Wrapped up
JordanMatthews — and sophomore Lennox Mordecai (5) — were smothered by ALA-Johnston last week, with the Jets falling 41-6. For more, turn to page B1.
the BRIEF this
week
Nebraska joins Trump program to use public money for private school tuition
Omaha, Neb.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has opted Nebraska into a federal program to use taxpayer dollars for private school tuition. The move comes despite Nebraska voters repealing a similar state law last year. The federal program is part of the federal tax and budget bill passed in July. It allows taxpayers to direct up to $1,700 in federal income taxes they owe to scholarship groups for private school expenses. Critics argue it undermines the will of the voters. Pillen insists the measure won’t a ect public school funding, saying it bene ts both public and private schools.
U.S. government starts phasing out use of paper checks
Washington, D.C.
The U.S. government is phasing out paper checks for most programs. The change started Tuesday and a ects recipients of bene ts like Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and tax refunds. Nearly 400,000 Social Security and SSI recipients still rely on paper checks. The director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says many of these people lack access to digital services.
President Donald Trump’s Republican administration says electronic payments and collections will speed up processing and cut costs. The Social Security Administration says it will continue issuing paper checks if a bene ciary “has no other means to receive payment.”
$2.00
Chapel Hill considering multiple townhome, apartment developments
The proposed projects could construct up to just under 1,000 units if fully approved
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill Town Council met Sept. 24 with an agenda containing
three conditional zoning applications related to high-density development. The rst hearing was for 45 acres of property located between Interstate 40 and Weave
Dairy Road to go from MixedUse O ce/Institutional and Residential to Mixed-Use Village Conditional Zoning District.
The proposed development would have two buildings, one with between 350 and 575 multifamily units for rent, and one with 100 to 135 for-sale townhome units.
‘Political terrorism’ bill passes NC House with bipartisan support
The measure cited recent political violence, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
RALEIGH — In the wake of the assassination of Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, the North Carolina House last week passed the Politi-
cal Terrorism Prevention Act.
The bill, contained in Senate Bill 13, aims to enhance criminal penalties for politically motivated acts of violence while balancing protections for free expression and democratic engagement.
“You have a First Amendment right to say outrageous things,” House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) told reporters in response to questions about toning down political rhetoric. “If you’re an elected o cial, you probably ought to use good sense when you’re saying those things. And things get heated sometimes. But even in those circumstances, it
US House members hear pleas for tougher justice policies after stabbing death of refugee
The House judiciary subcommittee held a eld hearing in Charlotte
By Erik Verduzco and Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE — U.S.
House members visited the state’s largest city on Monday to hear from family members of violent-crime victims who pleaded for tougher criminal justice policies in the wake of last month’s stabbing death of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte commuter train. A judiciary subcommittee meeting convened in Char-
lotte to listen to many speakers who described local court systems in North Carolina and South Carolina that they say have failed to protect the public and keep defendants in jail while awaiting trials.
The meeting was prompted by the Aug. 22 stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska on a light rail car and the resulting apprehension of a suspect who had been previously arrested more than a dozen times, according to court records. “The same system that failed Mary failed Iryna. Our hearts are broken for her family and her friends and we grieve with
See HEARING, page A3
“The same system that failed Mary failed Iryna. Our hearts are broken for her family and her friends and we grieve with them.”
Mia Alderman, grandmother of a 2020 murder victim
“What I see in this project that I like is that it’s providing a type of home in a place that makes sense that we desperately need,” said council member Theodore Nollert. “The townhomes that are to be added here are the only types of places
See HOMES, page A3
shouldn’t come to physical attacks on people.”
The bill’s language includes a passage referring to “a disturbing rise in politically motivated acts” and lists the attempted assassinations of Congressman Steve Scalise, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the two attempts on Donald Trump during last year’s campaign.
Also mentioned are the arson attack on the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the assassinations of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and Kirk.
The bill states, “these attacks
See BILL, page A7
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
CRIME LOG
Sept. 22
• Laquinn Devinee Mordecai, 30, of Siler City, was arrested for breaking and entering, larceny and assault on an individual with disabilities.
• Carl Truman Duane Thompson, 43, of Sanford, was arrested for communicating threats and assault with a deadly weapon.
Sept. 24
• Steven Rashun Scotton, 39, of Pittsboro, was arrested for possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances, possession of marijuana, possession of a rearm by a felon and possessing or selling a gun with an altered serial number.
• Valiev Boburkhuja, 32, of Philadelphia, was arrested for attempted breaking and entering of a motor vehicle and injury to personal property.
• Troy Thomas Blankenship II, 37, of Siler City, was arrested for driving with canceled, revoked or suspended certi cation, operating a vehicle without insurance, driving without registration, simple possession of Schedule II controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia and carrying a concealed gun.
• Colon Alston, 67, was arrested for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving while impaired.
• Garry Allen Mitchell, 50, was arrested for conspiracy to tra c opium or heroin.
Sept. 25
• Clifton Tristan Cauley, 30, of Spring eld, TN, was arrested for felony possession of Schedule II controlled substances, tra cking in opium and maintaining a vehicle for controlled substances.
• Edilberto Vargas-Ibarra, 55, of Siler City, was arrested for resisting a public o cer and driving without an operator’s license.
• Priscilla Anne Peavy, 41, of Bear Creek, was arrested for identity theft, obtaining property by false pretenses and nancial card theft.
• Robert Gordon Wilson, 43, was arrested for conspiracy to tra c opium or heroin.
Chatham County PTA thrift shops raise $548K for schools
Volunteer-run stores generated funds through nearly 30,000 hours of community service
Chatham News & Record sta PITTSBORO — Chatham County Schools distributed checks totaling more than $548,500 to individual schools Monday night, funds generated entirely through volunteer-run PTA thrift shops. The Annual PTA Thrift Shop Appreciation and Check Distribution Dinner, held Sept. 22 at Northwood High School, recognized volunteers who contributed 28,300 hours of service across the county’s three thrift shops in Cole Park, Pittsboro and Siler City.
Each school received fund-
ing proportional to its volunteer contributions. Northwood High School earned the largest check at nearly $59,700 through 4,139 volunteer hours. Seaforth High School received about $36,300 for 2,128 hours, while Chatham Central High School earned roughly $33,100 for 1,851 hours.
Bennett School and J.S. Waters School rounded out the top ve recipients, earning about $32,000 for 1,762 hours and $31,750 for 1,737 hours respectively.
“Each volunteer hour has a tangible impact on our students,” Superintendent Anthony D. Jackson said. “This year’s extraordinary turnout is a testament to our community’s commitment to education and to each other.”
The three nonpro t thrift shops sell donated goods
year-round, with all pro ts directed to Chatham County Schools. Community members can donate items, volunteer or shop at the locations.
Other schools receiving funds included George Moses Horton Middle School ($30,330), Jordan-Matthews High School ($29,557), Pittsboro Elementary School ($29,463) and Virginia Cross Elementary ($28,949).
The smallest distributions went to Chatham Grove Elementary ($16,420 for 419 hours), Chatham Early College ($17,019 for 471 hours) and Moncure School ($19,363 for 672 hours).
The Cole Park PTA Thrift Shop is located at 11500 U.S. 15-501 N in Chapel Hill. The Pittsboro location operates at 400 East St., while the Siler City shop is at 218 E. 11th St.
Share with your community! Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@chathamnewsrecord.com The weekly deadline is
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County:
Oct.
2
Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance
The 21st-annual festival brings more than 50 bands performing world, national and regional music on four stages. The four-day celebration includes camping, workshops and dance with musicians from across the country. Runs through Oct. 5. 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road Pittsboro
PlayMakers’ King James at Chatham Community Library
4-6 p.m.
The library hosts a special theatrical performance by PlayMakers Repertory Company. This free community event brings professional theater to Pittsboro in an intimate library setting.
Chatham Community Library 197 N.C. Highway 87 N Pittsboro
Oct. 4
East America Truck Show
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Annual truck and rig show features big rigs, custom trucks, cars and motorcycles competing for cash prizes and trophies. Awards ceremony at 3 p.m. includes best of show $200 prize with food vendors and merchandise booths throughout the day.
Silk Hope Ruritan Club 4221 Silk Hope Road Siler City
Oct. 5
Oktoberfest at The Plant Noon to 6 p.m.
Celebrate fall with German-style beer, bratwurst, live polka music by Folkknot and family activities. The festival features local craft breweries, traditional German food and games in a festive outdoor atmosphere.
The Plant 1240 Farrington Rd. Pittsboro
Sheri ’s inaugural motorcycle ride raises $11K for Special Olympics
More than 100 rode across Chatham to raise money
Chatham News & Record sta
THE CHATHAM County
Sheri ’s O ce’s rst “Cruisin’ for Champions” motorcycle ride raised more than $11,000 for Special Olympics North Carolina on Sept. 20, drawing 121 riders for a scenic tour through the county.
The event began at White Oak Beach at Jordan Lake, where participants gathered for breakfast prepared by the sheri ’s o ce mobile kitchen team. Riders then followed an escorted route through north Chatham into Pittsboro, circling the Historic Chatham County Courthouse before returning to Jordan Lake. Deputies provided tra c control throughout the ride.
“It was a great day in every sense — perfect weather, an outstanding turnout, and strong community spirit all in support of Special Olympics North Carolina,” Sheri Mike Roberson said. “We’re grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make this rst-time event such a success.”
Beyond the ride itself, the event featured a live DJ, games and ra e giveaways. The sheri ’s o ce mobile kitchen team served hot dogs for lunch. Each rider received a commemorative T-shirt and custom challenge coin designed for the event.
The fundraiser drew support from numerous local and regional businesses and organizations.
Proceeds will support year-round sports training and competition opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities through Special Olympics NC.
The sheri ’s o ce plans to make Cruisin’ for Champions an annual event.
HOMES from page A1
where somebody like me could conceivably nd and buy on an income of under $100,000 a year.”
The conditional zoning would allow a central area within the development to be set aside and reserved for future commercial development without needing additional council approval in the future.
The applicant also proposed allotting 10% of the multifamily units to be affordable to households earning 80% of the area median income (AMI) and 15% of the townhome units to be affordable, split evenly, between households earning 80% and 65% of the AMI.
In addition, the plan calls for a ve-story, south-facing parking deck between the apartments and I-40.
Council and public concerns ranged from noise and pollutant concerns to bu ers, but the main topic of discussion was potential stormwater impact as the area has already been adversely a ected by ooding.
“Places are already ooding, and preventing this is not going to protect the places that are already ooding, which is precisely why the town has to gure out how to address the ooding that is happening now and plan for additional ooding that may happen over time as climate change intensi es,” Nollert said. “Blocking new homes will contribute only to making things more expensive and already less diverse than they already are.”
Councilmember Adam Searing added, “I have multiple reservations about this project, so I look forward to seeing how it changes when it comes back.”
The second hearing was for 19 acres of property located between the Carraway Village development and I-40 to go from Community Commercial and O ce/Institutional to a Residential Conditional Zoning District.
HEARING from page A1
them,” Mia Alderman, the grandmother of 20-year-old Mary Santina Collins, a 2020 Charlotte murder victim, told panelists. Alderman said defendants in her granddaughter’s case still haven’t been tried: “We need accountability. We need reform. We need to ensure that those accused of heinous crimes are swiftly prosecuted.”
A magistrate had allowed the commuter train defendant, Decarlos Brown Jr., to be released on a misdemeanor charge in January on a written promise to appear, without any bond. Now Brown is jailed after being charged with both rst-degree murder in state court and a federal count in connection with Zarutska’s death. Both crimes can be punishable by the death penalty.
Public outrage intensied with the release of security video showing the attack, leading to accusations from Republicans all the way to President Donald Trump that policies by Democratic leaders in Charlotte and statewide are more focused on helping criminals than victims. Democratic committee members argued that Republicans are the ones who have reduced crime-control funds or failed to provide funding for more district attorneys and mental health services. Brown’s mother told media outlets that her son hasbeen diagnosed with schizophrenia.
“The hearing for me is not really about public safety,” Democratic Rep. Alma Adams, who represents most of Charlotte. “It’s about my colleagues trying to paint Democrats as soft on crime — and we’re not — and engaging in political theater, probably to score some headlines.”
Dena King, a former U.S. attorney for western North Carolina during Joe Biden’s administration, testi ed that Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, needs dozens of additional prosecutors to serve e ectively a county of 1.2 million people. And a crime
The maximum amount of units being proposed between all three projects
The rezoning would allow for a proposed residential development that will consist of multiple three-story structures (apartments and townhomes) housing 155-170 multifamily rental units.
“This was not part of the original Carraway Village project, but it is a site that has been back and forth in ownership for many years,” said Thomas and Hutton Regional Director Dan Jewell, who was representing the applicants. “Now the applicant would like to do a sort of extension of Carraway Village and add some housing types that aren’t currently provided in Carraway Village.”
In terms of a ordable housing, the applicant is proposing that 10% of the market-rate units will be a ordable units with half at 60% AMI and the other half at 80% AMI.
Following discussion, the board voted to continue both hearings until Oct. 22 to allow the developers time to address public and council feedback and concerns.
The nal hearing was for four acres of property located at the intersection of East Lakeview Drive and Old Chapel Hill Road to go from Residential (R-1) to Residential (R-6) Conditional Zoning for the purpose of constructing a 76-unit townhome development.
The plan proposes four-story-tall buildings, and the applicant is proposing providing 15% of market rate units as affordable units.
Following the hearing, the council continued the hearing to Oct. 8
The Chapel Hill Town Council will next meet Oct. 8.
data analyst said that rates of murder and violent crime are falling nationwide and in Charlotte after increases early in the 2020s.
Republicans, in turn, blasted Democratic members, saying additional funding alone wouldn’t have prevented the deaths of Zarutska or the other homicide victims highlighted Monday. And they attempted to question the crime gures as misleading.
“This is not time for politics. This is not time for any race. It’s not time of any party. It’s about a time of justice,” said GOP Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, representing in part Charlotte’s suburbs. He spoke while holding a poster of a screenshot of the video showing Zarutska and her attacker. Adams protested Norman’s use of the placard.
In response to Zarutska’s death, the Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature last week approved a criminal justice package that would bar cashless bail in many circumstances, limit the discretion magistrates and judges have in making pretrial release decisions and seek to ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations. The bill now sits on Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s desk for his consideration.
Committee Republicans also cited the need for more restrictive bail policies for magistrates and aggressive prosecutors not willing to drop charges for violent crimes.
Another speaker, Steve Federico, from suburban Charlotte, demanded justice for his 22-year-old daughter, Logan, who was shot to death in May at a home in Columbia, South Carolina, while visiting friends. The suspect charged in her killing had faced nearly 40 charges within the last decade, WIS-TV reported.
“I’’m not going to be quiet until somebody helps. Logan deserves to be heard,” Steve Federico told the representatives. “Everyone on this panel deserves to be heard. And we will — trust me.”
