the BRIEF this week
3 dead as ash ooding hits mountain village in New Mexico
Santa Fe, N.M.
O cials say monsoon rains in southern New Mexico triggered ash ooding that killed three people and was so intense an entire house was swept downstream in a mountain village that is a popular summer retreat. The village of Ruidoso said in a statement that a man, a 4-year-old girl and 7-year- old boy were swept away Tuesday by oodwaters. Three people earlier had been reported missing, but it wasn’t immediately clear early Wednesday whether those were the same three who died. The water in the Ruidoso area had receded by Tuesday night, and search and rescue and swift water rescue teams were scouring the town for the missing people.
Searchers in helicopters, on horseback scour Texas ood debris for missing Hunt, Texas The search is continuing for more than 160 people believed to be missing in Texas days after a destructive wall of water killed over 100 people. But questions remain about the extent of a catastrophe that stretched far past the borders of a single summer camp. Many of those who are not accounted for were staying in the state’s Hill Country but did not register at a camp or hotel. The 161 missing are believed to be in Kerr County.
$2.00
2 dead, 1 missing in Chatham after Chantal ooding, tornadoes
An 83-year-old Pittsboro woman had her car swept o the road
By Jordan Golson Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — A Pittsboro woman was one of several killed in the state amid ooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal as nearly a foot of rain fell in Chatham County.
Sandra Portoy Hirschman, 83 of Pittsboro, was killed when her car was swept o a rural road by oodwaters Sunday night. N.C. Highway Patrol troopers responded to a report of a submerged vehicle on Farrington Point Road near Hinton Road near the crossing with Cub Creek. Her 2014 Audi A4 was found 100 feet o the road. She was the only occupant.
Chatham County Sheri ’s deputies have also been searching Jordan Lake for two boaters who put in Sunday afternoon and went missing. One body, as well as their canoe, were recovered, but searchers continued looking for the other boater. Names had not been released ahead of next of kin noti cations. They weren’t the only fatalities in North Carolina following the storm, which also saw several EF-1 tornadoes touch down
See FLOODING, page A10
Chapel Hill appoints new town manager
Theodore Voorhees brings three decades of governmental experience to the town
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
CHAPEL HILL — The Town of Chapel Hill has lled its vacant town manager position
An
after a multimonth-long search.
At its June 25 meeting, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved the hiring of Theodore Voorhees as the new town manager, e ective Aug. 11.
“Over the past few months, the town council has conducted a national search for our new town manager,” said Mayor Jessica Anderson. “A really strong eld of candidates applied.”
Concerns over Medicare cuts drove the decision
By Amanda Seitz The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C.
signature domestic policy package. Martin General is one of a dozen hospitals that have closed in North Carolina over the last two decades. This is a problem
that hospital systems and health experts warn may only worsen if the legislation passes with its $1 trillion cuts to the Medicaid program and new restrictions on enrollment in the coverage.
Tillis’ home state showcases the nancial impact that more Medicaid dollars can have on hospitals in rural and poor regions throughout the country. Tillis said in a oor speech last Sunday, explaining his vote, that the GOP bill will siphon billions of dollars from Medicaid recipients and the health system in his state.
“Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise,” said
Voorhees, who holds a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University, previously served as the county administrator for Orange County in Virginia starting in 2020.
The Charlotte native has held multiple leadership positions in both county and city management over the span of his career.
While Voorhees worked out of state for the last eight years — he also served as county administrator in Powhatan County in Virginia for three years before Orange — he has ample experience working in North Carolina, having spent more than 20 years in four di erent communities in the state.
“Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unpro table rural hospitals and elevate their risk of nancial distress.”
UNC analysis
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be
See MANAGER, page A7
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
N.C. 902 was closed from Old 421 to Chatham Central High School due to ooding from Tropical Storm Chantal.
THURSDAY 7.10.25 #99
HOSPITALS
from page A1
Tillis, who has announced he will not seek reelection to a third term in 2026. Along with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, he joined all Democrats in voting against the bill.
Tillis later accused the president and his colleagues of not fully grasping the full impact of the bill: “We owe it to the states to do the work to understand how these proposals affect them. How hard is that? I did it.”
For Martin General Hospital in Williamston, North Carolina’s decision to expand Medicaid came just too late. The emergency room abruptly closed its doors in the eastern North Carolina county that’s home to more than 20,000 people in August 2023. The closest hospital is now about a 30-minute drive away.
Then-Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper faulted the state’s failure to expand the Medicaid program to more low-income adults sooner to prevent Martin General’s closure.
North Carolina began o ering Medicaid expansion to its residents in December. Today, more than 673,000 people are receiving this coverage.
Now, Tillis and other state o cials are worried the Republican bill, which will limit how much Medicaid money is sent back to providers, threatens funds for hospitals in their state again. And it could trigger a state Medicaid law that would close down North Caro-
lina’s otherwise successful expansion of coverage unless state legislators make changes or locate funds.
The Medicaid dollars that Republicans seek to scale back in their bill have helped buttress the remaining rural hospitals across North Carolina, said Jay Ludlam, a deputy health secretary who leads North Carolina Medicaid.
“This has been a lifeline for our rural hospitals here in North Carolina and has helped provide and keep them open,” Ludlam said. “Rural hospitals play an integral role in communities both as a point of access for health care but also for the local economy because of the contributions that those hospital and hospital systems make to those communities.”
Republicans have responded to concerns with a provision that will provide $10 billion annually to rural hospitals for ve years, or $50 billion in total.
Around the country, 200 hospitals have closed or shuttered emergency services in the last two decades, many of them in
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 29
• Martavelin Paul Witherspoon, 23, of Siler City, was arrested for assault on a female and domestic violence.
• Colon Alston Jr, 67, of Siler City, was arrested for stealing a motor vehicle and breaking into a motor vehicle.
June 30
• Lenton Mayo, 61, of Durham, was arrested for shoplifting.
July 1
• Seth James Bartee, 45, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for violating a domestic violence order.
July 2
• Carlos PerezHernandez, 19, of Siler City, was arrested for breaking and entering, damaging property, and trespassing.
• Jesus MartinezGonzalez, 36, of Pittsboro, was arrested for statutory rape of a child.
• Michael Joseph Morgan, 43, of New Hill, was arrested for pointing a gun at someone, simple assault, and making threats.
• Christopher Lee Davis, 30, of Siler City, was arrested for second-degree arson, assaulting a government o cial, and possessing marijuana paraphernalia.
vacant
abandoned in April 2024 after being closed in August 2023.
red states across the southeastern and midwestern U.S. States that have declined to expand Medicaid coverage, the health insurance program for the poorest of Americans, have seen the closures accelerate. Tennessee, for example, has shed 500 beds since 2014, when a federal law rst allowed states to expand Medicaid coverage to a greater share of low-income people. It’s one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid.
More than 300 hospitals could be at risk for closure, an analysis by the Cecil G. Sheps Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found last month. The center tracks rural hospital closures.
“Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unpro table rural hospitals and elevate their risk of nancial distress,” the analysis concluded. “In response, hospitals may be forced to reduce service lines, convert to a di erent type of health care facility, or close altogether.”
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County:
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
Durham Ukulele Orchestra at Bynum Front Porch
7-8:30 p.m.
Free musical performance: donations are welcome. This is a family-friendly event with food and beverages available for purchase on-site.
Front Porch, Bynum General Store
950 Bynum Road Bynum
July 12
Chatham Mills Farmers Market
8 a.m. to noon
Producers-only farmers market o ering a wide variety of goods from fresh produce to other groceries, including eggs, cheese, meat, health and wellness items, and crafts. Everything is created by the vendors themselves.
Lawn of the historic Chatham Mills
480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro
July 14
Community Blood Drive
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There is currently a shortfall in required blood bank stores. Type O donations are particularly needed. To make an appointment, contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.
Holmes Family Meeting Room Chatham Community Library 197 N.C. 87 Pittsboro
July 16
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
KARL B. DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO
The
Martin County General Hospital sits
Swain County sheri steps down after sexual misconduct charges
He was charged last week with prostitution and sexual battery
The Associated Press
BRYSON CITY — The longtime sheri in Swain County, whom some women accused of sexual misconduct, has quit before he could be permanently removed.
Curtis Cochran, who was rst elected sheri in 2006, retired from the post e ective July 1, according to a statement from the county Board of Commissioners. The chief deputy is performing the sheri ’s duties while the commissioners decide who will serve out the remainder of Cochran’s four-year term through late 2026, the statement said.
Cochran, 72, was charged in state courts with felonious restraint and misdemeanor sexual battery, soliciting prostitution and assault on a female, according to June 27 arrest warrants. The same day, Ashley Hornsby Welch, the district attorney for Swain and six other far western counties, led a petition seeking to remove Cochran from o ce for “willful misconduct and maladministration in o ce.”
A Superior Court judge immediately suspended Cochran from o ce pending a nal court ruling. But the removal petition becomes moot with Cochran’s retirement. A petition-related hearing set for Monday in adjoining Graham County was canceled, online court data said.
Welch’s removal petition included signed a davits by two women who allege Cochran made separate unwanted sexual advances on them while he drove on land held by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Eastern Band’s reservation, known as Qualla Boundary, is in portions of Swain County.
The county of 14,000 people includes much of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that straddles the Tennessee border.
Church News
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Cochran was released on bond on the state criminal charges and faces an Aug. 5 court hearing. He is also charged under Eastern Band tribal law with two counts of oppression in o ce and one count of abusive sexual contact, Cherokee Indian Police Department Chief Carla Neadeau said in a news release.
Cochran’s attorney didn’t respond Monday or Tuesday to a phone message and emails seeking comment and additional details.
The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted.
The petition alleges that on June 22 one woman — an Eastern Band member — agged down what she believed to be a law enforcement vehicle. She was upset and crying because she and her boyfriend had been ghting verbally, and she accepted an invitation into the SUV from the driver — whom authorities identi ed as Cochran — because she believed it would di use the situation, the petition says.
The petition alleges that when Cochran started driving he began touching the woman despite her objections and
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asked her to perform a sexual act, but she refused. He later pulled the SUV o the road, got out and positioned himself so the woman couldn’t get out of vehicle and asked again, according to the petition. Cochran told the woman if “there was a time that I got in trouble, all I would have to do is say his name and he would help me,” the woman’s a davit read. She again declined, ultimately was dropped o at her house and contacted tribal police.
The a davit signed by the other woman said that on June 23 — soon after being released from the tribal jail — she accepted a ride from what looked like a government vehicle that she said turned out to be driven by Cochran. She said Cochran starting touching her — doing so even as she pulled away — and she ultimately got out of the vehicle.
The FBI and State Bureau of Investigation also participated in the criminal investigation, which included video footage, according to the petition.
Cochran, a Republican, had no law enforcement experience before his rst sheri ’s election victory, having previously been Swain County’s maintenance director.
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Family of 4, including 2 children, killed in Sanford
plane crash
The NTSB will be investigating to determine the cause
The Associated Press
SANFORD — A family of four, including two school-age children, died when their small plane crashed as they ew back from Florida.
The National Transportation Safety Board said an agency investigator was expected Tuesday at the site of the wreckage of Monday’s crash, located in a eld near some trees northeast of Sanford in Lee County.
The state Highway Patrol identi ed those killed as Travis and Candace Buchanan, who were both 35; Aubrey Buchanan, 10; and Walker Buchanan, 9. Three of the four died at the scene, while the fourth was pronounced dead at a hospital, the patrol said in a news release.
