the BRIEF this week
Chatham library to hold blood drive
Pittsboro
The Chatham Community Library will host a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Monday, July 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is a particular need, as ever, for Type O blood, and Type O donors will receive a bonus gift card as a thank you. Visit chathamlibraries.org to make an appointment or to learn more.
Jabil plans to create nearly 1,200 jobs in Rowan County with manufacturing investment
Salisbury
The electronics company
Jabil plans to create nearly 1,200 jobs in central North Carolina by building a new manufacturing plant. The company is investing $500 million toward a facility to support cloud computing and arti cial intelligence data centers. O cials announced Monday that the facility will be in Rowan County, northeast of Charlotte. The project includes a $264 million capital investment and 1,181 jobs by the end of 2030. North Carolina competed with Florida for the project and o ered more than $21 million in incentives. Jabil already operates three facilities in the state, employing about 1,000 workers.
Drake Powell headed to Brooklyn with 22nd pick
The Pittsboro native celebrated the 2025 NBA Draft in his hometown
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — This dateline marked the site of many unforgettable basketball moments over the years.
Slam dunks, deep playo runs, 1,000 career points and a commitment to UNC all took place there.
But for the rst time, Chatham County’s seat pinpoints the location of an NBA draftee.
Drake Powell, the former Northwood High School ve-star athlete, was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 22nd overall pick in the rst
round of the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25. The Hawks traded the pick to the Brooklyn Nets, sending Powell to The Big Apple to begin his professional career.
Powell, who became the rst Tar Heel selected in the rst round since Brooklyn picked Day’Ron Sharpe in 2021, watched the draft and celebrated the news with his immediate family at his home.
Powell shared the moment with his family — parents Dedric and Cherice, his siblings Cera and Deuce, his cousin Jalen Mcafee-Marion — and agent Ty Sullivan, and the smiles radiating throughout the living area told all about the emotions of the moment.
“The biggest (emotion) is just happiness,” Powell said. “I kept my circle pretty small. Honestly could have had a big party, invited a bunch of di erent people. But I just wanted to keep it small with the people I think know me best as a person, and I’m excited that I enjoyed this moment with them.”
See POWELL, page A7
Commissioners adopt 2025-26 operating budget
The county will have a property tax rate of $0.60 per $100 valuation
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners met June 16 for its regular business meeting.
The area was one of the hardest hit by the hurricane
The Associated Press
CHIMNEY ROCK — An iconic tourist attraction in an area of western North Carolina among the hardest hit by Hurricane Helene reopened to the public last Friday, nine months after the storm brought historic ooding, destruction and loss of life.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein and other o cials attended a reopening ceremony at Chimney Rock State Park, which is about 25 miles southeast of Asheville. The main portion of the park will now be open again from Fridays to Mondays to visitors who make reservations, Stein’s o ce said.
Stein also signed into law before the ceremony’s crowd another state Helene recovery bill nalized by the General Assembly on Thursday that sends $700 million to the state’s Helene relief fund and appropriates $500 million of that. And Stein announced a new tourism campaign to encourage travel and spending in the North Carolina mountains.
“Today’s reopening is a huge achievement,” Stein told attendees. “Chimney Rock is just one of the many places that make western North Carolina unforgettable.”
Last September’s storm swept away the ornate stone and concrete bridge across the Broad River to reach the portion of the park that contains
The budget also sets a property tax rate of $0.60 per $100 valuation.
While this rate is lower than the prior year’s rate ($0.725), it is still nearly seven cents higher than the revenue neutral rate, meaning that most residents will still more than likely see an increase in their tax bill.
The commissioners o cially adopted the 2025-26 operating budget, which has a general fund balanced at just under $213 million. Highlights of the budget include substantial increases in funding for both education and public safety, a 4% salary adjustment for employees and an expansion of county positions (16).
“Thank you to sta for all of the work that went into the preparation of the draft and the recommended budget and then to this board for the work that went into our work sessions,” said board chair Karen Howard.
The board also held three public hearings for rezoning requests,
See BUDGET, page A3
“Chimney Rock is just one of the many places that make western North Carolina unforgettable.”
Gov. Josh Stein
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Drake Powell is all smiles after being selected in the rst round of the NBA Draft.
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
June 24
• Demetris Christian Goins, 29, of Siler City, was arrested for breaking into a building and stealing after breaking in.
• Maurico Eugene Long, 41, of Durham, was arrested for violating a domestic violence protective order, driving under the in uence, driving with a revoked license, and driving without insurance.
• Billy Farrell Kiser, 57, Homeless, was arrested for trespassing on private property.
• Anthony Wayne Byrd, 19, of Liberty, was arrested for carrying a weapon to intimidate others, possessing alcohol under age 21, and having an open alcohol container in a vehicle.
June 25
• Christopher Dallas Fry, 43, of Sanford, was arrested for taking indecent liberties with a child.
• Colin Maciyah Starnes, 45, of Moncure, was arrested for violating a domestic violence protective order.
June 26
• Raquel Nicole Phifer, 48, of Greensboro, was arrested for possessing a stolen vehicle and displaying a fake license plate.
• Jonathan James Livingston, 36, of Pittsboro, was arrested for driving while impaired, having an open alcohol container, and driving on the wrong side of the road.
June 27
• Lenton Mayo, 61, of Durham, was arrested for stealing and possessing drug paraphernalia.
Pottery camp educates children on getting creative
There are still openings for the July 14-17 session
By Melinda Burris Chatham News & Record
EACH DAY at Pittsboro pot-
ter Lara O’Keefe’s youth summer camp generally begins with a nature walk on her property. The idea is for kids to take in their surroundings and use their observations for inspiration in their pottery making.
“I love teaching children,” O’Keefe, who has been instructing all ages since 2007, said.
The summer pottery camp, for children ages 8 and up, runs July 14-17 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day. A handful of spots remain available.
The pottery summer camps have proven to be an excellent way for O’Keefe to reach out to kids who are shy or are apprehensive when placed in an unfamiliar environment.
“I was that shy kid,” O’Keefe said, “I was scared of big kids, of just going somewhere new. ... So we try to make the process really humbling.” Her teaching strategy has been e ective, with many campers returning for the next year. “I have a counselor that helps me, so it’s really good,” O’Keefe said.
“No one’s left alone, and I’ve had really timid campers, especially the younger ones, and their parents always say, ‘I can’t believe it, my child wants to come back.’ That always feels really good because I was that shy kid.”
Tools and supplies are provided, and students do one main project each day. The classes focus on the hand-building pottery method, where kids learn how to roll out clay, cut piec-
“I have a counselor who helps me, so it’s really good, no one’s left alone, and I’ve had really timid campers, especially the younger ones, and their parents always say, I can’t believe it, my child wants to come back.”
Lara O’Keefe
es, assemble them and then let imagination take over to create something with personal meaning.
O’Keefe points out that in the current culture of instant grati cation via the internet, working with clay and creating pottery teaches kids a valuable lesson because they learn it is a process that requires patience.
“You can’t bring home a pot right away because you can’t re it immediately,” she explained. There is a parent pick-up for the children’s pieces the week after the camp.
To register your child or get more information, email okeefepottery@gmail.com.
CHATHAM happening
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County:
July 5
Chatham Mills
Farmers Market –Summer Pie Sale
8 a.m. to noon
Don’t miss the special pie sale at this weekly outdoor, producers-only farmers market. O ering a wide variety of goods from fresh produce to other groceries, including eggs, cheese and meat, along with health and wellness items and crafts, everything is created by the vendors themselves.
Lawn of the historic Chatham Mills
480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro
July 7
Ukelele and Songwriting Lessons with Sarah Perry at Bynum Front Porch
2:30-6 p.m.
Group music lessons for ages 10-plus and ukulele players, from beginners to practiced players, are welcome. This session will concentrate on improving playing, performance and songwriting skills.
Front Porch, Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum
July
9
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 o ers its Lounge Menu in the dining room on Wednesday nights. Reservations are highly recommended.
480 Hillsboro St. Suite 500 Pittsboro
July 11
MOSAIC’S Summer Jam Music Series: The Castaways 7-9 p.m.
Food and beverages are available on-site for purchase. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. Free admission.
Philip H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons 457 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro
Create, Sip & Pour Candle Making Class 7-9 p.m.
This hands-on workshop teaches you how to make soy massage candles, combining aromatherapy and skin-nourishing oils in one. For more information, call 984-312-5820.
Starrlight Mead 130 Lorax Lane Pittsboro
COURTESY LARA O’KEEFE
Lara O’Keefe runs a camp at her Pittsboro pottery studio.
Hundreds spot meteor streaking across the southern sky
The space rock, about the size of a shopping cart, was caught by dash and doorbell cams
By Je Martin The Associated Press
ATLANTA — More than 200 people across a half-dozen southern U.S. states have now reported witnessing a mysterious object streak across the sky last Thursday, and the nation’s space agency now believes it was a remarkably bright meteor known as a bolide.
Most sightings of the streak of light and reball came from Georgia and South Carolina around 12:30 p.m., according to a report from the National Weather Service o ce in Peachtree City, Georgia.
NASA determined that it was about the size of a shopping cart as it streaked through the sky. Scientists were able to track the meteor’s path after analyzing eyewitness accounts, images from cameras and data from satellites and weather radar.
The meteor was rst spotted over Oxford, Georgia, as it moved southwest across the sky, according to Bill Cooke, a scientist at NASA’s Meteoroid Environments O ce in Huntsville, Alabama.
It broke apart over the small community of West Forest, Georgia, “unleashing an energy of about 20 tons of TNT,” Cooke said in a statement. That created booms heard by many residents in the area.
The meteor falling to the ground was detected by multiple weather radars, and many meteorites are believed to be on the ground in the Blacksville, Georgia area, NASA said.
As of last Friday afternoon,
at least 215 reports of the object have poured into the American Meteor Society with many people expressing wonder and amazement in their reports.
“It was a bright reball,” a woman in Bethlehem, Georgia, wrote.
“It did have a bright tail that disappeared with it, and left behind a smoke trail,” she added. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
A man in Milledgeville, Georgia, reported, “I believe it hit the ground.”
A resident of Henry County, Georgia, reported a rock coming through their roof around the time they heard the sonic boom from the reball. It left behind a hole in the ceiling about the size of a golf ball and a crack in a laminate oor at the home southeast of Atlanta, according to the National Weather Service o ce in Peachtree City, Georgia.
“We are presuming that a piece of the object fell through their roof,” the weather service said in
a brief statement on social media.
Dashboard and doorbell cameras across several states in the southeastern U.S. states caught glimpses of the reball that appeared to be plummeting straight down.
Meteors and other space debris frequently enter Earth’s atmosphere, but it is rare for an object to be so bright it can easily be seen in broad daylight. Videos of the event showed clear skies last Thursday, allowing many to see the meteor falling.
“First time to ever see an event in daylight like this,” a man in Cumming, Georgia, north of Atlanta, said in his report to the meteor society.
“It was so bright in the middle of the day ... brighter than the sun,” a woman in Dublin, Georgia reported.
Bright reballs are caused by friction as an object enters the atmosphere and slows down considerably. Almost all objects break into minuscule pieces before striking the ground, according to NASA.
I-40 reopens faster than expected after latest rock slide, ooding
The troublesome corridor in Pigeon River Gorge was damaged in Helene
The Associated Press
HARTFORD, Tenn. — Crews on Friday reopened a section of Interstate 40 along its narrow corridor through the Great Smoky Mountains after ooding and a rock slide closed the major cross country highway for nine days.
The highway was already undergoing major repairs from massive damage and washouts during Hurricane Helene last fall and is down to one lane in each
direction in far western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
About 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain fell in the area over about three hours on June 18, swamping I- 40 around Exit 451 in Tennessee, just to the west of the state line with North Carolina, o cials said.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation originally thought I- 40 would be closed until July 3.
The damaged section is part of 12 miles of I- 40 in North Carolina and Tennessee that were washed away or heavily damaged by ooding that roared through the Pigeon River gorge
during Hurricane Helene in late September.
Crews repaired and shored up enough of the old highway to open one narrow lane in each direction in March. The lanes are separated by a curb several inches high.
The permanent x to stabilize what is left of the road will involve driving long steel rods into bedrock below the highway, lling them with grout and spraying concrete on the cli face to hold them in place. It will take years. I- 40 runs from Wilmington on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to Barstow, California.
get your applications in for a
Teachers, are you looking for new opportunities to fund projects for your classroom? Central Electric is awarding up to $15,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to local educators in K-12 classrooms for the 2025-2026 school year.
e nal deadline for all grant applications is Sept. 15, but don’t wait to apply. Applications submitted prior to the early-bird deadline on Aug. 15 will be entered to win one of ve $100 Visa gi cards. Scan the QR code or visit NCBrightIdeas.com for more information or to apply!
the rst being for just under 20 acres of property located at 2676 Farrington Point Road from Conditional Neighborhood Business to Residential (R-1).
