North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 50

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 50

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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017

Inside Eight schools win state football titles, Sports

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Second grader Joseph Morales, 8, right, puts his helmet on backwards as he checks out his brand new bike in the gymnaisum during the 16th anniversary of Academy Sports + Outdoors’ bike donation program at Salem Elementary School in Apex, on Dec. 8. Morales was one of 30 deserving students to receive a bike at Salem and one of 5,100 kids across the country in different locations.

the Wednesday

NEWS BRIEFING

Former Wake register of deeds indicted Raleigh A grand jury indicted four people Tuesday, according to reports by WRAL, including former Wake County register of deeds, Laura Riddick, after an SBI investigation into $2.3 million that went missing from the Register of Deeds office. Riddick is charged with embezzling $100,000.

Also indicted are current and former staff members, Murray M. Parker, Troy Ellis and Veronica Gearon.

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STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Legislators call on Cooper, Stein to enforce death penalty Raleigh The Pasquotank County District Attorney says he wants the death penalty for four inmates charged with first-degree murder in the killings of four state correctional employees in October. They are accused of using scissors and hammers in the murders and battering eight others. The case has led Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland), on Monday to call for Gov. Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein to “restart” the death penalty in N.C., charging the two with stalling enforcement through legal maneuvering. The state has 143 inmates on death row, and has not conducted an execution since 2006.

Staff changes for Tillis, Troxler Washington, D.C. Senator Thom Tillis announced Tuesday that his state director, Jordan Shaw, is leaving to take a position with consulting firm OnMessage Inc. Kim Canady Barnes will serve as Tillis’ next state director. Also Tuesday, N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced a staff change, naming Andrea Ashby the new public affairs director. Ashby replaces Brian Long, who accepted a position with the N.C. Community College System.

KYLE GRILLOT | REUTERS

Supporter of Net Neutrality Lance Brown Eyes protests the FCC’s recent decision to repeal the program in Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 28.

Students surprised with free bikes Students are rewarded with free bikes after showing good character and good grades

By Donna King North State Journal APEX — At Salem Elementary in Wake County thirty students will have an even happier holiday after they were surprised with new wheels in a school assembly. The giveaway was a reward for students who demonstrated good character, academic performance, and positive behavior.

“Seeing the look on the faces of the students when the winners of the bikes were announced was incredibly emotional for all of us,” said Salem Elementary School Principal Derrick Evans. “The winners were wildly excited to be receiving a bike.

Those who did not win were happy for their classmates.”

Salem Elementary has about 575 students from a variety of economic and cultural backgrounds from Apex and neighboring Raleigh. As the winners were announced, they got high-fives from their classmates on their way to the stage. Some were getting their first bike ever.

“We all remember dreaming of getting a bike as children. All of the winners received the bikes as recognition for good character, and the students felt proud that they were

a positive example for others,” said Evans.

Academy Sports and Outdoors provided the bikes as part of their annual December giveaway. This year they held 115 similar events in sixteen states across the country throughout December. In all, the company gave away more than $250,000 worth of bikes and helmets to 5,100 kids.

“The bike donation fits with Academy’s active-minded philosophy by rewarding kids with gifts that allow them to get outside and be active,” said communications specialist Shane Carlisle.

Public schools across the state take donations from individuals and companies each year. From cash to cars to used computers, Wake County Public School System reports that, in total, county schools get approximately $1 million annually in donations. They recommend that companies seeking to donate to an area school contact the school to find out what they need. In this case, Evans said the partnership with Academy Sports and Outdoor was a great way to welcome them to the Apex community.

“We don't need rewards to encourage good character. Good character starts with the role models that students have at home and school.

However, events like this help us send a message that encouraging good character is a priority for us as a school community,” said Evans.

FCC prepares to roll back internet regulations Supporters say it removes heavy-handed regulations, opponents say it gives ISPs the power to control internet access

By David Shepardson Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission is expected to roll back 2015 net neutrality rules in a likely 3-2 vote on Thursday. The controversial move would end rules that essentially treat internet service providers like public utilities, prohibiting them from giving or selling different tiers of access to different content producers and services.

The proposal to eliminate the Obama-era rule set came last month from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. Under Pai’s proposal, the FCC would no longer bar any specific internet provider practice but require companies to disclose if they

block, throttle or offer paid prioritization of internet traffic.

Pai has said the action would remove the government’s regulations on the internet. There are three tiers of internet service providers (ISP). Tier three ISP’s serve the end internet user directly, buying internet access from regional Tier 2 ISPs. Tier 1 ISPs are large companies, essentially the backbone of the internet, like Industry giants Google, Netflix and Facebook. They maintain their own global networks and are essentially peers to the Tier 1 providers. Net neutrality rules do not apply to the Tier 1 because they do not buy access from an ISP. Despite the fact that it does not have to operate under the net neutrality rules, Google is an avid proponent of keeping them in place.

Google and net neutrality supporters say ending the rules would open the door to letting tier 2 internet service providers give prefSee INTERNET, page A2

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Teachers call students up one by one to receive free bikes during the Academy Sports + Outdoors’ bike donation program.

INSIDE The UNC Board of Governors works on pay raises and new projects for universities.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

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12.13.17 #106

Seekers of the American dream call NC home Immigrants are 8 percent of the state population, but eleven percent of entrepreneurs in N.C.

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

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North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Editor Cory Lavalette Managing/Sports Editor Frank Hill Senior Opinion Editor

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RALEIGH — In North Carolina, a state that 10 million people and counting call home, immigrants make up a small portion of the residents, but a large share of the labor force.

The American Immigration Council released data on North Carolina’s immigrant population showing that while nearly 8 percent of the state’s total population is foreign-born, immigrants make up a significant share of North Carolina’s labor force. Over 44 percent of all residents working in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations are immigrants, as well as over 20 percent working in computer and math sciences.

“Immigrants in North Carolina were originally brought in to the state for agricultural production and some were migrant workers who just passed through the state.

Some were Mexican-Americans, who weren’t really immigrants, while others were from Mexico,” said Dr. David Griffith, distinguished professor of Anthropology and director of the Institute for Coastal Sciences and Policy at ECU. Because North Carolina was a large tobacco producing state, workers would stay in the state for the duration of the tobacco season. In the 1990s, North Carolina witnessed a rise in the Latino population.

“Since the major influx in the decade of the 1990s, we have seen a steady increase. You have some highly skilled immigrants who work as doctors and in the health industry, but the majority of Latino workers are in the service industry, agriculture and food processing,” said Griffith.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL | FILE

Cruz Nunez works on coding an app for a trash collecting business in the American Underground in downtown Durham, Oct. 25.

The American Immigration Council stated immigrants in North Carolina account for 10.7 percent of the state’s labor force and have paid $3.6 billion in federal taxes and $1.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2014.

Immigrants are most often found working in the agriculture, seafood and food processing industry. In addition, immigrants make up a large percentage of the population working in the construction, hospitality, tourism and golf course maintenance fields.

“Immigrants come from a variety of backgrounds into North Carolina. The majority, I would say, are Latino meaning they are from Mexico, Central America and some parts of the Caribbean,” said Griffith.

An immigrant is someone who

is foreign born essentially, and then comes to the United States.

There are hundreds of different ways, both legally and illegally, that immigrants make their way to America. Immigrants can include those on student or work visas, as well as those granted asylum from religious or political persecution.

“People are working together and alongside immigrants,” said Griffith. “Since the 1990s, a huge wave of immigrants have shaped the North Carolina economy.

I just finished the study of the coastal economy where immigrants are a huge part of the labor force. We absolutely could not have a tourist industry in eastern North Carolina if there were no immigrants.”

Aside from the labor force, immigrants, as consumers, spent

$14.2 billion on North Carolina’s economy. Immigrant entrepreneurs in North Carolina generated $1 billion in business revenue.

“Many immigrants open their own tiendas or stores for the Latino population. Business ventures of immigrants include owning beauty salons, grocery stores, and working in the auto mechanic industry,” said Griffith.

The American Immigration Council noted that 55,867 immigrant business owners accounted for 11.7 percent of all self-employed North Carolina residents in 2015 and generated $1 billion in business income.

In addition, in 2015, immigrants accounted for 14.9 percent of business owners in the Raleigh/Cary metropolitan area and 11.8 percent in the Charlotte/Gastonia/Concord metro area.

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INTERNET from page A1 erential treatment to some sites and apps and allow them to favor their own digital content.

Supporters of rolling back the rules say that large companies support keeping the rules in place because the regulations hamstring small potential competitors who can't afford to build their own infrastructure to improve service.

“The plan to restore internet freedom would return us to the light touch, market-based approach under which the internet thrived,” said Pai. Ahead of the vote, the FCC announced plans on Monday to turn over oversight of internet service providers to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC says they will investigate if internet providers fail to make accurate disclosures or if they engage in deceptive or unfair acts or practices. “The FTC is committed to ensuring that Internet service providers live up to the promises they make to consumers,” said Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen.

Chris Lewis, vice president of advocacy group Public Knowledge,

said the FCC is “joining forces with the FTC to say it will only act when a broadband provider is deceiving the public. This gives free reign to broadband providers to block or throttle your broadband service as long as they inform you.”

Opponents of Pai's rollback proposal plan a series of protests ahead of Thursday’s vote. Repealing the Obama-era rules is endorsed by AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc, who all opposed the rules when they were enacted in 2015. Repealing the rules is opposed by Alphabet (Google), Facebook, AirBnb, Reddit, Shutterstock, Tumblr, Etsy and Twitter — these companies signed a letter on Cyber Monday, after Thanksgiving, urging the FCC to maintain the net neutrality rules, arguing that slowing access to content, called “throttling,” or blocking it altogether, would hurt the U.S. economy.

“This would put small and medium-sized businesses at a disadvantage and prevent innovative new ones from even getting off the ground,” the companies said in the letter.

“When it comes to an open in-

“So when you get past the fear mongering… here’s the boring bottom line: The plan to restore internet freedom would return us to the light touch, market-based approach under which the internet thrived.”

— FCC Chairman Ajit Pai ternet, Twitter is part of the problem,” Pai said. “The company has a viewpoint and uses that viewpoint to discriminate.”

He pointed to Twitter’s refusal to let Representative Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, advertise a campaign video with an anti-abortion message. Twitter in October declined the video advertisement saying that it contained a remark about opposing abortion that was inflammatory. Twitter later reversed its decision.

“To say the least, the company appears to have a double standard

when it comes to suspending or de-verifying conservative users’ accounts as opposed to those of liberal users,” Pai said.

Since the net neutrality proposal was announced, the FCC has received 21.7 million public comments on the vote, submitted online. However, the Pew Research Center recently reported that more than half of the public comments used temporary or duplicate email addresses and appeared to include false or misleading information.

Pew found that only 6 percent of submitted comments were unique while the rest had been submitted multiple times and simultaneously, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of times.

Pew reports that almost all of the duplicates were in favor of keeping net neutrality rules in place.

Pew said its analysis of the submissions “present challenges to anyone hoping to understand the attitudes of the concerned public regarding net neutrality.”

Reuters’ Chris Sanders, Ginger Gibson and Diane Bartz contributed to this report.

Want to learn more about North Carolina Agriculture?

The First Furrow www.FirstFurrow.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

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BUSINESS The future site of the N.C. Food Processing and Innovation Center on the campus of the N.C. Research Center in Kannapolis.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE DAVID H. MURDOCK RESEARCH INSTITUTE

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FAST FACTS Sponsored by

The N.C. Commerce Department’s Rural Economic Development Division, created in 2013, was established to improve the economic wellbeing and quality of life of North Carolinian's with particular emphasis on rural communities.

The Division, directed by an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, has a number of grant programs and planning services to assist rural counties and rural census tracts: Disaster Recovery Grants, Rural Grants Program, Community Development Block Grant for Economic Development (CDBGED), Industrial Development Fund / Utility Fund, Appalachian Regional Commission, NC Main Street Center, and Rural Planning.

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This week, we highlight how the N.C. Main Street Center’s “Small Town Main Street” program works for communities across North Carolina.

The Small Town Main Street program addresses the growing number of small, rural towns that need downtown development assistance but are not likely, due to size or resource limitations, to pursue the regular Main Street program. Selected communities receive on-site technical assistance from the Small Town Main Street staff including: • Organizational development • Market analysis • Business assistance • Promotions • Design

Renewed state support makes food manufacturing partnership a reality Golden LEAF Foundation extends funds to support design and marketing of center providing statewide resources for food processing and manufacturing businesses

By Emily Roberson North State Journal RALEIGH — The N.C. Food Processing and Innovation Center received another round of support last week as the Golden LEAF Foundation issued a grant for $2.2 million to purchase equipment for NC State University’s Kannapolis facility. This grant follows the Oct. 26, 2017 affirmative vote by a group of elected, nonprofit, business and university leaders to accelerate a partner-driven initiative to grow North Carolina’s food manufacturing economy.