There were no survivors in the crash involving the Cirrus SR22T airplane, which an NTSB o cial said happened shortly after 1:30 p.m. under currently unknown circumstances. The aircraft ultimately will be recovered and taken to a facility for further evaluation, the agency said.
The Raleigh Executive Jetport, located a few miles north of the crash site, said in a social media post that the aircraft was based at the small airport.
Federal Aviation Administration records list Travis Buchanan of Sanford as the plane’s owner. The plane departed Merritt Island, Florida, about 11 a.m. Monday and was last seen about 1:30 p.m. near Sanford, according to according to the ight-tracking website FlightAware. Sanford is about 40 miles southwest of Raleigh.
WRAL-TV reported that the family owned Buchanan Farms in Sanford. Abraham Garcia said he had worked for Travis Buchanan at the farms for more than eight years, and “he helped me all the time.” The Buchanan family was heading back from the beach, he said.
Grace Christian School in Sanford said on its Facebook page that Travis and Candace Buchanan were the parents of Aubrey, a fth grader this fall at the school, and Walker, an upcoming fourth grader.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of one of our Crusader Families,” the post said, referencing the school’s nickname. “During this incredibly di cult time, we stand together in support of their family and one another.”
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of one of our Crusader Families.”
Statement from Grace Christian School
WLOS VIA AP
Swain County Sheri Curtis Cochran makes his rst court appearance on Tuesday in Bryson City after being charged with felonious restraint and misdemeanor sexual battery, soliciting prostitution and assault on a female.
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
Thoughts about the Fourth of July (and a little about ‘Star Wars’)
“We hold these truths to be selfevident,” wrote Yoda, I mean, Thomas Je erson, “that all men are created equal.”
I ASKED MY 9-YEAR-OLD, who was eating a chili-cheese dog at the family cookout, why we celebrated the Fourth of July. He shrugged, “Does it have something to do with ‘Star Wars’?” No, young Jedi. Teach you, I will.
Two months after May the Fourth was with us, we remember the rati cation of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which o cially established the United States of America.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” wrote Yoda, I mean, Thomas Je erson, “that all men are created equal.”
Like many of his contemporaries, Je erson’s ownership of fellow human beings was the epitome of hypocrisy. I, for one, am not worried about whether the founding fathers were Christian but rather appalled they actually believed slavery was at all compatible with the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Speaking of which, the ancient rabbi, like many spiritual guides before and after him, taught the Golden Rule — to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Variations of this teaching are found in dozens of world religions and philosophies. It is perhaps the most well-known spiritual teaching in the world. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, if we know better, why do we not do better?
It’s helpful to know American history (and also “Star Wars” history, so that you don’t confuse them). But more than just knowledge, empathy is paramount. If I can empathize with
COLUMN | BOB WACHS
your situation, I am better equipped to support you e ectively. If I can’t imagine your plight and predicament, then I will be unable to adhere to the Golden Rule. At best, my response would be tone-deaf; at worst, cruel. It was a lack of empathy that permitted and eventually sancti ed racism and sexism in this country. And those forces remain strong.
Notwithstanding all the partisan rancor and divisive leadership, I believe we Americans are generally interested in the welfare of the people we know. I know someone who voted in support of deportation, yet becomes animated when defending his landscaper, who is from El Salvador. If he can see this particular immigrant as an honest man, why can he not extend that same empathy to others? I think this apparent hypocrisy is explained by a lack of moral imagination. Such imagination often requires the faith of a child.
Although my son struggles with American history, he provides valuable insights on other topics. When his friends were picking on his younger sister, he jumped to her defense: “When you hurt her feelings, then you hurt mine!” The Force was strong in him at that moment.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman’s newest book is “This Is the Day.” He serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Churchas well as a writer, pizza maker, co ee drinker and student of joy.
Celebrating the Fourth with a hand up
The man had a habit of calling all his employees together on July 4 and reading the Declaration of Independence to them, ring o a cannon and then giving them the day o (with pay!) to celebrate their freedoms.
I KNOW, I KNOW. July Fourth has come and gone on the calendar, but it’s still the season and close to the day itself, and I want to add one more thought to all those already said.
It’s America’s birthday, a least by the Declaration of Independence ... her 249th to be exact.
Quite a big cake, no doubt. Hope there was enough to go around.
Next year has all the makings of, as Ed Sullivan used to say Sunday nights on CBS, “a really, really big show” — if we’re still here.
Our fellow citizens spent the day last week and, in some cases, the week doing a number of di erent things — going to the beach, going to the mountains, going to the lake, going nowhere. We grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, hot dogs, hot dogs and hot dogs. We made homemade ice cream, set o reworks, went to ball games and played ball.
And in some cases, we actually paused a moment and re ected on the bold step folks took those 249 years ago when a mosquito of a would-be nation rose up and smacked the lion of England across the nose and said, “Enough already.” That took, pardon my French, “guts.” England wasn’t too interested in losing her pro table colonies, and when the glove was thrown down, it was, I believe, Ben Franklin who noted, “We must all hang together or we’ll all hang separately.”
Years ago, I remember hearing my grandfather — my dad’s dad — talk about Fourth of July celebrations he took in, he a rst-generation American not too long o the boat at Ellis Island as an immigrant boy from Poland. He spoke of a man he came to know after he settled in Alabama, a man who owned a factory giving jobs to hardworking Americans.
The man had a habit of calling all his employees together on July 4 and reading the Declaration of Independence to them, ring o a cannon and then giving them the day o (with pay!) to celebrate their freedoms.
Fewer and fewer places have celebrations of any kind, at least it seems such to me. Some folks in Siler City tried
mightily not so long ago to resurrect the community celebration, and thanks to them for doing so. But the parade, speeches, rodeo, games and such are precious memories.
My once-little hometown of Pittsboro no longer throws the big town party it once did, although some folks get together to shoot o reworks and such. Maybe part of the absence is found in apathy or the realization that young boys no longer want to chase a greasy pig for a $5 rst prize ... or maybe that the animal rights folks have championed the pig’s health to the point it’s politically incorrect to do such anymore.
I mean, if you can’t drop a possum in a cage on Dec. 31 to celebrate New Year’s, then what’s next?
So anyway, whatever you may have done Wednesday or may do later to note that special day, at least resolve to be a good, productive citizen. Don’t be afraid to reach out to help your fellow creature in need, to help make this place a bit better than it is.
And that can be in many ways ... even in ways like what didn’t happen to a friend once. A neighbor lady who has come to be a family friend told me some time ago she stopped one day at a local gasoline station to invest half her life’s savings in a tank of gas. Somehow, as she punched all the pump buttons and took down the hose, she got tangled up in it and — I won’t call her name here — did an inglorious sit down that turned into a fall down onto the pavement.
Coming to her rescue to see if she was wounded was not just one fellow gas buyer, not two, not three or four. Instead, none came as she lay on the concrete.
Fortunately, nothing was hurt other than her feelings and pride, but I ask you: Would George Washington have done that?
Find someone to be nice to this Fourth of July; it’s part of what makes America great.
Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.
Going to camp…
Endlessly kind camp counselors showed me there were other portals I could walk through and still become a leader.
IT WASN’T SUPPOSED to happen this way. Not at all. During the many years I attended a weekslong summer overnight camp in the Northeast, it was a gift to my growing soul. New kids, beautiful places, leadership opportunities (me? really?!), counselors assuring this particularly, faithless, swimmer, “No, you won’t drown in the lake because we’ve got your back.” And they did. They always did. The too-curious gnat that ew in my ear while I was climbing a mountain in Maine? “There’s a gnat in my ear! There’s a buzzing gnat in my ear! Get it out!!” Those counselors had their hands full with this panicked child on a steep mountainside, but I trusted in their calm (whether they were or weren’t), and that gnat met its end — outside my ear!
Playing jacks on our cabin’s oor and, oh God, was I bad! Really, really bad. Embarrassed at being bad. But endlessly kind camp counselors showed me there were other portals I could walk through and still become a leader, besides awkward jacks playing. Really? I didn’t know. And then, I did know. Unseen doors opened at camp.
I’m a native Texan. Got my y’all to prove it, even though I’ve not lived in Texas for many years (I still throw that y’all around, just to prove my Texas bona des). Today, as a human being, a die-hard former summer camper and a Texan, I’m crying because of an unimaginable tragedy in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas. Water, water, water
Cheap and fast
But if you build cheap, you can build quick. That’s even more true if you don’t need anyone’s permission to start building.
I REMEMBER being impressed when the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city where I lived needed a new Kingdom Hall, which is what they call their churches.
That thing got built fast, I mean in just a few days. Religiously motivated volunteer labor doesn’t dog it on the job. You go to hell for that.
Down in Florida, where hurricanes are the will of God and you better not say otherwise to your sixth grade science teacher, the new federal immigrant detention facility was knocked up from the swamp in a little more than a week.
To be fair, it’s mostly just tents and house trailers and temporary buildings, which is what you’d expect from a president whose three-book presidential library will probably be designed to look like a big Walmart.
Of course, the place was built on the cheap, and some of the contractors probably used illegals to keep their costs down, but we are not a generation that builds cathedrals or pyramids.
We build schlock, is what we build. We build schlock, and we think schlock, and we say schlock, and we have hats with “Make America Schlock Again” printed on the front.
But they built it fast, which is what counts.
As a reporter, I’ve had the opportunity to watch towns and cities spend years deciding whether to build a new homeless shelter or some a ordable housing.
The city council debates. The mayor weighs in, and there’s a tra c study to see if 15 people with big plastic bags of deposit cans will snarl tra c for miles. The zoning board gets involved. There’s a nonbinding referendum on the ballot. The neighbors organize a group called “Save Our Community.” It gets done or it doesn’t, but ve years isn’t that long for the process to last, and that’s before construction starts.
But if you build cheap, you can build quick. That’s even more true if you don’t need anyone’s permission to start building. And that lack of permission is key
everywhere, and it hasn’t stopped yet. Worse, childhood Texas friends of mine, their daughters and granddaughters, loved and attended the tragically devastated Camp Mystic over the years. No matter what one thinks of Facebook, it still o ers lines of communication. (Thank you, Susan Meyer, for allowing me to share.)
“I was at Mystic when a man landed on the moon, and we watched it in front of rec hall. I was at Mystic when the sniper was in the Tower at the University of Texas. I was afraid he was close, but knew I was safe. The weekly Sunday night fried chicken dinner, where, to get the dinner, you had to present a letter to home.”
“Mystic was about more than tennis, archery, golf, canoeing and horseback. Mystic was about sisterhood, teamwork and recognition. About older girls in uencing and helping younger girls.”
And today, as many of us struggle with these poignant losses, I keep asking myself: “Where’s the light? Where’s the damn light?”
Oh, right, I bet you’re asking yourself the same question. Here’s my two bits. May the words “Camp Mystic” and those who were lost remain alive in the ongoing deeds of all who were touched and nurtured by that magical place. Words and deeds are alive, even if their germination derives from memory.
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
to Donald Trump’s presidency. He got elected, and to him, that means no permission is needed ever to do anything. The razor-thin election win makes all permission useless and unnecessary.
Nothing is more boring than watching the local zoning board of appeals try to gure out if they should permit a new convenience store.
