the BRIEF this week
Trump endorses Paxton in Texas GOP primary, boosting challenge to incumbent Cornyn
President Donald Trump has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, supercharging his e ort to oust incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a Republican primary runo . Paxton and Cornyn quali ed for the May 26 runo after a March 3 primary, while Rep. Wesley Hunt nished third and did not advance. Although the four-term Cornyn has backed Trump’s agenda in Washington, Paxton pitched himself as a political warrior for the Make America Great Again movement. Trump’s endorsement Tuesday puts him at odds with his party’s establishment, which is convinced Cornyn is the better candidate for November’s general election.
Jackson says Supreme Court risks being seen as political after voting rights decision
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said Monday that the Supreme Court risks being seen as political in the wake of a major voting rights decision. She spoke after writing a solo dissent from the court’s decision allowing Louisiana to move quickly to use new maps after the court struck down a majorityblack district and weakened the Voting Rights Act. At a time when public con dence in the court is low, she said the court must be careful to avoid being seen as political. Three of her conservative colleagues have said accusations of partisanship aren’t justi ed.
$2.00
Chatham County Schools implements mutual aid plan
The agreement lays out parameters and procedures in the case of a catastrophic event
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Schools Board of Education has approved a rst-of-its-kind mutual aid
agreement between the district and select charter and private schools located within the county.
At the board’s May 11 meeting, the mutual aid plan was presented detailing the procedure that the partners (Chatham County Schools, Chatham Charter, Haw River Academy and Woods Charter) would go through in the case of a catastrophic event. The district was the leader on the conversations, and talks also included the Chatham County Sheri ’s O ce as well.
“The impetus for this conversation was really around school safety,” said Superintendent Anthony Jackson. “We are very fortunate that we have not had one of these catastrophic events, but we always need to be prepared for them if they were to happen. This gives us the context to be able to respond if they need us or if we need them.
Small cities in big Texas metro areas lead as fastest-growing municipalities in United States
The surge re ects migration away from expensive coasts toward a ordable Southern job markets
By Mike Schneider The Associated Press
SMALL CITIES IN big Texas metro areas were the fastest-growing municipalities in
the United States last year, as smaller communities in the South outpaced the rest of the nation, which has experienced a population slowdown since the start of the immigration crack-
down last year, according to gures released Thursday. Celina, Princeton, Melissa and Anna — all part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex — were the Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations of 20,000 residents or more from mid-2024 to mid2025, according to population
Graduates booing pep talks on AI at college commencements
“It will touch every profession, every classroom, every hospital, every laboratory, every person and every relationship you have, Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO
Students face anxiety about AI threatening their jobs in an uncertain market
By Heather Hollingsworth and Jocelyn Gecker The Associated Press
AS ARTIFICIAL intelligence casts a shadow over career prospects, it is becoming an unwelcome subject at this season’s college commencements. At several campuses, graduates have interrupted speakers with stadium-wide boos when the topic turned to AI.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced repeated jeers
over the weekend during his keynote address to about 10,000 University of Arizona graduates on the rise of AI.
“It will touch every profession, every classroom, every hospital, every laboratory, every person and every relationship you have,” Schmidt said, as booing began to build in the audience.
“I know what many of you are feeling about that. I can hear you,” Schmidt responded as the boos continued. “There is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating … and I understand that fear.”
estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Fulshear, in metro Houston, was the second-fastest growing U.S. city. The ve Texas cities’ year-over-year growth rates ranged from almost 15% to almost 25%.
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Blackwater Band performs at the Mosaic Family Commons last Friday as part of the venue’s summer Beach Music Series.
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
SCHOOLS from page A1
That’s the purpose of this.”
The plan lays out parameters on student information systems, personnel, command and control, language, and reunication, as well as potential steps for reimbursement in the case of a catastrophe.
“Basically, if a requesting party asks for aid from us, this is the way in which we’re going to go down the steps to provide those services and in fact be reimbursed when the dust settles and everything is done,” said Director of School Safety, Security and Operations Brad Walston.
According to Walston, the plan was patterned o of mutual aid agreements that are already set up through state statute by North Carolina Emergency Management.
“We really did not care what type of school it was,” Jackson said. “If the call comes to help, we want to be able to be good neighbors and keep kids safe no matter what.”
The board also approved a contract renewal with The Budd Group for custodial services.
“We have custodians that are Chatham County Schools employees, and what The Budd Group does is, one, they’re able to ll positions we’re not able to ll, and two, we save on retirement and medical,” said Board Chair Gary Leonard.
The contract will be for an additional year and will be paid for using unused salaries for open custodial positions.
According to Assistant Superintendent for Operations Chris Blice, this will be the fourth year the district will be working with The Budd Group, and the contract also does not include an increase to the hourly rate.
The Chatham County Schools Board of Education will next meet June 1.
community
Inez Brown celebrated her 99th birthday on Saturday, May 16 at a luncheon given in her honor at Best Food Cafeteria. Inez was born May 16, 1927, to the late Levi and Doasha Jessup, and she was married to the late Colon Brown. She has four Children: Jan, James (Becky), Peggy (Dean) and Bonnie (Joel); ve Grandchildren: Jesse (Shannon), Alex (Sarah), Tyler (Brittany), Lauren (Jason) and Trent (Brittany); and seven great-grandchildren: Colon, Levi, Adam, Elle, William, Matthew and Chloe.
CRIME LOG
May 11
• Shantoe Denise Lee, 29, was arrested for driving on a revoked license, failure to secure a passenger under 16 and operating a vehicle with no insurance, and other charges.
• Walter Armindo Morales De Paz, 30, was arrested for soliciting a child by computer.
• Jonathan Elgardo Ruz-Rodriguez, 25, was arrested for being intoxicated in a park.
May 12
• Mahogany Tatianna Sanford, 20, was arrested for assault and battery, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and injury to personal property.
• Anthony Joseph Hassell, 34, was arrested for purchasing a rearm in violation of a domestic violence order.