The committee’s vote in support of plans for the N.C. Food Processing Innovation Center allows funding to be released by the legislature to begin the design process and support marketing and communication activities. It will also allow for other funding sources to be pursued.

“This center will support statewide technical assistance for aspiring food business owners, as well as lead the engagement and recruitment of large food manufacturers, resulting in new good-paying jobs in our rural communities,” said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF President.

The N.C. Food Manufacturing Initiative was born from a 2014 legislative economic feasibility study that estimated a potential gain of 38,000 jobs and $10 billion in additional state revenue if the state’s food processing and manufacturing industry was expanded. A key component of the initiative’s success is the N.C. Food Processing Innovation Center that received $4.4 million in the General Assembly’s recent budget and

was formally approved in October by the Food Processing Innovation Center Committee.

This new hub for plant-based food science and manufacturing advancement will be located on the N.C. Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis, and will help local food entrepreneurs translate ideas into commercially viable products, assist with production transitions to regional co-packing facilities and offer state-of-the-art equipment. The center will help larger manufacturers access cutting-edge food science and manufacturing technologies developed by NC State University, as well as scientists from seven other North Carolina universities conducting food and health research at the NCRC and on university campuses throughout the state.

“Agriculture drives North Carolina’s economy, and this initiative can help build on this strength to broaden the economic impact,” said N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler. “Through our partnerships and the work of this innovation center, we can capture more value for what we grow and can add new food manufacturing and agricultural jobs to the state for generations to come. We think this is a defining moment for North Carolina’s agricultural future.”

North Carolina agriculture and agribusiness generate $84 billion in annual economic impact and represents the third most agriculturally diverse economy in the nation. The state’s farmers grow more than 90 crop varieties, and rank second in the nation in pork, poultry, egg and turkey production. Despite this agricultural strength, roughly 80 percent of what is raised and grown is currently shipped out of state for processing — exporting jobs and revenue.

The N.C. Food Manufacturing Initiative not only establishes new centers for food science and manufacturing breakthroughs, it also

“Through our partnerships and the work of this innovation center, we can capture more value for what we grow and can add new food manufacturing and agricultural jobs to the state for generations to come. We think this is a defining moment for North Carolina’s agricultural future.”

— N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler funds a dedicated food processing and manufacturing economic development professional within EDPNC. This position was funded by the General Assembly and will work closely with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to coordinate marketing and recruitment activities.

“Our farmers only make 10 percent of an item by the time it’s in the market — the other part is all processing,” said Rep. Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus). “This commitment by the state shows that we are confident we can reclaim some of the other 90 percent of the process to keep at home — creating jobs here in North Carolina instead of shipping them out of state.”

The Kannapolis facility will be one of the only university-based food innovation centers designed, built with the ability to operate in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) certification — a distinct marketing advantage that helps food entrepreneurs and manufacturers more quickly formalize production-ready recipes and new product introductions.

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Rev Up Your Holiday Spirit in Concord If you’ve ever wanted to take a drive on the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a visit to Speedway Christmas is your chance. No race gear? No worries.

This adventure calls for your coziest holiday attire.

For the eighth year, Charlotte Motor Speedway in the public power city of Concord has been transformed to Speedway Christmas, an illuminated drive-through wonderland. You’ll cruise through 3.75 miles of displays of more than 3 million lights—some choreographed to music playing on a local radio station.

Speedway Christmas is open every day except Christmas Day, from 6 to 10 p.m. through Dec. 31.

Every Thursday-Sunday and all of Christmas week, you can make a pit stop at Christmas Village in the speedway’s infield for all sorts of festive fun, including pony rides, Bethlehem village, yummy treats, a petting zoo and photos with Santa.

Holiday movie fans can cozy up in their cars to enjoy classics like “Elf” and “The Polar Express” on the 16,000-square-foot Speedway TV. For details and tickets, visit www. charlottemotorspeedway.com/ tickets.

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

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North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

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RALEIGH — This week, lawmakers convened to conclude the calendar year’s work on key interim committees. On Tuesday, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, chaired by Rep. Josh Dobson (R-McDowell), Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) and Sen. Louis Pate (R-Lenoir) heard from N.C. DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen on progress toward fixing the controversial NC FAST system and on the latest in the department’s takeover of behavioral health contractor Cardinal Innovations.

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Since 2010, CSBDF has invested more than $42 million through 588 loans to small businesses across North Carolina helping to create or retain more than 1,955 jobs. For more information, please visit www. carolinasmallbusiness.org or contact CSBDF Field Operations Director, Roxanne Bailey-Reed, at rreed@carolinasmallbusiness.org.

WEST Schools have late start to the week for snow Buncombe County Some students in N.C. got to sleep in on Monday after nearly a foot of snow coated western counties. Areas around Hendersonville and Burnsville got a foot of snow or more, with Asheville recording eight inches. The coverage went as far east as Winston-Salem and Greensboro, which got more than two inches of snow, and Burlington, which had an inch. Duke Energy said at the height of power outages on Saturday morning 40,000 business and homes were in the dark.

CITIZEN-TIMES

Grants fund fun in Maggie Valley Haywood County The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has made final decisions on which projects will receive grant funding as part of its nearly $90,000 1 percent fund. The town of Maggie Valley got $5,000 to improve its Fourth of July fireworks celebration and $18,000 for a temporary ice skating rink. The TDA board rejected requests for additional funding for Rathbone Rich Park and for the Miss Maggie statues. The Maggie Valley Co-op — a marketing collaboration between the town, Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce and Maggie Valley Hospitality Plus — was approved for $55,000 in grant funding.

Ashe County A hearing to determine if Ashe County Sheriff Terry Buchanan should be removed from office resumed on Monday.

Buchanan, 53, was indicted in October on three felony counts of obstruction of justice and three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to discharge duties.

Prosecutors allege Buchanan used his office for an illegal criminal investigation into three county employees who were trying to comply with a public records request for emails, text messages and any other written communication that Buchanan sent and received.

Crime lab opens in Edneyville Henderson County A new state crime lab officially opened Friday in Edneyville in western N.C. Work on the $16.4 million facility was started five years ago to boost efficiency in processing crime scene materials.

More than 100 people, including N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, attended the ribbon cutting and open house. The facility’s director, John Byrd, said they hope to cut the turn-around time for processing to about 30 days. Currently local police and scientists have to drive four hours east to Raleigh for a crime lab.

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State officials talk water safety, plans for the future

Greensboro hits record murder rate Guilford County Greensboro has reached a record number of homicides, with 41 people murdered in 2017, the most ever for the city. Gun violence is also on the rise, with 493 shootings this year compared with 2016’s 465. Police say they are investigating the cause of the spike, but so far find that it is not isolated to a particular neighborhood.

Capt. Nathaniel Davis of the Greensboro Police Department said they are wait for DNA results in some unsolved cases and are working to bring members of the community and public officials in to work on solutions WFMY NEWS

Apex student diagnosed with whooping cough Wake County A student at Apex High School was confirmed to have the whooping cough, also known as pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory virus. School officials notified parents on Monday.

Generally, patients with pertussis are isolated and anyone potentially exposed is examined. Symptoms include uncontrollable, violent fits of coughing and difficulty breathing. The virus is spreading fast in parts of western N.C. where health officials have confirmed 29 cases in Henderson County as of Monday.

Wake County The State Water Infrastructure Authority will hold a public meeting on Wednesday at the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center in Raleigh to talk with citizens about state water infrastructure plans and funding. The authority awards government grants for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Also on Wednesday, the state’s Environmental Review Commission will meet to talk about the GenX drinking water crisis. State environmental officials told lawmakers last week they are still studying water contamination from Chemours Fayetteville Works plant. Later this week, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality is expected to announce penalties against Chemours for not reporting a second GenX spill in October.

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EAST Kinston Free Press prepares to move Lenoir County After nearly 40 years in its current present location, The Free Press newspaper in Kinston is preparing to move. The newspaper has listed its property at 2103 N. Queen Street for sale for $769,000. No decision has yet been made on where The Free Press editorial and business offices will relocate after the sale, according to publisher Mike Distelhorst. He noted the entire press room and mail room operations were relocated to the company’s sister newspaper in Jacksonville. The Free Press is owned by GateHouse Media, a national publishing company out of New York.

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KDH hires land use plan consultant Dare County The town of Kill Devil Hills has hired a Wilmington, N.C. consulting firm to take the lead in developing the municipality’s Land Use Plan. The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the $48,500 contract with Holland Consulting Planners, Inc. Updating the Land Use Plan became a priority in Kill Devil Hills last spring, shortly after hotel developers submitted a request for a text amendment to increase hotel height limits in town.

Carolina Small Business Development Fund creates economic opportunities across North Carolina.

We support communities by helping entrepreneurs build the businesses of their dreams.

By NSJ Staff

20 arrested in Operation Jingle Bars Pitt County The Pitt County Sherriff’s office said that at least 20 people have been arrested in a six-month-long undercover sting operation targeting heroin and opioid trafficking across the county. More arrests are forthcoming.

WNCT

Frisco Pier set to be dismantled and removed Dare County The project to remove the iconic and battered Frisco Pier has encountered complications with the discoveries that asbestos was in the pier house floor panels and that approximately 140 of the 263 pilings from the pier were submerged under water. However, at a Dec. 11 press briefing, representatives from the National Park Service (NPS) and DOT Construction said the nearly $500,000 project is currently on track to be completed by early May, in time for sea turtle nesting season. NPS Outer Banks Group Superintendent David Hallac said that, with less than 40 percent of the original pier remaining in three main pieces, the estimated $2 million cost of repairing the pier was prohibitive.

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Later this week, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology and the Joint Legislative Emergency Management Oversight Committee will meet. The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety will also meet Thursday to hear from officials from the Department of Corrections. Buddy Martinette, fire chief for the city of Wilmington, is also on the agenda to talk to lawmakers about search-and-rescue services. Friday’s meeting of the Joint Legislative Elections Oversight Committee is currently the last committee meeting on the 2017 legislative calendar.

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Case against Ashe County sheriff resumes

Legislators wrap 2017 work with interim oversight committees

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CHAPEL HILL — Members of the UNC Board of Governors are meeting this week to lay the groundwork for key policy decisions slated to face the group in 2018.

Subcommittees are gathering to talk about everything from tenure and budgets to public discourse on campus. The gatherings are leading up to an all-day Board of Governors meeting on Friday.

The subcommitees’ agendas include a vote to increase the salaries of UNC President Margaret Spellings and the 17 chancellors by 3.46 percent. Currently Spellings earns $775,000, $150,000 more than her predecessor, Tom Ross.

Subcommittees will also vote on whether to advance capital improvement projects at nine universities: Appalachian State, East Carolina, NC Central, NC State, UNC Asheville, UNC Chapel Hill,

UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensborto and Winston-Salem State. Theresa Artis Neal, a media attorney and graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, will also face a board vote to seat her in a partial term, ending in June, on the UNC-TV public television board.

While not up for a vote, board members are also scheduled to hear a presentation from Robby Moore, founder of the James Madison Program on American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.

Moore’s group, founded in 2000, leans to the conservative side, bringing programs to Princeton’s campus on judicial activism, religious freedom and constitutional law in Western political thought.

His appearance is part of an effort to bring a diversity of thought onto the UNC system campuses, and members sayany effort to establish a similar program would go through the established channels.

Saine tapped to chair ALEC

By NSJ Staff RALEIGH — Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincolnton) is the new national chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a bipartisan organization of state legislators that works to promote limited government, free markets and federalism. Prior to being appointed to the post, Saine served as treasurer on the group’s board of directors.

ALEC brings state legislators and industry together for policy discussions on taxes, economic development and other issues.

“ALEC believes the business community has a valid role in policy discussions,” said Saine in email. “Businesses are individuals, employers and innovators, and their points of view should be incorporated into policies that create opportunity for all people and help taxpayers keep more of their hardearned money.”

Saine said his engagement with the organization has helped boost N.C.’s profile on the national stage by spreading the word about the state’s economic recovery and tax policy. He will serve a oneyear term as chair.

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north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor | Troy Kickler, deputy opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Confessions of a classical liberal POLITICAL THOUGHT mutates and evolves over time.