But if you go to that meeting, the members of the board will talk about the e ect it will have on tra c, and will it have enough parking spaces, and will the all-night lights bother the neighbors.
Of course, if you’re building out in a swamp, and you don’t care if the rst hurricane blows it at, you can put up your alligator theme park/concentration camp fast.
The popular name for the place is “Alligator Alcatraz” because Alcatraz is a prison old people have heard of and because alligators will eat those illegal immigrants who ee into the surrounding swamps.
That nickname is an absolute, pitch-perfect hit tune you can sing to the dumbest half of the American population, and they’ll dance to it all night.
They’re already selling “Alligator Alcatraz” merch. Hats. T-shirts. The tacky never stops when you have endless permission, no class and are surrounded by a crew of advisers that includes brain- damaged junkies, active alcoholics, Confederate apologists, snake-handling religious fanatics, men who don’t like gay people but don’t seem to like women much, either, and the dregs of an entertainment/ news network.
Don’t build to last. Build for the next election cycle. Don’t speak for the centuries. Speak in sentences short enough to be printed on a T-shirt. Nuance isn’t manly. Regulations just get in the way. Compassion is weak.
The future is in the mouth of a gator.
Marc Dion is a columnist and reporter for The Herald News in Fall River, Massachusetts.
A
reminder of what’s so great about America
IN HONOR OF AMERICA’S recent 249th birthday, let’s take a moment to celebrate some of the most incredible things about her.
We are a nation of settlers. This is the country where ancestors risked — and often lost — their lives in pursuit of religious freedom and opportunity. From the May ower to the Oregon Trail, they persevered in extreme hardship. Davy Crockett and Laura Ingalls Wilder continue to inspire children.
We defeated the mighty British Empire to secure our independence. American soldiers endured the cold, disease and death of Valley Forge. Under the instruction of Baron von Steuben, a Prussian, the Army emerged with greater discipline, unity and skill.
We have the most powerful economy in the history of the world because we have largely embraced a free market system.
Our country’s founding documents are marvels. The Declaration of Independence eloquently lays out the purpose of government — to secure our God-given, unalienable rights. The Constitution, drawing from the wisdom of the Bible, history and political philosophers, uses checks and balances to limit the government’s power.
At the cost of hundreds of thousands of Union lives, we threw o the scourge of slavery. Our heroes are too numerous to mention, but include Nathan Hale, Harriet Tubman, Teddy Roosevelt and Billy Graham. Our land is beautiful. Consider the vastness of the Grand Canyon, the power of Niagara Falls and the stunning views in Canyonlands National Park. Our beaches, from Hawaii to California to the East Coast, draw people from around the world.
We conquered the continent with the Transcontinental Railroad and later, the Interstate Highway System. We completed the Empire State Building in less than 14 months. We built the Hoover Dam. We carved the faces of our greatest presidents into the side of a mountain.
We created the rst airplane in 1903. Less than 70 years later, we put a man on the moon.
We have the most powerful economy in the history of the world because we have largely embraced a free market system. The average American enjoys luxuries, like air conditioning, air travel, cell phones and microwaves, that the richest people 200 years ago could scarcely have dreamed of.
We have the best athletes in the world. We have more than twice as many Olympic medals as the next-closest country — the Soviet Union, which doesn’t even exist anymore. American football is way more exciting than the world’s version of that sport.
We have the mightiest military in the history of the world. We played pivotal roles in winning World War I, World War II and the Cold War. Our B-2 bombers can take o from Missouri, successfully bomb a buried Iranian nuclear site and return home without landing. Hundreds of thousands of men and women have given their lives for the freedom we enjoy.
Here are two ways leftist cynics attempt to disparage America. For one, they’ll claim America is de ned by her faults, not her accomplishments. Note well that they don’t apply that standard to their heroes. In 1969, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy drove o a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island. That accident resulted in the death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. The left spent the next 40 years celebrating him anyway.
This hypocrisy shows the left doesn’t truly believe you should de ne countries or people by their aws. They just hope those who love America and her heroes do.
The left also attempts to sever our connection to this marvelous history. They tear down monuments to American heroes like Thomas Je erson and Christopher Columbus. They rename holidays. They teach children that America’s success comes from oppressing others. You aren’t just an individual. You are part of a family, which is part of a community, which is part of a state, which is part of a country. Celebrating your country is both good and natural. It should be easy to do when it’s the greatest country in the history of the world.
Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas ReviewJournal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast.
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
COLUMN | MARC DION
AP PHOTO
Workers laying tracks for Central Paci c Railroad pause for a moment at camp “Victory,” a few miles from Promontory, Utah, on April 28, 1869. The “last spike” was driven on May 10, 1869 in Promontory to complete the rst transcontinental railroad.
obituaries
Robert Daniel Perry
Oct.3, 1958 – June 28, 2025
On June 28, 2025, Robert Daniel Perry, 66, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones. He was born on October 3, 1958, in Chatham County, North Carolina, to AJ and Naomi Perry. From a young age, Robert developed a love for the outdoors and a strength of character that would de ne his life. Robert proudly served his country in the United States Army, an experience that instilled in him a deep sense of duty and honor that he carried throughout his life.
After his military service, Robert returned to his roots in North Carolina and embarked on a lifelong career as a butcher. He became well-known in his community for his skilled handiwork and dedication, especially during deer hunting season. Local hunters knew they could count on Robert to help process their deer meat. He took pride in this work, knowing he was helping provide for others and continuing the traditions of his community.
An avid outdoorsman, Robert had an enduring passion for hunting and the outdoors. Deer hunting was his greatest love –he could often be found in the early morning hours or at dusk perched in the woods or riding along back roads scanning the elds for a trophy buck. On many evenings, he enjoyed simply driving around looking for deer, sometimes pausing to take a careful shot if a big buck crossed his path. Robert also pursued black bear and hog hunts over the years, embracing every challenge nature o ered. He cherished rabbit hunting trips too, especially when accompanied by his loyal hunting dogs running through the brush beside him. When he wasn’t hunting, Robert found joy tending to his land and farm animals. He loved raising cows, goats, and hogs, taking pride in the hard work of farming and staying connected to nature in every way he could.
Robert’s enthusiasm for rearms was legendary. He was an avid gun collector who amassed an impressive collection of around 300 long guns over his lifetime. He had a particular fondness for Browning and Winchester ri es, and his deep knowledge of guns made him the go-to expert for friends and neighbors. Whether it was explaining the history behind a classic Winchester or the mechanics of a Browning
shotgun, Robert could talk for hours, sharing his expertise and stories with anyone who would listen.
Beyond his many interests and accomplishments, it was Robert’s big personality and generous spirit that truly de ned him. He had a booming laugh and a sense of humor that could light up any room. Robert never met a stranger, and he never judged a soul based on race, background, or status – he treated everyone like family. He was always ready to lend a helping hand, give advice, or share from his own pocket with those who needed it. His kindness knew no bounds; he was a man who constantly gave to others without expecting anything in return.
Robert Daniel Perry is preceded in death by his parents, AJ and Naomi, and former spouse, Penelopie “Penni” Rose Furr Perry, and nephew Anthony “Shane” Ferguson. Robert leaves behind his brothers, Lynn & Yvonne Perry, Charles & Sandra Perry, Sam and Joy Perry, nephews Carson Hunter Perry and Ethan Wesley Perry, niece Josey and Jon Van Sickle, beloved former son in law, Stacy Dwain Glover, his loving daughter, Ashleigh Rose Perry Glover; two beloved granddaughters, Sophia Rose Glover, and Skylar Reese Glover; and his favorite grandson, Ashton Dwain Glover, who was his pride and joy. Robert absolutely adored his grandchildren, and nothing made him happier than spending time with them – eating a cheeseburger or rare New York strip, sharing hunting tales, or simply enjoying their company.
Robert’s legacy is one of love, laughter, and generosity. He lived life to the fullest, doing what he loved and making those around him smile. His family and friends will forever cherish the memories of his tall tales, hearty laughter, and unwavering kindness. Though he may no longer ride the back roads or walk the elds with us, the lessons he taught and the love he shared will remain with us always. Robert Daniel Perry will be deeply missed but never forgotten. His spirit lives on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.
The family will receive friends at Smith and Buckner in Siler City, NC, on July 5, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., with other visitation times available. A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 6, 2025, at Emmaus Baptist Church in Pittsboro, NC, with Military Honors and burial to follow at Perry Graveyard on Perry Graveyard Road in Siler City, NC. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and support and invites all who knew Robert to join in celebrating his life. Memorials may be made in honor of Robert Daniel Perry to the Chatham County Agricultural Cooperative Extension 4-H Program at 1192 US 64W, Suite 400. Pittsboro, NC 27312. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Perry family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
Carolyn Faye White
April 7, 1943 – July 6, 2025
Carolyn Faye White, 82, of Siler City, NC passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, July 6, 2025, at her daughter’s home. The last few days of her life, she was surrounded by her
loving family, and she passed away with both daughters by her side. Faye was born April 7, 1943, in Chatham County and was a 1961 graduate of Silk Hope High School. She was a poultry farmer and worked for Chatham County Schools for several years, and she was a member of Brookdale Baptist Church in Siler City. Faye adored being outdoors any waking moment she got, she loved farm life, and she could often be found riding her red International tractor. She is preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Larry White; mother, Ada Bell Fox; father, Clyde Adam Fox; and siblings, Iva Mae Gibbs, Kenneth Fox, Harold Fox, and Irven Fox. She is survived by her brother, Gilbert Fox; daughters, Sharon White Moore (Eddie
Moore) and Pamela “Denise” White Matthews (Mark Matthews); grandchildren, Olivia Matthews, Crystal Moore, Jay Moore, Jonathan Moore; and fteen great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, from 6-8 p.m. at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Silk Hope with Pastor Bob Lovett o ciating. Burial will be in Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Tim Gibbs, Craig Fox, Jay Moore, Jonathan Moore, Shawn Petty, and Brantley Petty. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the White family.
The 56-year-old had been battling cancer
The Associated Press
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Julian McMahon, an Australia-born actor who performed in two “Fantastic Four” lms and appeared in TV shows such as “Charmed,” “Nip/Tuck” and “Pro ler,” has died, his wife said in a statement.
McMahon, 56, died peacefully this week after a battle with cancer, Kelly McMahon said in a statement provided to The Associated Press by his Beverly Hills, California-based publicist.
“Julian loved life,” the statement said. “He loved his fam-
ily. He loved his friends He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible.”
McMahon played Dr. Doom in the lms “Fantastic Four”
in 2005 and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” which came out two years later.
Along with “Charmed,” “Nip/Tuck,” and “Pro ler,” he also had roles in the TV shows “Home and Away,” “FBI: Most Wanted” and “Another World,” according to IMDB.
Actress Alyssa Milano, who appeared with McMahon on “Charmed,” mourned his death on social media, saying “Julian was more than my TV husband.”
“Julian McMahon was magic,” Milano said. “That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up — not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding.”
The actor became a regular player in Quentin Tarantino lms
By Andrew Dalton and Itzel Luna
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill” made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino’s lms, has died. He was 66.
Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, last Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheri ’s Department Watch Commander Christopher Jauregui said. He is believed to have died of natural causes and authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved. Madsen’s manager
Ron Smith said cardiac arrest was the apparent cause.