The property was initially rezoned in 2024 for the purpose of an event venue, but according to Planning Director Jason Sullivan, the property owners decided to reconsider that plan and want to revert the property back to its original R-1 zoning.
“In their application, it says that they want to turn it into an agricultural use and then look into maybe an agritourism type of activity, but they’d have to qualify for that like anyone else.”
“For agritourism, if they ended up qualifying for it, is actually exempt from local regulations.”
The second hearing was for just over nine acres of property located at 4920 Old U.S. 421 South from Residential Non-Conforming Use to Light Industrial.
“The R-1 zoning was applied in 2016 when you rezoned the western part of the county. The property owners at the time did not choose to rezone to
match the use, so now the current owner is coming forward and requesting a rezoning.” According to Sullivan, the property already has heavily intensive industrial use, and the rezoning essentially allows the property owner to have the zoning that was initially offered to the property.
The third hearing was for approximately four acres of property located at 14897 U.S. 421 South from Residential to Regional Business Conditional District for the purpose of a self mini warehouse storage facility.
The nal hearing was to rezone portions of ve parcels located at 0 and 2501 Corinth Road in order to allow for the already approved expansion of the existing RV park on the property.
“The RV park and an expansion were approved, but they can’t move forward with the expansion because they don’t have the suitable soil on the current site for the septic system,” Sullivan said. Following each hearing, the requests were submitted to the planning board for nal approval.
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will next meet July 21.
PARK from page A1 the 315-foot high geological formation that’s shaped in keeping with the park’s name. The park, which also features hiking trails and other amenities, usually attracts 400,000 people annually.
A road had to be paved and a temporary bridge made from old railroad cars was laid over the river.
The reopening provides needed encouragement to those in adjoining Chimney Rock Village, where a third of the hamlet’s businesses were destroyed as river waters removed buildings from their foundations.
“It almost wiped us o the map,” village Mayor Peter O’Leary said on Friday. “The village knew one thing that was of utmost importance to our survival. We had to have Chimney Rock State Park open again.” Some village businesses are reopening.
Before Friday’s bill signing, the General Assembly already had appropriated or reallocated more than $1.6 billion for Helene recovery.
The new Helene law is the fth relief package approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly since last fall. The Democratic governor said he’s still seeking direct aid for small businesses and more funds for a ordable housing. But he was still pleased with the legislature’s action.
“We have a lot of work to do, but it’s also good to take stock and recognize that today is a good day,” Stein said.
The governor is also seeking more federal funds for Helene recovery beyond the billions already received by the state and by those harmed by the storm.
State o cials say the storm caused more than 100 deaths in North Carolina and generated roughly $60 billion in damages and needs.
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
A U.S. ag ies on Chimney Rock mountain in 2019.
BRYAN JENNINGS UPDYKE VIA AP
A bright object traveling in the sky in McDonough, Georgia, last Thursday was recorded by a vehicle dash cam shows.
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN
A road to kindness
But road rage disregards the humanity of other drivers and pedestrians, human and nonhuman alike. Belligerence evokes more volume and aggression.
THIS MORNING, I witnessed yet another egregious loss of temper: a shouting, red-faced man blaring the horn of his sinfully large SUV at the small car in front of him, which had only slowed down in deference to an elderly woman and her terrier in the crosswalk. Keep in mind that the neighborhood speed limit is 25 mph, and we have all ages of humans crossing the street, not to mention dogs, geese, goslings, frogs and the occasional turtle.
I write to vent, admittedly, but also because I think the best way to deal with frustration is to be curious about its causes. Why does this road rage bother me, even when I’m not directly involved?
I can easily imagine why my fellow driver would have less than a Mister Rogers-type attitude. I know what it is like to have a terrible night (a sleepless kid, a restless dog) or a rough morning (cold co ee, stained shirt). And I know what it’s like to have bills to pay, places to go and people to see.
But road rage disregards the humanity of other drivers and pedestrians, human and nonhuman alike. Belligerence evokes more volume and aggression. There are plenty of blaring horns and middle ngers but precious little grace. I don’t know the name of the dude blaring his horn. I only know him as a jerk. This is regrettable, as there was a time when he was a child,
likely capable of putting his foot in his mouth in an adorable way. Although I can’t peer into the past, I wish to see beyond his rage.
Philo of Alexandria said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is ghting a great battle.” We don’t all su er the same, yet the world knocks everyone down and bruises every heart. To live is to lose some whom we love. We forget our shared reality and lose the possibility of tenderness at the moment we lash out.
If it’s true that the whisper of a butter y’s wings can cause a tsunami on the other side of the world, does it not follow that a deep breath and a gentle wave of the hand might bring peace to a war-torn world? At least a dose of patience might provide a balm to a hurting present.
In writing this column, I remembered another morning in the neighborhood when I was speaking with a friend at an intersection. A car slowed, thinking we might cross the street. My friend cheerfully waved it on, but before he left, the driver leaned out of his window and called, “Have a great day!” I didn’t know his name, but suddenly we were strangers no more.
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, co ee drinker and student of joy.
Holidays, special days come in all sizes
In my childhood days, Pittsboro and Siler City had day-long community celebrations of hot dogs and ice cream, baseball games, games for little folks, political speeches and parades, and so forth.
SOMEONE — or several someones — has created a calendar that has a holiday on every day. For instance, May 11 might be “National Be Kind to Yellow Cats Day,” or Oct. 19 is “Eat a Cheeseburger With Peanut Butter Day.” Funny, maybe even silly, but no real harm done. But those all pale, however, when stacked against “real” holidays — religious, civic or otherwise. There is no substitute for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, even the Fourth of July, just this week.
Granted, they’ve taken on di erent forms and traditions through the years, for numerous reasons. July Fourth, for instance, was once a big deal in many places, especially Small Town, USA. In my childhood days, Pittsboro and Siler City had day-long community celebrations of hot dogs and ice cream, baseball games, games for little folks, political speeches and parades and so forth. Shoot, that went on beyond my boyhood days, even as I moved into parenthood. There’s not so much of that anymore in our nation. We’ve become too sophisticated. Politicians seek to divide us; nutritionists tell us hot dogs aren’t good for us; PETA says we shouldn’t chase a greasy pig; safety experts tell us we shouldn’t be climbing greasy poles. Far better, all those folks and others tell us, is it for us to do all these things virtually or at a Zoom gathering. Funny, I always thought “zoom” was what Superman did in the sky or how I rode my bicycle down the dirt road between Allen and Hazel Money’s house and the one where Mal and Ruby White lived.
So while some things change, we still have those holidays after a fashion. But this year a new perspective about holidays dawned on me, namely that while all folks have some in common, there are others — I’ll
call them personal holidays or special days — that are unique to each of us and, while they aren’t a holiday to the general public, they’re mighty important personally.
The one I speak of here is July 1, 1933, to be speci c. Ninety-two years ago. My parents’ wedding anniversary. They weren’t around to take note of it; I did. They were young; Dad was 21 and Mama only 15. Today, that would be a crime, especially since they, like so many Depression-era couples, ran o to Bennettsville, South Carolina, just across the state line, where you could do such things. Took another young couple with them as witnesses.
On returning home, Dad knocked on the door of his in-laws’ place and inquired of his father-in-law, “Should I run?” To that, the man who would become my grandpa 15 years later said, “I think you’ve run enough, Frank. Come on in.”
He did. And they worked it out for almost 60 years. Today, as I look at old photos, I try to imagine and understand that they were once young, a phase of life I’ve passed by myself some time ago. And when I read through some of the letters between them written when my dad was working in another state, I feel as if I’m eavesdropping. They might blush, but I think they’d forgive me.
Holidays, it’s been said, serve as reminders. Ways to stay grounded and appreciative. I’m pretty sure that’s what July 1 does for me. I hope you’ve got some “special days” on your heart, if not your calendar. Celebrating them can be mighty good for a body.
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
The noises only I could hear
Suddenly, I began hearing what sounded like running water, an owl hooting, and birds chirping, all in my very own quiet bedroom. Was I nuts?
I have an amazing capacity (not wishing to boast or anything) for creating mountains out of molehills. A lifelong gift that has not abated with the passage of time. I question, however, when there’s enough pain and sorrow in the Middle East, whether my molehills-to-mountains track record deserves airtime.
Judge for yourself.
Recently, around 10 p.m., I’d already put myself to bed. Long day. Suddenly, I began hearing what sounded like running water, an owl hooting and birds chirping, all in my very own quiet bedroom. Was I nuts? (There are some who would happily agree with that assessment.) Ms. Kind Of Scared But I’ll Be Brave got out of bed and walked through the kitchen to my back door. Opened, stuck my puzzled head outside and heard … nothing. Did a quick walk-through of the rest of the house and heard … nothing My bedroom seemed to be ground zero for the weird noise follies. Placed an inquiring ear to several bedroom walls, and heard … guess what? Nothing. Ungrounded in any reality I could explain, the cornucopia of nature sounds was still present. Well, just great! Super! (Keep breathing, Jan.) As a self-identi ed princess-and-thepea su erer, I desperately tried not to hear what I was clearly hearing. Maybe a very late-night call to my nearby neighbor, to say, to say … to say what, exactly?
Suddenly, I remembered my stash of rarely-used-but-e ective silicone earplugs. Such a relief! Found, applied, but oh … stop, stop! Was I at risk of physical harm due to my “I am staying put tonight despite whatever the hell this is?”
“Come on, universe, help me out! No, no, I take that back. Just forget it! I’m too tired. Haven’t I been a (mostly) good girl in this life? Doesn’t that count for something? Just let me go to sleep, safely. Deal?”
Morning has broken, and I’m still around! Removed my savior earplugs,
COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH
Who is an American
Let him rule like a king of the Disunited States until we get back to town.
SO NOW ALL THE BABIES born to undocumented parents in the 28 states that didn’t challenge President Donald Trump’s executive order will have to sue (anonymously, of course, lest this administration deport them, which it would if it could nd them) to demand that the Constitution be followed in their state and get an injunction of their own. Or else you can have a patchwork of rights, with an authoritarian dictatorship in some states and the rule of law for the litigious.
That’s the result of a bitterly divided (6-3) decision of the Supreme Court last Friday holding that federal district courts don’t have the power to issue nationwide injunctions against a president who is blatantly overreaching his powers.
Even though the king may have reached too far, the courts can only stop him state by state. So much for one nation, under law.
This is the much-watched case of birthright citizenship, playing out Trump’s obsession with stripping immigrants to this country of their dignity. The Original Birther, who challenged President Barack Obama’s entitlement to citizenship, baselessly.
The court was careful to point out that it was not deciding the merits of the president’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. It did not decide he had the unilateral power to rewrite the Constitution; it did not even assume that. The law be damned, but we won’t enforce it now.
Wait till next year. Let him rule like a king of the Disunited States until we get back to town. The Supreme Court won’t rule on the merits of the case — whether what Trump did is constitutional — until it makes its way back to the court next term. When it strips the lower courts of their power to limit a would-be king — as it did this week — it renders the rule of law a travesty. For now.
knowing, just knowing, those ba ing sounds would be gone. They weren’t. Water softly gurgling, birds chirping … oh, geez!
I reached out to a level-headed neighborhood friend for reality testing. She kindly came down the hill to oblige my … whatever the heck this whole thing was. First listening stop, my (very quiet) living room. A quick trip through my (also very quiet) kitchen. Now, my bedroom. We entered, and I, gingerly, asked if she heard it, you know, those running water noises and bird calls. She listened intently, nally saying, “No.” Oh, super great! (I am nuts!) She did, however, notice some di cult-to-discern sounds emanating from Alexa, my AI (arti cial intelligence) unit. I’d pushed it against a wall, on the oor, so my new knee would have one less thing to trip over (with the exception of my own two feet, but that’s another story.)
I leaned down to better hear Alexa, realizing with a jolt, we’d hit pay-dirt! Those aberrant nature sounds were the Alexa unit’s Rainforest soundtrack. Yep, running water accompanied by bird and owl sounds. Bingo! Oh, major bingo! We laughed, me, pretty damn hysterically. I wasn’t nuts! I wasn’t! My AI device likely heard something it interpreted as a request for “Rainforest” sounds and complied. All night long. The AI unit was far enough removed from my sight line that I never even considered its possible contribution to the weirdness of “you’re hearing what exactly, Jan?”
In our shared moment of hilarity, I felt such a weight lift. I can’t even begin to tell you. There was room enough for us to experience an unexpected gift of merriment, even amidst our Mideast sadness. Hey universe, help me remember this. Please?
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard brings back meritocracy
TWO YEARS AGO, the U.S. Supreme Court upended decades of precedent by ruling that universities could no longer use a rmative action to determine admissions for students.
In the case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the Supreme Court explained in the majority opinion that the color of a student’s skin can no longer determine his or her entry into a school.
When ruling against Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC) in a companion case, the court decided in a majority 6-3 opinion that using a student’s race to determine admissions is in violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that a student “must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual” rather than race. The admissions process for both schools were seen as penalizing Asian American students.
