more direct sun you get, the larger the variety you can grow well. If you are limited to three or four hours of direct sun or less, focus on smaller fruited varieties.

Flexibility in tomato planting techniques allow gardeners to bring the plants to the best sun location in their yard.

One important factors for tomato success once you have appropriately sized seedlings is soil that drains well (for traditional inground gardens and raised beds), or a good quality planting mix amended with compost (for containers).

Avoid bagged or commercial “soil” (which can contain clay and sand, crust over easily and not drain well — and also harbor diseases) and focus on products that use terms such as “soilless mix.”

Plant seedlings deeply, up to the foliage. Loosely wrap a collar made of paper or foil around the base of the plant to keep cutworms away. Another critical success factor is mulching so that soil can’t splash onto the lower tomato foliage. Untreated grass clippings, shredded leaves, and newspaper all make great mulch; the key is that it breathes, allows penetration of water, and creates the needed splash barrier.

Watering, feeding, and troubleshooting Tomatoes let you know when they are thirsty by wilting during the hottest part of the day, but it is wise to avoid visible wilting, as it can lead to blossom end rot on the fruit. Inground planted tomatoes have more water within the reach of the roots. Bale, raised bed, or container grown tomatoes may need daily watering during very hot, dry spells. Water from the bottom as wet foliage can lead to fungal diseases.

As with watering, tomatoes planted in the ground need less frequent feeding — monthly should suffice. Bale, container, or raised bed planted tomatoes will appreciate a dose of food

every few weeks. There are infinite choices for tomato fertilizer, and you will easily find one that fits your gardening philosophy.

Check your plants often for signs of trouble. Wilting with yellow or brown foliage indicates one of the many diseases that strike tomatoes. Use a website reference or consult your local extension agent for help in diagnosing your tomato issues.

Tomato pests are as numerous as diseases, and include four legged critters such as squirrels and deer, hornworms and fruit worms, aphids, and whitefly. As with plant nutrition, there are many approaches to dealing with tomato pests; the approach you take will be uniquely your own as you match your garden philosophy with your practices.

Craig LeHoullier lives and gardens with his wife and collection of dogs and cats in Raleigh. A chemist by training, his heirloom tomato hobby culminated in his first book, “Epic Tomatoes.” He later also wrote “Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales.”

JUNE 7-12, 2016 Hurry for best seats!

Seats start at $25 +& taxes fees

Groups of 12 or more: Groups@DPACnc.com

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

frolic on the road | North Carolina The family road trip will require pit stops, so why not make them fun? Whether you are packing up the car to criss-cross the state by highway or byway, you’ll need to make a stop along the way. We’ve put together a list of local ice cream shops and a few flavors for you to try on your travels. A drive across N.C. promises to be filled with beautiful scenery, and with this guide by your side you can satisfy your sweet tooth as well.

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Left, Katelin Brown, of Wake Forest, makes waffle cones at Lumpy's Ice Cream in Wake Forest.

Right, Brett Hillman, owner of Fresh Local Ice Cream, makes Madagascar vanilla ice cream.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Birthday cake ice cream with sprinkles is one of the many flavors available at Fresh Local Ice Cream in Raleigh. The ice-cream base comes from Jackson Dairy Farm in Dunn.

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Left, from left, Kylie Simanowski, 15, and Evelin Lazaro, 15, both of Durham, joke as they eat vanilla and cookies and cream ice cream at The Parlour on Wednesday, June 1 in Durham. Co-owners Yoni and Vanessa Mazuz began serving ice cream from a converted school bus in 2011 and opened a permanent location in downtown Durham in 2013. Right, Rachel Friedman scoops Vietnamese coffee ice cream for a customer at The Parlour.

Beaches -N- Cream Supply You can have Beach Sand served up on a cone at this shop — in the form of ice cream, and it's made with honey and brown sugar.

Lumpy’s Wake Forest Unique flavors are their specialty — try the Wired Hippie — Coffee ice cream with trail mix.

Kill Devil’s Frozen Custard Kill Devil Hills At this establishment they serve three flavors only — Vanilla, Chocolate, and a daily special flavor — all for topping if you wish.

Homeland Creamery Julian Seasonal specialties include Pumpkin Pie and Peppermint.

Yum Yum Better Ice Cream

Boombalatti’s Homemade Ice Cream

Downtown Café & Soda Shoppe

Big Bucks Homemade Ice Cream

FRESH Local Ice Cream

Greensboro This icon has been serving Greensboro since 1906 — grab a scoop of any flavor and enjoy.

Wilmington Banana with Nilla Wafers — just the name makes you think of your grandmother's pudding.

Edenton A local hangout for years, once the summer months are in swing the Dusty Sundae is the thing to order.

Corolla/Manteo/Kitty Hawk The cone's the thing at Big Bucks — dipped in Belgian chocolate. Try the Peanut Butter and Chocolate for a cocoa overload.

Raleigh If it's fresh and local you're yearning for, Wild Blueberry or Watermelon should do the trick.

Jack the Dipper

The Hop Ice Cream Café

Cabarrus Creamery

Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream

Sylva and Waynesville With their claim to fame of "home of the warm waffle cone," try their Pistachio and Sea Salt Caramel.

Dolly’s Dairy Bar & Gift Shop Brevard/Pisgah Forest Camp flavors reign supreme here from High Rock Arctic Slide to Pisgah Perfection.