Madsen’s career spanned more than 300 credits stretching back to the early 1980s, many in low-budget lms. But his most memorable screen moment may have been the sadistic torture of a captured police ofcer — while dancing to Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You” — as Mr. Blonde in 1992’s “Reservoir Dogs.” He would become a Tarantino regular, appearing in the “Kill Bill” lms and “The Hateful Eight.”
“In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent lm including upcoming feature lms ‘Resurrection Road,’ ‘Concessions and ’Cookbook for Southern Housewives,’ and was really looking forward to this next chapter in
his life,” his managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez said in a statement. They added that he “was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
During a handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in November 2020, Madsen reected on his rst visit to Hollywood in the early 1980s.
“I got out and I walked around and I looked and I wondered if there were someday some way that that was going to be a part of me. And I didn’t know because I didn’t know what I was going to do at that point with myself,” he said. “I could have been a bricklayer. I could have been an architect. I could have been a garbage man. I could have been nothing. But I got lucky. I got lucky as an actor.”
JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP
Julian McMahon arrives at the 21st annual Critics’ Choice Awards in 2016.
New interstellar comet will keep away from Earth
NASA says our planet is not in any danger from comet 31/ATLAS
By Marcia Dunn The Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
— NASA has discovered an interstellar comet that’s wandered into our backyard.
The space agency spotted the quick-moving object with the Atlas telescope in Chile earlier this week, and con rmed it was a comet from another star system. It’s o cially the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system and poses no threat to Earth.
“These things take millions of years to go from one stellar neighborhood to another, so this thing has likely been traveling through space for hundreds of millions of years, even billions of years,” Paul Chodas, director of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, said last Thursday. “We don’t know, and so we can’t predict which star it came from.”
The newest visitor is 416 million miles from the sun, out near Jupiter, and heading this way at a blistering 37 miles per second.
NASA said the comet will make its closest approach to the sun in late October, scooting between the orbits of Mars and Earth — but closer to the red planet than us at a safe 150 million miles away.
Astronomers around the world are monitoring the icy snowball that’s been o cially designated as 3I/Atlas to deter-
mine its size and shape. Chodas told The Associated Press that there have been more than 100 observations since its discovery on July 1, with preliminary reports of a tail and a cloud of gas and dust around the comet’s nucleus.
The comet should be visible by telescopes through September, before it gets too close to the sun, and reappear in December on the other side of the sun.
Based on its brightness, the comet appears to be bigger than the rst two interstellar interlopers, possibly several miles across, Chodas said. It’s coming in faster, too, from a di erent direction, and while its home star is unknown, scientists suspect it was closer to the center of our Milky Way galaxy.
The rst interstellar visitor observed from Earth was Oumuamua, Hawaiian for scout, in honor of the observatory in Hawaii that discovered it in 2017. Classi ed at rst as an asteroid, the elongated Oumuamua has since showed signs of being a comet.
The second object con rmed to have strayed from another star system into our own — 21/Borisov — was discovered in 2019 by a Crimean amateur astronomer with that name. It, too, is believed to be a comet.
“We’ve been expecting to see interstellar objects for decades, frankly, and nally we’re seeing them,” Chodas said. “A visitor from another solar system, even though it’s natural — it’s not arti cial, don’t get excited because some people do. ... It’s just very exciting.”
Shriners Children’s to open $153M medical research facility in Atlanta
It’s coming to a new Georgia Tech research campus
By Je Amy The Associated Press
ATLANTA — The nonprofit that operates Shriners Children’s hospitals across North America will locate a $153 million medical research facility in Atlanta, the group announced last Wednesday.
Shriners Children’s Research Institute intends to conduct research into cell and gene ther-
MANAGER from page A1
back here, and I look forward to working with one of the nest teams anywhere,” Voorhees said. “I’m humbled, I’m appreciative, I thank each one of you for your work and for considering me, and I pledge to you that I will do my best to serve with empathy and to practice deep listening during my rst several months here so that I can really understand the perspectives of the community and of our residents.”
In North Carolina, Voorhees has served as the King city manager, the Wilmington assistant city manager, the Durham dep-
apies, other biotechnology therapies, robotics, arti cial intelligence, medical devices and the study of data.
Shriners Children’s operates 17 hospitals in the United States and one each in Mexico and Canada, plus clinics.
The system is owned by Shriners International, a Masonic order. It specializes in treating children with orthopedic problems, burns, urology disorders and craniofacial conditions, including cleft lips and palates. While the organization accepts insurance payments, it treats patients regardless of their abil-
uty city manager and the Fayetteville city manager. Voorhees recounted a story to the council of when he rst became the city manager of King in 1995 and attended a meeting of the North Carolina City and County Management Association in Nags Head. The new manager stated that the rst person to welcome him and embrace him was the then-Chapel Hill town manager Cal Horton, who served the town from 1990 to 2006.
“He was extremely welcoming and really made me think well of the Chapel Hill community and the management community more broadly across North
ity to pay.
“This is a decision of the health care system to expand the role we play in pediatric research,” said Mel Bower, a spokesperson for Shriners Children’s. He said the institute will be nanced using the Shriners Children’s resources and should be operating within a year to 18 months.
The institute projects it will have 470 employees, many of them new hires, and Georgia Tech said it will be the largest tenant at Science Square. That is a mixed-use development that Georgia Tech is developing along
Carolina,” Voorhees said. “So it’s been a great privilege to work in this state.
Deputy Town Manager Mary Jane Nirdlinger had served as the interim manager since the start of the new year.
“I want to take a moment to say a very sincere thank you to Mary Jane Nirdlinger for stepping up as our interim town manager,” Anderson said. “Since January, she’s been a steady, dependable leader and has helped guide us through some very challenging things.”
The council also recognized council member Karen Stegman, who chose to step down from her seat at the end of June,
with the Trammell Crow Co. Georgia Tech owns the land adjoining its campus near downtown Atlanta, while the company built labs that opened last year. The development aims to emulate Georgia Tech’s success in joint developments with technology companies in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood. That tech sector has been a major driver of growth in Atlanta in recent years, and o cials are now trying to bolster growth from biomedical research.
Leanne West, the chief engineer of pediatric technology at Georgia Tech, said the university has already conducted 25 projects with Shriners Children’s. She said both Georgia Tech and Emory University will lend research expertise to the institute, and she hopes institute employees can work alongside Georgia Tech researchers.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be back here, and I look forward to working with one of the nest teams anywhere.”
Theodore
Voorhees, new Chapel Hill town manager
six months before her term was set to expire in December.
“It has truly been an honor to serve this community,” Stegman said.
While she had already an-
“The goal is to really help embed some of their researchers here with Georgia Tech, to walk across campus, to work in the same labs, to have that physical presence together,” West said. “I think we can accomplish great things by doing that.”
The state and local governments are providing incentives to Shriners Children’s, although it is not exactly clear how that would work because nonpro ts are generally exempt from income and property taxes. In Georgia, nonprofit organizations have to pay sales taxes, which means the state could waive such taxes on equipment purchases. Jessica Atwell, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said the state won’t release documents until they are nalized.
nounced that she would not seek reelection, Stegman had served on the council since 2017, an upcoming move by her and her family to Carrboro left her in a legal gray area when it came to representing the town.
“I do not want to create any potential for distractions or be a source of concern for the Town I have called home for most of my life,” Stegman wrote on her Substack blog.
The Chapel Hill Town Council is now adjourned for the summer and won’t meet again until September.
“We’ll still be working, we just won’t be here,” Anderson said.
NASA/JPL-CALTECH VIA AP
A diagram shows the trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ ATLAS as it passes through the solar system.
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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 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.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, July 21, 2025, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312. Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department o ce. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www.chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Input/ Hearing Sign Up. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners. The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below: Legislative Request: A legislative public hearing requested by the Chatham County Planning Board for amendments to the Chatham County Ordinance Establishing a Planning Board; Speci cally, section 1 A, B, and C; section 2 A, B, C, D; section 3 A, B, C, E; and sections 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 to modernize the terminology and change the initial member appointment date. Additional changes may also be made to include amendments required from a recent update to the Chatham County Advisory Committee Policy. Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions. Notice to people with special needs: If you have an audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided. If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204 or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312.
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.
NOTICE
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
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
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS
CHATHAM COUNTY
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
NORTH CAROLINA
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
CHATHAM COUNTY
NOTICE
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
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
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
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
FILE#25E000317-180 The undersigned, JENNIFER LEE GOODSPEED, having quali ed on the 11th Day of JUNE, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JUDITH KAYE BREYER, 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 10TH Day OF OCTOBER 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 10TH DAY OF JULY 2025.
JENNIFER LEE GOODSPEED, EXECUTOR 697 FEARRINGTON POST PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: Jy10,17,24,31p
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#25E000337-180 The undersigned, JANET COOK FARRELL, having quali ed on the 24th Day of JUNE, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of ROSCOE MIDDLETON FARRELL, JR., 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 3RD Day OF OCTOBER 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 3RD DAY OF JULY 2025. JANET COOK FARRELL PO BOX 156 PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: Jy3,10,17,24p
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 of the ESTATE OF PASCAL PIGLIA, Deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 20th 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 19th day of June 2025. Lisa M. Ferrari Executor Estate of Pascal Piglia c/o Richard G. Long III, Attorney Walker Lambe, PLLC Post O ce Box 51549 Durham, North Carolina 27717
NOTE: For publication in the Chatham News on the following dates: June 19, 26, July 3, 10, 2025. Please send the Statement and Proof of Publication to Walker Lambe, PLLC, Post O ce Box 51549, Durham, North Carolina 27717-1549.
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 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
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000215-180
The undersigned, PENNY REDDY, having quali ed on the 16th Day of APRIL, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of MUTYALA KRISHNA REDDY, 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 10TH Day OF OCTOBER 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 10TH DAY OF JULY 2025.
PENNY REDDY, ADMINISTRATOR 125 CEDAR ELM RD. DURHAM, NC 27713
Run dates: Jy10,17,24,31p
FLOODING from page A1 in the area, including at least one in Chatham.
On Monday, crews found the body of a Person County woman who went missing while on her way to work in Orange County Sunday night, according to a social media post by the Orange County Sheri ’s O ce. In Alamance County, a missing man was found dead Sunday night inside a submerged vehicle found o a road in Mebane, sheri ’s o ce spokesperson Byron Tucker told WTVD-TV.
A number of roads were closed due to the ooding, though several had been reopened at press time. Check DriveNC.gov for the latest updates, as crews are working around the clock to get trees
cleared and ooded roadways repaired.
The storm destroyed homes, impaired businesses and lives were lost, Gov. Josh Stein said during a visit to Mebane in Alamance County on Tuesday. Ocials were still assessing the scale of the damage and working on a nal number of deaths, he said.
“Storms like this show us what is best about North Carolina,”
Stein said.
He praised emergency workers for their e orts knocking on doors to get people out of their homes or diverting tra c to keep people out of harm’s way.
32.5
Feet the Haw River crested early Monday, the second-highest river stage ever recorded at the Town of Haw River.
cause of the storm, o cials said.
“This historic weather event caused ooding like we haven’t seen in several decades in the central part of the state,” Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said in a statement, noting that crews were working to assess and reopen roads as soon as oodwaters recede and it is safe to do so.
inches in some spots in central North Carolina and some isolated areas saw totals of nearly 1 foot.
Intense rainstorms are becoming more frequent in most of the U.S. — though experts say where they occur and whether they cause catastrophic ooding is largely a matter of chance.
