the BRIEF this week
Job openings rose in April, signaling strong labor market
Washington, D.C. U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of confidence in their prospects — fell, and layoffs ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022 when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.
Dollar General sets record as bargain stores attract more buyers
Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual profit and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and off price retailers amid economic uncertainty.
The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the first drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business. Consumer spending also slowed sharply. For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5%, better than expected by Wall Street analysts.
$2.00
A hard day’s work
UNC’s Jake Knapp receives a standing ovation as he exits against Holy Cross on Friday in Chapel Hill. Knapp tossed 81/3 shutout innings, to lead the Tar Heels to a 4-0 win en route to a NCAA Regionals victory. They play Arizona this weekend in the Super Regionals with a trip to the College World Series at stake.
Chatham Board of Education OKs future teacher scholarship program
The Teach Chatham Scholarship is a path for early teacher recruitment
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — Chatham County Schools is introducing a new scholarship program to aid
in future teacher recruitment.
At its June 2 regular business meeting, the Chatham County Schools Board of Education approved the Teach Chatham scholarship, an up to $10,000 award for students interested in teaching back in Chatham County following their post-secondary education.
“Teach Chatham is a grass-
roots, grow-your-own teacher program right here for Chatham County Schools,” said Executive Director of Secondary Education Michelle Burton. “The goal is to provide students who are interested in becoming educators an opportunity to begin coursework while they’re still in high school as well as to participate in a number of education-
al career building opportunities throughout the district and even now the full community of Chatham.” Scholarships can be up to $10,000 with the funds awarded by the Chatham Education Foundation as a pass through. Students would be eligible for
See EDUCATION, page A3
Insect-eating
Venus flytraps thrive on Carolina’s coast
A weekly hike lets state park visitors see them in the wild
By Erik Verduzco
The Associated Press
CAROLINA BEACH — Park ranger Jesse Anderson leads dozens of people on a weekly hike in North Carolina to see some of the most unique living things in the world — plants that supplement the nutrients they get from sunlight by digesting ants, flies and spiders. But the Venus flytraps aren’t like the human-size,
See PLANT, page A7
Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on a Hickory street during a house party
At least 80 shots were fired just after midnight on Sunday
The Associated Press
HICKORY — Gunfire erupted around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from fleeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheriff’s deputies said. Authorities said at least 80 shots were fired in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running,
ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law enforcement had made no arrests and was seeking tips from the public in the case.
A statement from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said a 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously reported in critical condition.
A 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed.
ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO Park ranger Jesse Anderson shows a pitcher plant to visitors during a weekly carnivorous plant hike in March.
BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO
We stand corrected
To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.
CRIME LOG
May 23
• Ricardo Uriel Nava, 25, of Siler City, was arrested for breaking and entering.
May 25
• Jose Edgar JacoboFelipe, 31, of Siler City, was arrested for driving while impaired, driving without a license, and using a fictitious or altered registration card or tag.
May 26
• Jaylen Latrell Farris, 24, of Siler City, was arrested for assault on a female and domestic violence.
May 27
• Franck Romual Kombou Sile, 34, of Kannapolis, was arrested for cyberstalking and communicating threats.
May 27
• Noe Pulido, 24, of Broadway, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.
May 28
• Koren Cleary, 47, of Winston-Salem, was arrested for misdemeanor child abuse, communicating threats, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
May 30
• Paul Lawrence Rader, 47, of Siler City, was arrested for attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and discharging a weapon into occupied property.
Oh, deer
A Chatham County deputy helped rescue a newborn fawn over the weekend after its mother was struck and killed by a vehicle on N.C. 87 near Walter Bright Road. On Saturday, a motorist discovered the fawn — so young its umbilical cord was still attached — and called for help. Deputy Caitlin Cade transported the animal to Holly’s Nest Animal Rescue for care. “This fawn had a slim chance of survival out there alone,” Cade said.
• 471 Deer Run (Pittsboro), 4.92 acres, 3 bed/2 bath, $350,000
• 204 Sugarland Drive (Apex), 0.18 acres, 3 bed/2 bath, $392,000
• 298 E. Salisbury Street (Pittsboro), 0.40 acres, 3bed/2 bath, $600,000
• 9550 Silk Hope Liberty Road (Siler City), 73.740 acres, 3 bed/3bath, $1,450,000
• 1656 NC-42 Highway (Moncure), 36.17 acres, 3 bed/4 bath, $1,600,000
• 557 Olives Chapel Road (Apex), 12.802 acres, 3 bed/3 bath, $2,500,000 LAND
• 37 E Cotton Road (Pittsboro), 0.996 acres, $100,000
• 170 Cherokee Drive (Chapel Hill), 1.150 acres, $100,000
• 188 Cherokee Drive (Chapel Hill), 1.150 acres, $100,000
RESIDENTIAL
• 9652 S Nc-87 Highway (Pittsboro), 5 acres, 3 bed/1 bath, $325,000 LAND
• 1701 Mitchells Chapel Road (Pittsboro), 10 acres, $200,000
• 327 Poplar Trail (Siler City), 5.022 acres, $150,000
• Tract 1 Robedo Road (Mount Gilead), 15.123 acres, $189,000
• Tract 3 Robedo Road (Mount Gilead), 17.029 acres, $212,865
• Tract 2 Robedo Road (Mount Gilead), 17.425 acres, $217,800
• 3513 Chatham Church Road (Moncure), 5.436 acres, $250,000
• 3515 Chatham Church Road (Moncure), 5.497 acres, $250,000
• 3517 Chatham Church Road (Moncure), 5.012 acres, $250,000
• 323 Wagon Trace (Pittsboro), 10.255 acres, $295,000
• 639 Hills of the Haw Road (Pittsboro), 5.2470 acres, $400,000
• 0 JB Morgan Road (Apex), 21 acres, $630,000
• 9231 Nc Highway 87 N (Pittsboro), 5.63 acres, $250,000
• 9311 Nc Highway 87 N (Pittsboro), 4.60 acres, $225,000
• 00 Hamlets Chapel Road (Pittsboro), 118.742 acres, $4,250,000
• 1604 Bonlee School Road, Bear Creek, 110.496 acres, $750,000
• 00 US Highway 64 W (Siler City), 7.87 acres, $800,000
• 0 Pasture Branch Road (Rose Hill), 29 acres, $1,250,000
• 0 Crawford Dairy Road (Pittsboro), 52.81 acres, $1,750,000
• 8636/8710 Johnson Mill Road (Bahama),182.888 acres, $2,800,000
• 0 US 64 W (Siler City), 9.670 acres, $4,500,000
• 0 Olives Chapel Road (Apex), 75.4330 acres, $15,300,000 COMMERCIAL IMPROVED
• 919 N 2nd Avenue (Siler City), 0.34 acres, $550,000
• 140 & 148 East Street (Pittsboro), 1.49 acres, $1,350,000
COMMERCIAL IMPROVED
• 13604 US Hwy 64 W (Siler City), 4.36 acres, $650,000
COMMERCIAL UNIMPROVED
• 10681 US Hwy 64 E (Apex), 3.97 acres, $1,000,000
• 1700 Hillsboro Street (Pittsboro), 29.79 acres, $4,500,000 Is Land in Apex NC Worth $100,000/Acre in
CHATHAM happening
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County:
June
5
Opinionation Trivia at House of Pops
6-8 p.m.
Two sessions of this “Family Feud”-style game are held each evening, first round at 6 p.m. and the second at 7 p.m., offering contestants two opportunities to win House of Hops gift cards worth $15 and $25 each.
112 Russet Run Suite 110 Pittsboro
June
6
Briar Chapel Farmers Market
4-6 p.m.
Every Friday, 10 local vendors gather on the Green of Green Meadow Park to offer an assortment of fresh produce, meats, baked goods, floral arrangements and foods to eat. The last Friday of each month also hosts a selection of local and regional artisans selling their crafts.
161 Salt Cedar Lane Chapel Hill
Jack the Radio at Bynum Front Porch
7-8:30 p.m.
Family-friendly, free musical performance with donations welcomed. Concessions will be available onsite. Free parking.
Front Porch, Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum
June
7
Chatham Mills Farmers Market
8 a.m. - noon
This weekly outdoor farmers market is a producers-only market, which means the wide variety of goods offered there, from fresh produce to other groceries, including eggs, cheese and meat, along with health and wellness items and crafts, are produced or created by the vendors.
Lawn of the historic Chatham Mills
480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro
June 11
Jazz Night at The Sycamore at Chatham Mills
6-9 p.m.
Every Wednesday night, from 6-9 p.m., The Sycamore at Chatham Mills hosts live Jazz Nights. The series features a rotating list of local musicians. The Sycamore also offers its Lounge Menu in the dining room on Wednesday nights. Reservations are highly recommended.
480 Hillsboro St. Suite 500 Pittsboro
COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Jeffrey Randall Allen, winner of competition TV show
“Beast Games,” stands atop his $10 million grand prize.
MrBeast to give studio tours to big-dollar charity donors
Giving $100,000 could get a visit to his Greenville HQ
By James Pollard The Associated Press
NEW YORK — MrBeast plans to turn the success of his Amazon Prime Video reality competition series into millions of dollars for charity.
YouTube’s biggest creator is offering an exclusive weekend on the set of Beast Games Season 2 to the first 40 donors who make $100,000 gifts to his registered nonprofit. The earliest contributors and up to two guests each will spend June 27-29 touring MrBeast’s North Carolina studio, hearing from the production team in a private Q&A and visiting Beast Philanthropy’s food pantry.
The invitation comes as Jimmy Donaldson’s reported $5 billion media empire surpasses 400 million subscribers on YouTube, where he had already set the record for the biggest following. But the call raises a question: Who among his following of young people and their parents can make a six-figure donation?
“I have some big charity projects I want to fund so I think it’s a win/win,” MrBeast said in a post on X. Rallying his fervent fan base to make their own contributions marks a new fundraising strategy for Donaldson. He has long stated that his YouTube pages’ featured charitable work is funded with his Beast Philanthropy channel’s revenue.
Beast Philanthropy aims to “alleviate suffering wherever and whenever we are able,” teaching new generations to care more and “making kindness viral” along the way.
The content has drawn a mix of praise from fans for working with local nonprofits to support previously unfunded community-based projects and pushback from critics who accused Donaldson of exploiting vulnerable people for clickbait “inspiration porn.” Campaigns have involved treating rheumatic heart disease in Nigeria and protecting endan-
HICKORY from page A1
Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheriff’s spokesperson said. The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the office.
Sheriff’s office Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory.
He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was the motivation for the shooting. Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and
STRAUSS / INVISION / AP
JORDAN
Jimmy Donaldson, who goes by the online alias MrBeast, arrives at the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on April 5 in Los Angeles.
“I have some big charity projects I want to fund so I think it’s a win/win.” MrBeast
gered animals in Kenya. Other examples include building wells in countries across Africa and covering the cost of cataract surgery for 1,000 people.
The call also signals Donaldson’s continued philanthropic presence after comments suggesting he would get “less hate” if he stepped away from philanthropy altogether. Responding to allegations that he uses philanthropy as a shield, Donaldson said he thinks “it paints a negative spotlight on me.”
“People hate me more because I do good,” Donaldson said in a conversation uploaded last November on the YouTube channel oompaville. “Maybe that’s too crazy of a statement.
I’m not trying to sound like a victim here or anything.
“The truth is, I just find videos where I help people more fun than videos where I don’t.”
The fundraising strategy resembles high-end charity galas or political campaign golf tournaments where attendees are “paying for status by making some donation,” according to Deborah Small, a psycholo -
gy and marketing professor at Yale University.
Purely generous donors don’t need any additional enticement, she noted, and beneficiaries don’t typically care about the motivations behind contributions as long as their causes get funded.