Asheville At this local spot go for a milkshake — they have one called the Carmanana which includes vanilla bean ice cream with banana and caramel.

Spike’s Dairy Bar Southport Coffee Mud Pie Ice Cream sounds like the perfect way to end an evening in Southport.

Calabash Creamery

Harry’s Grill & Piggy’s Ice Cream

Calabash All you need are the graham crackers and chocolate when you have the Marshmallow flavor ice cream from Calabash.

Hendersonville The menu proclaims "Sherbet + Soda = Shake" for what's known as a Freeze — or the perfect antidote to a hot night.

Tony’s Gastonia Serving the Gastonia area since 1915 all the standbys are loved by the locals — the Butter Ripple is a good go-to on a hot day.

Central Drug Bessemer City Another beacon in a local scene, this spot has been here since 1927. Saddle up to the counter and get a root beer float.

Concord Sliced lemon tart is a local warm weather favorite.

Maple View Farm Hillsborough The refreshing Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet is sure to cool you off on a visit to this Orange County creamery.

Peaches N’ Cream Wadesboro This produce stand is a summer must stop and the Peach flavor of ice cream is out of this world.

Waxhaw Creamery Waxhaw Sometimes flavor names need no explanation — as in Coconutty.

Angier This spot boasts over 120 flavors including Rice Krispy Treat.

Howling Cow NC State, Raleigh This creamery has all the flavors you'd expect, but how could you not order Wolf Traks?

S&T’s Soda Shoppe Pittsboro Famous for their classic soda shoppe drinks, try an Egg Cream or a Coffee Float.

Cow Café New Bern This local gem is speckled black and white all over.

Go all in and order El Moo's Demise — it contains five scoops of Death by Chocolate, enough said.

Olde Towne Creamery Manteo What could be more American than summertime and a scoop of Deep Dish Apple.

The Parlour Durham Vegan selections like Pineapple Lemon Lime Sorbet keep customers coming back.

Pike’s Soda Shop Charlotte You really can't go wrong with a Brownie Hot Fudge Sundae.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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performances The Lost Colony | Manteo Across the state we play host to various outdoor dramas throughout the summer: “Unto These Hills” August – December Cherokee

“Horn In The West” June – July Boone

“First For Freedom” July 4 Halifax

“From This Day Forward” July – August Valdese

“Montford Park Players” Year-round Asheville

“Tom Dooley: A Wilkes County Legend” July North Wilkesboro PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LOST COLONY

Chief Manteo and Wanchese meet Queen Elizabeth, I at the Queen’s Ceremonies during opening night of the 2016 season of The Lost Colony, May 27.

By Jennifer Wood North State Journal

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hey call North Carolina the land of beginnings for a reason,” said Don Bridge as the historian.

The 2016 season of “The Lost Colony” opened not with fanfare, but with a celebration of a partnership. The Waterside Theatre stage this outdoor drama calls home sits on National Park land.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is where Paul Green’s first production of “The Lost Colony” opened in 1937. Further underpinning that history, it is the site of the first English settlement in the New World called Fort Raleigh.

The importance of place can be felt in this space as you take your seat. With evening approaching, the water looms large beyond as the historian says, “it is hallowed ground.”

The time transport is imminent. This is where North Carolina begins.

As it always is with a production based in history, the audience is privy to the end. But not really. We do not ac-

CLIMBING from page C1 tional category for the Planet Granite Friction Series — she won.

Amber took a break from climbing for awhile when she was pregnant with her first son, Foster, but since then she and Greg have returned to climbing full force over the past two years. Part of her desire to climb stems from being naturally competitive, part of it for the exercise, and partly because the climbing community is such a supportive environment.

“Climbing is one of those sports where it’s both mentally and physically challenging,” said Amber.

“It’s incredible to figure it out and be able to do it.

It’s not something you can do alone, and that’s something that most climbers recognize.”

At the climbing gym there are people of all ages climbing at various levels. While it might seem intimidating to a newcomer at first, climbers are quick to cheer others on, whether they have met before or not.

“I don’t know if I would have been nearly as into climbing as I would be if it wasn’t for Greg,” said Amber. “Part of that is because I prefer top-roping so I have a partner built-in to my relationship.”

Top-roping requires the climber to wear a harness and tie in to a rope. The rope goes up through an an-

tually know the true outcome for Eleanor Dare, John Borden, and those who chose to head out into the wilderness with them. The real life mystery and speculation make the thrill of the production all the more exciting.

It was fitting that this season be dedicated to the National Park Service’s centennial. The extra touch of the park ranger as the historian in the drama that tells the tale of the unsolved mystery of 117 British souls lost gives you the feeling of a trusted teacher guiding you through the story.

The costumes, lighting, music, choreography, and talented cast and crew align with their natural surroundings thoroughly to transport the audience.

Thanks to Paul Green and others, many consider North Carolina to be the birthplace of the outdoor drama. The gift of his work that lives on year after year by the water in Dare County is a treasure all North Carolinians should embrace. You have until August 20th to do so this season, and if you have a fourth grader they get in free this year as part of the National Park Foundation’s “Every Kid in a Park” program.

chor system at the top of the route and back down to another person standing on the ground connected by a belay device and harness. The belayer takes up the slack in the rope as the climber ascends. Unlike bouldering, which is climbing at a lower height without ropes, the climber must have someone else to belay them while top-roping.