• Cody John Bender, 31, was arrested for possession of stolen property and driving on a revoked license.
May 13
• James Nestor Crook, 33, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
• Jose Adrian Gutierrez, 30, was arrested for assault in icting serious bodily injury and battery of an unborn child.
May 14
• Brad Quintez Alston, 34, was arrested for being intoxicated and disruptive and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Yunior David Chirinos Bardales, 23, was arrested for felony possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises and eeing and eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, and other charges.
Central
Teachers, are you looking for new opportunities to fund projects for your classroom?
Central Electric is awarding up to $15,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to local educators in K-12 classrooms for the 2026-27 school year. Educators in K-12 classrooms with creative ideas for learning projects are encouraged to apply for a grant up to $2,000.
Grant applications will be accepted through Sept. 15. However, it pays to apply early.
May 15
• Samuel Vernon Groves, 40, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Crystal Burchett Powell, 49, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Decario Deshawn Davis, 29, was arrested for possession of a rearm by a felon, breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering, and other charges.
• John Joseph Cruz Pablo, 24, was arrested for second-degree kidnapping.
• Danual Lewis Alston, 42, was arrested for child support violation.
May 16
• Aleaha Renne Marr, 32, was arrested for driving while impaired.
• John Edward McLean, 38, was arrested for domestic violence protective order violation, assault on a female and communicating threats.
• David Adam Clodfelter, 51, was arrested for larceny after breaking and entering, larceny of a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and other charges.
May 17
• Genesis Omri Brooks, 26, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon on a government o cer or employee, discharging a weapon into occupied property and felony breaking and entering to terrorize or injure, and other charges.
All teachers who submit their applications by the early bird deadline of Aug. 15 will be entered into a drawing for one of ve $100 Visa gi cards. Scan the QR code or visit NCBrightIdeas.com for more information or to apply!
Here’s
May 23 Sanford
May 27
Your
Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum
Wellness Wednesday: Run Club and Dog Walk 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Community wellness group. Free admission.
Philip H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons 457 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro
May 29
Beach Music Series: The Extraordinaires
7 p.m.
The Extraordinaires perform in the MOSAIC at Chatham Park outdoor Beach Music Series. Admission is free with advance ticket registration at the MOSAIC website; the event lawn opens at 6 p.m.
MOSAIC at Chatham Park 367 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro
The Old Ceremony at Bynum Front Porch
7 p.m.
Chapel Hill pop-noir group The Old Ceremony performs at the historic Bynum General Store as part of the free Friday Night Music Series, which runs May through August. A food truck will be on site; the show moves indoors in inclement weather.
Bynum Front Porch 950 Bynum Road Bynum
May 31
Pittsboro Summer Fest
2-6 p.m.
The annual Pittsboro Summer Fest lls downtown with live music, a festive bike parade, food trucks and artisan vendors. The community event is free.
Downtown Pittsboro 9 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro
COURTESY PHOTO
Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas’ class at Fairview Elementary School on May 6 in Modesto, California.
Kids in ‘reading recession,’ as test scores continue to decline
A few states and districts are reversing the trend with phonics-based instruction
By Sharon Lurye, Jocelyn Gecker, Lily Altavena and Ruth Serven Smith
The Associated Press
MODESTO, Calif. — Before every important test, teacher Nancy Barajas dims the lights, turns on a disco ball and blasts music from her playlist. Her sixth graders dance together as a “precelebration” to boost their con dence, then take their exam.
Lately, there’s been a lot to celebrate in elementary schools in Modesto, California. Both reading and math scores have increased consistently over the past several years.
But across the country, results are gloomier. Researchers warn that the U.S. is experiencing a reading recession — a slide predating the pandemic’s disruptions in schooling.
Scholars at Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth analyzed state test scores from third to eighth grade for more than 5,000 school districts in 38 states, allowing comparisons across school districts and states in a national Education Scorecard.
What they found was sobering: Only ve states plus the District of Columbia had meaningful growth in reading test scores from 2022 to 2025. Nationally, students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores and only slightly better in math.
While schools have focused on catching kids up since the COVID-19 pandemic upended education, reading test scores have been falling since 2013 for eighth graders and 2015 for fourth graders, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
“The pandemic was the mudslide that had followed seven years of steady erosion in achievement,” said Thomas Kane, a Harvard professor who helped create the Education Scorecard.
Still, some states and school districts are making progress — largely by shifting toward phonics-based instruction and providing extra support for struggling readers.
The picture is also brighter in math.
Almost every state in the analysis saw improvements in math test scores from 2022 to 2025. Student absenteeism also declined in most states. In more than 400 U.S. school districts, including Modesto, reading or math growth outpaced demographically similar districts in the same state.
Shift toward phonics, extra reading support
Researchers are still debating the reading recession’s causes.
One possible factor, researchers say, is the rise of social media on smartphones and corresponding declines in kids’ recreational reading. States have also backed o on strict consequences for schools whose students fail to make progress on standardized tests, Kane said.
But the states that improved reading scores — notably Lou-
“The pandemic was the mudslide that had followed seven years of steady erosion in achievement.”
Thomas Kane, Harvard professor
isiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana — all had one thing in common: They ordered schools to teach with a phonics-based approach known as the “science of reading.”
For years, schools taught reading using approaches that deemphasized phonics and encouraged strategies such as guessing words based on context clues. As reading scores tumbled over the past decade, parents, scholars and literacy advocates pushed for teaching methods that align with decades of research about how kids learn to read — largely by sounding out words.
Along with reforming teaching methods, states have also required schools to screen for learning disabilities such as dyslexia and hire coaches to help teachers improve their reading instruction.
That said, “science of reading” reforms did not guarantee success. Some states, including Florida, Arizona and Nebraska, changed parts of their reading instruction but still saw test scores fall.
In Modesto, reading instruction was revamped during the pandemic, and math a couple years earlier. The district created a new department to help students who are still learning English. Schools also ramped up teacher training, paying educators $5,000 to complete an extensive “science of reading” program called LETRS, or Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling.