“It seems like, in this case, MrBeast is betting on the fact that maybe some other segment of potential donors, maybe people who wouldn’t donate otherwise, will buy in for this exclusive opportunity,” Small said.
The announcement comes shortly after Amazon Prime Video renewed Beast Games for two more seasons. The reality competition series pitted 1,000 contestants against each other for a $5 million grand prize that doubled in the Feb. 13 finale. Forbes reported that the show broke the streaming service’s record by totaling 50 million views in the 25 days after its premiere.
MrBeast’s latest fan event follows reports that an April weekend experience hosted by a Las Vegas resort, billed as “immersive” and “unforgettable,” had fallen short of attendees’ expectations. MrBeast responded on X that it “definitely isn’t the experience we hoped they’d deliver” and offered a free tour of his North Carolina headquarters to “everybody affected.”
Church News
FIRST WESLEYAN CHURCH
608 N. Third Avenue
Siler City, NC 27344
We will be having a yard sale, Saturday, June 7
(Rain date – Saturday, June 14) 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Come out and get a bargain!
Many items to choose from. All proceeds will go toward our 100-year Homecoming expenses
EDUCATION from page A1
$2,500 each year for four years.
Those receiving scholarship funds would be required to return to Chatham County and teach for four years.
“This is in an effort to attract our students starting in 10th grade to have an interest in becoming future teachers and educators,” said Assistant Superintendent Amanda Moran. “We want to bring those students back home to teach here in Chatham County.”
The inaugural recipients of the scholarship — Callie Fogleman from Jordan Matthews High School and Kyle Stinson from Seaforth High School — were also announced at the meeting.
The board also recognized Moran as being the North Carolina Association School Administrators’ 2025 Administrator of the Year.
This statewide honor recognizes “exceptional leadership, vision, and commitment to student enrichment through academic competition and co-curricular programming.”
“Dr. Moran’s visionary leadership and deep belief in the power of academic competition have helped shape a culture where students are encouraged to challenge themselves and grow,” said Superintendent Anthony Jackson. “We are thrilled to see her outstanding contributions recognized at the state level.”
In addition, the board recognized two art education awards that the district earned.
Chatham County was recognized for earning the Best Communities for Music Education
designation from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.
It is the seventh consecutive year that CCS has been recognized, and Chatham County was one of only two districts in North Carolina to receive the designation.
“This is not an easy award to receive,” Moran said. “In order to receive this, we have to share detailed information about our school district: how we fund arts, graduation requirements, music class participation rates, instructional time, facilities, support for music programs and community music making programs. The responses are then verified by school officials and reviewed by the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.”
In addition, Margaret B. Pollard Middle School band director Rebecca Clemens was named the 2025 Central District Bandmaster’s Association Band Director of the Year.
“This is a testament to Miss Clemens outstanding teaching, hard work and dedication to her students,” said Instructional Program Facilitator for the Arts Bryan DeCristofaro. “She has also been an active member of the CDBA organization for many years, serving on the board as a member at large and is now the Jazz Chair for the central region.
“It’s my hope that you have recognized an increased presence in the arts this year in terms of recognition and growth.”
The Chatham County Schools Board of Education will next meet July 14.
ment
WSOC VIA AP
Various police vehicles gather outside a community after a shooting in Hickory on Sunday that killed one and injured 11. Police did not make any immediate arrests.
COURTESY AMAZON PRIME
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
COLUMN
Dear rising ninth graders
I know a teacher who taught high school for four decades. She says that the secret to high school is really as simple as having one trustworthy friend.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have navigated middle school. Who said you wouldn’t make it out alive?! Of course, your experiences are as vastly diverse as each of you, yet you have come a long way on the journey and learned many things, including life lessons like the importance of deodorant. I’m particularly glad for this lesson if you happen to ride in my car.
You have spent the last year on top of the student body pyramid. Now, as you prepare to enter high school, you find yourselves once again on the bottom.
I know a teacher who taught high school for four decades. She says that the secret to high school is really as simple as having one trustworthy friend. Oh, things like organizational habits and study skills are important. Extracurriculars, community service and volunteer opportunities build character. For heaven’s sake, get a good night’s sleep.
But she maintained that your one friend makes all the difference.
This is not to imply that you can’t be friendly with different folks. Maybe you’ll join a team or a club and meet lots of good people. Perhaps you’ll sit with a dozen students in the cafeteria and enjoy the time together.
Yet, you will face lots of peer pressure about what to do and not to do. Some pressure will be positive, and some of it will
be negative. Most of it will be inconsequential. The clothes you wear or the music you like doesn’t really matter. Trust me, it will change.
But even at your relatively young age, you may face a situation that could impact your long-term future. Who will you trust to help you make that decision? It’s a gift to have elder mentors, like parents, pastors and coaches, to provide guidance.
You will also listen to your trusted friend. Will that person have your best interests in mind?
Apart from making major decisions, a true friend will also allow you to be your true self. What a relief to stop pretending, promoting and performing. You need someone who doesn’t judge you for being you but actually likes the real you. This kind of friend is crucial at any stage in life. (Maybe someday you’ll even marry such a person.)
For now, though, just remember that, as you rise up and move on, many things will change in the next four years. And that’s as it should be.
But if you can, hold on to that best friend.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman’s newest book is “This Is the Day.” He serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, coffee drinker and student of joy.
Lessons in, of life take years to learn
I managed to get thrown out of school assembly my senior year when I was student body president and fouled out of a junior varsity basketball game during the warmups when I was in the ninth grade.
A SIGNIFICANT EVENT came my way this week.
No, it wasn’t the lottery or last house payment or even a note from old girlfriend Katherine (Kitty) Litter saying she finally realized she missed the boat all those years ago. Instead, it was the annual celebration of some of my mama’s finest work, notably the day she brought me into the world.
I won’t mention the year this event came about or how many years it’s been but simply say it was before Ike came into the White House. But I’ll go on record, however, as saying I can’t believe how quickly it got here.
It’s been a while coming, and there has been a fair amount of water over the dam and under the bridge. But I’m also glad the water continues flowing, and I hope it will for some time. Looking back over those years, it doesn’t seem so long ago. People, places and events come to mind, and I wonder where they all are now.
Our little family came to Pittsboro when I was a wee, handsome — well, at least wee — little lad of 5. My dad had changed careers, and Chatham County was home to him and Mama anyway. Had that not happened, I would have grown up in Apex and never gotten acquainted with Bonlee or Harpers Crossroads or Rufus’ Restaurant and hundreds of wonderful folks.
My school days would have been spent in Wake County instead of the halls of Pittsboro High School, where I managed to get thrown out of school assembly my senior year when I was student body president and fouled out of a junior varsity basketball game during the
warmups when I was in the ninth grade.
I think back on those growing-up days, remembering who dated who, who had what car, the words to every rock ’n’ roll song WKIX played and many other important pieces of information. However, I could not then — and still cannot now — tell you the words to the French national anthem, how many bones a frog has in its body or how to find the square root of 147, all of which various teachers deemed essential at the time.
Instead, I think of the 20 or so classmates who are now precious memories. Ditto for the class ahead of and behind me.
The same thing happened with my college career, the one where I managed to cram a four-year course of study into seven years. I knew I was going to Chapel Hill to get an education; I just didn’t think it would all be on campus. And it wasn’t.
These days I remember the guys in my dorm — Chester “Chuck” Conner, who combined brains, books and looks into one great all-around guy; Sam “Froggy” Greathouse, who got us into trouble with the dean because we hung out the second-story windows making pig-g runt noises at the female students as they walked by and is now one of those aforementioned memories; Ronald and Donald Green, the twins from Carthage who I never could tell apart and still couldn’t a few years ago when I bumped into them at a funeral service I conducted for a family member of a mutual friend, and numerous others whose faces come to mind but don’t bring names with them.
There are other highlights, many, in fact: A career in community journalism which
led me to meet my better — much better — half when we worked beside each other in adjoining buildings in Pittsboro one summer; the wonderful days of courtship when I stopped running so she could catch me; the years since then with our two 40plus somethings who at one time were teenagers who lived at my house and have now produced their own set of humans, some of whom are teenagers and others who will soon be and who live at their houses but for right now are without doubt the most wonderful grandchildren the world has ever seen.
And there are others — a job once that let me work with farmers and rural folks all over the two Carolinas, a seminary course of study that produced a change in careers and the subsequent places of service, and even an opportunity to combine journalism and ministry as a life’s work for several years.
At one time, I thought I’d retire; now I know there’s not enough time to do that. And maybe that’s the best lesson that has come from these yearly celebrations. I know I’m not the only person who has such momentous occasions. My hope through the years of turning out these columns is that maybe once in a while (if you’re brave enough to read them) we all share the human condition known as life and that birthdays are another opportunity to get on with living it.
Hope yours is happy and prosperous ... whenever it is and however many there are.
Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.
COLUMN | BOB WACHS
I’m
a carrier? No, no!
Whoa! Have you jumped ship? Plague carriers? Incivility virus?
ROUND ABOUT 2015, civility in public dialogue took a nose dive into the putative dung heap. Toxic dialogue, on all sides, thick enough to cut with a butter knife. You noticed? My protective responses bounced among: repeated gulps of Pepto Bismol, sizable amounts of dark chocolate or indulgence-in-my-addiction-for-aparticular-day (usually more chocolate).
Oh, yeah, back to that incivility thing. You know, stuff like name-calling, sarcasm to beat the band and dehumanization. The goodies. Can’t forget to mention that, in our country of (some) equal opportunity, all of us have probably, at one time or another, indulged in honing our incivility skills. (I made a great start in high school.)
So what? Folks, of all stripes, are angry and want to be heard. I just wanna get back at the folks who disagree with me (and, of course, are wrong).
Mindblower alert, mindblower alert! All of us who’ve become verbal bomb throwers (but it feels so good!) have unwittingly morphed into plague carriers. Unknowing plague carriers, that is, of the (are you ready?) incivility virus. Whoa! Have you jumped ship? Plague carriers? Incivility virus?
Incivility is a virus that spreads (you go, Scientific American!) Oh geez, I really can’t believe I’m going to say this, but each person touched by my incivility can pass that negativity on to others. Many others. The ol’
COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH
I’m a Harvard
Your life is what you make of it. You play the hand you’re dealt.
Reject
GROWING UP in the Boston suburbs, in the shadows of Harvard, there was only one school I wanted to go to: Radcliffe, which in those days was the name of the undergraduate school for women at Harvard. I had a great uncle who taught at Harvard Medical School, which is the closest anyone in my family got to Harvard. I did everything a middle-class girl could do: I was the valedictorian of my public high school class, the president of the biggest region of B’nai B’rith Girls, a drum majorette and an experienced waitress who had been working since I was 15. But my school had no AP classes, my board scores were good but not over-the-top, and it just wasn’t enough. As I have told countless graduation classes, I got rejected at all my top choices. Wellesley, the women’s college that was my last choice, gave me money. That was it. Your life is what you make of it. You play the hand you’re dealt. Four years later, it was a different story. I had straight A’s from Wellesley and Dartmouth, where I spent my junior year. I had learned something about how to take standardized tests: I got a 795 out of 800 on the law boards. (My sister asked me if they had misstated the number, if it was really a 597, and I was insecure enough to actually call Wellesley and ask them to check.) I got into every law school I applied to. I — finally — went to Harvard. My first year, I worked three nights a week and Saturday at a bar in neighboring Somerville. I was afraid of my shadow in those days (I had been violently raped the preceding May), and a couple of the guys (all gang members of Whitey Bulger’s old gang) used to stay with me to close up and then follow me home to the parking lot down the street from my dorm. Then, guns drawn, they would walk me to the front door of my dorm, to the big plaque that said Harvard Law School, to safety. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone. The guys were proud of me. I was a “Harvard girl.” I worked harder than I ever have in my life. The next year, I was elected president of the Harvard Law Review, the first woman to hold that job, and landed on national television. (Barack Obama was the first black president; by that time, I was a Harvard professor). My life changed completely. Doors were opened to me that had never been open to a middle-class Radcliffe reject. I met faculty members who were legends in the law (my colleagues) and students who would literally go on to run the world. Most of them were people like me, who came from nothing and amounted to a great deal because of the education we got, the friends we made, the networks that welcomed us, the worlds that opened to us. I went to school and later taught students from all over the world, even though I didn’t even have a
throwing a pebble into the pond and its many ripples affect. We have incivility liftoff!