Before his visit to Mebane, Stein told reporters in Raleigh on Tuesday morning that there will be enough money to address damage from both and Chantal and Hurricane Helene, which caused catastrophic ooding in western North Carolina last year, killing more than 100 people.
Federal agents, National Guard make show of force in LA park
Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles expressed anger at the action
By Tara Copp and Damian Dovarganes
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Dozens of federal o cers in tactical gear and about 90 members of the California National Guard were deployed for about an hour Monday to a mostly empty park in a Los Angeles neighborhood with a large immigrant population. It wasn’t immediately known if any arrests were made.
Defense o cials had said the troops and more than a dozen military vehicles would help protect immigration ocers as they carried out a raid in MacArthur Park.
“What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation,” said Mayor Karen Bass, who was among the small crowd that watched as o cers moved through a section of the park in the late morning and then got back in the vehicles and cleared out. Some activists who had earlier warned people to leave the area lmed the o cers.
The operation occurred at a park in a neighborhood with large Mexican, Central American and other immigrant populations, and it is lined by businesses with signs in Spanish
and other languages that has been dubbed by local o cials as the “Ellis Island of the West Coast.”
Messages were sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement seeking additional details.
Jeannette Zanipatin with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights saw the brief but prominent presence of troops and federal o cers at the park.
“I de nitely think it’s a source of intimidation,” she said. “We know that the Trump administration is trying to make an example of Los Angeles.”
The operation in the large park about 2 miles west of downtown LA included 17 Humvees, four tactical vehicles, two ambulances and armed soldiers, defense o cials said. It came after President Donald Trump deployed thousands of Guard members and active duty Marines to the city last month following protests over previous immigration raids.
Trump has stepped up e orts to realize his campaign pledge of deporting millions of immigrants in the United States illegally and shown a willingness to use the nation’s military might in ways other U.S. presidents have typically avoided.
Betsy Bolte, who lives nearby, came to the park after seeing a military-style helicopter circling. She arrived to see federal o cers on horseback moving through a grassy area, with
Crews were working Tuesday to restore power, utilities and road access, o cials said. The state’s Department of Transportation reopened several major roads, including Interstate 40/85 in Alamance County on Monday, but 65 roads remained closed be-
Tropical Storm Chantal was downgraded to a tropical depression Sunday after making landfall in South Carolina. While the winds dropped, a 15-to-30mile-wide swath of heavy rain followed the storm’s core across North Carolina, and areas within that swath saw impressive rain amounts, the weather service’s Eastern Region headquarters said in a social media post.
Rainfall totals exceeded 8
The National Weather Service’s o ce in Raleigh con rmed that four tornadoes, all EF-1s with peak winds ranging from 95 to 105 mph, touched down Sunday in Orange, Alamance, Chatham and Lee counties. No injuries or deaths were reported from those, though countless trees were knocked down across the region.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
activists and passersby shouting at them.
Bolte didn’t see any arrests and said it was “gut-wrenching” to witness what appeared to be a federal show of force on the streets of a U.S. city.
“It’s terror and, you know, it’s ripping the heart and soul out of Los Angeles,” she said. “I am still in shock, disbelief, and so angry and terri ed and heartbroken.”
The defense o cials told reporters it was not a military operation but acknowledged that the size and scope of the Guard’s participation could make it look like one to the public. That is why the o cials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details about the raid that were not announced publicly.
“It’s just going to be more overt and larger than we usually participate in,” one of the ocials said before the raid ended abruptly with no explanation.
The primary role of the service members would be to pro -
tect the immigration enforcement o cers in case a hostile crowd gathered, that o cial said. They are not participating in any law enforcement activities such as arrests, but service members can temporarily detain citizens if necessary before handing them over to law enforcement, the o cial said.
Sprawling MacArthur Park has a murky lake ringed by palm trees, an amphitheater that hosts summer concerts and sports elds where immigrant families line up to play soccer in the evenings and on weekends.
A thoroughfare on the east side is often crammed with unlicensed food stands selling tacos and other delicacies, along with vendors speaking multiple languages and hawking cheap T-shirts, toys, knickknacks and household items. Authorities routinely clear encampments, and medical outreach teams tend to homeless residents.
Chris Newman, legal di-
Federal agents stage
rector for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said he received a credible tip about the operation Monday.
“It was a demonstration of escalation,” Newman said. “This was a reality TV spectacle much more so than an actual enforcement operation.”
Since federal agents have been making arrests at Home Depot parking lots and elsewhere in Los Angeles, Newman said fewer people have been going to the park and immigrant neighborhoods near the city’s downtown.
“The ghost town-i cation of LA is haunting, to say the very least,” he said.
More than 4,000 California National Guard and hundreds of U.S. Marines have been deployed in Los Angeles since June — against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Last week, the military announced about 200 of those troops would be returned to their units to ght wild res.
COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
First responders, as well as utility and road crews were out in force after the storm hit central North Carolina.
DAMIAN DOVARGANES / AP PHOTO
at MacArthur Park on Monday in Los Angeles.
CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO
CHATHAM SPORTS
Flanagan commits to UMass Lowell
The Northwood goalkeeper recorded a career-high 230 saves this spring
By Asheebo Rojas
Chatham News & Record
NORTHWOOD BOYS’ la-
crosse goalkeeper James Flanagan made his college decision ahead of his senior season. Flanagan committed to UMa-
ss Lowell last week. UMass Lowell, nicknamed the River Hawks, is a NCAA Division I program located in Lowell, Massachusetts.
“I want to thank my family for their endless sacri ces to get me to this point,” Flanagan said on social media. “It means the world, and I could not have made it to where I am without my mom, dad and sister.”
“Their coaching sta just seems like they have a really good plan for the future.”
James Flanagan
Said Flanagan, “A huge thank you to Coach Ira for changing my lacrosse career and guiding me throughout the entire process. Thank you to all of my coaches who have helped me reach this points, especially Noble, Coach Gil, the Gvozden brothers and the entire Goaliesmith team, and nally Coach Cox and the whole Northwood team.”
By Asheebo Rojas
News & Record
“We
Bryce
The former Northwood star will miss Summer League
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
DRAKE POWELL IS making his voice heard in Brooklyn.
The Nets held an introductory press conference July 1 for the former Northwood High School star and their four other rst-round selections. Powell, sitting in the middle of the draftees, took a few questions about his game and his college career during the 30-minute availability.
Powell, who won UNC’s defensive player of the year award last season, was asked how he could “leverage” his defensive abilities to become an impactful NBA player.
“I feel like my defense, that’s mainly just pride,” Powell said. “That’s just something that I’ve had since growing up at a young age, playing with my older brother, older cousin. That’s just something I always took pride in. I think that I can make an immediate impact to help this team be successful, and just do whatever Ican to be the best of my ability.”
“I think that I can make an immediate impact to help this team be
Drake Powell
Last season, Powell, standing 6-foot-6, nished third in blocks for UNC (25), swatting the most shots out of the guards and nishing behind 6-foot-10 Jalen Washington and 6-foot-8 Ven-Allen Lubin. At Northwood, Powell recorded 218 steals and 110 blocks in his career, and he notched team highs in both as a senior (66 steals, 37 blocks).
Later in the press conference, Powell was asked about his role at UNC and how playing a lesser role could a ect his NBA career.
After averaging more than 15 points per game in three straight seasons at Northwood, Powell averaged 7.4 points during his freshman campaign at UNC despite averaging 26.3 minutes per game with 24 starts. Although it was a stark change, he still focused on nding ways to make the team better on the o ensive end. Powell found his place
Powell’s defensive skills are a huge part of what makes him a highly touted player. Since his high school days, Powell has excelled in guarding on the perimeter and blocking shots in the post.
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Northwood lacrosse goalkeeper James Flanagan makes
against Seaforth this past season. Flanagan will continue his lacrosse career in
Ian McMillan
Chatham Post 305, baseball
Chatham Post 305’s Ian McMillan earns athlete of the week honors for the week of June 30.
In dominant 18-3 win over Moore County Post 12 on July 1, McMillan went 3 for 3 at the plate with three runs and two RBIs. He started the bottom of the rst inning with a single, and he scored, walked and scored again all before the third out. McMillan singled twice more in the third inning, including a two-RBI hit to give Chatham a 17-2 lead.
Throughout the summer, McMillan has been a solid two-way player as he’s held down the shortstop position while excelling as a batter.
Chatham Post 292 returns this week
Both teams will get back to action after long absences
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
AFTER LONG breaks for both its 16U and 18-19U teams, Chatham County Post 292 softball is coming back this week.
Following a Tuesday away game against South Wake, the 16U team will return home against South Wake on Thursday. The 18U-19U team will host Wayne Post 11 at Middle Creek High School Monday after Wednesday’s game against South Wake.
This summer has been a tale of long waits for the 18 -19U team. The older squad has played two games in the entire month of June, winning both.
Post 292 opened the season with a 6-3 win over South Wake on June 2, a team with familiar faces from Seaforth’s high school team such as Emma Grace Hill, Alyssa Harris, Annika Johansson and Cami
2
Games for the 18-19U team during June
Brinkley. South Wake out hit Chatham County, but a huge three-run fth inning for Post 292 gave it the edge. After a three-week absence, Chatham County followed that with a 15-0 blowout over North Wake on June 23. Pitchers Maddie Kaczmarczyk and Cici Delgado shut the opposing batters down while numerous batters drove in runs.
Meanwhile, the 16U team is coming into the week with a 6-4 record.
The young Post 292 squad started slow this summer, dropping three of four games against Alamance to open the season. In a four-game series against North Wake, the 16U team bounced back, outscoring North Wake 51-10.
Chatham County kept the hot streak going into its next bout against Randolph County, defeating its county neighbors 17-2 in the rst game of a double header. Randolph returned the favor, though, beating Chatham 7-2 in Game 2. Here’s the remaining schedule for each team.
16U
July 10 vs. South Wake; July 15 at Johnston (Campbell University); July 17 vs. Johnston; July 22 vs. Orange; July 24 at Orange (Cedar Falls Park); Aug. 4 — State tournament begins (Burlington Springwood Park)
18-19U
July 14 vs. Wayne (Middle Creek High School); July 16 at South Wake (Seaforth High School); July 21 vs. Wayne (Middle Creek High School); July 28 vs. North Wake (double header); Aug. 4 — State tournament begins (Burlington Springwood Park)
CHATHAM COUNTY FASTPITCH / POST 292 FACEBOOK
The Chatham County Post 292 18-19U team talks after a blowout win over North Wake on June 23.
Local softball players earn all-state honors
Kaczmarczyk was named the 1A Pitcher of the Year for the West region
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
MULTIPLE CHATHAM
County athletes earned all-state selections from the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association.
Sophomore pitcher Maddie Kaczmarczyk (Chatham Central), junior out elder Sallie Oldham (Chatham Central), sophomore pitcher Emma Grace Hill (Seaforth) and sophomore shortstop Annika Johansson (Seaforth) were named to the 1A and 2A NCSCA all-state teams respectively.
Kaczmarczyk, who earned all-state honors for the second time, was named the 1A Pitcher of the Year for the West region.
The standout ace nished her 2025 campaign with a 13-1 record (career-best winning percentage), and she recorded career-lows in hits allowed (62), runs (49) and earned runs (32).
2.49
Kaczmarczyk achieved an ERA of 2.45 and struck out 153 batters while pitching in 26 less innings than her freshman year. At the plate, Kaczmarczyk batted a .333 average with 22 hits, 14 runs and 14 RBIs in the spring.