Modesto’s test scores grew enough to represent an extra 18 weeks of learning in math and 13 weeks in reading. Nevertheless, the district still has a way to go: Overall scores remain far below grade level.
Getting kids “consistently in the seat” key to Detroit’s success
A focus on reading has also improved scores in Detroit — but so have e orts to get kids in school more consistently. For years, the large urban district struggled with deplorable school conditions, leading to a 2016 lawsuit in which students argued they’d been denied the “right to read.”
The lawsuit ended in a settlement of more than $94 million, money that helped move the needle. While the district is still far below the national average, student test scores have grown faster than in similar urban districts in Michigan.
“It took a lot to rebuild systems, and now kids are learning at higher levels, but I’m still not satis ed,” said Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. “And I think that’s the next challenge: continuing to motivate, inspire and change things.”
The money has helped Munger Elementary-Middle School, located in a largely Latino neighborhood in Detroit, to employ 18 educators
who give kids extra support in small groups. An attendance agent also makes calls to the homes of absent students, even showing up at their doors.
Just a few years ago, rst grade teacher Samantha Cia one said, it was normal for about seven or eight kids to be absent from her class every day. Now it’s usually only one or two.
“It allows us to be better educators to see kids consistently in the seat instead of once or twice a week,” said Cia one. “It makes such a di erence.”
Bright spot in the South
For the last decade, the South has stood out as a region leading the way on education reforms — bucking an established trend of landing at the bottom of education rankings. Southern states were quick to change to research-based teaching methods, and states have paid to train and coach teachers.
It’s paid o . Louisiana and Alabama were the only states where math scores were higher in 2025 than pre-pandemic. Louisiana is also the only state that beat its pre-pandemic average in reading, with 87% of traditional public school students attending a district where scores are higher than in 2019.
Alabama had standout gains in reading following the pandemic, driven by a state law requiring every school to use phonics-based instruction. The Legislature modeled math reforms in 2022 o Alabama’s reading successes. The state’s Numeracy Act standardized math instruction, required regular testing and mandated intervention for kids who lacked adequate math skills.
Oxmoor Valley Elementary in Birmingham hired a full-time math specialist this year to help struggling kids. The school, which made the state’s “failing” list in 2016, has steadily improved math and reading scores, although a majority of kids still test below pro cient in both subjects.
“We can provide all of these supports but at the same time, hold kids to high expectations,” Birmingham Superintendent Mark Sullivan said.
Researchers stress such progress is possible across the U.S. because it’s been done before. Starting in the 1990s, the country saw decades of growth in test scores and graduation rates while racial disparities declined. That progress continued until the mid-2010s.
“We made enormous progress as a country in terms of educational success from over a 30-year period. Test scores went up dramatically,” said Stanford professor Sean Reardon. “And so I think that says, as a country, we can improve education and educational opportunity.”
At Modesto’s Fairview Elementary, where Barajas teaches, students now practice their reading speed and uency every day. After a dance break, the class reads a one-page text together in unison for one minute, then students split into pairs to read again. Students learning English are paired with native English speakers, and each child gets a turn reading with Barajas.
“Eventually, you get through the word like it’s water,” one boy said. “You just say it smooth.”
Church News
OAKLEY BAPTIST CHURCH
As Oakley Baptist Church (2300 Siler CityGlendon Road, Siler City) seeks to begin its next chapter, we are enjoying hearing a word from the Lord from various old and new friends. Our service begins at 10:30 a.m., but we also have Sunday School classes for every member of the family at 9:30 a.m. We would be blessed if you joined us for any and all of these speakers in the coming weeks.
May 24 – Tim Howell May 31 – Gary Mccollough
We look forward to meeting you at any of these services and in the future, and invite you to pray with us as we seek a new pastor. To learn more, go to oakleybaptist.org or email us at oakleybaptistchurch@gmail.com.
Homecoming at Oakley will be Sunday, May 24 beginning at 10 a.m. for special music and 10:30 a.m. for worship service. Tim Howell will be our guest speaker.
A covered dish lunch will be provided after the service.
Please come and bring a friend! Everyone is welcome!
FELLOWSHIP HOUSE OF GOD
All Covenant Gathering
Bishop Willie Gilmore & Pastor Faye Gilmore
444 Stage Road Carthage, NC
Sunday, May 31 — 11 a.m.
Praise Church Of Deliverance Ministries will be in charge of the service.
We are one of the bishop’s churches.
We are pastors James Peoples and Prophetess Callie Peoples
We are on Facebook every Sunday at 7 p.m. for our worship service, and every Wednesday at 7 p.m. for Bible study. We also have service in Carthage once a month and other places.
If You are interested in counseling or have another problem in life, call us and make an appointment to set up a meeting.
(984-368-2942 – 984-270-3011)
We are a non-demomination deliverance ministry.
You may be interested in fellowshipping with us. we are state certi ed for a church. If we can be any help, please let us know.
To get us on Facebook, search my name, James Peoples. If you are interested in any of our services, just give us a call.
Prophetess phone — 984-368-2942 (Callie)
Pastor’s phone — 984-270-3011 (James)
ANNIE BARKER / AP PHOTO
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
His Sunday best
I was still impressed by a 5-year-old visitor last Sunday who wore a light blue dress shirt buttoned all the way up beneath his chin.
I AM HARDLY the rst to comment upon the movement across our culture toward more casual dress. Even before the pandemic shutdown meant we were all working from home in our pajamas, most o ces no longer required formal attire. Many worshiping communities re ect this trend, adopting a “come as you are” approach instead of the traditional “wear your Sunday best.” Generally, this development is understood favorably by younger generations who have enough to deal with in getting church to bother with ironing, knotting ties and polishing shoes. I personally know how hard it is to get my three children out of the door on Sunday morning.