Ouch. I’m a super-spreader with my name-calling, sarcasm, dehumanization, all that wonderful stuff I did in Junior and Senior high school?
Well ... yep.
OK, back to being an adult for a short while. It’s tough out there now. Us vs. them, you vs. me. Censoring my reading so I don’t get too badly infected by the incivility virus, finding my jaws locking and teeth grinding.
Yep, again.
I’m not currently in possession of a magic wand or wearing a super cape, so I can’t change our often toxic public discourse. But, but, I can change mine, my verbal and written contributions to those conversations. What the hey, I can model something different, something minus the ranting and incivility. I mean, does rampant incivility do any good? Change anything, or just make me feel better in that moment?
Am I a Pollyanna? Oh please, how embarrassing! Way, way too sweet! I’m not fond of diabetic comas, are you? Wait, wait, what about simply keeping my side of the street clean? Going for it.
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
COLUMN MARC DION
Abe Lincoln and the penny
THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.
I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden-floored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.
I will still bend double to pick up a penny off the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.
My wife thinks that’s funny.
“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?” “Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.”
Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.
Some people think finding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck.
President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support.
But there’s not much outrage about the Lincoln head penny being taken off the market.
Remember when they took Aunt Jemima off the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state.
Lincoln, though, we flush Lincoln like he was John McCain.
Of course, Abe is still on the fin.
Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half-a-yard. Yard.
passport until I was on the faculty — for years. That was Harvard. That is Harvard. That is what Donald Trump is trying to destroy. Why? Maybe it’s because Harvard didn’t want Donald Trump either. Who knows what hidden insecurities and resentments are buried in that angry and foolish man. It doesn’t matter. He was a rich kid, the son of a rich daddy, a member of New York society, an elitist from birth for whom doors were always open.
He didn’t need Harvard. He had access to the power elite because he was a member of the lucky sperm club, not because he earned it himself, the Harvard way. His MAGA-maniacs may resent it. But for literally legions of middle-class and working-class students, Harvard was the ticket to worlds we could only dream of.
That he is trying to destroy it cannot be in doubt. He is trampling on the Constitution in his mad rush to take away federal funding for desperately needed scientific and medical research, canceling grants, threatening students and faculty, even violating the law to try to take away Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Foreign students are terrified, understandably so; but international students are essential to Harvard’s role and its mission. Trump doesn’t care. He will not succeed in destroying Harvard, but he will hurt it. Harvard has more money than Trump does, but not enough not to suffer if federal funds are taken away. Harvard’s lawyers are in court fighting; I believe that, ultimately, they will beat back Trump’s worst threats. But there will be losses, not only for Harvard, but for people everywhere. Research will be cut; lives will be lost; doors will be slammed shut. This is not how you fight antisemitism; it is how you turn people into antisemites. It is not how you fight the lefties on campus; Trump is proving that the right is as bad as we think they are. It is not how you address the legitimate concerns that members of the Harvard community themselves have raised. Those concerns have been set aside as the Harvard community has unified against Trump. How powerful is Harvard? We’re about to see. As for me, I wear my daughter’s Harvard hat with newfound pride. And appreciation. Years ago, I won the Radcliffe Alumnae Achievement Award. At the time, I wondered if they had the wrong person. Anyone with a Harvard degree was eligible, they explained to me. That’s enough to make you part of the family. It is, and I am.
Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political operative who served as the campaign manager for Michael Dukakis in 1988.
Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or fin.
So, he’s probably OK for now, even though there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?
People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief-on-the-head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and flipping flapjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole flapjacks.
Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me.
I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a flapjack in his life.
Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will. A flapjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.
Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”
BE IN TOUCH
Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or mailed to 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. 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 opeds should be sent to opinion@ nsjonline.com.
Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com
Sen. Edward Kennedy, center, talks with Susan Estrich, left, platform debate manager, right while Joan Kennedy, second from left, listens Aug. 9, 1980, in New York. Kennedy was in Manhattan for the upcoming Democratic Convention.
obituaries
IN MEMORY
Brenda Graham Dowling
April 16, 1941 – May 24, 2025
Brenda Graham Dowling passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on May 24, 2025. Born on April 16, 1941, she was one of five children born to James Carey Graham, Sr., and Mavis Faulk Graham of Sanford, NC. Brenda lived a life filled with kindness, strength and abiding love for her family and friends.
While working as a civilian employee for the Department of the Army at Fort Bragg, NC, Brenda met the love of her life, LTC Dean E. Dowling, USA (Ret). They were married in 1976 until his death in 2024. They combined a family of her two daughters, Jo Anne Cameron Russo and Julie Cameron Rudowski, and his two sons, Keith and Brian Dowling (Cari). She leaves behind five grandchildren: Jana Watkins (Adam), Joseph Russo, Orion, Chase and Charlie Dowling; and three great-grandchildren: Ava,
Austin and Hunter Watkins.
Brenda is also survived by her sister, Kay Graham Key, and brother, James Carey Graham, Jr. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Janet Graham Poteat and Jean Graham Anderson.
Dean and Brenda moved to the Washington, DC area where she worked for the Department of Defense in the Pentagon. Upon her retirement, she worked as a contract employee for the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Bureau of Land Management.
Outside of her professional career, Brenda was a passionate lover of history, art, politics, good food, travel, and classical music. She maintained a large circle of lifetime friends who she cherished.
Brenda was a member of Sisterhood P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization that celebrates the advancement of women through scholarships, grants, awards and loans. She served as President of the Chapel Hill AT Chapter in 20222023. She was also a member of the Governor’s Club Bible Study Group and Book Club.
A Celebration of Life will be held at her home, 73219 Burrington, Chapel Hill on Saturday, May 31st at 2:00. She will be laid to rest with Dean at a graveside service at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC at a later date. Arrangements by Bridges & Cameron Funeral Home.
Condolences may be made at www. bridgescameronfuneralhome. com.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Chatham News & Record at obits@chathamrecord.com
ELIZABETH “LIBBY” HALL DOLLAR
MAY 27, 2025
Elizabeth “Libby” Hall Dollar, age 69, of Sanford passed away in the comfort of her home on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, after a battle with ALS. She was born in Lee County to the late Floyd Evan Hall and Ida Blanche Brewer Hall. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband of 49 years, Gary and sister, Ruby Lee Hall. Libby dedicated many years to raising her children with grace, humor, and an unwavering sense of love. Her home was always open, her arms always welcoming, and her support never in short supply. What began as a hobby rooted in creativity and care soon became a thriving business, when she and her husband, Gary opened their own upholstery shop. Libby was an active member of First Congregational Christian Church. Libby is survived by her children, Melissa Dollar and companion, Freddie Bowling of Carthage, Gary Dollar II and wife, Meagan of Lemon Springs, Jeremy Dollar and wife, Ashley of Sanford and Brittany Dollar of Carthage; eight grandchildren, Carlee, Hunter, Mason, Haylee, Chandler, Penelope, Ashton and Aiden; one great-
grandchild, Kolton; brothers Nelson Hall and wife Laura of Sanford, Roy Hall of South Carolina; sisters Frances Hall Spivey of Sanford, Carol Hall Brown of Moncure, Helen Hall Kremer, Edna Hall Haithcox, Brenda Hall Ashworth and husband Glenn, Nancy Hall Goldberg and husband Mike all of Sanford; sister-in-law Peggy Dilworth and husband Joe of Sanford and nephew Matthew Dilworth and wife Holly of Sanford.
MELVIN “MEL” RICHARD SPENCER
FEB. 5, 1956 – MAY 31, 2025
Melvin “Mel” Richard Spencer, 69, of Pittsboro, passed away Saturday, May 31st, 2025, at UNC Chapel Hill surrounded by family. Mel was born on February 5th, 1956, to the late Melvin Reed and Audrey Hawkins Spencer in Oneida County, Idaho. He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Sue Barkley. Mel was an engineer developer in the civil division. He loved the outdoors and reading. He was very dedicated and faithful to his Lord. Mel was an extremely hard worker and enjoyed his work. He loved people and never met a stranger. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Myungha Whang Spencer; his daughters, Melina Spencer of Pittsboro, and Marissa Spencer of Raleigh; and his brother, Robert Spencer and his wife, Shannon of Utah. A celebration of life service will be held June 14th, 2025, at 11 am, at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 151 Old Rock Springs Cemetery Rd. Pittsboro, NC 27312. Burial will follow at Chatham Memorial Park in Siler City. Services will be officiated by Christian Nelson.
Kenneth Farrell
Chatham County Aging Services Weekly Activities Calendar
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10 a.m. - Geri-Fit
10:30 a.m. - Choir to Siler City
11:30 a.m. - Spanish Conversation Lunch; Cee & Pat Dueling Piano
1 p.m. - Euchre; Table Tennis; Acrylic Painting Class Siler City Center for Active Living
8 a.m. - Quilting & Sewing Time
9 a.m. - Zumba
12:30 p.m. - Party Bus Outing for Second Quarter Birthdays
7 p.m. - Friday Night Dance
ravenous and cruel Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”
In the wild, Venus flytraps are the size of a lima bean and pose no harm to anything other than insects. Their special hairs snap their leaves together when brushed — but only twice in about 20 seconds or less to reduce the amount of false alarms by dust or rain.
Once inside, the insect is doomed to become plant food, Anderson said.
“It continues to trigger those hairs and the trap slowly closes and eventually starts releasing digestive enzymes to start breaking down the insect. And because they’re in nu-
trient-poor environments, they supplement their food with insects,” Anderson said.
Anderson’s hike at Carolina Beach State Park on the southeast North Carolina coast also showcases other carnivorous plants. There are vase -shaped pitcher plants with liquid at the bottom that traps insects, then digests them. Butterworts and sundews attract insects with glistening leaves then secrete an adhesive to trap them in place. Bladderworts work similarly to Venus flytraps. And the hike is one of the few places to see Venus flytraps. The plant only grows in 12 counties in southeast North Carolina near Wilmington and a few
‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson dies
The family announced in December that he had Alzheimer’s disease
The Associated Press
WEST MONROE, La. —
Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday, according to his family. He was 79.
Robertson’s family announced in December on their Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease. The statement on social media from Robertson’s daughterin-law didn’t mention how he died.
“Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again,” Korie Robertson wrote.
Phil Robertson skyrocketed to fame in the early 2010s when the A&E network created a reality show, presented like a sitcom. It followed the adventures of Robertson, his three sons — including Willie, who runs the family’s Duck Commander company — their wives and a host of other relatives and friends.
Phil Robertson and his boys were immediately recognizable by their long beards and conservative, Christian and family-oriented beliefs.
in north Louisiana and spent his life in the woods and lakes that make up the region called Sportsman’s Paradise.
Robertson played football at Louisiana Tech and taught school. He also loved to hunt and created a duck call in the early 1970s that he said replicated the exact sound of a duck.
The calls were the centerpiece of the Duck Commander business Robertson would grow into a multimillion-dollar enterprise before A&E came calling.
The family just didn’t sell outdoor and hunting gear; it sold a lifestyle.
“The Robertsons face everything from beavers to business deals in their own special way — with a twist of downhome practicality and a sharp sense of humor,” A&E wrote in its promotion for “Duck Dynasty.”