Oldham, the 2025 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference Player of the Year, also earned all-state honors for the second time after leading Chatham Central in stolen bases (25) and triples ( ve) last season. She posted a .457 batting average with 32 hits, 24 RBIs and a career-high 38 runs. She also had her best defensive season with career highs in elding percentage (.958) and putouts (23).
Hill and Johansson earned their rst all-state selec -
tions, becoming the rst allstate softball players in Seaforth history.
As both a pitcher and a hitter, Hill had a breakout season while leading Seaforth to its rst playo appearance and win.
In the circle, Hill had a 12-3 record, a 2.49 ERA and three run-rule no-hitters. The Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference Pitcher of the Year struck out a career-high 163 batters with career-lows of 58 runs, 38 earned runs and 56 walks while pitching 20 more innings than her freshman season.
At the plate, Hill batted .448 with 30 hits, 17 runs and 21 RBIs. Hill was also a National Fastpitch Coaches Association Region 7 second team all-region honoree.
Johansson led the Hawks in batting average (.485), on-base percentage (.550) runs (33), hits (33), RBIs (26), slugging percentage (.868) and doubles (11) this spring. She also achieved an OPS of 1.418 and smashed three home runs.
with a double deep to left center eld just out of reach of the Chatham out elders. Catcher Cohen Caviness, who walked himself on base, became the seventh di erent Randolph runner of the night to score.
“Got out there with a 2-2 count,” Coggins said. “Got a changeup low and in. It was a little early, but I found a gap.” Chatham out hit Randolph 14-4 and scored a run in each of the rst six innings, but it still fell short in a hard-fought battle.
For Randolph, winning the game was a testament to the team’s poise and ability to make good out of bad situations.
“I think it shows we’re playing together better” Brown said. “We lost a game like this earlier on in the season. It was a close game.”
Said Brown, “The more we’ve been playing, we’ve just been getting closer and knowing how each other plays more. That’s been helping a lot especially in these close games.”
Post 305 had ve batters notch multiple hits. Centerelder Matt Murchison, who hit a solo home run to tie the game at six runs in the sixth inning, went 3 for 4 from the plate with two RBIs and three runs. Left elder Landon Moser, second baseman Anders Johansson and designated hitter Andrew Johnson all went 2 for 3. Third baseman Colin Dorney went 2 for 4.
“I think tonight, we showed up ready,” Chatham coach Bryce Marsh said. “We had one inning we didn’t score one. That was the biggest thing. We did what we needed to do. They just did it better.”
Randolph will move on to another best of three series against Mooresville Post 66.
Chatham ended its season with a 5-13 record.
For Marsh, Monday’s loss marked the end of his rst season as an American Legion head coach.
After only having head coaching experience with Chatham Charter’s Pony League team two years ago where the only goal was to make kids better, Marsh had to adapt to an environment where the goal was to win.
“It’s di erent than high school,” Marsh said. “It’s different than anything else. Here, you got to earn your spot, and if you’re not producing, you got to switch it
up a little bit and keep rolling with it.”
Marsh, who has plans to return (although it’s not yet set in stone), said the biggest thing he learned this season was to “roll with the punches” and “keep grinding.”
“Something’s going to happen,” Marsh said. “It doesn’t matter if you have everything set, something’s going to happen. A kid’s going to get hurt. Somebody’s not going to show. It rains last minute. It’s going to happen.”
For the players, especially the local athletes who played their last American Legion game, the biggest takeaway from the experience was the fun.
Many of the players took this summer as an opportunity to improve their game in the o season, but at the same time, they’re friends and longtime teammates that have grown familiar with each other through high school and little league ball. As they put in time to win on the eld, the players also found time to make it a memorable experience, like the times they threw parties in second baseman Johansson’s Dodge Durango on the way to games.
“I had a really fun season,” Johansson said. “I’m sad we lost. I’m just happy we could all get out here. A lot of us could return from injuries and from not playing in awhile.”
Said pitcher Anthony Lopossay, “It’s a big adjustment from college. Coming from college, you come from guys you don’t really know. You’re on the same team, and you get to know each other, but coming home to the guys that you know, it’s a bunch of fun.”
Johansson (formerly of Seaforth) and Lopossay (formerly of Chatham Central) join former Northwood outelder Andrew Johnson and former Jordan-Matthews shortstop Ian McMillan as the local players closing out their American Legion careers. Johnson will be headed to Methodist University to continue his baseball career. Lopossay will return to the Cleveland Community College baseball team for another season. Johansson will not return to Barton College, but he will try to play at a junior college. McMillan is nished playing baseball and will study construction management at Cape Fear Community College.
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Emma Grace Hill res a pitch in Seaforth’s rst ever playo game against Whiteville on May 6.
Seaforth pitcher
Emma Grace Hill’s ERA in 2025
SIDELINE REPORT
NBA
NBA free agent
Beasley under gambling investigation
Detroit
NBA free agent Malik
Beasley is under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s o ce regarding gambling allegations tied to league games. “We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. The probe into Beasley comes 14 months after the NBA banned Toronto’s Jontay Porter, who was linked to a prop bet investigation and eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud.
NCAA FOOTBALL
NBC names Fareed as host for Big Ten football, Peacock’s NBA coverage
Stamford, Conn.
Ahmed Fareed will host NBC’s Big Ten football studio show as well as Peacock’s NBA coverage on Monday nights. Fareed was an occasional studio host during the rst two years of NBC’s Big Ten package but will move into the lead role with Maria Taylor becoming the host of the network’s NBA coverage on Tuesday night and Sunday night when the NFL season concludes. Fareed is NBC Sports’ third NBA announcement in the past week. Taylor was named the main studio host and Grant Hill was hired as a game analyst last week.
NFL
Hairston, Bills’ 1st-round pick, accused of sexual assault
Bu alo, N.Y.
Bu alo Bills rst-round draft pick Maxwell Hairston faces a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault in 2021. The lawsuit, led in Kentucky, alleges Hairston entered a woman’s dorm room uninvited and assaulted her while he was on the Kentucky football team. The Bills referred to earlier remarks by general manager Brandon Beane, who said the team had investigated the allegations and found no substance to them. Hairston was drafted 30th overall in April. He is competing for a starting cornerback position.
MLB Jenks, 2-time All-Star closer and World Series champ with White Sox, dead at 44
Chicago Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star closer and World Series champion with the Chicago White Sox, died at 44. Jenks died in Sintra, Portugal. He was being treated there for adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer. Jenks helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series, saving four games in six appearances during the postseason. He retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever. Jenks appeared in a game for the Winston- Salem Warthogs on injury rehab in 2008.
Manager Martinez, general manager Rizzo red by last-place Nationals
The team has had six straight losing seasons since its 2019 championship
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo were red by the Washington Nationals in moves that were surprising for their timing, even if the club is more than halfway through its sixth consecutive losing season since winning the 2019 World Series.
Senior VP and assistant GM Mike DeBartolo is taking over for Rizzo on an interim basis.
A replacement for Martinez wasn’t named immediately.
“While we are appreciative of their past successes,” Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement issued by the team, “the on- eld performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”
Rizzo’s time running the Na-
Three rookies were chosen for the game for the rst time in 14 years
By Doug Feinberg The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Kayla Thornton, Gabby Williams, Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron will be making their All-Star debuts in Indianapolis later this month as they were all chosen on Sunday as reserves for the game.
Thornton has been in the league for nine years and nally is getting her chance to play in the exhibition game. She was selected in the expansion draft by Golden State last year from New York and has helped the expansion team get o to a good start.
“It would be such a reward for her,” said New York’s Sandy Brondello, who will be one of the All-Star coaches. “She’s been a role player all her career, but to go into a new organization and do so well, I voted for her as an alternate to get there because she deserves it.”
Williams has been in the league for six seasons, although she’s missed time to play with France’s national team. She’s having a strong season for Seattle this year.
Washington rookies Iriafen and Citron join Dallas’ Paige Bueckers as rst-year players on the All-Star team. Bueckers was chosen as a starter. It’s the rst
tionals is over after more than a decade and a half. One of the Lerner family’s rst hires when it assumed control of the organization, Rizzo had been GM since 2009 and added the title of president of baseball operations in 2013.
“He played an instrumental role in leading the transformation of our farm system and building a roster that reached an unprecedented level of organizational success,” Lerner said. “Mike helped make us who we are as an organization, and we’re so thankful to him for his hard work and dedication.”
Martinez’s full record with the Nationals was 500-622. Martinez had never been a manager at any level when Rizzo hired him to replace Dusty Baker before the 2018 season. The Nationals went 82-80 in Martinez’s rst season and got o to a 19-31 start the following year, leading to some calls for him to be replaced.
But Rizzo stuck with Martinez, and that decision paid o in a big way: Led by starting pitchers Stephen Strasburg, who earned World Series MVP honors, and Max Scherzer, rookie out elder Juan Soto,
“Nationals fans have a lot to be optimistic about, and we see these changes as a di cult, but necessary move in a positive direction,” Mark Lerner, Washington owner
young shortstop Trea Turner and a string of veterans — including Howie Kendrick, Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon — the Nationals won the franchise’s rst title.
No one from the World Series roster is still playing for the franchise.
Washington took a step back in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and then Rizzo began tearing apart the roster, making a series of trades that sent Scherzer, Soto, Turner and others elsewhere. The reconstruction has continued, without much in the way of concrete progress in the standings to show for it, although the team does have
some building blocks that show promise, including starter MacKenzie Gore and out elder James Wood — both named NL All-Stars on Sunday — along with shortstop CJ Abrams, who was an All-Star a year ago.
“Nationals fans have a lot to be optimistic about, and we see these changes as a di cult, but necessary move in a positive direction,” Lerner said.
“As has been the case since my late father took control of the team almost 20 years ago, our family remains committed to winning.” Washington nished fourth or fth in the NL East every year from 2020 through 2024, never putting together a higher winning percentage than the .438 (71-91) each of the last two seasons.
“I’ve always appreciated and admired Davey’s passion for the game of baseball and the love he has for his players,” Lerner said. “Davey’s ability to connect with our sta , our players, our fans and our community set him apart. While this chapter has come to an end, we know that it doesn’t close the book on what should continue to be a long and successful career in baseball.”
time that three rookies will be playing in the game since 2011.
Other reserves chosen include Seattle’s Skylar Diggins, Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell, Los Angeles’ Kelsey Plum, Minnesota’ Courtney Williams, Las Vegas’ Jackie Young and Chicago’s Angel Reese.
“It means a lot to go with these other two,” said Diggins, who will be making her seventh All-Star appearance, of playing with teammates Nneka Ogwumike and Williams. Thomas will be making her sixth all-star appearance and rst with Phoenix.
“Anytime you’re an All-Star, it’s a huge honor,” Thomas said. “There are a lot of great players in the league. To be around this long and it to be my sixth is a great honor.”
The reserves were selected by the WNBA’s 13 head coaches, who each voted for three guards, ve frontcourt players and four players at either position regardless of conference. The coaches were not able to vote for their own players.
Captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier will draft their teams for the All-Star Game on July 19. First they’ll chose from the eight other starters: Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Bueckers, Ogwumike, former UNC Tar Heel Allisha Gray, Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally and Aliyah Boston.