Top-roping requires some communication between the climber and the belayer for safety reasons, but often that communication leads to encouragement, advice, or strategy as well. Different climbers may approach the same route in very different ways based on their body type, problem-solving techniques, and personality.

“Sometimes it drives me nuts because Greg plans out how he’s going to climb a route ahead of time and is nice and slow. I just look at a wall and go—and just figure it out when I get there.” Considering their relationship and communication style overall Amber adds, “It’s probably more reflective of our personalities. I’m more like, ‘we can wing it.’ He’s a bit more methodical in his approaches.”

Climbing has become such a part of their lives that they wanted to make sure to share that love with their son. Foster, who is two-and-a-half years old, has been coming to the gym with them since he was

a baby, but isn’t heavy enough for the harness and the holds aren’t exactly geared for his size. So, they built a bouldering wall in their garage for him to climb.

When she found out she was pregnant again Amber continued to climb throughout this pregnancy at least two days a week by modifying her workout as needed. Knowing her body and her limitations, toproping is considered safe to continue for women who did it pre-pregnancy, similar to running. She uses a full-body maternity harness so that there is no pressure on her abdomen when climbing or belaying.

After the welcomed arrival of their second son this past week, Amber is hoping to return to climbing as soon as possible. Comparing climbing while pregnant to weight and endurance training, she’s ready to get back to her peak performance level and even hopes to pursue some sponsors by the end of the year.

As for the prospect of rock climbing being included in 2020 Olympics—she hopes to qualify for the trials.

No one knows yet if it will even be an Olympic sport, but her goal is to at least be considered a contender.

To anyone considering joining her and her family on the climbing wall Amber says, “It’s the best. You meet really great people that are awesome at rock climbing. It’s a fabulous environment culturally.

There’s something for everyone.”

From left, Amber Liggett and her husband, Greg Liggett, discuss climbing routes at Triangle Rock Club in Raleigh on Tuesday, May 18.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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Sunday Story

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What was North Carolina's Greatest Hurricane?

By Jay Barnes Editor’s Note

Stories have power. They amuse, enchant, delight, and transport us to another time and place outside of our own. Stories teach us about our history. With the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Fran approaching later this summer, we asked historian and author Jay Barnes to tell us about Fran, Hazel, and the greatest of Tar Heel storms. Jay is a longtime resident of the North Carolina coast and author of “North Carolina’s Hurricane History.”

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ome think it’s Hazel. Others talk about Fran or Floyd. Usually, they pause to wait for a one-word response — but it’s not quite that simple.

It’s just human nature to want to compare one storm with another, but choosing the greatest?

The truth is, the answer depends on what measuring stick is used and over what period of time comparisons are made.

Meteorologists focus on storm track and intensity, and their measurements define hurricanes by extremes in wind, tide, rainfall, and barometric pressure. Pressure readings are particularly important—the lower the barometer, the more powerful the storm. Meteorologists use the Saffir-Simpson scale to rate intensity, categorizing hurricanes from 1 to 5. Thankfully, North Carolina hasn’t experienced a Category 5, at least not since reliable record keeping began in the mid-1800s.

Hurricanes can also be ranked by the dollar damages they bring to communities they strike. Homes, businesses, boats, vehicles, public infrastructure, crops, livestock, and timber are vulnerable to powerful hurricane winds, extreme coastal storm surge, and devastating freshwater flooding. And, hurricanes tracking inland (like Fran and Floyd) are often even more costly.

Sadly, it’s also important to acknowledge the heavy toll hurricanes claim in lost lives. While property losses have risen exponentially, hurricane-related deaths in the U.S have trended downward. Though fatalities have generally declined, recent mega-storms Katrina (1,200 deaths) and Sandy (285 deaths) remind us how deadly modern, urban hurricanes can sometimes be.

So yes, we could rank North Carolina’s greatest hurricanes by intensity, dollars, or deaths—but how do we compare modern disasters with earlier hurricanes, when meteorological details are less known and impacts undocumented?

Our hurricane record begins with the first European explorers. Early hurricanes sank ships, destroyed coastal villages, flattened crops, and left untold destruction across the state. But when compared with modern hurricanes, early storms largely impacted sparsely populated areas and caused far fewer damages.

Could the state’s greatest hurricane have swept ashore centuries ago? Perhaps.

Maybe it was the massive hurricane of September 1846 that crept slowly over Pamlico Sound, opening two new inlets on the Outer Banks within 24 hours (Hatteras Inlet and Oregon Inlet). Or perhaps it was the storm that swamped Wrightsville Beach on a full moon tide in September 1856, destroying large stands of live oak that once covered the island. Another contender was the violent September 1883 hurricane that struck the same region, claiming 53 lives along the lower Cape Fear — the most of any storm to that date.

You get the idea. There are lots of possibilities.

In order to offer a reasonable answer to the question, I’ve chosen five North Carolina hurricane disasters, each a benchmark for its time (all from the 20th century). Among the five, most are familiar names, but at least one is likely unknown to most readers.

Hurricane Hugo Once projected to strike near Morehead City, Hugo was a large Category 4 when it slammed into the South Carolina low country in September 1989.

Winds topped 130 mph, and the 19-foot storm surge at Bulls Bay was the highest ever recorded on the East Coast. As Hugo barreled inland, South Carolina suffered its greatest storm in history. But North Carolina?