While the process for universities to fully correct course to abide by the decision may take several years, the results are already positive with meritocracy appearing to return to the forefront of academia in America.
In the time since the Supreme Court’s decision, several prominent universities have already adopted new admissions processes as well as now requiring students to submit standardized testing scores once again with their applications.
At Harvard University, admissions previously had optional writing components where potential students could write about topics pertaining to them and their interests or experiences with their identity. After the court’s ruling, the school altered the questions asked to applicants. The school then reinstated the submission of standardized test scores as mandatory for applicants applying for the fall 2025 semester.
Other prominent universities have also reinstated standardized test scores for their admissions.
Dartmouth College was the rst Ivy League school to require SAT or ACT scores again after the ruling. Yale, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania are among those that followed suit. Even UNC updated its process for applicants.
All these universities that used a rmative action for their admissions had to review and change the policies in place for how applicants are admitted. In the two years since the Supreme Court’s decision, there appears to have been an impact.
Anyone born here (with narrow exceptions) is an American. That’s what rati cation of the 14th Amendment provided. It is what Trump is trying to singlehandedly repeal. Federal judges, hearing these cases, have expressed shock and awe that Trump would try to do this by executive order. So much for the oath to uphold the Constitution. A new exception for the 14th Amendment, or any other amendment or provision he doesn’t like. As of last Friday, members of Congress were still waiting for their brie ng on the war against Iran, which began the preceding Saturday. So much for the war powers provision of the Constitution.
Never have we seen an administration so forthright about its willingness to out the law, disobey court orders, misinform the courts about what the administration is doing and is not doing. It has been repeatedly, but not universally, rebuked by courageous federal courts who are holding the line against most of the worst abuses of power. This is the rst administration whose leaders, up to and including the White House, openly speculate about not following the decisions of the Supreme Court. For Stephen Miller, who reportedly has the president’s ear, it’s not even a question. JD. Vance answered it years ago when he said, referencing Andrew Jackson, that when the courts stop the executive, the president should “stand before the country ... and say: ‘The chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it.’”
The federal courts today need the support of the Supreme Court. It is no time to cut o their wings.
The Supreme Court announced that its decision would not take e ect for 30 days. More lawsuits to come.
Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.
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 op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.
Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com
In recent years, a rmative action generally impacted white and Asian students negatively while positively impacting black and Hispanic students. The end of a rmative action in schools has appeared to even the playing eld, with merit now playing a more signi cant factor in determining a student’s admittance. That can be seen in the data of students now enrolled in these schools.
After the court’s ruling, UNC saw a dip in the percentage of black and Hispanic students, but the percentage of Asian students increased. Harvard saw a decrease in the percentage of black students but an increase for Hispanic students. The percentage of Asian students at Harvard stayed the same.
At Columbia, the percentage of Asian students jumped from 30% to 39% within a year, while the percentage of black students dropped from 20% to 12%. This is a common trend among elite universities.
Seeing the percentage of black and Hispanic students decrease is nothing to celebrate. The goal should be to see all students thrive regardless of skin color. However, until we solve the separate problem of why black and Hispanic students struggle more than their peers, seeing merit as a core focus again in admissions is a positive shift.
There is an understandable concern that universities will attempt to bypass the Supreme Court’s ruling to a certain extent. University leadership is open about attempting this.
Schools are trying other means to indirectly use a rmative action to admit students.
While Yale leadership did administer changes to the university’s admissions process, the school is still promoting a “culture of diversity and inclusivity” by expanding outreach plans and creating new talent pipelines. Brown University also intends to indirectly implement a rmative action through “pathway programs, targeted outreach, and pipeline programs.” This is happening at other universities as well.
President Donald Trump and his administration will need to work to ensure that universities follow the Supreme Court’s ruling and additionally make sure they drop all initiatives that promote student admissions based on race. In fact, the Department of Education sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to schools in February demanding exactly that. With an administration in charge that values merit, America’s universities are well advised to follow the law.
The Supreme Court’s decision to end race-based admissions in schools in 2023 is already having a positive impact by ensuring institutions of higher learning prioritize meritocracy above immutable characteristics. The era of schools judging potential students by the color of their skin is thankfully coming to an end.
While there is still a lot of work to accomplish to ensure that all students who want to attend the nation’s elite universities are on par academically with their peers, ending a rmative action is the rst step in achieving true equality for all.
Casey Ryan is a writer and investigative reporter at Defending Education and a contributor to Daily Caller News Foundation.
obituaries
IN MEMORY
LENORE ELIZABETH ZIMMERMAN BRYDEN
SEPT. 21, 1961 – JUNE 16, 2025
Lenore Elizabeth Zimmerman Bryden, 63, of Siler City, went to her Heavenly home on Monday, June 16th, 2025, at her home.
Lenore was born on September 21st, 1961, in Union County, New Jersey to Gene Zimmerman and Diane Gatlin. She is preceded in death by her former husband, John Bryden, and her father, Gene Zimmerman.
Lenore graduated in 1979 from West Morris Central High School. She was a machinist at Caterpillar in Sanford, NC. She has also done retail management for WalMart. She loved going to the beach and watching the dolphins. She never met a stranger. Lenore was very crafty and loved making things. Besides her children and family, she loved her cats. She was a very spiritual person.
Left to cherish her memory is her mother, Diane Gatlin; her stepfather, Jay Gatlin; her three daughters, Laina Peck-Bostwick, Christina Jenrette, and Julie Bilello; her son, Tyler Bryden; her six grandchildren; her brother, Gary Zimmerman; and her stepsiblings, Wendy, Kelli, and Brian Gatlin.
CATHY SUE MOON HENSLEY
SEPT. 3, 1959 – JUNE 23, 2025
Cathy Sue Moon Hensley, age 65, of Sanford, passed away on Monday, June 23, 2025 at Sanford Health and Rehabilitation.
She was born in Chatham County on September 3, 1959 to the late Joe L. Moon and Ollie Inez Welch Moon. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by brother Joey Moon and sister Marie Moon. Cathy worked 13 years at Ron’s Barn where customers became like family. She also worked at Carolina Pet Grooming. She enjoyed crocheting and making quilts for the homeless. She loved all her cats deeply, but none more than her beloved “Babyboy,” who held a special place in her heart. Cathy is survived and loved by many cousins and friends who will miss her dearly, especially her long time co-worker and friend, Christine Tolman and her fellow resident, Gordon, at Sanford Health and Rehabilitation.
James Stuart “Jimmy” Vann
June 8, 1932 –June 26, 2025
James Stuart “Jimmy” Vann, 93, of Siler City, went to his Heavenly Home Thursday, June 26th, 2025, at Parkview Health and Rehabilitation Center in Chapel Hill, surrounded by family.
Jimmy was born in Chatham County on June 8th, 1932, to the late Robert White and
Roy Clayton Foushee
Aug. 19, 1944 –June 26, 2025
Roy Clayton Foushee, 80, of Gulf, went to his Heavenly Home on Thursday, June 26th, 2025, at home surrounded by family.
Roy was born on August 19th, 1944, in Chatham County, to the late William Thomas and Viola Jones Foushee. He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Martha Ann Gaines Foushee; his son, Harold C. Foushee; and his brother, John Robert Foushee.
Roy was retired after
Wayne Paul Powers
Aug.3, 1946 – June 26, 2025
Wayne Paul Powers, 78, of Siler City, NC, passed Thursday, June 26, 2025 at his home in Silk Hope. Mr. Powers was born in Chatham County on August 3, 1946, the son of Benjamin Paul and Annabel Teague Powers. Wayne was a 1964 graduate from Silk Hope High School and he attended the University
Virgie Raye Dowdy Vann. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Ellen Dry Vann; his brothers, R. Rawdon Vann and Barclay Vann; his sisters, Dorothy Vann Collins, Peggy Vann Reid, and an infant sister; and his twin infant granddaughters, Grayson and Katelyn Vann. Jimmy was a 1951 graduate of Siler City High School and then served in the United States Navy in 1952 where he served in the Korean Con ict aboard USS Hanson. After his military career, he opened his own insurance agency, James S. Vann Insurance in Siler City in 1965, which was formerly Nell Lane Insurance Agency, from which he retired. Jimmy was a member of First Baptist Church and the Rachel Allred Sunday School class. Jimmy was a former member of the Siler City Country Club and the Siler City Moose Lodge. He loved working in his yard and just being outside and enjoyed spending time
having worked at the following companies, Pomona Pipe as a forklift driver, Cougar Trucking as a mechanic, and nally at Structural Woods Preserving of Coleridge as maintenance in the wood preserving industry. He enjoyed going shing and talking on the phone. Roy loved wearing a hat. He was a joker. He loved to make people laugh. Roy loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He loved having cookouts and family gatherings. Cooking Sunday dinner for his family was very special to him. Roy also loved watching the hummingbirds. Left to cherish his memory are his four daughters, Lori Ann Stack and her husband, Tommy of Sanford, Martha Jean Woody of Broadway, Jeanette Christine Foushee (of the home), and Annette Keyser and her husband, Arvil of Broadway; his grandchildren, Ginger Sparks and her husband, Gavin Sockel-Cummings of Sanford, Holly Stack, Ashley Hardin, and her husband, Jason, Barbara Jean Woody, William Woody and his wife, Nicole, Skylar Keyser, Leia Keyser, Christopher Foushee, Eli
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
For 30+ years, he was an OTR ( Over The Road) long distance truck driver who loved driving coast to coast.
Wayne loved spending time with his family, grandkids and his cats. He enjoyed taking cruises, listening and dancing to bluegrass music, attending sporting events, especially hockey and baseball games. His favorite teams were the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes. Wayne was a member of Loves Creek Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents. Wayne is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Judge and Brandi Gilbert (Eric); son, Tim Burns ( Danyce); grandchildren, Christopher Judge, Caroline Burns, Jessica Seney, Caer Burns, Michael Seney, Jackson Gilbert, Lindsay Gilbert and Emme Gilbert; his sister, Elaine Powers Partin (Ben); nieces, Melissa “Hey Baby” Wright,
We offer an on-site crematory with many options of Celebration of Life services, Traditional, and Green Burials. Call us to set an appointment to come by and learn more.
with granddaughter. Left to cherish his memory are his sons, Mitchell S. Vann and his wife, Kristen of Siler City, and Derrick Vann of Washington, DC; his granddaughter, Karsyn Vann of Siler City; his brother, Dennis R. Vann and his wife, Linda of Valrico, FL; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church on Monday, June 30th, 2025, at 11 AM. A visitation will be held an hour before service from 10 – 10:45 AM and other times at the home of his son, Mitchell S. Vann. A private burial will follow. Services will be o ciated by Reverend Jim Wall and Dr. Allen Admire. In lieu of owers, memorials can be made to the First Baptist Church, 314 N. 2nd Ave., Siler City, NC 27344. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Vann family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
Foushee, and Olivia Foushee; his great grandchildren, Max Hardin, Daisey Baker, Gerald Blackmon, Jr., Bentley Blackmon, Aubrey Woody, and Ella Woody; his sister, Mary F. Gunter of Goldston; his brother, William T. “Buddy” Foushee of Bear Creek; and his brother-in-law, Dennis Gaines of Goldston. Funeral services will be Tuesday, July 1st, 2025, at 10 am, at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be held Monday, June 30th, 2025, from 6 –8 pm, at Smith & Buckner Chapel. Burial will follow the service Tuesday at Gaines Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, 3956 Bonlee Carbonton Rd, Goldston, NC 27252. Services will be o ciated by Pastor Mike Garner. Memorials can be made in Roy’s name to Gaines Grove Cemetery, c/o Lucy GainesEmerson, 137 Oren Gaines Rd., Goldston, NC 27252. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Foushee family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
Anna Ruth Crouse, and Aimee Garner; and nephews, John Partin and Jason Parish.
The family wishes to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to Wayne’s caregivers, Edward “Buck” Wiley, Sandra Bonilla and Blondene Dalton. They have been phenomenal.
The funeral will be held 1:00 PM, Tuesday,July 1, 2025 at Loves Creek Baptist Church, 1745 East 11th Street, Siler City, with Rev. Pat Teague and Rev. Kenny Black o ciating the service. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall following the burial. Memorials may be made to CARE: Chatham Animal Rescue and Education - PO Box 610, Pittsboro, NC 27312 or https:// www.chathamanimalrescue. org/ Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Online condolences may be made at. www.smithbucknerfh. com
Debbie Horton
Arnaldo Pomodoro, whose bronze spheres decorate prominent public spaces around world, dead at 98
His shiny, smooth bronze globes are instantly recognizable
By Nicole Win eld The Associated Press
ROME — Arnaldo Pomodoro, one of Italy’s most prominent contemporary artists whose bronze spheres decorate iconic public spaces from the Vatican to the United Nations, has died at age 98, his foundation said.
Pomodoro died at home in Milan last Sunday, the eve of his 99th birthday, according to a statement from Carlotta Montebello, director general of the Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation.
Pomodoro’s massive spheres are instantly recognizable: shiny, smooth bronze globes with clawed out interiors that Pomodoro has said referred to the super cial perfection of exteriors and the troubled complexity of interiors.