We are in the midst of such a transition. No one seems to know precisely what a Democrat stands for today as the party drifts leftward toward more socialism far away from what pragmatic moderate Democratic philosophy was 25 years ago.

No one can pinpoint exactly what a “true” Republican is today as the party drifts more to the right on social issues The Trump voter has thrown up their hands in disgust with both sides, thrown caution to the wind and said, “Blow it all up and fix it! I don’t really care how you do it but just do it!”

Millions of North Carolinians have abandoned their former party affiliation and registered as unaffiliated, roughly 2.1 million in number. They are the second largest registered bloc of voters in the state. At current rates of decline in Democratic voter registration, unaffliliateds may soon be the majority voting bloc in the mid-2020s.

Michael Cromartie, a dear friend with a vibrant mind and lust for life, called himself “a conservative for liberal reasons.” He grew up in the ’60s, lived in a Christian commune outside of Durham after college, and generally embraced the anti-Establishment mindset of the time as well as an enhanced welfare state.

While working with the new Prison Ministry Fellowship started by former Nixon aide Chuck Colson in 1978, he

was attacked and held hostage in a hotel room where he said he was “mugged by reality” and started to move his worldview from one of enlightened liberal state utopia that didn’t seem to be working to a more conservative worldview based on faith, values and freedom of the individual.

The word “conservative” nowadays turns many millennials and younger people off. To them, after years of indoctrination in academia and the media, the word conservative conjures up visions of Bull Connor in Birmingham using firehoses and German shepherds to put down the civil rights marches of the ’60s.

Young people eventually grow up.

They get mugged by the reality of taxes, mortgages, debt and the general matterof-factness that comes with working in a capitalist society where anyone can be fired at any time and any business can be overtaken by technology or a competitive idea.

What would these young people think about conservatism if they knew that the true philosophical DNA of an American political conservative derived from the classical liberal freedom thinkers of the 19th century?

Young people love the destructive power of the capitalist marketplace even if they don’t recognize it as such.

Uber and Lyft are “destroying” taxi cab monopolies at airports. Amazon is “destroying” the concentration of the

marketplace at shopping malls which “destroyed” the concentration of the marketplace in downtowns all over the country in the 1970s and 1980s.

That is classical liberal freedom — plain and simple. Without mentioning Adam Smith or John Locke at all.

If conservatives of today want to attract more younger voters, perhaps they should talk more about being free from concentrations of power in any sector. Young voters are inherently skeptical of anyone in authority anywhere to begin with … the recent list of forced resignations in Congress, Hollywood and the news media reinforce their skepticism.

“Why give anyone more power to tell you what to do?” should be a winning message to young voters.

The classical liberal concept of standing up for the individual rights of everyone within a democratic republican structure of self-governance should be the goal of conservatives seeking to attract support from younger American citizens.

Being a conservative should not be a dog whistle to make people think conservatives support the continuation of things as they are, warts and all.

Freedom wins in American elections.

EDITORIAL | TROY KICKLER

The forgotten governor NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY enthusiasts have definitely heard of Zebulon B. Vance, the Confederate colonel turned wartime governor in 1862. Many have also heard of John W. Ellis, the longtime politician and judge who died during his second term shortly after North Carolina seceded from the Union. Some may have heard of the lesser-known Henry Toole Clark, president of the Senate — the position of lieutenant governor did not exist until 1868 — who succeeded Ellis as governor.

Only a few have heard about Edward Stanly, a wartime governor who had the ability to make friends as easily as he could make enemies. (As a well-dressed and charming Whig Congressman, he once traded punches with Henry Wise of Virginia on the congressional floor.)

His gubernatorial tenure lasted less than eight full months (May 26, 1862, to Jan. 15, 1863). While Clark was serving out his term and Vance prepared to be the next governor, Abraham Lincoln appointed Stanly — the self-styled inveterate “old line North Carolina Whig” — as military governor of North Carolina.

According to U.S. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, the New Bern native’s goal was to “re-establish the authority of the federal government in the state of North Carolina.” The assignment proved to be difficult.

Edward was the son of esteemed congressman and well-known Federalist John Stanly, the namesake of Stanly County, who famously dueled Richard

Dobbs Spaight in 1802. The political quarrel resulted in the death of Spaight and the outlaw of dueling in the Old North State.

During the Civil War, many revered the father and loathed the son. In Halifax County, Catherine Ann Edmonston penned poetry about the “false Stanley” dishonoring the family name: “Stanley the patriot shall be by men — Forgot — in Stanley — the Traitor!”

Prior to his appointment, Stanly had been in California. (He had unsuccessfully run for governor there in 1857.) When war broke out, Stanly offered his services to Lincoln. By early summer 1862, Gen. Ambrose Burnside and his troops had captured much of eastern North Carolina, including Roanoke Island, New Bern and Fort Macon. (Wilmington remained a Confederate port until Fort Fisher was captured in early 1865.) In late June, Burnside was ready to attack Goldsboro, an important rail hub that had always attracted the attention of Union commanders. Lincoln, however, needed Burnside to go to Virginia and help out a struggling George McClellan.

During Stanly’s brief tenure, he disagreed with Union authorities, had difficulty spreading Unionist sentiment, tried protecting private property from pillaging Federal troops, and opposed the Emancipation Proclamation.

In Stanly’s view, the role of the military governor was to “restore the old order of things.” North Carolina laws forbade teaching slaves how to read and write.

So he opposed, for instance, a school for African-American children started by a man of “good Samaritan inclinations,” Vincent Colyer, superintendent of the poor for the Department of North Carolina. The effort, he believed, “would do harm to the Union cause.”

During the war, many runaway slaves fled to Union lines. In particular, many fled to occupied New Bern, and their numbers grew rapidly. Union officials had what they considered a “perplexing” problem that required “discretion.” Stanly was in favor of returning slaves to their owners, as long as the owners took the oath of allegiance.

Stanly was outraged by and spoke against the conduct of some Union troops in eastern North Carolina. His speaking tour to foster Union sentiment was not well received in Union-occupied towns.

Secessionist sympathizers were not moved; they deemed him the traitorous, rival sovereign. Meanwhile, Union allies believed Stanly was too soft on Confederates.

After the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, Stanly believed the mission of his office had changed. He resigned on Jan. 15, 1863.

Lincoln did not appoint another wartime governor of North Carolina.

LETTERS President Trump should watch ‘Darkest Hour’ “DARKEST HOUR” is clearly not a movie for the masses, especially today’s masses, who create whole movements and imaginary enemies out of myth (hands up, don’t shoot!) or, essentially, nothing. Gary Oldham, once and for all, takes his place among the pantheon of great film actors, and no doubt will win the Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill.

So many members of parliament and British statesmen actively plotted to undermine Churchill’s administration. They sought to portray him as isolated, alcoholic, self-aggrandizing and much worse. Had they prevailed, the world would be a totally different and desolate place today.

It is almost inconceivable that Churchill, alone, held out the only hope for the Western world for more than 18 months, and, if not for him, the Third Reich might have begun its 1,000-year reign.

What is overwhelming to me, in viewing this movie, are the countless parallels between what he faced in attempting to get Great Britain to understand that there was no compromise with the Third Reich and what Donald Trump faces today, amidst multi-millions of people who refuse to understand the worldwide threat that now befalls us.

Trump is already decimating ISIS in the Middle East and around the world — with little fanfare — but the battle is far from over.

It’ll take at least a generation to clean out the radicals, the sleeper cells, those bent on the downfall of Christianity, Judaism and Western civilization, and even longer to maintain the sovereignty of nations that have opened their borders to those who would undermine their democratic institutions at the first opportunity. I fervently hope that Mr. Trump watches this movie.

Jeff Davidson Raleigh

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.

North State Journal for Wednesday,December 13, 2017

A7

GUEST OPINION | MICHELLE CRETELLA, M.D.

I’m a pediatrician — here’s what I did when a little boy patient said he was a girl “CONGRATULATIONS, it’s a boy!” Or, “Congratulations, it’s a girl!”

As a pediatrician for nearly 20 years, that’s how many of my patient relationships began. Our bodies declare our sex.

Biological sex is not assigned. Sex is determined at conception by our DNA and is stamped into every cell of our bodies. Human sexuality is binary. You either have a normal Y chromosome, and develop into a male, or you don’t, and you will develop into a female. There are at least 6,500 genetic differences between men and women. Hormones and surgery cannot change this.

An identity is not biological, it is psychological. It has to do with thinking and feeling. Thoughts and feelings are not biologically hardwired. Our thinking and feeling may be factually right or factually wrong.

If I walk into my doctor’s office today and say, “Hi, I’m Margaret Thatcher,” my physician will say I am delusional and give me an anti-psychotic. Yet, if instead, I walked in and said, “I’m a man,” he would say, “Congratulations, you’re transgender.”

If I were to say, “Doc, I am suicidal because I’m an amputee trapped in a normal body, please cut off my leg,” I will be diagnosed with body identity integrity disorder. But if I walk into that doctor’s office and say, “I am a man, sign me up for a double mastectomy,” my physician will. See, if you want to cut off a leg or an arm you’re mentally ill, but if you want to cut off healthy breasts or a penis, you’re transgender.

No one is born transgender. If gender identity were hardwired in the brain before birth, identical twins would have the same gender identity 100 percent of the time. But they don’t.

I had one patient we’ll call Andy. Between the ages of 3 and 5, he increasingly played with girls and “girl toys” and said he was a girl. I referred the parents and Andy to a therapist. Sometimes mental illness of a parent or abuse of the child are factors, but more commonly, the child has misperceived family dynamics and internalized a false belief.

In the middle of one session, Andy put down the toy truck, held onto a Barbie, and said, “Mommy and Daddy, you don’t love me when I’m a boy.” When Andy was 3, his sister with special needs was born, and required significantly more of his parents’ attention. Andy misperceived this as “Mommy and Daddy love girls. If I want them to love me, I have to be a girl.” With family therapy Andy got better.

Today, Andy’s parents would be told, “This is who Andy really is. You must ensure that everyone treats him as a girl, or else he will commit suicide.”

As Andy approaches puberty, the experts would put him on puberty blockers so he can continue to impersonate a girl.

It doesn’t matter that we’ve never tested puberty blockers in biologically normal children. It doesn’t matter that when blockers are used to treat prostate cancer in men and gynecological problems in women, they cause problems with memory. We don’t need testing. We need to arrest his physical development now, or he will kill himself.

But this is not true. Instead, when supported in their biological sex through natural puberty, the vast majority of gender-confused children get better. Yet, we chemically castrate gender-confused children with puberty blockers. Then we permanently sterilize many of them by adding cross-sex hormones, which also put them at risk for heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancers, and even the very emotional problems that the gender experts claim to be treating.

P.S. If a girl who insists she is male has been on testosterone daily for one year, she is cleared to get a bilateral mastectomy at age 16. Mind you, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently came out with a report that urges pediatricians to caution teenagers about getting tattoos because they are essentially permanent and can cause scarring. But this same AAP is 110 percent in support of 16-year-old girls getting a double mastectomy, even without parental consent, so long as the girl insists that she is a man, and has been taking testosterone daily for one year.

To indoctrinate all children from preschool forward with the lie that they could be trapped in the wrong body disrupts the very foundation of a child’s reality testing. If they can’t trust the reality of their physical bodies, who or what can they trust?

Transgender ideology in schools is psychological abuse that often leads to chemical castration, sterilization and surgical mutilation.

Michelle Cretella, M.D., is president of the American College of Pediatricians, a national organization of pediatricians and other health care professionals dedicated to the health and wellbeing of children. This column was originally published in The Daily Signal.

SUSAN ESTRICH

Smoke in the air, heroes on the ground Y PHONE BUZZED with the emergency alert at 6 a.m.

MTuesday, the fires seemed far away,

even though my house smelled the way it does when you forget a pot on the stove. But there were no pots on the stove. Just fires across the mountain.

So we did what we Californians do. We live with earthquakes and mudslides, with drought and dust, and with fire.

Close the windows, check Google Maps, turn up the air purifiers. Sylmar — not so close. Ventura — not so close.

You see the people who have lost their houses and you shake your head in sorrow ... and a little puzzlement. Fire country is beautiful, when it’s not on fire. Me, I live on a regular street.

But that was Tuesday. Wednesday, the fire was practically in the backyard.

It wasn’t just a smell in the air. It was smoke and flames right across the freeway.