Appreciations for Robertson appeared on social media shortly after this death was announced, largely from conservative politicians.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X, “The great #PhilRobertson passed today. He loved Jesus & he was utterly fearless. One of my fondest memories was duck hunting with Phil — he was the best shot I ever met. And, in 2016, he recorded this amazing commercial for me. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Visit our centers!
Pittsboro Center for Active Living 365 Highway 87 North 919-542-4512
Siler City Center for Active Living 112 Village Lake Road 919-742-3975
Visit our website at www.chathamcountync. gov/agingservices
nearby places in South Carolina, which made the organism the state’s official carnivorous plant in 2023.
Now is an especially good time to take that hike. Venus flytraps bloom from about midMay to mid-June, Anderson said.
The flytrap is a fragile plant that needs fire to survive. Wildfires in the pine forests where they grow clear off the denser overgrowth to provide the abundant sunlight the plants need.
They face two big enemies — poachers and development. Harvesting the plants without permission is a felony in North Carolina and a misdemeanor in South Caroli-
That got Robertson into trouble, too. He told a magazine reporter in 2013 that gay people are sinners and African Americans were happy under Jim Crow laws.
A&E suspended him from “Duck Dynasty” but reversed course in a few weeks after a backlash that included Sarah Palin. At the time, Robertson’s family called his comments coarse but said his beliefs were grounded in the Bible and he “is a Godly man.” They also said that “as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm.” Robertson was born
na. In 2016, a man was sentenced to 17 months in prison for taking nearly 1,000 Venus flytraps from game land in Hampstead. And the flytraps live in one of the fastest-growing parts of the U.S., where neighborhoods and businesses have been built over their habitats. Most of the plants can now be found in preserves and other undisturbed areas.
Scientists counted only about 300,000 flytraps in the Carolinas several years ago. While Anderson’s hike is one of the few ways to see Venus flytraps in their natural environment, he said commercially grown plants can be found around in greenhouses and
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“Saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson — a man of deep faith, bold conviction, and unwavering love for his family,” wrote Ben Carson, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary, also on X. “I’ll never forget the time I spent with Phil and his wonderful family at their homestead in West Monroe, LA. We rode through the swamp stopping at his favorite duck blinds before being welcomed by Miss Kay with a warm, homecooked meal, surrounded by their extended family and close friends.”
A&E shared their own tribute to the “Duck Dynasty” X account, writing: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve.”
plant stores around the world and can thrive in homes in the right conditions
“They like nutrient-poor soils, and also they can’t stand typical well water or tap water. So they need things like rainwater or distilled water or versus osmosis,” Anderson said. Venus flytraps need abundant sunlight and soils that are moist but not drenched. And they don’t have to eat bugs if they can get enough nutrients from photosynthesis.
Please don’t feed them hamburger meat — that’s not what they eat. And try not to trigger the leaves shut without something to digest. That takes a lot of energy the plant needs to replace.
LEARN ABOUT LANDChatham Land Experts, www. learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999.
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NOTICE
FILE NO. 24CV2219-180
NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE
CHATHAM COUNTY
SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION
JACOBO PABLO PEREZ, Plaintiff, vs. NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION
ASHLEY BREWER WILEY, Defendant.
To: ASHELEY BREWER WILEY, defendant
Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the aboveentitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is the recovery of money damages for personal injuries received in an automobile accident on September 30, 2024, in Johnston County, North Carolina. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than July 1, 2025, said date being forty days from the first publication of this notice. Upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This the 8th day of May, 2025
GASKINS & GASKINS, P.A.
Herman E. Gaskins Attorney for plaintiff
P. O. Box 933 Washington, N. C. 27889 Telephone: 252/975-2602
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY
HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Matthew Ray Johnson, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 7th day of May, 2025. Amy Stackhouse Johnson, Executor of the Estate of Matthew Ray Johnson
596 R.E. Wright Road Snow Camp, North Carolina 27349 4tp
NOTICE
“All persons having claims against the estate of DENNIS RAY APPLEYARD of Chatham County, NC, who died on March 13, 2025, are notified to present them on or before September 1, 2025 to Douglas Appleyard, Executor for the estate of Dennis Ray Appleyard, c/o Schupp & Hamilton, PLLC, P.O. Box 3200, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3200, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.”
DATES: 05/29/2025, 06/05/2025, 06/12/2025, 06/19/2025 NOTICE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JACK A. MOODY, DECEASED.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having heretofore qualified as Executor of the Estate of Jack A. Moody, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, hereby notifies all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 21st, 2025 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of any recovery thereon. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 21st day of May, 2025 William Barden Moody, Executor Estate of Jack A. Moody, Deceased c/o Ronald P. Johnson, Esq. Carruthers & Roth, P.A. Attorneys & Counselors at Law 235 North Edgeworth Street (27401) Post Office Box 540 Greensboro, North Carolina 27402 Publication dates: May 21st, 28th and June 4th and 11th, 2025. 4908-2207-9811, v. 1
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000288-180
ALL persons having claims against Benjamin Wayne Barber aka Benjamin Barber, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Sep 05 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.
This the 5th day of June, 2025.
Cameron Barber, Administrator C/O Kerr Law, PLLC P.O. Box 10941 Greensboro, NC 27404
J5, 12, 19 and 26
CREDITOR’S NOTICE
Having qualified on the 23th day of May 2025, as Administrator of the Estate of Rachel Hudson, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 3rd day of September 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment.
This is the 27th day of May 2025. Danny Hudson, Administrator of the Estate of Rachel Hudson 292 George Hudson Road Siler City, NC 27344
Attorneys: Law Offices of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: June 5th, 12th, 19nd and 26th.
EXECUTOR’S NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
All persons having claims against the estate of John Edward Hunt of Chatham County, NC, who died on the 19th of April, 2011, are notified to present them on or before August 22nd , 2025 to Geoffrey E. Hunt, Executor for the Estate, c/o Schupp & Hamilton, P.L.L.C., P. O. Box 3200, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3200, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Schupp & Hamilton, P.L.L.C. P. O. Box 3200 Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3200 For May 22nd , May 29th, June 5th , and June 12th of 2025.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 16, 2025, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312.
Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department office. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www. chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Input/Hearing Sign Up. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners.
The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below:
Legislative Request:
A legislative public hearing requested for a general use rezoning by Vikas & Gunsan Laad, from CD-NB to R-1 Residential on Parcel 96061, being 19.43 acres, located at 2676 Farrington Point Rd., Williams Township.
A legislative public hearing requested for a rezoning by Stephen Stafford on Parcels 9815 and 64619, located at 14987 US 421 S, from R-1 Residential to CD-RB Conditional District Regional Business, on approximately 3.91 acres, for a self mini warehouse storage facility, Gulf Township.
A legislative public hearing requested for a general use rezoning by Oscar Guarin, from R-1 Non-conforming to Light Industrial on Parcel 5067, being 9.278 acres, located at 4920 Old US 421 S, Bear Creek Township.
A legislative public hearing requested for rezoning and a conversion of an existing Conditional Use Permit by Kent Dickens dba Dicken’s RV Park, from R-1 with CUP, R-1, and Ind H to Conditional District Neighborhood Business (CD-NB) on portions of Parcels 5176, 5177, 5636 (9.73 ac), a portion of 5143 (2.009 ac) and conversion of Parcel 5749 (35.121 ac) of existing campground. Parcels are located at 0 Corinth Rd and 2501 Corinth Rd., Cape Fear Township.
Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions.
Notice to people with special needs: If you have an audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided.
If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204 or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312.
Please run in your paper: June 5th and 12th, 2025
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY
HAVING QUALIFIED as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Nancy Cary Peter late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 20th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 14th day of May, 2025. Linda P. Crabtree, Administrator CTA of the Estate of Nancy Cary Peter 25 Joe Brown Road Bear Creek, North Carolina 27207 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp
NOTICE
ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against Monnda Lee Welch, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before August 29, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 29th day of May, 2025. Anna Brothers, Executor 150 Saddle Tree Dr. Franklinton, NC 27525 IPL000176-180
NOTICE
LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC
On Monday, June 9, 2025, at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold the following legislative public hearings in person at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West, Pittsboro:
PB-25-73 – Blue Heel Development LLC has petitioned to have 21.28 acres of land, Parcel 0006844, currently zoned R-12 (Medium Density Residential 12,000 sf) to be reclassified as MR-CZ (Multi-family Residential Conditional District). The property, located just north of Cambridge Hills Assisted living in the Town’s extraterritorial planning area along Old Graham Road is currently fully forested. The intention, following conditional rezoning, is to create a 98-lot single family or two-family residential development. PB-25-140 - Trilandco LLC have petitioned to have 29.6 acres of land, Parcels 60740, 7176, 82169, 79874, 7175, and 86195 currently zoned C-2 (Highway Commercial) and R-12 (Residential 12,000 sf) to be reclassified as an MUPD (Mixed Use Planned Development). The property, located along the eastern frontage of US Highway15-501 (Hillsboro Street), just south of McDonald’s and is adjacent to the Bellemont development.
These parcels are currently utilized for a storage shed sales area and contain a closed convenience store. There are several other structures on site (including a few residential structures), all intended to be removed during construction of this mixed-use development.
The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https:// www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on June 9, 2025, with written comments or to sign up to speak at the legislative hearing. You can contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (919) 542-4621 ext. 1104, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000141-180 ALL persons having claims against Elliott Milton Baron, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 22 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 22nd day of May, 2025. MOLLY BAARS, Executor C/O Law Offices of Amy Whinery Osborne, PC P.O. Box 7 Cary, NC 27512 M22, 29, 5 and 12
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000190-180 ALL persons having claims against
PHILLIP NORMAN COOPER, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 29 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 29th day of May, 2025. LINDA WASMUTH, EXECUTOR C/O GLENN B. LASSITER, JR. PO Box 1460 Pittsboro, NC 27312 M29, 5, 12 and 19
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000250-180 ALL persons having claims against THOMAS HUGH THOMPSON, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Sep 05 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 5th day of June, 2025.
KARLA LACKORE THOMPSON, Executor C/O Jones Branz & Whitaker LLP 4030 Wake Forest Rd. Ste. 300 Raleigh, NC 27609 J5, 12, 19 and 26
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000254-180 ALL persons having claims against STEPHEN CHARLES ALLARIO, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 22 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 22nd day of May, 2025.