It’s also true that it is what’s on the inside that counts. It’s relevant how the ancient rabbi warned, “Judge not, so you won’t be judged.” There is a double standard along gender lines. Someone might praise a father for getting his children to church while lamenting that a mother’s kids look like they have just rolled out of bed.
Despite all these caveats, I was still impressed by a 5-year-old visitor last Sunday who wore a light blue dress shirt buttoned all the way up beneath his chin. His grandmother told me that he insisted on wearing “my Jesus shirt” whenever he went to church. This child was so committed to his self-imposed dress code that he scrubbed
| BOB WACHS
out a chocolate cereal stain that morning rather than change his wardrobe.
Again, I would rather not judge other people’s choices. My only point is that there’s something to be said for dressing up. It can show respect for your host, who in the case of a church is properly understood as the higher power. This divine focus is di erent from the motto “dress to impress.” Surely the maker of heaven and earth does not care about dress codes. That seems silly. I think a more helpful idea is that my choice of attire helps me focus on God. While a worshiper might contemplate heavenly, eternal truths, they do so in a mortal body that is xed in this world right now. Perhaps how you dress can re ect your inner attitude.
After his grandmother lled me in about his Jesus shirt, I made a point to compliment the young disciple. As a follow-up question, I asked if his sunglasses, which he wore on the top of his head, were also for Jesus. The child xed me with a look of pity bordering on disgust. “These are SpiderMan sunglasses. Don’t you know that?”
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.
Value of friends is priceless
I realized all over again that life is a book and it’s made up of many chapters.
THE OTHER DAY I ran into (not literally) Bobby Joe High, my old boyhood friend and chief adviser on all matters from the heart to the pocketbook.
It had been some time since I’d seen him. I wasn’t mad at him, wasn’t trying to avoid him or anything like that; I just hadn’t been around him in a while. We spent a few minutes catching up on folks. I asked him about his brothers, Myles and Junior, and he asked me about a few folks, and then we parted, going our separate ways.
As I thought afterward about our encounter, the truth of the old saying “Life gets in the way of living” became even clearer. I thought about all the time we had spent together, about some of the things we had done together — the meals and nights at each other’s houses, the ball games, the talks and discussions, the classes we didn’t go to, the night we went to the Piggly-Wiggly to watch them roll in the buggies, and on and on.
Then I realized all over again that life is a book and it’s made up of many chapters — birth, education, choice of a mate, vocation, where you live, how you live and so forth. And all along the way, there are those folks — we call them “friends” — who ll in the space around and in those chapters, and sometimes are chapters themselves.
As I thought of some of my chapters and friends, it was funny — not funny “haha” — but funny how I remember some and can’t place others.
I made my entrance into the world when our family lived in Apex before it turned into Chicago Jr. I guess I had friends then and there, but when your world changes before you’re 5 years old, you don’t have much to build on. I do remember a kindly old couple — George and Bessie Catlett — who were substitute grandparents and who let me call them by their rst names, much to my mama’s chagrin. I guess the lesson there is your friends don’t have to be your age to be your friends.
Growing up in and going to school in Pittsboro let me develop a circle of friends, and the good news is quite a few are on this side of the great divide. From time to time, we meet for lunch and I get to visit with John Justice, Bill Farrell, Steve Mann, Charles Lutterloh and Joe Thompson.
And for a few magical moments, we’re 16 again. But sometimes when we meet, we remember that some of us who once were part of us aren’t with us anymore, and we speak of Worth Holleman, Walter Duley, Randy Ellis and others. And funny thing about that high school group is that many others I didn’t spend large amounts of time with then but who are still around are friends I’ve grown close to, guys like C.W. Harris and Renny Kremer, to name just two.
College was another chapter, and guys I shared experiences with are guys I knew I’d never forget and would always be around. Well, the truth of life is that part of that has come true — I haven’t forgotten them, but I don’t know where most of them are or even if they still are.
I do know Mike Gabriel and Sam Greathouse are precious memories; it was a shock when I picked up the newspaper years ago and saw their names in the obituaries. But Ronnie and Donnie Green, Kenny Sho ner, Ric E rd, Chuck Conners, John Southern? Not a clue. Likewise with one of my two roommates. Last time I saw him was 1971 when Shirley and I were engaged and we went to a movie in Chapel Hill, and he was working at the concession stand. Sorry rascal didn’t even give me my popcorn for free. The other one, I learned a year or so ago, is living about as far east in North Carolina as you can without sliding into the Atlantic Ocean. We corresponded a few times, but he may as well be living on Mars for the likelihood I’ll see him again. That thing about life getting in the way of living comes again.
Today, as I meditate in my golden years, I realize not everything about them is golden. But I’ve been fortunate to add a few more friends in this tender age, and that’s the point I want to leave with you as I wind this up, namely take some time to review your chapters. If you can locate some old friends, go for it. But don’t forget to make some new ones. As the poet said, “Make new friends but keep the old; some are silver, some are gold.”
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
Crawling toward wholeness (and getting there)
Just hold your horses, ponies or whatever. There’s a light comin’
I’VE BEEN COGITATING this being human thing. Did your birthright “being human” designation come with a guidebook? Mine did. Much of what I read or was told while growing up was “should,” “should,” “should.” Some were mighty ne “shoulds.” Others left me struggling for breath because they weren’t me and never would be me. I react to “shoulds” just as I do to four-letter words. Hu y, angry. The little kid who still ourishes in me shouts, “I hate “shoulds!” (OK, yes, I am a tad oppositional at times.) Whoops, reframe needed here. Hating is not a quality I’d like listed in my obituary: “She was known for hating with a passion.” Noooo! Still, I can become quite prickly when reacting to that “should” word. Since I’m (mostly) an adult now, I feel ready to compose my own unique “being human” guidebook. No parent is looking over my shoulder (at least, I don’t think so.) Ah, but since I live and breathe in this world, something is always looking over my shoulder. Our culture. The seedbed of my shoulds.