In a note of condolences, Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said Pomodoro’s “wounded” spheres “speak to us today of the fragility and complexity of the human and the world.”
The Vatican’s sphere, which occupies a central place in the Pigna Courtyard of the Vatican Museums, features an in-
POWELL from page A1
When NBA commissioner Adam Silver called his name, the house erupted. Powell said his ears were ringing from the cheers, and his dad ran around the house in excitement.
“It’s been such a long, long journey to get to this point,” Dedric Powell said. “He expressed interests like when he was small. Just to see him get to this point and ful l his dream is beyond words.”
Powell’s path to the pros was an all- Chatham County a air as he attended Woods Charter in his early years.
ternal mechanism that rotates with the wind. “In my work I see the cracks, the eroded parts, the destructive potential that emerges from our time of disillusionment,” the Vatican quoted Pomodoro as saying about its sphere.
The United Nations in New York received a 10 -foot, eight-inch diameter “Sphere Within Sphere” sculpture as a gift from Italy in 1996. The U.N. sphere has refers to the coming of the new millennium, the U.N. said: “a smooth exterior womb erupted by complex interior forms,” and “a promise for the rebirth of a less troubled and destructive world,” Pomodoro said of it. Other spheres are located at museums around the world and outside the Italian foreign ministry, which has the original work that Pomodoro created in 1966 for the Montreal Expo that began his monumental sculpture project.
Pomodoro was born in Montefeltro, Italy, on June 23, 1926. In addition to his spheres, he designed theatrical sets, land projects and machines. He had multiple retrospectives and taught at Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley and Mills College, according to his biography on the foundation website.
“The biggest (emotion) is just happiness.”
Drake Powell
About 15 minutes away from his home, Powell had the Northwood and Pittsboro community cheering him on during a draft party hosted by Northwood Athletics at Hops and Berry Taproom.
As a freshman at Northwood, he became an impact player immediately, helping the Chargers reach the 3A state title game. Through the next three seasons, Powell led Northwood to three straight trips to the fourth round of the playo s, including another state runner-up nish in 2023. By his senior season, Powell reached star status as he was ranked as one of the best players in the class of 2024, and he was named a McDonald’s All-American.
After averaging 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and leading UNC in plus/minus 10 times (three more times than any other Tar Heel) in his freshman campaign, Powell declared for the NBA Draft on April 23. He shined at the draft combine, nishing rst among all participants in the max vertical leap and standing vertical leap. Prior to the draft, Powell worked out for 11 teams.
“Brooklyn’s the best t for me with them being a young team trying to make a rebuild,” Powell said. “I just feel like it’s the right t, and I think we’ll do damage.” Powell will wear No. 4 for the Nets. He’ll join another Tar Heel in Sharpe. Powell will also join a large cohort of rookies as the Nets picked four other prospects in the rst round, including guard Egor Demin (BYU) with the eighth pick, guard Nolan Traoré (France) with the 19th pick, guard Ben Saraf (Israel) with the 26th pick and forward Danny Wolf (Michigan) with 27th pick. The new Nets will hit the court in the NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas on July 10, starting against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
“I’m not just attacking my rookie season by myself,” Powell said. “I have these guys along by my side.”
A crowd of all ages dressed in UNC Powell jerseys and Northwood gear kept their eyes on the big screens as the picks rolled on. They roared in cheers every time Powell’s name came up on Jay Bilas’ best available prospect list.
But as soon as Silver called “Drake” at the podium, everyone’s hands went up in the air with some jumping up and down.
“That’s just nothing but love, really,” Powell said when he heard about the crowd’s reaction. “Just the community of Pittsboro coming together and supporting me in a big way, that just means a lot.”
Matt Brown, Powell’s high school coach, had to leave the draft party early, but he brought the crowd’s energy to his home.
“I had my phone out the whole time, recording it just in case,” Brown said. “But when he got picked, we all went crazy. Screamed, yelled. So happy for him. Gave him a call that evening. He was so happy, so giddy. Just told him how proud I am of him and how great he’s going to do in Brooklyn.”
Powell reciprocated the love the morning after the draft, stopping by Brown, former coaches, community members and a sea of campers at Northwood’s youth basketball camp before heading o to New York later that day.
“It’s just the type of person he is,” Brown said. “To take the time after being drafted, leaving that afternoon, to come in and talk with the kids and take a picture with them, I think that meant a lot to those kids but also to the community.”
Said Brown, “When I rst met him, he was at that same camp my very rst year, and he was just a little lanky kid, and he was just tearing it up.”
For Brown, Powell and the Northwood community, the draft closed a full- circle journey of a local kid fullling his pro dreams — a path that started and ended in Pittsboro.
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NOTICE
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000284-180
ALL persons having claims against Barbara M. Perkin, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before October 1, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.
This the 3rd day of July, 2025.
MARTIN JACK PERKIN, Administrator
C/O Monroe, Wallace, Morden & Sherrill, PA 3225 Blue Ridge Road, Suite 117 Raleigh, NC 27612 July 3, 10, 17 and 24
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Louise Barrett Derr, deceased, of Pittsboro, Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to present such claims to Diane Adkins, Executor/Personal Representative of the estate, at P.O. Box 2651, Taos, NM, 87571, on or before September 13, 2025. All claims not presented within this time will be forever barred.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Nellie D. Tripp, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are hereby noti ed to present them to April Tripp Parker, Executrix of the Estate of Nellie D. Tripp, Estate File Number: 25E000251-180, on or before September 29, 2025, in care of the below address, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to Nellie D. Tripp, please make immediate payment. Publication dates: June 26. 2025, July 3, 2025, July 10, 2025, and July 17, 2025. This 26th day of June, 2025 April Tripp Parker, Executrix c/o Lisa K. Vira, Attorney at Law The Vira Law Firm, P.A. 205 West Main Street, Suite 207 Carrboro, NC 27510 919-918-8000 (telephone) 919-919-7887 (facsimile) info@vira-law.com
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Graham Camp Oldham, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before September 19, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This June 19, 2025. c/o Shea Maliszewski, Barringer Sasser, LLP, 111 Commonwealth Court, Suite 101, Cary, NC 27511.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Robert D. Shinney, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before September 12, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This June 12, 2025. c/o Shea Maliszewski, Barringer Sasser, LLP, 111 Commonwealth Court, Suite 101, Cary, NC 27511.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
25E000289-180 NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Lori Delbridge, having quali ed as Limited Personal Representative of the Estate of Barbara Ann Headen, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of September 10, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 12th day of June, 2025. Lori Delbridge Limited personal Representative
Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY
NOTICE
HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Norva Marie Fisher late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 12th day of June, 2025. Mary Lois Oldham, Executor of the Estate of Norva Marie Fisher 1450 Reno Sharpe Store 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 TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Judith J. Milikofsky aka Judith June Milikofsky, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ces of Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC, 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, on or before the 12th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 12th day of June, 2025. DENA ROBIN SPECTOR, EXECUTOR ESTATE OF JUDITH J. MILIKOFSKY AKA JUDITH JUNE MILIKOFSKY
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons having claims against Rolf Peter Lynton of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present them to Rebecca Nandani Lynton, Executor of the Estate of Rolf Lynton, at NextGen Estate Solutions, 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 or before September 26, 2025. Failure to present a claim in timely fashion will result in this Notice being pleaded in bar of recovery against the estate, the Executor, and the devisees of Rolf Peter Lynton. Those indebted to Rolf Lyton are asked to make prompt payment to the Estate. This the 26th day of June, 2025. Rebecca Lynton, Executor C/O Brittany N. Porter, Attorney NextGen Estate Solutions 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
25E000315-180
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Loretta Bernice Chegash, also known as Loretta B. Chegash and Loretta Chegash, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Daniel E. Chegash Sr. as Executor of the Estate of Loretta Bernice Chegash on or before September 22, 2025, c/o Thomas J. Neagle, Attorney at Law, 605 W. Main Street, Suite 104, Carrboro, North Carolina 27510, or this notice will be pled in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 19th day of June, 2025. Daniel E. Chegash Sr., Executor c/o Thomas J. Neagle, Attorney 605 W. Main Street, Suite 104 Carrboro, North Carolina 27510 Attorney for Estate: Thomas J. Neagle Neagle Law Firm, PC 605 W. Main Street, Suite 104 Carrboro, North Carolina 27510 (919) 368-3536 For Publication: June 19, 26, July 3, 10, 2025
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC
On Monday, July 14, 2025, at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold the following public hearings in person at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West, Pittsboro, NC: PB-25-242 - A legislative public hearing on a voluntary, contiguous annexation petition (A-2025-01) from Ransdell Farms, LLC. The applicant is requesting annexation of 33.528 acres at Old Graham Roadbetween Oakwood Drive and Brookstone Lane (Parcel ID 0006844). PB-25-175 CMUC-CZ - Lyle Estill (The Plant) has petitioned to have 16.83 acres of land, Parcels 62530, 82361, 82951 and 89681, currently zoned M-2 (Heavy Industrial) to be reclassi ed as CMUC-CZ (Community Mixed-Use Conditional). The property, located on Lorax Lane, has been in use since 2005 as a manufacturing site and as an entertainment destination. The primary rationale for this conditional rezoning is to bring most of the existing uses into conforming status. Adaptive reuse of one of the primary structures to create an indoor event space is also a key motivation of this proposal. 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 July 14, 2025 with written comments or to sign up to speak at the hearing. You can contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (984) 282-6647, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312. # E N D # (do not print the below information) Chatham News & Record: ADVERTISE TWICE – 7/03 & 7/10/2025 PLEASE SEND (1) THE ORIGINAL PUBLICATION AFFIDAVIT TO THE TOWN CLERK AT PO BOX 759, PITTSBORO, NC 27312 AND (2) THE DIGITAL CERTIFICATION OF ADVERTISEMENT TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AT RCAHOON-TINGLE@PITTSBORONC.GOV.
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE# 25E000303-180 The undersigned, CATHERINE A. HELMEKE, having quali ed on the 5th Day of JUNE, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of KERRY DEAN HELMEKE, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to her on or before the 12th Day of SEPTEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 12th DAY OF JUNE 2025.
CATHERINE A. HELMEKE, EXECUTOR 1302 Ventnor Pl Cary, NC 27519 Run dates: June 12, 19, 26, July 3p.
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY
HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Paul David Justice late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.
This the 12th day of June, 2025.
Vicky P. Justice, Executor of the Estate of Paul David Justice 1353 Siler City Glendon Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Probate #25E000174-180_____
All persons, rm and corporations having claims against Earl S. Settlemire, late of Chatham County, North Carolina are hereby noti ed to present them to Kendall H. Page, as Executor of the decedent’s estate in care of Kendall H. Page, Attorney, 210 N Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 on or before the 19th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the above-named Executor.
Kendall H. Page 210 N Columbia Street Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Bar # 14261 Notice to Run: 6/19/2025,6/26/2025, 7/03/2025 & 7/10/2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA Chatham COUNTY
25E000296-180 All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against William Lambert Jernigan, deceased, late of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 13th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 12th day of June 2025. Rachel Lee Jernigan, Executor c/o Hemphill Gelder, PC PO Box 97035 Raleigh, NC 27624-7035 Chatham News and Record June 12, 19, 26, 2025 and July 3, 2025
NOTICE
ALL PERSONS, rms, and corporations having claims against Donna Marie Spring Ring, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before October 3rd, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 3rd of July, 2025. Michelle Lynn Ring Romanowicz, Administrator of the Estate of Donna Marie Spring Ring, c/o Amanda Honea, Attorney, 1033 Wade Avenue, Suite 104, Raleigh, NC 27605.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000299-180 ALL persons having claims against Jacqueline O’Gorman, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Sep 26 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 26th day of June, 2025.
