North State Journal — Vol. 1, Issue 19

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 19

SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2016

www.NSJONLINE.com

the Sunday News Briefing

independence day

Bill would end Map Act development restrictions Raleigh Legislation attached to the transportation bill on Tuesday addresses last week’s ruling by the N.C. Supreme Court that determined the state Department of Transportation can no longer reserve private property for future use without paying for it. The land for future expansion of I-540 around Wake County, the loop in Winston-Salem and other parts of the state would be affected. The lawsuit came from property owners who said the DOT would not purchase their land, but prevented them from developing it. The legislation requires the DOT to make recommendations on how to reimburse landowners while planning for future road development.

Joe Walsh commits show profits to Equality NC, ACLU Charlotte Former Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh has become the most recent performer to take a public stance on N.C.’s House Bill 2. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer announced Wednesday that the net profits from his two North Carolina shows will go to both Equality NC and the American Civil Liberties Union, two organizations currently waging a legal battle against the state government to try to get the bill repealed. ACLU of North Carolina and Equality NC are part of “TurnOUT! NC,” a joint project to mobilize N.C. residents against H.B. 2.

Courts rule Wake school board, commissioners map unconstitutional

Madeline Gray | north state journal

Gov. Pat McCrory kicks off Fourth of July celebrations at the North Carolina State Capitol on Thursday, June 30.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Raleigh The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals declared Friday that the election maps that state legislators drew for the Wake County Board of Commissioners and school board were unconstitutional.

The three-judge panel determined the maps violated the state and federal constitutional right for one person, one vote. This decision affects the nine Wake County school board seats and two Board of Commissioners seats for the November election.

Belk family CEO retires Charlotte Belk’s board of directors announced this week that Tim Belk will retire as chief executive officer of the company July 5. He will remain on the board as Lisa Harper, previously the CEO of Hot Topic, takes the reigns at Belk.

Belk joined the company in 1981 and has served as CEO since 2004. Based in Charlotte, Belk today has 293 stores in 16 Southern states.

INSIDE

Hatteras Marlin Club leaderboard updates B6

General assembly

NC General Assembly adjourns with partial changes to H.B. 2

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — The General Assembly approved changes to the controversial Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act Friday night, otherwise known as House Bill 2. It passed 85-15 in the House and 26-14 in the Senate.

The change restores the state tort claim for wrongful discharge with a one year statute of limitations.

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-Mecklenburg), who originally crafted H.B. 2, said he believed the change is unnecessary, but supports the clarification nonetheless.

“We originally struck out the cause of action language in the bill, because of the expansion of state discrimination protections that eliminated that need,” said Bishop.

Bishop said the change merely enforces legal options

that were already extant under H.B. 2, and that the media, and even the Governor, had commonly misconstrued the meaning of those sections to suggest individuals could not sue for wrongful termination or other discrimination claims against employers.

The proposed changes were reportedly floated in private to key players in the General Assembly and the business community but risked rejection on both sides of the issue.

Representative Chris Sgro (D-Guilford), executive director of the Equality NC, held a press conference about a proposal that has not been filed or made public, but he revealed to the media it was in the works among leadership.

“The North Carolina General Assembly needs to listen to its own citizens and the voice of the country: no deal, only full reSee H.B. 2, page A8

Breaking down the Hurricanes draft class B4 Sports Join us for part one of our deep dive with the N.C. Aquariums in celebration of their 40th anniversary. C4 the good life

Gov. kicks off July Fourth celebration with US flag display

By Liz Moomey North State Journal RALEIGH — With an American flag draped on the State Capitol in the background, Gov. Pat McCrory, his chief of staff and members of law enforcement and military kicked off Independence Day festivities on Thursday.

The celebration was to restart a tradition of displaying the flag at the State Capitol. The 20-footby-38-foot American flag was taken out of federal surplus and was about to be discarded.

“We are restarting this wonderful tradition right here in North Carolina and presenting this flag to honor our nation’s 240th birthday,

the 175th anniversary of our State Capitol building and the 100th anniversary of our state parks,” McCrory said.

McCrory and Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz stressed the importance of the State Capitol building.

“This is the best of North Carolina right here,” McCrory said. “This is the center of North Carolina and the building and the flag behind us represents our freedom.”

Kluttz, who introduced the governor, gave praise to McCrory for his impact on the building.

“I also am delighted to be able to present to you a person who has See flag, page A2

U.S. senate

NC senators seek funding for Zika, VA and military construction project

By Donna King North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. lawmakers deadlocked over a funding bill that would have covered the Veterans Administration, a multitude of projects on military bases, including those in North Carolina, and money to fight the Zika virus this week, as Democrats balked at the inclusion of some Republican measures they dismissed as partisan initiatives.

On Tuesday, Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) lauded H.R. 2577, the Military Construction, Veterans Administration, and Zika Appropriations Act. “This legislation provides the funding for Zika that every Democratic Senator voted for six weeks ago.

It also allocates a record level of funding for our veterans, providing every cent that the President himself asked for in his budget to ensure VA health care is fully funded. Some of my colleagues seem to think this is a game. For pregnant women, and women who hope to become pregnant, the Zika virus is not a game. For our veterans who need health care, VA funding is not a game. This is a reasonable bill, and for many North Carolinians, lives may be at stake.”

Ultimately, Senate Democrats filibustered and

“I think there is going to be a heavy price to pay when this virus hits our shore and women start having babies with terrible birth defects.”

— Sen. John Cornyn

See MILITARY BILL, page A8

eamonqueeney | north state journal

5

20177 52016 $2.00

8

A view of the House floor on June 28 in Raleigh.

NC senator indicted for campaign violations.

On Murphy to Manteo, page A4

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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NS J

THE BACKSTORY

datebook

The Big Decisions

Live readings of the Declaration of Independence: July 2, 5:30pm Boone, Hickory Ridge Living History Museum

Voisine v. United States

Apple cider and burning an effigy of King George III July 4, 10 a.m.

Historic Edenton,Courthouse Green Prayer and wreath laying with DAR and American Legion Post 40 Color Guard

Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin

July 4, 10 a.m.

New Bern, Tryon Palace followed by a festival for the family July 4, all-day

Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt

The court ruled June 27 that citizens charged with misdemeanor domestic abuse can be barred owning a firearm. Petitioner Stephen Voisine, who plead guilty to assaulting his girlfriend, was under investigation for killing a bald eagle when law enforcement learned he owned a rifle.

The government charged him with a misdemeanor. Justice Elena Kagan led the opinion. Justice Clarence Thomas filed a dissenting opinion, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined for Parts I and II.

6-2 Affirmed: Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Kagan Dissented: Thomas, Sotomayor

4-3

The court ruled June 23 in favor of University of Texas at Austin by saying the race-conscious admissions program when Abigail Fisher applied to the university in 2008 was lawful under the Equal Protection Clause. Fisher accused the university’s consideration of race as one of the factors for the Personal Achievement Index” disadvantaged her and other Caucasian applicants. The decision’s author was Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Affirmed: Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor Dissented: Alito, Roberts, Thomas Recuse: Kagan

5-3

The courts on June 27 reversed the decision of the lower courts in the case by ruling a Texas law put a “substantial obstacle in the path of a woman’s choice.” The opinion led by Justice Stephen Breyer ruled House Bill 2, which contained two provisions — enacting building regulations and requiring admission privileges for abortion clinics and doctors — was unlawful, because it put an “undue burden” on women seeking an abortion.

Affirmed: Breyer, Ginsburg, Kagan, Sotomayor Dissented: Alito, Roberts, Thomas

Halifax Historic Site Tour historic buildings and participate in hands-on activities July 4, all-day Raleigh, Old State Capitol Building Festival activities throughout the capital area July 4, all-day Washington, D.C. National Archives Reenactors perform followed by hands-on activities

United States v. Texas

The court was deadlocked with a 4-4 vote June 23 regarding the case challenging President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration. The case dealing with Deferred Action for Parents of Americans would have prevented the deportation of undocumented immigrant parents whose children are citizens, the deportation of and would allow them to work legally in the United States. The tie determined the lower court ruling against the administration would be the decision.

4-4 Court did not disclose votes, votes probably along ideological lines

Infographic By Liz Moomey | NORth State Journal

Supreme Court, minus one, continues to give definitive rulings

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite the deadlock between President Barack Obama and the Republican majority in Congress on adding a ninth member to the U.S. Supreme Court, the nation’s top rung of the judicial branch has taken on important cases in the spring session with a depleted bench.

The court has ruled on four key cases this session, taking on Obama’s executive order on immigration, an affirmative action challenge related to college admissions, a Texas abortion law, and gun restrictions for those convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse.

But the eight-judge bench — down one justice since the death of Antonin Scalia in February — ruled definitively in three of the four cases despite concerns of judicial gridlock on the even-numbered court.

The one case that ended in a 4-4 tie confirms a lower court ruling against the administration saying that Obama overstepped his authority. It blocked Obama’s executive order that would have granted work permits to millions of illegal immigrants who are parents of children protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“What that means is that the ninth vote is going to be crucial,” said Hans von Spakovsky, senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation before a speech at Federalist Society in Raleigh Wednesday. “If the ninth justice has the same view as the liberal justices in that case, than it means that the president will be able to act unilaterally in many different areas and the court is not going to check it.”

Jonathan Ernst | REUTERS

Network television new crews prepare to broadcast live with news of any decisions at the Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S. June 20.

In a 4-3 vote, the court strengthened affirmative action by confirming that the University of Texas at Austin has the right to give race a higher weighting in admissions as part of an effort to increase student body diversity. A woman, Abigail Fisher, had sued the university, saying she was denied admission to school despite being more qualified than some accepted because she was white. Justice Elena Kagan recused herself from the decision due to previous actions in the case when she was Solicitor General, but the court still ruled against Fisher.

“The results of that case are very sad for high school students. The Court basically said in essence that they are going to allow, in limited circumstances, we are going to allow racial discrimination in college admissions,” said von Spakovsky. “The colleges are basically saying that the reason a person has the views and opinions they have is because

of their skin color. If you want real diversity in the classroom, you need diversity of thought. Instead they are saying that your race determines your views on everything from social science to physics, and I just find that appallingly racist.”

However, supporters of the decision, including The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, say achieving a well-rounded student body requires a “holistic” approach to admissions, a practice affirmed by the court’s decision.

“We’re confident that our admissions practices fully comply with the legal standards confirmed on June 23 by the Supreme Court,” said Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications and Public Affairs Rick White. “The Supreme Court, in its Fisher II decision, reinforced the university’s ability to admit a student body as diverse and culturally

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rich as the society our students will go on to lead. Our continued ability to recruit, admit and enroll a diverse student body is necessary to fulfill both our educational mission and our core responsibilities to the state of North Carolina.”

The court also found, in a 6-2 decision, that citizens convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse can be barred from getting firearms. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have laws similar to the federal regulations that were confirmed in the decision.

In a 5-3 ruling, the justices ruled a Texas law that enacted building regulations and required hospital admitting privileges for abortion clinics and doctors, respectively, put “undue burden” on women trying to obtain an abortion.

“I think if Justice Scalia had still been on the bench we wouldn’t have had a 4-4 split in the big immigration case, we would’ve had a 5-4 [decision against Obama],” said von Spakovsky. “If Scalia had been on the bench we would’ve had a tie in the abortion case. Justice Kennedy to everyone’s great surprise seemed to have switched his views on this, but I think Scalia would have perhaps persuaded him that he was going the wrong way on that.”

The Supreme Court also announced last week it would hear the North Carolina redistricting case in the fall. Unless something changes regarding Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland, the chief judge of the U.S. Court Appeals (D.C. Circuit), to the Supreme Court, an eight-judge court would also rule on that case.

Because the court took on the state’s appeal, a vote in favor of the original plaintiffs or even a tie would confirm the current districts, dealing a final blow to the General Assembly’s redistricting from 2011.

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flag from page A1 been such a tremendous supporter of Natural and Cultural Resources, especially the State Capitol,” Kluttz said. “He moved his inauguration here. He moved his official office here, and he has made sure we take care of this beloved historic building.”

Both explained the importance of the Independence Day holiday looking back and forward.

“During this Fourth of July celebration, we cannot forget the sacrifice that was made in order for our country to declare its independ-

“During this Fourth of July celebration, we cannot forget the sacrifice that was made in order for our country to declare its independence.”

Gov. Pat McCrory

ence,” McCrory said.

After the kick-off, the audience members continued into the State Capitol for a lemonade reception and could observe a document from the state archives of the three North Carolina signers of the Declaration

of Independence.

The State Capitol will host a naturalization ceremony on the Monday holiday in which people will take an oath to become citizens of the United States.

“Whenever you see these cer-

emonies of people wanting to become citizens of our great nation, you should recognize we should not take this independence for granted as naturally born citizens,” McCrory said. “We must recognize there are a lot of other people who recognize great independence of our country and want to become fulltime citizens and have also made great deals of sacrifice to do just that.”

The ceremony will be at noon to begin the Fourth of July celebrations and will continue until 6 p.m. with musical performances and activities for kids.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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BUSINESS & ECONOMY Community solar farms empower cooperative members orth Carolina is a leader in solar capacity.

N As interest in solar generation

continues to grow, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are finding innovative ways to help cooperative members participate with renewable power resources.

One of those ways is through community, or shared, solar farms.

Electric cooperatives power the lives of 2.5 million North Carolinians in 93 counties from Murphy to Manteo. Cooperatives are owned and governed by the local members they serve, and exist to provide at-cost power to members. By the end of this year, the North Carolina’s electric cooperatives expect to have 18 community solar farms online across the state.

According to Touchstone Energy, in nearly half of housing arrangements, consumers are not able to install their own solar system. But with community solar farms, members can purchase the energy output from individual solar panels and receive a credit on their electric bills, in most cases. The cooperative handles installation, operation and maintenance of the panels, and those costs are shared, making it a more affordable and accessible option for all co-op members.

Beyond a local source of sustainable power, cooperative community solar farms are educational. Schools, civic groups, youth camps and members visit the solar farm to learn how power is generated, the economics of solar generation and how those concepts relate to the cooperative’s mission.

At the same time, advances in technology have brought about the deployment of advanced meters, along with mobile apps and web-based energy portals,

Bob Goodson

which give many co-op members near real-time access to monitor their energy consumption.

Notification services can alert a member when electric use is unusually high, potentially preventing energy waste and a high-bill surprise at the end of the month.

In an innovative pilot program, several cooperatives in the state have partnered to offer members internetconnected Ecobee3 thermostats.

These smart thermostats keep homes more comfortable using room sensors, enable remote thermostat adjustments via mobile applications, and are expected to reduce participating co-op members’ energy consumption by 5-10 percent.

The Ecobee3 thermostat also allows cooperatives to coordinate demand response initiatives that reduce electricity consumption during peak usage moments when electricity is most expensive, while not inconveniencing members.

These and other demand response programs stand to save millions of dollars. And since cooperatives are owned by their members, it is members who ultimately benefit from these savings.

To find other local solutions offered by your electric cooperative to help you take control of your energy use, visit www.EmpowerMeNC.com.

North Carolina is one of the top states in the solar market, ranking second behind California.

CHRSTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Solar market to nearly double in 2016, led by utilities

By Nicola Groom For the North State Journal

S

AN FRANCISCO — North Carolina ranks second only behind California as the top solar market in the country for the quarter. Rounding out the top five markets were Massachusetts, Nevada and New York, most of which have state utility mandates and subsidies for solar power. According to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, North Carolina’s 35 percent investment tax credit has been a key to boosting renewable energy development in the state, along with private investments in solar energy projects.

The U.S. solar energy market will nearly double new installations this year to 14.5 gigawatts,

led by utility projects that developers scrambled to bring online in anticipation of the expiration of a key federal tax credit, according to a report published on Thursday.

Solar installations rose 24 percent in the first quarter, accounting for 64 percent of all new U.S. electric generating capacity during the period, the report by GTM Research said.

Utility-scale projects were rushed through last year on the expectation that a key federal tax credit would expire at the end of 2016. That credit, however, was extended by five years at the end of last year. The extension will spur more than 20 GW of additional solar capacity by 2021, GTM said, though the utility-scale market is expected to contract next year and in 2018.

Utilities in many markets are procuring solar as a hedge against volatile natural gas prices, the report said, pointing to the sharp drop in the price of utility-scale solar in recent years.

Overall prices for all solar systems fell 8.8 percent during the quarter as did solar energy prices. According to NCDEQ solar power prices were predicted in 2007 to cost approximately $8 per watt capacity. Today, utility scale ground mount PV solar can be installed for $1.80 per watt capacity.

Nationwide, residential solar installations grew 34 percent from the prior year, while non-residential systems, for commercial and industrial customers, rose 36 percent.

Reuters contributed to this report.

WE PUT A LOT OF ENERGY INTO RENEWABLE RESOURCES. As the power providers to 2.5 million North Carolinians, the state’s 26 electric cooperatives are commited to finding innovative ways to meet member expectations. Our 18 community solar farms allow co-op members to participate in local solar generation, regardless of residential shade or site limitations. Learn more about the many services that electric cooperatives offer to help members under and manage energy use at www.EmpowerMeNC.com.