Ask anyone who was living in Charlotte or Gastonia at the time. They’ll tell you stories about massive hardwoods crushing parked cars, streets barricaded by downed trees, and power outages that lasted for weeks. Hugo demonstrated once again that you don’t need to live at the coast to get slammed. Seven North Carolinians died. U.S. losses totaled $7 billion, and with $1 billion in North Carolina, Hugo became the state’s costliest hurricane to date.

Great Flood of 1916 Sometimes known as the Great Asheville Flood, this one’s not well known but easily deserves a place on this list. Like Hugo, it’s another epic Tar Heel disaster caused by a hurricane making landfall elsewhere. Two storms actually—one on the Mississippi coast and the second near Charleston days later. Both systems dissipated over the Appalachians, establishing a new U.S. 24-hour rainfall record near Asheville on July 16 with 22.22 inches.

Flooding along the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers was unprecedented. Homes slid down mountain slopes; mudslides washed away railroad trestles, stranding hundreds of passengers. Estimates vary, but the flood claimed as many as 80 lives, ranking it among the deadliest of all North Carolina disasters.

Hurricane Fran The 1996 season delivered Hurricanes Bertha and Fran to the Tar Heel coast, a one-two punch unlike any since the mid-1950s. Bertha arrived in July, Fran just weeks later in early September. Fran was a Category 3 at landfall, with 115 mph winds and a storm surge that exceeded 10 feet on local beaches.

Its inland track followed Interstate 40 to Raleigh where 70 mph gusts toppled trees, signs, and utility poles along every street. Along with those high winds came flash floods that trapped residents and swirled knee-deep inside Crabtree Valley Mall. Not since Hazel had the Triangle suffered destruction on this scale.

After Fran’s destructive tour, it was soon recognized as North Carolina’s new benchmark for hurricane destruction: $5.2 billion in damages and 24 fatalities.

Hurricane Hazel There’s no doubt that of the storms mentioned here, Hazel was the most violent. The only Category 4 known to strike the state blasted ashore in October 1954 when oceanfront cottages from Myrtle Beach to Topsail Island were largely vacant. This timing might have reduced potential casualties, but a record tidal surge—made worse by a full moon tide—crushed homes or swept them into nearby marshes. Winds were some of the highest ever measured in the state. Gusts on the Brunswick beaches

COMING UP in the good life Turn your tassel

Graduation season is here, and we’re bringing you an outstanding student profile and stories for the journey.

The right word

Fabulous is the correct adjective for Whitney Way Thore. We sat down for a chat to cover that and more as she releases her new book and starts the new season of her show.

Summer supper

We’ve got you covered with fresh farmers market ingredients, a grocery list, and a recipe to feed your family as the days grow longer and you want your time in the kitchen to grow shorter.

Photo Courtesy of the Cape Fear Museum, Wilmington

Hurricane Hazel made landfall on October 15, 1954, and brought record winds and tides to the Carolinas. Cottages like this one in Carolina Beach were battered by a storm that some consider to be North Carolina's greatest.

topped 140 mph and ranged from 110-120 mph in Fayetteville, Goldsboro, and Kinston. Hazel raced through Raleigh and into Virginia and the Northeast, where 100 mph gusts were recorded in seven states.

Those who remember Hazel tell remarkable stories. Residents in Ocean Isle, Wrightsville, and Topsail Beach saw homes “disappear” into the pounding surf. Extreme winds blasted farms and neighborhoods across the state, leaving behind mountains of trees, torn roofs, twisted power lines, and debris.

Damages in North Carolina topped $136 million; 19 deaths were reported.

Hurricane Floyd Floyd weakened considerably before striking near Cape Fear as a Category 2 in September 1999.

Hurricane Dennis had landed just weeks before, setting the stage for what would become the greatest flood in North Carolina history.

Though Floyd’s impact on the coast shouldn’t be discounted, it wasn’t storm surge or freakish winds that make it our greatest hurricane disaster. It was rain. Some stations reported more than 15 inches.

Floodwaters backed up into streets, businesses, and homes. Some of the worst flooding was along the Tar and Neuse rivers, in places like Rocky Mount, Wilson, Goldsboro, Greenville, Tarboro, Warsaw, and Kinston. For many victims, floods came quietly while they slept — some were awakened to realize their backs were wet.

In the end, Floyd’s toll in North Carolina was epic. Its $6 billion in losses surpassed Fran’s $5.2 billion mark set just three years earlier. Sixty-six counties were declared disaster areas, 63,000 homes were flooded, and more than 1,500 people had to be rescued—many airlifted to safety by helicopter. But it was the heartbreaking loss of 52 lives that was most tragic, making Floyd not only the most costly North Carolina hurricane, but one of the deadliest.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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pen & Paper pursuits I reckon . . .

Your guide to what’s what, where, why, and how to say it.

Uwharrie

color AWAY! Batter up and get ready to round the bases. Summertime has our thoughts turning to the ballpark — be it little league, softball, or Triple-A baseball — there’s something for everyone across N.C. Remember to use #coloraway and share your work with us.

This national forest is located predominantly in Montgomery County and is the smallest of N.C.‘s four national forests. Named for the Uwharrie Mountains, the first substantial gold strike in the United States was discovered near this area in 1799. Both the mountains and the forest are pronounced: you-WAHR-ee.