PATRICIA HURLMAN, Co-Executor
DENISE M NOWAK, Co-Executor
C/O Brown Estate Planning and Elder Law
P. O. Box 920 Graham, NC 27253 J26, 3, 10 and 17
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Suzanne Simmons Daily
All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Suzanne Simmons Daily, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Kathryn Daily as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before September 13th, 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 12th day of June, 2025. Kathryn Daily, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against James D. Seitzer a/k/a James Donald Seitzer, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 2nd of October, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 3rd day of July, 2025. Bruce F. Seitzer Jean S. Storrs c/o Hutson Law O ce, P.A. 3518 Westgate Drive, Suite 401 Durham, NC 27707 July 3, 10, 17, 24, 2025
NOTICE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS COUNTY OF CHATHAM THE UNDERSIGNED, having quali ed on the 22nd day of May 2025, as Executor
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 3RD DAY OF JULY 2025. JANET COOK FARRELL PO BOX 156 PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: Jy3,10,17,24p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000291-180 The undersigned, MATTHEW JOHNSON AND BELINDA C. MURRAY, having quali ed on the 2ND Day of JUNE, 2025 as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of RANDY LYNN JOHNSON, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 12TH 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 12TH DAY OF JUNE 2025. MATTHEW JOHNSON, CO-EXECUTOR 1104 BOWERS STORE RD. SILER CITY, NC 27344 BELINDA C. MURRAY, CO-EXECUTOR 95 NC HWY 22/42 BENNETT, NC 27208 Run dates: J12,19,26,Jy3p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#24E001582-180 The undersigned, BONNIE LYNN LEONARD, having quali ed on the 6th Day of NOVEMBER, 2024 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of OLLIE WALTER WRENN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 26th 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 26th DAY OF JUNE 2025. BONNIE LYNN LEONARD, EXECUTOR 637 SILVERBERRY PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: J26, Jy3,10,17p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#24E001437-180 The undersigned, PAMELA KITZMAN, having quali ed on the 10th Day of SEPTEMBER, 2024 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of ELIZABETH E. JOHNSON, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 26th 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 26th DAY OF JUNE 2025. PAMELA KITZMAN, EXECUTOR 1096 EPPS CLARK RD. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: J26, Jy3,10,17p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons having claims against Paul Franklin Stiller, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present them to Susan Morrow, Executor of the Estate of Paul Franklin Stiller, at NextGen Estate Solutions, 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 or before September 19 , 2025. Failure to present a claim in timely fashion will result in this Notice being pleaded in bar of recovery against the estate, the Personal Representative, and the devisees of Paul Stiller. Those indebted to Paul Stiller are asked to make prompt payment to the Estate. This the 19th day of June, 2025. Susan Morrow, Executor C/O Brittany N. Porter, Attorney NextGen Estate Solutions 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Federal task force nds Harvard failed to protect Jewish students
A report said the university was a “willful participant” in antisemitic harassment
By Collin Binkley
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s administration intensi ed its battle with Harvard University, formally nding the school tolerated antisemitism — a step that could jeopardize all of Harvard’s federal funding, including federal student aid.
In a letter sent to Harvard on Monday, a federal task force said its investigation had found the university was a “willful participant” in antisemitic harassment of Jewish students and faculty. The task force threatened to refer the case to the Justice Department for a civil rights investigation “as soon as possible,” unless Harvard comes into compliance.
The nding escalates the White House’s battle with Harvard, which has faced mounting sanctions after rejecting a list of federal demands calling for sweeping changes to campus governance, hiring and admissions. Already, the government has slashed more than $2.6 billion in research grants. But a civil rights violation could jeopardize Harvard’s eligibility to accept federal loans or grants for students to attend the university — a penalty often re-
ferred to as a “death sentence” in higher education.
“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal nancial resources and continue to a ect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” o cials said in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press and rst reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The Trump administration for months has accused Harvard of tolerating antisemitism on its campus, but a formal investigative nding gives the administration a channel to block more federal funding.
Trump personally has railed against Harvard, but on June 20 suggested a deal resolving the monthslong con ict could be coming soon. In a post on social media, Trump said Harvard has “acted extremely appropriately” during negotiations. He did not elaborate on the terms of a potential resolution.
Harvard has not commented on whether it is negotiating with the White House. On Monday, Harvard said it strongly disagrees with the government’s ndings and is committed to ghting bias.
“Antisemitism is a serious problem and no matter the context, it is unacceptable,” the university said in a statement. “Harvard has taken substantive, proactive steps to address the root causes of antisemitism in its community.”
Federal o cials made their case in a 57-page report detail-
ing an investigation by the civil rights o ce of the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is among several represented on a federal antisemitism task force.
The government’s investigation largely relied on a campus antisemitism study commissioned by Harvard and released in April. Federal o cials cited numerous details from that report, including accounts of Jewish students who said they were spit on and faced chants on campus including “Heil Hitler.”
It focuses heavily on last year’s protests over the Israel-Hamas war. In the letter to Harvard, federal o cials said the campus was “overrun by an impermissible, multiweek encampment” that left Jewish and Israeli students fearful and disrupted their studies. It accuses Harvard of imposing lax and inconsistent discipline against students who participated in the encampment, noting that none were suspended.
Harvard President Alan Garber has acknowledged problems with antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on campus, but he says Harvard has made strides to ght prejudice. He announced new initiatives in April upon release of the antisemitism study.
“Harvard cannot — and will not — abide bigotry,” Garber wrote at the time.
The Monday letter nds Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Such ndings have almost always been resolved through voluntary resolutions between schools and the federal government. The Trump administration has taken a much sharper edge than its predecessors, however.
It has been decades since an administration even attempted to strip a school or college of its federal funding over civil rights violations. Trump ocials are seeking that outcome in a Justice Department lawsuit against Maine over transgender athletes, and it’s threatening the
same action in a similar investigation into California.
Trump o cials have barraged Harvard with sanctions after it became the rst university to defy White House demands addressing accusations of antisemitism and liberal bias. Along with research cuts, the administration has attempted to bar Harvard from hosting foreign students, and President Donald Trump has said the school should lose its tax- exempt status. Some of the actions have been blocked by courts after Harvard sued, accusing the government of illegal retaliation.
Harvard’s previous funding cuts were carried out under a provision allowing the government to end grants and contracts that no longer align with federal priorities. That strategy is believed to be unprecedented and is being challenged in court. But by invoking a civil rights violation, Harvard has an established path to further penalties.
International Space Station welcomes rst astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary
They arrived on a Dragon capsule from SpaceX
By Marcia Dunn
The Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
— The rst astronauts in more than 40 years from India, Poland and Hungary arrived at the International Space Station last Thursday, ferried there by SpaceX on a private ight.
The crew of four will spend two weeks at the orbiting lab, performing dozens of experiments. They launched last
Wednesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. America’s most experienced astronaut, Peggy Whitson, is the commander of the visiting crew. She works for Axiom Space, the Houston company that arranged the chartered ight. Besides Whitson, the crew includes India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, a pilot in the Indian Air Force; Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer; and Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a radiation expert and one of the European Space Agency’s project astro -
nauts on temporary ight duty. No one has ever visited the International Space Station from those countries before. The time anyone rocketed into orbit from those countries was in the late 1970s and 1980s, traveling with the Soviets.
Speaking in both English and their native languages, the new arrivals shared hugs and handshakes with the space station’s seven full-time residents, celebrating with drink pouches sipped through straws. Six nations were represented: four from the U.S., three from Russia and one each from Japan,
India, Poland and Hungary.
“We have so many countries at the same time on the space station,” Kapu said, adding that seven of the 11 astronauts are rst-time space iers “which also tells me how much space is expanding.”
Added Uznanski-Wisniewski: “We will all try to do the best representing our countries.” Shukla rated the experience so far as “fantastic ... wonderful.”
The space station’s commander, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, said he was happy to nally see their smiling faces after “waiting for you guys so long.”
Whitson also made note of the lengthy delay and pre ight quarantine.
To stay healthy, the four newcomers went into quarantine on May 25, stuck in it as their launch kept getting delayed. The latest postponement was for space station leak monitoring, NASA wanted to make sure everything was safe following repairs to a longtime leak on the Russian side of the outpost.
It’s the fourth Axiom- sponsored ight to the space station since 2022. The company is one of several that are developing their own space stations due to launch in the coming years. NASA plans to abandon the International Space Station in 2030 after more than three decades of operation, and is encouraging private ventures to replace it.
CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO
Students walk through Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April 2022.
COURTESY NASA
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew from Axiom Space approaches the International Space Station on Thursday as both spacecraft were orbiting 263 miles above the coast of southern Madagascar.
CHATHAM SPORTS
Jarin Stevenson visits campers at his alma mater
The former Hawk returned to Seaforth and spoke to the youth
By Asheebo Rojas
Chatham News & Record
Aiden Allred, pictured last summer with the Sandhills Bogeys, made the ONSL
Allred competes in ONSL All-Star Game
The rst-time all-star started for the West Region team
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
CHATHAM COUN-
TY’S Aidan Allred played in the Old North State League All- Star Game Saturday at Jack Amyette Park in Jacksonville Saturday. Allred, a member of the Randolph Ropin’ Roosters, was named an ONSL all-star for the rst time and started at shortstop for the West Region team. The East Region team won the game 9-3 after outscor-
ing the West 5-0 in the nal four innings. Allred went 2 for 5 from the plate and scored a run. With the West down 4-1 in the top of the fth inning, Allred started a three-hit streak with a single to right eld. Cutter Womack of the Hendersonville Honeycrisps doubled in the next atbat to bring Allred home, and Markus Kirksey of the Lexington Flying Pigs then followed with his own double to score Womack and bring the East within one run. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Allred singled on a y ball to center eld. The former Chatham Charter standout is having a solid
summer, boasting a .400 batting average that leads all Randolph batters with at least two at-bats as of Sunday. Amongst those same batters, Allred has recorded the third-best OPS (.842), second-best slugging percentage (.467) and is tied for the team’s most hits (6) through 12 games. Allred was the Ropin’ Roosters’ only all-star this season. Randolph is 4-8 this season after winning two of its last four games. After appearing in 12 games during his freshman year at Brunswick Community College this spring, Allred committed to William Peace to continue his collegiate baseball career. Prior to college, Allred was a two-time Central Tar Heel 1A conference player of the year during his four seasons with the Knights. As a senior, he recorded a .612 batting average with 52 hits, 46 RBIs and seven home runs.
With what he accomplished at the high school and college level, many of the kids may have already put a face to the name. But instead of just looking up at his name on the wall, campers on June 25 got to look up at the man himself.
The former Seaforth basketball star returned to his alma mater to spend time with
PITTSBORO — As the kids at Seaforth’s summer boys’ basketball camp worked on their skills, Jarin Stevenson’s 2022-23 Gatorade Player of the Year banner hung above them.
the campers, sharing his experience as a successful basketball player, signing autographs and taking photos with the young athletes.
“I love to inspire other people,” Stevenson said. “I try to help people become successful, and hopefully I can inspire other kids, and they can do well.”
Willard’s big night pushes Randolph County over Chatham
The Post 45 shortstop homered on the game’s rst pitch
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
SILER CITY — Randolph County Post 45 shortstop Ethan Willard smashed the rst pitch of the game over the left eld fence, setting the tone for a 5-3 road win over Chatham County Post 305 on June 26.
“He got a fastball up and got it up in the air,” Post 45 coach Ronnie Pugh said. “It was also hit to the shortest part of the park, too, so that helped. That was a good start for us.”
Willard went 3 for 4 at the plate (single, double and home run) with team highs of three RBIs and two runs.
“He’s
Randolph pitcher Sean Jennison earned the win on the mound with his own stellar performance. He gave up zero earned runs, threw three strikeouts and walked three batters while allowing four hits in six innings. Jennison allowed two hits in the rst four innings.
“His last two outings have been good, but this one was by far the best he’s had this year,” Pugh said. “He stayed in the strike zone, kept his pitch count down and did the things he needed to do.”
a leader on our team.”
Ronnie Pugh
He also made a double play in the bottom of the fourth inning, sending Chatham back to the dugout with its fourth straight 1-2-3 batting turn.
“He’s a leader on our team,” Pugh said about Willard. “He does a lot of little things, and as you witnessed, he runs exceptionally well. He’s real aggressive, and he keeps the defense back on their heels.”
Following Willard’s rst-inning bomb, Chatham pitcher Anthony Lopossay quickly settled into the game as he got out of the inning without any more damage. Lopossay nished the game with 11 strikeouts, but he and the Post 305 defense struggled to close the two-out situations.
In three straight innings, Randolph collected runs while facing two outs. After back-to-back strikeouts by Lopossay in the top of the second, four straight batters reached a base by a walk or single. With bases loaded, Willard, the fourth batter in the
POST 45, page B5
See STEVENSON, page B5
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Jarin Stevenson poses with campers and coaches at the Seaforth boys’ basketball camp.
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Jarin Stevenson speaks to campers at the Seaforth boys’ basketball camp.
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
All-Star team this year.
Emma Burke
Chatham County Post 292 18U Heroes League
Chatham County Post 292’s Emma Burke earns athlete of the week honors for the week of June 23.
In Post 292’s 15-0 win over North Wake on June 23, Burke went 2 for 3 at the plate and recorded four RBIs and two runs. With her team up 5-0 in the top of the second inning, Burke tripled on a line drive to center eld, bringing Marcy Clark, Avery Kiger and Abigail Johnson home. She later doubled in the fourth inning and scored Chatham County’s 13th run on a single by Taylor Hussey.
Burke recently earned her third all-district selection from her senior year at Chatham Central. She will attend Clemson to study communications.
Local softball players earn NCSCA all-district honors
Kaczmarczyk is the District 5 1A Pitcher of the Year
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
THE NORTH Carolina Softball Coaches Association announced the 2025 all-district teams last week.
Multiple local players earned all-district honors for District 5. Here are the county’s all-district selections and what they accomplished this past season.
1A
Maddie Kaczmarczyk (Chatham Central, 1A Pitcher of the Year)
Sophomore Maddie Kaczmarczyk was named the District 5 1A Pitcher of the Year as she earned all-district honors for the second straight season. Kaczmarczyk nished the season with a 13-1 record, achieving a 2.45 ERA and striking out 153 batters.