YOUR SOURCE FOR POWER AND INFORMATION.

CEC CR 23912 (10.25x10) North State Jrnl.indd 1

7/1/16 8:48 AM

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

Murphy to Manteo Play ball!

JULY Fun Fourth Festival

JULY Burlington

JULY Mile High 4 Royals 3-4 Greensboro, N.C. There is nothing more all-American than fireworks and baseball on the Fourth 5:30 p.m.

Burlington, N.C. 3-4 Fourth of July JULY Symphony by the Lake Banner Elk at Chetola 22 and Beech Mountain, N.C. of July. As North Carolinians plan for a star-spangled evening of family fun, Blowing Rock, N.C. 5:30 p.m.

JULY here are a few hot spots where you can spread out a picnic blanket and JULY Greensboro 4 Fireworks JULY 4 Grasshoppers at Tweetsie 4 Greensboro, N.C. drink in the patriotism. Topping them all this weekend is the JULY Winston-Salem Blowing Rock, N.C. 7:00 p.m.

4 Dash Winston-Salem, N.C. historic big-league ball game taking over Fort Bragg on JULY Petersburg JULY Sky Scream JULY Liberty’s July 4 Generals July 3. The Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins will play 2-4 Fireworks Show Petersburg, N.C. 9 Celebration Greensboro, N.C. JULY Hickory Liberty, N.C. in a salute-the-troops game inside a ballpark that 3-10 p.m.

Crawdads 3 Lexington JULY JULY Independence Day Hickory, N.C. Blowfish 3-4 Celebration 4 was built in just four months on the Lexington, N.C. Asheville, N.C. JULY Independence Day noon — 10 p.m. army base. Fort Bragg was chosen JULY Fireworks 3-4 Celebration JULY Asheboro JULY Kannapolis 1 Friday Night Fontana Dam, N.C. 4 Copperheads 4 Intimidators Valdese, N.C. because of its large number of Asheboro, N.C. Kannapoliks, N.C. soldiers and because the JULY Asheville 4 Tourists teams have minor league JULY Charlotte Asheville, N.C. JULY Forest City 4 Knights 4 Owls Charlotte, N.C. franchises nearby. The Forest City, N.C. JULY Fourth of 3-4 July Celebration JULY Celebrate America JULY Fort Bragg’s Braves have a minor league Charlotte, N.C. 3-4 Fireworks Show 4 4th of July Celebration Charlotte, N.C. Fort Bragg, N.C. team in Greensboro, the 10 p.m.

3-10 p.m.

JULY SkyShow Grasshoppers, and the 4 Charlotte Charlotte, N.C. Marlins have the Carolina 2 p.m.

Mudcats in Zebulon. The game is only open to military members and their families, but there are plenty of other PIEDMONT Buncombe County unveils spectacular shows across the text-to-911 service Raleigh’s WRAL-TV goes state this weekend. Happy Ultra High Definition Independence Day from the Buncombe County Asheboro Zoo gets road North State Journal!

Residents and visitors of Asheville

WEST Severe drought hits four SW NC counties Jackson County Portions of Macon, Transylvania, Jackson and Haywood counties in western North Carolina were upgraded from “moderate drought” to “severe drought” status due to inadequate rainfall, according to the State Climate Office of North Carolina. Severe drought is the second highest of the four drought categories on the federal drought map. Ten other counties are currently experiencing moderate drought in N.C. while 22 others are considered “abnormally dry” as of Friday.

STATE CLIMATE OFFICE OF NORTH CAROLINA

and surrounding cities can send a text to 911 as of July 1. The text-to-911 service would allow for people in an emergency situation to communicate when a voice call can increase their danger, have limited cellphone reception or are hearing impaired. An operator will be able to communicate back.

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES

Watauga County raises $71K with Relay for Life event Watauga County This year’s Relay for Life event in Watauga County raised more than $71,000 for cancer research June 28.

About 400 residents honored people who lost their lives to cancer, celebrated survivors and fundraised for cancer research at Watauga High School from 6 p.m. to midnight. All the money raised went directly to the American Cancer Society.

HIGH COUNTRY PRESS

Jefferson ATM gives woman stamps instead of cash Ashe County A Jefferson Fifth Third Bank ATM gave a woman stamps instead of money when trying to make a withdrawal on June 21. LeAnn Reece Martin attempted to withdraw $300 from an ATM at Mountain Village Shopping Center. The bank said the stamp problem was due to a maintenance error.

ASHE MOUNTAIN TIMES

The

DECLARATION of

JULY 30th Annual 1-2 Christmas in July Festival West Jefferson, N.C.

Charges filed against veterans for fraudulent reimbursements Buncombe County The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed federal charges on Thursday against 16 veterans who defrauded the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

The individuals submitted false reimbursements for travel expenses on mileage they incurred when traveling from their homes to the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Tunnel Road.

Wake County When WRAL-TV’s experimental broadcast of “Take Me Out to the Bulls’ Game” was sent out on Wednesday, the station became the first commercially licensed TV station to broadcast news in 4K Ultra High Definition by utilizing its new ATSC 3.0 station. WRAL is not new to setting such precedents — in 1996, it was the first TV station to broadcast in High Definition. To put 4K in perspective, UHD has double the horizontal and vertical resolution of HD 1080p (2160p). The station currently has one of only a handful of prototype receptors that can receive the transmission; it says early adopters of the technology in N.C. will have access by late 2017.

ABC 11

Corolla, N.C. 5-9 p.m.

July 4th Celebration and Fireworks

JULY Carolina 4 Mudcats

Zebulon, N.C.

Randolph County Gov. Pat McCrory joined Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson and Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz on Thursday to break ground on the new U.S. 64 Asheboro Bypass and Zoo Connector road. The North Carolina Zoo has expanded activities for families, making it a top attraction in the Piedmont. Improvements in the Kids Zone include a play stream, mud cafe and Treetop Trails for hands-on learning.

NCZOO.ORG

Wake County Deborah Johnson, CEO of the North Carolina Pork Council for the past 10 years, has announced she plans to step down from her position by the end of the year. Johnson has served as a strong advocate for North Carolina’s pork industry, which contributes more than $11 billion a year to the state’s economy.

“Deborah has been a remarkable leader for our industry who represented farmers with pride and purpose. Her leadership and dedication will be hard to replace,” said Stephen Williamson, a hog farmer from Kenansville who serves as president of the North Carolina Pork Council Council Board of Directors. Williamson has assembled a search committee to identify the organization’s next leader and hopes to have a new CEO in place by November.

PORK NETWORK

Manteo, N.C. 3 p.m.

Durham, N.C.

T

JULY Wilson Tobs 4 Wilson, N.C.

JULY Beaufort’s Fourth of 4 July Fireworks Beaufort, N.C. 6-9:30 p.m.

JULY Camp Lejeune July 4 4th Celebration Camp Lejeune, N.C.

JULY 4th of July Fireworks 4 Off the Pier

JULY City of Wilmington 4 Fourth of July Celebration

Emerald Isle, N.C. 9 p.m.

Wilmington, N.C. 6-10 p.m.

JULY Pre-Independence 3 Day Fireworks JULY North Carolina 4 4th of July Festival Southport, N.C.

EAST Cold storage operator announces $21.6 million expansion Duplic County A Duplin county employer announced plans to expand this week. United States Cold Storage Inc., a major cold storage warehouse and distribution facility for the pork, poultry and seafood industries in eastern North Carolina, has announced it will expand its Warsaw plant. Under a $21.6 million expansion plan, the Duplin County facility will add 50 new jobs over the next five years. U.S. Cold Storage could receive up to $1.7 million in state and local incentives if the company meets job creation and investment performance goals. The Warsaw plant is one of three in North Carolina. U.S. Cold Storage also has sites in Lumberton and Marshville.

TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

INFOGRAPHIC BY LAUREN ROSE

a-Lot program. The grant will help facilitate the new program which is similar to Adopt-a-Street. The program allows churches, businesses, families and residences to “adopt” one of the 1,000 available parcels in Kinston to develop into community amenities such as small farms, gardens and playground areas.

WCTI

New River Air Station names new commander Onslow County Col. Russell Burton took over as New River’s new air station commander following a change of command from the relinquishment of the air station’s oversight from Col. Timothy Salmon. Burton, most recently served in Okinawa, Japan, and will now oversee the air station of 14,500 personnel located outside of Jacksonville. Burton will move on to serve at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

JACKSONVILLE DAILY NEWS

Kinston receives $50,000 grant for Adopt-a-Lot program Lenoir County The City of Kinston, Mayor BJ Murphy and Kinston Teens, a youth led organization to help combat youth-related issues, received a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Wells Fargo for the Kinston Teens’ Adopt-

ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES

Ramp 63 open on Ocracoke Island Hyde County National Park Service Ramp 63, a new off-road vehicle ramp, is now open on Ocracoke Island. Ramp 63 provides additional access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s beaches and is the last of four off-road vehicle ramps to be completed in the past two years.

OUTER BANKS SENTINEL

Legislature’s budget boosts teacher pay, cuts taxes and targets debt

By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — Lawmakers posted the state’s $22.34 billion budget compromise late Monday night, with final votes planned for Tuesday when lawmakers return to Raleigh after the July Fourth weekend. The budget is getting praise for including the third round of tax cuts since 2011, boosting K-12 spending by $512 million over 2016-17, and providing a raise and performancebased bonus systems for teachers. It increases state spending by 2.8 percent over the current fiscal year.

General Assembly chatter about any budget disagreements has been notably quiet as the conference committee hammered out differences between the House and Senate budgets. This follows last year’s controversial marathon session in which disputes over spending caps and priorities captured headlines.

This time, cooperation was the mood of the day. The governor, House and Senate agreed to a spending limit early in the process.

“The Governor, President Pro Tempore Berger and I entered this short session with a shared desire to give meaningful raises to teachers and tax relief to working-class North Carolinians while still demonstrating fiscal discipline and conservative budgeting,” House Speaker

Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) said in a joint statement with Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham).

Highlights of the budget agreement issued by the House Speaker and Senate Leader’s offices include an increase in the standard income tax deduction from $15,500 to $17,500, an average 4.7 percent pay raise and merit-based bonuses for teachers, 1.5 percent pay raises for all other state employees and a 1.6 percent cost of living bonus for state retirees. The budget also adds $475 million to the state’s rainy-day reserve fund and drops tuition at Western Carolina University and UNCPembroke to $500 per semester. It also pays off an outstanding $37 million loan from the federal government that the state borrowed in 1999 and deferred payment on for 15 years.

“I am grateful to members of the Senate and House for reaching a compromise that continues the discipline and conservative principles of spending responsibly, taxing sparingly and saving wisely that have turned North Carolina’s fiscal outlook around from multi-billion dollar deficits to significant budget surpluses,” said Berger.

“This budget keeps our promises to support our public schools and raise teacher pay above $50,000, let families and small businesses keep more of their hard-earned money, and control the spiraling costs of college.”

Jones& Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Constitutional amendments bill rejected

by House Rules committee

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — An effort to put three constitutional amendments before North Carolina voters failed to make it through the House Rules Committee on Friday evening. The North Carolina Senate passed a bill earlier in the week that included three amendments including one on eminent domain that says, “Private property shall not be taken by eminent domain except for a public use. Just compensation shall be paid and shall be determined by a jury at the request of either party.”

Another proposed amendment would have lowered the constitutional cap on personal

income taxes from 10 percent to 5.5 percent and created a constitutional rainy day fund that could only be used for financial emergencies and natural disasters.

The third amendment would have preserved the rights of citizens to hunt and fish in the state constitution.

“We’re voting for something that will allow the people to make a decision,” said Sen. Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg).

“Y’all may not like that, but ultimately the people will make this decision, and we believe they know the right answer.”

Should the General Assembly choose not to adjourn the legislative session before Independence Day, leaders could hear the bill in committee early next week.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

JULY Town of Manteo Fourth 4 of July Celebration

JULY Durham 4 Bulls

Carolina Beach, N.C. 6:30 p.m.

Long-time leader of NC Pork Council steps down

Triangle Several Noodles & Company restaurants in North Carolina were affected in a customer data breach.

The company detected suspicious activity on June 2 that indicated potential compromise of customers’ debit and credit card information.

The customers who bought Noodles & Company from 16 restaurants in the state from Jan. 31 and June 2 were affected. Sixteen restaurants were affected statewide.

INDEPENDENCE

JULY 24th Annual 4 IndependenceDay Celebration

Henderson, N.C. 7-10 p.m.

relief

WRAL-TV

8 Noodles & Company locations in Triangle hit by widespread data breach

JULY Independence Day 2 Weekend Celebration on the Lake

Chapel Hill, N.C. 7 p.m.

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General Assembly’s longest serving senator indicted on campaign finance violations

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — Sen. Fletcher Hartsell (R-Concord) was indicted in Wake County Tuesday for violations of North Carolina campaign finance laws.

Hartsell, who is the longest serving state senator, currently in his 13th term, first came under scrutiny after reports surfaced more than a year ago of the improper use of campaign funds, leading to a Board of Elections investigation last year.

“I think the indictment shows our board got it right,” said State Board of Elections Chairman Josh Howard.

“It also shows a Republican majority regulating their own, not hiding the ball, doing the right thing.”

The investigation discovered that Hartsell spent more than $100,000 of campaign funds on personal expenses from 2009 to 2012 on items like haircuts, speeding tickets, and credit card debt. While spending campaign funds on personal expenses is allowed in some cases, the expenses must be for the performance of legislative duties to qualify as lawful uses.

The indictment by a Wake County grand jury consists of three counts of knowingly certifying campaign finance

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina Senator Fletcher Hartsell sits on the floor of the State Senate during a session on June 28 in Raleigh. reports that he knew to be false at the time.

Restrictions on the use of campaign funds were bolstered in 2006, before which there were little limitations on the use of such funds.

Hartsell turned himself into the Wake County magistrate Tuesday. He is not seeking reelection.

he unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.

A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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

LETTERS

EDITORIALS | Drew Elliot

European tyrants of the status quo The EU became a regulatory superstate; even as trade barriers were brought down, regulatory barriers went up.

Thanks for covering Miss North Carolina

Fear of the unknown leads to resistance to change, even change that could be beneficial. Thus the United Kingdom’s June 23 referendum to leave the European Union, known as “Brexit,” is all the more surprising.

Inertia is strong. When the great economist and political scientist Milton Friedman spoke of large-scale changes to government policy, he identified the reason: “Those changes will have bad effects on small, concentrated groups. The bad effects will be visible and immediate. The good effects will be less visible, take longer to manifest themselves, and longer to be recognized.”

Friedman called the phenomenon the “tyranny of the status quo,” and wrote a book with his wife Rose by that title.

The immediate “bad effects” of the Brexit vote are clear — capital and currency markets initially reacted wildly and negatively to the news. This is no surprise. Capital markets crave predictability, and the volatility speaks to the bad polling and dishonest journalism that led to the “Remain” vote being fully priced into the markets. Traders were shocked by the referendum’s result.

The promise of the European Union and its predecessor organizations was that cooperation, chiefly economic cooperation, would promote both peace and prosperity. The European Union could have been merely a free-trade and cooperation zone stretching from Dublin to Athens. Lamentably, it became a regulatory superstate; even as trade barriers were brought down, regulatory barriers went up.

Still, economic worries tied to Brexit are not pure fantasy — there clearly is uncertainty in leaving the EU. Can the Brits make it work? Let’s dig a little deeper.

In the world rankings of gross domestic product per capita, the nations of Europe — excluding the microstates — are led by two countries that are not EU members: Norway (11th) and Switzerland (16th). The EU as a whole is way down at No. 45.

Being in the EU is no panacea; being non-EU seems to be treating the Norwegians and the Swiss just fine. That is a simplistic analysis, but so is the sky-will-fall predictions of those who abhor the referendum’s result. Disingenuously selling the all-or-nothing on the EU was merely a referendum scare tactic of the Remain partisans. The referendum may have had two choices only — Remain or Leave — but the reality has shades of gray.

Both Switzerland and Norway are charter members of the European Free Trade Association, a trade bloc created precisely for states that didn’t want to cede as much control to Brussels as the EU signatories have. And Norway — but not Switzerland — is a member of the European Economic Area, another half-step closer to EU status.

All this doesn’t mean that it’s a foregone conclusion that the UK — or England, if the UK breaks apart — will benefit from leaving the EU. If it is a wise decision, then as Friedman said, it will be revealed in the long term. Free trade agreements benefit both parties, so EU states who choose not to negotiate trade deals with the UK will be hurting themselves. As for defense, the UK will still be a member of NATO. While Vladimir Putin may be salivating over European “disarray,” he himself is the main reason the Europeans won’t be distracted when it comes military matters.

What’s really eating the international intelligentsia is that their big plans for Big Planners making Big Plans has suffered a real blow. Sic semper tyrannis.

It is with sincere appreciation that I write this letter to North State Journal.