KIMBERLY D. ZIERMAN, Executor
C/O Privette Legacy Planning 1400 Crescent Green, Suite G-100 Cary, NC 27518 M22, 29, 5 and 12
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Floyd Fried All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Floyd Fried, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit them to Daniel Fried as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before August 30, 2025, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 29th day of May, 2025. Daniel Fried, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF William Brent Sutton All persons, firms and corporations having claims against William Brent Sutton, late of Chatham, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit them to Deborah Moyer or Rebecca Shelton as Administrator CTA of the decedent’s estate on or before September 7, 2025, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the abovenamed Executor. This the 5th day of June, 2025. Deborah Sutton Moyer, Administrator CTA Rebecca Elizabeth Sutton Shelton, Administrator CTA c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF MARIJANE K. WHITEMAN All persons, firms and corporations having claims against MARIJANE K. WHITEMAN, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit them to Patricia McDonough as Administrator CTA of the decedent’s estate on or before August 30, 2025, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the abovenamed Administrator CTA. This the 29th day of May, 2025. Patricia McDonough, Administrator CTA c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000033-180
The undersigned, CARLA PETERS, having qualified on the 25TH Day of APRIL, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BAILEY LOUIS PIGFORD, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 5TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 5TH DAY OF JUNE 2025 CARLA PETERS, EXECUTOR 11801 US 421 GOLDSTON, NC 27252 Run dates: J5,12,19,26p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000275-180 The undersigned, CATHERINE M. RIEHM, having qualified on the 20TH Day of MAY, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BERNARD RAY VANCIL, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 29TH Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 29TH DAY OF MAY 2025. CATHERINE M. RIEHM, EXECUTOR PO BOX 194 APEX, NC 27502 Run dates: M29,J5,12,19p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM
The undersigned, James C. Bowers, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of James A. Bowers, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the Estate to present such claims to the undersigned in care of the undersigned’s Attorney at their address on or before August 22, 2025 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the above named Administrator. This the 22nd day of May, 2025. James C. Bowers, Administrator Estate of James A. Bowers John Stephens, Esq. Carolina Estate Planning 380 Knollwood St. Suite 500 Winston Salem, NC 27103 May 22, 29, June 5 and 12, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000247-180 The undersigned, MARK BRAUND CARPENTER, having qualified on the 2ND Day of MAY, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JEAN MITCHELL CARPENTER deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 22ND Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 22ND DAY OF MAY 2025. MARK BRAUND CARPENTER, EXECUTOR 7409 RUSSELL RD. INDIAN TRAIL, NC 28079 Run dates: M22,29,J5,12p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000198-180
The undersigned, AMANDA JOHNSTON GROCE and EMILY JOHNSTON GORDON, having qualified on the 11TH Day of APRIL, 2025 as CO-ADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of LINDA CHRISTINE BOGGS SMITH deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 15TH Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 15TH DAY OF MAY, 2025. AMANDA JOHNSTON GROCE, COADMINISTRATOR 145 SCOTTSDALE LANE CLEMMONS, NC 27012 EMILY JOHNSTON GORDON, COADMINISTRATOR 3128 HICKORY RIDGE DR. WINSTON SALEM, NC 27127 Run dates: M15,22,29,J5p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#19E000112-180 The undersigned, RONALD BROOKS, having qualified on the 28TH Day of FEBRUARY, 2019 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MILDRED WATSON BROOKS deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 22ND Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 22ND DAY OF MAY 2025. RONALD BROOKS, EXECUTOR 1201 ALPHA ST. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: M22,29,J5,12p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000219-180 The undersigned, ALISON S. FLEMING, having qualified on the 21ST Day of APRIL, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of SUSAN L. FLEMING, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the
COURT DURHAM, NC 27713 Run dates: M29,J5,12,19p
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PITTSBORO The Town of Pittsboro’s Development Fee Ordinance for FY 2025-2026 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners and a copy is available for public inspection in the office of the Town Clerk, Town of Pittsboro Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221, Pittsboro, NC. The Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on the Development Fee Ordinance at 6:00pm, June 9,
As states roll out red carpets for data centers, some lawmakers push back
Taxes, utilities and red tape are significant blocks to development
By Marc Levy The Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it’s also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.
Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Many states are offering financial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a fight or efforts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy efficiency standards.
Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy influx of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the fights revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want:
large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water.
And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler.
While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments.
In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that’s landing in other states.
“Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson. “That’s the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won’t open its doors.”
It’s been a big year for data centers
Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while
Kentucky and Arkansas expanded preexisting exemptions so that more projects will qualify.
Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water and clean energy, meet energy-efficiency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity.
Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.
“It’s often a nonstarter if you don’t have them, for at least the hyperscalers,” said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. “It’s just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.”
Zoning, energy fights often frustrate developers
In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create “microgrid” districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his “landmark policy proposal” for 2025 to put West Virginia “in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.”
Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data
center developers to procure their own power supply without going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers.
In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility.
The final bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to finance the cost of new power plants.
“I do not like that we’re making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,” South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during floor debate.
Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they reflect a society that is “addicted” to electricity and are “filling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we’re all guilty of it. We’re all responsible for it.”
Some lawmakers are hesitant
In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back.
Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center in August 2024 in Boardman, Oregon.
Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them.
Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill.
In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site’s noise pollution and water use.
In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state’s electric grid from fast-growing data center demand.
Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups.
Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such as data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency.
Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas.
“You’ve seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas,” Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. “I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.”
Trump withdraws nomination of Isaacman to lead NASA
The Elon Musk associate and astronaut was expected to get Senate approval within weeks
By Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.” It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.
“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,” Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”
In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening
and, honestly, a bit thrilling.”
“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,”
he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where leaders on both sides of the
aisle made clear they’re willing to fight for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”
Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever
since buying his first chartered flight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk. SpaceX has exten-
“Leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to fight for the world’s most accomplished space agency.” Jared Isaacman
sive contracts with NASA. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon. Musk appeared to lament Trump’s decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.”
SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.
Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman climbs out of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the first private spacewalk last year.
JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO
CHATHAM SPORTS
Post 292 wins 18-19U Heroes League season opener
Chatham County defeated South Wake 6-3 in its first home game
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
SILER CITY — The Chatham County Post 292 18-19U team scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to beat South Wake Post 116 6-3 in its USA Softball Heroes League season and home opener Monday.
Hitting against a familiar pitcher in Emma Grace Hill for the first three innings, Marcy Clark led Post 292 at the plate, going 3 for 3 with an RBI. Calissa Clendenin also had a solid batting night with a 2-for-4, two-RBI performance.
“We knew what kind of pitches she throws,” Clark said. “She started throwing change upsa little bit, but we just adjusted.”
Up 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning with South Wake’s relief pitcher Katie Whitehurst in the circle, Clendenin singled on a ground ball to left field and batted in Emma Burke, who walked on base, for a two-run lead.
Clark kept it going in the next at-bat with a single setting up bases loaded. From there, Whitehurst went on to walk in two more runs for Chatham before ending the inning with a strikeout.
“People showed they could play multiple positions, so that’s very promising.”
Holly Felder
In the bottom of the first inning, Burke put Chatham County’s first run on the board when she grounded out and scored Abigail Johnson, who walked and advanced to third on wild pitches. With two outs in the same inning, Clark singled to center field and knocked pitcher Gabby Czuczuk home for a 2-0 lead.
Facing two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Clendenin singled on a line drive to center field, sending Avery Kiger, who doubled her way on base, home for a 3-0 advantage. South Wake caught fire in the top of the fourth inning, ripping off four straight hits. Andy Care started the rally with a single, and Emma Grace Hill smashed a double to the left center field fence to put two runners in scoring position. Georgia Miller put South Wake on the board with a single that scored Care, and Cami Brinkley scored Hill with a single to right field.
For what ended up being a costly mistake, Miller followed Hill for the potential game-tying run, but she was thrown out at home by Clark.
Post 292 got out of more
tricky situations on defense, including the second inning when South Wake had two runners in scoring position with two outs, and Miller flied out to Johnson in center field.
One inning later, Chatham County found itself at risk of giving up runs again, facing bases loaded with two outs.
Post 116’s Julie Selig grounded out to Kiger, and Chatham County once again survived without any bleeding.
Post 292 even lost the hits battle 13-7 and still came away with the win.
Czuczuk pitched a complete game and logged three strikeouts and two earned runs.
“I think Gabby pitched a really good game,” Chatham County assistant coach Holly Felder said. “We changed our approach a little bit, whether she realized it or not. I was calling some different stuff at the end of the game, but she hit her spots pretty well, and that kept them off balance.”
Outside of Hill, who went 2 for 3 at the plate and recorded three strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs
Local teams and athletes won titles and made history
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
historic runs and unforgettable individual performances — Chatham County saw it all in high school sports this year.
The 2024-25 high school sports season came to an end in North Carolina over the weekend, closing the book on another action-packed campaign for the local schools.
Chatham County teams and athletes gave fans plenty to cheer for and made numerous memories from the fall to spring. Below, Chatham News & Record relives some of the top moments and storylines from the year.
Seaforth volleyball breaks through to the state final
As it maintained the 2023 core that went undefeated in
Wins for the Seaforth volleyball team on the way to its first state title appearance
conference play and reached the fourth round of the state playoffs, there was little doubt the Seaforth volleyball team would have a big year in 2024. The Hawks welcomed former Woods Charter standouts Josie (TCU commit) and Abigail Valgus, built on last year’s success and took the next step. They went 25-5 overall (14-0 in conference play) and reached their first state title game after beating No. 3 Manteo on the road in the regional final. Throughout the season, the state runners-up received huge contributions from sophomore Ally Forbes and junior Keira Rosenmarkle, who finished the year
Finn Sullivan, Emma Grace Hill and Zach Cartrette were named pitchers of the year
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
THE CENTRAL TAR Heel
1A and Mid-Carolina 1A/2A spring all-conference lists and awards were released. Here are the local athletes who earned all-conference honors.
MID-CAROLINA 1A/2A
Baseball
Second Team: Brett Phillips (Chatham Central), Brady Phillips (Chatham Central), Carter King (Chatham Central), Colin Dorney (Seaforth), Bryce Honeycutt (Seaforth), Duncan Parker (Seaforth), Riley D’Angelo (Northwood), EJ Gutierrez (Jordan-Matthews), Austin Morgan (Jordan-Matthews)
Pitcher of the Year: Finn Sullivan (Northwood)
Softball
First Team: Maeson Smith (Chatham Central), Maddie Kaczmarczyk (Chatham
First Team: Zane Overman (Chatham Central), Reid Albright (Chatham Central), Ben Wilson (Chatham Central), Jaedyn Rader (Seaforth), Easton Sykes (Seaforth), Bauer Bowling (Seaforth), Daniel White (Seaforth), Anthony Landano (Seaforth), Landon Moser (Jordan-Matthews), Jake Bowden (Jordan-Matthews), Kaleb Howell (Northwood), Camden Miller (Northwood), Finn Sullivan (Northwood)
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Seaforth wrestler Layne Armstrong, left, runs to his coaches to celebrate after winning the state title, one of several highlights for area athletes this past school year.
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Calissa Clendenin makes contact with the ball in Chatham County’s Heroes League opener on Mondau. She went 2 for 3 at the plate with two RBIs in the win.
Brayden Brewer
Chatham Central, baseball
Brayden Brewer earns athlete of the week honors for the week of May 26.
In Chatham Post 305’s 2-1 win over Moore County Post 12 on Saturday, Brewer singled and scored Jace Young to tie the game at one run apiece in the bottom of the first inning. That ended up being Chatham’s only RBI of the game. Before the first game of a two-game series with Durham was delayed in the third inning Friday, Brewer was already 2 for 2 at the plate with a run. Brewer, a rising senior, played for Chatham Central in the spring. He finished the season with 10 hits and nine runs.
Siler City youth football program joins league
The town’s new youth teams will play in the UYFL
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
SILER CITY PARKS and Recreation’s newly formed youth tackle football program has found a league to play in this fall.
The program joined the United Youth Football League, the town’s parks and recreation director Treiston Burnette announced in a Facebook post Friday.
Burnette said the league gives kids “a chance to compete against top talent.”
After the town’s tackle football teams were announced in May, Burnette told Chatham News & Record that he wanted the kids to play against op-
Local programs to provide middle school football in 2025
ponents they’ll eventually see in high school. Siler City’s new youth football program will stand in place of the Siler City Youth Football League started and run by former town parks and recreation director Donald Dones last year. The program will hold four age divisions — 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U. Players can sign up for $60 on the town’s registration site. Registration is set to close on Aug. 1. Those interested in coaching
a team can contact Burnette for more information. Practices will be held at Bray Park and the Paul Braxton Park multipurpose field. Workouts will begin June 12.
The town’s program joins Chatham Central’s upcoming middle school football team in creating more opportunities for local kids to play football. Spearheaded by Chatham Central High School football coach Derrin Little, Bear Creek’s new youth football opportunity for sixth, seventh and eighth graders will serve as a feeder system for the high school. Registration for that will open on July 15. On the opposite side of the county, East Chatham has its registration open for 2025 and will once again play in the East Wake Football League. Registration will close on July 1.
in four innings pitched, South Wake has three other players from Seaforth’s 2025 team. Brinkley went 1 for 2 with an RBI. Alyssa Harris (1 for 4, one
RBI) and Annika Johansson also took the field for Post 116. Post 292 moved players around often defensively Monday night, given this was their first time playing together since tryouts.