COURTESY CCSO
Riders make their way around the Historic Chatham County Courthouse in downtown Pittsboro before heading back toward Jordan Lake.
COURTESY CCSO
Participants and Chatham County Sheri ’s O ce sta gather for a group photo at White Oak Beach before setting out on the Cruisin’ for Champions ride.
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN
In memory of Mitzi
Pastors often preach this idea as a reference to the dead who, by God’s grace, continue to surround us,
THE REV. MITZI LESHER-THOMAS died last Sunday, Sept. 28, a little more than 3½ years after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor. She was one of my predecessors at Chapel in the Pines, and I admired her, particularly her gift with words. After her diagnosis, Mitzi wrote beautifully and powerfully on her CaringBridge website.
Early into her treatment, Mitzi acknowledged that she tried “all the things I’m supposed to do as a Christian,” such as daily prayer and Bible study. She found comfort in these tasks, yet admitted, “I also realized I spent so much time trying to get ready to die that I hadn’t thought about what does it mean, what does it looks like if, by some miracle, I get to live a bit longer?”
As months turned into years, she wrote less about abstract theological ideas and more about the sunshine in the trees and birds at her feeder. She sat with the pain in her heart, as well as the beauty around her: “The horror of cancer has made everything seem that it is painted in bright colors.”
Of course, not everything was bright and beautiful. With candor, Mitzi added that “swearing helps.” She chuckled at her elderly cat, who still thought he was nimble enough to catch a squirrel. She butted into her husband’s conversations about cars with inappropriate jokes. Once an avid runner, Mitzi described how her tumor caused her to wobble o the walking path. She saw the metaphor: Life is not a straight line. She knew the prophet Jeremiah’s words that the Lord has a plan for each life (Jeremiah 29:11).
This promise does not mean that God’s plan is ours.
Again and again in her blog, Mitzi returned to the scripture of Hebrews 12:1. The verse exhorts readers to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” which appealed to her as a competitive athlete. However, she found this scripture’s mention of “the great cloud of witnesses” to be the most meaningful. Pastors often preach this idea as a reference to the dead who, by God’s grace, continue to surround us, demonstrating the eternal nature of love. But there are also living, breathing, esh-and-blood witnesses around each day.
Once, Mitzi described waiting in the oncology center for chemotherapy when the power went out and the room went dark. As technicians worked furtively to restore electricity, a nurse gave her a warm blanket. Mitzi tried to nap but found that she couldn’t help but overhear the stories of other patients. One person had traveled three hours to this appointment. Another was supposed to end her treatment that day. Mitzi was frustrated about the situation — swearing helped! She also began to pray for each patient around her. Even then, she was part of a great cloud of witnesses.
Rest in peace and power, Mitzi. May your memory always be a blessing.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman’s newest book is “This Is the Day.” He serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, co ee drinker and student of joy.
Grandchildren and sports, a great combination in life
When things don’t go so well, there’s an opportunity to share a life lesson that you don’t always win them all, but you need to keep on keeping on.
ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES I enjoy in senior adulthood is grandchildren.
I have been blessed with several, each di erent and unique, as you would want, I think. It’s been this side of Heaven to be with them, to watch them grow and to live parts of life all over again, this time with them. While it is true what my grandma said that sometimes they make you happy twice, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
One of life’s events I have come to especially enjoy is watching them participate in athletics. Part of that is because they’re mine and I enjoy seeing them in action, especially when things turn out well. By the same token, when things don’t go so well, there’s an opportunity to share a life lesson that you don’t always win them all, but you need to keep on keeping on.
And, truthfully, they all have more athletic ability than I had. So while I try very hard not to hover or to live my life through them, I do crawl back into my memory cave from time to time and think about those things.
I did play sports as a youngster, although much of it was in someone’s front or back yard. In Little League baseball, what there was in Pittsboro in the 1950s, I played third base. It’s probably more accurate to say I stood on third base and hoped nobody would hit a ball in my direction. Then when my turn at bat came, I was usually good for three pitches before taking my seat on the bench, which for us was an old utility pole laid along the third base line where you took a seat and tried not to get hit by a foul ball.
Then high school came along. Football hurt too much and there was no demand for a third baseman who stood on top of the bag, so I opted for basketball. Although I was taller than about three or four other guys in school, I left my skill in my gym bag. Played freshman ball a couple of years, which was hard to do when you’re in the 10th grade. But my career ended when I started fouling out in the warm-ups and managed to score a couple of baskets on the other team’s goal. Realizing my career was over
before it began, I decided to nd a part-time job. That way I always had enough money for a movie ticket for me and my date, provided I could get one … a date, that is.
In college I played intramural basketball and one year won a campus-wide pingpong tournament, but that may have been because only three other guys signed up and I got lucky. As an adult, I did play some church softball, but I was more interested in the concession stand.
These days, I get to watch my grands. The oldest was a good high school basketball player. Should have been — tall, scored lots of points, good sense of the game and all that stu . Now as a college sophomore, he’s studying chemistry and physics and other things I can’t even pronounce, so sports is starting to fade for him. He has two younger sisters who have played school sports and county rec ball. The oldest has a good shot at a successful basketball career if she’ll get mean on the court, but she’s so tenderhearted, it’s hard for her to foul someone. And her little sister has been a terror in youth softball.
Their cousins, likewise, are in a good place in school ball and county rec. The oldest of those ve is as tall as her grandma, and I once watched her make 10 shots in a row at basketball practice. And I don’t mean layups. Her two younger sisters are rounding into form, especially with softball. With all the places and times they’re playing, I need a travel secretary. That’s where Shirley comes in handy. Next on the scene will be their two younger brothers, who have already discovered baseball. If they ask me for any pointers, I’ll tell them, “Don’t stand on third.”
If you’re still with me at this point, let me conclude by saying, “Thank you for letting me babble on about my grandchildren,” and secondly, if you’ve got some, spend time with them. Play with them.
And go to their games. They won’t last forever.
Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.
COLUMN | BOB WACHS
The Curse of the white rabbit
The White Rabbit, smartly dressed in a waistcoat (good fashion sense) and always focused on his pocket watch because he’s late for a very important engagement. Yep, that White Rabbit.
SUN REFRACTING through a melange of crossed tree branches, seen through the living room window. Hypnotic, but …
But what?
That’s all I’m doing! Staring through the window at nature. Shouldn’t I be doing something more? You know, impactful and world-worthy.
World-worthy?
“The world is hurting, and I’m just lying here looking out the window at nature!” I should be doing something to help better the world!
If you hadn’t already noticed, I was born with an overdeveloped sense of “should.” The “S” word has the capacity to leave splinters in my soul. (I hate splinters! They hurt and are di cult to remove, you know?)
Which leads me to a confession, concerning …
The White Rabbit from “Alice in Wonderland.” You know, the “I’m late, I’m late, I’m late! For a very important date!” character? The White Rabbit, smartly dressed in a waistcoat (good fashion sense) and always focused on his pocket watch because he’s late for a very important engagement. Yep, that White Rabbit … is me.
’Tis often my inner voice when I’m lying around and gazing at nature. Just relaxing. “You’re late, late, late for making changes to our needy world. Do something!” Now!
But what? What must I do?
Something! Don’t just lie there. So far, this conversation has been terribly
bene cial. Sure. Right. Not. Not bene cial because I’m being motivated by a splinter in my tender soul to do something, but I have no idea what that something is. Oy! (You’ve been there?)
Help! OMG, help received! Thank you, thank you, thank you to that late poet (but still so alive in his words) Rainer Maria Rilke. I just need to say one more thank you because I’ve begun breathing again! Hallelujah!
Here be Rilke:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart. … Do not now seek answers, which cannot be given because you would not be able to live them. Live the questions. Perhaps you will then, without noticing it, live some distant day into the answer.”
My “get-out-of-shoulds pass.” Gazing at nature and my mind wandering are both eventual doorways through which knowing comes to me. Answers often tiptoe through those doors even though I’m not fully cognizant of the questions. I’m not late, thank God. Not late at all. Trusting that the unconscious seeds for wholeness, planted while I’m being fed by nature, will come to fruition in their own time. Not mine.
They usually do.
Returning to my living room window and the trees …
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
Keeping government open and our defense intact
This legislation is a win for every soldier, veteran, and military family.
AS YOUR CONGRESSMAN, I am committed to ghting for your family, your freedoms and your future. That means making sure our government stays open without wasting your tax dollars, and making sure our troops and veterans have the resources they need to keep America safe.
Over the past two weeks, two big issues have come to the forefront: keeping the government open and passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). I want to share where I stand and what these decisions mean for you.
Last week, House Republicans passed a clean, commonsense funding bill. This short-term, seven-week measure keeps the government open and ensures our troops and families don’t pay the price while Congress continues working toward the long-term reforms needed to rein in Washington’s wasteful spending. It doesn’t raise taxes or add wasteful new spending. It just ensures our government continues to serve our people.
Here’s what our bill does:
• Delivers paychecks for our troops, Border Patrol agents, TSA agents and air tra c controllers
• Prevents delays in Social Security and Medicare applications
• Provides uninterrupted health care for veterans
• Keeps National Parks open for families to enjoy
• Continues vital food inspections to protect consumers
However, a CR needs 60 votes in the Senate to pass. There are 53 Republicans in the Senate. Senate Democrats are threatening a shutdown unless their partisan demands are met. They want to use this as an opportunity to tack on a massive $1.5 trillion spending hike. Their list of demands includes restoring taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants, sending $500 million to liberal news outlets and pushing diversity programs in foreign countries while cutting bene ts back home.
Let me be clear: House Republicans did our job. We acted well before the deadline and passed a clean bill to keep the government open. If the government shuts down, it will be because Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) feels the need to put political games over people.
This shutdown would hurt families, seniors, small businesses and our veterans. I will not stand by and let Washington games hurt North Carolina families.
Alongside keeping our government open. Congress also passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. This annual defense bill is one of the
IN TOUCH
BE
What 100 years of craftsmanship can teach us in the age of AI
THIS FALL, the John C. Campbell Folk School will celebrate a century of keeping traditional Appalachian crafts alive, including blacksmithing, weaving, woodcarving, basketry and more. But what we’re really preserving is something deeper: the human need to make, to connect and to belong. And that’s never felt more urgent than now.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated communities across western North Carolina, we’ve been reminded just how fragile our region — and its rich cultural heritage — can be. As we support recovery e orts, we also rea rm our commitment to sustaining the traditions that root and restore us. Because in a time of disruption, digital overload and AI, the Folk School o ers something powerfully countercultural: A space where making is slow, tactile and grounded in community. Crafting by hand doesn’t just produce beautiful objects, it cultivates qualities we need now more than ever: mindfulness, resilience, creativity and focus. In our studios, people don’t scroll or skim. They observe, try again, and take pride in small, steady progress.
We invite people to embrace a di erent rhythm, one rooted in care, intention and connection.
Recent research shows that engaging in arts and crafts boosts life satisfaction, happiness and a sense of purpose even after accounting for age, health or socioeconomic status. Once engaged, participants also rediscover each other. Learning in a noncompetitive, collaborative environment builds connection and purpose, qualities often eroded in our tech-saturated lives.
most important responsibilities we have. It authorizes funding for our military, sets policy for the Department of War, and makes sure our troops and their families get the funding they deserve.
As Fort Bragg’s congressman, I fought to make sure this bill delivered for our community.
Fort Bragg and NC-09 wins:
• $44.7 million to construct training facilities at Forward Operating Base Freedom (Freedom Village) at Fort Bragg
• $5.3 million for SOF Joint Intelligence Center (JIC) at Fort Bragg
• $19 million for Automated Infantry Platoon Battle Course
• $24 million for Aircraft Maintenance Hangar
• $80 million for Power Generation and Microgrid
• $6.5 Million for SOF Mission Command Center
• $7.5 million for advanced drone development in North Carolina
On a national level, the NDAA delivers a 3.8% pay raise for all U.S. troops. It codi es 15 of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, reinforces priorities like merit-based promotion, accountability and improving lethality among the ranks. It also provides new authority and funding for DOW to coordinate with Homeland Security on border security.
The NDAA funds Trump’s signature defense platforms, from the Golden Dome missile defense system to nextgeneration ghters, submarines, warships and autonomous systems. It cuts red tape in the Pentagon’s procurement process so innovation can reach the battle eld faster. And it makes new investments in arti cial intelligence, hypersonics and unmanned systems to ensure America stays ahead of China, Iran and other adversaries.
This legislation is a win for every soldier, veteran and military family who sacri ces for our country. It strengthens our national security, protects our homeland, and honors the service of those stationed at Fort Bragg and around the world.
The contrast in Washington could not be more clear. While we are ghting for a commonsense solution, the Democrats are focused on playing politics with partisan priorities that do nothing to help North Carolinians.
I will continue every day to ght for you, to protect your tax dollars and to support the brave men and women who keep us safe.
Richard Hudson represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
We’ve seen what happens when we fail to preserve folkways. Sacred Harp and shape — note singing, once common across the mountains, has nearly vanished from many parts of Appalachia, near casualties of shifting tastes and modern convenience. Fortunately, a devoted community of singers passionate about preserving and perpetuating this traditional American music is working to keep the tradition alive. Thanks to similarly stalwart practitioners, Cherokee white oak basketry, a craft nearly lost, now passes down again through intergenerational teaching and shared storytelling.
The Folk School is part of that continuum. For 100 years, we’ve welcomed people to this corner of the mountains to learn and share traditional skills. And as we mark our centennial, we’re expanding the ways we honor and elevate this region’s heritage. We’ve restored and refreshed our historic Log Cabin Museum and introduced an interactive walking tour on campus. Both were developed in consultation with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Texana, the historic African American community in Murphy, and both will give visitors a layered sense of place and home held by diverse mountain people.
Another powerful symbol of this legacy is a rare, hand-drawn map of the Southern Appalachian region created in the early 1900s by Folk School founder Olive Dame Campbell and researcher Elva M. Dickey. This one- of-a-kind artifact, long hidden from public view, has now been stabilized and unveiled as part of our centennial celebration.
Our 100th anniversary isn’t just a look back. It’s a call forward. This October, during our Fall Festival and yearlong centennial programming, we’ll welcome thousands of visitors to join in that vision: to celebrate Appalachian artistry, share food and stories, and experience rsthand how craft, music and dance traditions still shape hearts and communities. In a world that increasingly and unquestioningly prizes rapid, digitized information, we invite people to embrace a di erent rhythm, one rooted in care, intention and connection.
Come join us. Put your head, heart and hands to work. And rediscover what it means to truly make something that matters.
Bethany Chaney is executive director of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, which will o cially mark its 100th anniversary at its annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 5.
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 | REP. RICHARD HUDSON
obituaries
Gregory Ray Laubert
Jan. 5, 1959 –Sept. 24, 2025
Greg was born January 5th, 1959, in Ravenna, Ohio. He died, after a 5-year battle with cancer, September 24th, 2025 (66) at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, due to complications during surgery.