My family and I were unable to attend the Miss North Carolina State Pageant this year, but we are so very thankful and excited to see that North State

Journal was the only media outlet live-streaming the pageant. You made one young lady’s day perfect. Again, thank you for covering the pageant so that others could cheer on their favorite contestant from wherever they were!

Ginger Baker Zebulon, N.C.

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 | Ray Nothstine

Why the Declaration of Independence matters now Coolidge praised N.C. twice for leading from the front on independence and said the document was primarily one that pointed to eternal truths.

Pundits and politicians are quick to announce that they have the answers to problems that plague us in North Carolina and our Republic. Many proposed solutions require citizens to surrender more rights to centralized decision makers. Increasingly they are unelected. This is hardly new. In fact, within world history, freedom and natural rights are a far cry from the norm. This is why the Declaration of Independence has been and remains an inspiration to billions.

The history of the world is littered with grand examples of tyrannical abuses that dwarf the grievances leveled against King George III. But that’s one of the beauties of the Declaration of Independence — that the American Founders and a large segment of the populace already saw themselves as free, calling their rights “self-evident.”

Last week saw more gnashing of teeth by the governing betters when citizens of the United Kingdom voted to exit the European Union. Exerting national sovereignty was turned into accusations of xenophobia and racism, an easy and dismissive explanation of the “rubes” desperately clinging to autonomy.

The very fact that many elites in government and the media howled over the idea that government should be more accountable to

the people is a reminder that voters across the pond made the right decision.

One of the most devastating critiques of centralizing power and progressivism is a speech delivered by former president Calvin Coolidge on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1926.

Coolidge praised North Carolina twice for leading from the front on independence and said the document was primarily one that pointed to eternal truths. By saying this, he reminded Americans that they could not advance beyond the governing principles and the very ideals championed within the Declaration. To do so would only mean to be “reactionary” and embody the tyrannies of the past.

Coolidge exposed the irony of statists and progressive politicians who called those faithful to America’s founding principles as somehow being backward or old fashioned.

It was they, and not the view of a restrained and limited government, that was backwards.

He wisely posited progressive schemes alien to American ideals as morally and spiritually bankrupt. “If we are to maintain the great heritage bequeathed to us, we must be like minded as the Founders who created it,” Coolidge commanded.

As government enlarges and creeps forward, as is its “natural progress,” according to Jefferson, it diminishes the human person and his right to flourish.

It tramples upon the very notion of the Declaration of Independence: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The purpose of government is not only to be subservient to the individual, but government is enacted to protect the very God-given rights that predate it.

The unelected regulatory state, mammoth federal debt, and centralization of power all point to the enduring relevancy of our Declaration of Independence. Centralization of power should inevitably lead to pushback.

In his famous visit to America, the 19th century Frenchmen Alexis de Tocqueville praised Americans for not wanting to become “a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd.” The Declaration of Independence forever reminds Americans that they need to live this way and, if they do not, they are still wrong.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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Guest Opinion | Dawn Cash-Salau

PETER VAN BUREN

Washington still gets it wrong on Islamic State uesday’s attacks in Istanbul, which appear to be the work of Islamic T State, are the latest reminder that the

shutterstock

A perspective on Independence Day from a Gold Star Wife

O The men and women who have given their all did so because they believe in our independence and freedoms.

nce again, it is the 4th of July. At different times during our lives, this American holiday carries different meanings. I took a poll among a few friends, asking what Independence Day means to them. Their answers included fireworks, a fun day spent with family and friends, sweet treats, parades, and cookouts with neighbors. And from the mouth of my neighbor and favorite 6-year-old, “Our very first president made our country and now we celebrate by spending time with family and friends, and fireworks; and just have fun.”

Independence Day represents the fundamentals of our beliefs. It is a day to remember not only our Founding Fathers but all those who believed in our freedom and paved the way to have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This day would not be possible without those who courageously fought to earn it for all Americans.

For me, as a Gold Star Wife, this American holiday brings about a flood of emotions. Independence Day follows five weeks after Memorial Day, and is only ten days after my husband, Capt. Chris Cash, was killed in Iraq in 2004. The 4th of July was Chris’ second favorite holiday, and as such, was a big day in our household. We celebrated with friends and family, and the night just wasn’t complete without the annual firework display, led by Chris. Chris was buried on July 1, and that year our friends carried on his annual tradition, at our home, in his honor.

I know Independence Day is not Memorial Day, but we would not have one without the other.

Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember those that have died for our freedoms. The men and women who have given their all did so because they believe in our independence and freedoms.

My late husband lived a life helping others, and he

believed everyone deserves to live and enjoy the same freedoms that he did. This belief in freedom and independence did not end with the American people.

In Iraq, Capt. Cash worked alongside the Iraqis, helping them to rebuild the schools and irrigation systems for the farmers. These may sound like simple freedoms, and they are quite possibly taken for granted here in America, but Capt. Cash believed the people of Iraq had the same rights to those very simple freedoms, and he lovingly gave his all helping them.

I found a new purpose in carrying on Chris’s legacy of helping others, so that ultimately maybe I can play a very small part in those foundational principles forged that first 4th of July as well. After Chris’s death, I discovered an instant shift in priorities. I believe in God, and my faith in Him is what carried me through my darkest hours of the never-ending journey of grief. I loved my job, but wanted a deeper meaning to my life. I was seeking a deeper purpose.

Together with a group of friends, we created a run in Chris’s memory. Christmas was his favorite holiday, so it was only fitting to name our December run the “Reindeer Dash for Cash.” Our 10-mile and 5K run raises college scholarships in his memory.

Since 2005, we have raised over $250,000 in his honor, and have continued his legacy of helping others. Through the scholarships we provide, we help others in their pursuit of happiness.

So as you enjoy a fun-filled weekend, raise your glass to all of the brave men and women who believed in our freedoms and courageously fought to give us a life of independence.

Dawn Cash-Salau is an accountant and graduate of East Carolina University. She lives in Stella in Onslow County.

But we don’t have to go back 300 years to foretell another, and perhaps more serious consequence.

The EU began to be formed 70 years ago with the European Coal and Steel Community. The world was just recovering from World War II and the whole series of wars stretching back centuries. The consensus was that nationalism was at the root of at least the most recent conflicts. With the concept of limiting dangerous consequences of national rivalries, the leaders of Europe came up with the ECSC and then the EU. Not only did it facilitate travel between member states, but it also encouraged trade and economic ties between those states, the idea being that trade relations would make conflicts less likely. Whether this is the reason or not, Europe is now enjoying the longest period of peace, with no wars between major powers, since the Pax Romana (27 B.C. through A.D. 180).

England leaving the EU, especially if its nationalistic urge motivates others to follow its example, it will be a major blow to the prospects of world peace. Note, by the way, the reaction of Vladimir Putin — the Russian bear has just gotten some of its teeth back. And don’t remind me that England remains in NATO; after this vote no one can be confident of England honoring any of its commitments.

I see these foreign policy consequences as much more serious than the decline in the British pound and the anticipated increase in unemployment.

Because of the vote on June 23, the world today is a much more dangerous place.

One is reminded of W.B. Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming”: “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. …The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.”

James R. Leutze is chancellor emeritus of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a former history professor at UNC Chapel Hill. He lives in Wilmington.

Peter Van Buren, who served in the State Department for 24 years, is the author of “We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People.”

Brexit – things fall apart Europe is now enjoying the longest period of peace, with no wars between major powers, since the Pax Romana.

too little attention. First, what is becoming increasingly evident is that the “Leave” group had done insufficient planning for victory. Second, an unintended consequence may be the final breakup of the British Empire. And finally, and most worrisome, is the failure to recall the world before the EU. It is almost as though Boris Johnson and his group of leavers didn’t plan on winning; therefore they have no plan for what to do now. The clearest example is the political turmoil roiling England shortly after the voters spoke. Who is going to lead them through the torturous process of withdrawal? Labour, which is headed by the deeply divisive Jeremy Corbyn, shows signs of a civil war. The prevailing sentiment is that if they field Corbyn as their candidate for the elections in October they might face a catastrophic defeat.

On the other hand, the Conservatives, the presumed beneficiaries of that defeat, were led by the mercurial Johnson, who took himself out of the running for prime minister Thursday. Then, of course, there is Nigel Faraqe and the ultra-nationalists; regardless of who wins the election his UK Independence party will have increased representation in Parliament, making any prime minister’s life more difficult.

Scotland and, to a lesser extent, Northern Ireland, are up in arms. By significant majorities they voted to stay within the EU because of the generous subsidies they receive and the amount of business they do with EU countries. (And they just may have been motivated by logic.) The Scots are already making moves toward a referendum on independence. The last vote — just two years ago — was for remaining as part of the UK, but that was conditioned on the UK staying within the EU. It is highly likely that a new vote would go the other way.

If that were to be the case there would no longer be a UK. Part of Ireland would doubtless follow. That would send the English back 300 years to when they were “little England” and dependent on the fleet and an overseas empire.

Washington should know better than to underestimate the power of small weapons to shape large events. a strong transnational insurgency.

Why does such strength matter in the face of large-scale losses such as Fallujah?

Violence in Iraqi Shi’ite neighborhoods empowers hardliners to seek revenge. Core Sunni support for IS grows out of the need for protection from a Shi’ite dominated military, which seeks to marginalize if not destroy the Sunnis. Reports of Shi’ite atrocities leaking out of the ruins of Sunni Fallujah are thus significant.

Suicide strikes reduce the confidence of the people in their government’s ability to protect them. In Iraq, that sends Shi’ite militias into the streets, and raises questions about the value of civil institutions like the Iraqi National Police. Victories such as the retaking of Ramadi and Fallujah mean little to people living at risk in Baghdad.

American commanders have already had to talk the Iraqi government out of pulling troops from the field to defend Baghdad, even as roughly half of all Iraqi security forces are already deployed there. This almost guarantees more American soldiers will be needed to take up the slack.

Anything that pulls more American troops into Iraq fits well with the antiAmerican IS narrative. A State Department report found that one-third of Iraqis believe Americans are supporting IS while 40 percent are convinced that the United States is trying to destabilize Iraq for its own purposes.

In a country like Turkey, suicide bombings play out in a more complex political environment. Turkey has effectively supported IS with porous borders for transit in and out of Syria, and has facilitated the flow of oil out of Syria and Iraq. At the same time, however, Turkey opened its territory to American aircraft conducting bombing runs against IS. Attacks in Turkey may be in response to pressure on the nation to shift its strategy more in line with Western demands.

The suicide bombings — in Turkey and elsewhere — are not desperate or defensive moves. They are not inconsequential, even if their actual numbers decline. They are careful strategy, the well-thought out application of violence by Islamic State. The United States downplays them at great risk.

Columnist | James Leutze

here are several factors relating to “Brexit,” the United Kingdom’s referendum T to leave the European Union, that have received

United States should not downplay the group’s rudimentary — yet effective — tactics.

Since the wave of Islamic State suicide bombings in May — killing 522 people inside Baghdad, and 148 people inside Syria — American officials have downplayed the strategy as defensive. Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy in the fight against IS, said the group “returned to suicide bombing” as the area under its control shrank. “It’s their last card,” stated an Iraqi spokesperson in response to the attacks.

The reality is just the opposite.

A day after the June 26 liberation of Fallujah, car bombs exploded in eastern and southern Baghdad. Two other suicide bombers were killed outside the city. An improvised explosive device exploded in southwest Baghdad a day earlier.

Washington should know better than to underestimate the power of small weapons to shape large events. To believe suicide bombings represent a weakening is a near-total misunderstanding of the hybrid nature of the group; IS melds elements of a conventional army and an insurgency.

IS differs from a traditional insurgency in that it seeks to hold territory. This separates it from al Qaeda and falsely leads the United States to believe that retaking strategic cities like Fallujah from IS is akin to “defeating” it, as if it is World War II again and we are watching blue arrows move across the map toward Berlin.

IS uses terror and violence to achieve political ends. It has no aircraft and no significant long-range weapons, making it a very weak conventional army when facing down the combined forces of the United States, Iran and Iraq in set-piece battles. It can, however, use suicide bombs to strike into the very heart of Shi’ite Baghdad (and Syria, Jordan, Yemen, and Turkey), acting as

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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NATION& WORLD NEWS IN IMAGES

US says drones have killed 116 outside war zones

KEVIN LAMARQUE | REUTERS

Demonstrators celebrate at the U.S. Supreme Court after the court struck down a Texas law imposing strict regulations on abortion doctors and facilities in Washington June 27.

NANCY WIECHEC | REUTERS

United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks to Reuters in an exclusive interview in Phoenix on June 28.

​ ttorney general to accept FBI A findings in Clinton email case

By Adam DeRose and Julia Edwards Reuters

Athit perawongmetha | REUTERS

Motola, the elephant who was injured by a landmine, wears her prosthetic leg at the Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation in Lampang, Thailand, June 29.

OSMAN ORSAL | REUTERS

A friend of Gulsen Bahadir, a victim of Tuesday’s attack on Ataturk airport, mourns at her flag-draped coffin during her funeral ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, June 29.

H.B. 2 from page A1 peal,” Sgro said this week in an editorial published by The Hill in Washington, D.C. Sgro continued his dissent on the House floor as he berated Republicans for failing to take up what he thinks are more substantive issues in the controversial law. Upon appointment to his seat, Sgro stated that the repeal of H.B. 2 would be his sole concern and he had no plans to seek reelections.

This time, insiders say the proposal was at first rejected by majority caucus members behind closed doors, as the conservative wing of the Republican majority continued to resist changes to the bill.

A previous fix was leaked to metro newspapers and the NBA which said it doesn’t go far enough. The NBA is currently in negotiations with state leaders over plans to hold the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte. The event is expected to bring $100 million to the local economy and the NBA says they may move it if H.B. 2 is not addressed. As the H.B. 2 controversy first took hold, the NBA threatened to move the game over the law, as other national companies and figures issued similar ultimatums.

While there were initial reports of House Democrats supporting the measure to alter the law, those Democrats allegedly pulled their support at the behest of Democrat nominee for Governor, Attorney General Roy Cooper.

As reported by WBTV, a person involved in efforts to bring the bill to a vote, who asked their name be withheld in order to discuss details of internal deliberations within House Republican leadership, said efforts to bring the bill to the floor initially

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Friday she will accept the recommendations of career prosecutors and the FBI director on whether or not to bring charges against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her email use.

Republicans, including party presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, have said a political appointee like Lynch should not be involved in the investigation.

The United States’ top law enforcement officer did not go so far as to say she would completely recuse herself from the case, something Republican lawmakers have called for her to do.

“I will be informed of those findings, as opposed to never reading them or never seeing them, but I will be accepting their recommendations and their plan for going forward,” Lynch said while speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado.

The move, first reported by the New York Times, came amid an uproar over Lynch’s meeting this week with former U.S. President Bill Clinton while his wife, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the White House, was under federal investigation.

Lynch said she understands how her meeting with Bill Clinton “casts a shadow” over the perception of the Justice Department’s probe into Hillary Clinton’s email use.

The private meeting took place on

fell apart amid wavering support from a group of House Democrats.

“We started losing Democrats,” the person involved in the negotiations said.

“We were told Cooper was making personal phone calls to the ten Democratic members saying if they wanted to be on the team in November they needed to vote against the bill.”

A spokesman for Cooper disputed the notion that any members were pressured over their support of the proposed legislation.

“Attorney General Cooper remains concerned about the damage H.B. 2 is doing to our economy and has consistently urged members to pursue a full repeal,” Cooper campaign communications director Ford Porter said in a statement.

“Unfortunately Governor McCrory and legislative Republicans have repeatedly offered so-called ‘fixes’ that fail the basic test of undoing the economic damage done by this discriminatory law. This isn’t that complicated: instead of pointing fingers and holding secret negotiations, lawmakers should simply repeal H.B. 2 and send a message that North Carolina is open for business.”

While many lawmakers have said they’d be willing to consider compromise legislation, insiders say there was enormous pressure coming from outside the legislative building that was polarizing them and causing the two sides to dig in at the outset.

However, most agreed with the adopted clarification to restoring cause for action clauses for wrongful termination suits within the law. Having revisited the sensitive issue, and rounded out other business, the General Assembly is now set to break until January 2017.

“Protecting the safety and privacy of North Carolina families by keeping grown men out of bathrooms, shower facilities and changing rooms with women and young girls has always been our primary objective. Today’s action affirms and protects the core mission of the bathroom safety bill while answering the governor’s and business community’s calls.”

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham.)

Lynch’s plane after she landed in Phoenix on Monday night and Bill Clinton was leaving the airport after a rally for his wife earlier that day.

Lynch, appointed by Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama, told reporters earlier this week that she did not discuss the email investigation or other pending matters before the Justice Department with Bill Clinton, calling their meeting “primarily social.”

The FBI is probing Hillary Clinton’s email use and whether laws were broken as a result of a personal email server kept in her Chappaqua, N.Y., home while she was secretary of state, an issue that has overshadowed her campaign.

Hillary Clinton last year apologized for using the server, saying that while she did nothing wrong, she should have used two email accounts: one for State Department business and another for personal matters.