“People showed they could play multiple positions, so that’s very promising,” Felder said. Off to a solid start, Chatham Post 292 will continue to put things together against North Wake at home on June 17.
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
A view facing the goalpost at Phil E. Senter Stadium in Siler City. The town’s new youth football program hopes to serve as a feeder for the Jordan-Matthews high school team.
POST 292 from page B1
Local girls’ soccer players earn all-state honors
More local players receive all-region selections from the NCSCA
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
THE NORTH CAROLINA Soccer Coaches Association released its 2025 girls’ soccer all-state teams Monday.
Here are the local girls’ soccer players that received all-state selections and all-region (Region 7) honors.
1A
Annabel Unah (Woods Charter, all-state, all-region)
Sophomore striker Annabel Unah earned her first all-state selection and all-region honors this season. Unah recorded 42 goals and 12 assists.
Lucy Poitras (Woods Charter, all-state, all-region)
Sophomore midfielder Lucy Poitras received her first all-state selection and all-region honors after leading the Wolves with 49 goals. She also notched 13 assists.
Eliza Blanchard (Woods Charter, all-region)
Freshman midfielder Eliza Blanchard scored five goals and recorded a team-high 18 assists in her all-region season.
Kori Myers (Woods Charter, all-region)
Freshman defender Kori Myers received all-region honors with a stellar defensive season and three goals.
Wesley Oliver (Woods Charter, all-region)
Junior defender Wesley Oliver, a veteran presence on the young Woods Charter team, was a reliable defender and scored six goals in all-region-worthy season for the Wolves.
Eve Terrell (Woods Charter, all-region)
Sophomore midfielder Ever Terrell had a solid all-region season for Woods Charter, recording nine goals and nine assists. 2A
Caitlin Erman (Seaforth, all-state, all-region)
Senior striker Caitlin Erman led Seaforth with team-highs of 45 goals and 37 assists for her second all-state selection. She scored at least five goals in four games this season and finished her career as Seaforth’s all-time leading scorer.
Woods
Chatham County players earned all-state honors
Sofia Viana (Seaforth, all-state, all-region)
Junior midfielder Sofia Viana earned her second all-state selection with 38 goals, 22 assists and 16 steals in 12 games. She dealt with injuries throughout the year but still put up huge numbers. She started the year with back-to-back eight-goal performances against Graham.
Katie Leonard (Seaforth, all-state, all-region)
Junior goalkeeper Katie Leonard earned her first all- s tate selection after notching 118 saves and 17 clean sheets. She recorded double-digit saves in four games, including 28 saves against Apex Friendship in March.
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Sydney Nezos (Seaforth, all-region)
Junior defender Sydney Nezos put on a stellar all-region-worthy defensive season for the Hawks, recording a team-high 92 steals.
Sulema Arias (Northwood, all-region)
Junior midfielder Sulema Arias was an all-region-level playmaker for the Chargers this season, leading the team with 12 assists. She scored three goals this year.
Sarah Anne Murrell (Northwood, all-region)
Senior striker Sarah Anne Murrell led Northwood with 23 goals in an all-region year. She recorded four games with at least three goals.
Gwyn Williams (Northwood, all-region)
Junior goalkeeper Gwyn Williams recorded 36 saves in an all-region season for the Chargers.
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Cartrette’s walk-off run lifts Post 305 over Moore County 2-1
Chatham improved to 2-3 on the season
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
CHATHAM POST 305 notched a walk-off 2-1 win over Moore County Post 12 in the North Carolina American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday in Hamlet.
Tied at 1-1 with two outs and loaded bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, Chatham’s Colin Dorney hit a fly ball to Moore County’s center fielder who made an error while trying to get the out. The mistake allowed Zach Cartrette, who doubled to start the inning, to reach home from third base for the game-winning score.
Pitcher Nathan Rose, coming off his freshman season at Guilford, pitched a complete game and earned the win with three hits, four walks and five strikeouts.
Chatham out-hit Moore County 4-3 with four batters — Jace Young, Brayden Brewer, Anthony Lopossay and Cartrette — all going 1 for 3 from the plate.
Moore County struck first in the top of the first inning as a passed ball allowed Oldham to score from third base.
Brewer tied the game in the following batting turn with a single that knocked Young home. Young singled earlier in the inning to get on base.
With the win, Chatham improved to 2-3 as of Saturday. Post 12 fell to 4-4.
Chatham didn’t get to hit the field as planned last week due to rain postponing multiple games. Post 305 only played two full innings of a scheduled two-game series against Durham. Durham led Chatham 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning when the first game got delayed Friday.
Sunday’s game against Hamlet Post 49 was also canceled.
New dates for those games have not yet been determined as of Monday.
Following Tuesday’s game against Garner Nationals, Post 305 will be back in action against Randolph County at McCrary Park Monday at 7 p.m.
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The weekly deadline is Monday at Noon.
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Charter’s Annabel Unah gets ready to strike the ball in a game against Franklin Academy in April. Unah and her teammate Lucy Poitras earned their first all-state selections.
CHATHAM AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL / FACEBOOK Chatham Post 305 stands for the National Anthem ahead of its season opener May 18.
Hits for Chatham in its low-scoring win
Different paths, same destination for the Thunder, Pacers
Oklahoma City had a dominant regular season, while Indiana got hot at the right time
By Tim Reynolds
The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY spent most of the regular season alone atop the Western Conference standings and just kept adding to its lead. Indiana didn’t spend a single day atop the Eastern Conference standings and was still under the .500 mark in early January.
Different paths, the same destination.
It will be the Thunder and the Pacers squaring off when the NBA Finals start in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, a matchup of two clubs that weren’t exactly on similar paths this season.
“When you get to this point of the season, it’s two teams and it’s one goal, and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long — with capital letters in the word ‘dominant.’ Defensively, they’re historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It’s two teams that have similar structures, slightly different styles.”
The deep dives into the other side were beginning in earnest on Sunday, a day after the Pacers finished off their Eastern Conference title by ousting New York in six games. Indiana was taking a day off before getting set to return to work on Mon-
from page B1
Central), Emma Burke (Chatham Central), Caleigh Warf (Chatham Central), Sallie Oldham (Chatham Central), Cassidy Graves (Jordan-Matthews), Marcy Clark (Jordan-Matthews), Lilliana Hicks (Jordan-Matthews), Jasmine Wichowski (Northwood), Allison Bryant (Northwood), Annika Johansson (Seaforth), Emma Grace Hill (Seaforth), Alyssa Harris (Seaforth), Cami Brinkley (Seaforth)
Second Team: Chloe Brewer (Chatham Central), Heidi Vicente (Chatham Central), Sophia Murchison (Jordan-Matthews), Jasmine Sorto (Jordan-Matthews), Emma Payseur (Northwood), Makenna Lux (Northwood), Abigail Johnson (Seaforth), Blair Hill (Seaforth), Kaylee Slough (Seaforth), Addison Goldston (Chatham Central), Madalyn Holton (Chatham Central)
Pitcher of the Year: Emma Grace Hill (Seaforth) Player of the Year: Sallie Oldham (Chatham Central)
Girls’ soccer
Sofia Viana (Seaforth), Caitlin Erman (Seaforth), Sydney Nezos (Seaforth), Amara Darden (Seaforth), Katie Leonard (Seaforth), Sarah Anne Murrell (Northwood), Sulema Arias (Northwood), Madelyn Bolejack (Northwood), Gwynn Williams (Northwood), Dalia Botello (Jordan-Matthews), Minanyeli Soto (Jordan-Matthews), Emily Vazquez (Jordan-Matthews)
Offensive Player of the Year: Caitlin Erman (Seaforth)
Defensive Player of the Year: Sydney Nezos (Seaforth)
Goalkeeper of the Year:
Katie Leonard (Seaforth)
Boys’ golf
Ty Willoughby (Seaforth), Griffin Ching (Seaforth), Campbell Meador (Seaforth), Gray Stewart (Seaforth), Alex Ferm (Seaforth), Tyler Measamor (Chatham Central), Gavin Vanderford (Chatham Central), Jesse Eskelund (Chatham Central), Stephen Moody (Chatham Central), Ryan Porter (Northwood), Ferrell Blackburn (Northwood), Ben Buckner (Jordan-Matthews)
Golfer of the Year: Ty Willoughby (Seaforth)
“We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”
Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder center
day; the Thunder were practicing in Oklahoma City.
“We always talk about human nature in our locker room, and the human nature way of thinking about it is ‘four wins away, four wins away.’ You kind of lose sight of the fact that you’ve got to win one to get to four,” Thunder guard Jalen Williams said Sunday. “You’ve got to stack wins. So, that’s how we’re looking at it. Let’s get prepared for Game 1 now and just go from there. And I think that does make it a little easier now that we know who we’re playing.”
The Pacers lost their 14th game of the regular season in early December; the Thunder lost 14 regular-season games this season, total. That would make it seem like this was an unlikely finals matchup.
But since Dec. 13, including regular-season and playoff games, the Thunder have the NBA’s best record at 61-13.
The team with the second-most wins in the league over those last 51/2 months? That would be Indiana, going 52-21 over that span.
“We had expectations to be here, and this isn’t a surprise to any of us because of what we wanted to do,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “And I
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams,
celebrate after winning the Western Conference final.
think obviously there’s a turning point there in December or January or whatever the case may be. But I just thought we did a great job of just being as present as possible, not living in the past, not worrying about what’s next, just worrying about what’s now.”
and
What’s now is the NBA Finals. The Pacers were a middle-of-the-pack pick to start the season, with 50-1 preseason odds to win the title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Thunder were only 9-1 entering the season, behind Boston and New York out of the East
Coach of the Year: Bobby Stewart (Seaforth)
Boys’ tennis
Matthew Bowser (Seaforth), Henry McFall (Seaforth), Gavin Maley (Seaforth), Brennan Luster (Seaforth), Joaquin Hernandez Gonzalez (Seaforth), Lukas Olson (Seaforth), Matthew Wanderski (Seaforth), Aidan Hohenwarter (Northwood), I’Jah Sinclair (Northwood), Francisco Ibarra (Jordan-Matthews)
Player of the Year: Joaquin Hernandez Gonzalez (Seaforth) Coach of the Year: Ross Martin (Seaforth)
Girls’ track and field
Sasha Helmer (Seaforth), Natalie Davis (Seaforth), Claire Morgan (Seaforth), Sasha Holmes (Seaforth), Tinsley Borland (Seaforth), Piper Gensler (Seaforth), Caidence Bazemore (Seaforth), Sydney Gray (Northwood), Julia Hall (Northwood), Avery Adams (Northwood), Gabby Ghitta (Northwood), Amari Bullett (Northwood), Jada Everson (Northwood), Lizzie Alston (Jordan-Matthews), Saniya White (Jordan-Matthews), Sophia Kopela (Jordan-Matthews), Ariana Harris (Jordan-Matthews), Rachael Woods (Jordan-Matthews)
Boys’ track and field
Sebastian Calderon (Seaforth), Will Cuicchi (Seaforth), Paul Cuicchi (Seaforth), Samuel Neil (Seaforth), Jack Anstrom (Seaforth), Walter Entrekin (Seaforth), Davis Declan (Seaforth), Waylon Vose (Seaforth), Ryan Yoder (Seaforth), Dylan Watkins (Seaforth), Jordan Wiley (Northwood), Joe Flynn (Northwood), Luke Waldstein (Northwood), Benjamin Altenburg (Northwood), Juan Sanchez-Sandoval (Northwood), Tequone Moore (Northwood), Zaire Ellis (Northwood), Brian Krebs (Northwood), Tyler Congrove (Chatham Central), Eli Turner (Chatham Central), Nick Glover (Chatham Central), Reid Albright (Chatham Central), Kamarie Hadley (Jordan-Matthews)
Runner of the Year: Sebastian Calderon (Seaforth)
Coach of the Year: Meredith Bazemore (Seaforth)
CENTRAL TAR HEEL 1A
Baseball (all Chatham Charter)
Jace Young, Jax Young, Tyner Williams, Brandon Rives, Garrison Clark, Luke Johnson, Zach Cartrette
Pitcher of the Year: Zach Cartrette Coach of the Year: Bill Slaughter Softball (all Chatham Charter) Allie McLeod, Taylor Hussey, Ella Ingle, Makenly Stanley Girls’ soccer
Emily Scheidt (Chatham Charter), Jody Shreef (Chatham Charter), Lucy Poitras (Woods Charter), Annabel Unah (Woods Charter), Wesley Oliver (Woods Charter), Eliza Blanchard (Woods Charter), Eve Terrell (Woods Charter), Kori Myers (Woods Charter)
Offensive Player of the Year: Lucy Poitras (Woods Charter)
Goalkeeper of the Year: Jody Shreef (Chatham Charter)
Coach of the Year: Graeme Stewart (Woods Charter)
Boys’ tennis (all Chatham Charter)
Thomas Bjork, Miguel Kirkman, Adam Reece
Boys’ golf
Caden Poremba (Chatham Charter)
— and Denver and Minnesota, two teams that the Thunder eliminated in this season’s West playoffs.