Reasonably speaking, some of my “shoulds” are vital and keep peace in my life. (Thank God!) Other “shoulds” don’t re ect my unique “Jan-ness.” They just don’t. Those “shoulds” are dug in, like splinters, causing pain and de ecting me from my path to wholeness. I want my wholeness! (Don’t you?)
Just hold your horses, ponies or
COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI
China: Our enemy, not our rival
whatever. There’s a light comin’ …
Can I be brutally honest with you? Following the path to our uniqueness can be dirty, challenging, painful and creative. Oodles and oodles of towels and (sigh) continual self-compassion are an absolute must. Bit by bit — sometimes quite timidly, like butter ies from a chrysalis — we begin to emerge. Seeing the world through our own unique eyes but maintaining parts of our original cultural template that help grow us.
This can be an exacting journey, so there are basic questions to be answered. Do you feel more alive? Do you feel more whole? Have you gotten better at listening to your heart and inner voice? Have you?
These paths to our wholeness, geez! Twisty, sometimes dangerous, often shrouded in fog. We’re discerning our own unique “being human” guidebooks. As best we can, we’re becoming the potters of our own lives and souls. Following a sometimes dim path to ourselves as we plow through the dirt kicked up by our becoming.
Oh, but wait! The dirt we feel we’re drowning in can also be molded. Molded into clay that shapes our growth into the chosen human we’d like to be. That human who’s been calling to us for so many years …
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
The left’s attack on courts is meant to destroy the Constitution
History has shown that one of the rst propositions of authoritarians is to destroy any judicial system that upholds the law.
THE STORY PLAYS out the same way virtually every time.
Democrats, egged on by the increasingly powerful progressive base, push some obviously unconstitutional scheme that they contend is needed to preserve “democracy.”
The courts inevitably knock down the ploy. Frustrated, Democrats ratchet up the anger, promising to “reform” the judiciary that stands in their way.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) recently argued on the House oor that the next Democratic White House “does not need a court reform commission like some college seminar. We need action. We need term limits for justices. We need to expand this morally bankrupt court from 9 to 13.”
Do we? Great, let’s do it today.
Republicans run both houses and the White House, after all. They could pack the court right now. According to Khanna, there’s nothing procedurally or constitutionally improper about it. Indeed, it’s imperative. Surely, the congressman isn’t proposing that one party should be empowered to operate under a di erent set of rules than the other?
The contemporary leftist is a consequentialist with no limiting principles.
After the Virginia Supreme Court stopped the Democrats’ unconstitutional gerrymandering scheme, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), now the favorite 2028 Democratic Party presidential prospect in a number of polls, claimed that the court “didn’t overturn a map” but “overturned an election.”
“The power of the American people that should be the ultimate check on all three branches,” she declared.
In any other age, vocalizing illiterate nonsense about our system of governance might be an embarrassing career-ending ub. Today, it’s the norm among progressives.
At this point, I’m not even sure most of her audience understands why this crass majoritarian argument is un-American.
Then again, none of the left’s political objections to the court are grounded in anything resembling a legal argument.
Progressives grouse about “lawless judges” because they make no distinction between failing to get their way and criminality. Democrats never even bother to mention the Constitution in their critiques of the Supreme Court. Which is weird considering the court’s most vital responsibility is to uphold it.
After the court upheld the Voting Rights Act, ensuring that Louisiana could not create race-based districts as the law demands, Khanna claimed that “moral light” of the court had been “extinguished.” Which is just gibberish.
The left’s case for “reform” centers around the specious idea that the court is failing because it doesn’t adhere to their political
BE IN TOUCH
vision or the vision of the eeting majority.
History has shown that one of the rst propositions of authoritarians is to destroy any judicial system that upholds the law. Which is why Democrats want to overturn state constitutions as well.
“We’re going to have to explore judicial reform state by state and at the federal level,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Je ries recently said, proposing a nationwide takeover of the courts. “ ... Everything should be on the table as far as I’m concerned.”
They mean everything.
One of the ideas being thrown around by Democrats is to have the Virginia General Assembly lower the mandatory retirement age for Virginia’s Supreme Court from 75 to 54, the age of the youngest current justice, then replace the entire court with leftists who will rubber-stamp the most radical gerrymandering scheme in the history of the republic.
For decades, Democrats have made a mockery of con rmation hearings, smearing originalist justices as sexual predators and radicals to preemptively discredit their decisions.
For years, progressive activist groups propped up by wealthy activists have been cooking up imaginary scandals about justices and laundering them through faux journalistic operations.
No leftists have ever o ered a scintilla of genuine evidence that any of the “conservative” justices have altered their judicial philosophy or approach for any personal bene t. There is no “lawlessness.” There is an ideological disagreement.
If Democrats end up packing the court, it will devolve into another partisan branch as each party adds new justices until the institution is useless.
Term limits would immediately be struck down as unconstitutional: Article III bestows lifetime appointments on justices to shield the high court from the vagaries and eeting pressures of political debate — and from demagogues like Khanna.
Not every institution in American life needs to re ect eeting mainstream opinions (though progressives overestimate their popularity, anyway). Moreover, the court’s disposition should be conservative. Something needs to buttress against the recklessness of majoritarianism. The Founders were clear on this.
All this Democratic drama is just a transparent attempt to circumvent the constitutional order. And it is unlikely any Democrats care enough about the Constitution to stop it.
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner and author of ve books. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
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.
CHINA IS NOT merely America’s geopolitical opponent. It is America’s geopolitical enemy — and has been since the establishment of the Chinese communist regime in 1949. For decades, American leaders and elites indulged the fantasy that this reality could be softened or reversed. Richard Nixon opened relations with China in part to split Beijing from the Soviet Union. Later, economic globalists insisted that bringing China into global markets would moderate its politics. The theory was that free trade would lead to freer people.
It didn’t.
China is not a competitor playing by the rules of commerce and diplomacy. It is an adversary playing for dominance.
China never stopped being what it has always been: a communist surveillance state with an appetite for repression at home and in uence abroad. It is a historically mass-murdering regime and a government whose ambition is nothing less than the destruction of America’s global dominance.