Janric classic sudoku

Solutions to puzzles from 5.29.16

illustration for the north state journal | AMY RICHARDS

Sunday, June 5, 2016

NORTH CAROLINA

VOTER’S GUIDE

I

n early 2016, a court struck down a handful of North Carolina’s congressional district maps, prompting legislators to redraw boundaries and set a new primary date for 11 of the state’s 13 congressional districts, one state supreme court seat, as well as a few other local offices. This June 7 primary has offered candidates an extended campaign season to get to know their new districts and distinguish themselves within a very full field of incumbents, newcomers and longtime challengers. In many cases, incumbents are having to cover entirely new ground and learn constituent concerns in short order, while challengers look for opportunities to make their case for a new voice in D.C. and at home.

If nothing else, this special primary has offered North Carolinians a front-row seat to some fascinating politics. Two

congressional races to watch (and vote) in Tuesday’s election: District 13 has 17 GOP candidates vying for the nomination, and District 2 pits two GOP incumbents — Rep. Renee Ellmers (District 2) and Rep. George Holding (District 13) — against each other, as 63 percent of Holding’s current district was redrawn into District 2. Current Supreme Court Justice Bob Edmunds is running against two challengers due to a legal ruling that called for a primary race instead of an up-or-down vote in the recent March primary. The top two candidates will then face off in November for the Supreme Court seat.

We hope you find this voter guide useful, and for more candidate information or to see if your district has changed, visit www.ncsbe.gov.

Profiles within are printed as submitted by each candidate; * indicates current incumbent.

Illustration by Ally Levine | north state journal

N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Michael R. (Mike) Morgan

Robert H. (Bob) Edmunds (R)* Hometown: Greensboro Profession: Senior Associate Justice, Supreme Court of North Carolina Alma Mater: Vassar College, B.A.; UNC-CH, JD; UVa, Master of Laws in Judicial Process

As the only candidate with experience on the Supreme Court, my record is an open book.

Every opinion I have written is available on the Court’s web site, www.nccourts.org. These opinions demonstrate a respect for our state and federal constitutions and a devotion to the rule of law. You do not have to guess what kind of Justice I will be. I enjoy bipartisan support of most of North Carolina’s leading lawyers, including four former Chief Justices. I have been endorsed by over ninety sheriffs. I was appointed by U.S. Chief Justice Rehnquist and reappointed by U.S. Chief Justice Roberts as the only state judge on the Federal Criminal Rules Committee. I am a U.S. Navy veteran and a board certified specialist in two areas of legal practice. Additional details are available at my web site, www.JusticeEdmunds.com.

Sabra Jean Faires (U) Hometown: Resides near Cary; born and raised in Charlotte Profession: Attorney Alma Mater: Davidson College; UNC Chapel Hill School of Law

This is a nonpartisan race. I am unaffiliated and am running to get politics out of our highest court. I fought for the right to run in this election by successfully challenging an unconstitutional law passed last year by the politicians in Raleigh prohibiting everyone but the current justice from running. But for my lawsuit, voters would not have a choice in this election. I am an honors graduate of both Davidson College and the UNC School of Law. I have over 35 years of professional experience that includes a successful private practice and top-level positions on the legislative staff and in the executive branch. I am rated by my peers as a Best Lawyer in both tax and administrative law. Visit my website, sabrajeanfairesforjustice. com, to learn more about me.

Daniel Robertson (D) Hometown: Advance Profession: Attorney Alma Mater: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A. with Honors, 1980 and University of Mississippi School of Law, J.D., 1984

Unlike most of the candidates running for the N.C. Supreme Court, I am a political outsider who has never held political office, lives outside the Raleigh beltway, and has extensive experience working directly for the people and small business. I know the struggles many citizens and businesses face to survive in a world filled with burdensome regulations, taxes and requirements imposed by a government divorced from its own people. As a result of my many years of legal experience, I know the legal system, how it works, sometimes doesn’t, and why. I want to serve on the North Carolina Supreme Court to ensure that the rights and liberties of ALL North Carolinians are fully preserved and that the laws are equally and fairly applied to all, regardless of their wealth, connections, power or politics.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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U.S. House of representatives, District 2 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Elton R. Brewington (D) Steven E. Hight (D) Jane Watson (D)

Hometown: Raleigh Profession: Attorney and Mediator Alma Mater: UNC-W, BA; Wake Forest University, J.D.

Greg Brannon (R) Renee Ellmers (R)* George Holding (R)

John P. McNeil (D)

Ron sanyal (D)

My name is John McNeil and I am running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2nd Congressional District. Many of you are already familiar with me and what I intend to work for and have graciously championed our campaign. For the rest of you, I invite you to join in our mission to return Washington to a government of, by, and for the people. Our Nation is at a turning point; we must right our ship now or suffer more of the current stagnation and destructive policies of self-serving ideologues. I have a lifetime of experience in service to our country, advocacy, activism, community service and leadership. I look forward to working with each and every one of you to make this election a success for Wake County, for the 2nd Congressional District, for the Democratic Party and most importantly for the citizens of North Carolina.

Let us restore sanity with common sense approach to politics. God bless North Carolina and the United States of America!