After graduating in 1977 from Gar eld High School in Garrettsville, OH, Greg began his working life, pursuing a love of bowling that started at a very young age, by working at family-owned Sky Lanes in Garrettsville. There he enjoyed playing on several leagues: celebrating many accomplishments.
Greg and Debra were married in 1982. They moved to Bear Creek, North Carolina in 1984 where Greg embraced the country lifestyle working with Purvis Farms and more than 20 years with Townsend Poultry. He enjoyed working with livestock – handling, raising, feeding and caring for them; usually followed closely by one of his many beloved dogs over the years. At his peak, he was owner of multiple poultry houses producing
Joe “Glenn” Dunn Jr.
Feb. 9, 1966 –Sept. 25, 2025
Joseph “Glenn” Dunn Jr., 59, of Bonlee, passed away suddenly at his home on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
Glenn was born on February 9, 1966, in Siler City, NC, to Joseph “Joe” Dunn, Sr. and the late Mary Gilliland Dunn. From an early age, Glenn carried with him a deep love of cars, racing, the outdoors and the people around him. He graduated from Jordan-Matthews High School and Sandhills Community College.
Glenn’s career re ected both his dedication of hard work and his loyalty to family. He spent many years working alongside his father at the family business, D&S Auto Supply/Carquest, where he was known for his skill and his willingness to help anyone who came through the doors. Most recently, he worked with Mountaire Farms as a wastewater technician, where his steady hand and dependable nature earned the respect of his coworkers.
A true car enthusiast, Glenn found joy in the roar of engines and the thrill of the track, always cheering for Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and enjoying the “classic” days of NASCAR. But beyond cars, Glenn was happiest in the company of family and friends. He loved a good adventure, whether that meant a trip, a gathering, or simply sharing laughter and
approximately 25,000 chickens and countless eggs annually; as well as raising and caring for approximately 60 heads of cattle.
He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Debra; his daughter whom he loved deeply, Holly Bingham (Scott); siblings, Doug ( Freedom Township), Anette Castello (Bob), of Doylestown, Jodi Alford (Billy) of Lebanon, KY, Shawna Potteiger (Bill) of Garrettsville, Jimmy (Marilyn) Gulf, NC, Kathryn Hodgeman, Kent, OH, Carla Harris (Mike) Windham, OH, and Ron (Stacy) Miller (St. Mary’s, WV); brother-in-law, Steven Sycz; stepparents, Jim Hodgeman, and Ann Laubert; aunts, Mary Tassone and Sandy Gill; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Don Laubert and Roberta (Gill) Hodgeman.
His family will welcome friends and family at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home, Siler City, NC, Sunday, September 28th, 2025, from 4-7 pm. His family welcomes owers and other gifts of condolence but asks that any monetary gifts be donated to SECU Family House in Chapel Hill in his name for their exceptional service and care during his cancer treatments, www. secufh.org. His family would like to thank Dr. Weiss and Dr. Ho man for their dedicated care over the years, as well as the amazing sta at SECU house.
Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Laubert family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com
stories with those he held dear.
Glenn was a man with a generous spirit and a kind heart. He attended Sandy Branch Baptist Church in Bear Creek, where his faith was a quiet but steady part of his life. Those who knew Glenn will remember not only his sense of humor and love of fun, but his desire to put others rst. His greatest joy was his family.
Left to cherish his memory are his sons, Joseph “Jay” Glenn Dunn, III (Erica) of Angier, and Andrew Dunn of Siler City; his father, Joseph “Joe” Glenn Dunn, Sr. of Bonlee; his sister, Janet Dunn Frantz (Jim) of Salem, VA; nephew, Spencer Frantz (Claire) of Charlottesville, VA; niece, Mary Frantz Roberts (Andy) of Austin, TX; aunt, Shirley G. Edmisten, and a large extended family of cousins and friends who will miss him dearly. Glenn is also survived by his former spouses, Sonya Snider Dunn and Ronda Boone Peterson, whose lives remain intertwined with his, through mutual respect and shared family.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Sandy Branch Baptist Church. The family will greet friends in the activities building immediately following the service. A private burial will take place at a later date. Above all, Glenn will be remembered as a loving father, son, brother, and friend. His laughter, kindness, and passion for life will continue to inspire all who knew him. Though he is gone too soon, his legacy lives on in the family he loved and the lives he touched.
In honor of Glenn’s generous spirit, memorial contributions may be made to: Sandy Branch Baptist Church (715 Sandy Branch Church Rd., Bear Creek, NC 27207) and to Fellowship Hall - Partner Scholarship Program (5140 Dunstan Rd Greensboro, NC 27405).
IN MEMORY
MARK NEAL SCOTT
MAY 27, 1950 – SEPT. 23, 2025
Mark Neal Scott, 75, of Bennett, passed away on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 at his home surrounded by his family. The funeral service will be held on Friday, September 26, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. at Fall Creek Baptist Church, where he was a member, with Pastor George Townsend and Pastor Bob Wachs o ciating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with Military Honors. The family will receive friends in the sanctuary prior to the service from 1:00-2:45 pm and in the fellowship hall following the committal. Joyce-Brady Chapel will be open on Thursday, September 25, 2025 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. for friends to sign the register.
Mark was born in Chatham County on May 27, 1950 to Clinton and Mollie Gaines Scott. He was a fraud investigator for the State of NC. He served in the National Guard and as a reman with Bennett and Bonlee Fire Depts. for 50 years. He enjoyed shing and kayaking. Mark loved a good bargain and reduced prices. He adored his family, especially his grandchildren and fur baby, Zoey.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Mark is survived by his wife of 32 years, Janet McNeill Scott, of the home; children, Wendy Johnson (Chris), of Siler City, Dana Scott, of Siler City and Tina Alford (Brad), of Stem, NC; sister, Janie Riggsbee (Mark), of Bonlee; grandchildren, Ashton Rollins, Aidan Johnson, Sawyer Johnson, Reese Alford and Harper Alford and a host of family and friends.
SARAH FRANCES CAVINESS SPIVEY
JAN. 15, 1944 – SEPT. 28, 2025
Sarah Frances Caviness Spivey, 81, of Bear Creek, went to her Heavenly home on Sunday, September 28th, 2025, at her home surrounded by family.
Frances was born in Chatham County on January 15th, 1944, to the late Ivor Berch and Sallie Brooks Caviness. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, James Wesley Spivey; her son, Andy Holt; daughter, Cindy Holt; her sisters, Margaret “Tootie” Harris, Ethel Cooper, and Emogene Phillips; her brothers, James Brooks, John Brooks, and Bob Brooks; her half-sister, Julia Lane; her half-brothers, Joe Caviness and Jack Caviness.
Frances worked as an o ce manager in the medical eld up until her retirement. She was a member of Bear Creek Baptist Church where she served as church clerk. She was very active on the Hospitality Committee and the Program Committee. She really enjoyed the Senior Citizen’s activities with others. She enjoyed cooking and spending time with her family.
Left to cherish her memory are her sons, Chad Spivey of the home, and Michael Holt of Goldston; her special granddogs; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bobby Cain, member of Clinton 12 who helped integrate Tenn. high schools in 1956, dead at 85
The civil rights pioneer died Monday in Nashville
By Travis Loller
The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bobby Cain, who helped integrate one of the rst high schools in the South in 1956 as one of the socalled Clinton 12, died Monday in Nashville at the age of 85, according to his nephew J. Kelvin Cain.
Bobby Cain was a senior when he entered the formerly all-white Clinton High School in Tennessee on a court order. He had previously attended a black high school about 20 miles away in Knoxville and was not happy about leaving his friends to spend his senior year at a new school in a hostile environment.
“He had no interest in doing it because, you know, he’d gotten to rise up through the ranks at Austin High School as the senior and was nally big sh in the pond. And to have to go to this all-white high school — it was tough,” said Adam Velk, executive director of the Green McAdoo Cultural Center, which promotes the legacy of the Clinton 12. Velk added that the 16-yearold had to do it “with the entire world watching him.”
This was a couple of years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v Board of Education that separating public school children on the basis of race was unconstitutional and a year before Little Rock Central High School was desegregated by force. Unlike the Little Rock Nine, the Clinton 12 students were not hand-picked and trained for the job of desegregation. They just happed to live within the Anderson County school district at the time, Velk said.
Although the court-ordered desegregation in Clinton was accepted by state and local authorities, many in the local white community were against it. They were soon joined by Ku Klux Klan members and other segregationists from outside the community in a series of protests that led to the National Guard being called in to restore order.
Cain managed to stick out the
year, becoming the rst black student in Tennessee to graduate from an integrated staterun school. What should have been a triumphant moment was marred by violence. After receiving his diploma, Cain was jumped and beaten up by a group of white students. In the end, only one other member of the Clinton 12 made it to graduation. Gail Ann Epps graduated the following year, according to the Tennessee State Museum.
Cain had a lot of anger around his experience at the school and didn’t talk about it for many years.
“He didn’t want to remember it,” his nephew said. He received a scholarship to attend Tennessee State University in Nashville, where he met his wife. After graduation, he worked for the Tennessee Department of Human Services and was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. He never joined in the sit-in protests of the era, quipping to The Tennessee Mag-
azine in a 2017 interview that it was because “you had to agree to be nonviolent.”
Cain told the magazine that he had no white friends at Clinton High School.
“You have to realize that if any white students had gone out of their way to be nice to us, they would have been jumped on,” he said.
He also had to stop playing sports because “the coaches at Clinton told me that none of the other high schools would play against us if I was on the eld at the game.”
Velk calls Cain a reluctant hero.
“This is a normal, everyday human being who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances and acted above those circumstances,” Velk said. “This is a person who dealt with this tremendous di culty and rose to the occasion.”
Cain is survived by a daughter, Yvette Cain-Frank, and grandson Tobias Cain-Frank.
ROBIN CONOVER / THE TENNESSEE MAGAZINE VIA AP
Bobby Cain sits in the Civil Rights Room of the Nashville Public Library in October 2017.
Thieves steal $1M worth in craft whiskey from Washington distillery
12,000 bottles of rare
By Rebecca Boone The Associated Press
THIEVES WHO made o with 12,000 bottles of craft whiskey in a rare U.S. liquor heist this summer did more than just snag nearly $1 million worth of product — they also spirited away nearly half the stock of a single malt distillers had worked for more than a decade to make.
Now the Skagit Valley Sheri ’s O ce is investigating, and whiskey a cionados are wondering if — and where — the coveted bottles of Westland Distillery’s rst 10-year Garryana whiskey might turn up.
The bottles disappeared July 31, when someone in a freight truck showed up at Westland Distillery’s warehouse in Burlington, Washington, holding the paperwork that purportedly gave them the right to pick up a shipment of Westland single malt, Watchpost blended, and Garryana whiskies bound for New Jersey.
But the bottles never arrived at their intended destination, and the “sophisticated, fraudulent carrier scheme” was discovered a week later, said Jason
Moore, the managing director of the Seattle-based distillery. The 10th anniversary edition bottles of Garryana are irreplaceable, said Moore. “This is an unfortunate and pretty extraordinary situation,” said Moore.
The Skagit County Sheri ’s O ce didn’t immediately respond to a phone message left by The Associated Press. It could be di cult to sell the
Nearly $1 million in Garryana 10 whiskey was stolen.
stolen goods, said Mark Gillespie, the host of the WhiskyCast podcast who has published more than 3,800 tasting notes for different whiskey varieties.
“It’s going to be really hard for whoever took this to actually get this onto the market because what they took was so rare that everybody knows about it,” Gillespie said. “We see these thefts occasionally in Scotland, where thieves will steal a trailer
Chatham County Aging Services Weekly Activities Calendar
Monday, October 6 Pittsboro Center for Active Living
8:30 a.m. - Total Body Conditioning
9 a.m. - Chair Yoga
10 a.m. - Strong & Fit
11 a.m. - Bingocize!
Noon - Reading Out Loud with Gaines
1 p.m. - Mahjong; Table Tennis
3 p.m. - Caregiver Support Group
3:30 p.m. - Virtual Meditation Siler City Center for Active Living
9 a.m. - Strong & Fit; Horse & Buddy Trip
10 a.m. - Cornhole; Flu/Vaccine Clinic
10:30 a.m. - Blood Pressure Checks; STEP-Tember Celeb ration
2 p.m. - Strength & Tone
3 p.m. - Bocce & Horseshoes
3:15 p.m. - Pickleball
8:30 a.m. - QiGong
9 a.m. - 3G’s Men’s Group
Tuesday, October 7 Pittsboro Center for Active Living
10 a.m. - Woodcarvers; Cardio Drumming; Financial Literacy Class/Wills
10:30 a.m. - Gym Orientation; Healing Hearts
10:45 a.m. - Birthday Bingo with Mr. Ed; Hard of Hea ring Services Specialist Presentation Noon - Hiking with Alan
12:30 p.m. - Arthritis Foundation Exercise
2 p.m. - Zumba Gold Siler City Center for Active Living
8 a.m. - Quilting and Sewing Time
9 a.m. - Cardio Drumming; Walk With Ease
10 a.m. - Blood Pressure Checks; Chair Exercises
10:30 a.m. - Mental Health with Mary Anne Noon - Pickleball
1 p.m. - Rook, Phase 10 & Rummikub
3 p.m. - Bring Your Own Project Wednesday, October 8 Pittsboro Center for Active Living
8 a.m. - Bird Watching Tour
8:30 a.m. - Cardio & Lower Body Strength
10 a.m. - Chair Yoga
11 a.m. - Bingocize!; “The Chosen” with discussion,
11:30 a.m. - German Conversation Lunch
1 p.m. - Spades
2:30 p.m. - Charades Tea Party Siler City Center for Active Living
9 a.m. - Strong & Fit; Walk With Ease
10 a.m. - Sunshine Walkers
10:30 a.m. - Science with Alan
1 p.m. - Pickleball & Cornhole; Crafting Thursday, October 9 Pittsboro Center for Active Living
8:30 a.m. - QiGong
10 a.m. - Hooks & Needles; Chair Zumba Gold; Fall Fest ival at Phillips Farm
12:30 p.m. - Arthritis Foundation Exercise
1 p.m. - Rummikub
1:30 p.m. - Line Dancing
3 p.m. - Gentle Yoga with Liz Siler City Center for Active Living alk With Ease
10 a.m. - Chair Exercises, Crochet Workshop; Music Jam Session
2 p.m. - Strength & Tone
3 p.m. - Thursday Social: Mocktails & Trivia Friday, October 10 Pittsboro Center for Active Living
8:30 a.m. - Cardio & Upper Body Strength
10 a.m. - Strong & Fit
11 a.m. - Storytelling with Neriah
1 p.m. - Euchre; Table Tennis Siler City Center for Active Living
8 a.m. - Quilting and Sewing Time
9 a.m. - Zumba
10:15 a.m. -
7 p.m. -
full of whiskey — and it usually ends up in Russia.”