Hillary Clinton’s likely rival in the presidential race, Republican Donald Trump, on Thursday called Lynch’s meeting “a sneak” and questioned the judgment of both Bill Clinton and the attorney general.

Trump, in a tweet on Friday, said the meeting showed the U.S. political system was “totally rigged” and that Hillary Clinton had bad judgment.

“Bill’s meeting was probably initiated and demanded by Hillary!” Trump said on Twitter.

The Justice Department, along with the White House, has said the probe should be free of political interference.

MILITARY BILL from page A1 blocked the measure 52-48 on Tuesday, short of the 60-vote threshold needed to advance, because it prevented private entities such as the women’s healthcare provider Planned Parenthood from accessing the funds, saying that the sexual transmission of Zika could be addressed during an outbreak through those organizations.

Amid political recriminations by both parties, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) did not sound hopeful about efforts to go back to the drawing board and craft bipartisan legislation. “This is their shot.

I think there is going to be a heavy price to pay when this virus hits our shore and women start having babies with terrible birth defects,” Cornyn said. Echoing the frustration of his party colleagues, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, “Here we are in an utterly absurd position, playing political games as this public health crisis mounts here in our country. Pregnant women all across America are looking at this with dismay, utter dismay.” Both sides warned the other that there could be a political price to pay in an election year for stalling on Zika funding, with the summer mosquito season under way and with it the threat of the virus spreading.

“I don’t know what universe [McConnell] is living in. What does he think, we’re all stupid, the American people are dumb?

They’re not. They understand what’s going here,” Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid declared after the vote.

The Zika virus, which has swept through the Americas and Caribbean since last fall, has been linked to thousands of cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect, in Brazil, as well as to neurological disorders. It has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.

There have not yet been any cases reported of local transmission of the Zika virus in the continental United States, but there have been 820 cases that were acquired from travel to areas with active Zika outbreaks, or through sexual transmission. There have been more than 1,800 cases of Zika infection reported in Puerto Rico. Health experts expect local transmission to occur in the continental United States with warmer weather.

Washington, D.C. The Obama administration said Friday it has inadvertently killed up to 116 civilians in drone strikes in countries where the United States is not at war.

The administration’s goal for releasing the numbers, which are substantially below private estimates, is to create greater transparency regarding the U.S. military’s and the CIA’s operations against foreign militants targeting the U.S. Non-governmental organizations have previously estimated that hundreds of civilians had been killed in strikes outside of warzones, many of them via drone, in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

“We’re still faced with the basic question: Is the number of bad guys who are taken out of commission by drone strikes greater or less than the number of people who are inspired to turn to violent acts,” said Paul Pillar, former senior CIA specialist on the Middle East and current professor of security studies at Georgetown University.

First sexually transmitted Zika virus in Spain Madrid Spain recorded the country’s first known case of sexually transmitted Zika on Friday. A woman contracted it from her partner following his return from a Latin American country. Before the announcement of the new case of Zika, Spain had 158 known cases of infection of the virus, all of which were caused by traveling overseas.

The woman’s partner was diagnosed with Zika shortly after returning from an unspecified country in Latin America. A spokesman from Madrid’s health authorities said he contracted the virus in either late April or early May. Spanish media have reported that the woman infected is not pregnant, who probably contracted the virus before her partner was diagnosed.

The original $1.1 billion Republican plan would have funded mosquito control efforts by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, as well as vaccine research by the National Institutes of Health, and money for community health centers in areas that are experiencing the highest rates of Zika transmission. But Democrats complained that Republicans locked them out of drafting the plan, which would have made $750 million in budget cuts elsewhere, including funds set aside for implementing the Obamacare health insurance program in U.S. territories.

In addition to the $1.1 billion in Zika funding, the H.R. 2577 was set to allocate more than $52 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the VA hospital system and create policies to boost Congressional oversight of the VA system, new whistleblower protections, and money for more staff in the VA’s Inspector General’s Office. But it also would have provided $297 million for 12 military construction projects in North Carolina including: • Camp Lejeune — $18.48 million for Range Facilities Safety Improvements • Camp Lejeune — $31 million for Dental Clinic Replacement • Cherry Point MCAS — $12.52 million for Central Heating Plant Conversion • Air National Guard Charlotte IAP — $29.6 million for C-17 Corrosion Control/Fuel Cell Hangar • Air National Guard Charlotte IAP — $21 million for C-17 Type III Hydrant Refueling System • Air Force Reserve Seymour Johnson AFB — $5.7 million for KC-46A ADAL Building for AGE/Fuselage Training • Air Force Reserve Seymour Johnson AFB — $2.25 million KC-46A ADAL Squadron Operations Facilities • Air Force Reserve Seymour Johnson AFB — $90 million for KC-46A Two Bay Corrosion/Fuel Cell Hangar • Fort Bragg — $10.91 million for SOF Combat Medical Training Facility • Fort Bragg — $21.42 million for SOF Parachute Rigging Facility • Fort Bragg — $30.67 million for SOF Special Tactics Facility (Phase 3) • Fort Bragg — $23.6 million for SOF Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility

the Sunday Sideline report

Hornets

1. A pair of coaching legends, Tennessee’s Pat Summitt and Hall of Fame NFL coach Buddy Ryan, both died on Tuesday.

2. Argentina fell to Chile in the Copa America final on penalty kicks. After the result, global superstar Lionel Messi retired from Argentine national team.

3. Free agent forward Nicolas Batum agreed to a five-year, $120 million deal to re-sign with the Charlotte Hornets.

4. The Carolina Hurricanes bought out the final year of James Wisniewski’s contract, releasing him to the free agent pool.

Wisniewski tore his ACL in the season opener last season and missed the entire year.

5. NBA Free Agency started July 1 with DeMar Derozen (re-signed with Toronto) and Timofey Mozgov (signed with the Lakers) getting big-money deals in the first hours of the open market.

Ken Blaze | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) drives on Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena.

SPORTS Ft. Bragg gamE

By Brian Geisinger North State Journal

@Gil_Brandt: When Pat was hired to coach Tennessee at 22 years old, she was paid $250 a month. Among her duties was washing the players’ unis.

he importance of free agency is more magnified in 2016 than ever before: the salary cap jumped to T around $94 million, thanks to the league’s new media

@RobsonDan: This is hockey’s Red Wedding @TomFornelli: Not sure how [UNDETERMINED TEAM NAME HERE] will recover after losing Johnny Manziel for four games.

MLB

Nats take broom to Mets Behind strong pitching from Max Scherzer the Nationals swept a three-game series from the Mets on Wednesday night, giving Washington a 5.5-game lead in the NL East ahead of a 7-game stand against the Reds and Brewers.

NHL

Offseason action heats up on crazy day of trades Two days before the NHL free agent market opened for business, two blockbuster trades stole the spotlight.

In a matter of an hour, the Canadiens and Predators swapped star defenseman P.K. Subban and Shea Weber, while Edmonton traded former first overall pick Taylor Hall to New Jersey for defenseman Adam Larsson.

NFL

Johnny Manziel among those suspended by NFL Johnny Manziel was suspended for the first four games of a hypothetical and unlikely return for violating the league’s Substance Abuse policy. Manziel spent July 4th weekend vacationing in Cabo and promised to get “completely sober” on July 1. Sheldon Richardson also received a one-game suspension by the NFL for violating the Personal Conduct Policy dating back to a 2015 arrest for speeding and resisting arrest.

Hornets open free agency with $120M on Batum

xxx | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Fort Bragg field on Monday, June 27.

Braves, Marlins set for Fort Bragg battle

By Shawn Krest North State Journal ajor League Baseball will make history on Sunday M in North Carolina, holding a

regular season game exclusively for the military at Fort Bragg.

The Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins will play the final game of their four-game series inside a newly constructed stadium at Fort Bragg. The first three games of the series will be in Atlanta, and technically, the Fort Bragg game is a Braves home game.

The game was announced in March and construction on the 12,500-seat stadium started immediately after. The park sits on a section of the defunct Willow Lakes Golf Course and following Sunday’s game, it will be converted to a softball field for use by Fort Bragg personnel. Since 2006, more than 20 baseball and softball fields at Fort Bragg have been eliminated due to ongoing construction, so the new park will fill a glaring need.

The $3 million cost of constructing the stadium was split between MLB and the Players’ Association.

“Major League Baseball’s boundless gratitude to our mili-

tary has led us to a unique event that will benefit the men and women of Fort Bragg and their families for many years,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a release. “I thank the Braves and the Marlins for their participation and all of our clubs and players for contributing to this gesture, which will stand as a fitting new chaptver in the national pastime’s proud and distinguished military history.”

Tickets to the game were distributed, free of charge, to military personnel through a lottery.

Only people with a Department of Defense ID card were allowed to apply for tickets, and they can’t be used by anyone other than the applicant.

The game will be the first regular season game of any professional sports league ever played on an active military base. The UFC held a “Fight for the Troops” card in Fayetteville in 2008, but while the event was held for military personnel, it didn’t take place on the base. More recently, in 2013, Duke basketball held a practice at Fort Bragg. There have also been clinics for military personnel held at Fort Bragg by professional athletes such as David Thompson See Fort bragg, page B8

deal. To put this leap into perspective: the salary cap floor, the minimum a franchise must spend to fill out their roster, is $84 million, which is $14 million more than the salary cap limit this past season.

This is uncharted territory, and as the league enters free agency, the Charlotte Hornets have several decisions to make. They made a bold one — and an intelligent one — early in free agency on Friday morning by agreeing to a deal that would bring do-it-all forward Nicholas Batum back on a five-year, $120 million contract.

The deal was first reported by Yahoo!‘s The Vertical and the fifth year is, unsurprisingly, a player option.

If we’d penned a checklist of priorities for the Hornets this offseason, No. 1 with a bullet was re-signing the 27-year-old Batum. Charlotte was mentioned in the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes, but they opted to focus internally on a better player with a smaller name for the headline.

Signing Batum is a great way to open up free agency because it’s the pillar the Hornets needed to fall first.

Charlotte traded good assets — Noah Vonleh, Gerald Henderson’s expiring deal — to acquire Batum from Portland last summer, and it would’ve be a bad look to not retain him. This deal is close to full-max money, but not quite. With the reported numbers he’s set to make an average of $24 million per season. On a full five-year max, Batum would’ve banked $152 million, not including a 15 percent trade kicker. This is a serious discount: Charlotte saved themselves around $33 million with this deal. Excellent work by GM Rich Cho. Batum can shoot, defend multiple positions and run pick-and-rolls. He was arguably their best player last season, and he’s in his prime. One of the best free agents on the market, Batum had multiple suitors: the Lakers, Knicks, Mavericks and Wizards.

See hornets, page B8

inside

Timothy T. Ludwig | USA TODAY SPORTS images

The Carolina Hurricanes entered the 2016 NHL Draft weekend with nine picks, and general manager Ron Francis opted to use them all. The haul was highlighted by two first-round selections, and all nine picks will be in Raleigh for developmental camp. So how did the Hurricanes do? Cory Lavalette breaks down the haul from the entire draft and talks to Francis. B4-B5

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

B2

NS J beyond the box score

07.03.16

POTENT QUOTABLES

Lionel Messi: Following the loss to Chile in the Copa America final, the star announced that he had played in his last international soccer match on Sunday night.

Tim Tebow: The Heisman winner found his way into the spotlight yet again as a fellow Delta airlines passenger posted an Instagram that went viral featuring Tebow leading a midair prayer following another passenger’s apparent fatal heart attack.

Tony Hawk: On 17th anniversary of his first 900 (2.5 full horizontal rotations), skateboarding legend nailed another one at age 48.

Johnny Manziel: Former Cleveland QB flew to Cabo for Fourth of July in Josh Gordon Browns jersey, said he plans to go “completely sober” on July 1.

Kevin Durant: Basketball star met with Thunder in downtown Oklahoma City before heading to Hamptons for freeagency meetings with Warriors, Clippers, Spurs, Heat and Celtics. The Thunder meeting “went well” according to reports.

Billy Hamilton: Reds outfielder injured by an Anthony Rizzo hit while trying to catch the ball that flew past a teammate and into his head.

Iconic Saga: Cam Newton started his own production company, Iconic Saga Productions, with the producers of his current Nickelodeon show, “All In with Cam Newton.”

Matt Grevers: After failing to qualify for the Olympics in 100m backstroke, the six-time gold medalist retired from competitive swimming.

mlb

The Giants pitcher (and Hickory, N.C. native) is probably not going to get a shot at competing in the Home Run Derby. But manager Bruce Bochy did let MadBum play DH against the A’s in Interleague play.

He acquitted himself nicely, smacking a double to start a six-run rally.

Ken Blaze | USA TODAY Sports

“There are three Warriors on the team and I’m the champion, so I’ll be throwing it in their face a bit.”

Kyrie Irving on the olympic team

eating contest

73.5 Hot dogs eaten by world champion and professional eater Joey Chestnut during his 10-minute practice run for the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating contest, which takes place on July 4.

rio olympics

12 American NBA AllStars who opted not to play on the Olympic team in 2016.

Many sports stars have bailed on the Rio Olympics, some because of personal reasons, others for health concerns.

Jake Roth | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Harbaugh cancels camp trip over Zika

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh cancelled his trip to a satellite camp in the American Samoa over concerns about the Zika virus. Harbaugh and his wife Sarah are expecting a baby — the Detroit Free Press reported they were advised to bail by doctors.

Rick Osentoski | USA TODAY SPORTS images

pga tour

John David Mercer | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Daniel Berger won the FedEx St. Jude Classic earlier this season but did not have a plan to stay for the weekend at the WGCBridgestone in Ohio.

Berger hit his tee shot, cited a shoulder injury and withdrew, cashing $50,500 in winnings for his last-place finish.

Chanticleers win first NCAA title The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers stunned the world on Thursday afternoon by winning their first ever NCAA title in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Arizona. The game was postponed until Thursday afternoon after bad weather in Omaha. The Chants jumped out to a lead early against Arizona and went into the bottom of the ninth up 4-2, needing just three outs to win. Arizona put two men on and cut the lead to one run before Alex Cunningham induced a double play and struck out the final batter for an incredible end to the College World Series.

O.J.Mayo: NBA player was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA for violating the drug policy.

He can apply for reinstatement in two years.

Al Jefferson: Former Hornets big man reportedly signs three-year deal with Pacers for $30M. Adidas: ECU officially began a 10-year partnership with the apparel company on July 1 after leaving Nike for the stripes.

Bruce Thorson | USA TODAY SPORTS images

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

B3

golf

John David Mercer | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Rickie Fowler waits to hit from the 15th fairway during the continuation of the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club

Rickie Fowler discusses his evolving game, tough greens and the Olympics

ith the British Open looming in late July, Rickie Fowler W sits near the top of golf as the No.

6-ranked golfer in the world (and 26th on the money list). Despite a tough June, Fowler entered the Quicken Loans National in Bethesda, Md. as the tournament favorite at Congressional Country Club.

Just two years removed from finishing top-five in all four majors in 2014, Fowler has not made a top-10 at a major since and has missed the cut at both the Masters and U.S. Open this year.

The North State Journal caught up with Fowler on the second day of the tournament to discuss his game, working with legendary golf instructor Butch Harmon, and the possibility of representing the United States in the Summer Olympics.

NSJ: You have faced some adversity over the last month.

Are you worried about your game at all?

Rickie Fowler: I’m definitely not concerned. I haven’t been driving it as well as I normally do. I feel like it’s one of my stronger points of my game as well as my putting and haven’t been making putts. Not driving it well and then not able to scramble and make the par putts and then not able to really get into a good rhythm or build momentum through the round so it’s just made it tough to really get off to a good start in tournaments, hence the missed cuts. It’s a fine line as everyone knows out here between making a cut and having a chance to be in contention come Sunday to packing your bags and going home early.

You’ve been working with Butch Harmon, who is widely regarded has one of the top golf instructors in the country. How has he helped your game?

All of it is just fundamentals from setup and getting the ball just to start on the line that we’re actually looking and having the flight that we want. One of the main things was my body wasn’t rotating or continuing to rotate through the ball, but also some of that was caused by not being in the proper position at the top. We have cleaned a few things up. Obviously something that I continue to work on, it’s a

Aaron Doster | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Rickie Fowler Age: 27 Hometown: Murrieta, CA College: Oklahoma State Turned Pro: 2009 Top Masters Finish: T-5 Top U.S. Open Finish: T-2 Top British Open Finish: T-2 Top PGA Champ. Finish: T-3 PGA Tour Wins: 9 Twitter: @RickieFowler

process along the way. You can never perfect the golf swing, it’s always ongoing and possibly a new feel day after day or week to week. Always just monitoring and kind of keeping an eye on the fundamentals. So feeling good about that and working on getting that putter hot again.

One of the hot topics coming off the US Open the USGA’s ruling on Dustin’s ball there on the fifth. A lot of you

guys were vocal about how ridiculous it was. What did you think?

Well, ultimately Dustin didn’t cause the ball to move. That’s I think the big thing behind the rule is, you know, if a player causes a ball to move, it’s a penalty. But in a situation like that where you have greens aren’t perfect, you’re not on a perfectly flat surface, people have walked on there throughout the day, you’re going to have low and high areas, especially on poa annua greens as well. So the ball’s not going to come to a perfect rest every time. Sometimes it’s going to fall back into a low spot or it could roll forward.