Emma Burke (Chatham Central)
Senior third baseman Emma Burke earned her third straight all-district selection. Burke
logged career-highs in hits (25), RBIs (27), runs (27), OPS (1.105) and doubles (nine) with a .397 batting average.
Addison Goldston (Chatham Central)
Freshman shortstop Addison Goldston stepped into a big role for the Bears this spring. Goldston led the Bears in batting average (.529), on-base percentage (.581) and home runs (three).
Sallie Oldham (Chatham Central)
Junior out elder Sallie Oldham earned her second consecutive all-district selection after leading Chatham Central with 25 stolen bases. She batted a .457 average with 32 hits, 24 RBIs, two home runs and a 1.381 OPS.
2A
Lilli Hicks (Jordan-Matthews)
Junior pitcher Lilli Hicks earned all-district honors for the second straight year. The standout pitcher had an exceptional season in the circle with two no-hitters, and she was one of the Jets’ best hitters.
Cami Brinkley (Seaforth)
Junior outfielder Cami Brinkley earned her first all-district selection. Brinkley recorded 21 hits, 16 RBIs, two doubles and a home run with a .328 batting average.
Emma Grace Hill (Seaforth)
Sophomore pitcher Emma Grace Hill earned her second all-district selection. Hill was dominant in the circle, achieving a 12-3 record and a 2.49 ERA. She recorded 163 strikeouts and four run-rule no-hitters. At the plate, Hill batted a .448 average with 30 hits, 21 RBIs, two home runs and an OPS of 1.304.
Annika Johansson (Seaforth)
Sophomore shortstop Annika Johansson earned all-district honors for the second time. Johansson led the Hawks in batting average (.485), on-base percentage (.550), runs (33), hits (33), RBIs (26), doubles (11) and slugging percentage (.868). She also hit three home runs and achieved an OPS of 1.418 this spring.
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Maddie Kaczmarczyk throws a pitch against Seaforth during the 2025 season.
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku is congratulated after scoring his team’s second goal during the Club World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Charlotte.
CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO
Nkunku’s extra-time goal sparks Chelsea to win in Club World Cup
turned, Chelsea was called for a handball in stoppage time when the ball hit Malo Gusto’s hand.
Angel Di Maria converted the penalty to even the match.
By Steve Reed The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE — Christo -
pher Nkunku scored o a rebound in extra time and Chelsea went on to beat Ben ca 4-1 in a Club World Cup Round of 16 match Saturday at Bank of America Stadium that was delayed for two hours due to lightning and took nearly ve hours to complete. Chelsea advances to play Palmeiras in the quarterfinals Friday in Philadelphia. Palmeiras beat Botafogo 1-0 on Saturday.
Nkunku’s tiebreaking goal came in the 108th minute with Ben ca playing a man down after Gianluca Prestianni received a red card. Moisés Caicedo’s left-footed shot from the left side of the box was saved in the center of the goal by Anatolii Trubin, but an alert Nkunku was there to bury the de ection into the top right corner before being mobbed by teammates.
Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added insurance goals in extra time for the nal margin.
Reece James scored on a free kick in the 64th minute to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
But with four minutes left, the match was stopped because of lightning and delayed for two hours. When the teams re-
After dominating most of the rst half, the English club nally broke through when the 25-year-old James laced a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
The Portuguese side had a chance to tie it in the 78th minute, but Gianluca Prestianni sent a right-footed shot from the right side of the box just left of the goal. Prestianni held his head in his hands in agony after the miss.
In the closing minutes, players were pulled o the eld and fans told to seek cover due to lightning strikes in the area, although it did not rain at the stadium.
Only a few thousand fans returned for the conclusion.
Chelsea entered with a 3-0 record against Ben ca and controlled the tempo in the rst half with a 5-1 edge in shots on goal. But despite possessing the ball more than 60% of the time, the Blues headed to locker room at halftime in a scoreless tie.
The match was not well attended.
More than half of the lower bowl of 75,000-seat Bank of America Stadium was empty and all but a few hundred seats in the upper deck were remained unclaimed as the event continues to struggle with ticket sales in the United States
even as it moved into the knockout round.
Key moment
James’ goal gave Chelsea momentum after it failed to convert some decent looks in the rst half.
Takeaways
Ben ca seemed content to play defense most of the match and try to take advantage of its few chances. But the o ense could not capitalize on the opportunities it generated.
Noteworthy
It was the rst two Round-of-16 knockout games at the home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Inter Milan meets Fluminense on Monday, with the winner facing either Bayern Munich or Flamengo in the quarternals.
What they said
“For 85 minutes we were in control. After the break, the match changed. It’s not the same game. You suspend a game (for two hours), to me that’s not football. I struggle to understand it. ... We have been here two weeks and they have suspended six or seven games, so something is not working here.” — Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca.
“In the rst half our objective was to come forward although we were facing a very tough side.” — Ben ca coach Bruno Lage.
Northwood boys continue to build depth at NC Live Team Camp
The Chargers test themselves against sti competition before next winter
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
BERMUDA RUN — The Northwood boys’ basketball team put itself to some more early tests over the weekend. The Chargers played six games at the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Live Team Camp at RISE Indoor Sports in Bermuda Run from Friday to Sunday. Northwood went 3-3 at the camp. The Chargers started strong with a 72-59 win over Cave Spring (Virginia) and a 65-46 win over Watauga Friday. They split Saturday’s games, falling to West eld (Virginia) 72-42 and beating Lake Taylor (Virginia) 53-38.
On the nal day, Northwood dropped both games with a 63-34 loss to Independence and a 64-56 loss to Chambers.
In the win over Cave Spring, junior guard Josiah Brown hit seven 3s and nished with 25 points. While running point in a fast-paced, constant-moving o ense, he showcased the ability to create his own shot with his shifty handle. Senior guard Cam Fowler got his on the inside, slashing his way to 21 points. Senior forward Chad Graves, who received his rst college o er from Dean College on Friday, poured in 13 points, and soph-
omore guard Grant Locklear added eight. Against Watauga, Northwood found itself down 22-21 after two quarters, but Fowler, who put on another 20-point performance, led a 26-11 run in the third quarter to boost the Chargers to victory.
Fowler scored from all levels of the court in the run, hitting three 3s and a reverse slam on an alley-oop pass from Brown.
As Northwood’s veterans, including quick and pesky guard Raje Torres, continue to ne tune the chemistry, some new faces, looking for bigger varsity roles next winter, are getting a lot of game experience this o season.
Locklear and junior guard
Asher Brooks played big minutes over the weekend as Locklear provides another scoring threat and Brooks looks to be a facilitator. Both are also solid defenders who’ve shown the ability to cause turnovers and nish in transition.
Junior forward Nivan Lauano and freshman Tolson O’Daniel also played at the Live Team Camp, providing another two-way post option alongside or behind Graves.
“We can play all 10 guys,” Northwood coach Matt Brown said. “We’re actually missing a couple of guys today. So we’re going to be really deep. They’re relentless on o ense and relentless on defense, and that’s kind of how we want to play this year. Get a little bit more fast-paced, play a lot of guys, score a lot of points.”
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD Matt Brown talks to his team during a game at the NC Live Camp.
The Blues advanced by beating Ben ca in the Round of 16
SIDELINE REPORT
NFL Tucker suspended 10 weeks for violating league’s personal conduct policy
New York
The NFL suspended former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for the rst 10 weeks next season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Tucker is eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 11. He is a free agent after the Ravens released him last month in the aftermath of reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. A ve-time
All-Pro, the 35-year-old Tucker has played his entire 13-year career with Baltimore and is considered one of the best kickers in NFL history.
NBA James formally opts in for a 23rd season, will make $52.6M in 2025 -26
Los Angeles LeBron James is exercising his $52.6 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers for 2025-26, further con rming that he will become the rst player in NBA history to play a 23rd season, breaking a tie with Vince Carter. James turns 41 in December. James, who recently returned to on- court workouts after taking several weeks to recover after spraining a knee ligament in the Lakers’ nal game of this past season’s playo s, said he expected to be ready for training camp.
NHL
NHL, NHLPA close to 4-year CBA extension that includes 84 -game season
New York
Two people familiar with negotiations tell The Associated Press the NHL and NHL Players’ Association are close to an agreement on a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement. They con rmed that going to an 84-game season from 82 is among the changes coming. The league and union have been in talks since April and are on the verge of a deal more than a year before the current CBA expires. Other changes include shortening the maximum length of contracts and adding a playo salary cap.
NCAA FOOTBALL
Harbaugh added to lawsuit about hacking allegations against former assistant
Detroit
NFL coach Jim Harbaugh has been added to a lawsuit against the University of Michigan and a former assistant football coach who is accused of hacking into the computer accounts of college athletes to look for intimate photos. Matt Weiss worked for then-Michigan coach Harbaugh in 2022. The lawsuit says Harbaugh and others knew Weiss was seen viewing private information on a computer. But he was allowed to stick around for a big playo game. Harbaugh is now with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer headline ’26 NBA Draft’s top lottery prospects
UNC and Duke freshmen, transfers and returning players are featured on the NBA prospects list
By Aaron Beard The Associated Press
THE NBA has had Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg as obvious No. 1 overall draft picks in recent years. AJ Dybantsa has been headed toward that status for 2026. The BYU signee has been a favorite to sit atop draft boards next summer and ranks as the nation’s top recruit by ESPN, On3 and Rivals. Kansas signee Darryn Peterson tops the list for 247Sports to make it a more open race for No. 1.
Here’s an early look next summer’s potential lottery prospects:
1. A.J. Dybantsa, BYU
The 6-foot-9 forward chose the Cougars over Kansas, UNC and Alabama. Athleticism and versatility shine through his rangy scoring skillset, notably when he attacks o the dribble and nishes at the rim.
2. Darryn Peterson, Kansas
The 6-5 guard from Ohio o ers perimeter size with ability to play on or o the ball. He was co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game.
3. Cameron Boozer, Duke The 6-9 forward joined twin Cayden in winning a high school national title and fourth straight Florida state title. The son of former Duke and NBA forward Carlos Boozer showed his inside-out game (22 points, 16 rebounds, six assists) leading the U.S. past the World team in the Nike Hoop Summit. He joined Peterson as the McDonald’s game co-MVP.
4. Nate Ament, Tennessee
The 6-9 forward is a McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade player of the year for Virginia.
5. Caleb Wilson, UNC
The 6-9 forward from Atlanta and McDonald’s All-American o ers two-way potential with his athleticism and length, including as a shot blocker. The McDonald’s
All-American announced his UNC commitment on TNT’s “Inside The NBA” show.
6. Chris Cenac Jr., Houston ESPN and 247Sports rank Cenac as the nation’s top center, o ering rangy skills and outside shooting that made him the MVP of the NBPA Top 100 camp in summer 2024.
7. Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers (Australia)
The versatile 6-8 wing from Mexico is part of the National Basketball League’s “Next Stars” program designed to develop high-end prospects.
8. Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky
The 6-9 forward was a top-10 recruit last year entering Arizona State. He later transferred to join the Wildcats.
9. Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville The 6-3 McDonald’s All-American is big signee
for Pat Kelsey, ranking as the No. 1 point guard prospect for Rivals.
10. Darius Acu Jr., Arkansas
The 6-2 Acu is the top point guard prospect for 247Sports (No. 5 overall) and ESPN (No. 7). The McDonald’s All-American operates smoothly in the pick-and-roll.
11. Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor ESPN’s ninth-ranked recruit o ers a sturdy frame (roughly 6-5 and 210 pounds) and versatile athleticism while being known for a high-motor style.
12. Dash Daniels, Melbourne United (Australia) The younger brother of Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels will play for the NBL’s “Next Stars” program.
13. Isaiah Evans, Duke The 6-6 guard withdrew from this year’s draft and must add strength to a 175-pound frame. But there’s clear upside with his explosive scoring potential,
such as hitting six rst-half 3s out of nowhere against Auburn in December.
14. Labaron Philon, Alabama
The 6-4 freshman point guard was a last-minute draft withdrawal.
Others to watch (in alphabetical order):
Alijah Arenas: The son of former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas is a McDonald’s All-American.
Miles Byrd: The 6-7 guard from San Diego State as a redshirt sophomore. Ian Jackson: The 6-4 guard averaged 11.9 points while shooting 39.5% from 3-point range at UNC as a ve-star freshman before transferring to St. John’s.
Yaxel Lendeborg: The 6-9, 240-pound forward has gone from junior college to UAB and now Michigan. Tahaad Pettiford: The 6-1 freshman averaged 11.6 points and shot 36.6% on 3s for Auburn.
Meleek Thomas: The 6-4 guard is a McDonald’s All-American who signed with Arkansas.
Lawson, always a basketball trailblazer, has legit chance to lead USA squad in LA
The Duke coach has already led the 3-on-3 team to gold but wants to coach 5-on-5
By Doug Feinberg
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.