But getting 12,000 bottles out of the U.S. could be di cult because the bottles are rare and recognizable, and ipping them in the U.S. may be tough because of the nation’s three-tier system for alcohol sales. Distilleries generally have to sell liquor to distributors or wholesalers, who then sell to retailers and restaurants and bars. Selling alcohol on the secondary market — such as when individuals buy up popular bottles and then resell them for a pro t — is generally illegal.
That’s not true in much of Europe, where auction houses and other businesses specialize in secondary market sales.
“The providence of the Garryana is important because it’s their rst 10-year-old whiskey,” Gillespie said. “Basically, age statements state how old the whiskey is, and in this country you have a lot of craft distilleries that aren’t quite 10 years old. So for a craft distillery to be able to release a 10-year-old is an accomplishment.”
Westland focuses on single-malt whiskeys, a style of liquor made from barley, similar to a Scotch whiskey. But Moore says Westland has worked hard to capture the terroir of the Pacific Northwest inside each bottle, using locally produced grains, peat harvested from an Olympic peninsula bog and a speci c type
BILL from page A1
are not random, but intentional e orts to silence speech, suppress dissent, and enforce ideological conformity through terror.”
“Charlie Kirk was murdered because of his beliefs,” House Majority Leader Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) said.
“That is political terrorism in its rawest form. This law makes crystal clear: If you target someone because of their politics in our state, we will throw the book at you and then some.”
The legislation de nes acts of political violence as criminal o enses targeting individuals based on their political beliefs, a liations or public expressions, including advocacy, candidacy or voting history.
A press release from Hall’s o ce said sentence enhancements in the bill include making politically motivated Class A felonies that are “not otherwise capital o enses” eligible for the death penalty. Sentencing enhancement in the bill would also raise felony convictions by one class level and bar parole or early release.
Guardrails for special sentencing would involve requiring indictments alleging political motivation, which can be proven by direct or circumstantial evidence. The political motivation factor is required to be included in any notice of intent to seek the death penalty and can be considered during sentencing even if a defendant is pleading guilty.
The bill would also require district attorneys to contact the attorney general when a politically motivated case is being brought. The attorney general would have the power to appoint a special prosecutor if requested. Additionally, victims and their families would be given the ability to give impact statements at any point during the proceedings. If signed by the governor, the bill would be e ective
of yeast selected to bring out the regional avors. That’s what makes the Garryana special, he said — it’s aged in casks made from the Quercus garryana oak tree, which grows primarily in the Paci c Northwest.
The limited-edition whiskey regularly wins awards, said Gillespie, and the 2023 edition was named the third-best whiskey in the world by Whisky Advocate magazine. The Garryana sells out every year, Gillespie said, and with 3,000 of this year’s 7,500-bottle release gone, the price on the secondary market will be driven up.
Moore said the company has taken additional steps to protect its supply chain, and right now they are focusing on serving customers instead of the investigation.
“What happens from there is outside of our control, and we get excited about sharing our whiskey and engaging with the supporters we have,” Moore said.
“This is an extremely rare thing, and while it’s a setback, we’re condent that we’re going to get to share this whiskey. We’re proud to make something people enjoy.”
Losing $1 million in stock would put a lot of distilleries out of business, but Gillespie said he expects Westland to make it through the loss, in part because it was acquired by the Paris-based Remy Cointreau Group in 2016. Still, he has some advice for people eager to get a taste of Westland’s products: stick to the legal supply chains.
“If somebody tries to o er you a case of Westland whiskey right now, I’d call the cops,” Gillespie said.
“Charlie’s assassination was not just an attack on a man. It was an attack on free speech that every member of this General Assembly holds dear. This is why this bill matters.”
Rep. Wyatt Gable (R-Onslow)
Dec. 1 and apply to o enses committed on or after that date.
The measure passed the House with wide bipartisan support by a vote of 105-6 and was sent to the Senate, which did not act on the bill before the end of the September session.
The six members voting no were all Democrats: Reps. Mary Belk (Mecklenburg), Maria Cervania (Wake), Julia Green eld (Mecklenburg), Pricey Harrison (Guilford), Marcia Morey (Durham) and Renée Price (Orange).
“Like so many young conservatives, I was inspired today and in years past to get involved in public service because of Charlie Kirk,” Rep. Wyatt Gable (R-Onslow), who credited Kirk with having met his best friends in college, said on the House oor,
Gable, 23, is the rst member of Gen Z elected to the legislature and was 22 when he became the youngest member elected to the General Assembly in 126 years.
“But I sit here, I feel, because of Charlie and what he created,” Gable said. “He created an organization that I was able to be a part of. I was able to learn, I was able to grow, I was able to network. … Charlie’s assassination was not just an attack on a man. It was an attack on free speech that every member of this General Assembly holds dear. This is why this bill matters.”
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NOTICE
STATE OF NORTH CARONLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY
THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE, SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT MICHAEL WELCH, Deceased.
FILE NO. 24E001684-180
ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE
Having quali ed as Executor/Administrator of the Estate of Robert Michael Welch, deceased, late of Carlsbad, New Mexico, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before December 31, 2025 (90 days date) or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate settlement. This the 2nd day of October, 2025. (1st Thursday Publication Date) Steven Michael Welch 1202 N. Shore Drive Carlsbad, NM 88220
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC
On Monday, October 13, 2025 at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold the following public hearing in person at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West, Pittsboro, NC: A legislative public hearing on a voluntary, contiguous annexation petition (A-202504/PB-25-468) from Reeves Farm Pittsboro, LLC. The applicant is requesting to annex 94.228 acres south of US Highway 64 and west of Old Goldston Road (Parcel ID 0006767 partial, 6738 partial, and 70127 partial).
PB-25-211 - A legislative public hearing on a Development Agreement from Reeves Farms Pittsboro, LLC. The applicant is requesting to develop 455.04 acres in the Neighborhood Mixed-Use Center District. (PID: 0006738) The applicant is proposing up to 1,700 residences and up to 1,012,000 square feet of retail and commercial uses on the property. A copy of the proposed Development Agreement may be obtained from Carrie Bailey, Town Clerk at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov or Randall Cahoon-Tingle, Planning Director at rcahoon-tingle@pittsboronc.gov.
PB-25-358 – 102 Park Drive General Rezoning – A legislative request by VRC Ltd (Janet Nichols), has been submitted petitioning a map amendment rezoning parcel 79930 from its current classi cation, R-12 (Medium Residential) to C-2 (Highway Business). The parcel is approximately 3.7280 acres and is located behind the Alpha Center. The property is currently vacant, and the owner intends to utilize this parcel for o ces and residential uses.
The hearings 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 any hearing.
Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on October 13, 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.
TO CREDITORS
NOTICE
Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of LINVILLE GARNER, deceased, late of CHATHAM County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at: 1917 BERNARD PURVIS RD BENNETT NC 27208 on or before the 5th day of JANUARY, 2026, 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 undersigned.
This the 30th day of SEPTEMBER, 2025.
LARRY MATTHEW SAUNDERS Personal Representative For the Estate of LINVILLE GARNER Frank C. Thigpen Thigpen and Jenkins, LLP Attorney for Estate PO Box 792 Robbins, North Carolina 27325
PUBLICATION DATES: October 2, 2025 October 9, 2025 October 16, 2025 October 23, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of FRADYA SARAH BLUESTEIN, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, on the 18th day of September, 2025, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of the attorney for the estate on or before the 27th day of December, 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 25th day of September, 2024. John Michael Cullen, Personal Representative, c/o Anthony D. Nicholson, Attorney for the estate, McPherson, Rocamora, Nicholson & Hinkle, PLLC, 3211 Shannon Road, Suite 400, Durham, NC 27707. September 25, October 2, 9, 16 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Karen Bruck, Deceased Date of Death: August 14, 2025 • Chapel Hill, North Carolina First Publication Date: September 18, 2025 Claims Deadline: December 18, 2025
All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Karen Bruck, deceased, are hereby noti ed to present them to the undersigned Personal Representative of the Estate of Karen Bruck on or before December 18, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment. Submit claims to: Personal Representative for: Karen Mary Bruck Mailing Address: P.O. Box 97 City/State/ZIP: Flagsta , AZ 86002
Email: drsarahazel@gmail.com Phone: 602-478-7239
This the 18th day of September, 2025.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Nancy H Dixon, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claim to Rebecca Morley at 1330 Songbird Ct, Boulder CO 80303 on or before December 20, 2025.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of James Denson Jones, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of Ivey & Eggleston, Attorneys at Law, 111 Worth Street, Asheboro, North Carolina 27203, on or before December 13th, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said estate should make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 11th day of September, 2025.
Rebecca Fields Jones Executor of the Estate of James Denson Jones
BENJAMIN SCOTT WARREN, Attorney
IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043
PUBL/DATES:
09/11/25 09/18/25 09/25/25 10/02/25
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
North Carolina Chatham County File#25E000502-180
The undersigned, Helen Frazier having quali ed on the 10th day of September 2025 as EXECUTOR of the ESTATE of JUDITH RAYMOND BOYKIN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to her on or before the 26th day of December 2025, or this notice will be in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate
CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM
SELF STORAGE, PURSUANT TO NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL STATUTES, CHAPTER 44A, SHALL CONDUCT A PUBLIC SALE OF THE UNITS LISTED BELOW AT IT’S FACILITY LOCATED AT 105 WEST
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS
CHATHAM COUNTY
HAVING QUALIFIED, as Executrix of the Estate of Floyd Teague, Jr., 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 October 15, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 3rd day of September, 2025.
Diane T. Campbell, Executrix 1982 Epps Clark Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344 (919) 663-2533
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000472-180 ALL persons having claims against Judith-Ann Leporino, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Jan 02 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 2nd day of October, 2025.
RENEE EASTMAN, Executor C/O Lenfestey, Maxie & Burger, PLLC 5640 Dillard Drive, Suite 101 Cary, North Carolina 27518 O2, 9, 16 and 23
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000473-180 ALL persons having claims against Stephen Earl Rosenthal, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Dec 18 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 18th day of September, 2025.
JOAN SOBEL ROSENTHAL, Executor C/O Lenfestey, Maxie & Burger, PLLC 5640 Dillard Drive, Suite 101 Cary, North Carolina 27518 S18, 25, 2 and 9
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#2023 E 000668
The undersigned, JEFFREY HOLDER, having quali ed on the 8TH Day of APRIL, 2024 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of BETTY GUNTER HOLDER, 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 18TH Day DECEMBER 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 18th DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025.
JEFFREY HOLDER, ADMINISTRATOR 1321 ASBURY CHURCH RD. SANFORD, NC 27330 Run dates: S18,25,O2,9p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000464-180 The undersigned, CRAIGORY DUNN AND STEPHANIE DUNN, having quali ed on the 22ND Day of AUGUST, 2025 as CO-ADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of GWENDOLYN BRYANT DUNN, 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 11TH Day DECEMBER 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 11TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025.
CRAIGORY DUNN, CO-ADMINISTRATOR PO BOX 37 SILER CITY, NC 27344 STEPHANIE DUNN, CO-ADMINISTRATOR 2530 KINGFISHER RD., APT.207 GRAHAM, NC 27253 Run dates: S11,18,25,O2p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000510-180
The undersigned, JOANNE ALSTON AND JUDY C. REAVES, having quali ed on the 16TH Day of SEPTEMBER, 2025 as CO-ADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of HAYWOOD AL REAVES, 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 2nd Day JANUARY 2026, 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 2ND DAY OF OCTOBER 2025.
*JOANNE ALSTON, CO-ADMINISTRATOR 45 DAISY SCURLOCK RD. MONCURE, NC 27559
JUDY C. REAVES, CO-ADMINISTRATOR 283 PINECREST DR. BEAR CREEK, NC 27207 Run dates: O2,9,16,23p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000395-180
The undersigned, SUSAN BOND TAYLOR, having quali ed on the 5TH Day of SEPTEMBER, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR CTA, of the Estate of JANET BOND DEWITT, 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 18TH Day DECEMBER 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 18TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025. SUSAN BOND TAYLOR, ADMINISTRATOR CTA
382 PINE LAKE DR. SILER CITY, NC 27344 *THE LAW OFFICE OF LEWIS FADELY, PLLC
119 N FIR AVE. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: S18,25,O2,9p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM NEWS
EXECUTOR’S NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons having claims against the estate of Anhelica Maria Mata, of Chatham County, NC, who died on October 6, 2024, are noti ed to present them on or before December 25, 2025 to David Plowman, Administrator, c/o Maitland & Sti er Law Firm, 2 Couch Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.
Michele L. Sti er MAITLAND & STIFFLER LAW FIRM
2 Couch Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Attorney for the Estate
FILE#25000500-180 The undersigned, CAROLINE WOOD, having quali ed on the 10TH Day of SEPTEMBER, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of SUSAN WOOD, 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 2ND Day JANUARY, 2026, 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 2ND DAY OF OCTOBER 2025.
CAROLINE WOOD, ADMINISTRATOR 1321 #2 CHILDS DRIVE HILLSBOROUGH, NC 27278 Run dates: O2,9,16,23p
NOTICE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Wayne Paul Powers, a/k/a Wayne P. Powers, a/k/a Wayne Powers, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the address below on or before January 4, 2026, 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 undersigned. This the 2nd day of October, 2025. Elaine P. Partin Executor of the Estate of Wayne Paul Powers a/k/a Wayne P. Powers a/k/a Wayne Powers The Chatham News & Record B. Pete Jarvis Tennant & Jarvis, P.C. PO Box 4585 Archdale, NC 27263 FOR PUBLICATION: October 2, October 9, October 16 and October 23, 2025
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons having claims against Shelly Ray Skalicky, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present them to Daniel Long, Executor of the Estate of Shelly Ray Skalicky, at NextGen Estate Solutions, 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 or before December 18th, 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 Shelly Ray Skalicky. Those indebted to Shelly Ray Skalicky are asked to make prompt payment to the Estate. This this 18th day of September, 2025. Daniel Long, Executor of the Estate of Shelly Ray Skalicky Brittany N. Porter, Attorney NextGen Estate Solutions 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
25E000480-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY The undersigned, Christopher Solow, having quali ed as Limited Personal Representative of the Estate of June R. Solow, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of December 10, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 11th day of September 2025. Christopher Solow Limited Personal Representative Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE, BEFORE THE CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT, FILE NO. 25SP000111180 FOR THE ADOPTION OF T.L.K. TO: THE UNKNOWN FATHER, of a male, caucasian child, born to Leslie Ann Pugh Moore on June 4, 2012 at UNC Hospital in Orange County, North Carolina, conceived approximately September 2011, and placed under the Guardianship of PETITIONER, Connie Lea Beal on December 9, 2016. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a petition has been led by the Petitioners, Connie Lea Beal and Ricky Lee Beal for the purpose of legally adopting the minor child described above. This adoption will terminate all your parental rights regarding the minor child. If you wish to maintain any parental rights regarding this minor child, you must respond and notify the Chatham County Clerk of Superior Court in writing, at 40 East Chatham Street, Attn: Special ProceedingsAdoptions, Pittsboro, NC 27312. You must also serve a copy of this writing on the petitioner’s attorney (address below). If you do not notify the court in writing that you wish to retain any parental rights you may have, those parental rights will be terminated upon the entry of the decree of adoption. You are entitled to attend any hearing a ecting your parental rights, and you may present evidence in court that the adoption is not in the best interests of the adoptee.