I don’t know that there is a busier highway in the country than the 405 — the San Diego Freeway. It’s often a parking lot, but not like yesterday, when the flames turned the morning commute into a nightmare.

For hours, I just stared at the TV and kept checking the Los Angeles Fire Department map, which detailed the mandatory evacuation zones, and the “ready, set, go” zones — one of which was blocks from where I live — where folks were told to be on standby to leave.

These are the days that break your heart, but they are also the days that remind you of what matters.

ADOBE STOCK

COLUMN | WALTER WILLIAMS

Moral values and customs vs. laws

Society’s first line of defense is not the law but customs, traditions and moral values.

I’M APPROACHING my 82nd birthday, and my daughter will occasionally suggest that modernity is perplexing to me because I’m from prehistoric times.

As such, it points to one of the unavoidable problems of youth — namely, the temptation to think that today’s behavioral standards have always been. Let’s look at a few of the differences between yesteryear and today.

One of those differences is the treatment of women. There are awesome physical strength differences between men and women. To create and maintain civil relationships between the sexes is to drum into boys, starting from very young ages, that they are not to use violence against a woman for any reason. Special respect is given women. Yesteryear even the lowest of lowdown men would not curse or use foul language to or in the presence of women.

To see a man sitting on a crowded bus or trolley car while a woman is standing used to be unthinkable.

It was deemed common decency for a man to give up his seat for a woman or elderly person.

Today young people use foul language in front of — and often to — adults and teachers. It’s not just foul language. Many youngsters feel that it’s acceptable to assault teachers. Just recently, 45 Pennsylvania teachers resigned because of student violence.

Back in what my daughter calls prehistoric times, the use of foul language to an adult or teacher would have meant a smack across the face. Of course, today a parent taking such corrective action risks being reported to a local child protective service and even being arrested. The modern parental or teacher response to misbehavior is to call for “time out.” In other words, what we’ve taught miscreants of all ages is that they can impose physical pain on others and not suffer physical pain themselves. That’s an open invitation to bad behavior.

It has always been considered a good idea to refrain from sexual intercourse until marriage or at least adulthood. During the sexual revolution of the 1960s, lessons of abstinence were ridiculed, considered passé and replaced with lessons about

condoms, birth control pills and abortion. Out-ofwedlock childbirths are no longer seen as shameful and a disgrace. As a result, the rate of illegitimate births among whites is more than 30 percent, and among blacks it’s more than 70 percent.

For more than a half-century, the nation’s liberals — along with the education establishment, pseudointellectuals and the courts — have waged war on traditions, customs and moral values. Many in today’s generation have been counseled to believe that there are no moral absolutes. Instead, what’s moral or immoral, right or wrong, is a matter of convenience, personal opinion or what is or is not criminal.

Society’s first line of defense is not the law but customs, traditions and moral values. Customs, traditions and moral values are those important thou-shalt-nots, such as thou shalt not murder, shalt not steal, shalt not lie and shalt not cheat. They also include respect for parents, teachers and others in authority, plus those courtesies one might read in Emily Post’s rules of etiquette. These behavioral norms — mostly transmitted by example, word of mouth and religious teachings — represent a body of wisdom distilled over the ages through experience, trial and error, and looking at what works and what doesn’t.

The importance of customs, traditions and moral values as a means of regulating behavior is that people behave themselves even if nobody’s watching.

There are not enough cops. Laws can never replace these restraints on personal conduct in producing a civilized society. At best, the police and the criminal justice system are the last desperate lines of defense for a civilized society. Unfortunately, customs, traditions and moral values have been discarded without an appreciation for the role they played in creating a civilized society, and now we’re paying the price — and that includes the recent revelations regarding the treatment of women.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

“Will you rebuild?” the television reporters kept asking the former homeowners whose homes had been reduced to rubble. A few hesitated, but almost everyone came to the same answer: Yes. This is my home. This is our home.

These are the days that break your heart, our mayor, Eric Garcetti, said: the 83-year-old woman who planned to die in her house, a house that no longer exists; the 76-year-old man who was alone, lost everything; the animals ... the poor, frightened animals everywhere.

I stayed in the house with my dogs just in case. I wasn’t about to leave them. We would be together.

These are the days that break your heart, but they are also the days that remind you of what matters. Not the big mouth, Donald Trump.

The first responders, the brave men and women who have been fighting fires for days, risking their lives to save the multimillion-dollar houses they could never afford to live in. They are my heroes.

The kind people of my city, who flooded the television stations with calls to help that 76-year-old man, who have opened their homes and their hearts to people with only the clothes on their back: They are my heroes.

The friends who picked up the phone to call, knowing I was alone, to make sure I was OK. Oh, it’s far away, I said, as I studied my map, to make sure the lines hadn’t changed. Really, not so far away, looking at it again.

What would I take? I watched the people packing up their cars. With my dogs, what would I have room for?

What do I really need?

I looked around my house, full of pictures and mementos, things you take for granted, presents my kids made at school 15 or 20 years ago: I would take those. But not much else.

Everything else was just things.

“I’m not sleeping very well,” one of my friends said last night, in our checkin call. Who is? Another alert just came in, high winds expected, stay tuned.

I don’t think anyone in Los Angeles will sleep well tonight. But what a city: not of angels but of heroes.

To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

A8

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Nation & WORLD

NEWS IN IMAGES

NAVESH CHITRAKAR | REUTERS

A cormorant takes flight from a tree during a foggy winter morning at Taudaha wetlands in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Dec. 11.

Trump signs National Defense Authorization Act into law Washington, D.C. The NDAA became law Tuesday, authorizing $700 billion in spending on national defense. In the bill are a 2.4 percent pay raise for service members and nearly $300 million in construction project funding for military bases in N.C. Trump urged Congress to fully fund the measure and lift the budget caps that have forced limits on U.S. defense spending for several years.

Jones co-sponsors bill to end congressional “hush fund” Washington, D.C. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) is among the congressmen who have signed onto legislation requiring the disclosure of sexual harassment case settlements involving members of Congress. The bill would end an account used to settle claims and forbid taxpayer money from funding private legal matters. It comes amid revelations about harassment by members of Congress. The bill also requires any lawmaker who has used any of the account’s $15 million in settlements since 1995 pay taxpayers back.

Roy Moore campaign casts Alabama race as referendum on Trump Birmingham, Ala. Voters turned out Tuesday in Alabama’s special senate election, which is being called a referendum on Donald Trump. Roy Moore, the Republican who has been accused of sexual misconduct, says a vote for Moore would be a vote for Trump’s agenda. Trump also recorded a robocall to Alabama voters in support of Moore. Opinion polls show a tight race but favor Moore, a 70-year-old conservative Christian and former state judge, over prochoice Democrat Doug Jones, a 63-year-old former U.S. attorney.

DANISH ISMAIL | REUTERS

A fisherman rows his boat through the waters of the Dal Lake on a cold morning in Srinagar, on Dec. 6.

ANDREW KELLY | REUTERS

Samantha Holvey, a former Miss North Carolina USA, speaks at a news conference for the film “16 Women and Donald Trump” which focuses on women who have accused President Trump of sexual misconduct, in Manhattan, Dec. 11.

Senate tax bill Explosion rocks New York commuter hub, suspect in custody would allow

By Nick Zieminski and Daniel Trotta Reuters NEW YORK — A man with a homemade bomb strapped to his body set off an explosion at a New York commuter hub during rush hour on Monday, injuring himself and three others in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called an attempted terrorist attack.

The suspect in the incident at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a block from Times Square, was identified as Akayed Ullah, the New York Police Department BRENDAN MCDERMID | REUTERS commissioner said. The suspect had burns and lacerations while Police officer stands outside the New York Port Authority Bus three other people, including a Terminal, after reports of an explosion, in New York City, on Dec. 11. police officer, had minor injuries.

The weapon was based on a and there was heavy police prespipe bomb and fixed to the susence outside the home. pect with zip ties and Velcro, poFirst reports of the incident belice said. New York Gov. Andrew “There was a stampede gan soon after 7 a.m. New York in Cuomo, speaking at a news conDecember sees a surge of visitors ference near the site, described up the stairs to get out.

Everybody was scared and who come to see elaborate store the device as “amateur level.” displays, the Rockefeller Center New York City was a target, running and shouting.”

Christmas tree and Broadway said John Miller, deputy commisshows. sioner of intelligence and counter— Diego Fernandez, witness The incident rippled through terrorism.

U.S. financial markets, briefly Miller cited the attacks of Sept. to attack weakening equity markets as they 11, 2001, that killed more than 2,750 people in New York and nandez, one of the commuters. were starting trading for the week nearly 3,000 people total; and the “Everybody was scared and run- and giving a modest lift to safe-haven assets such as U.S. Treasuries.

World Trade Center bombing of ning and shouting.”

Alicja Wlodkowski, a Pennsyl- S&P 500 index E-mini futures February 26, 1993, that killed six vania resident in New York for the dipped in the moments after the people.

“In the course of the post 9/11 day, was sitting in a restaurant in initial reports of an explosion, but major stock indexes later opened world, as you are aware, there’s the bus terminal.

“Suddenly, I saw a group of slightly higher. also been approximately 26 plots The incident occurred less that we can talk about that have people, like six people, running been prevented through intelli- like nuts,” she said. “A woman than two months after an Uzbek gence, investigation and interven- fell. No one even went to stop and immigrant killed eight people by help her because the panic was so speeding a rental truck down a tion.”

New York City bike path, in an The incident was captured on scary.”

The bus terminal was tem- attack for which Islamic State security video, the police said.

Video posted on NYPost.com porarily shut down and a large claimed responsibility.

In September 2016, a man inshowed smoke and a man lying swath of midtown Manhattan in the tunnel that connects the was closed to traffic. Subway train jured 31 people when he set off a Times Square subway station to service was returning to normal homemade bomb in New York’s Chelsea district. the bus station. A photograph after earlier disruptions.

“As New Yorkers our lives reWABC reported the suspect showed a man lying face down, with tattered clothes and burns was in his 20s and has been in the volve around the subways,” de United States for seven years and Blasio said. “When we hear of an on his torso.

“There was a stampede up the has an address in Brooklyn. The attack in the subways it is incredistairs to get out,” said Diego Fer- NYPD shut down the entire block bly unsettling.”

Your Partner in Precision Agriculture

529 savings account money to go toward K-12 tuition

By Donna King North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lawmakers are hammering out details of the tax reform plan saying that they will have the final version by the end of the week. Insiders say the Senate plans to vote on the bill first, as early as Dec. 18, with the House voting the next day. Republicans are trying to have the bill on the president’s desk for a signature

by Dec. 20, but hammering out the details is taking time as members try to get specific provisions in the final draft.

Among the provisions on the table is the only amendment to be accepted on the floor of the Senate version of the bill. The amendment, pushed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), would allow taxpayers to use 529 tax-free savings accounts for the costs of K-12 private school and for homeschooling expenses, up to $10,000 per child.

The amendment was stalled by a 50-50 vote and Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie.

Supporters of the measure say it could be a game-changer for parents, providing immediate tax savings, but also for those who plan to start early with a 529 savings account for later K-12 private or homeschooling costs.

North Carolina offers a 529 taxfree savings program for college expenses, administered by the College Foundation of N.C. Currently, earnings on the accounts aren’t subject to N.C. or federal taxes as long as the money is only used to help pay for Qualified Higher Education Expenses (QHEE) such as tuition, fees, room and board, books, and computers. For more information visit nc529.org.

Helping farmers grow with technology www.vantagesouthatlantic.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017

SPORTS

NC A&T has sights on HBCU crown in Celebration Bowl. Page B3

Money, time, energy essential for new Hurricanes ownership How Tom Dundon can re-energize hockey in the Triangle

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner celebrates with teammates after scoring at PNC Arena. There is an agreement in place for Peter Karmanos Jr. to sell a majority stake of the team to Tom Dundon.

RALEIGH — The question of who will be the next owner of the Carolina Hurricanes has been answered with the announcement that Dallas businessman Tom Dundon will — pending NHL approval — buy a majority stake of the team from Peter Karmanos Jr. Karmanos, long criticized by

supporters of the Hartford Whalers for moving the team to North Carolina three years after buying the franchise, seemingly got everything he wanted from the sale.

Dundon will, according to Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman, buy 52 percent of the team for nearly $240 million, allowing Karmanos to remain a minority owner for a few years as he desired. Dundon would them have the option to buy the rest for a total of about $500 million.

As Karmanos, the NHL and just about anyone informed of the facts of Carolina’s ownership situ-

ation already knew, the team will remain in the Triangle under Dundon’s ownership.