And China plays the long game.
Unlike democratic nations that operate on election cycles, the Chinese Communist Party operates on decades. It can wait. It can plan. It can exploit. It has taken advantage of America’s openness — our markets, our universities, even our political institutions — to undermine us from within.
Whether it’s the theft of tens of billions of dollars in intellectual property, the in ltration of American universities or in uence campaigns aimed at shaping public discourse, China has treated the United States like an enemy — because it is.
That reality became impossible to ignore in 2020. China unleashed the Wuhan virus on the world while lying about the outbreak and downplaying evidence of human-to-human transmission. It misled the World Health Organization, which by that point had become so deferential to Beijing that it functioned more like a diplomatic arm of Chinese interests than an independent watchdog.
The pandemic was a wakeup call, but it should not have been the rst. For years, Americans have warned that the United States built supply chains through hostile territory. We outsourced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and strategic industries to a nation openly committed to replacing us.
Now the question is unavoidable: What should we do?
First, America must use its economic leverage to isolate China. That means cutting strong trade deals with reliable allies and strategic partners — Canada, Mexico, Europe and developing countries that may be tempted to drift into China’s orbit.
The goal should be simple: Force nations to choose. Countries should understand they can either have access to American markets and investment, or dependence on Chinese manufacturing and in uence. They should not be allowed to have both.
Second, America must cut o China’s sources of revenue and in uence. Much of President Donald Trump’s foreign policy has been aimed at this. Pressure against Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela was about oil revenue that strengthens China. The same is true with Iran, a major supplier of oil to Beijing. Even the war in Ukraine has implications, as Russia increasingly functions as a resource pipeline for China.
Third, America must strengthen itself. One of the most dangerous vulnerabilities we face is nancial dependency. China owns trillions of dollars in American debt. The implicit threat is always present: Beijing could dump U.S. bonds onto the market to destabilize our economy. China could absorb the pain. It does not fear public backlash the way democratic governments do.
This is what happens when a nation becomes bloated, complacent and addicted to spending. If the United States wishes to remain a world power, it cannot behave like a decadent welfare state. Debt is not just an economic problem — it is a national security threat.
Finally, America must close the doors China uses to steal, spy and in ltrate. One obvious step is also the most controversial: no more Chinese foreign exchange students. Zero.
Our universities have strong nancial incentives to bring them in, but national security cannot be treated like a revenue stream. We should not be importing students from hostile regimes to access American research and institutions, only for them to return home and strengthen systems that seek our destruction. Pretending geopolitical enemies will not exploit American openness is naive. They already have.
The United States is still the most powerful country on Earth, but power is not permanent. It must be defended and strategically deployed. China is not a competitor playing by the rules of commerce and diplomacy. It is an adversary playing for dominance.
The steps needed to confront that reality are available — and necessary.
Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
obituaries
Pamela Stephens Andrews Lemons
July 7, 1943 – May 13, 2026
Pamela Stephens Andrews Lemons, 82, of Siler City, passed away at home on Wednesday, May 13th, 2026.
Pam was born in New York on July 7th, 1943, to the late Robert Perine Andrews, Sr. and Jean Marie Bell Andrews. She is preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Bobby Andrews; and a grandson, Cory Gale Scott.
Pam was a horse and animal lover, and very
Duncan Lynn Murchison
Dec. 11, 1963 – May 15, 2026
Duncan Lynn Murchison, age 62 of Goldston, NC died Friday, May 15, 2026, at Chatman Hospital.
Lynn was a native of Chatham County and enjoyed trips to the NC Outer Banks to sh and collect seashells. He was always willing to help others was a UNC Tarheel fan
IN MEMORY
passionate about horses. She was an accomplished equestrian from a very young age. Pam absolutely had a green thumb and her plants ourished under her care.
Pam had a beautiful gift and passion for caring for the elderly which she turned into her life’s work. She became a home health nurse and worked both privately and for multiple locations.
Left to cherish Pam’s memories are her daughters, Robyn Parker of Wilmington and her children, Kara Smith and her husband, Justin, Eric Parker and his wife, Cierra and their daughter, Marlee; and Dr. Katherine “Kate” Scott and her husband, Jason, and their family, Sarah Scott, Anna Pruitt and her husband, Tyler, Mary Scott, and Samantha Scott.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Wilmington at Oakdale Cemetery.
Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Lemons family.
Online condolences can be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com
and loved his K-9 companion “The Big Dog, George.”
Lynn is survived by his mother: Sadie H. Murchison of Bear Creek, NC; Brother: Donnie Murchison of Goldston, NC; sister: Susan Douglas (Mike) of Bera Creek, NC; nephew: Daniel Douglas (Brooke); niece: Candie Carlyle (Zac); great nieces and nephews: Paisley and Harper Carlyle, River and Miles Douglas.
The Graveside Service will be Monday, May 18, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery 503 Alton King Road, Goldston, NC with Rev. Partick Daniel o ciating. Attendees are encouraged to wear Carolina Blue.
The family will receive friends following the service in the church fellowship hall. Smith and Buckner Funeral Home is proudly serving the Murchison family.
ANGLEA “ANGIE” SMITH PATRICK SEPT. 23, 1965 – APRIL 26, 2026
ANGLEA “ANGIE” SMITH PATRICK, Age 60 of Pinnacle, NC formerly of New Hill, NC passed away at her home on Sunday April 26, 2026.
Anglea was born in Orange County, NC on September 23, 1965, daughter of James Milton Smith and Teresa Grae Davis. Anglea was preceded in death by her parents, maternal grandmother Irene Douglas Davis.