In his situation, obviously he hadn’t addressed the ball yet and the club hadn’t been soled behind the ball, it was soled to the side of it because he was taking practice strokes. I think Chamblee made a great point on one of his things on Golf Center. When have you ever seen a ball move on a practice putting green when you’re

making a practice stroke next to it without actually clipping it with the toe of the putter?

It’s virtually impossible to make a hard enough swing next to the ball to make the ball oscillate or move. So, and the fact that the ball moved backwards up the hill, the putter never touched the ball. Yes, Dustin touched the ground inside of it while he was taking practice strokes. I mean, I can guarantee you he had no influence on that ball moving.

The Summer Olympics are approaching. Have you made a decision on if you want to play in Rio? Kind of continue reading along the way. It’s still going to be — still going to be doing a lot of homework over the next week or two to really know where we stand on that. But like I said, we want to make sure we kind of study up and know exactly where we stand and make the right decision based on what we know.

You were the fan favorite last week in D.C. at the Quicken Loans National. Did you like being the main guy in the spotlight?

It was fun playing along JT [Justin Thomas] and Smylie [Kaufman]. It motivates you to play a little better. Obviously I want to play the best that I can, but having the support from the fans and you want to go out there and try and impress them That pairing were three of the four guys from Baker’s Bay and your best friends.

How was that?

I’m sure Jordan was upset he wasn’t there to be part of it. We all want to play well this summer.

I definitely think pairings where you’re paired with buddies and you get to go out and feed off each other, it can definitely make a difference. It’s just fun. We enjoy playing together. We enjoy spending time off the golf course obviously.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

B4

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

B5

2016 NHL Draft

2016 NHL Draft Recap

By Cory Lavalette | North State Journal

The Hurricanes entered the 2016 NHL Draft weekend with nine picks, and GM Ron Francis opted to use them all. The NSJ examines the haul.

Jake bean

Julien gauthier

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For the third consecutive year, the Carolina Hurricanes looked to defense with their first selection in the NHL Draft.

General manager Ron Francis used the 13th overall pick — the first of two he had at his disposal in Round 1 of the draft — to take offensive defenseman Jake Bean from Calgary of the Western Hockey League.

“This year, I would be surprised if any team in the building thought we were taking a defenseman at 13 based on our build right now of young defenseman,” Francis said. “On our list, this was the best player available. We think he’s a very gifted offensive defenseman. His hockey IQ is off the charts.”

Bean, a Calgary native and son of Flames COO John Bean, led all WHL defensemen in goals last season with 24, finishing third on the Hitmen in points with 64, but also has the ability to take care of his own end.

“I think I’m a two-way defensive who can play big minutes against other teams’ top guys and a guy that sees the ice pretty well and can make a first pass,” Bean said.

Bean’s offensive game differs from the rest of Carolina’s stable of young D — which features rangy 22-and-under players like Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Noah Hanifin and Haydn Fleury, among others — and gives the Hurricanes arguably the best blue line depth in the NHL. While Bean brings more of an offensive tilt compared to the rest of Carolina’s defensive corps, the common denominator

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Observers of the Hurricanes have clamored for the team to add more size and skill to their forward ranks. By taking Quebec-born right wing Julien Gauthier with the 21st overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, Carolina got both.

“He checks in at 6-3, 231 pounds, and I can tell you when I was standing on the stage with my arm around him, it’s a solid 231,” general manager Ron Francis said of Gauthier. “This is a guy who takes his training seriously.”

Gauthier can score, too. He had 41 goals for Val d’Or of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season, good for sixth in the league despite playing just 54 games. He was also the youngest and only draft-eligible player to make Canada’s World Junior team last winter.

There are some concerns about Gauthier’s assist numbers from last year — despite the 41 goals, he managed just 16 assists after registering 35 in 2014-15 — but the Hurricanes don’t seem concerned as long as he can put the puck in the net.

“If he can play with a creative center, he’s proved he can finish,” director of amateur scouting Tony MacDonald said. “And that’s what you’re hoping for with a player like that.”

It’s the second straight year the Hurricanes went after a big QMJHL forward in the draft.

Last year, they took 6’4 Nicolas Roy, the first overall pick in 2013 QMJHL draft, in the fourth round. Roy broke through last year, leading the league in goals with 48. Gauthier, who is just eight months younger than Roy,

Jake Bean puts on a team jersey after being selected 13th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagara Center.

photos by Timothy T. Ludwig | USA TODAY SPORTS images

is the ability to skate well and play with pace.

“In today’s NHL, you have to have defenders who can think … think the game and play the game at speed and make plays at speed, and he can do all of that,” director of amateur scouting Tony MacDonald said of Bean.

The decision to choose defense again — the Hurricanes took Fleury seventh overall in 2014 and Hanifin with the No.5 pick last June — re-emphasizes a

clear change in philosophy from Francis’ predecessor Jim Rutherford, who had a long-standing policy of not using top picks on defense.

“I think when you’re picking where you are you want to pick the best player that’s on our list,” Francis said. “We certainly had some forwards there, but there was a run of forwards and we’re really excited that Jake was there when we were picking because he was high on our list.”

Bean was the first WHL player and third defenseman selected during Friday’s first round.

International Scouting Services named him the second best offensive defenseman in the draft (behind Mikhail Sergachev, who went ninth overall to Montreal) and both ISS and The Hockey news had him ranked No. 16 in the 2016 class.

“He’s got such great feet. He’s made for today’s NHL game,” MacDonald said.

Drafted: 1st Round, 13th Overall Position: Defense Height: 6’1 Weight: 173 pounds Shoots: Left 2015-16 Team (League): Calgary (WHL)

Julien Gauthier poses for a photo after being selected 21st overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagara Center. photos by Timothy T. Ludwig | USA TODAY SPORTS images

was the sixth overall pick in that same QMJHL draft.

International Scouting Services deemed Gauthier’s size and strength “elite” and said he has an “excellent” shot, but also called him the draft’s most overrated player, ranking him No. 21 in the 2016 draft class. The Hockey News had him at No. 15, and NHL Central Scouting ranked him the 12th best North American skater in the draft after having him fourth at last sea-

son’s midway point.

Gauthier’s size and conditioning isn’t by accident: both his father and grandfather are former Mr. Canada bodybuilders, and the 18-year-old already has the frame to play in the NHL. “He’s the kind of player that could play right away, but he probably needs more development,” MacDonald said. “Physically, he can match up with pro players.”

Gauthier, who calls himself “the man child” in his Twitter profile, will have a fellow workout warrior in assistant coach Rod Brind’Amour when he comes to Raleigh. Francis, who played with Brind’Amour and is familiar with his to-this-day workout regiment, wasn’t ready to hand the team bodybuilding crown to Gauthier yet.

“Maybe,” the GM said with a laugh. “I’m not going that far yet.”

Drafted: 1st Round, 21st Overall Position: Right wing Height: 6’4 Weight: 225 pounds Shoots: Right 2015-16 Team (League): Val d’Or (QMJHL)

Janne Kuokkanen

Matt Filipe

Hudson Elynuik

Jack LaFontaine

Max Zimmer

Jeremy Helvig

Noah Carroll

Drafted: 2nd Round, 43rd Overall Position: Left wing/Center Height: 6’1 Weight: 175 pounds Shoots: Left 2015-16 Team (League): Karpat Jr. (Fin. Jr.)

Drafted: 3rd Round, 67th overall Position: Center Height: 6’2 Weight: 196 pounds Shoots: Left 2015-16 Team (League): Cedar Rapids (USHL)

Drafted: 3rd Round, 74th Overall Position: Center Height: 6’5 Weight: 201 pounds Shoots: Left 2015-16 Team (League): Spokane (WHL)

Drafted: 3rd Round, 75th Overall Position: Goalie Height: 6’3 Weight: 197 pounds Catch: Left 2015-16 Team (League): Janesville (NAHL)

Drafted: 4th Round, 104th overall Position: Left wing Height: 6’ Weight: 187 pounds Shoots: Left 2015-16 Team (League): Chicago (USHL)

Drafted: 5th Round, 134th Overall Position: Goalie Height: 6’3 Weight: 195 pounds Catch: Left 2015-16 Team (League): Kingston (OHL)

Drafted: 6th Round, 164th Overall Position: Defense Height: 6’1 Weight: 178 pounds Shoots: Left 2015-16 Team (League): Guelph (OHL)

The Hurricanes will likely have two new Finns in their lineup this fall, so adding another in the second round of last week’s NHL Draft wasn’t a surprise.

Janne Kuokkanen comes from the same Finnish organization, Karpat, where top prospect Sebastian Aho thrived the last two seasons. But Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis said the decision to pick Kuokkanen with their second-round selection came down to their impressions of him rather than the reputation and accomplishments of his countrymen.

“I personally saw him at the U-18s in North Dakota. We had a lot of looks at this guy,” Francis said.

Kuokkanen helped his draft stock at that tournament with seven points in seven games, including three assists in the gold medal game won by Finland.

“We think he’s another high hockey IQ kind of guy; plays all three forwards positions,” Francis added, saying that European scouts Robert Kron and Joni Pitkanen both followed Kuokkanen’s progress.

Kuokkanen has a three-year contract with Karpat, but was also selected in the CHL Import Draft by the reigning Memorial Cup champion London Knights. Francis denied the Hurricanes wanted Kuokkanen in North America next season.

“Those decisions we always leave to the agent and the player,” Francis said of where Kuokkanen will play in 2016-17. “It’s not fair of us to mingle in someone’s else’s business.”

With the first of three third-round picks, the Hurricanes added more size and grit to their prospect pool with Matt Filipe.

Filipe was one of the top rookies in the USHL last season and will follow in his father’s footsteps and play for Northeastern University in the fall.

“I just need to keep being consistent and playing physical and playing my game, which is a power forward player,” Filipe said at the draft.

Filipe had 19 goals and 17 assists in 56 games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL last season, finishing fifth on the team in scoring. He also had 99 penalty minutes, tops among Cedar Rapids’ forwards, and was named to the USHL’s All-Rookie Second Team.

“He plays an honest, 200-foot game,” Hurricanes director of amateur scouting Tony MacDonald said. “He gives you a little bit of everything. He can score [and] give you some grit.”

Filipe was one of the better performers at the NHL Scouting Combine, ranking in the top 25 of five of the 15 tests administered, including top-10 in both the bench press and pro agility tests.

His combination of size and speed is paired with his ability to finish around the net, which the Hurricanes hope will translate into more scoring depth up front down the road.

The Hurricanes held back-to-back picks with their other two third-round selections, spending the first on big center Hudson Elynuik.

The Hurricanes believe Elynuik is a late bloomer who can overcome some of the injuries that plagued him the past couple seasons and produce at a higher level.

“This is a kid who started in the Western League when he was 16, maybe should have spent the last year in midget,” Francis said.

“Then [he] was traded to Spokane and his first year he broke his collarbone. This year he put up some numbers — 19 goals — and actually broke his foot blocking a shot or probably would have had more numbers.”

Elynuik added 25 assists for Spokane last season, giving him 44 points in 56 games, and had three goals in six playoff games for the Chiefs.

Like many mid-round picks, Elynuik’s success will likely come down to consistency and work ethic. But he should know what it takes to get to the NHL: his father, Pat, was the eighth overall pick by Winnipeg in 1986 and logged 500 NHL games.

“We got to get the consistent compete out of him night in and night out,” Francis said.

“But based on where we were sitting with the three picks in the third round, we thought he was worth the gamble.”

Carolina came into the weekend with six goalies, but that didn’t stop them from taking two more.

“We looked at the fact we had nine picks and you look at the depth that’s a need for us in the goalie position,” Francis said. “So you got more darts to throw at the board, you might as well throw a couple at the position you need the most help in going forward.”

The first was Jack LaFontaine, who will be a freshman at the University of Michigan this fall and have a chance to compete for the starting job with the Wolverines.

“He’s going to Michigan, a good program,” Francis said. “We had a lot of good reports on him as well, and [he’s] a very competitive kid.”

LaFontaine also has some NHL bloodlines: his uncle is former 40-goal scorer Brian Bradley. But the Ontario native made his mark stopping the puck instead, going 24-8-7 last season with a 2.16 goals-against average and .921 save percentage for NAHL Janesville.

“He’s a big guy, put up very impressive numbers in that league,” MacDonald said.

“He’s another guy with some size, and everybody seems to be looking for those guys today.”

LaFontaine plays a hybrid style, and his decision to go to the NCAA should help him refine his game without the immediate pressure of NHL expectations.

Zimmer made an impression on an international stage when he had two goals and an assist for Team USA in their bronze medal game win at the World Junior A Challenge in December.

MacDonald praised Zimmer’s combination of size, speed and grit, and since he won’t turn 18 until late October, he will have another USHL season before heading to the University of Wisconsin. He was one of five players committed to the Badgers selected in the first five rounds of the draft, the first time that happened in Wisconsin history.

Like fellow Hurricanes pick Matt Filipe, Zimmer was one of the top rookie scorers in the USHL last season after he scored 16 goals and had 37 points in 55 games for the Steel.

“We think he’s a pretty interesting kid … and there’s plenty of upside there,” MacDonald said.

Zimmer’s path to the NHL — like most of the players drafted over the weekend — will be long and difficult, but he already has high-level skating ability and will have ample time to develop at Wisconsin.

Plus Zimmer has already proven he can overcome obstacles: he was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes at age 2 and, like current Coyotes forward Max Domi, has been able to monitor the disease and still compete at a high level.

Helvig went undrafted in his first year of eligibility in 2015, but the Nashville-born goalie did enough last season to catch the eye of the Hurricanes.

Carolina had an eye on Kingston anyway: defenseman Roland McKeown and forward Warren Foegele are both Hurricanes prospects and played for the Frontenacs last season, and it was hard to miss Helvig stealing the starting job in net.

“The second half I really got a lot of confidence,” Helvig said at the draft. “I got to play a little bit more.”

His performance wasn’t lost on the Hurricanes, who picked two goalies in a draft for the fifth time in team history.

“He was kind of the young guy and took the job from the older guy,” Francis said of Helvig. “We think he’s big, [and] he’s got some upside to him.”

Helvig was 19-3-1 with a .929 save percentage and 2.13 goals-against average last season, then won three of his four starts for the Frontenacs in the postseason.

“He probably should have been drafted last year and we decided we weren’t going to let it happen again,” MacDonald said.

It marked the third straight year Carolina took a player who was passed over the previous year: they took Peterborough’s Steven Lorentz in the 2015’s seventh round, and used a 2014 fourth-round pick on Swedish center Lucas Wallmark.

Carolina went with defense with their first pick of the draft, but waited until their ninth and final selection to add another. Noah Carroll is a familiar face to MacDonald, who is based in Guelph and saw plenty of the Storm defenseman. “[MacDonald] felt he was a guy that was worth the pick to see if he continues the progression he’d made from the start of the year to the end of the year,” Francis said The 2015-16 season couldn’t have been easy on Carroll. The Storm were the OHL’s worst team at 13-49-4-2, and Carroll’s numbers — specifically his minus-48 plus/minus rating — were hard to ignore for the wrong reasons.

“Obviously from a team perspective he had a tough year,” Francis said. “He stumbled a little bit early, but as the season went on showed a lot of progress.”

Carroll finished with 14 points in his second OHL season, two less than he had in 2014-15, but logged big minutes for the Storm.

“It was a young team, a rebuilding team, and they were struggling,” MacDonald said.

“He was part of that process. He’s done a lot of work over the latter part of the season. …

He projects as a real solid, reliable two-way guy down the road.”

Photos courtesy Getty Images, Gary Peterson/Action Sports Images, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Chicago Steel

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

B6 competitive fishing

ECU football

Three things to know about ECU’s 2016 football schedule

By Sean Labar North State Journal

C

image courtesy of the big rock tournament

The Ashley Lauren Crew, captained by Mark Annis,unload their catch at the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City, N.C. on Tuesday, June 14.

Hatteras Marlin Club hosts two straight weeks of offshore fishing

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal n the midst of another riveting Governor’s Cup in INorth Carolina, the Hatteras

Blue Marlin Club held its 57th annual blue marlin release tournament this past week.

Though the tournament isn’t a part of the illustrious Governor’s Cup competition, its history makes it one of the most sought after in the state. While the prize money isn’t as high as the Big Rock or other tournaments, Hatteras Blue Marlin Club Director Will Huntley notes it’s about more than a check.

“This isn’t a tournament you fish for money — ­ you fish for pride,” Huntley said. “It’s an angler’s tournament, through and through. With all the boats at our dock and clubhouse, it really feels like we’re continuing a tradition here at Hatteras.”

Desperado, led by angler George Venters, jumped out to an early lead with a blue marlin on the first day of the competition and followed it up with a sailfish the following day. The 525 points led all boats heading into Friday with Jackpot, Mollie Whopper and Outlaw all tied behind Desperado for second.