Hometown: Raleigh Profession: Industrial Pharmacist Alma Mater: Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India

U.S. House of representatives, District 3 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Ernest T. Reeves (D)

DAVID HURST (D) Hometown: Newport Profession: Restauranteaur Alma Mater: UCSD

Eastern North Carolina and especially the coast have been left behind in this economic crisis recovery. We need immediate intervention to get our coast back to full employment.

Regulations on fishermen and construction must be reviewed and revised to give everyone and even playing field. Currently, income inequality and the ability to advance oneself through hard work is not a reality for many of our residents. This must be addressed before we can grow as a community and a nation.

Everyone deserves the right to fulfill their dreams.

Taylor Griffin (R)

Walter B. Jones (R)* Hometown: Farmville Profession: Staffing, Recruiting, Job Placement Alma Mater: Atlantic Christian College

We need a conservative voice to fight the big spenders in Washington, not join them. I have been that voice. I voted against the Wall Street bailouts and Obamacare. Since 2004, I’m the only congressman to vote against every increase in the debt limit, and every debt-filled budget bill. We need a champion for those who’ve worn the uniform. That is why over the past three years I co-sponsored more bills to help veterans than any member of Congress.

What we don’t need is another rubber stamp to vote for the bad, back room deals cut by special interests and party leaders in Washington. I’ve fought those deals tooth and nail, and I’m excited to continue the fight for the conservative principles needed to get this country back on track.

Philip Law (R) Hometown: Jacksonville Profession: IT Manager Alma Mater: Strayer University

It’s time my generation began to lead, and if you send me to Congress, I will represent you with vigor and creativity, and make sure this district has a place at the table when decisions are made about our families and our country.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

D3 sue googe (R)

U.S. House of representatives, District 4

Hometown: Hainan Island, China Profession: Real estate investor Alma Mater: UNC-Chapel Hill

Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Teiji Kimball (R)

As a first generation, Chinese immigrant, I’m extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to live the American Dream. America was founded on the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Unfortunately, career politicians in Washington are causing lasting damage to our nation’s very foundation with out of control spending, run away deficits, a broken immigration system, an education system that no longer prepares the younger generation to compete on a global scale, and ever growing budget & trade deficits. The corruption and cronyism in our political system is threatening our nation’s prosperity. I want to be a new voice for the people of North Carolina’s 4th District. Please join me, as I seek to unite the citizens of the 4th District behind a common goal to achieve sustainable prosperity and opportunity for all Americans.

U.S. House of representatives, District 5 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Josh Brannon (D)

Pattie Curran (R)

Hometown: Kernersville Profession: Housewife Alma Mater: Louisiana State University

Hometown: Mount Airy Profession: U.S Army (retired) CEO Roberts Pest Control (retired) Alma Mater: Surry Comm. College, Drury University

Virginia Foxx (R)*

Hometown: Banner Elk Profession: Attorney Alma Mater: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Before I ran for Congress I owned a small business, worked as an educator and was a community college president. Real wisdom is found here in North Carolina—not Washington. So I’m dedicated to listening to constituents and fighting to solve the problems facing North Carolinians. I believe that the Founders’ principles of limited government and individual liberty are American ideals that are worth fighting for. If I’m given the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District in Congress I’ll pursue policies that spur job creation and economic growth.

I’ll also continue to fight for the unborn, by keeping abortion companies like Planned Parenthood from receiving taxpayer money. My top priorities also include keeping taxes low, shutting down wasteful programs and ensuring our borders are secure and our nation is ready to tackle the threat of ISIS and radical Islamists.

Jim Roberts (D)

Charlie Wallin (D)

Corporate domination of our government has devastated American livelihoods and our way of life.

First they took our jobs through trade agreements, then the equity in our homes by repealing laws that had protected us since the great depression. They are now after the 4 Trillion Dollars Social Security Trust Fund that American workers paid in CASH. Preventable Medical Errors is the 3rd leading cause of Death and another million patients harmed without accountability. Jim Roberts will sponsor legislation to establish a National Patient Safety Board and fight corporate domination of our government and American lives.

When elected, I want to do everything possible to shore up Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. I want to make education more affordable and keep student loan rates under control. Our district has the highest rate of poverty in the state and because of that, child nutrition is critical. I want to make sure that our children are fed. I want to stimulate the economy in a way that brings real living wage jobs back to this District. I want to protect voter’s rights and make access to voting as easy as possible. I want to protect our environment, the coast from drilling, threat of fracking, coal ash, and hazardous asphalt plants right here in our own back yard. I want to restore our focus on mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence to help end the real problems that lead to violence in this country.

Hometown: Boone Profession: Assistant Director of Food Services at Appalachian State University Alma Mater: Appalachian State

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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Chris hardin (R)

U.S. House of representatives, District 6 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: B. Mark Walker (R)*

I am Chris Hardin and I am a veteran, a conservative, and I believe that the 2nd Amendment is the key to preserving the rest of our rights.