“Angie” loved listening to all kinds of music. She often would associate songs with things she experienced in her own life. “Angie” loved her four brothers, and she hoped they knew that. She was the oldest of ve children. She always felt like it was her responsibility to take care of them when they were young, and she did the best she could. Angie also loved the rest of her family, each one in her own way. Angie and Dawn were not only cousins they were best friends. She would often tell her cousin Nancy “Dawn” that they were like “Thelma and Louise.” Dawn being the one that thought things through. “Angie” being the spontaneous one. Those years they spent together they shared a lot of special memories. Those years growing up were some of the best years of their lives. Angie and Dawn always felt like they were as close as sisters would be. It was always said Angie was really the baby girl of the family, not Dawn.
A celebration of life service will be held at 2 PM on Saturday May 16, 2026 at the Haywood Bible Church,299 Haywood Road, Moncure, NC, with Thomas Wayne Lawrence, O ciating.
Gary Wayne Tuttle
Feb. 1, 1953 –March 22, 2026
Gary Wayne Tuttle passed on March 22, 2026, at home. He overcame a lot of adversity and medical issues over the years with his strength, endurance, and determination. He didn’t let anything slow him down. Gary kept going no matter what. He was a true inspiration to others.
Gary was born on February 1, 1953, to Neal and Mary Belle Tuttle. He was the rst of three
sons: Gary, Je and Keith. Gary graduated from Southeast High School where he played on the baseball team. Gary’s love for the game transferred over to softball after graduating and he played for several decades in the Greensboro/Burlington area. Many have said that he was “One heck of a pitcher”. Gary received his Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Livestock and Poultry Management from NC State. But his love for livestock started at an early age. Gary rst showed livestock around the age of 7 when he was a member of the Guilford County 4-H Club. He worked hard to prepare for the show many times and won Grand Champion. This is where his love grew for cattle and the livestock industry. He spoke at multiple cattle conventions over the need, friends knew they could call upon Gary whether for help or advice. He made many trips to the Lynchburg Stockyard with a load of cattle. He valued this stockyard and knew they would provide
We offer an on-site crematory with many options of Celebration of Life services, Traditional, and Green Burials. Call us to set an appointment to come by and learn more.
good prices for his friends and clients. Gary also worked at the Carolina Stockyard, the Mt. Airy Stockyard and Chaudry’s throughout his career. He bought many livestock over the years and even provided roping calves for the Jerome Davis Rodeo.
Gary is survived by his partner and love in life, Kathy Courts, his brother Je Tuttle (Bonnie), his brother Keith Tuttle, his daughter MaryAlice Cheek (Adam) and his granddaughter Harper Cheek.
He was a strong, caring man that always helped anyone who needed it. He will be greatly missed.
A memorial service will be held on June 7, 2026, at 2:00 pm. The service will be located at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church on Burlington Road in Greensboro, North Carolina.
In lieu of owers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Albrecht Weinberg, Holocaust survivor who returned to Germany in his 80s, dead at 101
After returning to his hometown, he tirelessly recounted his experiences to warn against forgetting
The Associated Press
BERLIN — Albrecht Weinberg, who survived several Nazi concentration and death camps and lost most of his family in the Holocaust before returning to Germany in his 80s, has died at the age of 101, authorities in his home region said Tuesday.
Weinberg died in Leer, in northwestern Germany, weeks after he marked his birthday and the premiere of a lm about his life, “Es ist immer in meinem Kopf” (“It is always in my head”), attended by hundreds of guests, the city said in a statement.
“Since returning from New York to his East Frisian home
14 years ago, Albrecht recounted tirelessly and with incredible energy his terrible experiences during the Nazi era and warned again and again against forgetting,” Mayor Claus-Peter Horst said.
Weinberg, who was born in Rhauderfehn, near Leer, on March 7, 1925, survived incarceration at the Auschwitz, Mittelbau-Dora and Bergen-Belsen camps as well as three death marches at the end of World War II. He spent years teaching high school students and others about the atrocities he had to live through.
Speaking last year, Weinberg said the memories of his wartime experiences still haunted him. “I sleep with it, I wake up with it, I sweat, I have nightmares; that is my present,” he said. He said he worried what would happen when he was no
longer around to bear witness.
“When my generation is not in this world anymore, when we disappear from the world, then the next generation can only read it out of the book,” he said.
Weinberg was awarded Germany’s Order of Merit in 2017 but handed it back last year in protest at a parliamentary vote in which a motion put forward by Friedrich Merz, now the country’s chancellor, calling for many more migrants to be turned back at Germany’s borders passed with the help of a far-right party.
Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, said in a post on X that he had got to know Weinberg well and paid tribute to him as “a bridge — between past and present, between pain and hope, between the dead he could never forget and the young people whom he encouraged to seek the truth.”
BOOING from page A1
To students, the topic felt tone deaf, said Olivia Malone, a 22-year-old University of Arizona graduate bound for law school.
“His speech was incredibly disrespectful to students,” said Malone. “We as students are discouraged from using it and penalized for using it. And then to have our speaker be the champion of AI is just like, ‘OK? Why?’”
Similar responses to keynote speakers who touched on AI at other universities highlight a pervasive sense of anxiety among today’s college students. Polls show growing concern that AI will doom career plans
Across campuses and in a multitude of recent surveys, students say they are trying to gure out which skills, majors and jobs won’t be rendered useless by AI.
About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School.
A recent Gallup poll of Generation Z youth and adults, between ages 14 and 29, found increasingly negative attitudes toward AI. About half of Gen Z teens and adults say they use AI daily or weekly. But anger about the technology has increased since a year ago, while excitement and hopefulness about AI is declining.
Another speaker, real estate executive Gloria Caul eld, also
faced boos when she highlighted the advent of arti cial intelligence during a keynote this month at the University of Central Florida.
“The rise of arti cial intelligence is the next industrial revolution,” Caul eld said, as boos erupted, to her surprise. She turned around to ask those behind her, “What happened?”
“OK, I struck a chord. May I nish?” said Caul eld, who is vice president of strategic alliances at the Tavistock Development Company in Orlando.
“Only a few years ago, AI was
not a factor in our lives,” she said, prompting cheers. “And now, AI capabilities are in the palm of our hand,” she said to more jeering.