If you do not respond within forty (40) days of the publication of this notice, you will not be able to participate in the adoption proceeding, and you will receive no further notice of the proceeding, including notice of the time and place of any hearing. You may call the Special Proceedings o ce of the Clerk of Superior Court of Chatham County, at (919)545-3500 for further information. This publication begins the 2nd day of October, 2025. Signed, Derrick J. Hensley, Attorney for Petitioner 401 Meadowlands Drive, Suite 201, Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919)480-1999 PUBLISHED: 10/02/25, 10/9/25, 10/16/25
NOTICE
TRUST NOTICE
To all persons regarding Mary Anna Andrews, deceased, who died on or about July 18, 2025: You are hereby noti ed that Gail Greogry is the Trustee of the Rolland Andrews and Mary Anna Andrews Revocable trust dated March 3, 2010. Any action to contest the validity of the trust must be brought in the District Court of Chatham County, North Carolina, within the later to occur of four (4) months from the date of second publication of this notice, or thirty (30) days from the date of mailing this notice to all heirs of the decedent, spouse of the decedent, and bene ciaries under the trust whose identities are reasonably ascertainable. Any suit not led within this period shall be forever barred.
Notice is further given that any persons indebted to the decedent or to the trust are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned trustee. Notice is further given that any person or entity possessing a claim against the trust must mail proof of the claim to the trustee at the address listed below via certi ed mail, return receipt requested, by the later to occur of four (4) months from the second publication of this notice or thirty (30) days from the date of mailing this notice if required or the claim shall be forever barred unless paid or otherwise satis ed.
Dated this 17th day of September, 2025.
Rolland Andrews and Mary Anna Andrews Revocable trust dated March 3, 2010.
Gail Gregory, Trustee 125 Bellemont Rd Pittsboro NC 27312
Attorney for Trustee: Vanessa M.Y. Willman Pin# AT0011731 Foss, Kuiken, Cochran, Helling & Willman PC P.O. Box 30 Fair eld, Iowa 52556 Date of second publication: _____ day of _________ 2025.
NOTICE OF ELECTION
CHATHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
The municipal general election for Town of Apex, Town of Cary, Town of Goldston, Town of Pittsboro, and the Town of Siler City will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Voters who lack ID can get one for free from their county board of elections. Find out more at ncsbe. gov/voter-id.
Major Lee road Pursuant to the Order for Possession, Custody, Control, and Sale of Real Property led on June 23, 2022, in the above captioned proceeding, NOTICE is hereby given that the subject properties described below will be put up for public sale on October 16, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.; the sale will be held at the Chatham County Courthouse in the designated area for sale. The subject properties, which are being sold together, are commonly referred to as Major Lee Road, Pittsboro, NC 27312, Parcel #0080774, and NC 87 N, Pittsboro, NC 27312, Parcel #0005908 and are more particularly described as follows: TRACT 1: BEING ALL of that certain 1.50 acres, more or less, designated as “Tract D-1” on the plat hereinafter referred to,
Helene hit the reset button on one town’s goal of becoming an outdoor tourism mecca
Old Fort is trying to rebuild it’s newly-built mountain biking trails
By Allen G. Breed and Brittany Peterson
The Associated Press
OLD FORT — Morning mist is still burning o the surrounding mountains when they appear: Small groups of helmeted riders on one-wheeled, skateboard-like contraptions, navigating the pitched streets, past the 30-foot granite Arrowhead Monument on the town square.
They are among the 400 or so people converging on this Blue Ridge foothills town for FloatLife Fest, which bills itself as “the ORIGINAL and LONGEST RUNNING” gathering dedicated to motorized Onewheel boards. Swelling Old Fort’s normal population by half, the mid-September festival is injecting much needed money and hope into a town still recovering a year after it was inundated by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
“We should de nitely come back again,” says Jess Jones, a 34-year-old marine biologist from Edinburgh, Scotland.
“The vibe and the welcome that we got there was really nice.”
That the festival occurred at all is a tribute to the area’s natural beauty and the resilience of its people.
Signs of progress are mixed with still-visible scars from Helene in this town about 24 miles east of Asheville. Most of Old Fort’s shops have reopened, even as workers continue clawing away at a debris pile downtown and some homes remain unlivable.
Like other businesspeople in this tourist-dependent mountain region, bike shop owner Chad Schoenauer has been banking on a strong fall leaf-peeping season to help get
him back on track after Helene.
But many seem to assume Old Fort is still a wasteland.
“‘Oh, I didn’t know that you were open,’” he says is a typical reaction.
Helene’s oods, landslides interrupt outdoor tourism makeover
When Helene swept through, Old Fort was well on its way to remaking itself as an outdoor destination, especially after furniture manufacturer Ethan Allen laid o 325 workers when it converted its factory there into a distribution center in 2019.
“When the Ethan Allen layo happened, local leaders started coming together and saying, `How do we use these beautiful natural assets that we have to diversify the manufacturing economy?’” says Kim E er, president and CEO of the McDowell Chamber of Commerce.
Named for a Revolutionary War-era stockade, the town decided to become a world-class destination for hiking, running, horseback riding and, most notably, mountain biking.
“We have a red clay that makes some of the best trails in the country,” FloatLife founder Justyn Thompson says. “The trails are epic.”
In 2021, the G5 Trail Collective — a program led by the nonpro t Camp Grier outdoors complex — got the U.S. Forest Service to agree to 42 miles of new multi-purpose trails. The e ort began paying dividends almost immediately.
“For every trail that we were able to open, we saw a new business open up in town,” says Jason McDougald, the camp’s executive director.
The collective had just completed the 21st mile of trail when Helene, in Schoenauer’s words, hit “the reset button” by washing away trails and damaging businesses.
When the storm blew through on Sept. 27, 2024, the Catawba River converged with the normally placid Mill Creek, leaving much of downtown under several feet of muddy water.
Schoenauer, who opened his Old Fort Bike Shop in 2021, says it took two days before he could make it to town to assess damage to the business
$150,000. Worse yet was the loss of eight months of business, including last year’s foliage season.
“We lost that really critical fourth quarter of the year, which is a beautiful fall,” McKissick says.
Chad Schoenauer poses for a portrait beneath a sign that reads “Come Hell or High Water” in his bike shop in Old Fort in early September.
housed in a refurbished 1901 former general store.
“I was numb coming all the way here,” he says. “And as soon as I got o the exit, I started crying.”
The water rose more than 3 feet inside the shop, leaving behind a 10-inch layer of reddish-brown mud. The beautiful heart pine oors buckled.
Schoenauer says he su ered about $150,000 in uninsured losses.
At the Foothills Watershed mountain biking complex along the Catawba, the storm took 48 large shade trees and an 18,000-square-foot track built with banks and jumps.
“We had a septic eld, a brand-new constructed septic eld for the business that was destroyed,” says Casey McKissick, who spent the last three years developing the bike park. “Never been used; not even turned on yet. And it all went right down the river.”
McKissick says the business didn’t have ood insurance because it was too costly, and the threat of a catastrophic event seemed too remote.
The damage amounted to
Homes, Townhomes & Villas
Blue Ridge Parkway closure slows visitors’ return
Gov. Josh Stein recently announced that travelers had spent a record $36.7 billion in the state last year. But that boom eluded the counties worst hit by Helene.
Visitor spending in Buncombe County — home to Asheville — was down nearly 11% last year compared to 2023, according to the state Department of Commerce.
In McDowell, tourist spending dropped nearly 3% in that same period. E er says this June and July, foot tra c at the county’s largest visitor center was down 50% from last year. She blames much of that on damage to the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is consistently one of the most-visited of the national parks. About 35 miles of the North Carolina route — including long stretches in McDowell County — aren’t slated to reopen until fall 2026.
McDougald says nearly every trail in the Old Fort complex was damaged, with landslides taking out “300-foot sections of trail at a time.”
They’ve managed to reopen about 30 miles of trail, but he says about that many miles remain closed.
Schoenauer reopened his shop in December, but tra c was down by about two-thirds this summer.
“My business, revenue-wise, has shifted more to the repair side,” he says. “People trying to still recreate, but use the bike that they have just to keep it going and have some fun.”
The Watershed complex opened in June, but without the planned riverfront gazebo and performance stage. And they’ve moved the bike jumps to higher ground.
“It’s changed our way of looking at the oodplain, for sure,” McKissick says.
ALLEN G. BREED / AP PHOTO
CHATHAM SPORTS
quarterback Kamarie Hadley res a pass down eld during Friday’s game against American Leadership Academy-Johnston.
to ALA.
Jordan-Matthews committed three turnovers against the Patriots
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
SILER CITY — After scoring more than 40 points in three of its rst four games, Jordan-Matthews’ o ense has been grounded.
On their homecoming night, the Jets (4-2) were held scoreless for more than three quarters in a 41-6 loss to American Leadership Academy-Johnston (4-2) on Friday.
Jordan-Matthews mustered only 78 yards rushing and 77
yards passing. It committed three turnovers, including two pick-sixes and a lost fumble.
The Jets have scored less than 10 points in two straight games.
“This wasn’t us,” Jordan-Matthews coach Kermit Carter said.
It simply wasn’t the Jets’ night from the start.
ALA-Johnston junior Kamarri Smallwood took the opening kicko 83 yards to the house, giving the Patriots a 7-0 lead 17 seconds into the game.
In response, Jordan-Matthews — playing without starting center Manny Perez and speedy receiver Nolan Mitchell — couldn’t get running back Jakari Blue going against the
Patriots’ physical defensive line on its rst possession. With early misses in the passing game, they relied on ALA-Johnston penalties to move the ball.
After punting, Jordan-Matthews caught a break with a missed eld goal by ALA-Johnston at the Jets’ 20-yard line. However, the following drive was cut short with a 42-yard pick-six by Smallwood on a pass from senior quarterback Kamarie Hadley.
In Week 5, it was the piling penalties that doomed the Jets, and on Friday, self-in icted mistakes struck again.
Midway through the second quarter, Jordan-Matthews made solid gains on the ground and looked to have
Northwood’s Cruz Arias (18) and Berkley Godehn (6) race Seaforth’s Gavin Braddock (20) to the ball during a 0-0 draw Sept. 24.
Northwood, Seaforth plat to draw on pitch for third time in two seasons
The Chargers won the corners battle but couldn’t nish shots
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — The Battle of the Boro always delivers — on the pitch. Despite Northwood winning the corners battle and keeping the ball in Seaforth territory for most of the game, the Hawks held o the Chargers for a 0-0 tie on Sept. 24. It was the third draw be -
“They’re not nishing. For some reason, it’s just not happening.”
Ascary Arias
tween the crosstown rivals in their last four meetings, including the 1-1 nish Sept. 3. The game’s nal minutes mimicked those of the meeting earlier in September, with both teams scrambling to notch a late-game goal.
With 2:23 left to play, Northwood freshman Johnny Santiago corralled a pass in the penalty area with only Seaforth senior Ryan Dibb behind him. Dibb caught up to the side of Santiago at the time of his shot, forcing the attempt to go wide right of the net. In the nal 10 seconds of the game, Dibb got one last chance for a potential-game winner after outracing two Northwood defenders on a long pass to the penalty box.
“We just got to nd a way to push through as a young team and as a team, period.”
Kermit Carter
found a rhythm o ensively, but at the end of a strong run in Patriots territory, Blue fumbled and gave the ball back to ALA-Johnston.
On the ensuing possession, the Patriots were backed up on fourth-and-24, but junior quarterback Ian Wands completed a 35-yard touchdown pass in the middle of the eld
to junior Kegian Blanchard, giving ALA-Johnston a 21-0 lead with over two minutes left in the rst half.
“It wasn’t like a reverse pass or something that we hadn’t seen,” Carter said. “I think a lot of times, we just don’t trust ourselves. I think sometimes the losing like last year kind of creeps in sometimes. A doubt creeps in sometimes when we get down.”
Things began to unravel for Jordan-Matthews in the second half.
Jordan-Matthews committed six of its nine penalties in the nal two quarters. For the second straight week, it
JETS, page B2
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
WEEK 7
Jordan-Matthews at North Moore (Friday at 7 p.m.)
Jordan-Matthews (4-2) will begin Four Rivers 3A/4A conference play at North Moore (3-3). This has the makings of being a season-de ning game for the Jets as they try to avoid a disastrous three-game slide and start league play on the right foot. The Jets last beat North Moore in 2010. The Mustangs have won each of the last three meetings by more than 48 points.
North Moore will arguably be the toughest team the Jets play so far. The Mustangs are coming o a 22-13 loss to Thomasville in Week 6, but they’ve handily won their previous two games over Chatham Central and Seaforth.
Senior Joseph Dunn and junior Stryker Murray have led the way on a run-heavy o ense. Dunn has rushed for more than 100 yards multiple times this season. With the possibility of being without starting center Manny Perez and receivers Nolan Mitchell and Jaden Fisher due to injury, Jordan-Matthews will have to nd a way to win this game in the trenches. Its o ensive and defensive lines have been dominated in the
last two games, halting its ability to wear down defenses with its rushing attack. While North Moore’s hardnosed o ense presents its own challenge, the Jets will need to keep the Mustangs’ big, physical defensive line out the back eld.
Northwood vs. Eastern Randolph (Friday at 7 p.m.)
Northwood’s (1-4) Four Rivers 3A/4A slate starts as tough as it can get as the Chargers host Eastern Randolph (4-2). The Wildcats beat West Stanly 34-6 on Friday, picking up their second win by at least 28 points in three weeks. Quarterback Cade McCallum, running back Kobe Walker and receiver Caden Revelle make up the majority of Eastern Randolph’s o ensive production. Walker broke some big runs and ran for multiple touchdowns last week. He rushed for more than 150 yards in each of the Wildcats’ rst two games. Limiting Walker’s impact
See
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Jordan-Matthews
It was a long night for the Jets, who lost 41-6
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
The last time Jordan-Matthews beat North Moore
Naomi Stevenson
Seaforth, volleyball
Seaforth freshman Naomi Stevenson earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Sept. 22.
In the Hawks’ loss to undefeated Cedar Ridge on Sept. 23, Stevenson led the team in kills (15) and recorded a season-high 23 digs. She followed that performance with a team-high 12 kills in a dominant straight-set win over Durham School of the Arts on Sept. 25.
Stevenson, the younger sister of current UNC basketball forward Jarin Stevenson, has made an immediate impact for Seaforth’s talented volleyball team. As of Sunday, she leads the team in kills (245) and aces (34).
JETS from page B1
entered halftime with a manageable de cit but failed to muster a considerable comeback e ort.