Hometown: Browns Summit Profession: Pharmaceuticals Alma Mater: Gardner-Webb

Richard hudson (R)*

U.S. House of representatives, District 8 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Tim D’Annunzio (R)

Hometown: Concord Profession: US CongressmanNorth Carolina’s 8th District Alma Mater: UNC- Charlotte

I’ve been a conservative movement and grassroots activist for as long as I can remember, going back to my days putting up yard signs for Senator Jesse Helms when I was a teen. It’s the same reason why I decided to run for Congress in 2012 after never having run for public office before; I was so fed up that DC had stopped listening to us here in the real world. Now, as the 12th most conservative member of the House, I’ve tried to take a common sense, conservative approach to getting government out of the way of our economy here in North Carolina. I’m proud that leading conservative organizations like the NRA, National Right to Life, ACU and Grass Roots NC have endorsed my conservative record in this primary campaign. I’m running for Congress so I can continue to fight for our district and stand up for conservative values — that’s the only way we’re going to turn this country around.

U.S. House of representatives, District 9 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Todd Johnson (R)

Mark Harris (R)

Hometown: Charlotte Profession: Pastor Alma Mater: Appalachian State, Southeastern Theological

Robert Pittenger (R)*

Hometown: Charlotte Profession: Attorney Alma Mater: Member of Congress University of Texas

President Obama’s lead from behind foreign policy puts our nation at risk, and his failed tax and spend policies kill small businesses. The President thinks he can rule with his phone and his pen. As your representative I fight each day against the President’s failed policies, to bring the conservative voice of North Carolina to Washington. As Chairman of the Congressional Taskforce on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, I bring leaders together from around the globe to increase efforts to fight terrorist financing, increase cyber security and secure our nation. On the Financial Services committee, I’m fighting against the mountains of red tape putting community banks out of business.

While the President thinks higher taxes, more regulations, and more spending are the answer, I’m fighting to shrink the size of the federal government and give power back to the people where it belongs.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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U.S. House of representatives, District 10 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Jeffrey Baker (R)

Hometown: Shelby Profession: Retired Postmaster

Patrick McHenry (R)*

Jeff Gregory (R)

Albert Lee Wiley, Jr. (R)

If change doesn’t happen on June 7th, in the Primary Election, then it won’t happen at all. We need a totally new Congress in Washington D.C. We have not been represented and heard there for decades! It’s time we all stood up and took our country back! And the only way to do it is to clean the dirty, corrupt career politicians out of Washington, and put God fearing good men in there to represent the people, and SAVE OUR COUNTRY!!! Our people are suffering! Our military is suffering! Our veterans are suffering! The whole world is suffering! We must step forward on June 7, 2016, and cast our vote in the primary election, to change our world for the better!

I believe my broad life experience , initially a nuclear engineer and for last 45 years as a physician cancer specialist Professor Emeritus, and my past 10 yr experience as director of a special nuclear med emergency response group for DoE(NNSA) with experience training first responders in 25 countries including Israel, Iraq, China, Russia prepares me to serve. I was endorsed by President Reagan in prior try for Congress. Economy debt national security enforce immigration attract good jobs to district are main issues.

Hometown: Indian Beach Profession: Physician Cancer Specialist Alma Mater: NC State Univ. (B. Nuclear Engineering); Univ. of Rochester (MD); Univ. of WiscMadison (PhD)

Rick Bryson (D)

U.S. House of representatives, District 11 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Tom Hill (D)

I support women’s issues (both opportunity and healthcare), will give greater voice to veterans in healthcare matters, will protect Social Security, and will work to bring a jobs program to WNC that is modeled along the lines of the Research Triangle Park in Raleigh/Durham. My approach to government is pragmatic; I get things done.

Hometown: Bryson City Profession: Industrial Public Relations Alma Mater: NC State

Carla D. Cunningham (D)

U.S. House of representatives, District 12 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Alma Adams (D)* Tricia Cotham (D) Malcolm Graham (D)

Gardenia Henley (D) Rick Miller (D) Rodney W. Moore (D)

Ryan Duffie (R) Leon Threatt (R) Paul Wright (R)

Hometown: Wadesboro Profession: Legislator/Registered Nurse Alma Mater: Winston Salem State

We are in a State of Emergency here in Mecklenburg County. We rank below Baltimore in the ability of our poorest children to rise out of poverty. This is why I’m running. No these children can’t vote or donate large sums to my campaign but I’m running for them. They can count on me to be their voice on Capitol Hill. Vote Carla Cunningham For Congress on June 7th to unlock opportunities for our children.

North State Journal for Sunday, June 5, 2016

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U.S. House of representatives, District 13 Candidate(s) who did not submit profiles: Bruce Davis (D) Adam Coker (D) Bob Isner (D) Mazie Ferguson (D)

Kevin D. Griffin (D) Hometown: Winston-Salem Profession: Staffing, Recruiting, Job Placement Alma Mater: UNC Greensboro

It’s time for a change. It’s time to return the ideals of integrity, honesty, cooperation and diligence to Congress. I am a new opportunity; a new voice, with new ideas and approaches to solving our problems. In my life and work I have proven my ability to lead through good times and bad, to create collaboration and a common focus on solving the problems my teams and I have faced. I have learned, grown and developed skills that have made me successful.

I believe that putting those skills to work in Washington will give me the ability to create the best future for the people of North Carolina. I encourage you to visit www.gowithgriffin.org to see details on ideas for solving the challenges we all face, and to learn how we can work together for District 13.