The tournament is one of the longest running in N.C., but prefaces a Governor’s Cup event held at the same location. Hatteras will host the 11th annual Hatteras Grand Slam, a grass roots tournament that has blossomed into a fledgling event with boat numbers growing each year.

The goal of the tournament is to highlight offshore billfish fishing in Hatteras during the summer season. With the tournament not exclusive, it invites anyone to participate regardless of fishing experience or boat style.

“It might not have nearly as many boats as the Big Rock or other huge tournaments in N.C., but it’s equally as important to our area,” Huntley said. “Seeing your name at the top of the Hatteras Marlin Club board means you’re among a lot of outstanding fishermen that do this all over the world.

“This is where sport fishing was born on the east coast. If it wasn’t for the Hatteras Marlin Club, I’m not sure sport fishing is what it is today in North Carolina.”

There is more than just pride on the line during the Grand Slam event, however, with a projected purse of $32,640.

That doesn’t sniff the prize of $662,995 for the Big Rock tournament held two weekends prior, but the likelihood of winning the event is higher with less offshore boats.

The Hatteras Grand Slam serves as the fifth regional event, leaving three more events before the series is decided. With stops in Beaufort (Barta Boys and Girls Club Tournament), Morehead City (Ducks Unlimited Tournament) and concluding in Manteo (Pirates Cove), expect plenty of excitement down the stretch with the Governor’s Cup on the line.

ollege football is right around the corner.

The summer dead season is slowly fading in the distance, and in just a few weeks, NCAA squads will begin gearing up for the 2016 season. East Carolina is a program riddled with more question marks than answers.

Most of the fan base seems to have let go of its love affair for ex-Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill, and begun to embrace first-year front man Scottie Montgomery.

While ECU doesn’t have a brutal slate of games in Montgomery’s first go-round, it isn’t a cakewalk either.

Here are three takeaways from the Pirates’ 2016 schedule.

1) Bitter rivals ECU and NC State will both be breaking in a new look on offense After a Sept. 3 opener that should be a lock against Western Carolina, ECU will host their in-state rivals from NC State. This will be the first true test for Montgomery and his raw but talented coaching staff.

While the Wolfpack didn’t turn any heads in 2015 with a (7-6) overall record, they should have some extra fire power this year.

NC State hired former Boise State offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz in an attempt to bring life to a sub par passing attack. Drinkwitz crafted a Broncos offense that finished 15th in the country in both scoring (39.1 ppg) and total offense (501.3 ypg). He will be an instant upgrade and has the ability to throw together a solid game plan against an ECU defense that his learning a new system under first-year defensive coordinator Kenwick Thompson. The Wolfpack had one of the better rushing attacks in the nation last season averaging 202.1 yards on the ground. That isn’t expected to change. On paper, these teams match up fairly evenly.

They are both implementing new offensive systems, and have more uncertainty than concrete answers. If ECU can steal this one, Montgomery’s group will gain much needed confidence early in the season.

2) The Pirates toughest stretch of games happens before the calendar flips to October After playing NC State, ECU will make a tough trip to Williams-Brice Stadium to play

2016 ECU Football Schedule Date

Opponent

Time/TV

Sept. 3

Western Carolina

6 p.m. ET/ESPN3

Sept. 10

NC State

Noon ET/ESPNU

Sept. 17

at South Carolina

4 p.m. ET/SECN

Sept. 24

at Virginia Tech

TBD

Oct. 1

UCF

TBD

Oct. 8

at USF

TBD

Oct. 13 (Thurs.)

Navy

7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN

Oct. 22

at Cincinnati

TBD

Oct. 29

UConn

TBD

Nov. 5

at Tulsa

TBD

Nov. 12

SMU

TBD

Nov. 26

at Temple

TBD

South Carolina. After the untouchable Steve Spurrier pulled a David Copperfield and vanished last October, the USC brass went for the big name hire with Will Mushcamp, and aren’t afraid to tell the world about it. They have his face plastered across an oversized recruiting vehicle named the “Boom Bus” that bleeds palmettos and seersucker. While many college experts peg Muschamp as a defensive mastermind, he was just a little above average in his first stint as a head coach at Florida.

This is by no means a guaranteed victory for the Pirates, but a win over an SEC team could go a long way. A loss won’t be crippling either, as ECU will likely enter the contest as at least a one touchdown underdog.

On Sept. 24, ECU makes the trek to Lane Stadium to battle Virginia Tech. This is arguably the toughest environment Montgomery’s group will play in all season. If you haven’t been to a game at Lane, just do a quick Google search of the Hokies entering the field to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” on game days.

ECU — with a mediocre squad — outlasted the Hokies, 35-28, at home in 2015, but this year’s Tech team has the blueprint to be dangerous.

The Hokies are now led by former Memphis head coach Justin Fuente, widely regarded as one of the top collegiate offseason hires. His Memphis teams ran a high-powered spread offense, which is scary to think about in Blacksburg. Long-time Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster is back, and if their offense is clicking early, this is a terrifying

combination. While many people will point to South Carolina as the toughest game on the schedule, this one has the potential to top it. If ECU can get out of September with a .500 record, most Pirate fans should be optimistic heading into a conference schedule that isn’t overly daunting. Montgomery has a chance to make a statement early, but could also be walking the plank.

3) Bowl eligibility will depend on improving conference performance The non-conference schedule will provide plenty of thrills and national attention early, but ECU’s ability to extend its season into December will depend on a better showing against American Athletic Conference opponents. After all, it was those frustrating, close losses to Temple, USF and Cincinnati that caused the most angst late in the year, as the Pirates missed the postseason for the first time since 2011.

If there’s one conference game that looks like the difference between bowling or going home for the holidays, it might be Navy’s nationally-televised visit to Dowdy-Ficklen on Oct. 13. The Thursday night ESPN atmosphere always brings out the best, and even if the Mids have had ECU’s number in the past this is a team that will be without record-breaking quarterback Keenan Reynolds. Be on the lookout for the North State Journal in attendance at the tailgates and show up ready to get loud for one of the most important games of the season.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

B7

NASCAR

How Stewart’s outlook changed after Sonoma

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal fter snapping an 84-race winless streak, Smoke is right A back in the thick of the Chase

standings after a win at Sonoma.

Tony Stewart sat next to his No. 14 car in a pool of Busch beer, taking questions from media members with a huge smile. After a moment of exuberance in Victory Lane — potentially the last in his illustrious 18-year NASCAR career — Stewart couldn’t wipe the grin from his face.

“Every win is good,” Stewart said in Victory Lane. “It doesn’t matter where you get them. ... It’s just an awesome day and to win at a place you’re going to for the last time, it means a bunch. It’s special, trust me.”

Stewart’s emotions were a stark change from just two days prior.

Riding an 84-race winless streak, Stewart was coming off a top-10 finish at Michigan and slowly climbing his way back into the top 30 in points despite missing the first eight races of the season with a back injury. But when asked why he was stepping back when he’s still competitive at the Sprint Cup level, he gave an honest response — as you would expect from Smoke.

“Because I’m ready to go run stuff that makes me happy and driving a Sprint Cup car does not make me happy right now,” Stewart said prior to Sonoma. “Like I said, a lot of things have changed.

The atmosphere has changed.

There is so much stuff in the garage area that has changed that it was time for me to make a change with it. ...

“There are just other things I want to do now. I never dreamed there was going to be a time that I was going to think about something like this. It wasn’t overnight.”

Sonoma didn’t just change Stewart’s final season. It also

Kyle Terada | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart (14) celebrates in victory lane during the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

changed his entire outlook on Sprint Cup racing again.

Coming off the eight-race hiatus to start 2016, Stewart was given a Chase waiver. If he finished inside the top 30 with a win, the three-time champion would automatically qualify for NASCAR’s postseason. The only problem? Stewart hadn’t won a race since 2013.

What seemed like a longshot when Stewart returned at Richmond now seems like a foregone conclusion. Smoke’s win at Sonoma propelled him to 33rd in the points standings, leaving him just nine points behind Brian Scott for a Chase berth.

Now the somber tone prior to Sonoma was replaced with the same ole snarky Smoke that NASCAR fans know and love. So has his mindset on Sprint Cup racing completely changed?

“Today. Check with me,” Stewart said. “Most likely when Daytona starts on Friday, not so much. We all know how I feel about restrictor-plate racing.”

While he might not enjoy superspeedways, Stewart is now the winningest active road course driver in the sport. His eighth win on a road course also put him in familiar territory — back in the Chase and currently on a roll.

Now that he has a win under his belt (finally), Stewart just needs to be in contention like he was in 2011. That year, Stewart was winless heading into the Chase before rattling off five wins in the postseason to claim his third premier series title. Suffice to say, he’s proven he can accomplish the impossible in the past.

So does Stewart have enough left in the tank for one more title run? Though it might have been laughable three weeks ago before Michigan or Sonoma, it’s a very real possibility with his Chase ticket all but punched. That’s enough reason for any driver to smile.

“Like I said, a lot of things have changed. The atmosphere has changed.

There is so much stuff in the garage area that has changed that it was time for me to make a change with it.”

Tony Stewart

redskins

Five questions ahead of Redskins training camp

By Sean Labar North State Journal

now, but to question his ability as a No. 1 corner seems foolish.

Redskins nation will get their first true glimpse in Richmond as Norman battles a skillful set of receivers, including Antonio Brown, Bryant and Beckham out of the gate.

little more than a month, Redskins 90-man roster Iwillntheapack its bags and head south

to Richmond.

In the grueling three weeks that are training camp, longtime veterans will lose their jobs while undrafted rookie free agents will scrap and claw for a roster spot. Training camp is a fun and nerve-racking time for everyone involved. Unlike minicamp, full contact is allowed and football begins to look like, well, football.

This is where the foundation is built. This is where fans, coaches and players begin to understand what the team may look like heading into the Sept.

12 Monday night opener against Pittsburgh.

Here are five storylines heading into Skins training camp:

3) Can the pass catchers stay healthy?

1) Will Kirk Cousins land a long-term deal?

Washington and Cousins’ camp are in two different galaxies in terms of coming to an agreement on a long-term contract extension. The Redskins feel like they’ve only seen a small sample size of Cousins as a starter. Cousins’ reps saw the $140 million extension for Andrew Luck from the Colts and the skyrocketing quarterback market.

Like gas prices in the heat of summer, Cousins is a commodity. Don’t like the Luck comparison? The Texans gave Brock Osweiler $18 million a year after starting just seven games. Cousins won’t take less than that and should land somewhere in the middle. If he plays well and sets a bunch of records two years in a row, Daniel Snyder will be forced to pull out the check book. But even with all the hoopla with Luck becoming the highest paid player in NFL history, most experts believe Cousins will play

Geoff Burke | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman (24) participates in drills during day one of minicamp at Redskins Park.

under the franchise tag this season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter called the deal “too difficult to do” ahead of the July 15 deadline.

2) How will Josh Norman fit in Washington?

The consensus from Redskins fans is the former Panthers AllPro cornerback will instantly thrive in D.C. Not so fast. NFL. com’s Bucky Brooks wrote a

piece earlier this week stating Norman was a product of the system in Carolina. “While I have the utmost respect for Norman’s playmaking ability as a zone corner, I don’t believe his skills are conducive to playing the role of a CB1 in every system,” Brooks wrote. Brooks is talking about a dude who handled Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham and Julio Jones last season. Sure, he may not have a ferocious supporting cast

There has been a bunch of hype surrounding the Washington pass catchers heading into the 2016-17 campaign. Some of that is warranted. On paper, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Jamison Crowder, rookie Josh Doctson and tight end Jordan Reed are a dream corps. NFL. com ranked this group as the No. 2 group of pass catchers in the league behind only Arizona.

But very few of these preseason page fillers have brushed on the health of the Washington receivers. These guys are not exactly a bunch of iron men who are sure to be suiting up on Sunday. The two biggest threats — Jackson and Reed — have a lengthy injury rap sheet. Jackson hasn’t played a full season since he came to Washington. Last season, he missed the first seven games with a lingering hamstring issue. Reed only missed two games in 2015, but sat out five in 2014. Doctson has already raised red flags with a fluky foot injury in minicamp. It’s pretty much a lock to say at least one of these guys won’t play a full season.

4) Matt Jones is starting at running back?

Somehow, second-year running back Matt Jones has unequivocally earned himself the starting gig. This is a tricky one.

The Washington coaching staff thought this guy was the second coming at the start of last year, but a fumbling issue paired with a steady decline at the end of the year created concern.

Jones looks the part. At 6’2, 232 pounds, he’s a bruiser coming out of the backfield but also a home-run threat. Almost every offseason conversation surrounding Jones as the long-term option has been negative, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he casually threw together a breakout season. In a Jay Gruden offense that makes its money through the passing game, Jones may actually find success in unexpected run scenarios. The 1990’s are long gone. The run isn’t always used to set up the pass anymore, which should aid the Skins’ running game.

5) What’s going on at linebacker?

There are a slew of question marks surrounding the Washington linebackers. The first, and most impactful, is the health and production of Junior Galette.

Galette put up freakish numbers in New Orleans with 12 sacks in 2013 and another 10 in 2014.

Long time Redskins beat writers described him as the most explosive player off the ball they had ever seen. But a torn Achilles during last year’s camp meant he never took a single snap in Washington. If he can produce even half the numbers from his Saints tenure opposite of Ryan Kerrigan, the Redskins pass rush will get a major upgrade. On the inside, the Skins are anchored by Will Compton, who stepped up with 96 tackles in 2015. Beyond Compton, this may be the biggest competition in camp. Mason Foster came out of nowhere and ended last season as a starter, while Perry Riley will attempt to regain his footing. Hybrid rookie Su’a Cravens has worked solely at ILB in minicamp, but many believe he will make the transition to safety. Steven Daniels, Terence Garvin, Carlos Fields, Adam Hayward and Martrell Spaight will all be vying for a roster spot.

This seems like it could go to anyone. May the best man win.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

B8 college basketball

ACC, Big East, others form officiating alliance

By Shawn Krest North State Journal he ACC announced Wednesday it was joining T a four-conference alliance to

help improve men’s basketball officiating by making it more efficient.

Joining the ACC in this alliance are the Big East, Colonial Athletic Association and Atlantic 10. The ACC previously collaborated with the CAA and Atlantic 10 on officiating matters in recent years.

The broadly defined mission of the alliance states that the four conferences will “work together on all officiating matters.”

John Cahill, who has been the Big East’s Supervisor of Officials since 2013, and Bryan Kersey, named ACC Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating in the offseason, will work together to manage officiating operations for the alliance.

“John Cahill and Bryan Kersey are incredibly well respected and will manage the alliance on behalf of all four conferences,” ACC commissioner John Swofford said. “ With the two of them working in concert, we expect

One priority of the alliance is the reduction of travel for basketball officials by allowing them to work games for multiple conferences in the same geographical area. it to benefit all four conferences and realize an increase in the level of officiating in every way.”

One priority of the alliance is the reduction of travel for basketball officials, by allowing them to work games for multiple conferences in the same geographical area.

“In a four- or five-day span, you could have a referee do a Northeastern game and then a Providence game, and a BC game and a UMass game without getting on an airplane,” said Big East commissioner Val Ackerman.

While officials won’t see a reduction in their workload — “They are independent contractors so there is no, and would be no, attempt to restrict the number of games they work,” Ackerman said — the travel schedule

should reduce overall wear and tear on the officials, leaving them fresher for the crucial games at the end of the season.

The alliance will also improve the quality of officiating on the East Coast.

“The Big East and ACC supervisors will work jointly to create a comprehensive training program for officials,” Swofford said. “The program will consist of regularly scheduled training meetings, ongoing communication among our officials in the four conferences, and alliance-wide meetings as well.

“Each conference will be responsible for evaluating officials in their respective games. Evaluations will be compiled and shared by the supervisors for the alliance use in connection with training as well as future assignments. Conferences will identify, recruit, and retain respective officials on behalf and to the benefit of the alliance and supervisors will together actively seek to attract prospects to officiate in this alliance.”

The ACC has been on the forefront of officiating technology, and Swofford promised the conference would share those ad-

in MEMORIAM

vancements, including the “command center” used to supervise games, with the other alliance conferences.

The alliance involves 49 schools, representing about one seventh of all Division I basketball teams, including three of the last four national champions.

Having one body governing the officiating for such a large group will also allow for more consistency.

“I think the more interaction we can have, the more consistency that should come out of that,” Swofford said. “This allows us that much more in terms of communication with each other which, hopefully, leads to more consistency on the floor, more consistency in interpretations and so forth.”

While the idea of a defined alliance is new, every major conference has used conference partners in recent years to help with scheduling of officials. The Big Ten has worked with the MAC and Summit. The SEC coordinator of officials also manages officiating for the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Pac 12 worked with four other West Coast conferences, while the Big 12, Conference

Hornets from page B1

Bradley Bower | Reuters

Patricia Sue Summit June 14, 1952 - June 28, 2016 Legendary women’s basketball coach passes away at age 64

“Here’s how I’m going to beat you.

I’m going to outwork you. That’s it.

That’s all there is to it.”