Some notable players left off the team were Washington’s Brittney Sykes, Atlanta’s Brionna Jones, New York’s Natasha Cloud and Los Angeles’ Dearica Hamby, a former Wake Forest Demon Deacon.
The Connecticut Sun were the only team without an All- Star selection.
“Anytime you’re an All-Star, it’s a huge honor. There are a lot of great players in the league.”
Alyssa Thomas
JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO
From right, Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (22), Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) battle for the ball during a game last week.
JEFF ROBERSON / AP PHOTO
Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez, left, watches with general manager Mike Rizzo during spring training.
Van Gisbergen wins in Chicago once again, completing NASCAR weekend sweep
New Zealand native became the winningest foreign-born Cup Series driver
By Jay Cohen The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Shane Van Gisbergen completed a Windy City sweep, winning the NASCAR Cup Series race on the tricky street course in downtown Chicago.
“Epic weekend for us. I’m a lucky guy,” van Gisbergen said.
The 36-year-old New Zealand native became the second driver to sweep the X nity and Cup races in a single weekend from the pole, joining Kyle Busch at Indianapolis in 2016. With his third career Cup win, he also became the winningest foreign-born
driver on NASCAR’s top series.
It was van Gisbergen’s second victory of the season after the Trackhouse Racing driver also won last month on a Mexico City road course.
“He’s the best road course stock car racer that I’ve ever seen,” Trackhouse owner Justin Marks said. “I think when he’s done with us all and walks away from the sport, I think he’s going to walk away as the best road course racer that this sport has ever seen.”
Marks brought van Gisbergen over from Australia’s Supercars for the rst edition of NASCAR’s Chicago experiment in 2023, and he became the rst driver to win his Cup debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963.
He also won Chicago’s X nity Series stop last year and the rst stage in the Cup race before
“This
joint, it’s changed my life.” Shane van Gisbergen on the Chicago street course
he was knocked out by a crash.
“This joint, it’s changed my life,” van Gisbergen said. “I didn’t have any plans to do more NASCAR races when I rst came over here, and I never thought I’d be in NASCAR full time.”
In what might be the last NASCAR race on the downtown Chicago circuit, Ty Gibbs was second and Tyler Reddick nished third. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top ve. Van Gisbergen regained the lead when he passed Chase Briscoe with 16 laps left. As fog and rain moved into downtown Chicago, van Gisbergen con-
trolled the action the rest of the way. AJ Allmendinger was sixth, and Ryan Preece nished seventh. Ryan Blaney, who won the second stage, was 12th.
William Byron’s day was cut short by a clutch problem. The Hendrick Motorsports driver leads the point standings by 13 points over Chase Elliott.
After Michael McDowell seized the lead early in the race, Carson Hocevar caused a multicar crash when he hit the wall and spun out between Turns 10 and 11. Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suárez and Will Brown were among the
drivers collected in the wreck.
“I didn’t see it until the last second,” Keselowski said. “I slowed down and I actually felt I was going to get stopped, and then I just kind of got ran over from behind. It’s just a narrow street course, and sometimes there’s nowhere to go.”
Ty Dillon and Reddick moved into the third round of the Cup Series’ inaugural in-season tournament when Keselowski and Hocevar were unable to nish the race. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Keselowski after he upset top-seeded Denny Hamlin last weekend at Atlanta. Bowman, the 2024 champion on the downtown street course, won his head-to-head matchup with Bubba Wallace. Bowman and Wallace made contact as they battled for position late in the race after they also tangled in Chicago last year.
when his recruitment opened Sept. 1.
Flanagan, who has been the Chargers’ starting goalkeeper for three seasons, has recorded 608 saves with a .590 save percentage in his high school career.
This spring, Flanagan nished with a career-high 230 saves and a .602 save percentage. He logged 13 games with at least 10 saves, including a career-high 20 saves in a loss to Southern Alamance in March.
Flanagan earned second-team all-state and second-team all-region selections each for the second time this spring. Given his abilities and what he accomplished in the early years of high school career, Flanagan received a signi cant amount of attention
POWELL from page B1
as a solid 3-point shooter and threat in transition.
“I’d say it really just kind of switched my mentality a little bit,” Powell said. “My usage rate dropped a lot once I got to North Carolina, I was still playing heavy minutes and being able to help the team be successful. I really could have just sulked and just complained to the coaches, but like what does that get done? That was really the way I thought.”
Powell also answered a question about what he learned with the Tar Heels that will carry on to the NBA.
“Sept. 1, the day was pretty chaotic,” Flanagan said. “A lot of schools reaching out. Set up a couple of visits in the fall. Some pretty good schools.”
Flanagan visited Division III and Division I programs, including Bucknell and Saint Joseph’s. UMass Lowell also contacted him last fall, but like the other programs, communication slowed down once the team began its season in the spring.
But at the turn of summer, the ball got rolling again.
“(UMass Lowell) saw me play at an event this summer, and they invited me out for a visit,” Flanagan said. “It was great. I loved everything about it. The campus was awesome. Academics have been a big thing
“The preparation,” Powell said. “Every day type preparation. I think that was something I struggled with going in, but I had to continue to put trust in a lot of my vets. Seth Trimble, RJ Davis, Jalen Washington — guys like that. I just tried to shadow them a little bit. See how they operated.”
The time to put the preparation to work is on delay though. Powell will travel with the Nets to Las Vegas, but he will not play in the Summer League, reportedly due to left knee tendinopathy. The team reportedly considers the issue to be minor, and Powell will work out with the team in Las Vegas.
for me, and it’s not like the most prestigious school if you just look at acceptance rate, but their job outcomes and everything are really good. I like the location. It’s right outside of Boston. I’ve always wanted to be near a city.”
While the school’s location and future job prospects resonated with Flanagan, what really got him was the coaching sta .
“Their coaching sta just seems like they have a really good plan for the future,” Flanagan said. “Everything they’re doing seems really deliberate. Historically, they haven’t been the best program. They brought in a new coach. He fully cleaned house. New culture, new system, new everything. It seemed like them and the university
were all really invested in making sure this lacrosse program can become the best that it is, and at the end of the day, I just want to be a part of something like that.”
Flanagan, who plans to major in either business administration or statistics (or a combination of both), said he wants to compete for playing time on day one, but he’s also going to be “bought into” whatever role the team needs him to ll for its success — even if it’s sitting on the bench.
But with one more season left at Northwood, Flanagan’s focus is bringing a winning mentality to the Chargers that lasts beyond his tenure. Flanagan was a part of Northwood’s 2023 state runner-up team, and since then,
the Chargers have not made it past the third round of the 1A/2A/3A playo s. A culture of guys going all in on success, something he saw in his future home, is something he hopes to foster at Northwood.
“I want to make something sustainable for the future,” Flanagan said. “Obviously, we’re going to have a lot of seniors this year. I don’t want us to leave and the program to fall apart. I want to really set a culture in the locker room. Make sure the guys are bought in. That’s a big thing for me and the coaching sta as well.”
Said Flanagan, “As a general goal, we want to win a state championship. We’re not coming into this year for any moral victories. We want to walk out with some hardware.”
Drake Powell is all business after being selected with the 22nd overall pick in the NBA Draft on June 25.
FLANAGAN from page B1
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
ERIN HOOLEY / AP PHOTO
Shane van Gisbergen holds the trophy after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race on Chicago’s street course.
NBA stars to turn lmmakers at Summer League fest
“UNLV: Kings of Vegas” will premiere at the second annual event
By Jonathan Landrum Jr.
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Lights, camera, layup.
The NBA Summer League is giving athletes another shot that takes place behind the camera. With assists from Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett and Hollywood power players Mark Wahlberg and Deon Taylor, the Summer League Film Festival is coming back starting July 17 in Las Vegas.
The three-day festival will bring big-screen storytelling through 34 selected projects, spotlighting stories produced by NBA stars past and present, including Nikola Jokic, Luguentz Dort, Tony Allen, Nate Robinson, Cole Anthony, Keyon Dooling and Udonis Haslem.
“We have a ton of NBA players who own production companies,” said Garnett, who won the NBA championship with the Boston Celtics. He cofounded the production company Content King Studios.
Garnett said he wants to highlight lmmakers who are telling authentic, real-life stories.
“So, the SLFF is a great opportunity to get together to share our projects, give each other our owers for doing the work, and provide an opportu-
“I’ve always been a big hoops fan, so it’s amazing to see NBA players bring these incredible stories to life.”
Mark Wahlberg
nity to get projects nanced and even sold,” he said.
The second annual lm festival will take place at the Strip View Pavilion inside the Thomas & Mack Center, the longtime home of Summer League, which was cofounded in 2004 by Warren LeGarie and Albert Hall.
“I’ve always been a big hoops fan, so it’s amazing to see NBA players bring these incredible stories to life,” said Wahlberg, who has the production company Unrealistic Ideas. Deon and Roxanne Avent Taylor of Hidden Empire Film Group were brought on to help athletes explore the art of lmmaking and sharpen their acting chops.
“Today’s athletes are more than players. They’re storytellers, creators, and global in uencers,” said Deon Taylor, director of “Black and Blue,” “The Intruder, “Meet the Blacks” and “Fatale.” This marks another sports-driven venture for Hidden Empire, which teamed up with Skydance Sports and the NFL in March to host lm
training sessions for more than 20 current and former NFL players.
Taylor called the collaboration with Garnett, Wahlberg, Hall and the NBA a “culture shift.” He said the festival would help athletes control their narrative through lm, television and other media platforms.
“Together, we’re rede ning where sports, art and culture collide,” Taylor said.
The festival will feature the premiere of “UNLV: Kings of Vegas,” showcasing the untold story of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. The documentary will include interviews with popular gures ranging from Snoop Dogg, Chuck D and Jimmy Kimmel. It’s produced by former UNLV stars Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony, along with Damien Big Percy Roderick and Hidden Empire Film Group.
Along with screenings, the festival will host various private events, including a tipo viewing of “Tony Allen: The Grindfather” and a wrap party.
“The SLFF team is passionate about amplifying these amazing lms and lmmakers who are producing all forms of content at NBA Summer League,” Hall said. “Because of all the talented lmmakers who submitted lms this year, we believe the 2025 SLFF is poised to take on a life of its own and grow the second weekend of the Summer League.”
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
Deon Taylor, left, speaks as K’Lavon Chaisson, seated, and Reginald Kahlil McKenzie look on during a lmmaking workshop for NFL players.
this week in history
Burr shoots Hamilton, the Rolling Stones debut at Marquee Club, Bastille Prison stormed
JULY 10
1925: Jury selection began in Dayton, Tennessee, in the trial of John T. Scopes, charged with teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
1940: The Battle of Britain began as the German Luftwa e launched attacks on southern England during World War II.
1962: NASA launched Telstar 1, the rst active communications satellite.
JULY 11
1798: The U.S. Marine Corps was formally reestablished by congressional act, which also created the U.S. Marine Band.
1804: Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey.
1859: Big Ben, the great bell inside London’s famous clock tower, chimed for the rst time.
1914: Babe Ruth made his major league debut, pitching the Boston Red Sox to a 4–3 win over Cleveland.
1960: Harper Lee’s nov-
el “To Kill a Mockingbird” was published.
JULY 12
1543: England’s King Henry VIII married his sixth and nal wife, Catherine Parr.
1862: President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill authorizing the Army Medal of Honor during the Civil War.
1962: The Rolling Stones played their rst show at the Marquee Club in London.