Following a 3-yard touchdown by ALA-Johnston senior Anthony Jimenez, Blanchard killed another Jets drive deep
in Patriots territory by picking o sophomore quarterback Eli Rodriguez and taking it 80 yards to the house for a 35-0 lead in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Wands found junior Symir Ray on the numbers for a 34-yard touchdown pass, putting the nishing touches on a 41-0 lead.
Boecke commits to Division I lacrosse program
The Seaforth standout recorded 95 goals last spring
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
SEAFORTH GIRLS’ lacrosse
standout Natalie Boecke has decided on her future home.
Boecke, the junior mid elder, announced her commitment to ECU on Instagram on Sept. 23.
“I rst want to thank both my mom and dad for the endless sacri ces that you have made for me and to my sister Ella for the endless encouragement and support,” Boecke shared on Instagram. “None of this would have been possible without the three of you and your constant support. Also, a thank you to all of my teammates through the years for the endless memories, support and for pushing me every day to become a better player.”
Last season, Boecke led the Hawks in goals (95), assists (20), ground balls (83) and caused turnovers (33). She helped Seaforth to its most wins in a season (10) and its second playo win.
Boecke scored six goals, notched an assist and tied with junior Avery Mangum for a team-high ve ground balls in the win over No. 13 Cape Fear in the opening round of last year’s 1A/2A/3A playo s.
As a freshman at Northwood, Boecke, playing alongside her sister Ella, recorded team-highs of 118 goals, 18 assists and 24 caused turnovers. She logged two games with at least 10 goals in the 2023-24 season.
In addition to playing at Seaforth, Boecke plays with the Ultimate Lacrosse Carolina club team.
Boecke will join her sister in playing Division I lacrosse. Ella Boecke is a sophomore defender at Campbell.
ECU added women’s lacrosse as a varsity sport in 2018. Last season, the Pirates went 7-10 overall and 4-2 in American Athletic Conference play.
Hadley avoided the shutout with a 7-yard touchdown run later in the quarter.
Jimenez, who’s been the driving force of the Patriots’ o ense this season, nished the game with 148 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
The game looked almost
identical to the Jets’ loss to Providence Grove a week prior as another running back had a big night against the Jets’ defense. Competition will get even tougher for the Jets as conference play begins Friday. Jordan-Matthews will have to x its o ensive struggles and
stay healthy to earn a playo bid in the season’s nal stretch.
“We just got to nd a way to push through as a young team and as a team, period,” Carter said. “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. We’ve got to nd a way to push through and better ourselves. We got the right guys in the locker room.”
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD Seaforth’s Natalie Boecke runs with the ball in last season’s playo game against Cape Fear. The junior plans to play lacrosse at ECU.
Seaforth volleyball falls short to conference’s top team
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
Volleyball
Seaforth, second in the Big Seven 4A/5A conference, fell to rst-place Cedar Ridge 3-1 on Sept. 23. Each set was decided by no more than eight points, including the rst set that the Fighting Red Wolves won in extra play. Ally Forbes, who returned Sept. 17, and Naomi Stevenson combined for 28 kills, and senior Josie Valgus recorded her 1,000th career dig in the loss.
Stevenson led the way with 12 kills in the Hawks’ 3-0 bounceback win over Durham School of the Arts on Sept. 25.
Woods Charter extended its win streak to 12 with a 3-0 win over Ascend Leadership on Sept. 25 and its fourth consecutive straight-set win against Southern Wake Academy on Friday. The Wolves have given up one set since Aug. 18.
Bishop McGuinness, rst place in the Greater Triad 1A/2A conference, ended third-place Chatham Central’s four-game win streak in straight sets Sept. 22. After falling to North Moore 3-2 on Sept. 24, the Bears got back in the win column with a 3-0 win over College Prep and Leadership on Sept. 25.
Chatham Charter earned its fourth win in ve games with a 3-0 victory over Central Carolina Academy on Sept. 23. The Knights fell to Clover Garden School 3-1 on Sept. 25.
Northwood and Jordan-Matthews both lost to Eastern Randolph in straight sets during their losing streaks. The Jets fell short of their fth win against North Moore 3-2 on Sept. 25. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)
Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Uwharrie Charter (17-3, 6-0); T2. Southwestern Randolph (11-9, 4-2); T2. North Moore (11-3, 4-2); 4. Eastern Randolph (5-9, 3-3); 5. Northwood (2-13, 1-5); 6. Jordan-Matthews (4-14, 0-6)
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Only sophomore Calvin Britt, Northwood’s goalkeeper, stood in his way, but Britt slid and kicked the ball away just in time.
“I was listening to what coach said at halftime,” Britt said. “He said to always go out, get the ball, and I decided I’m going to go out, do my best to stop this, and it happened.”
Britt came up with big save after big save, especially in the second half when Seaforth started getting more scoring opportunities.
Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Woods Charter (14-1, 10-0); 2. Clover Garden School (13-4, 9-1); 3. River Mill (9-9, 6-5); 4. Chatham Charter (7-11, 4-5); 5. Ascend Leadership (6-7, 4-6); 6. Southern Wake Academy (3-12, 2-9); 7. Central Carolina Academy (1-14, 0-9)
Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Bishop McGuinness (13-3, 8-1); 2. South Stokes (12-6, 7-1); 3. Chatham Central (8-9, 6-2); 4. North Stokes (4-12, 4-5); 5. South Davidson (4-13, 2-5); 6. College Prep and Leadership (3-14, 2-7); 7. Winston-Salem Prep (2-14, 0-8)
Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Cedar Ridge (15-0, 8-0); 2. Seaforth (11-6, 7-2); 3. Carrboro (8-8, 5-4); 4. Orange (6-9, 4-4); 5. South Granville (5-12, 3-6); 6. Durham School of the Arts (6-11, 2-7); 7. J.F. Webb (8-9, 1-7)
Boys’ soccer
Asheboro snapped Jordan-Matthews’ six-game win streak 5-0 on Sept. 22. The Jets had no answer for Asheboro’s Ozmar Martinez, who recorded a hat trick. Jordan-Matthews responded with a 4-0 win over
Northwood coach Ascary Arias attributed Seaforth’s second half success to a change in the Chargers’ defensive strategy.
“We played three in the back,” Arias said. “We started with four, but then I realized that we were good enough to beat them with three in the back. We took out one player on defense, so they should have been able to do that. It was expected for them to be a little more aggressive.”
Outside of Britt’s saves, Seaforth couldn’t connect on their second half shots. Multiple attempts were too high, and free
Southern Lee on Sept. 25. That was its sixth shutout win this season.
Woods Charter earned its largest win of the year with an 8-0 shutout over Central Carolina Academy. In a battle with Clover Garden School, rst place in the Central Tar Heel 1A conference, the Wolves fell 2-1. Chatham Charter’s losing streak grew to four games with a 3-2 loss to Southern Wake Academy on Sept. 22 and a 6-3 loss to River Mill on Sept. 25. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Southwestern Randolph (12-1, 1-0); 2. North Moore (3-2-1, 0-1); 3. Eastern Randolph (3-5-2, 0-0); 4. Jordan-Matthews (8-4, 0-0); 5. Northwood (5-3-4, 0-0); 6. Uwharrie Charter (1-2, 0-0) Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Clover Garden School (10-2, 6-0); 2. Woods Charter (5-2-1, 2-1); 3. Southern Wake Academy (6-3-1, 3-2-1); 4. Ascend Leadership (4 -3-2, 1-1-2); 5. River mill (3-9, 2-4); 6. Chatham Charter (1-7-1, 1-4); 7. Central Carolina Academy (1-7-1, 0-3-1) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Orange (9-4, 3-0); 2. Carrboro
kicks toward the penalty box came up empty. Northwood dealt with similar struggles. Near the end of the rst half, a pass attempt from Northwood sophomore Nolan Matthews went through the hands of Seaforth goalkeeper Abel Williams and into the back of the net, but the officials called off the score for goalkeeper interference. Northwood senior Kevin Fortin impeded Williams’ ability to defend the ball. That moment was one of many in which the Chargers also failed to capitalize on
(5-7-1, 3-1); 3. Durham School of the Arts (2-9-1, 2-2); 4. J.F. Webb (5-3-1, 1-1-1); 5. Seaforth (3-7-2, 1-2); 6. South Granville (4 -8-1, 1-3); 7. Cedar Ridge (4 -5-1, 0-2-1) Girls’ tennis
Chatham Charter cruised to a 9-0 win over Chatham Central on Sept. 24. Northwood beat Jordan-Matthews 7-2 on Sept. 24, sweeping the Jets in the season series. After defeating them in a close battle in August, Seaforth fell to Durham School of the Arts 7-2 on Sept. 22.
RPI standings as of Sunday (dual team playo brackets determined on Oct. 10)
1A (all make postseason): 5. Chatham Charter (.51708); 14. Chatham Central (.21627) 3A (all make postseason): 28. Northwood (.42031) 4A (top 48 make postseason): 46. Jordan-Matthews (.30450) 5A: (top 48 make postseason): 15. Seaforth (.56246)
Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)
Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Uwharrie Charter (7-0, 7-0); 2. South-
scoring opportunities. Northwood controlled the possession in Seaforth territory for the majority of the first half but struggled to get shots on target.
The Chargers earned five corners to Seaforth’s two.
Williams came up huge for the Hawks, especially with his ability to defend Northwood’s free kick attempts in the second half.
“It’s just one of those things, right?” Arias said after a deep sigh. “They’re not finishing. For some reason, it’s just not happening.” With the result, the Char -
Shutout wins for Jordan-Matthews boys’ soccer
western Randolph (8-4, 3-2); 3. Northwood (3-8, 3-3); 4. North Moore (3-8, 2-4); 5. Jordan-Matthews (2-15, 0-6)
Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Chatham Charter (7-4, 4-0); 2. Clover Garden School (3-4, 1-2); 3. Southern Wake Academy (2-6, 0-3)
Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Bishop McGuinness (7-4, 5-0); 2. North Stokes (10-2, 4-2); 3. South Davidson (7-4, 3-3); 4. South Stokes (2-9, 2-3); 5. Chatham Central (0-10, 0-6) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Carrboro (18-1, 10-0); 2. Seaforth (9-6, 6-3); T3. Durham School of the Arts (9-8, 5-3); T3. Orange (10 -3, 5-3); 5. South Granville (2-7, 2-7); 6. Cedar Ridge (5-6, 1-6); 7. J.F. Webb (0-10, 0-7) Cross-country
Seaforth’s boys nished fth, and the girls sixth in the Big Seven Conference Meet at South Granville on Sept. 24. In at three-team meet hosted by Northwood on Sept. 23, the Chargers’ boys nished rst, and Jordan-Matthews’ boys ended up second. The two girls’ teams nished in the same order.
Girls’ ag football Scores from Week 2 (Sept. 22): Jordan-Matthews 18, Seaforth 13 Northwood 18, Seaforth 14 Southeast Alamance 19, Jordan-Matthews 0 Northwood 32, Eastern Alamance 12 Records after Week 2: Northwood (3-1), Jordan-Matthews (2-2), Seaforth (1-3)
gers moved to 5-3-4 (win, loss, draw) on the year. The young Northwood squad has shown promise in the first half of the season, but the battle with finishing has been the difference in what could be a better record. Northwood is 2-2-4 in games decided by one goal or less.
Seaforth moved to 3-7-2, taking its winless drought to six games. The Hawks have played a tough schedule for the most part, but they’ve struggled offensively of late. Seaforth has been shut out four times and has only scored four goals in the six games since Sept. 3.
@SEAFORTHVOLLEYBALL / INSTAGRAM
Seaforth’s Josie Valgus celebrates her 1,000th career dig.
SOCCER
Elliott steals Kansas Speedway race in wild overtime nish
his second win of the season.
By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Kan. —
Chase Elliott somehow stole Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, where he drove from eighth to the checkered ag during a two-lap overtime sprint to earn a spot in the third round of NASCAR’s Cup Series playo s.
It was a wild ending to a race that probably should have been won by Denny Hamlin, who dominated and led 159 laps until a bevy of late issues denied him his chance at career win No. 60 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
The race had a slew of late cautions — Hamlin dropped from the lead to seventh on a slow pit stop — that put Bubba Wallace in position to win the race. A red- ag stoppage for Zane Smith ipping his car set up the nal overtime restart, and Wallace was holding tight in a door-to-door battle with Christopher Bell for the victory.
Then Hamlin came from nowhere to catch Wallace, who drives for the team Hamlin co-owns with Michael Jordan, and Wallace scraped the wall as he tried to hold o his boss. That’s when Elliott suddenly entered the frame and smashed Hamlin in the door to get past him for
“What a crazy nish. Hope you all enjoyed that. I certainly did,” NASCAR’s most popular driver told the crowd after collecting the checkered ag. Elliott joins Ryan Blaney as the two drivers locked into the third round of the playo s. The eld will be cut from 12 drivers to eight after next week’s race in Concord, and Elliott said once he got in position for the victory, he wasn’t giving up.
“I wasn’t going to lift, so I didn’t know what was going to happen. I gured at the end of the day, it was what it was at that point,” Elliott said. “Wherever I ended up, I ended up. At that point, we were all committed. Really cool just to be eighth on the restart and somehow win on a green-and-white checkered. Pretty neat.” Hamlin nished second and was clearly dejected by the defeat. The three-time Daytona 500 winner is considered the greatest driver to never win a Cup title and needed the victory to lock up his spot in the next round of the playo s. He also has a 60th Cup win set as a major career goal and is stuck on 59 victories.
He drove the nal 50-plus laps with his power steering on the fritz.
“Just super disappointing. I wanted it bad. It would have been 60 for me,” Hamlin said.
“Obviously got really, really tight with (Wallace), and it just got real tight and we let (Elliott) win.
Hamlin was followed his JGR teammates Bell and Chase Briscoe, who were third and fourth.
Wallace wound up fth, and even though the victory would
have moved him deeper into the playo s than he’s ever been in his career, he was satis ed considering how poorly his car was running earlier in the race. He wasn’t even upset with Hamlin and shook hands with his boss on pit road.
“To even have a shot at the win with the way we started ...
“What a crazy nish. Hope you all enjoyed that. I certainly did.”
Chase Elliott
you could have fooled me. We were not good,” Wallace said.
“Two years ago I’d probably say something dumb (about Hamlin). He’s a dumbass for that move. I don’t care if he’s my boss or not. But we’re going for the win. I hate that we gave it to Chevrolet there.”
Bottom four
The four drivers in danger of playo elimination headed into next Sunday’s race are Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick and Wallace.
“Obviously there’s only one thing we can do at Charlotte (win), and that’s what we’ll be focused on,” Reddick said.
Up next
A playo elimination race is next at the hybrid oval/ road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Kyle Larson won a year ago. The playo eld will be cut from 12 drivers to eight following next Sunday’s race.
Young fuels US comeback that comes up short at Ryder Cup
The Wake Forest product led a rally from the largest Sunday de cit in history
By Stephen Whyno The Associated Press
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Cameron Young heard his name chanted as he made his way to the 17th green at Bethpage Black, the same golf course he walked with his parents at age 5 in 2002 when it hosted the U.S. Open.