So what can Dundon, 45, do to change the fortunes of a franchise that is tracking toward a ninth straight season outside of the playoffs and ranked at or near the bottom of the league in attendance the past few seasons?

Win at all costs No, we’re not talking about pouring sugar into opponents’ gas tanks after the front end of backSee HURRICANES, page B3

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT COLLEGE BASKETBALL

After loss, Duke falls to No. 5, UNC seventh Villanova is the new No. 1 after Duke lost at unranked Boston College on Saturday. The Blue Devils were a unanimous pick at the top spot the previous two weeks. Villanova, which received 41 of 65 first-place votes, is followed in the Top 25

by Michigan State, Wichita State, Duke and Arizona State.

The Sun Devils, under thirdyear coach Bobby Hurley, received five first-place votes.

The other 19 went to Michigan State. Rounding out this week’s top 10 are Miami, North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Xavier.

Ball brothers sign with Lithuanian club Lavar Ball is taking two of his sons to play overseas in Lithuania. LiAngelo Ball, who left UCLA earlier this month without ever playing a game, and LaMelo Ball, who withdrew from high school in his junior season, signed one-year deals to play with the Lithuanian club Vytautas Prienai, multiple media outlets reported

BRETT FRIEDLANDER | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Wallace-Rose Hill defensive end Devon Harper celebrates with teammates after the Bulldogs won the NCHSAA 2A title over Reidsville 35-38 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.

Wallace-Rose Hill takes battle of champions

GOLF

Fans no longer able to call shots on rule violations Golf officials will no longer consider rules violations pointed out by fans watching tournaments on television, the United States Golf Association and R&A said on Monday. The two governing bodies said in a statement they would “discontinue any steps to facilitate or consider viewer call-ins as part of the rules decision process.”

SHAWN KREST | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Wiz Vaughn leaps for a fourth-down catch in New Hanover’s 27-17 win over A.C. Reynolds in the 3AA state title game.

NFL

NFL Network suspends three amid harrassment claims The NFL Network suspended Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and fellow analysts Heath Evans and Ike Taylor “pending an investigation” into allegations of sexual harassment and assault, the network announced. The allegations were made in a lawsuit by former NFL Network employee Jami Cantor, who sued NFL Enterprises in Los Angeles Superior Court in October. Former NFL Network executive Eric Weinberger, ex-NFL Network analyst Donovan McNabb and former NFL player Eric Davis were also named in the lawsuit. McNabb currently works for ESPN as a radio host while Davis works for ESPNLA Radio, although ESPN said in a statement that “McNabb and Davis will not appear on our networks as that investigation proceeds.”

and fortunate to have come out on top.”

Both teams withstood the other’s best shot during a back-andforth game that saw Motsinger’s Bulldogs jump out to the early advantage when Javonte Williams broke off a 73-yard touchdown

By Brett Friendlander run on the first play from scrimNorth State Journal mage. Williams, who committed CHAPEL HILL — It would to North Carolina on Sunday, finnormally be a clichè to say that ished with 207 rushing yards and both teams played like a champi- two touchdowns to earn MVP on, even in a game that actually honors for the second straight year. had a title on the line.

Wallace-Rose Hill (14-1) exBut in the case of Saturday’s 2A high school football state final tended its advantage to 21-7 on the first of Desmond between Wallace-Rose Newkirk’s two touchHill and Reidsville, it’s down runs and a 97-yard an accurate descripinterception return by tion.

“You got to Defensive MVP Quavion The Bulldogs from Basyden. The Bulldogs Duplin County came witness an into the game having unbelievable missed an opportunity to extend their lead late won the last three 1AA game in the half when quarcrowns before moving terback Michael Basden up in classification this because tripped coming out from year. The Rams from you saw two center on a fourth-and-2 Rockingham County play at the Reidsville 12. were also defending champions The defensive stand champions, having go head-toseemed to energize the brought home the Rams, who battled back 2A title in 2016 while head.” into a tie by scoring in running up a 31-game the final minute before winning streak.

— Kevin halftime and again on the It was a matchup Motsinger, opening possession after that took overtime the break, with running to decide, with Wal- Wallace-Rose back Travion Canada lace-Rose Hill earning Hill coach getting into the end zone an epic 35-28 victory at Kenan Stadium that validat- both times.

“You can’t look back, you have ed the championship pedigree of to look forward,” Reidsville coach both teams.

“You got to witness an unbe- Jimmy Teague said of his team’s lievable game because you saw attitude after falling behind. “We two champions go head-to-head,” were only down one touchdown Bulldogs first-year coach Kevin (at halftime), so we knew we had Motsinger said. “How fitting that it went overtime. We’re blessed See BULLDOGS, page B4

NCHSAA 2A title game featured two defending champions and took overtime to decide

Smith adds title to New Hanover’s long, interconnected history Wilmington school that spawned Roman Gabriel, Sonny Jurgensen, takes 3AA crown

By Shawn Krest North State Journal DURHAM — In 2015, when Kevin Motsinger resigned as New Hanover head coach, the school planned to call on a familiar name to help lead the coaching search.

Earl Smith had coached the Wildcats in 2001 and 2002, leading the team to the playoffs in his second year and won more games in two years (11) than New Hanover had managed in the previ-

ous seven (six).

Smith returned to Raleigh, where he rebuilt the program at Wake Forest, but he was still on New Hanover’s radar when it was time to find someone to lead a coaching search.

Rather than finding a new head coach, however, Smith called his own number and applied for the job.

Smith’s roots in the area were apparent. Motsinger had played for Smith. “I think he was in elementary school when I started as head coach,” Smith joked. The man Motsigner had replaced at New Hanover, John Fitz, had been Smith’s defensive coordinator.

See SMITH, page B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

B2 WEDNESDAY

12.13.17

TRENDING

Steve Clifford: The Hornets announced last Wednesday their coach would take a leave of absence due to health issues. Clifford underwent a procedure in 2013 to place two stents in his heart, but missed only three games on the Charlotte bench. The Hornets have lost three of four since Clifford took his leave and are 10-16 on the season.

Jack Morris, Alan Trammell: The former Detroit Tigers stars were elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday by the Modern Era Baseball committee. Morris, a pitcher, and Trammell, a shortstop, both failed to gain entry during their 15 years on the regular ballot. Morris gained two-thirds of the vote in 2012 — his 13th time on the ballot — but didn’t receive the required 75 percent in either of his final two years.

Jaden Schwartz: The St. Louis Blues forward was placed on injured reserve with a right ankle injury and he will be re-evaluated in six weeks, the team announced Sunday.

Schwartz sustained the injury when he blocked a shot Saturday in Detroit. He had to be helped off the ice after suffering the injury and was not able to put any pressure on his right leg.

Roger Goodell: The NFL commissioner signed a five-year contract extension to remain with the league, according to a memo sent to league owners from the compensation committee on Wednesday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, citing a source, that Goodell’s contract is expected to pay him about $40 million per year.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

NFL

Sunday was a significant day in the NFC. The Panthers moved to 9-4 by knocking off the Vikings in Charlotte to pull even with Saints in the South — New Orleans had lost Thursday in Atlanta, but still hold a tiebreakers over Carolina — while the 11-2 Eagles clinched a playoff berth but lost star quarterback Carson Wentz for the season due to a knee injury that changes the entire landscape of the conference.

GREG M. COOPER | USA TODAY SPORTS

“My mom was a Duke fan, so she’s probably pretty sad.”

Boston College guard, and Raleigh native, Jerome Robinson after the Eagles handed the Blue Devils their first loss of the season Sunday, 89-84 in Chestnut Hill

ROBERT HANASHIRO | USA TODAY SPORTS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NASCAR

JAKE ROTH | USA TODAY SPORTS

“Saturday night in Kansas City, about 38 degrees.

Pretty awesome.”

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, previewing this weekend’s matchup for first place in the AFC West against the Chiefs.

NBA

52.3 3-point shooting percentage for Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum, best in the NBA and the only player making more than half of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Tatum, who was the third overall pick out of Duke in June, has made 46 of 88 attempts this season and has made 12 of 18 3-pointers this month (66.7 percent). Tatum made 40 of 117 3-point attempts (34.2 percent) in his one year with the Blue Devils.

PETER CASEY | USA TODAY SPORTS

BRAD PENNER | USA TODAY SPORTS

Richard Petty Motorsports is moving from Ford to Chevrolet and forming an alliance with Richard Childress Racing. RPM, which left its shop space in Mooresville following the 2017 season, will move its operations to the RCR campus in Welcome.

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. will drive the RPM No. 43 in 2018.

Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield topped N.C. native Bryce Love of Stanford and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson for the Heisman Trophy on Saturday.

Mayfield is the sixth Sooner, and first since Sam Bradford in 2008, to win college football’s top award, and he denied Jackson the chance to become just the second two-time winner.

MLB

It was a weekend of big moves in baseball. First, prized Japanese player Shohei Ohtani — who is both a pitcher and accomplished hitter — picked the Los Angeles Angels as his destination. Meanwhile, the Yankees acquired National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins, adding a player who had an MLBbest 59 home runs and 132 RBI last season in Miami. Stanton is set to make more than $300 million over the next 11 seasons.

JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA | USA TODAY SPORTS

Always Dry. Always Comfortable.

w w w . a l b e m a r l e b o at s . c o m

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North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

B3

Long wait for Duke to even record in quirky ACC schedule that most ACC schools have final exams the second week of December, followed by the holidays.

Given the choice, Duke would rather play in early December

By Shawn Krest than Christmas week, as KrzyzeNorth State Journal wski said in 2011, when the ACC DUKE OPENED its ACC sea- expanded its schedule from 16 son early this year and paid the games to 18.

“I hope our conference nevprice for it.

The No. 1 Blue Devils ran into er thinks of having conference a buzz saw, as Boston College hit games during the holidays,” 15 three-pointers to give Duke its Krzyzewski said in 2011, during the week between Christmas first defeat of the season.

It’s the earliest Duke has and New Year’s Eve. “We’ve had opened ACC play since 2005-06, these long breaks for three reawhen the Blue Devils had a game sons. One is academics. For two weeks we really have a on Dec. 4 against new tough academic time in ACC member Virginia December.”

Tech. Their last early Prepping for a conferACC opener not necesence game would be difsitated by the addition ficult to manage during of a new team was the finals week, and KrzyzeDec. 2 opener against wski also doesn’t want to Clemson in 2001-02.

Days between play Grinch while trying Duke will have to sit the ACC opener to prepare for an ACC on its 0-1 conference and the next opener. record for three weeks.

“The second thing Its next ACC game, conference is that I want our kids and in fact, the next game home for Christmas,” he league game anyone said. “We shouldn’t be will play, will be on Dec. 30, 21 days after the opener. back here practicing on ChristWhile the early-December mas Day. I don’t think a college start is rare for Duke, it’s not un- basketball player should do that. precedented in the ACC. Wake We’re not professionals. We’re and NC State opened conference not the Rockettes, the Knicks or play on Dec. 6, 2014, then went the Rangers or the Giants. Those more than four weeks before guys are professionals. I hope our conference never schedules playing another ACC game.

In the last 10 seasons, there conference games during this have been six ACC games on Dec. (post-Christmas) week. I think 9 or earlier, and 20 teams that that’s a big mistake.”

Krzyzewski will be able to take had a three-week or longer gap full advantage of his third reason between ACC games.

“You’d rather not do it,” for preferring early-December Krzyzewski said. “I’d rather start ACC games to late.

“The third thing for us is it right after (the holidays), but that’s the way it is. (Boston Col- gives us a chance to evaluate lege) started too. It’s the same for what we’ve done and make some everybody. It’ll be this way from changes as we go forward,” he now on, because we’re going to said.

With Duke showing shaky de20 (conference) games.”

While the early start and long fense in the B.C. loss, there will wait isn’t the easiest thing to deal be plenty of evaluation going on with, it’s necessitated by the fact in Durham.

Duke played its earliest ACC opener in 12 years

KEVIN L. DORSEY PHOTOGRAPHY | COURTESY OF NC A&T

21

Members of the NC A&T football celebrate their win against rival NC Central last month, a victory that clinched the MEAC title and a trip to the Celebration Bowl.

Aggies vie for HBCU title at Celebration Bowl NC A&T faces Grambling in mirror-image matchup

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal WHEN NC A&T and Grambling play in the Celebration Bowl at Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, it will mark the first time since 1996 that the teams have met on the football field.

That doesn’t mean the Historically Black College powers are strangers. Because of their shared histories, they’re actually quite familiar with one another.