“We’ve learned a lot,” Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”
Girls’ track and field
Aaliyah Walden (Chatham Charter), Jordyn Garner (Chatham Charter), Anna Peeler (Woods Charter), Dana Sudhir (Woods Charter), Dara Sudhir (Woods Charter), Sofia Rodriguez (Woods Charter), Michaela Valentine (Woods Charter), Grace Murphy (Woods Charter), Makena Karunditu (Woods Charter)
Runner of the Year: Anna Peeler
Field Athlete of the Year: Jordyn Garner (Chatham Charter)
Coach of the Year: Tommy Johnson
Boys’ track and field
Torris Price (Chatham Charter), Breylan Harris (Chatham Charter), Wyatt Webster (Woods Charter), Paul Frazelle (Woods Charter), Vlad Akhmedov (Woods Charter), Ezra Roebuck (Woods Charter)
Runner of the Year: Torris Price (Chatham Charter) Field Athlete of the Year: Breylan Harris Central Tar Heel Conference 2025
Sportsmanship Award (Track and Field): Chatham Charter School
Boys’ lacrosse (Central/Mid-Carolina)
Grayson Cox (Northwood), James Flannagan (Northwood), Cameron Exley (Seaforth), Layne Armstrong (Seaforth), Joseph Greto (Seaforth), Ivan Grimes (Seaforth), Jack Petrusa (Seaforth), Finn Prospero (Seaforth)
Coach of the Year: Joe Hubbard (Seaforth)
Girls’ Lacrosse (DC/ Northern Lakes Athletic/ Central/Mid-Carolina)
Rose Costa (Northwood), Lucia Jones (Northwood), Silvy Hopp (Northwood), Mia Moore (Seaforth), Renee Rizvi (Seaforth), Grace Davis (Seaforth), Natalie Boecke (Seaforth)
Honorable mention: Resse Colwell (Seaforth), Evie Kamen (Seaforth) Specialist of the Year: Natalie Boecke (Seaforth)
Sportsmanship Award: Silvy Hopp (Northwood), Makenzie Zelhoff (Seaforth)
SPRING
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Northwood’s Finn Sullivan fires a pitch during a home game against Chatham Central in April. Sullivan was named the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference baseball Pitcher of the Year.
NATE BILLINGS / AP PHOTO
left,
guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
with 274 and 255 kills, respectively. Senior Maris Huneycutt led the team in assists with 440. Northwood football wins Battle of Pittsboro over Seaforth in a 9-6 thriller
A defensive battle came down to a defensive stand. Down 9-6 in the final minutes of the third Battle of Pittsboro, Seaforth, threatening to score at the Northwood 5-yard line, tried to take the lead with an option play, but the pitch hit the ground. The Chargers recovered it and went on to ice the game with multiple first downs, pulling out a low-scoring win in which both teams came away with two interceptions. Northwood junior Mikell Wilson recovered a dropped punt snap and returned it for a touchdown in the first quarter. At the halftime buzzer, junior kicker Leo Mortimer hit a 30-yard field goal to give Northwood a 9-0 lead.
Chatham Central football wins its first game since 2022
In 2023, South Davidson beat Chatham Central in the second week of the season 40-0. This past fall, in the same week, it was a much different story. The Bears built a 16-2 lead on their way to a 16-14 win over South Davidson, picking up their first victory since 2022. Chatham Central junior Nick Glover threw two touchdown passes to senior Luke Gaines and sophomore Hance Ramirez.
Jordan-Matthews’ overcomes early adversity in 14-6 win over Chatham Central
After a lost fumble on Jordan-Matthews’ first offensive snap, a 38-yard touchdown run by Chatham Central’s Glover and multiple touchdowns by the Jets called back to start the game, it looked like the Bears were on their way to a win. However, Jordan-Matthews kept getting defensive stops and maintained faith in its run game. With two rushing touchdowns from Kenneth Dula and Nolan Mitchell and a defensive stand on the Bears final, quarter-long drive, the Jets won another classic battle over their rivals.
Seaforth boys’ soccer makes deepest playoff run in program history
Seaforth lost three of its last
four regular season games and entered the 2A playoffs as a 28 seed in the East. Scoring had been a weak spot for the Hawks all season, but all it takes to win is one. The Hawks upset No. 5 Camden County 1-0 on the road in the first round for the school’s playoff win. In the second round, Seaforth took another long trip east and defeated No. 21 Manteo in PKs (4-2).
The Hawks, the lowest seed remaining in the entire 2A bracket, ended their run in a thirdround loss to No. 13 James Kenan.
Seaforth girls go back and forth with Southeast Alamance
A fierce rivalry blossomed between the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference girls’ basketball top dogs. In their first meeting, Seaforth relied on Katie Leonard’s six made 3s to take down eventual 2A state champions Southeast Alamance at home 51-48. At Seaforth a month later, the Stallions snapped the Hawks’ 52-game regular season conference win streak in a 55-53 nailbiter. Senior Gabby White scored 16 points to lead the Hawks over Southeast Alamance for the conference tournament title weeks later, but the Stallions got the final say in the 2A East regional final.
Northwood boys dominate, reach another state title game
A year after five-star forward
Drake Powell graduated, Northwood didn’t go anywhere. The Chargers, led by Cam Fowler’s 20.5 points per game, once again went unbeaten in conference play and marched to its third state title game in five seasons. Northwood won four of its five playoff games leading up to the state final by at least 15 points.
Chatham Central boys knock out the back-to-back defending state champions
Junior Jeremiah Young and senior Brennen Oldham never forgot when Wilson Prep narrowly knocked out their Chatham Charter team on the way to the 2023 state title. As Bears, the two got another shot at the back-to-back defending champions. Oldham led No. 7 Chatham Central with 15 points and six blocks, and Young assisted senior Aiden Johnson on the game-winning three to beat the Tigers 61-58 in the second round of the playoffs.
Woods Charter girls’ soccer keeps winning tradition alive
After finishing as state runners-up for the third straight
time in 2024, Woods Charter lost 10 seniors. The Wolves started fresh with 12 freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors and zero seniors this spring, and they hardly missed a beat. Woods Charter went undefeated in conference play for the fourth straight season, earned the second seed in the 2A East bracket and reached the fourth round after sophomore Annabel Unah scored the only goal needed to beat No. 10 Voyager Academy in the third round — a rematch of the 2024 regional final. Sophomore Lucy Poitras led the Wolves with 49 goals on the season.
Local pitchers ball out
It wasn’t easy hitting against Chatham County pitchers this spring. In baseball, Chatham Charter senior Zach Cartrette earned Central Tar Heel 1A conference Pitcher of the Year honors with an 8-3 record, a 1.33 ERA, 97 strikeouts, 13 walks and a 10-strikeout no-hitter against Triangle Math and Science on March 21. Northwood sophomore Finn Sullivan was named the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference Pitcher of the Year with a 5-0 record, including a 17-strikeout performance in a 2-1 win over Bartlett Yancey in March. In softball, Seaforth’s Emma Grace Hill also earned Mid-Carolina 1A/2A Pitcher of the Year honors with
a 12-3 record, 2.49 ERA, 163 strikeouts and three run rule no-hitters. Chatham Central’s Maddie Kaczmarczyk also had a solid season, going 13-1 in the circle with 153 strikeouts and two run rule no-hitters. Jordan-Matthews’ Lilli Hicks had two no-hitters during the season, including a perfect game against Northwood in the conference tournament.
Seaforth has a historic winter and spring
Seaforth saw a lot of firsts this season. In its first year under coach John Berry, the boys’ basketball team won the program’s first playoff game as a 24 seed, upsetting No. 9 Franklin Academy 62-55 in the first round of the 2A East playoffs. Sebastian Calderon, Jack Anstrom, Will Cuicchi and others helped the boys’ track and field team win their first indoor and outdoor state championships. The softball team won its first playoff game in a historic run to the third round. With a program-best win total, the boys’ lacrosse team won a share of a conference title for the first time. The Hawks became back-to-back individual wrestling tournament champions as three Seaforth wrestlers won state titles (Layne Armstrong, Gabe Rogers and Jordan Miller), besting last year’s total of two.
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Northwood’s Grayson Cox runs around a Seaforth defender during the Chargers’ 9-6 rivalry win in October.
John Fogerty celebrates 80th with show in Manhattan
The artist lost the rights to his own songs until recently
By Hillel Italie The Associated Press
NEW YORK — As he turned 80 last week, John Fogerty was in a mood to honor his past and to revise it.
We should all be so alive and so remembered at his age. Fogerty, in the midst of an international tour, played a rowdy 100-minute set last Thursday night to an adoring, near-capacity audience at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre. Crowd members spanned from those likely to remember “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son” and other Creedence Clearwater Revival hits when first released a half-century ago to those looking young enough to have heard about them through their grandparents. At least from a distance, Fogerty didn’t look or sound much different from his prime with Creedence, which was rarely off the charts between 1969 and 1971. He wore his trademark flannel shirt; had the same shaggy haircut, although with his bangs brushed back; sang with a vintage roar that
John Fogerty won a Grammy for his solo album “Blue Moon Swamp” in 1998.
has mellowed only slightly; and even played the same guitar, a Rickenbacker, that he had acquired back in the late ’60s. Fogerty presented himself as a proud rock ’n’ roller and a very proud family man. His band includes two of his sons on guitar, Shane and Tyler, with daughter Kelsy briefly joining them on a third guitar. Off to the side was his wife, Julie, whom he praised as the love and the hero of his life, if only because she gave one of the greatest gifts an old rock star could ask for: She helped win back rights to his song catalogue. Fogerty had battled over his copyrights for decades and at one point found himself being sued for plagiarizing one of his Creedence hits, which at the time he didn’t own.
He has marked his victory with an upcoming album, “Legacy,” for which he recorded new versions of 20 songs. If you were in the house that night, you couldn’t help hearing about it.
A promotional film about “Leg-
acy” opened the show, and Fogerty mentioned it again before his encore set. Both the album, subtitled “The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years,” and his concert tell a story of how he wants to look back.