The crowd cheered him going up No. 18 and roared when he sank a nearly 12-foot birdie putt to win the rst singles match Sunday at the Ryder Cup and give the U.S. a bit of hope facing the biggest decit in tournament history. An epic comeback fell short and Europe retained the cup, but the New York native got his moment to wrap up a week when he was one of the home team’s top contributors.
“When we sent out Cam Young rst from New York to lead us out, we had to have that match,” captain Keegan Brad-
ROUNDUP from page B1
and nding ways to move the ball without running back Robert Tripp will be areas of focus for Northwood. Eastern Randolph has played ve teams with winning records and has given up more than 20 points once. In a game like this, ipping the eld and scoring points on special teams, especially with Raje Torres’ kick return skills, will be huge in trying to pull o an upset.
Seaforth vs. Orange (Friday at 7 p.m.)
Seaforth (1-4) will take on Orange (0-5) in its Big Seven 4A/5A conference opener.
Both teams are coming o byes in Week 6. Orange su ered a 35-0 defeat to Eastern Guilford on Sept. 19 which was its second straight shutout loss.
The Panthers’ young roster has struggled on both sides of the ball throughout the season. Orange has given up at least 34 points in all ve of its games while having yet to score more than 22 points. The run-heavy team has played some tough competition though, including Southeast Alamance, Williams and Hillside. All its losses have come to teams with winning records. For Seaforth, this game can be an opportunity get back on the right track after a disappointing end to its nonconference slate. It’ll be inter-
ley said. “He went out there in front of the whole world, in front of his home state, and made a 10-footer to beat Justin Rose, who is an all-time Ryder Cupper, and get to celebrate at Bethpage Black in front of everybody.”
Known for his stoic nature, Young got emotional after send-
ing American fans in the grandstand into a frenzy, even knowing how unlikely victory was.
“This is the biggest event that we have, really,” Young said. “There’s no bigger stage to play on, in my home state, a golf course that I love. There’s 11 other guys on this team that I was working really hard for,
esting to see if Seaforth can start fast and build an early lead through its offense. The Hawks have often had to play from behind in their early games due to failed drives, especially in the redzone.
lege
and Leadership
Chatham Central (1-4) will look for its rst conference win over College Prep
and Keegan has put so much into this, all the vice captains. There’s a lot of people that have had so much to do with putting on this week, and I was just playing my hardest for all of them.”
Young, one of a quartet of U.S. rookies participating, wasn’t in Bradley’s lineup for Friday morning foursomes. He played every session the rest of the way and won three of four.
“It was fun watching him out there,” Bradley said earlier in the tournament. “That was really cool to see. He came back to his home state at a golf course that he’s played. I was really proud to go out there and watch him play the way he did. He played awesome. He’s been playing great for a long time.”
That crystallized in singles play against Rose, Europe’s elder statesmen making his seventh Ryder Cup appearance. Young led early, fell behind and went ahead by as many as 3 up on the back nine before Rose tied it on No. 16.
After halving the next hole, Young hit a 308-yard tee shot on No. 18 to the fairway. He
and Leadership (0-5) Friday. CPLA fell big to South Davidson last week 49-8. The Royals have not scored more than 18 points in a game this season, and they have also given up over 40 points in each contest.
Stopping the run has been a huge issue for CPLA. The Royals gave up 370 yards on the ground to South Davidson’s three rushers.
Even with CPLA having a tough season, this game likely won’t be an easy one for the Bears. The small Chatham Central roster has played three games decided by one possession, including two games decided by less than three points. The Bears have struggled to nish games this season, especially if they’ve been ahead for some time. They led Graham big before the Red Devils nearly came back and won. Chatham Central also led East Columbus and North Stokes late until they couldn’t make crucial stops late in the fourth quarter. Playing consistent football through all four quarters will be key for Chatham Central to come out victorious.
Conference standings (overall, conference)
Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Eastern Randolph (4-2, 0-0); 2. Southwestern Randolph (4 -2, 0-0); 3. Jordan-Matthews (4 -2, 0-0); 4. North Moore (3 -3, 0-0); 5. Northwood (1-4, 0-0)
then nailed a near-perfect approach to get the ball on the green, closer than Rose’s.
“To have a putt there on 18 to get a full point for the team was all could I have asked for,” Young said. “I’ve been thinking about having a putt like that for a while. The way things were going halfway through the back nine today, I didn’t want that putt, and then the way things were going through 17, I was very grateful that I had a chance there.”
Young played and won fourballs Friday with Justin Thomas and foursomes Saturday with Bryson DeChambeau before taking care of business himself Sunday. He credited those partners for getting him into a groove, and the 28-year - old showed his best at his rst Ryder Cup that very well might not be his last.
“Apparently Ryder Cups re me up a little bit,” Young said. “I had the help of JT and Bryson over the last couple of days to bring some emotion out, but that one right there I’ll remember for a long time.”
Greater Triad 1A/2A: T1. Bishop McGuinness (5-1, 2-0); T1. North Stokes (2-4, 2-0); T1. South Davidson (5-0, 1-0); 4. South Stokes (2-4, 1-1); T5. Chatham Central (1-4, 0-1); T5. Winston-Salem Prep (0-6, 0-2); T5. CPLA (0-5, 0-2) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. J.F. Webb (3-2, 0-0); 2. South Granville (1-4, 0-0); 3. Seaforth (1-4, 0-0); 4. Cedar Ridge (1-4, 0-0); 5. Carrboro 0-5, 0-0); 6. Orange (0-5, 0-0) Power Rankings (after Week 6) 1. Jordan-Matthews 2. Seaforth 3. Northwood 4. Chatham Central
Last week’s rankings: 1. Jordan-Matthews; 2. Seaforth; 3. Northwood; 4. Chatham Central
Week 7 score predictions
• North Moore 34, Jordan-Matthews 14
• Seaforth 28, Orange 12 • Eastern Randolph 41, Northwood 12
• Chatham Central 26, CPLA 20 Prediction record (since Week 2): 10-5
Chatham Central at Col-
Prep
Academy (Friday at 7 p.m.)
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Seaforth quarterback Duncan Parker warms up before a game against Northwood earlier this season. The Hawks will open conference play against Orange Friday.
The playo s now head to Charlotte Motor Speedway
COLIN E. BRALEY / AP PHOTO
Chase Elliott celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.
MATT SLOCUM / AP PHOTO
The United States’ Cameron Young celebrates after a putt on the rst hole during his Ryder Cup singles match.
SIDELINE REPORT
NFL Steelers backup quarterback robbed in Dublin
Dublin
The Pittsburgh Steelers con rmed that backup quarterback Skylar Thompson was involved in an incident Friday night after a report that the player had been robbed. The Irish Independent newspaper reported Thompson was assaulted and robbed in Dublin. Thompson did not play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland’s rst regular-season NFL game. The Steelers said they were “working with NFL security to gather more information regarding the incident.” Thompson was brie y hospitalized with minor injuries.
NBA Lakers coach Redick receives extension ahead of season
Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Lakers know head coach JJ Redick will be a part of their future going forward and plan to give superstar forward LeBron James every chance to do the same. General manager Rob Pelinka said Redick received a contract extension this summer after the 41-year-old completed his rst season leading the Lakers, who went 50-32 to nish third in the Western Conference and lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in ve games in a rst-round playo series.
MLS Owusu scores in 90th minute, CF Montreal beats 10 - man Charlotte 4-1
Charlotte Dante Sealy scored a goal in each half, Prince Owusu added a goal in the 90th minute, and CF Montreal beat 10-man Charlotte FC 4-1. Charlotte (17-13-2) has lost back-to-back games following a record-tying nine-game winning streak. Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring for Charlotte in the 10th minute when he dribbled around the goalkeeper for a shot into an empty net. But Charlotte was reduced to 10-men in the 20th. Sealy tied it in the 41st on a free kick and added another in the 86th. Fabian Herbers put Montreal ahead 2-1 in the 53rd.
NCAA FOOTBALL
Oregon moves to No. 2 behind Buckeyes in AP poll Oregon has moved up to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll, while Mississippi has its highest ranking since 2015. Alabama jumped back into the top 10, and Virginia entered the Top 25 for the rst time in six years. Ohio State remains No. 1 for the fth straight week. The Buckeyes received 46 rst-place votes. Oregon’s two-overtime win at Penn State boosted them to their highest ranking since last year. Miami slipped to No. 3, followed by Mississippi and Oklahoma.
Live animal mascots create deep connections with their teams
Football teams have had animals on the sideline since 1889
By Pat Graham The Associated Press
BOULDER, Colo. — The newest star for the Colorado Bu aloes loves molasses-based treats, drinking straight from the water hose at her ranch and galloping in front of a stadium full of fans.
Ralphie VII made her much-anticipated debut last weekend, the year-old, 700-pound ball of bison energy bursting out of her end-zone stall as “Heeeeere comes Ralphie” blared from the Folsom Field speakers. With her romp just past mideld, one of the GOATs of live animal mascots in college football was back. More than symbols; these beloved animals inspire fans, foster a deep connection with their teams and are cherished game-day traditions. Ralphie, whose presence was missing from the opening two home games as the newest version got up to speed, is just one of the most recognizable. There’s Uga, the English
“There are very few things that people are as passionate about as their love of their favorite college football team.”
Ricky Brennes, executive director of the Texas alumni association that cares for Bevo
bulldog from Georgia; Bevo, the longhorn steer at Texas; Mike the Tiger from LSU; the war eagle of Auburn, and the list goes on and on. Navy’s Bill the Goat; Renegade, the Appaloosa horse from Florida State; Rameses, the ram at UNC, and Traveler, the white horse at USC. There’s Nova and her fellow falcon friends at Air Force; Smokey, the bluetick coonhound at Tennessee; and Tusk, a Russian boar at Arkansas. Horses and tigers and boars, indeed.
“There are very few things that people are as passionate about as their love of their favorite college football team. These mascots are just the living symbols of that,” said Ricky Brennes, executive director of the Silver Spurs Alumni Association that oversees the care of Bevo. “They mean a whole lot.”
The live animal mascot has
ACC moving to 9-game football schedule starting next year
The latest move by the conference aligns with its Power Four peers
By Aaron Beard The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE — The Atlantic Coast Conference is moving to a nine-game league schedule for football while having teams play at least 10 games against power-conference opponents, though there will be variables due to the league’s odd number of football-playing member schools.
Commissioner Jim Phillips announced the decision, saying athletic directors had “overwhelmingly supported” the move after “incredibly intentional” discussions about scheduling options.
Going from an eight- to a nine-game model would align the ACC with its power-conference peers in the Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences after unbalanced scheduling between the conferences had been a topic of discussion, and disagreement, when it came to access for the College Football Playo .
The ACC would join the SEC — which announced its move from eight to nine last month — as the only leagues playing 10 games against Power Four opponents as a baseline in the so-called “9+1 model.”
Still, the ACC being the only power conference with an odd number of football-playing members (17) means there are wrinkles.
A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that most league teams will transition to the nine-game slate next year, though multiple teams will play eight league games and two against Power Four opponents — an “8+2 model” — to accommodate nonconference games already on the books.
By 2027, the person said, 16 of the 17 teams will play a “9+1 schedule,” while one team will have to play an “8+2” slate.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t publicized speci cs of the model. Phillips said the league will present the plan to its faculty athletic representatives for formal adoption.
“There will be additional discussions and more details to be determined, but Monday’s decision showcases the commitment and leadership of our ADs in balancing what is best for strengthening the conference and for their respective programs,” Phillips said in his statement.
The ACC had used an eight-game football schedule since Florida State’s arrival for the 1992 season, the outlier being a 10-game schedule in 2020
been a part of college life since the late 1800s. According to legend, what would be become known as Yale’s Handsome Dan I arrived around 1889 when a student bought him for $5 from a New Haven, Connecticut, blacksmith. The bulldog — believed to be one of the rst live college mascots — was led across the eld before the start of football and baseball games. The school now has Handsome Dan XIX on the sideline.
Live mascots remain a familiar sight on the eld, from dogs (Reveille, Texas A&M’s rough collie; Dubs, Washington’s Alaskan malamute) to birds (Sir Big Spur, the rooster at South Carolina) to mules (Army) to Rambouillet sheep (Colorado State’s “CAM the Ram”). Not all live mascots take the eld.
Mike the Tiger has a view of Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from his expansive habitat, a roughly 15,000-square-foot home complete with two pools, a stream, a comfort rock that’s cold in the summer, warm in the winter, and a night house. A version of Mike stopped showing up inside the stadium on game days in 2015. This is the seventh rendition of Mike since 1936. He’s a Bengal-Siberian mix and checks in at approximately 400 pounds. He has 158,000 followers on Instagram.
“I would say the most common question we get is, ‘Is Mike outside?’ said Ginger Guttner, the communications manager for LSU’s school of veterinary medicine who also creates social media posts on Mike’s behalf. “I don’t think I’ve ever been there when there’s been no one there.”
The veterinarian students who care for Mike VII make “meat art” in the shape of the opponent’s logo for game days. The one of him devouring the Gators logo before the Tigers’ win over Florida received nearly 13,000 likes.
amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Phillips had discussed the possibility of going to a ninegame schedule publicly in July during the ACC’s preseason football media days, noting it had been discussed internally multiple times. He said then that he “liked where our league is” and playing marquee nonconference matchups had been good for the league but added: “We’ll adjust if we have to.”
The change could theoretically get trickier now with one less spot available for teams to schedule outside of league play, though ensuring 10 games against power-conference opponents — either inside or outside the ACC schedule — would add another selling point when it came to teams’ CFP résumés.
Some teams had already been hitting that 10-game target through traditional means, such as Clemson playing nonconference games against now-No. 4 LSU to open the
year and its annual instate rivalry game with South Carolina out of the SEC to cap the regular season. Others had taken some creative routes to 10, such as NC State scheduling a nonconference game against longtime ACC member Virginia this month to go with next month’s trip to Notre Dame as part of the league’s scheduling partnership with the Irish. Playing nine league games and 10 against power-conference teams could potentially lead to a nancial boost with the league’s revenue-distribution model being revised to factor TV viewership ratings into the payouts. That change o ers the league’s biggest brands in football and men’s basketball to make more money with higher ratings against top-tier opponents, coming as the league has spent years battling a revenue gap behind the Big Ten and SEC.
JASON JACKSON FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
UNC’s Jaiden Patterson intercepts the Richmond quarterback in front of the Spiders’ sideline. Games like this FBS-FCS matchup will be rarer in the ACC’s new scheduling model.
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP PHOTO
Ralphie VII, Colorado’s new mascot, is guided by handlers during the animal’s ceremonial run before the second half.
Tina Turner Statue unveiled in small Tennessee community
The rock ’n’ roll queen grew up east of Memphis in Nutbush
By Adrian Sainz The Associated Press
BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. —
A 10-foot statue of rock ’n’ roll
queen Tina Turner was unveiled Saturday in the rural Tennessee community where she grew up before she became a Grammy-winning singer, electrifying stage performer, and one the world’s most recognizable and popular entertainers.