A&T coach Rod Broadway spent four seasons at Grambling before returning to his home state to join the Aggies in 2011. The Tigers’ Broderick Fobbs, meanwhile, has a similar connection to A&T through his father Lee, who coached there from 2005-08 at a time in which the Aggies suffered through a 27-game losing streak.

That cross-pollination has led to an air of mutual respect between the rivals as they prepare for their battle to determine this year’s HBCU national champion.

“I’ve been around A&T, my dad was at A&T for a couple of years. I was able to see how they do things as well,” Fobbs said last week at a pre-bowl press conference. “One thing I can honestly say is that ‘Aggie Pride,’ that’s real. You’re talking about two storied programs, understanding putting football in its rightful place and giving it what it needs in order to be successful.”

A&T (11-0) won the inaugural Celebration Bowl in 2015 by beating Alcorn State and is one win away from becoming the first team in MEAC history to finish a season undefeated.

Grambling (11-1) is the defending Celebration Bowl champion after last year’s one-point win against NC Central, and is seeking its 15th HBCU national crown af-

NC A&T senior running back Jamari Smith carries the ball against rival NC Central. The Aggies will attempt to be the first MEAC team to finish undefeated when they face Grambling in the Celebration Bowl.

ter winning its record 25th SWAC title.

“When you think of black college football, (Grambling is) what you think of,” Broadway said. “It means a lot to have coached at a place like that, where football is king. But it means a lot to coach at a place like A&T, too.

“We’ve brought this program a long way, from 0-27 to black college national champions. Our seniors have an opportunity to win 40 games in four years, something that’s never been done at our university. We’re proud of that.”

The similarities between the Aggies and Tigers go much deeper than the personal histories of their coaches.

According to both Broadway and Fobbs, their teams are also mirror images of each other.

Both teams have quarterbacks that won their respective conference Player of the Year Awards.

A&T’s Lamar Raynard passed for 2,875 yards and 29 touchdowns during the regular season while throwing only five interceptions.

Grambling’s DeVante Kincade has thrown for 2,680 total yards and 21 touchdowns with only three

picks.

Both teams have first-team all-conference running backs in the Aggies’ Marquell Cartwright and the Tigers’ Martez Carter.

A&T averages 36.4 points and 429 yards per game while Grambling’s numbers are almost identical at 32.7 points and 374 yards.

Defensively, the Aggies rank fourth in the FCS allowing just 251 yards per game and have recorded 35 sacks. The Tigers allow 331 yards per game and lead the FCS with 47 sacks. The teams rank 1-2 in the nation in turnover margin.

“They’re built similar to how we’re built,” said Broadway, a former UNC offensive lineman who went 35-12 with three division titles and a SWAC championship during his tenure at Grambling.

“They have a good quarterback, an outstanding running back, a good offensive line, does a good job on defense. It’s going to be a challenge for us. But we’re looking forward to going down, competing and seeing if we can win us a championship. That’s what we’re built for. That’s our goal. If we play with the same intensity we ended the season with, we’ll be OK.”

GREG M. COOPERS | REUTERS

Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski during the first half against the Boston College Eagles at Silvio Conte Forum.

A new contract for defenseman Noah Hanifin is among the expenses that will be passed on to new owner Tom Dundon.

HURRICANES from page B1 to-back games. Carolina needs sugar, though — a sugar daddy.

The Hurricanes have been closer to the salary cap floor than its ceiling, and the team needs its new owner to spend beyond the purchase cost.

There are raises for several players on the horizon. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce will, combined, cost nearly $9.5 million against the cap starting next year under their new long-term contracts, while Noah Hanifin and Jeff Skinner are due new deals after this season and 2018-19, respectively, along with others.

Taking care of your own and being a player in the market, however, are different animals. This is not an endorsement of throwing money in every corner of the free agent or trade markets (see Terry Pegula and Buffalo; this can go horribly wrong), but there’s certainly cash that hasn’t been spent under Karmanos.

Be present Karmanos often talked about being more hands-on with the Hurricanes after he retired from Compuware in 2013, but he remained mostly an absentee landlord. Given his penchant for ruffling feathers, Karmanos was perhaps best suited to be a

hard-liner in negotiations with the NHLPA. Dundon, if the sale goes through, will be one of the NHL’s youngest owners and could eventually infuse energy into the league’s ownership ranks. Of the 10 owners currently serving as executive committee governors, only Montreal’s Geoff Molson is in his 40s. Dundon won’t bulldoze his way into a prominent role from the get-go, but the owners could use a young face like him front and center, rather than the likes of Boston owner Jeremy Jacobs.

A full audit

BOB FRID | USA TODAY SPORTS

long-distance owner.

That said, the Hurricanes and the region never embraced Karmanos because he simply wasn’t around. Compare that to Blue Jackets owner John H. McConnell, who was beloved in Columbus and helped keep the franchise afloat even as the team struggled on the ice from inception through the turn of the century.

The Hurricanes need an owner the fanbase and Triangle can em-

brace. It would be hard to replicate the bond McConnell had with Blue Jackets fans or the admiration Pittsburgh Steelers fans have for the Rooneys, but Dundon needs to be a calming and positive force for the franchise.

Look no further than the excitement surrounding the first suitor for the team, Chuck Greenberg.

When reports leaked that Greenberg was deep in negotiations to buy the team, observers took no-

tice of his ownership history of making fan experience a priority.

Hurricanes supporters are starving for someone who will share their enthusiasm for the team even in lean times.

Be a mover and shaker Karmanos held a seat on the NHL executive committee until last year, but he was often only mentioned during collective bargaining when he was seen as a

Karmanos has always taken care of his own — look top to bottom through the organization and you’ll find countless people who climbed the organizational ladder.

Dundon, however, will surely want his people in place, and a hard look at every corner of the operation — from on-the-ice hockey operations to parking lot attendants — is long overdue.

The Triangle has proven it can be a flourishing and vibrant hockey market. An increase in the team’s hockey payroll from a new owner who has an up-front and active role in accessing both the organization and the NHL will return the Hurricanes to respectability.

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

B4

Rejuvenated Panthers focus on stretch run Three veteran players stepping up in final weeks of season

By Shawn Krest North State Journal THE CAROLINA Panthers usually get a day off following a game, but not this week.

After beating the top-seeded Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, to move into a tie for first place in the NFC South, coach Ron Rivera decided to scrap the down time.

“Because of the focus,” he explained. “I think there are a lot of important things ahead of us, and I don’t want to let up on the opportunity to keep going forward.”

The Panthers playoff hopes, looking dismal following the loss at New Orleans two weeks ago, now seem to have improved.

Instead of making up two games on the Saints in four weeks, the Panthers now need to just pull ahead in the final three weeks to take the division, a task that seems much more manageable, especially considering the team has two home games over that span.

“We have the opportunity to play into January,” Rivera said, “and who knows what happens after that. It starts with staying focused.”

The team seems to be coming together for the stretch run. The loss in New Orleans has been the only blemish as the team has won six of its last seven. The win over then 10-2 Minnesota was particularly impressive. The Panthers built an early lead on the Vikings, then responded when Minnesota managed to tie the

score late.

The Panthers have elevated their play, in part because the team is getting several veterans back just in time.

Ryan Kalil: The five-time Pro Bowl center suffered a neck injury early this season, which had kept him out of 10 of the team’s first 12 games. He returned against the Vikings and went the distance. His presence lifted the performance level of the entire offense.

“There was probably some confidence that the guys feel, lining up next to Ryan Kalil,” Rivera said. “The guy’s been a tremendous All-Pro player. Just his presence sometimes is more than enough. It instills confidence in his teammates and in the quarterback, certainly.”

After reviewing the game film, Rivera decided that the team didn’t just benefit from Kalil’s presence. The veteran center can still play a little bit.

“It was huge to have him out there for the big game. You could see his confidence build as things progress,” Rivera said.

“He was a little tentative at first, just trying to make sure it was there. Then, all of a sudden, bam!

You could see it one series after another that he’s out there — the confidence, snapping the ball, getting his hand placement where it needs to be, driving with his legs, communicating with his teammates. The longer he was on the field, he got better and stronger. Just like our running back — the longer he runs, the better he runs, the stronger he is at the end of the game.”

Which brings us to the next resurrected veteran.

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart, who had a career-best three touchdowns in Sunday’s win over Minnesota, will be a key part of Carolina’s playoff push.

“We have the opportunity to play into January, and who knows what happens after that.”

— Ron Rivera, Panthers coach

Jonathan Stewart: Unlike Kalil, the veteran running back didn’t suffer an injury. He just struggled with production early in the season. He seemed to struggle sharing carries with rookie Christian McCaffrey early in the season, before the two players found their own niche.

Against Philadelphia, he rushed just eight times for negative four yards. Against Atlanta, he lost two fumbles early in the game.

Stewart has found his legs of late, rushing for more than 100 yards twice in the last four games.

Against Minnesota, he broke off a 60-yard touchdown run and scored three times in a game for the first time in his career.

“He’s given us his all for the entire year,” Rivera said. “This is just part of us coming together as a team, part of us understanding who we are.”

Just as Stewart seems to get stronger as the game goes on, he’s peaking as the season nears an end.

Greg Olsen: The All-Pro tight end has returned from a

broken foot that landed him on injured reserve. There was a scary moment in the Minnesota game, when he rolled the ankle and had to limp off the field, but Olsen returned to the game.

Olsen didn’t have a catch and was only targeted once in the game, but Rivera blamed that on quarterback Cam Newton looking elsewhere.

“He was out there,” Rivera said.

“He was getting open. I think it’s just a matter of the quarterback finding him.”

In other words, the Panthers may not be done getting a boost from a returning vet. That fits in perfectly with Rivera’s approach to the stretch run.

“We can’t count on anybody else helping us,” he said. “We have to do it ourselves.”

FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 4AA: Wake Forest 21, Mallard Creek 0 The Cougars defense held Mallard Creek’s powerful offense to just 112 yards in winning their second straight title. Running back Devon Lawrence provided Wake Forest with all the offense it needed by gaining 135 yards and a touchdown on the ground in earning the game’s MVP award at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem.

4A: Harding University 33, Scotland County 20 Quavaris Crouch earned MVP honors by rushing for 141 yards and two touchdowns and the Rams piled up 400 yards of total offense on the way to their first state title since 1953. In the process, they denied coach Richard Bailey his first title in

SMITH from page B1 That’s just the way things work in that part of Wilmington.

“New Hanover is special,” Smith said after winning the school’s first state championship in 67 years. “We have people in our booster club that played on the ’58 team with Roman Gabriel. We honored the ’51 (state championship) team this week.

We had two or three players who played with Sonny Jurgensen.

The pride has just always been there. This is going to be special.

This is huge for the city.”

New Hanover also claims a 1983 state title, although, officially, the NCHSAA recognizes it as an “other championship,” keeping the Wildcats out of the record book.

“We’ve got a couple players’ dads that played on that last team, in ’83,” Smith said. “It’s been awhile. Coach (Joe) Miller, I know, is looking down from heaven.”

The 3AA state title, earned with a 27-17 win over A.C. Reynolds that capped a 15-1 season, also snapped a drought in Smith’s career.

“For me, personally, this is my 35th year. I’ve been to the East Championships quite a few times, but I’ve never been here,” Smith said. “When I walked off the field over there, I saw some of my high school teammates. I saw huge number of players I had at Millbrook (where he coached 18 years) and Wake Forest. I even had some players off the 2001 and 2002 (New Hanover) teams.

“Just to get to come back to your high school, walk into the gym and know you put that banner up is very special.”

— Wiz Vaughn, New Hanover athlete … This is just a great feeling for all of us. These guys are special.”

The connections to Smith spread out across the state on championship Saturday.

In Winston-Salem, the team Smith left New Hanover for the first time, Wake Forest, won its second straight 4AA title.

Meanwhile, in Chapel Hill, Motsinger, now in his first year as Wallace-Rose Hill head coach, won the 2A state title.

“I’m so proud of him,” Smith said. “Coach built a culture of toughness and had a heck of a record here. Like me, he made it to the Eastern Championship a couple times and had some tough losses. That’s where it all started here. I just came in and put my stamp on it.”

In Durham, however, the day belonged to Smith and the long New Hanover football tradition.

“I really didn’t even think about that until (Smith) said it,” said Wildcats safety Francis Meehan, who earned Most Outstanding Defensive Player

his fifth trip to a state final — three with Fayetteville Jack Britt and two with Scotland.