As Fogerty noted at one point, Creedence Clearwater Revival soared to the highest heights before imploding bitterly in the early ’70s and never again recording or touring together. Only Creedence diehards would have known the identity of the other band members — drummer Doug Clifford, bassist Stu Cook and guitarist Tom Fogerty, John’s brother, who died in 1990. Their names were never mentioned, their faces near invisible among the rush of images that appeared on a screen behind Fogerty and his band. The new tracks on “Legacy,” each labeled “John’s Version,” leave only John Fogerty from the original group.
The Beacon show was very much about where is he now and how much he likes it. He dashed about the stage, rocked out on his Rickenbacker with the joy of a teenager on air guitar and even poured himself champagne. Fans clapped and danced while being showered with confetti and dazzled with lasers and fog.
EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Musician John Fogerty performs during his 80th birthday celebration concert at the Beacon Theatre last Thursday in New York.
this week in history
RFK assassinated, D-Day in Normandy, AA founded, prisoners escape from Alcatraz
JUNE 5
1794: Congress passed the Neutrality Act, which prohibited Americans from taking part in any military action against a country that was at peace with the United States.
1968: Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles; assassin Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was arrested at the scene.
2002: Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her Salt Lake City home.
JUNE 6
1844: The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in London.
1939: The first Little League Baseball game was played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
1944: During World War II, nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, on D-Day as they launched Operation Overlord to liberate Nazi-occupied Western Europe. More than 4,400 Allied troops were killed on D-Day, including 2,501 Americans.
Brunson
The ceremony was held at Andrew Hamilton School in Philadelphia
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s mayor honored actor and producer Quinta Brunson with a key to the city last Wednesday in a ceremony dedicating a separate mural at Brunson’s alma mater, which was the inspiration for her show “Abbott Elementary.”
The producer, writer and comedian gazed at the shiny key handed to her by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and quipped: “Wow! I want to ask the question on everybody’s mind: What does it open?”
Brunson used the ceremony held at Andrew Hamilton School to celebrate the power of public education, public school teachers, and music and arts education. Her parents and siblings were in attendance, along with Joyce Abbott, the teacher who inspired the name of the show’s fictional school, the “real life Gregory” and other teachers and classmates.
The mural, titled Blooming Features, was created by artist Athena Scott with input from Brunson and Hamilton students and staff. Its brightly colored depictions of real people from the school wrap around the outside of the school’s red brick facade.
JUNE 7
1776: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offered a resolution to the Continental Congress stating “these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent States.”
1929: The sovereign state of Vatican City formally came into existence as the Italian Parliament ratified the Lateran Treaty in Rome.
1942: The Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Pacific War.
JUNE 8
632: The prophet Muhammad died in Medina.
1867: Modern American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin.
1968: Authorities announced the capture in London of James Earl Ray, the suspected assassin of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
2018: Celebrity chef, author, and CNN host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in eastern France in what authorities determined was a suicide.
JUNE 9
1732: James Oglethorpe received a charter from Britain’s King George II to found the colony of Georgia.
1870: Author Charles Dickens died in Gad’s Hill Place, England.
1915: Guitarist, songwriter, and inventor Les Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
1983: Britain’s Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, won a decisive election victory.
JUNE 10
1692: The first execution resulting from the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts took place as Bridget Bishop was hanged.
1935: Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith and William Griffith Wilson.
1977: James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee with six others.
JUNE 11
1509: England’s King Henry VIII married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
1770: Captain James Cook,
commander of the British ship Endeavour, “discovered” the Great Barrier Reef off Australia by running onto it.
1955: In motor racing’s worst disaster, more than 80 people were killed during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France when two of the cars collided and crashed into spectators.
1962: Three prisoners at Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay staged an escape, leaving the island on a makeshift raft; they were never found or heard from again.
2001: Timothy McVeigh was executed by injection for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.
child, that one child matters.”
Brunson described taking inspiration from the murals painted along her subway route as a kid, especially when she saw one of her own teachers featured. She said she hopes this mural has the same effect.
al community members — because “that’s how you know there is a future.”
The actor said she nixed an initial mock-up brought to her by ABC that featured actors from the Emmy Award-winning show in favor of actu-
solutions
“You don’t need to see famous people on the wall. You need to see you on the wall,” she said. “Painted, beautiful. We are beautiful. It makes a difference. It made a difference for me, so I know even if it makes a difference for just one
Jane Golden, executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, said she was thrilled when Brunson featured her organization on an episode of the show.
Philadelphia is ranked No. 1 in the nation for its murals.
“When people visit Philadelphia, they are struck by the works of art that grace the sides of buildings in every single neighborhood of the city,” she said. “For us, this is a matter of equity. It’s great to have world class galleries and museums — that’s wonderful — but the fact that everyone everywhere can walk out the door and see large -scale works of public art that represent them, like the school here, that is awesome.”
TASSANEE VEJPONGSA / AP PHOTO
Philadelphia’s Mayor Cherelle Parker, left, honors Quinta Brunson with a key to the city in a ceremony dedicating a mural at Brunson’s alma mater on May 28 in Philadelphia.
AP PHOTO
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1986.
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famous birthdays this week
Marian Wright Edelman turns 86, Tom Jones is 85, Nancy Sinatra hits 85, Dick Vitale is 86 THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
JUNE 5
Musician-artist Laurie Anderson is 78. Finance author Suze Orman is 74. Musician Kenny G is 69. Actor Ron Livingston is 58. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 54.
JUNE 6
Civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman is 86. Country musician Joe Stampley is 82. Olympic track and field gold medalist Tommie Smith is 81. Actor Robert Englund is 78.
JUNE 7
Singer Tom Jones is 85. Actor Liam Neeson is 73. Musician Juan Luis Guerra is 68. Former Vice President Mike Pence is 66. Rock musician-TV host Dave Navarro is 58. Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is 50.
JUNE 8
Singer Nancy Sinatra is 85. Actor Sonia Braga is 75. Singer Bonnie Tyler is 74. Actor Griffin Dunne is 70. Singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson is 47.
JUNE 9
Sports commentator Dick Vitale is 86. Mick Box of Uriah Heep is 78. Actor Michael J. Fox is 64. Actor Johnny Depp is 62. Actor Natalie Portman is 44.
JUNE 10
Actor Gina Gershon is 63. Actor Jeanne Tripplehorn is 62. Model-actor Elizabeth Hurley is 60.
JUNE 11
Actor Roscoe Orman (“Sesame Street”) is 81. Actor Adrienne Barbeau (“Maude”) is 80. Actor Hugh Laurie (“House”) is 66. Actor Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) is 56.
DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO
Sports commentator Dick Vitale, shown with UNC fans before the team’s championship game against Gonzaga in 2017, turns 86 on Monday.
ROGELIO V. SOLIS / AP PHOTO
Marian Wright Edelman, activist and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, turns 86 on Friday.
JOEL C RYAN / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Singer Tom Jones, pictured at the Brit Awards in 2020, turns 85 on Saturday.
Nintendo’s Switch 2, Addison Rae album, ‘Presence,’ Ariana Madix returns to Fiji
The late Gene Hackman’s greatest films come to the Criterion Channel
By Lindsey Bahr
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — A Shaquille O’Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok’s basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo’s Switch 2 are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time: Ariana Madix returns to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.,” TikTok star Addison Rae offers her debut album “Addison,” and then there’s “Presence,” Steven Soderbergh’s movie entirely from the perspective a ghost.
MOVIES TO STREAM
“Presence,” one of two excellent Sodebergh-directed, David Koepp-scripted movies released this year, now streaming on Hulu. The film, a nifty, experimental little thriller, is filmed entirely from the perspective a ghost inside a home a family has just moved into. From a floating point of view, we watch as the mysterious presence, piecing together a past trauma while observing the unfolding a new one. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Presence” “a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”
Tyler Perry ‘s latest, “Straw,” stars Taraji P. Henson as a struggling single mother who, desperate for money to pay for her daughter’s prescriptions, robs a bank. The film, co-starring Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor and Sinbad, debuts Friday on Netflix.
For anyone still mourning the death of Gene Hackman, a new series streaming Thursday on the Criterion Channel collects some of the late actor’s best films. That includes William Friedkin’s seminal 1971 New York thriller “The French Connection,” Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation” and Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” a movie in which Hackman’s strained relationship with the director has been a subject
of conversation following his death. But also, don’t miss Arthur Penn’s 1975 “Night Moves,” a quintessential ’70s neo-noir that gave Hackman one of his most indelible roles in the private eye Harry Moseby.
MUSIC TO STREAM
Has there been a more seamless transition from TikTok social media star to full-fledged pop music force than that of Rae? On Friday, she will release her debut LP “Addison,” one of the year’s most anticipated releases — from the Lana Del Rey-channeling “Diet Pepsi” to the trip-hop “Headphones On.” She’s managed to
To honor awardwinning actor Gene Hackman, who died earlier this year, the Criterion Channel is featuring a collection of some of his finest cinematic achievements.
tap into a kind of late-internet cool through a hybrid approach to pop music and a lackadaisical singing style. Could it be “Addison” summer? Only time will tell. Need your Cynthia Erivo fix between “Wicked” films? She’s got your back. The multihyphenate will release her sophomore LP, “I Forgive You,” on Friday, a collection of big belts and even bigger vulnerabilities, with gorgeous songs that sound as though they were ripped straight from Erivo’s diary. Listen closely and carefully for maximum enjoyment.
Anyone who thinks the mainstream music listening world has lost interest in rock bands
needs to simply look at Turnstile, the Baltimore hard-core punk band that could. They’ve largely left those harsh sounds behind and have opted for something more melodic and accessible — which is, arguably, part of the appeal for those curious parties — but they’ve maintained their hard-core ethos and edge. “Never Enough” is gearing up to be the biggest release of their career so far, and we say it’s time to get on board. And get in the pit.
TELEVISION TO STREAM
Madix has returned to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.” The new episodes have big shoes to fill. Last season was the top-rated reality series of 2024. It also broke through the cultural zeitgeist with social media memes and water cooler conversation. Madix says she’s not worried about duplicating that success and wants the contestants to focus on “creating their own lane by being truly themselves and bringing themselves to it, you’ll never lose by doing that.” The show streams six nights a week on Peacock.
As a teenager, Kristin Cavallari was a breakout of the MTV reality series “Laguna Beach” because of her unfiltered honesty. She’s carried that with her throughout other reality shows
“(‘Presence’ is) a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”
and to her podcast “Let’s Be Honest.” Cameras rolled when Cavallari took the podcast on the road in March. That will air as the docuseries “Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour” is streaming on Peacock.
O’Neal also has his own docuseries now on Netflix called “Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal.” It’s an inside look at his efforts as president of Reebok’s basketball division. Allen Iverson is vice president. Both have a history with the brand. In 1992, O’Neal signed a deal with Reebok as a rookie playing for the Orlando Magic. Iverson famously inked a lifetime deal with the brand one year prior in 1991. The series will show the two pro ballplayers work to make Reebok Basketball cool and competitive in the sneaker market.
Get your feel-good TV fix with Apple TV+’s new show, “Stick.” It stars Owen Wilson as Pryce, a broke and divorced former pro golfer who could use a break. He finds it in a teen phenom named Santi and volunteers to be his coach. The show is about chosen family and second chances. “Stick” is streaming now.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Nintendo fans worldwide are bracing themselves for the arrival of the Switch 2, a souped-up version of the eight-year-old console with new social features meant to draw players into online gaming. The highlight of the launch lineup is Mario Kart World, which features a Grand Prix for up to 24 drivers and introduces a sprawling open environment where “everywhere is your racecourse.” Other Day One arrivals include upgraded versions of the last two Legend of Zelda adventures and some popular third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction will be making their Nintendo debuts. The next generation takes the stage Thursday.
JUSTINE YEUNG / APPLE TV+ VIA AP
Owen Wilson, left, and Peter Dager appear in a scene from “Stick.”
NEON VIA AP
Chris Sullivan and Lucy Liu star in the thriller “Presence.”
AP PHOTO