Kathy Feather (R) Hometown: Granite Quarry Profession: International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Alma Mater: Cabarrus School of Health Sciences

Dan Barrett (R) John Blust (R) Tedd Budd (R) Hank Henning (R) Matthew J. McCall (R)

Andrew C. Brock (R) Hometown: Mocksville Profession: Small business owner Alma Mater: Western Carolina University

George Rouco (R) Jim Snyder (R) David W. Thompson (R) Harry Warren (R)

Kay Daly (R) Hometown: Mooresville Profession: Wife & Mother; Lifelong conservative activist Alma Mater: UCSD

Simply put, I’m running for Congress because I want my three young children to inherit a great nation. In order to do so, we must get our debt under control, build our military, take care of veterans and remove burdensome regulations, which get in the way of economic prosperity.

My proven conservative record sets me apart from my opponents. For example, I’m the only candidate who can say I led the charge for HB2 in the senate to protect the rights and safety of women and children. Just last year, my efforts led to $400 million in income tax cuts for the citizens of NC. I’ve worked to cut regulations and bring more jobs directly to the district.

Because of my proven record, voters know what they will get with me in congress. I’m the only candidate with the record and experience to hit the ground running for the citizens of District 13.

I’m going to Congress to kick butt, not kiss it. I’ll fight the Left and the cowards in GOP leadership who surrender to the Left far too easily, too often, and in matters far too important. I proudly espouse traditional, JudeoChristian, conservative values, and will never surrender to political correctness on the LGBTQ agenda, Confederate flag ban, or anything else. I support God, guns, traditional marriage, unborn babies, our military, our veterans, private property rights, and free enterprise.

I oppose big government, deficit spending, silly trade deals that benefit China, and all benefits for illegal aliens, especially AMNESTY. Any pervert who follows my daughter into the bathroom won’t need transgender surgery. I have been endorsed by Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Limbaugh’s Bo Snerdley, James Dobson, Gun Owners of America, Operation Rescue, Tea Party Nation, and Citizens United.

Chad A. Gant (R)

Julia C. Howard (R)

Hometown: Statesville Profession: Synergy Legal Alma Mater: Liberty University

Hometown: Mocksville Profession: Realtor / Owner of Howard Realty Company Alma Mater: Salem College

I’m for a government of the people. The more politicians I meet the more I see they’re just out for themselves. This needs to change. I have helped people all my life and they have helped me. I’m tired of being told how I should follow the rules to be elected. With all the experience of our leaders, I found we don’t need leaders.

We need elected officials who follow the lead of the people who put themselves there.

I am a Christian Conservative. My goal is to go to Washington and begin to once again fight for our Christian Conservative values. Our Congress is in moral decline. They have been bought by the highest bidder in Washington that can help to ensure their next reelection.

I am a outsider. I have never ran for office. I am for term limits equaling 8 years which is parallel to our presidential term limits in order to keep our executive branch in check and to maintain a equilibrium of power. I am a native of Statesville, where my father is pastor and founder of Harvest Baptist Church where I am a active member. We need men of conviction and truth that will not be swayed by persona advancement. Who have decided to do what is right. I believe that I am that person. I would love to have your support of confidence this June 7th.

I have served in the North Carolina House for many years, shaping our state, defend our Conservative values and foster a strong business environment. I am proud of my record and the work we’ve done in Raleigh. But the current state of affairs in our nation’s Capitol tugs increasingly at my conscience and heart.

Our country is in a mess. I can’t sit idly by any longer. I am ready to go to Congress and fight for real Conservative reform. We must see in D.C. what we’ve accomplished in NC. We must reform our tax code and reduce burdensome regulations. We must stand strong against terrorism. We must tackle head-on the immigration crisis facing this nation. We must protect our children from a growing liberal social agenda and the overreach of extremists like Obama and Hillary! Hear me clearly: “You have my solemn oath that I will work tirelessly to steer our country back to greatness.”

Vernon Robinson (R)

Farren K. Shoaf (R)

Jason A. Walser (R)

Hometown: Winston-Salem Profession: Consultant Alma Mater: U.S. Air Force Academy

I am running for Congress to remove the cowardly GOP House leadership and replace them with conservatives who will fight to restore our country to a limited constitutional Republic grounded in Judeo-Christian values.

I will hold 47 townhalls a year. But the citizens must do their part as well. The biggest reason citizens are not more involved with the process of governing our Republic, is they don’t have information fast enough. For that reason, I encourage patriots to go heritageaction. com and join me as a Sentinel. As a Sentinel, you will get a weekly call to join a conference on what is happening this week in Congress.

We have an obligation to leave an America to our grandchildren as least as free as the one in which we were born. I need your prayers, volunteer hours, money and your vote to serve you as your member of Congress and to help make America free again.

Hometown: Mocksville Profession: Broadcasting

As a father, husband, and Christian, Farren decided it was time that someone who wasn’t a career politician or an attorney, someone who is just like you, a middle class working regular guy who is sick and tired of being sold-out step into politics. Farren K. Shoaf recognized that we are handing our children and grandchildren a lower standard of living than we have enjoyed. And this is completely unacceptable!

Hometown: Salisbury Profession: Conservation/ economic development Alma Mater: UNC-Chapel Hill

I am a lifelong resident of the 13th District and have worked hard for nearly 16 years to preserve its culture, scenic beauty, and vibrant farms. I have also been active in economic development and public education initiatives. I am fiscally conservative, but socially moderate, and believe that our number one focus in this region should be job creation. We must get past our petty politics and focus on real issues that matter to people. We must change the tone in DC, and in the Republican Party. Let’s get to work!