— Kara Lawson has always been a basketball trailblazer and now the Duke women’s coach has a legit chance to lead USA to another gold medal.
She has already done it once.
Lawson guided the Americans to a 3-on-3 Olympic gold medal and could have the chance to lead the USA’s 5-on-5 squad at the Los Angeles Games in three years. First up is coaching the U.S. AmeriCup team playing in Chile.
Coaching is something she wanted to do since she was a young girl growing up in Virginia. She just didn’t know it would be for her country.
“I played for a long time, and, so I got into coaching a little bit later just because I had a long playing career, which is as a good excuse as any to get into coaching later,” Lawson said.
“So I was always drawn to it. I just didn’t know what my entry point was.”
Fast forward 37 years and she’s in charge of the group
ball team. Dawn Staley was the coach in 2020.
Lawson didn’t want to look at this opportunity as a tryout to be the 2028 Olympic coach or even next year’s World Cup which she is on the short list to coach. That decision will be made by Sue Bird, the national team managing director.
“In my experience in life, if you just keep that mindset of being in the moment, more opportunities tend to happen for you,” said Lawson, who helped the USA win gold in 2008, where she and Bird were teammates. “And if you’re so worried about where you t and who goes where, and am I next in line? I just never found that to to be productive and drives you crazy and it’s a waste of energy.
of college players heading to South America.
“I’m fortunate enough to be assigned something as important as America’s head coach, my goal is to do the best job possible,” Lawson said during a break as she prepared her team for the World Cup qualifying tournament.
The 44-year-old Lawson could become the second African American to lead the USA women’s Olympic basket-
“So I try to just lock in on like, ‘what do I need to do at this job to be really good?’ ” Now she’ll try and lead the team to another victory and the automatic berth to the World Cup next year in Germany.
“I think the mentality for every team is to win,” Lawson said. “Our group understands that we’re on the lower end of the experience totem pole entering this competition and that we’re going to face some very good teams. So the race is on for us to gain continuity, pick up our playbook as quickly as we
can and get on the same page.” She knows the pressure that comes with coaching a USA team. Anything less than a gold medal is considered a failure.
Lawson doesn’t let the lofty expectations create additional pressure on her.
DeLisha Milton-Jones was a teammate of Lawson’s on the 2007 AmeriCup team and now is coaching with her. She’s been impressed with what she’s seen so far from Lawson as a coach.
“She has a knack for the game,” Milton-Jones said. “Kara is well versed when it comes to the game. Started o at an early age going to games with her father. Going to college and being coached by one of the greatest ever to coach. Having experiences from NBA, WNBA, international side of things.”
In the AmeriCup, Lawson will be coaching some of the most talented players in women’s college basketball, including Flau’Jae Johnson (LSU), Olivia Miles (TCU) and Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame). Lawson has made quite an impression.
“The intensity she brings every day, you feel it like that’s a pro right there,” Johnson said. “Just learning from her I learned so much in these (few) days, it’s been amazing.”
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP PHOTO
Head coach Kara Lawson directs players during a USA Basketball women’s Americup Trials practice at the USA Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this month.
GREGORY PAYAN / AP PHOTO
Cameron Boozer directs teammates during a high school game at the Hoophall Classic in Spring eld, Massachusetts.
Home-state favorite Elliott wins Cup race in Atlanta
The Georgia native passed Brad Keselowski on the nal lap
By Charles Odum The Associated Press
HAMPTON, Ga. — Homestate favorite Chase Elliott passed Brad Keselowski on the nal lap and won the the crashlled NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta on Saturday night for his 20th career victory.
Elliott, the popular driver from Dawsonville, Georgia, earned a spot in the Cup Series playo s with his rst victory since April 2024 at Texas. It was his rst win in Atlanta since 2022.
“I’ve never in my whole life, this is unbelievable,” Elliott said.
“This is something I’ll remember the rest of my life.”
Keselowski was second, followed by Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet teammate, Alex Bowman, and Tyler Reddick. Bowman helped block Keselowski following Elliott’s lastlap pass.
“The 48 and 9 just got together,” Keselowski said, referring to Bowman and Elliott. “... At they end they were able to double-team me.”
Elliott climbed into the stands to celebrate with fans after ending a 44-race winless streak.
“I’m happy for the 9 team,” Bowman said. “It’s a big win for him in his hometown. ... I’m glad to have a Hendrick car in victory lane. I wish it was us.”
The race’s second crash early in Stage 2 took out many of
the sport’s biggest names and left others with damaged cars. Pole-winner Joey Logano, who led the rst 36 laps before light rain forced the rst caution, was among the many drivers caught up in the big crash.
Among others knocked out of the race: William Byron, Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain, Josh Berry, Corey LaJoie and Daniel Suarez.
“It wrecked the whole eld,” Logano said. “I still don’t know exactly how it started ... but it was total chaos. Cars were sideways and on the brakes. I got hit from every corner possible.”
Added Denny Hamlin, who su ered damage to his Toyota in the crash: “Some zigged. Some zagged. Most crashed.”
The Atlanta race at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known
as Atlanta Motor Speedway, was the debut of the 32-driver In-Season Challenge, a ve-race, bracket-style tournament.
The parade of highly regarded drivers to be knocked out so early in the race showed the perils of trying to pick NASCAR winners on a March Madness-style bracket sheet. The top two seeds were among the early casualties.
Hamlin, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, nished 31st and lost to Ty Dillon, who nished eighth.
Chase Briscoe, who held o Hamlin for his rst win for Joe Gibbs Racing last week at Pocono Raceway, was the No. 2 seed before being knocked out in a crash and losing to Noah Gragson in the tournament.
Bracket busters
Ryan Blaney, the race favorite according to BetMGM Sportsbook, was knocked out on a wreck late in the rst stage. Christopher Bell hit the wall, triggering the crash that ended the stage with Cindric in the lead.
Cindric was involved in the bigger crash early in Stage 2.
were among others involved in the crash.
A $1 million prize awaits the winner as part of a new media rights deal that includes TNT. Elliott and Keselowski were on the front row when a caution with 33 laps to go forced a decision on whether to pit for fresh tires. Both stayed on the track and Elliott faded following the restart until making his decisive charge at the very end.
In front of about 50 campers, Seaforth basketball coach John Berry asked Stevenson questions about being home, his work ethic and advice he’d give to the young players. Berry was the boys’ junior varsity basketball coach during Stevenson’s two seasons at Seaforth.
The kids got to ask questions as well, and one asked if Stevenson, wearing slides, could dunk for them.
Stevenson couldn’t ful l his request, but standing on the Seaforth court did bring back
POST 45 from page B1
streak, got a lucky bounce on a groundball to center eld and scored Jake Riddle and Grat Dalton for a 3-0 lead.
Facing two outs once again in the top of the third with Braxton Walker on rst due to an error, Jackson Hill doubled to send Walker home for a 4-0 advantage.
In the fourth inning, Lopossay started with two more strikeouts, but Willard singled and was batted home in the next at-bat by Caleb Coggins for a ve-run lead.
“We got another out,” Chatham coach Bryce Marsh said. “That’s the biggest message for it. Just because you got two outs doesn’t mean they’re go -
memories of when he threw down dunks in high school. In two seasons with the Hawks, Stevenson averaged 21.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. Standing at 6-foot-10, he was an all-around two-way threat who could do damage in the post and knock down 3s. He led Seaforth to two playo appearances in its rst two years of existence, including its rst conference title and rst playo win in 2023. With the accolades he collected and the unforgettable moments made in a Seaforth jersey, like scoring a career-high
ing to give up. Ronnie Pugh teaches his guys to be very aggressive throughout the whole game.”
Although hitting was a struggle for Post 305 on the offensive side, Chatham didn’t go down without a ght.
In the sixth inning, Eduardo Gutierrez, who came in as a courtesy runner for Jace Young on rst base, scored Chatham’s rst run on a single from Colin Dorney.
After holding Randolph to its rst 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth with two strikeouts, Chatham pitcher Daniel White continued his impressive relief performance with two more strikeouts and zero runs in the top of the seventh. He nished the game without
42 points against Jordan-Matthews in 2023, Stevenson most remembers the work he put in to take his game to the next level.
“Going out there, getting better, working on my handle as a big, I feel like it’s really important,” Stevenson said. “Working on my shot too, as a big. It really makes me versatile. And again, just going in the gym and getting stronger too.”
The work showed almost immediately during his freshman season at Alabama, where he played 16 minutes per game primarily o the bench and poured
giving up a hit, throwing 17 strikes in 32 pitches.
With one last chance for a tie or walk-o , Chatham’s Ian McMillan walked, and Zach Cartrette singled to get on base. Facing two outs after a line out by Jake Bowden, Young smashed a y ball to the left center eld fence, but it was dropped by the left elder and allowed McMillan and Cartrette to score.
The comeback attempt ended with a y out from Matt Murchison in the next at-bat. Randolph improved to 13-4 on the season with the win, and Chatham fell to 4-9.
The two teams will meet for the third time this season Thursday at 7 p.m. at McCrary Park in Asheboro.
in 5.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per night. In the 2024 NCAA Tournament, he scored a season-high 19 points ( ve made 3s) in an Elite Eight win over Clemson, helping the Crimson Tide reach their rst Final Four in program history.
As a sophomore, Stevenson started 22 games and contributed to Alabama’s second straight trip to the Elite Eight. He entered the transfer portal shortly after the end of the season and committed to the Tar Heels days later.
In an April interview with Inside Carolina, Stevenson
named being “closer to home” as a main reason for his decision to transfer to UNC.
Being back in Chapel Hill has allowed him to be around family again, whether it’s hanging out with former friends and teammates, like future Campbell runner Sebastian Calderon, or getting motivation from his parents and sister.
“My family, they’ve also pushed me to get better,” Stevenson said. “They helped push me to get in the gym, and even when I don’t feel like it, they help push. To see my family again, it’s an amazing thing.”
STEVENSON from page B1
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Randolph County’s Ethan Willard loads up before taking a swing against Chatham County on June 26.
Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace
BUTCH DILL / AP PHOTO
Driver Chase Elliott celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta.
Bassist Carol Kaye declining Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ‘permanently’
Her credits include major hits by the Beach Boys and the Monkees
By Andrew Dalton and Hillel Italie The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Carol Kaye, a proli c and revered bassist who played on thousands of songs in the 1960s, including hits by the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and Barbra Streisand, told The Associated Press last Friday that she wants no part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“I’ve declined the rrhof. Permanently,” the 90-year-old Kaye said in an email to the AP. She said she has sent a letter to the Hall saying the same thing.
Her remarks come two days after a Facebook post — since deleted — in which she said “NO I won’t be there. I am declining the RRHOF awards show.”
Kaye was set to be inducted in November in a class that also includes Joe Cocker, Chub -
BOOK REVIEW
“I’m turning it down because it wasn’t something that re ects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s Recording Hits.”
Carol Kaye
by Checker and Cyndi Lauper. She said in her deleted post that she was “turning it down because it wasn’t something that re ects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s Recording Hits.”
Kaye’s credits include the bass lines on Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound,” the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer.” Along with drummer Hal Blaine and guitarist Tommy Te-
desco, she was part of a core of heavily used studio musicians that Blaine later dubbed “The Wrecking Crew.”
Kaye hated the name and suggested in her Facebook post that her association with it was part of the reason for declining induction.
“I was never a ‘wrecker’ at all,” she wrote, “that’s a terrible insulting name.”
Kaye’s inductee page on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website makes no mention of the moniker.
Hall representatives had no immediate comment.
Many artists have been inducted in their absence or after their death, and in 2006 the Sex Pistols became Hall of Famers despite rejecting their induction.
In 2022, Dolly Parton initially declined her induction, saying someone more associated with rock ‘n’ roll should get the honor. But she was convinced to change her mind and embrace the honor.
Wally Lamb explores human cruelty, grace in prison with ‘The River is Waiting’
Oprah has picked three of the author’s novels for her book club
By Anita Snow The Associated Press
CORBY LEDBETTER is in trouble.
In Wally Lamb’s new novel, “The River Is Waiting,” Corby has lost his job as a commercial artist and has developed a secret addiction to alcohol and pills, setting him on a dangerous path that leads to an unfathomable tragedy.
Corby starts staying at home during the day with his twin toddlers — one boy and one girl — while his wife works as the family’s sole breadwinner. Lying to his spouse that he’s looking for a job, he starts his mornings drinking hard liquor mixed with his prescription pills for anxiety, leaving him incapable of properly caring for the children he loves.
A tragic mix up one morn-
ing results in the death of Corby’s young son when he accidentally drives over the boy in their driveway. Devastated by the loss of little Niko, Corby now also faces a three-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter.
“The River Is Waiting” is Lamb’s rst novel in nine years and a new chance to explore human imperfection as he did in earlier best-selling novels that included “She’s Come Undone,” about an obese adolescent girl awash in depression, and “I Know This Much Is True,” the story of a man ghting to protect his paranoid schizophrenic twin brother. Oprah Winfrey announced that she picked “The River Is Waiting” for her book club, the third time she’s selected a Lamb book.