3A: Charlotte Catholic 28, Havelock 14 The Cougars played keepaway by holding onto the ball for 31 of the game’s 48 minutes while rolling up 272 yards on the ground at Wallace-Wade Stadium. Championship MVP Milan Howard led the attack with 160 yards for Charlotte Catholic while Lamagea McDowell scored twice to send his team to its fifth state championship.

2AA: Hibriten 16, East Duplin 14 The Panthers were outgained 359-190, but still managed to hold on for their first state title in their first championship

honors with six solo tackles and a game-clinching interception in the end zone. “That’s a great feeling. All the tradition we have — all the past players that we had: Garrett (Walson, 2016 graduate and current UNC tight end), Roman Gabriel, Sonny Jurgensen, Burke (Estes, 2016 graduate and current Randolph Macon quarterback). We had all those great players come through. Just being in that realm is kind of amazing. I guess Wiz (Vaughn) and I and all the other seniors on the team kind of set the tone for next year.”

Vaughn was named overall MVP of the 3AA championship game after scoring two touchdowns.

“Just to get to come back to your high school, walk into the gym and know you put that banner up is very special,” he said.

Vaughn, Meehan and several other senior leaders of this year’s team were sophomores when Smith returned to New Hanover.

That team advanced to the Eastern Championship.

“When we lost to Greenville Rose in the East Finals, we came together as a unit and said if we ever get this far again it’s not gonna end,” Meehan said.

When New Hanover beat Rose 54-0 in early September this season, Vaughn declared to his coach, “We’re going to the state championship!”

Three months later, Vaughn, Meehan and Smith all etched their names in the interconnected history of New Hanover football.

game appearance. Wide receiver Miles Simon was the offensive star with two long touchdown receptions and punter Noah Haney kept forcing East Duplin to drive the length of the field by averaging 46.0 yards on six kicks.

Trailing 16-7, East Duplin tried to rally by driving 99 yards on 20 plays for a touchdown with 1:30 to play. But Hibriten recovered the onside kick to preserve the victory at Kenan Stadium.

1AA: Tarboro 32, Mount Airy 7 Keon Caudle got his team off and running with a 6-yard touchdown 2½ minutes into the second quarter and the Vikings never let up, rolling up 300 yards on the ground to earn their fifth state title

BULLDOGS from page B1 to score one more time than they did in the second half. We came out and that’s exactly what we did.”

Although Wallace-Rose Hill eventually regained the lead on a five-yard run by Williams, it was Reidsville (15-1) that went into overtime with the momentum after driving 93 yards on 12 plays for the tying touchdown with just 42 seconds remaining in regulation.

The situation became even more tenuous for the Bulldogs when a holding penalty and a false start on their extra possession set them back to the 19-yard line. But they quickly regained their composure.

Calling on the experience gained from their three previous championship game appearances and benefitting from a late hit call on their opponent, they dug their way out of the hole and into the end zone.

Newkirk got the final yard on a 1-yard plunge off left tackle.

“I think everybody was kind of scared. But one thing about us, we don’t ever quit,” Newkirk said. “We can get penalties over and over and over, but we’re going to come and play, and we’re still going to have the best for our team.”

Like most teams, the players that make up Wallace-Rose Hill’s roster think of each other as brothers. Saturday, though, it was an actual pair of siblings that combined to make the play that clinched the Bulldogs’ fourth consecutive state title.

On second-and-goal from the 3, senior defensive end Rarkell Simmons stripped the ball from Reidsville’s Jalen Easley after stopping him for no gain. Simmons’ younger

— and first since 2011 — at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Deontae Williams was the game’s MVP, leading Tarboro with 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

1A: Cherokee 21, North Duplin 13 The Braves did all their damage in the second half, rallying from a 7-0 deficit over the final two quarters behind the passing and running of quarterback Tye Mintz. The senior rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns and threw for a score, as Cherokee claimed the first football state title in school history.

In addition to his offensive prowess, Mintz also led the way on defense, tying for the team lead with 13 tackles and an interception.

brother Elijah, a junior tackle, fell on the loose ball to end the game and touch off a wild celebration on one side of the field. On the other side, several Rams dropped to the ground in anguish.

Easley led his team with 120 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback Titus Jones threw for 191 yards and a score in the loss.

“Their kids are champions, too, and they didn’t come here to lose,” Motsinger said. “They put their belt on the table and these boys brought their belt on the table from last year and winner take all. We just made one more play.”

Wallace-Rose Hill’s title put an exclamation point on a big day for Duplin County.

East Duplin and North Duplin also played for state championships on Saturday. Although East lost to Hibriten in the 2AA final earlier in the day in Chapel Hill and North fell to Cherokee for the 1A title at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, Motsinger proclaimed his county as the high school football capital of North Carolina.

It’s a designation Motsinger attributed to a strong community foundation.

“Duplin County is a farming county,” he said. “What are farmers?

Farmers are hard-working, they’re family-oriented, they go to church, they get to work before sunup and they stay there until sundown.

That’s where these kids come from.

“It’s that worker mentality, it’s that family mentality. That’s why you had North Duplin and East Duplin and Wallace-Rose Hill. You just roll your sleeves up and find a daggum way.”

WEDNESDAY

12.13.17

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL

Luke Skywalker is back, Page 7

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

play list

Dec. 13-Dec. 22 Enchanted Airlie Airlie Gardens, Wilmington Come see one of Wilmington’s cherished holiday traditions at Airlie Gardens . More than 1 million festive lights and holiday flowers will be on display. Fun for the whole family includes musical entertainment, holiday refreshments and a visit with Santa.

Dec. 14 Steve Hardy’s Original Beach Party Greenville Convention Center, Greenville Come celebrate Christmas beachin’ style with four of the best beach bands around: The Mighty Saints of Soul, The Main Event Band, The Band of Oz, and Jim Quick and Coastline.

Children’s toys will be collected for the Durham Rescue Mission and admission is by ticket only.

Dec. 14-Dec. 16

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE BENNETT’S STUDIO

Above, Mike Bennett poses for a photo. Below, Mike Bennett’s work.

Connections flow in Williamston art community

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal WILLIAMSTON – Authentic and realistic art, combined with creative spaces for artists and the community to come together, provides fulfillment to Mike Bennett.

“I’m a visual artist who paints realistic portraits,” said Bennett.

“I have a deep love for art and pour that into what I do. Seeing the joy my work brings to other people makes me fill fulfilled.”

Bennett, 59, spent his childhood drawing on the back porch of his family’s home in Robersonville.

“I remember drawing whatever I could find – cups, trees, tree stumps,” said Bennett. “In the eighth grade, I knew I really wanted to be an artist.”

Mostly a self-taught artist, Bennett attended Oak City High School where he received a scholarship to attend the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

While at the School of the Arts, he met artist Anthony "Tony" Griffin, the brother-in-law of world-renowned Fresco artist Ben Long.

Bennett spent his summers in the mountains with Long, working on drawing and painting while helping mix lime plaster for The Last Supper Fresco in Glendale Springs.

Following school, he’s had jobs painting billboards and signs all while continuing his portraiture and mural painting.

Bennett’s work has quickly and quietly helped him make a name for himself in the art community.

He paints portraits, landscapes, and murals with detailed preci-

sion that brings the realness of the subject to life.

“As a visual artist, I can paint all types of subjects from portraits to murals and other large types of compositions. From figure drawings and paintings, land and seascapes, interior compositions, animals, flowers, and more,” said Bennett.

Murals can be found at Weeping Mary Baptist and Jones Chapel (Oak City), Roberson Chapel (Parmele), Bethel Baptist (Bethel), St. James Museum (Robersonville), Blount-Bridgers House (Tarboro), Greenville Museum of Art, and Grimesland Baptist.

He uses a variety of mediums from pencils to pen, ink to watercolor, oils to pastels, and sculpting.

He recently opened the Mike Bennett Art Studio in downtown Williamston. A place where creative artists can play and members of the public can drop by to visit.

“Having an open studio, artists can come in, work and meet other artists. It is a way we can learn from one another in the art community,” said Bennett.

“I have available space for 10 artists with 8 x 8 feet of space for each artist,” he added.

There’s even a grand piano, drum set, and keyboard waiting for a jam session.

“With a store-front building in downtown Williamston, I wanted a place for people to connect in a way that was open to the public,” said Bennett.

Bennett’s studio, at 132 West Main Street, is open from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Saturday, and 12 – 9 p.m. on Sundays.

A Christmas Carol: The Broadway Musical High Point The High Point Community Theatre presents the timeless holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Join family and friends for an epic performance that is sure to bring the most “Bah! Humbug!” some holiday cheer.

Dec. 14-Dec. 22 The Polar Express Train Ride N.C. Transportation Museum, Spencer Sip hot chocolate and eat cookies (in your pajamas of course) on board The Polar Express as the train heads to the North Pole. All aboard will enjoy singing, dancing, and a reading of “The Polar Express” and will receive a silver sleigh bell to ring as they celebrate the magic of Christmas.

Dec. 15-Dec. 16 Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Weihnachtsmarkt Charlotte Join family and friends in the Biergarten for Weihnachtsmarkt (A German Christmas Market).

Gifts and locally baked goods may be purchased from forty different booths. And don’t forget about the seasonal beer — Dunkel, Bauern Bock, and Yule Bock will be on tap, along with Glühwein, a spiced red wine.

Tweetsie Christmas Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock Discover Tweetsie Railroad at Christmas time with this inaugural holiday celebration.

See a magical light display while taking a train ride followed by a visit to Santa’s Workshop. The whole family can enjoy caroling, live animals, a fire pit and snow.

Dec. 16 Christmas in New Bern South Front Street, New Bern Be a part of New Bern’s “Seasons of Giving: A Candlelight Christmas Celebration.” This colonialinspired tradition of giving features 12 Days of Christmas decorations and historically dressed characters. Guests may join Governor and Mrs. Tryon for a tour of their new home and also visit the Stanly House, Dixon House, and Commission House.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

NeCessities! history marked Dec. 16, 1870

The light at Cape Hatteras The specially designed Fresnel lens of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was lit to mark Diamond Shoals. The lighthouse lit in 1870 is counted as the second of three at Cape Hatteras. In 1794, Congress authorized the original 90foot sandstone tower, completed in 1802. By the 1850s, complaints were voiced about the inadequacy of its light and, in 1861, during the Civil War, it was damaged by Union shelling. After the war, top priority was given to the construction of a new lighthouse. Upon completion, the lighthouse, measuring 180 feet from the foundation to the light and 208 feet from the base of the building to the top of its roof, was the world’s tallest. It remains the tallest brick lighthouse in the country. In 1935, shoreline erosion threatened the lighthouse and it was abandoned.

In its place, a skeleton tower was built to the northwest above Buxton Woods. The Civilian Conservation Corps helped stabilize the area and, in January 1950, the 1870 tower was reactivated. In 2000, the National Park Service moved the lighthouse one-half mile west to save it from the encroaching Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse is open to the public on a seasonal basis.

oh snap!

Krispy Kreme adds holiday flavor for National Gingerbread House Day

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DEC. 12 was National Gingerbread House Day and N.C.-based Krispy Kreme Doughnuts sweetened the day by introducing a first-time, one-day seasonal take on its iconic Original Glazed Doughnut. The Gingerbread Glazed Doughnut hit shops in the U.S. and Canada.

The gingerbread doughnut is made of gingerbread dough and the glaze is gingerbread and molasses. “Gingerbread is a classic holiday flavor, and now there’s a delicious new way to enjoy it with the classic qualities of our Original Glazed doughnut,” said Jackie Woodward, Chief Marketing Officer of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. “We take the holiday fun of gingerbread houses and celebrate

New gingerbread Krispy Kreme doughnuts seen on Dec. 12.

it with the never-ending fun of Original Glazed doughnuts.”

This is the first time that Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has transformed both the dough and glaze to create an all new menu item. However, Krispy Kreme rolled out another one-off doughnut this year to celebrate the solar eclipse when they modified their traditional glaze into a dark chocolate glaze over their original doughnut in August.

If you missed out on the gingerbread treat, Krispy Kreme is offering another special this Friday. Dec. 15 is National Ugly Sweater Day, and the chain is offering one free original glazed doughnut to anyone who purchases a dozen doughnuts.

Dec. 17, 1903

First powered flight Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first successful powered flight in a heavier-than-air craft. The story of the Wright brothers began in Dayton, Ohio, where they owned and operated a bicycle store. Seasonal slumps in sales forced the brothers to expand, and they decided to try designing a self-propelled aircraft. After six years of studying the principles of flight, the Wright brothers developed several prototypes, some gliders and others self-propelled, and began looking for proving grounds along the East Coast. Their search ultimately led them to Dare County’s Kill Devil Hills, where strong winds provided lift and sandy grounds increased chances of a safe landing.