JULY 13
1923: A sign consisting of 50-foot-tall letters spelling out “HOLLYWOODLAND” was dedicated in the Hollywood Hills to promote a subdivision.
(The last four letters were removed in 1949.)
1930: The rst FIFA World Cup began in Uruguay.
1985: The “Live Aid” bene t rock concerts were held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, raising millions for famine relief in Ethiopia.
JULY 14
1789: In an event symbolizing the start of the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille prison and released the seven prisoners inside.
1798: President John Ad-
ams signed the Sedition Act into law, making it a federal crime to publish false, scandalous or malicious writing about the United States government.
1881: Outlaw William H. Bonney Jr., alias “Billy the Kid,” was shot and killed by Sheri Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner in present-day New Mexico.
1912: American folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma.
JULY 15
1799: The Rosetta Stone, a key to deciphering ancient Egyptian scripts, was found at Fort Julien in the Nile Delta during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt.
1834: The Spanish Inquisition was abolished more than 350 years after its creation.
1916: The Boeing Company, originally known as Paci c Aero Products Co., was founded in Seattle.
1997: Fashion designer Gianni Versace, 50, was shot dead outside his Miami Beach home by Andrew Phillip Cunanan, 27.
JULY 16
1945: The United States exploded its rst experimental atomic bomb in the desert
of Alamogordo, New Mexico.
1951: The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger was rst published by Little, Brown and Co.
1957: Marine Corps Maj. John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record by ying a Vought F8U Crusader jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds.
1969: Apollo 11 blasted o from Cape Kennedy on the rst manned mission to the surface of the moon.
Ozzy Osbourne says farewell with hometown show for 40K fans
Black Sabbath, the founders of heavy metal, formed in 1968
The Associated Press
LONDON — Hard-rock royalty and some 40,000 fans gathered for an ear-splitting tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at what the heavy metal icon says was his nal live performance.
The original lineup of Osbourne’s band Black Sabbath performed at Villa Park soccer stadium in their home city of Birmingham, central England, on Saturday.
The 76-year-old singer, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, sang from a black throne that rose up from under the stage.
“Let the madness begin!” he urged as he took the stage and later paid tribute to fans.
“I don’t know what to say, man, I’ve been laid up for like six years. You have no idea how I feel — thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Osbourne said. “You’re all … special. Let’s go crazy, come on.”
Osbourne performed several songs solo before being joined onstage, for the rst time in 20 years, by Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward. The band ended a short
“You’re all … special. Let’s go crazy, come on.”
Ozzy Osbourne
set with “Paranoid,” one of its most famous songs.
It capped a daylong metal festival that included performances from the likes of Anthrax, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. Artists who sent plaudits and well-wishes included Jack Black, Dolly Parton and Elton John.
“You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time,” John said. “You are the king; you are the legend.” Osbourne formed Black Sabbath in 1968 in Birmingham, a city then known for its heavy industry that became the crucible of the British metal scene. Black Sabbath’s devil imagery and thunderous sound made them one of the era’s most inuential — and parent-scaring — metal acts. Both the band and Osbourne as a solo artist have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Osbourne’s fame expanded into the mainstream in the early 2000s when he joined his wife Sharon Osbourne and two of their children in
solutions
the MTV reality TV show “The Osbournes.” He has struggled with health
issues since 2003 following a near-fatal quad bike crash. He revealed his Parkinson’s di-
agnosis in 2020 and paused touring in 2023 after spinal surgery.
HANS HILLEWAERT VIA WIKIPEDIA
The Rosetta Stone, which held the key to decoding ancient Egyptian text, was rst discovered in the Nile Delta on July 15, 1799.
ALASTAIR GRANT / AP PHOTO
Ozzy Osbourne performs during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England, in 2022.
*Must set up Auto Draft for 2nd Month.
famous birthdays this week
Actor Harrison Ford turns 83 on Sunday.
Singer Mavis Staples, pictured performing at the seventh annual Love Rocks in 2023, celebrates her 86th birthday on Thursday.
Mavis Staples turns 87, Cheech Marin is 79, Jane Lynch celebrates 65, Will Ferrell is 58
The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
JULY 10
Actor Mills Watson (“B.J. and the Bear”) is 85. Actor Robert Pine (“CHiPS”) is 84. Folk singer Arlo Guthrie is 78. Banjo player Béla Fleck of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is 67.
JULY 11
Ventriloquist Jay Johnson (“Soap”) is 76. Actor Sela Ward is 69. Guitarist Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) is 66. Singer Suzanne Vega is 66.
JULY 12
Actor Denise Nicholas (“In the Heat of the Night”) is 81. Singer Walter Egan is 77. Actor Cheryl Ladd (“Charlie’s Angels”) is 74. Singer Ricky McKinnie of The Blind Boys of Alabama is 73.
JULY 13
Actor Patrick Stewart is 85. Actor Harrison Ford is 83. Actor-comedian Cheech Marin is 79. Actor Gil Birmingham (“Twilight” lms) is 72. Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 68.
JED JACOBSOHN / AP PHOTO Will Ferrell turns 58 on Wednesday.
JULY 14
Actor Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”) is 79. Actor Jane Lynch is 65.
JULY 15
Singer Linda Ronstadt is 79. Drummer Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd) is 77. Drummer Marky Ramone is 73. Guitarist Joe Satriani is 69. Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 64.
JULY 16
Drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police is 73. Michael Flatley (“Lord of the Dance”) is 67. Actor Phoebe Cates is 62. Actor Will Ferrell is 58.
RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO
CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP PHOTO
the stream
Spielberg looks back at ‘Jaws,’ Backstreet’s back, alt icons Pavement get documentary
Peyton Manning’s “Quarterback” returns to Net ix
The Associated Press
STEVEN SPIELBERG reecting on his shark blockbuster in the documentary “Jaws @ 50,” “Pavements” and Backstreet Boys “Millennium 2.0.” are some of the shows, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: Burna Boy’s eighth studio album, EA Sports’ College Football 26 and Season 10 of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
MOVIES TO STREAM
Spielberg re ects on the “life-altering experience” that was “Jaws,” which celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer, in the new documentary “Jaws @ 50: The De nitive Inside Story,” streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on Friday. Voices include those who worked on the lm, like composer John Williams, production designer Joe Alves and actors like Jonathan Filley and Lorriane Gary, as well as lmmaker luminaries from James Cameron and Jordan Peele to George Lucas.
Alex Ross Perry’s experimental documentary, “Pavements,” about the ’90s indie band Pavement (“Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain”) will be streaming on Mubi on Friday. There are actors (“Stranger Things’” Joe Keery, Nat Wol , Jason Schwartzman), the real guys (Stephen Malkmus), archival footage and irreverent stagings that help evoke the spirit of the band and kind of tell their story as unconventionally as possible.
Writer-director Mark Anthony Green’s debut movie “Opus,” a cult-horror about a reclusive pop star and a mysterious retreat, did not receive the best reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. But it touts the kind of cast and intriguing premise that makes it a hard-toresist curiosity, with Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich leading, that begins streaming on HBO Max on Friday. In his AP review, Mark Kennedy wrote, “How both could be totally miscast will haunt your dreams.” Kennedy added, “Green wobbles as he tries to land this plane and what had been an intriguing premise to talk about fame
and the parasitic industries that live o it turns into a gross- out, run-for-it bloodfest and a plot that unravels.”
MUSIC TO STREAM
Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, a leading voice in Afrobeats, will release his eighth studio album, “No Sign of Weakness,” on Thursday. It’s a high-energy good time, as rst made apparent in the percussion-heavy “TaTaTa” featuring rapper Travis Scott. It was one of the best-selling albums of all time. On Friday, Backstreet Boys’ 1999 boy band classic, “Millennium,” gets a facelift with the release of “Millennium 2.0.” It’s a deluxe reissue, now with a brand-new song, B-sides and live recordings.
SERIES TO STREAM
ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise” marks its 10th season this summer with a golden twist. Contestants from “The Golden Bachelor” and “The Golden Bachelorette” are sent to a resort in Costa Rica to have fun in the sun and possibly make romantic connections. Jesse Palmer hosts with Bachelor Nation favorites Wells Adams serving as in-house bartender and Hannah Brown, who is in charge of Paradise Relations, whatever
“A good voice isn’t so important. It’s more important to sound really unique.”
Stephen
Malkmus
that means. It is streaming now on Hulu.
Peyton Manning’s Net ix docuseries “Quarterback” returns for a second season. Cameras follow NFL quarterbacks Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, Jared Go of The Detroit Lions and Kirk Cousins. Cousins was also featured in Season 1 as the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, but in Season 2, we see him su er a torn Achilles injury. He eventually parts ways with the Vikings and signs with the Atlanta Falcons. All eight episodes are ready to watch.
There’s a “Bosch” spino streaming on Prime Video focusing on LAPD homicide detective Renée Ballard (who you may recognize from the “Bosch: Legacy” series nale.) “Ballard,” starring Maggie Q as the titular character, is also based on books by Michael Connelly.
Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network presents “a social experiment” where three families live “Little House
on the Prairie”-style for eight weeks. “Back to the Frontier” streams a new episode for eight weeks beginning Thursday on Max.
Meg Stalter of “Hacks” stars in a new Net ix comedy from Lena Dunham called “Too Much.” It’s a semi-autobiographical story about Dunham’s life about a heartbroken New Yorker who moves to London to begin anew and nds herself drawn to a musician (Will Sharpe,) against her better judgment. An impressive roster of talent, including Andrew Rannells, Naomi Watts, Kit Harington, Andrew Scott, Rhea Perlman, Richard E. Grant and Rita Ora, make appearances. All 10 episodes drop Thursday. Dexter Morgan takes Manhattan in “Dexter: Resurrection,” a sequel to 2021’s “Dexter: New Blood.” Michael C. Hall reprises his role as the serial killer who hunts other serial killers.
In “Resurrection,” Dexter meets a secret society of serial killers led by a character played by Peter Dinklage. David Zayas continues his role of detective Angel Batista from the original. It premieres Friday. The cast of “Love Island USA” was so popular, they’ve got their own spin-o called “Love Island: Beyond the Villa.” The show follows six of the core cast living in LA as they adjust to the
limelight and attempt to maintain their relationships. It debuts Sunday on Peacock. MGM+ has an adaptation of Stephen King’s 2019 novel “The Institute.” It’s about a teenage boy named Luke — with an exceptionally high intellect — who wakes up a strange, unknown facility run by the government that imprisons kids with unique abilities. The sci- horror series is eight-episodes and stars Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker. It premieres Sunday.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
What’s in the works for EA Sports’ College Football 26? Dozens of new mascots! We’re talking Oregon State’s Benny the Beaver, Akron’s Zippy the Kangaroo and the already legendary Pop-Tarts mascot. Real-life coaches like Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Georgia’s Kirby Smart are joining the fun. EA drew a huge audience last year when it returned to the NCAA gridiron after a decade-long hiatus, and this season promises 2,800 new plays and unique coaching schemes to go along with slicker graphics and tighter gameplay. The real season is still more than a month away, but you can begin your tailgate party Thursday on PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S.
UTOPIA VIA AP
Joe Keery portrays Stephen Malkmus in a scene from “Pavements.”
PATRICK WYMORE / PRIME VIDEO VIA AP
Maggie Q and Michael Mosley star in the “Bosch” spino “Ballard.”