School: Tennessee-Martin (1970-1974) Coaching Career: Tennessee (1974-2012) Accomplishments: 8 time NCAA National Championship, 7 time NCAA Coach of the Year, 1,098 wins (most in NCAA history), Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012), Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2000)

On July 1, Marvin Williams, Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee also became unrestricted free agents. Let’s examine what Charlotte should do with the remaining free-agent options.

Next item on the list: Marvin Williams.

The former Tar Heel shined in 2015-16 as the Hornets transitioned to a perimeter-oriented offense. Williams, a stretch four who shot 40 percent on 3-pointers, can defend both forward positions, and is an underrated rim protector. It took him a decade to hit his full potential, but it couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time for Williams, who will cash in big during this financial boom.

It is risky to throw this much cash at a 30-year-old coming off his best season, but Williams is an excellent chemistry guy, and his skill set allowed Charlotte to play four-around-one on offense this season without dropping off defensively. The Hornets scored nearly seven more points per 100 possession with him on the floor.

Charlotte has Marvin’s early Bird rights, which means they can re-sign him for 175% of his previous salary over the cap (roughly $12.3 million). That’s not enough, though: Williams is a combo forward who can launch from deep — a valuable commodity in the NBA. He’s likely looking for something closer to $15 million, and perhaps even more.

Marvin could seek a higher salary elsewhere, like Houston, on a two-year deal, with the second season being an option.

Williams could then hit free agency again in 2017 when the cap makes another massive jump. Charlotte will have to work hard, and lean on those North Carolina/ Michael Jordan ties, if they want to re-sign Williams. .

Charlotte could have around $9-12 million in cap space — perhaps more if they’re able to move Spencer Hawes or Jeremy Lamb. That simply wasn’t enough to resign Linsanity, who linked up with Brook-

USA and three others all shared scheduling duties.

“If you’re tracking what’s been happening in college basketball officiating, there has been a movement over the past several years towards consolidation,” Ackerman said. “The days of having one conference with one assigner and then another conference with its own assigner are more in the past than in the future.”

The alliance has not specified how Kersey and Cahill will divide duties as co-managers. Kersey has worked ACC games for the last 26 years and was chosen to officiate in 20 NCAA Tournaments, including the 2015 Final Four. Cahill spent 30 years on the floor, working 11 Final Fours.

Women’s basketball is not included in the alliance, although Swofford said the men’s model could “provide a roadmap” for a similar venture in the future.

There are no plans to pursue an alliance for football officiating, however.

“You don’t have the same travel issues that you have in basketball. So there are significant differences there,” Swofford said.

lyn on the open market. Lin was great for Charlotte and loved playing with Kemba Walker, but they can find another point guard in free agency.

Courtney Lee is one of the most malleable players in the NBA: teams covet guards that can defend all three perimeter positions, and shoot threes. Lee is coveted by the Kings — a dysfunctional mess of a franchise. The Hornets, however, had great chemistry a season ago — something Lee mentioned after arriving from Memphis. But ungodly amounts of money can make intangibles increasingly difficult to value. The Hornets should try to bring Lee back, but only if the price is right (three years, $45 million may be too much). He’s somewhat of a luxury, especially with multiple two-guards on the roster: Lamb and Marco Belinelli. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will see minutes as a small-ball four next season, but now the wing rotation is getting crowded.

Al Jefferson has meant so much to this organization the last three years. But he’s a porous defender and his health has been declining, as have his minutes over the past three years. Jefferson is still an offensive threat, but his shooting percentage from 3-10 feet fell off a cliff this year (down to 41 percent), and he’s best suited coming off the bench. Charlotte, unless they can get a massive pay cut from Jefferson (on the Room Exception after renouncing his $20 million cap hold), should probably move on -- Jefferson is reportedly getting a $30 million, three-year deal from the Indiana Pacers.

It’s tough to see some of the faces from the Hornets’ strong 2015-16 campaign leave, but there’s only so much the front office can do. Hopefully, Cho and Jordan can bring back Williams to join Batum, then use the remaining funds to fill out the bench.

If the Hornets strike out on Williams and Lee they will have tons of cap space, but finding replacement players in a very aggressive buyers market could be tricky.

James D. Smith | USA TODAY SPORTS images

James David “Buddy” Ryan February 17, 1931 - June 28, 2016 Dale Zanine | USA TODAY SPORTS images

The defensive guru left his mark on the NFL

“QBs are overpaid, overrated, pompous bastards and must be punished.”

Place of birth: Frederick, Oklahoma Teams coached: University of Buffalo, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles (Head coach), Houston Oilers, Arizona Cardinals (Head coach) Accomplishments: 2x Super Bowl Champion, Crafted the famous “46” defense, 55-55-1 Head coaching record, Led ‘85 Bears defense to allow just 10 total points during entire playoffs

fort bragg from page B1 and Larry Fitzgerald.

The new stadium will be the smallest facility to host a MLB regular-season game in more than 100 years, since the Braves, then located in Boston, played home games at the 6,800 seat South End Grounds, from 1976 to 1914. Only three stadiums with seating capacities below 20,000 have been used in the 102 years since then: San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium, capacity 18,264, which hosted Expos games in 2003 and

Atlanta Braves outfielders Chase d’Arnaud (left) and Emilio Bonifacio (64) react after defeating the Miami Marlins at Turner Field.

The Braves defeated the Marlins 8-5.

2004, as well as a Mets-Marlins series in 2010, Seattle’s Sick’s Stadium, which had a capacity of 18,000 when the Pilots played there from April to June, 1969, and Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl, capacity 18,000, which was used until 1928.

Twelve minor league teams and six spring training facilities have a larger capacity than the Fort Bragg Stadium.

The 8:00 game will be broadcast on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Probable starting pitchers are lefthander Adam Conley (4-5, 3.90) for Miami and righty Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.14) for Atlanta.

accolades

We get up close and personal at the Duke Lemur Center as they “move it, move it” in celebration of fifty years of species preservation and education.

See page C6

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

NS J SUNDAY

7.03.16

playlist July 7-10 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games Linville Brawny athletes, delicate dancers, majestic bagpipe band parades, rocking Celtic music and a spectacular highland setting make up this colorful celebration of Scottish culture at the Highland Games. Plus men toss telephone poles end over end, ladies kick up their kilts with a Highland Fling, and Border collies herd sheep with keen precision. gmhg.org

dig in

July 8-9 15th Annual N.C. Blackberry Festival Lenoir Enjoy the smells and taste of blackberries when blackberry cobbler is served after the “World’s Largest Patchwork of Blackberry Cobbler” parade.

There’s also a Blackberry 5k/ fun run and a parking lot picking for music lovers. Also enjoy arts and crafts vendors and a large farmers market full of locally grown fruits and vegetables. ncblackberryfestival.com

July 9 Wild About Summer at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Belmont PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Children watch as numerous species of fish and sharks swirl through the waters in the Living Shipwreck exhibition at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores on Thursday, June 16.

Dive deep with the North Carolina Aquariums To mark the occasion of their 40th anniversary, we visited each aquarium location. The first in our series is Pine Knoll Shores.

Learn how to be a citizen science observer, join experienced staff, and get in the field where you will deepen your connection to nature by getting up close with wildlife. Contribute to a survey collection database, view native wildlife species on loan from the Museum of York County, along with a host of other games and activities.

Lunch, snacks, and beverages will be available for purchase. dsbg.org

July 9-10

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

Jurassic Quest Fayetteville

D

eep within the depths of the blue waters lie the swiftest of jellyfish and the sharpest of snapping turtles. Across the terrain of this state, you’ll find bass trout ready for catching and river otters ready for playing. No matter where one travels throughout North Carolina, one will find a multitude of land and sea to discover and explore from the ocean bottom to the tree tops.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores has been opening its doors to North Carolinians and visitors for 40 years. Guests are treated to a pilgrimage from the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain as an understanding of creatures and their habitats amass.

“The primary reason people come to the aquarium is for family fun and to make memories. We want visitors to learn something new about the aquarium, the species and their habitats as well as take a way a message on the importance of conservation,” said Claire Aubel, public relations coordinator.

The aquarium is home to 265 species, mainly those found in North Carolina. Aquarists and staff take great pride in providing care to the rehabilitation of amphibSee dig in, page C6

Inside

(L to R) Rihanna Rojas, 7, Paige Resto, 9, and Bella Diaz, 5, dip their hands in the Ray Touch Pool at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores on Thursday, June 16.

Provisions

A trip to the farmers market is an artist’s palette of produce and fresh fruit providing many a meal inspiration throughout the year. We have a recipe using seasonal ingredients from your local farmers market with a grocery list you can cut out and take along with you on your next trip.

See page C3

The main dinosaur exhibit features ultra-realistic, life-size animatronic dinosaurs..Visitors can interact with these huge creatures, learn about them, and even ride a few. It features over 50 dinosaurs, realistic scenes, cute baby dinosaurs, and lots of fun activities for kids of all ages. There are huge T-Rex and Triceratops fossil digs where young paleontologists can uncover long-hidden dinosaur bones; the “Dino Bounce” area with several dinosaur-themed inflatable mazes, face painting, dino crafts, and much more. crowncomplexnc.com

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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necessities sensibility

timeless

Rock patriotic style without looking like Uncle Sam

July 4, 1878

By Jennifer Wood North State Journal ’ll be the first to jump in and say it is fun to play along Iwith the spirit of a holiday, but dressing yourself from head to toe in the colors of our flag can come off a tad over the top. Here are four tips to keep you from being the corny firecracker at your Fourth of July gathering.

Mix it up When you reach for the red element grab a coral pair of shorts and match it with a subdued blue and white top.

Sundress simplicity A solid color sundress that can go from day to night is always a good choice. The versatility of a solid dress in the colors of our flag gives you the option of accessorizing for the occasion.

The pattern matters You can play with the red, white, and blue color palette by choosing a maxi dress floral pattern in those colors – pair with a bright red clutch and white sandals, and you’re all set for a festive day.

Go nautical Use the fourth as an excuse to be a little preppy and set sail with a navy sweater or top coupled with a white skirt and chart your course for a flagwaving good time.

Even if you aren’t the type to go all in, you can show off your patriotic side with a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans – just throw in a pop of color with a pair of red flats.

The first train to travel the Saluda Grade railway passage arrived in what is now the town of Saluda in Polk County. Construction of the railway passage began in 1877 under the direction of Captain Charles W. Pearson. The railway was intended to link Salisbury, Murphy, and Knoxville, Tennessee, and most importantly, to provide a connection between Asheville and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

While railroad builders used tunnels to snake through the steep climbs found elsewhere in the North Carolina mountains, near Saluda they decided to face the steep inclines head-on and built straight up the rugged terrain.

July 6, 1977

The first Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits restaurant opened in Charlotte. The quick service restaurant was founded

by Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas.

It was a walk-in location with no seating, and was located in what was then a less desirable part of Charlotte. The location was Fulk’s way of proving the quality of his food, and indeed, it came to be very successful.

“The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting”

by Shefali Tsabary

Eamon queeney | north state journal

Grill the perfect hotdog this July 4th

released May 31, 2016

“Well Played: The Ultimate Guide to Awakening Your Family’s Playful Spirit”

by Meredith Sinclair released June 7, 2016

“Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life”

by Richard Louv

released April 12, 2016

“Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy in Childhood’s Messy Years”

by Catherine Newman released April 5, 2016

Know a North Carolina story that needs telling?

Drop us a line at features@nsjonline.com.

Hot dogs cook on the original grill in the Roast Grill located in downtown Raleigh.

Parenting is a seemingly never-ending lesson in how to give of yourself for the sake of your children. But what’s the best and most effective way to do that? Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh gave us these book suggestions all inspired by and about parenting.

released June 7, 2016

Tell us

the essentials

turn the page

by Michele Borba

Contributors to this section this week include: Samantha Gratton Laura Gruebel Josh Hyatt Laura Ashley Lamm Cory Lavalette Alison Miller Amy Richards

Love your roses? So do Japanese beetles and now is the time of year they show up. Use this insect’s natural instincts against them. Japanese beetles like to huddle together when feeding, so a few on your roses will draw others and before you know it — beetlemania. Get ahead of them and shake your plants in the morning so they drop in a bucket of soapy water. That way their little friends are less likely to join up throughout the day.

If you don’t like the shake it off method, cheesecloth or insecticide options also available. There are many that work well, but with a little hand picking, you can tackle those beetles yourself so you’re left with a garden of fragrant, flowering rose bushes.

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

“UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our AllAbout-Me World”

Voices

just a pinch

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal The July 4th holiday is one of summer’s marquee events, and chances are most Americans will partake in franks and fireworks. While most people’s firework options are limited to what is local, it’s not hard to up your Independence Day hot dog game.

Of course, it starts with buying a good hot dog.

“It depends if you want a sausagey-garlicy weiner like Hebrew National or Nathan’s, they’re a much stronger flavor and less like the original weiner, which is more of a bologna recipe,” said George Poniros of famed Raleigh eatery The Roast Grill.

The Roast Grill — which has been grilling up hot dogs, and only hot dogs, in the state’s capital since 1940 —serves up the latter style, and Poniros said name recognition does not equal quality when it comes to hot dogs.

“Sometimes these store brand weiners are better than some of the high end ones that are advertised,” he said. “Harris Teeter’s store brand is the best in grocery store.”

As for cooking them, Poniros has key advice on how to set up your grill.

“On hot. Don’t grill them on low because they’ll end up drying out,” he said.

After you’ve gotten some good grill marks going, Poniros said to lay off the heat — it can also lead to the dreaded dry dog.

“If you cook a lot, put them in a vat of a little bit of vegetable oil so they don’t dry out,” he said. “But don’t put water in there. Keep them warm, but not too hot.

They don’t have to be piping hot.”

When it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, Poniros has a firm stance on not using ketchup on hot dogs — the condiment is not even available at The Roast Grill. But if you want chili, he said, don’t go cheap.

“The more you spend on your chili in the grocery store, the less you’re going to make on your own and the better it’s going to be,” he said.

Your dogs are perfectly grilled and you’ve chosen your toppings, but how many should make their way on to your plate?

“You have to eat at least three,” Poniros said, but he cautioned against going overboard “because you are going to have other foods. Roasted beans, slaw, potato salad.”

After all, you don’t want to fill up too much and sleep through the fireworks.

stir it up “Morehead City is a little fishing town on the North Carolina coast. The Arendell Room is a shotgun-style bar, kind of like what you’d see in San Francisco or New York, but we’ve incorporated backlit Ball jars behind all our bottles to give an underwater look. We use only fresh-squeezed juices, and of course, fresh fruit and herbs. The inspiration for this drink came from Bogue Sound watermelon. Being on the coast, we have sandy soil, which I think is responsible for making it so good and sweet. It’s the best watermelon you’ll ever have. The Tourmaline is a summertime favorite — it’s become a classic at the bar.”

— Denny Shrock The Arendell Room, Morehead City

The Tourmaline 3 one-inch pieces fresh watermelon 1½ ounces Cruzan gold rum ¾ ounce fresh lime juice ½ ounce simple syrup Tonic water

In a mixing glass, muddle watermelon, rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. Add ice, shake, then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top with tonic water, and garnish with a thinly sliced watermelon rind.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

provisions

eat!

your local farmers market Each season brings its own set of fruits, vegetables, and foliage in North Carolina, and your local farmers market is the perfect place to find the freshest of them all. Summer brings fresh fruit, fresh seafood, and a Southern staple — fresh okra. This succotash inspired by the many great things you can find at the farmers market is sure to satisfy your taste buds with a certain lightness and just the right amount of flavor for summer.

Farmers Market Succotash with Bacon-Wrapped N.C. Shrimp

1 cup corn, 2-3 ears of corn 1 cup okra, sliced in 1/2” pieces 1 large tomato, peeled, with seeds removed, and chopped 2 cups green peas (or whatever peas or beans are fresh at the market) 1/2 cup onion, diced 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon butter salt pepper pinch of cayenne

Steam green peas for 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet. Add onion and garlic to melted butter and cook for 1 minute. Add okra and corn to skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, steamed peas, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes until desired tenderness. Season with salt and pepper.

When cooking with fresh vegetables it doesn’t take as long to get the vegetables to a crisp tender texture while preserving most of the nutrients!

Grocery List

Check your pantry to see what you already have and add the rest to your shopping list. corn okra tomato peas or beans (i.e. green peas, lima beans, field peas) onion garlic 16 large N.C. shrimp cayenne pepper butter

For the complimentary recipe for Blueberry Peach Salad with Blueberry Dressing and the grocery list for both dishes visit nsjonline.com

Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 4 Succotash:

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Broiled Bacon-Wrapped N.C. Shrimp: 16 slices of center cut thin sliced bacon 16 large fresh N.C. shrimp 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon salted butter pinch of cayenne

Peel and devein shrimp.

Microwave bacon slices for 60-90 seconds, depending on thickness, on a plate wrapped in a paper towel.

Wrap almost fully cooked bacon around raw shrimp and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Melt butter in a cup with cayenne and minced garlic.

Brush bacon-wrapped shrimp with garlic butter mixture.