After months of setbacks and unsuccessful attempts, at 10:53 on the morning of Dec. 17 the Wright Flyer, under its own power, defied gravity for 12 seconds, clearing a distance of 100 feet. Twenty-nine years later, in 1932, the state of North Carolina erected a monument at Kill Devil Hills, where the historic flight took place. Orville Wright was the guest of honor at the ceremony.

Dec. 18, 1767

“Cherokee Clay” and Wedgwood Pottery An agent of England’s Wedgwood potteries finished extracting several tons of fine white clay from the mountains of North Carolina. By the 1740s, people in England and across the American colonies knew of the valuable white clay deposits in the Cherokee region of the North Carolina mountains. A British patent was filed around 1744 “for the production of porcelain from an earthy mixture, produced by the Cherokee Nation in America.”

With increasing interest in creating porcelain in England and the colonies, Josiah Wedgwood launched efforts to secure what was called Cherokee Clay. He hired an agent, Thomas Griffiths, to travel to America to conduct the business.

Griffiths went to the Indian settlement of Ayoree in what is now Macon County to negotiate an arrangement for the purchase of five to six tons of Cherokee Clay. The clay was carried down the mountains by pack horses. Griffiths delivered the Cherokee Clay to Josiah Wedgwood in April 1768. Because of the expenses incurred, Wedgwood never pursued additional shipments of the clay. His supply lasted 15 years. In 1783, he wrote that Cherokee Clay was the basis of his newly manufactured biscuit porcelain.

PHOTOS BY EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL | FILE

Eliya Liberty, 10, right, and Yisrael Bluming, 3, left, play with an inflatable dreidel during the Hanukkah Festival at the Levin Jewish Community Center in Durham, on Dec. 11, 2016.

the festival of lights Happy Hanukkah

Dec. 20, 1942

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

Marine Barracks Camp Lejeune was named in honor of the 13th Commandant and Commanding General of the 2nd Army Division in World War I, Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune.

The Camp Lejeune story began in 1940. World War II had been raging in Europe for more than a year and military planners were posturing forces for America’s eminent entry into the fight. An East Coast amphibious training facility was needed, and 110,000 acres were purchased in North Carolina. Close to ports at Wilmington and Morehead City, Lejeune was a logistical gem. When planners added in the remote pine forests and miles of beach, the value of Camp Lejeune as a home training base for Marines was unbeatable. Congress authorized more than $14 million for the construction of the base in April 1941 and in May the base’s first commander was appointed. The base was then known as Marine Barracks New River, N.C. Camp Lejeune’s value to the Corps in World War II was evident through the contributions of Marines trained or based there. Billed as the “Home of Expeditionary Forces in Readiness,” Camp Lejeune is the largest marine base on the East Coast.

Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem that had been defiled after the Maccabean Revolt. While there are different versions to this biblical story, Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of triumph against overwhelming odds.

The most popular part of the miracle, and often the most familiar, is the story of how one night’s worth of oil lasted for eight days. This element has inspired the oil cooked foods eaten during the holiday as well as the lighting of the candles of the Menorah.

This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Dec. 12, and ends on the evening of Dec. 20.

A variety of Menorahs sit for sale during the Hanukkah Popular traditions of the holiday include eating Festival at the Levin Jewish Community Center in latkes, the giving of gelt or chocolate coins wrapped Durham last year. in gold and silver, playing dreidel, exchanging gifts and lighting the Menorah.

Goods fried in oil such as latkes (fried potato pan- a spinning top game in which the top has a Hebrew cakes) and donuts are likely to make the dinner table. letter on each of its four sides. While the game dates The giving of chocolate gelt is thought to have evolved back to the 16th century, the letters are now said to from an 18th century Eastern European Hanukkah stand for the Hebrew sentence, “a great miracle haptradition in which rabbis went from village to village pened there.”

Hanukah celebrations also include the exchangteaching Hebrew school lessons. In exchange, villaging of gifts and it is customary to give one gift for es would give the rabbis an edible gift.

Another Hanukkah tradition is playing dreidel, each night of Hanukkah.

New River to Camp Lejeune

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

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

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ENTERTAINMENT FILM REVIEW: ‘STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI’

First Order has the Resistance on the run

By Peter Debruge Variety LOS ANGELES — Surely, all "Star Wars" fans hope each new installment will be the best ever. But in the case of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," that seemed like an actual possibility. Written and directed

by Rian Johnson, a Sundance alum who established his serious-filmmaker bona fides with his 2005 indie debut, "Brick," before graduating to young Christopher Nolan territory via the relatively big-budget sci-fi movie "Looper," Episode VIII seemed to have everything going for it.

To the extent that "The Force Awakens" was essentially a heightened reboot of "A New Hope," recycling many of the 1977 original's thrills in fresh form with a mostly new cast, this latest chapter was positioned as the new trilogy's "The Empire Strikes Back" — which is to say, a darker, more serious chapter (commonly regarded as the series' best) that deepens the underlying mythology, shapes its emerging hero (originally Luke Skywalker, now Daisy Ridley's Force-strong Rey), sets up an epic cliff-hanger and introduces a few big twists into the equation, including a whopping paternity surprise.

As it turns out, although "The Last Jedi" meets a relatively high standard for franchise filmmaking, Johnson's effort is ultimately a disappointment. If anything, it demonstrates just how effective supervising producer Kathleen Kennedy and the forces that oversee this now Disney-owned property are at molding their individual directors' visions into supporting a unified corporate esthetic — a process that chewed up and spat out helmers such as Colin Trevorrow, Gareth Edwards, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. But Johnson was either strong enough or weak enough to adapt to such pressures, and the result is the longest and least essential chapter in the series.

That doesn't mean it's not entertaining. Rather, despite the success of "The Last Jedi" at supplying jaw-dropping visuals and a hallof-fame-worthy lightsaber battle, audiences could presumably skip this film and show up for Episode IX without experiencing the slightest confusion as to what happened in the interim. It's as if Johnson's assignment was to extend the franchise without changing anything fundamental, which is closer to the way classic television and vintage James Bond movies operate than anything George Lucas ever served up.

Say what you will about Lucas' clunky, uneven prequels, but they covered a ton of story ground. By contrast, "The Last Jedi" opens and closes with scenes of Resistance bases under siege, in between which the movie's central concern is the dwindling fuel level on a carrier ship under slow-motion

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LUCAS FILMS

pursuit by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis, who for the first time in his career probably would have been just as effective playing the character without the benefit of motion capture). Even more than last summer's "Dunkirk," this movie is about the honor and sacrifice of a successful retreat, which isn't nearly as dramatic as an underdog offensive.

Following the destruction of the evil First Order's Starkiller Base, and with Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker in self-imposed retirement in "the most unfindable place in the galaxy," the Resistance is spearheaded by Princess Leia, played by the late Carrie Fisher, whose entire performance is overshadowed by the actress's premature death (she should be a figure of empowering female leadership, not tragedy).

Rest assured, there is a lot of Leia in "The Last Jedi." In fact, in a franchise that has always been progressive about representation, the women basically run the show this time around, which is arguably the best thing about a movie that introduces a purple-coiffed Laura Dern as the endangered ship's No. 2 in command, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, and save-the-day sisters Paige (Veronica Ngo) and Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), who each get significant moments to shine.

Meanwhile, Rey remains the character most likely to carry on the Jedi tradition, having piloted the Millennium Falcon to the remote island where Luke is hiding, although he proves a far more reluctant teacher than Yoda ever was. (The green guy makes an appearance here, surprising once again with the extent of his abilities, and from the looks of it, Johnson — or someone at a very high level — successfully made the case to go back to a practical Yoda puppet consistent with the original trilogy, as opposed to the smoother but somehow phonier-looking CG

version featured in the prequels. In another nostalgic touch, this film was actually shot on film, rather than digital cameras.)

Revealed as a bearded and cloaked recluse at the end of "The Force Awakens," Luke is funnier than we've ever seen him — a personality change that betrays how "Star Wars" has been influenced by industry trends. Though the series has always been self-aware enough to crack jokes, it now gives in to the same winking self-parody that is poisoning other franchises of late, from the Marvel movies to "Pirates of the Caribbean." But it begs the question: If movies can't take themselves seriously, why should audiences?

Harrison Ford was a good enough actor, and Han Solo an aloof enough character, that he could get away with it, but here, the laughs feel forced — as does the appearance of cuddly critters on each new planet. Both are reminders that the canonical "Star Wars" movies (as compared with last year's adult-targeted stand-alone, "Rogue One") must also appeal to very young children, for whom this can be a formative moviegoing experience — which is the kind of strategic thinking that previously brought Ewoks and Gungans into this universe. But do those audiences have bladders big enough to sit through a talky two-and-a-halfhour tug-of-war between the light and dark sides of the Force?

Because that is in essence what "The Last Jedi" is about: If Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey are the two humans with sufficient supernatural abilities to carry on the waning Jedi religion, which side will each of them choose? We already know who Ren's parents are (Han Solo and Leia), but what about Rey's?

"The Force Awakens" introduced a new villain in Snoke, who seemed all the more mysterious in that he loomed over Sith apprentice Ren in hologram form. Now we see him "in the flesh" (technically CG), and he's repulsive to look at — like accidentally walking in on one of your grandparents au naturel — but not especially fear-inducing, in part because we learn so little about him or his powers.

Ren makes a much better villain, as does Domhnall Gleeson's Gen. Hux (though he too often serves as the butt of the script's jokes), and together, they do more to terrorize Leia's fuel-starved carrier than Snoke does. As was the case with the young Anakin Skywalker, Ren embodies a mix of ambition and unbridled rage, though Driver makes all that wild energy all the more unpredictable. His is one of the movie's most challenging and effective performances, and though the internet will distract itself with a moment in which he briefly appears shirtless, it's gratifying to see such a gifted actor in the part.

On-screen, the First Order's

army vastly outnumbers the embattled Resistance, but for purposes of dramatic identification, Johnson provides real character detail for the good guys, even the minor ones, and their losses therefore register with greater impact than in previous movies (when, say, Luke's fellow pilots anonymously died alongside him). The mission here is merely survival, although the tension would be greater if Snoke were doing something other than space-tailgating the Resistance for most of the movie, picking off their smaller ships as they run out of fuel. In theory, what's at stake here is the very future of the Jedi faith (which is explicitly identified as a "religion" here). It's kind of a big deal to suggest that the belief system upon which Lucas' entire franchise was built could fade away entirely, unless someone new comes along to uphold it, or that its chief disciple, Luke Skywalker, is now actively campaigning for its demise.

While Rey wrestles with that issue, fighters like hotshot pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and stormtrooper-turned-anti-First-Order-terrorist Finn (John Boyega) prove invaluable to the cause — even if their mission, which involves an elaborate detour to a swanky casino planet, doesn't supply quite as much excitement as it ought to. While there, Finn and Rose present the movie's political agenda, which disapproves of arms trafficking, regardless of which side the gunrunners are serving, and argues for the respect of all creatures (who should not be eaten, abused or raced for sport, but instead collected wherever fine toys are sold). They also pick up a stuttering codebreaker (Benicio Del Toro, bursting with personality) who fills this movie's Lando Calrissian spot — for those keeping track of all the ways the film honors or inverts elements from "The Empire Strikes Back."

It may sound like a backhanded compliment, but with so much on the line, Johnson deserves credit for not messing things up. By contrast, Lucas got himself into trouble for not catering enough to fans with his early-2000s prequel trilogy, a situation J.J. Abrams (who serves as an executive producer here) addressed in "The Force Awakens," which felt like a thrilling, big-budget "Star Wars" fan film.

"The Last Jedi" possesses the same reverence for the galaxy Lucas created, paying homage in all the right places (from the chills we get from John Williams' iconic fanfare to the new-and-improved walkers that appear during the climactic siege) while barely advancing the narrative. Ultimately, there's only so much wiggle room Johnson has to play with a property that seems destined to generate a new installment/spinoff every year until we die — which means that however many Death Stars or Sith Lords the Resistance manages to defeat, there will always be more, and no matter how few Jedi remain, there can never be none.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

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Discover North Carolina arts, history, nature and culture from the mountains to the coast – find it all online, all in one place. From engaging museums to traditional music, historic places and enchanting natural beauty, North Carolina has something for everyone. Connect with us online to discover your next unforgettable experience.

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