The statue was unveiled during a ceremony at a park in Brownsville, located about an hour drive east of Memphis. The city of about 9,000 people is near Nutbush, the community where Turner went to school as a child. As a teen, she attended high school just steps from where the statue now stands.
The statue shows Turner with her signature wild hairdo and holding a microphone, as if she was singing on stage. It was designed by sculptor Fred Ajanogha, who said he tried to capture her exibility of movement on stage, how she held the microphone with her index nger extended, and her hair style, which he compared to the “mane of a lion.”
Turner died May 24, 2023,
“She’s a great artist; I love her music. It’s a big deal and a great thing for the community to have Tina Turner in her small town.”
Karen Cook, Tina Turner fan
at age 83 after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich. Her Grammy-winning singing career included the hit songs “Nutbush City Limits,” “Proud Mary,” “Private Dancer,” and “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” from the lm “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.” Her movie credits also include “Tommy” and “Last Action Hero.”
Turner teamed with husband Ike Turner for hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s. She survived her troubled marriage to succeed in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” released in 1984. Her admirers ranged from Mick Jagger to Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, and she was known as the “Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll.”
The unveiling was part of the annual Tina Turner Heri-
tage Days, a celebration of her life growing up in rural Tennessee before she moved away as a teenager. The statue was sculpted in clay by Ajanogha in Atlanta and cast in bronze by a West Tennessee foundry, and it took about a year to complete. It is 7 feet and 9 inches tall with a base of 2 feet, making it stand about 10 feet high.
Karen Cook said she traveled from Georgia to attend the event with her friend, a cousin of Turner’s, to honor the legendary performer.
“She’s a great artist, I love her music,” said Cook, 59. “My mom listened to her a lot. It’s a big deal and a great thing for the community to have Tina Turner in her small town.”
About 50 donors gave money for the statue, including Ford Motor Co., which donated $150,000. Ford is building an electric truck factory in nearby Stanton.
The statue stands near a museum honoring Turner at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville. The museum opened in 2014 inside the renovated Flagg Grove School, a one -room building where Turner attended classes in Nutbush. The school closed in the 1960s and was used as a barn before the dilapidated building was moved by tractor-trailer from Nutbush to Brownsville.
ADRIAN SAINZ / AP PHOTO
A newly unveiled statue of singer Tina Turner stands at a park on Saturday in Brownsville, Tennessee.
this week in history
Janis Joplin dies at 27, O.J. found not guilty, “The Jazz Singer” premieres, Great Chicago Fire begins
The Associated Press
OCT. 2
1919: President Woodrow Wilson su ered a serious stroke at the White House that left him paralyzed on his left side.
1942: The RMS Queen Mary, carrying U.S. troops, accidentally rammed and sank the escort ship HMS Curacoa in the North Atlantic, killing more than 300 crew members.
1944: German troops crushed the two-month Warsaw Uprising, during which 250,000 people were killed.
1967: Thurgood Marshall joined the U.S. Supreme Court as its rst African American justice.
OCT. 3
1944: During World War II, U.S. Army troops cracked the Siegfried Line north of Aachen, Germany.
1951: Bobby Thomson’s three-run homer o Ralph Branca, the “Shot Heard ’Round the World,” gave the New York Giants the pennant.
1990: West Germany and East Germany ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring a reuni ed country.
1995: A jury in Los Angeles found O.J. Simpson not guilty in the 1994 killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
OCT. 4
1777: Gen. George Washington’s troops attacked the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania, but su ered heavy losses and were forced to retreat.
1957: The Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the rst arti cial satellite.
1970: Rock singer Janis Joplin was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room at age 27.
OCT. 5
1892: The Dalton Gang, notorious for train robberies, was nearly wiped out while attempting to rob two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas.
1947: President Harry S. Truman delivered the rst televised White House address on the world food crisis.
1986: Nicaraguan Sandinista soldiers shot down a cargo plane carrying weapons to Contra rebels, exposing illegal arms shipments that
ia launched a surprise attack on Israeli forces in the Sinai and Golan Heights during Yom Kippur.
1981: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad while reviewing a military parade.
OCT. 7
1765: The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York to draw up Colonial grievances against England.
1916: Georgia Tech defeated Cumberland University 2220 in Atlanta in the most lopsided victory in college football history.
led to the Iran-Contra Scandal.
1989: A jury in Charlotte convicted evangelist Jim Bakker of defrauding followers through his television show.
2011: Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former chief executive who transformed everyday technology with sleek devices, died at age 56.
OCT. 6
1927: The era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of “The Jazz Singer,” starring Al Jolson.
1973: War erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syr-
1985: Palestinian gunmen hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean. They killed Leon Klingho er, a Jewish American tourist in a wheelchair, and pushed him overboard.
OCT. 8
1871: The Great Chicago Fire began, killing more than 300 people and destroying more than 17,000 structures during a three-day blaze.
1956: Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 2-0 in Game 5.
Bad Bunny to headline 2026 Super Bowl halftime show
The Grammy winner will host “Saturday Night Live” on Oct. 4
By Jonathan Landrum Jr.
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Bad Bunny will bring his Latin trap and reggaeton swagger to the NFL’s biggest stage next year: The Grammy winner will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show in Northern California.
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Sunday that Bad Bunny will lead the halftime festivities from Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.
The Puerto Rican superstar’s selection comes amid another career-de ning run: He’s fresh o a historic Puerto Rico residency this month that drew more than half a million fans and is leading all nominees at the Latin Grammys in November. He has become one of the world’s most streamed artists with albums such as “Un Verano Sin Ti,” an all-Spanish-language LP.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself.”
Bad Bunny
seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
Roc Nation founder Jay-Z said in a statement that what Bad Bunny has “done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage.”
The 31-year-old artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has won three Grammys and 12 Latin Grammys. He has become a global ambassador for Latin music, starred in lms such as “Bullet Train,” “Caught Stealing” and “Happy Gilmore 2,” and collaborated with top fashion houses. He’ll enter the Latin Grammys as the leading nominee with 12, dethroning producer and songwriter Édgar Barrera.
Roc Nation and Emmy-winning producer Jesse Collins will serve as co-executive producers of the halftime show.
Hamish Hamilton will serve as director.
“We know his dynamic performances, creative vision, and deep connection with fans will deliver the kind of unforgettable experience we’ve come to expect from this iconic cultural
Antonio
moment,” said Jon Barker, SVP of Global Event Production for the NFL.
“His music has not only broken records but has elevated
Latin music to the center of pop-culture and we are thrilled to once again partner with the NFL and Roc Nation to deliver this historic performance
to millions of fans worldwide,” said Oliver Schusser, the vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “We know this show will be unforgettable.”
EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Benito
Martinez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny) attends the premiere of “Caught Stealing” in 2025 in New York. The Grammy-winning artist will perform during the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
AP PHOTO
Folk-rock singer Janis Joplin, pictured performing in 1969, died on Oct. 4, 1970. She was 27.
*Must set up Auto Draft for 2nd Month.
valid through February 1st 2024.
famous birthdays this week
Chubby Checker twists to 84, Steve Miller is 82, Alicia Silverstone turns 49, Rev. Jesse Jackson is 84
The Associated Press
OCT. 2
Film critic Rex Reed is 87. Singer-songwriter Don McLean (“American Pie”) is 80. Fashion designer Donna Karan is 77. Photographer Annie Leibovitz is 76. Singer-actor Sting is 74. Actor Lorraine Bracco is 71. Singer-songwriter Gillian Welch is 58. Actor-talk show host Kelly Ripa is 55.
OCT. 3
Composer Steve Reich is 89. Rock ’n’ roll star Chubby Checker is 84. Musician Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) is 76. Blues musician Keb’ Mo’ is 74. Golf Hall of Famer Fred Couples is 66. Rock drummer Tommy Lee is 63. Singer-TV personality Gwen Stefani is 56.
OCT. 4
Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is 81. Actor Susan Sarandon is 79. Actor Armand Assante is 76. Actor Christoph Waltz is 69. Singer Jon Secada is 64. Actor Alicia Silverstone is 49.
OCT. 5
College Football Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer is 88. Rock musician Steve Miller is 82. Rock singer Brian Johnson (AC/ DC) is 78. Singer-songwriter Bob Geldof is 74. Astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson is 67. Actor Guy Pearce is 58. Actor Kate Winslet is 50. NFL tight end Travis Kelce is 36.
OCT. 6
Actor Britt Ekland is 83. Irish politician Gerry Adams is 77. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy is 70. Actor Elisabeth Shue is 62. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is 60.
OCT. 7
Author Thomas Keneally is 90. Singer John Mellencamp is 74. Rock musician Tico Torres (Bon Jovi) is 72. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is 70. Recording executive
EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO Chevy Chase attends the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert at Radio City Music Hall in 2025. The actor-comedian turns 82 on Wednesday.
and TV personality Simon Cowell is 66. Rock singer-musician Thom Yorke (Radiohead) is 57.
OCT. 8
Actor Paul Hogan is 86. Civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson is 84. Comedian Chevy Chase is 82. Author R.L. Stine is 82. Actor Sigourney Weaver is 76. Comedian Darrell Hammond is 70. Actor Matt Damon is 55.
SCOTT ROTH / INVISION / AP PHOTO Neil deGrasse Tyson attends the East Hampton Library’s 21st annual Authors Night fundraiser at Herrick Park in 2025. The astrophysicist and author turns 67 on Sunday.
the stream
Taylor Swift, Matthew McConaughey, Jacinda Arderna Glen Powell, Ghost of Yotei
“The Life of a Showgirl” drops on Friday
The Associated Press
TAYLOR SWIFT’S highly anticipated 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl” and Matthew McConaughey playing the real-life bus driver who saved elementary school students during California’s deadliest wild re are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: The classic children’s story “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White turned into an animated series for HBO Max, the documentary “Prime Minister” chronicling the ve-year tenure of former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and some katana-swinging mayhem with the video game Ghost of Yotei.
MOVIES TO STREAM
McConaughey plays the real bus driver who drove 22 elementary school students to safety during 2018’s Camp Fire that engulfed Paradise, California, in the new lm “The Lost Bus,” streaming Friday on Apple TV+. America Ferrera costars as the teacher who went along for the ride, expecting it to be a straightforward drop o at a nearby school. Paul Greengrass directed the lm like an old-fashioned disaster movie, I wrote in my review, adding, “it’s impossible to take your eyes o the screen, away from the inferno and the sense of our own smallness and helplessness to ‘battle it.’”
Cillian Murphy is the headmaster of a reform school in “Steve,” a taut drama about mental health and a broken education system. The lm, which hits Net ix on Friday, is based on Max Porter’s novella “Shy.” “Steve” was directed by Belgian lmmaker Tim Mielants who also directed Murphy in the terri c Claire Keegan adaptation “Small Things Like These,” (currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+) which focused on the Magdalene laundries in Ireland. Together they could make for a moving double feature. The new documentary “Prime Minister,” now streaming on HBO Max, chronicles the ve-year tenure of Ardern, the former New Zealand PM. Just 37 when she took over and only the second elected world lead-
er to give birth while holding ofce, Ardern was praised around the world for her handling of the nation’s worst-ever mass shooting and the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. But she faced mounting political pressures at home and a level of vitriol from some that hadn’t been experienced by previous New Zealand leaders. In 2023, she shocked the world with her announcement that she was stepping down.
MUSIC TO STREAM
It’s her, hi: Swift returns with her highly anticipated 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” out Friday. The record was completed in Sweden with producers Max Martin and Shellback during the Eras Tour, and while details of the album have been limited, Swift did appear on the “New Heights” podcast in August to tease it. Swift promised infectious melodies
and vivid lyrics across “The Life of a Showgirl,” an album that will be much more “upbeat” than 2024’s “The Tortured Poets Department.”
SERIES TO STREAM
Superman only had to put on a pair of glasses to disguise himself as Clark Kent, but in the new Hulu series “Chad Powers,” Glen Powell wears prosthetics and a wig to masquerade himself — all in the name of football. Powell plays Russ Holliday, a college football quarterback at the top of his game until he makes an embarrassing mistake that ruins his career. Instead of giving up, Holliday decides to transform himself into an alter ego named Chad Powers, who is a walk-on player at a di erent school. The show is based on a character created by Eli Manning for his 2022 ESPN docuseries “Eli’s Places,” where he changed his look to take
part in walk-on tryouts at Penn State. The classic children’s story “Charlotte’s Web” by White is now an animated series for HBO Max. All three episodes drop Friday. The show’s voice cast includes Amy Adams as Charlotte, Elijah Wood as adult Wilbur, Cynthia Erivo as goose and Jean Smart as the narrator. Charlie Hunnam also transforms himself for Net ix’s true crime dramatization called “Monster: The Ed Gein Story.” Hunnam plays Gein, a convicted murderer and suspected serial killer from the 1950s. Cocreated by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the “Monster” anthologies tend to illustrate the impact of true crime on pop culture. In this “Monster,” Tom Hollander plays Alfred Hitchcock, whose movie “Psycho” was inspired by Gein. Olivia Williams and Laurie Metcalf also star. It debuts Friday.
“It’s impossible to take your eyes o the screen, away from the inferno and the sense of our own smallness and helplessness to ‘battle it.’”
Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Writer
PBS has two interesting offers for the weekend. On Friday it will air “Great Performances: The Magic of Grace Bumbry” about the real-life opera singer from Missouri who made history as the rst black mezzo-soprano to perform at Germany’s Bayreuth Festival. It also shows her impact on musicians today, including Beyoncé, who is mentioned in the doc. It premieres Friday on PBS and streams on PBS.com and the PBS App.
On Sunday we’re introduced to Jules Maigret, a detective created by author Georges Simenon. His rst Maigret novel was published in 1931 but a new PBS Masterpiece series about the investigator takes place in modern day. Benjamin Wainwright stars as the titular character who — along with his team — use unorthodox methods to solve crimes. “Maigret” will also be available on PBS.com and the PBS App.
The second season of the biblical drama “House of David” premieres Sunday. Available with a Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video, the show details the rise of David, a biblical gure who became the most celebrated king of Israel.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Atsu, the protagonist of Ghost of Yotei, was just a girl when the renegade Lord Saito killed the rest of her family. Sixteen years later, she’s returned to northern Japan to exact vengeance against Saito and his minions. She’s learned some mad samurai skills in the meantime, so expect plenty of katana-swinging mayhem. This new adventure from Sony’s Sucker Punch studio is the follow-up to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, and it builds on that game’s sprawling scope and lush graphics while blending 1600s history with Japanese folklore. Atsu’s mission begins Thursday on PlayStation 5.
SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Matthew McConaughey poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the lm ‘The Lost Bus’, which is streaming Friday on Apple TV+.
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
Glen Powell, the star and co-creator of “Chad Powers,” arrives at the premiere of the series now streaming on Hulu.