Broil shrimp 2-3 minutes until opaque. Spoon succotash onto plate and top with shrimp.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Gerald McLamb, of McLamb Family Farm, packs okra into boxes to sell at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh.

98 % of ALL Farms

are Family Farms ncfb.org

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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accolades Duke Lemur Center | Durham

Hostilian, a six-month-old Coquerel's sifaka lemur, clings to his mother Gisela's back in a natural enclosure at the Duke Lemur Center on Saturday, June 18. In the natural enclosures lemurs have acres of habitat that they are free to roam through as they please.

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Above, Olivia Del Gaizo, 3, holds a stuffed animal lemur with her dad Andrew Del Gaizo, both of Cary, during Lemurpalooza at the Duke Lemur Center on Saturday, June 4. Below, Sophie Snyder, 15, of Graham, holds a replica of a mouse lemur paw. Lemurpalooza offers attendees a chance to go on tours and learn more about lemur research being done at the center.

By Jennifer Wood North State Journal

JJ

ust off the hustle of the Durham highway and tucked away on 85 lush acres in the Duke Forest is the largest lemur sanctuary of its kind in the world.

Let that sink in. The only place with a larger population of lemurs is their native home of Madagascar. The Duke Lemur Center has quietly (or not so quietly if it’s feeding time) been nestled in Durham for 50 years.

The center traces its history to two biologists deciding to combine their research, one studying maternal behavior in mammals at Duke and the other studying biochemical genetics in lemurs at Yale. In 1966, through funding and grants, the center once a part of Duke University’s main campus, moved to the acreage it now inhabits in the forest.

Lemurs thrived on the island of Madagascar for millions of years until humans settled there. Today, the added threat of the illegal pet trade has the primate marked as one of the most threatened species out there. “Lemurs are the most endangered group of mammals in the world, it is illegal to own a pet lemur in Madagascar,” said Dr. Tara A. Clarke, visiting assistant professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University. “But, it is not enforced or monitored.”

For 50 years the DLC has housed, cared for, and studied nearly 4,000 animals across 31 species of nonhuman primates, including lemurs. The studies have also included lorises and tarsiers, but the majority of their work has been with Madagascar’s native lemur, giving rise to the eponymous center. Today, 240 primates across 21 species call the center home. The center’s main goal remains to provide a living laboratory to further advance science and learning and biological conservation.

The center promotes community by opening its doors to the public for scheduled tours, to school groups for education programs, and for special camps and workshops. This year they have added extra events in celebration of their 50th anniversary such as the sold out Lemurpalooza event on June 5 and a Symposium and Gala in September where members of the worldwide scientific community will convene in Durham to honor the center and its work.

Currently, a team of anthropologists, biologists, and conservationists from the DLC are in Madagascar led by Conservation Coordinator Charlie Welch. The group will return to Durham this week, bringing back information to further their studies and sustain the life of this primate that may provide a window into our longevity as well.

Left, Coquerel's sifaka lemur Gisela and her six-month-old baby Hostilian eat in the forest as Primate Technician Melanie Currie sits in the background in a natural enclosure at the Duke Lemur Center on Saturday, June 18, 2016. The lemurs are free to roam the enclosure, but they are trained to come when they are called to be fed. Right, Education Manager Chris Smith, left, leads a tour of the natural lemur enclosures at the Duke Lemur Center on Saturday, June 18, 2016. The Duke Lemur Center is home to 240 lemurs of which approximately 75 roam the numerous natural enclosures.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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timeless

Visit the ‘Birthplace of Raleigh’ for free on Independence Day

By Josh Hyatt North State Journal If you’ve ever visited downtown Raleigh, there’s a good chance you’ve gone right by the oldest house in the city and never even noticed it.

The Joel Lane Museum House, tucked in the corner of Hargett and St. Marys streets, was built in 1769 and has been in its current location since 1911. It is a substantial nugget of North Carolina history, with its third of an acre of land surrounded by mostly larger buildings that occupy the roughly 1,000 acres of land its former owner, Joel Lane, sold to the state in 1792 to form the new state capital.

If you’re looking for a historically relevant and free event to enjoy in Raleigh on the Fourth of July, the folks at the Joel Lane House have a treat for you. Its owners, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina, purchased the property in 1927 and have been giving tours since the Depression Era — they’ve got it down pat.

The North State Journal toured the house on Thursday to get a taste of what you can

expect if you check it out. Meaghan Nappo, the museum’s director, says the little plot of land the house sits on today is what is left of the over 5,000 acres that Lane owned in the state, sitting just a few hundred yards from its original positioning atop a nearby hill.

Docents will be on tap Monday for all visitors between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., firing muskets, weaving various linens, showing oldtime toys and games for kids, and teaching people how to write with quill pens. Alvetta Callis, the encyclopedic docent giving tours on Thursday, says there may even be a blacksmith present on Independence Day. Callis, who received her history degree from NC State University in 1973, has been giving tours of the grounds for the last four years.

Standing on the original flooring of the second floor of the Joel Lane House, dressed in time-appropriate garb, she shared her thoughts on the powerful impact preserving such a historical landmark represents for our state.

“We owe gratitude to those that gave up everything they knew to come here,” she said, referring to the European settlers of our na-

Alvetta Callis, right, of Raleigh, discusses the history of the Joel Lane House with Elaine Roseboro, left, of Raleigh, during a tour on Thursday, June 30.

Madeline Gray | north state journal

tion. “We also owe gratitude to everyone that came here in chains.”

Touring the facility, the docents do not sugarcoat the history behind its existence.

Lane, a longtime landowner, militiaman, and politician, owned over 30 slaves when he passed away in 1795.

North Carolina Aquarium System locations:

dig IN from page C1

“The primary reason people come to the aquarium is for family fun and to make memories.

We want visitors to learn something new."

— Claire Aubel

ians, birds, and reptiles in need. This includes the sea turtle rehabilitation program.

As cold stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are brought into the facility, staff and veterinarians care for the turtles, increase their body temperature, and eventually release them back into the Gulf Stream.

Turtles that have been cold stunned have been left outside in the cold when temperatures may have been as low as 20 degrees. Some turtles receiving rehabilitation are used as educational turtles to help teach school children about the importance of the species in the environment.

“We do our absolute best to provide the appropriate care to all animals and to educate visitors about the importance of conservation,” said Stuart E. May, director of Husbandry and Operations.

Visitors can sign up for a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium and see the rehabilitation facilities used for sea turtles. Children can be an aquarist’s apprentice and learn how to make turtle brownies, a mix of seaweed and vitamins, for the sea turtles.

To further explore the phenomenon of sea turtles, the aquarium offers the Loggerhead Odyssey exhibit where visitors can take a mystical and interactive journey with the turtles from hatchlings to the deep sea.

“Loggerhead turtles are commonly found in North Carolina,” said Aubel. “A turtle’s gender cannot be determined until the turtle reaches 20 – 30 years of age.”

Visitors can watch “Below the Surface” where divers swim with the sharks in the 306,000 gallon “Living Shipwreck” exhibit twice a day and talk with guests about life underwater. There are 15 staff members and 50 volunteers who participate in this dive program that educates the general public.

Currently, divers are educating visitors on the effects of marine debris in the ocean.

“We’re trying to create an awareness for people that our trash, if not disposed of properly, can end up in the ocean waterways and directly into the ocean. Reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic bottles and bags keeps them from ending up in the ocean,” said Ethan Simmons, dive safety officer.

Pine Knoll Shores see anywhere from 375,000 to 425,000 visitors a year, with the highest volume during the summer season.

On the journey across North Carolina from the East to the West, here’s a quick guide to some of the many inhabitants found in the aquarium.

The “Living Shipwreck” exhibit features the sandbar, sand tiger, and nurse sharks while the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” plays host to jellyfish

Looking at Lane’s will, where he distributed his slaves to his family members, you can appreciate just how far we’ve come, especially in the areas of women’s and minority rights.

“Only men could own land, but women could own things,” Callis said. “These slaves were considered things.”

Pine Knoll Shores

1 Roosevelt Blvd.

Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512 252-247-4003

Fort Fisher 900 Loggerhead Road Kure Beach, NC 28449 910-772-0500

Roanoke Island* 374 Airport Road Manteo, NC 27954 252-475-2300

*Undergoing renovation, but offering construction discounts on their entry fees, check: ncaquariums. com/roanoke-island for more information.

Jennette’s Pier 7223 South Virginia Dare Trail Nags Head, NC, 27959 252-255-1501 MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Jellyfish glide through the water at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores on Thursday, June 16. and man-o-war. The “Carolina Reefs” are home to the jackknife, reef butterfish, blue Chromis, and sunshine fishes. The “Tidal Waters” bring guests face-to-face with loggerhead sea turtles, horseshoe crabs, and stingrays that may be touched, carefully, of course. Meet the green sea turtle, Nimbus, in the “Queen Anne’s Revenge”, a recreation of Blackbeard’s famous ship. The “Coastal Plain” brings visitors inside the cypress swamp where ditch dwellers, corn snakes, and gators make a home. Watch the river otters play and learn how to identify poisonous dart frogs in the “Piedmont” while the “Mountains” take us home to the Smokey Mountain Trout Pool featuring brown, rainbow, and brook trout.

There’s something for everyone inside the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium. Dive in and see all there is to find.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

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Traditions Editor's note

This week the Terpsichorean Club of Raleigh issued invitations to the 90th annual North Carolina Debutante Ball. Selection of the debutantes is completed by more than 200 nominators from across the state with final selections made by Terpsichorean Club members. Invitations are extended to the debutantes in recognition of the contributions their families have made to North Carolina in the areas of economic, cultural, social and civic life. The 2016 ball will be held September 8-10 in Raleigh, with the formal presentation of the young ladies as the highlight of the weekend festivities.

Blowing Rock Aynsley Taylor Moore

Greensboro Mary Scott Faircloth Perry Christian Hicks Alexandra Haley Jones Emily Hastings Moffitt Mary Layton Moffitt Jane Bradford Pearce Caroline Elizabeth Rapp Katherine Wyndham Thomas Elizabeth Bryan Trent

Burlington Lillian Palmer Canaday Gatlin Grace Chandler Sarah Gatewood McQueen Elizabeth Grace Sapp Cary Charlotte Anne Cece Sarah Elisabeth Marriott Abigail Margaret Ueland Charlotte Mary Hill Brooks Rachel Taft Amherst Cecil Sloan Shaffner Cranz Laney Elizabeth Flanagan Josephine McIver Hendrix Eliza Wilson Joyner Sarah Boykin Heyward Lathrop Caroline Chapman Mangan Ann Matheson Mason Charlotte Summerall McArthur Lindsay Steele Shuford Elizabeth Ray Sommerkamp Sarah Spangler Stephens Irene Biggers Touma Margaret Tinsley Ullrich Concord Sarah Scott Dickens Durham Lily Flanagan Anderson Sydney Elizabeth Brown Emma Kathryn Eason Esten Jennings Walker Edenton Lacey Adair Hope Lucy Mae Holliday Rascoe Claire Marie Shields

Greenville Emerson Anne Barnhill Bailey Sloan Brown Hope Alexis Gibson Alexis Elizabeth Hawk Aurelia Stafford Monk Meda Spell Piner Elizabeth Baird Whichard Hatteras Meredith Adelaide Hodges Hickory Lucy Ayers Robinson Dorothy Ruth Simmons Eloise McCorkle Zagaroli High Point Charlotte Grace Cain Meredith Dillard Field Jacksonville Sarah Kasell Hambright Amy Danielle Wangerin Kinston Elizabeth Sylivant Newton Lillian Rose Wooten Lexington Caroline Forbes Belk Matthews Rebecca Lyerly Davidson

Elizabethtown Margaret Litton Clark

Morganton Anne Tod Collett

Elon Riley Ann Norton

Mount Gilead India Sehoy Jordan

Enfield Katherine Landin Johnston

New Bern Mary Kendall Andrews Kelley Nicole Hoard Charlotte Morgan Snead Sherrod Brinson Willis

Farmville Lillie Lee Rhodes Fayetteville Emma Caroline Edge Margaret Sperethoula Griffin Jessie Ann Keener Vivian Maria Pantelakos Kenan Elizabeth Stiehl Kendal Kathryn Williams Goldsboro Caroline Minges Carlyle Margaret Maxwell Tanner Mary Crawford Tanner

Pendleton Caroline Stephenson Edwards Pinehurst Greyson Philbrick Keel Madison Jane McGuirt Emily Margaret McMurray Raleigh Sallie Blanchard Allen Ashley James Andrews Sarah Carr Barnes Nina Lynde Barnett

Sarah Elizabeth Boyce Laura Thompson Bratton Augusta Ellis Brook Anna Carson Buckthal Carter Julian Bunn Courtney Ryan Casey Carson Elizabeth Clay Sarah Elizabeth Coffey Parker Mindy Coggins Jacqueline Louise Collie Betsy Reade Creech Caroline Stevens Crofton Charlotte Rollinson Crumpton Mary Margaret Dever Margaret Ann Flaugher Emily Watson Garvey Mary Brinn Gray Elisabeth Bailey Ham Caroline Driscoll Hansen Bellamy Abbott Harden Hollis Bay Hatfield Hayden Elizabeth Hemphill Natalie Paige Hianik Reagan Elizabeth Honeycutt Grace Elizabeth Isley Lyndsey Scott Jones Olivia Day Joyner Fiona Kennedy Kelly Darden Kennon King Laura Grayson Lowe Sarah Charlotte Lowe Hannah Riley Makepeace Barrie Elizabeth Mann Isabel Spencer Mattox Elizabeth McKenzie Mayhew Julia Hall McQueen Hannon Dupree Miller Alexandra Blair Mitchell Marguerite Morgan Mitchell Rachel Augusta Moran Anne Christopher Morse Sadie Harris Parker Elisabeth Grier Paulson Edythe Dunstan Perkins Anne McGregor Pollock Courtney Marie Price Deborah Gray Reed Grace Thayer Replogle Emma Chapron Richardson Ashley Parsons Rieker Madison Parker Riley Josie Tyndall Rouse Annie Johnson Ruhmann Ellen Bradley Shook Alexandria Larson Spoor Katherine Brooke Stewart Margaret Mae Strickland Kara Eleni Summerford Caroline Lane Utt Grace Margaret Wayne Laura McCall Whitley Anne Elise Tharrington Wiedmer Mary Scott Willson Kathryn Marjorie Wright

Richlands Sallie Lee Sylvester Rocky Mount Margaret Elizabeth Deyton Ann Claire Roberson Rutherfordton Emily Allred Decker Salisbury Ann Rollins Johnson Shelby Rebecca Lutz Burton Victoria Jane Hunter Siler City Lindsay Ashlyn Tate Smithfield Emma Augusta Lampe Southern Shores Anna Catherine Culpepper Statesville Allison McKenzie Beard Tarboro Sarah Catherine Anderson Deanna Scott Mayo Washington Marisa Frances Gerard Whiteville Margaret Stuart High Wilmington Alexandra Britt Creighton Eleanor Gregory Harris Frances Dowling King Katharyn Stuart Loweth Katharine Shephard Efird Sullivan Juliet Marie Taylor Kathryn Graham Tinsley Hannah Nicole Williams Wilson Lauren Hailey Blair Charlotte Parker Daniel Hadlea Elizabeth Finklea Emma Cosby Lantz Elizabeth Darden Smith Emma Cotten Vick Winston-Salem Ruthlee DeArmon Britton Mary Ann Cooper Broughton Olivia Alston DuBose Kerry Elizabeth Eagan Elizabeth Preston Fulton Anne Lillian Myers Anna Elizabeth Nastasi Gwendolyn Sanders Newman Kathryn Sandridge Oldham Anna Schaefer Phillips Wrightsville Beach Catherine Leigh Dull

illustration by Ally Levine | North State Journal

COMING UP in the good life Gather your vases

Everything is coming up—roses, and zinnias, and dahlias—so what now? We have a step-by-step guide from floral experts for arranging your blooming abundance so you can enjoy it and share the wealth with friends.

Get crafty

The Blue Ridge Mountains are home to the worldrenowned Penland School of Crafts. We join one artist as she hones her craft in a two-week workshop series.

Sand in your shoes

“I love beach music” is not just a song in North Carolina. For some, it is a way of life. We visit with a few Carolina shag hall of famers to learn their tips, as well as the history behind the official dance of summer.

C8

North State Journal for Sunday, July 3, 2016

pen & Paper pursuits I reckon . . .

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

Contentnea Creek

color AWAY!

“Oh, say, can you see?” This week, help us color the broad stripes and bright stars as we celebrate Independence Day. Be sure to use #coloraway and share your work with us on social media.

If the Independence Day weekend finds you hanging your “gone paddling” sign you may want to make your way to this tributary of the Neuse River. The start of the creek is located 12 miles west of Wilson and continues past the towns of Stantonsburg and Snow Hill, finally emptying into the Neuse River three miles southeast of Grifton. The creek is pronounced kun-TENT-nea.

Janric classic sudoku

Solutions to puzzles from 6.26.16

illustration for the north state journal | AMY RICHARDS