Almost all the action in Lamb’s latest book plays out in prison, an ideal setting to examine the worst and best of humanity. The author taught writing workshops for incarcerated women over two decades, an experience that has helped him
to draw a vivid picture of life behind bars, with all its indignities and a few acts of grace. While Corby is tormented by two excessively cruel guards, he also befriends the prison librarian, who shares book recommendations and homemade cookies with inmates who stop by. She even encourages him to paint a mural on the library wall. Several other prisoners also become friends, including a kind cellmate who looks out for him. Corby later tries to look out for someone else — a severely troubled young inmate who shouldn’t have been locked up with hardened criminals. During his imprisonment, Corby worries about whether his beloved wife, Emily, and their daughter, Maisie, can ever forgive him. But the experience hasn’t left him especially enlightened.
At the end, Corby remains mostly a self-centered guy. He’s no hero and there’s no big epiphany. Like the protagonists in Lamb’s earlier novels, he is utterly human, failings and all.
this week in history
America declares independence, Fourteenth Amendment rati ed, The Doors’ Jim Morrison dies at 27
JULY 3
1775: Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1863: The pivotal threeday Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops failed to breach Union positions during an assault known as Pickett’s Charge. 1944: Soviet forces recaptured Minsk from the Germans during World War II.
1971: Singer Jim Morrison of The Doors died in Paris at age 27.
JULY 4
1776: The Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
1802: The United States Military Academy o cially opened at West Point, New York.
1817: Construction of the Erie Canal began in Rome, New York. 1826: Former presidents
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
1855: The rst edition of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” was published.
JULY 5
1687: Isaac Newton rst published his “Principia Mathematica,” outlining his mathematical principles of natural philosophy.
1811: Venezuela became the rst South American country to declare independence from Spain.
1852: Frederick Douglass delivered his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” in Rochester, New York.
1975: Arthur Ashe became the rst black man to win a Wimbledon singles title, defeating Jimmy Connors.
1996: Dolly the sheep, the rst mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell, was born in Scotland.
JULY 6
1933: The rst All-Star baseball game was played at Chicago’s Comiskey Park; the American League defeated the National League 4–2 behind winning pitcher Lefty Gomez of the New York Yankees.
1957: Althea Gibson became
the rst black tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title as she defeated fellow American Darlene Hard 6–3, 6–2.
JULY 7
1846: U.S. annexation of California was proclaimed at Monterey after the surrender of a Mexican garrison.
1948: Six female U.S. Navy reservists became the rst women to be sworn in to the regular Navy.
1981: President Ronald Reagan announced he was nominating Arizona Judge Sandra Day
O’Connor to become the rst female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
JULY 8
1776: Col. John Nixon gave the rst public reading of the Declaration of Independence, outside the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia.
1853: An expedition led by Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Edo Bay, Japan, on a mission to seek diplomatic and trade relations with the Japanese.
1889: The rst issue of The Wall Street Journal was published.
JULY 9
1868: The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was rati ed, granting citizenship and “equal protection under the laws” to anyone “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people.
1896: William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous “Cross of Gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
1918: A train collison killed 101 people in Nashville, Tennessee — the deadliest rail disaster in U.S. history.
Villeneuve to direct next Bond lm — here’s what to know
Who will play the next 007?
The Associated Press
IN THE 50-PLUS years of James Bond, the wait between lms has never gone longer than six years. The next entry, and rst since Daniel Craig’s dramatic exit, may test that — but things are speeding up. Last Wednesday, Amazon MGM Studio announced that Denis Villeneuve will direct the 26th Bond movie, putting the franchise in the hands of one of the most respected big-budget lmmakers.
From “Dune” to Bond Villeneuve, the 57-year - old French Canadian director, edged out other lmmakers who were reportedly eyed for the gig, including Edward Berger (“Conclave”) and Paul King (“Paddington 2”). Since emerging with 2010’s “Incendies,” Villeneuve has established himself as a steward of cinematic IP (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Dune”) and a specialist in dark, doom-laden spectacle (“Sicaro,” “Arrival”).
The culmination for Villeneuve has been the “Dune”
lms. His rst two entries have surpassed $1 billion in box ofce and gathered a combined 15 Academy Award nominations, winning seven. Villeneuve is expected to begin shooting the third “Dune” lm this summer, with a cast in-
solutions
cluding Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Zendaya and Javier Bardem.
“I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,” said Villeneuve. “I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to
“I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory.”
Villeneuve
Denis
come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor.”
What’s the timetable?
Amazon, which bought MGM Studios in 2022 for $8.5 billion, hasn’t set a release date yet or announced a screenwriter.
Producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are shepherding the movie for the rst time. In February, Amazon MGM Studios secured creative control of the franchise from Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, whose family has presided over Bond since the rst lm, 1962’s “Dr. No.”
The most likely timing would be production starting in 2026 and the lm being released sometime in 2027.
Who’s in the mix to play Bond next?
No new 007 has been named, but that hasn’t stopped rumors
and conjecture from running rampant.
It’s pure speculation, but oddsmakers have a few expected contenders for the martini-sipping role. Those include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Aaron Pierre, Henry Cavill, James Norton and Jack Lowden. Expectations are that the new Bond will remain male and British, but producers have said nothing publicly to tip their hand.
New corporate overloads with something to prove
Since Albert “Cubby” Broccoli obtained the movie rights to Ian Fleming’s books, James Bond has been a family business. That didn’t change after Amazon bought MGM, but it did earlier this year when Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli agreed to let the studio take creative control.
That hando stoked concern from many Bond fans that 007 would be picked apart for spino s, series and the kind of intellectual property strip mining Hollywood has been known for in other franchises like “Star Wars.” So far, though, Amazon MGM has made no announcement about any spino s and is prioritizing the 26th Bond movie.
MATT DUNHAM / AP PHOTO
Daniel Craig, the sixth actor to play James Bond, appears at the premiere of “No Time to Die” in London in 2021. His successor for the next Bond lm is still up in the air.
PAUL CLEMENTS / AP PHOTO
Dolly, the rst genetically cloned sheep, was born at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, on July 5, 1996.
*Must set up Auto Draft for 2nd Month. Offer valid through February 1st 2024.
famous birthdays this week
The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
JULY 3
Attorney Gloria Allred is 84. Actor Kurtwood Smith is 82. Country singer Johnny Lee is 79. Humorist Dave Barry is 78. Actor Betty Buckley is 78. Talk show host Montel Williams is 69. Actor Tom Cruise is 63.
JULY 4
Actor Eva Marie Saint is 101. Queen Sonja of Norway is 88. Actor Karolyn Grimes (“It’s a Wonderful Life”) is 84. Broadcast journalist Geraldo Rivera is 82.
JULY 5
Julie Nixon Eisenhower is 77. Rock star Huey Lewis is 75. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rich “Goose” Gossage is 74. NFL Hall of Fame receiver James Lofton is 69. Cartoonist Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) is 67. Actor Edie Falco is 62.
JULY 6
Singer Gene Chandler is 85. Actor Burt Ward (“Batman”) is 80. Actor Fred Dryer is 79. Actor Sylvester Stallone is 79. Actor Geo rey Rush is 74. Rapper-actor 50 Cent is 50.
JULY 7
Bandleader Doc Severinsen is 98. Drummer Ringo Starr is 85. . Actor Joe Spano is 79. Singer David Hodo (the construction worker) of The Village People is 78.
JULY 8
Drummer Jaimoe Johanson of The Allman Brothers is 81. Actor Je rey Tambor is 81. Children’s singer Ra is 77. Actor Anjelica Huston is 74. Actor Kevin Bacon is 67. Actor Billy Crudup is 57. Singer Beck is 55.
JULY 9
Singer Dee Dee Kenniebrew of The Crystals is 80. Author Dean Koontz is 80. Actor Chris Cooper is 74. John Tesh is 73. Singer Debbie Sledge of Sister Sledge is 71. Actor Jimmy Smits is 70. Actor Tom Hanks is 69. Musician Jack White is 50. Actor Fred Savage is 49.
ANDREW D. HURLEY VIA WIKIPEDIA
Debbie Sledge, center, of the band Sister Sledge turns 71 on Wednesday.
JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Tom Hanks arrives at the 15th Governors Awards in 2024. The actor turns 69 on Wednesday.
SCOTT GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Rapper 50 Cent, pictured performing in 2023, turns 50 on Sunday.
DANNY MOLOSHOK / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Eva Marie Saint, pictured in 2019, celebrates 101 on Friday.
the stream
Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners,’ ‘SharkFest,’
John Cena teams up with Idris Elba
Kesha drops “.” (pronounced “period”) on Fourth of July
The Associated Press
KESHA ENJOYING her freedom on her rst new album since she left her old label and Ryan Coogler’s guts-spilling vampire lm “Sinners,” are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time: Charlize Theron in “The Old Guard 2” on Net ix, National Geographic’s 25-hour “SharkFest” and John Cena playing a U.S. president opposite Idris Elba as the UK’s prime minister in the comedy “Heads of State.”
MOVIES TO STREAM
Coogler’s “Sinners,” arguably the movie of the year up to this point, begins streaming Friday on Max. With $363.8 million in worldwide ticket sales, Coogler’s supernatural thriller is one of the most successful original lms of the last two decades. It stars Michael B. Jordan as a pair of twins who return to their hometown to open a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi. Vampires, and other dark forces, intrude on their plans. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck wrote: “How Coogler pulls everything o at once — and makes it cohere, mostly — is a sight to see.”
The wait has been long for “The Old Guard 2” (Net ix), a sequel to Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2020 streaming hit starring Theron as a member of a team of centuries-old mercenaries. In “The Old Guard 2,” shot all the way back in 2022, Victoria Mahoney takes over as director, while Theron returns as Andy, a warrior who has now lost her immortality.
In “Heads of State” (now on Prime Video), Cena plays the president of the United States and Elba plays the prime minister of the United Kingdom. What could go wrong? In Ilya Naishuller’s comedy, the two
are hunted by the same adversary. Elba’s politician, a former commando, is better prepared
than Cena’s president, a former action movie star. A Zambian family funer-
al unearths a dark past and an anguished reckoning in Rungano Nyoni’s beguiling “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” (Max on Friday). Nyoni’s follow-up to the equally compelling “I Am Not a Witch,” AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote in her review, “cements the exciting arrival of a true lmmaker.”
MUSIC TO STREAM
Kesha is a free agent. On Independence Day, she’ll self-release “.” (pronounced “Period”), her rst new full-length album since her departure from RCA and the Dr. Luke-founded Kemosabe Records in 2023. That year, the pop star and the producer settled nearly a decade of suits and countersuits over her accusation that he drugged and raped her and his claim that she made it up and defamed him. Across the 11-track release, Kesha is clearly enjoying some newfound freedoms: “.” is a stu ed with throwback, ebullient pop, like the sultry “JOYRIDE.,” the country-and-
western-themed “YIPPEE-KIYAY.” and the bighearted power ballad “DELUSIONAL.”
SERIES TO STREAM
After a successful season 2, the cast of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” gather for their rst reunion episode on Hulu. #MomTok has a lot to hash out including in delity rumors and accusations of clout-chasing. Nick Viall, a podcaster and former star of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” hosts the special streaming now.
Net ix has a documentary previewing its upcoming Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano ght at Madison Square Garden. “Countdown: Taylor Vs. Serrano,” debuts Thursday and is narrated by Uma Thurman. It will show Taylor and Serrano as they train and prepare for their third match.
A number of n-tastic programs about sharks stream in July. Net ix o ers a new reality competition show called “All the Sharks” debuting on Friday. Four teams of shark experts compete to locate and photograph the most number of sharks. The winners get $50,000 for their favorite marine charity.
National Geographic has compiled more than 25 hours of television for its annual SharkFest which begins streaming Sunday on Disney+ and Hulu. In the docuseries, “Investigation Shark Attack,” scientists attempt to pinpoint what causes a shark to attack. “Super Shark Highway” follows researchers as they track sharks along migration routes in the waters o Australia. The goal is to nd ways for sharks and humans to coexist in the busy ocean.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY Giant robots! Maybe you like the kind that can stomp across a city, crushing o ce buildings under their huge metal feet. Or you prefer the ones who can y above the chaos, unleashing missiles at each other. Perhaps you’d rather have your mech just hang back and perform maintenance on the ones taking the most damage. Whatever your choice, Mecha Break, from China’s Amazing Seasun Games, hopes to have you covered. It’s a multiplayer slugfest with 3 vs. 3, 6 vs. 6 and human vs. AI scenarios. You can start building your dream bot on Xbox X/S and PC.
WARNER BROS. PICTURES VIA AP
“Sinners,” starring Michael B. Jordan, left, and Miles Caton, lands on Max on Friday.
CHIBESA MULUMBA / A24 VIA AP
Susan Chardy stars in “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,” streaming on Max July 4.
KESHA RECORDS VIA AP
Kesha’s new record, “.” (pronounced “period”), comes out this week.