Speakers have tried to stress positives
A similar response met music executive Scott Borchetta when he spoke to the graduating class of Middle Tennessee State University about how AI is shaping the music industry.
“AI is rewriting production as we sit here,” said Borchet-
ta, the CEO of Big Machine Records, as the students in caps and gowns booed. “I know it. Deal with it. … Do something about it. It’s a tool. Make it work for you.”
Schmidt o ered a similar message to graduates: Their fear is rational, but they have the power to shape how AI develops.
The advice didn’t land well with students like Malone, who said the former Google executive’s speech was more self-serving than inspirational.
“It felt like a big advertisement. It felt like the longest Gemini ad ever,” said Malone, noting that the choice of Schmidt as keynote speaker had also been controversial because his name appears in the Epstein les. “Everybody I was sitting by was really hooting and hollering about that, yelling, ‘Epstein les! Epstein les!’”
Grads already face tough job market
Part of the backlash from graduating students stems from the dismal job market they’re entering. The unemployment rate for college graduates ages 22 to 27 has reached its highest level in a dozen years.
Sami Wargo just graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, where an AI expert was the undergraduate commencement speaker despite a student petition demanding that the school nd someone else.
“Given how AI has become an increasing threat towards our jobs, especially for our gradu-
POPULATION from page A1
In pure numbers, Celina, with only 64,000 people, grew by more residents — 12,700 — than Seattle and Houston, cities that are 12 times and 37 times larger respectively.
Small- to medium-sized cities hit a sweet spot between the largest U.S. cities, which were most impacted by the loss of immigrants from the crackdown started last year during the second Trump administration, and anemic growth in small towns, according to Matt Erickson, a Census Bureau statistician.
Texas cities dominate
Nine out of 10 of the largest population gainers in pure numbers were cities in the South because of a healthy job market and its comparative a ordability. The biggest numeric gainers were Charlotte; Fort Worth, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Celina.
Fort Worth leaped over Jacksonville last year as the 10th most populous U.S. city, putting four Texas cities in the nation’s top 10 most populous, with the other cities being Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
Austin skipped over San Jose for the 12th most populous spot, as Texas’ capital city surpassed 1 million residents for the rst time. It is now one of a dozen U.S. cities with 1 million residents or more.
Seattle makes comeback
Seattle was the only non-Southern city to crack the top 10 in numeric population gains last year, at the No. 5 spot. Like many large cities, particularly on the coasts, Seattle lost population during the height of the pandemic a half-decade ago. But recent
“There is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating … and I understand that fear.”
Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO
ating class, we thought it was a little bit tone deaf,” said Wargo, who majored in digital media and minored in advertising.
Chris Du ey, an AI evangelist at Adobe who recently used AI to “co-author” a book titled “Superhuman Innovation: Transforming Business with Arti cial Intelligence,” took the stage anyway.
“Innovation,” he told the students, “will reveal what can be done, but only you can decide what should be done.”
Wargo said she joined other students around her in booing his message.
The 21-year-old has applied for around 30 jobs but hasn’t landed one yet. Many of the job descriptions say applicants must “collaborate with AI,” but “I don’t know what that means,” she said, noting that most of her classes banned her from using AI.
Having to be reminded of all the uncertainty at their graduation, she said, was another “little dent in what was supposed to be a celebratory day.”
construction of new housing has helped ease the city’s affordability, making it more attractive for residents to stay in the core city rather than move to farther out suburbs in the metro area, according to the Washington State O ce of Financial Management.
The growth was driven by immigrants, particularly from China and India. International migration accounted for almost three-quarters of the area’s population gains, according to county-level population estimates released in March.
Tight housing market, natural disasters drive population losses
The two cities with the greatest rates of population loss last year — Twentynine Palms, California, by Joshua Tree National Park and Key West at the southern tip of Florida — were in places with tight housing markets. Their losses ranged from -2.4% to -2.9%.
In Twentynine Palms, a large chunk of the housing stock has been converted into short-term rentals for tourists heading to the national park. Just under 40% of its housing is occupied by its owners, compared with the national average of 65%, according to Census Bureau gures.
Hemmed in on all sides by water, the limited housing stock in Key West, as well as some of the highest home insurance rates in the U.S., have driven up housing costs for the Conch Republic. The median price for a home in Key West was $1.3 million at the start of this year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Other cities that had some of the biggest rates of population loss last year were hit by natural disasters.
EVAN AGOSTINI / AP PHOTO
Scott Borchetta arrives at the 59th Annual Country Music Association Awards Nov. 19, 2025, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
JULIO CORTEZ / AP PHOTO
The Dallas skyline is visible through the framing of Reunion Tower on Nov. 6, 2025, in Dallas.
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NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM
In the Chatham County General Court of Justice District Court Division
Ocampo v. Ocampo
File No: 26CV000448-180
To: Alejandro Mondragon Ocampo TAKE NOTICE
That a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above-entitled action.
The nature of the relief sought is as follows: Absolute Divorce and Equitable Distribution. You are required to make a defense to such pleading not later than June 23, 2026 which is forty-days (40) from the rst publication of this notice. Upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.
This the 14th day of May, 2026. Dana Bellingrath Triangle Divorce Lawyers 109 N. Boylan Avenue Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 919-303-2020
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Thomas Earle Tillman, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ces of Munson Law Firm PLLC, P.O. Box 1811, Pittsboro, NC 27312, on or before the 19th of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This May 21, 2026. Gillian Tillman, Executor Estate of Thomas Earle Tillman
NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM LEGAL NOTICE The undersigned, Kenneth Hilliard, having quali ed on April 20, 2026 as Executor of the Estate of Arthur Jackson Hilliard, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned’s Attorney, Tyler F. Chriscoe, at 135 West New Hampshire Avenue, P. O. Box 371, Southern Pines, North Carolina 283880371 on or before the 3rd day of August, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 30th day of April, 2026. Kenneth Hilliard, Executor Estate of Arthur Jackson Hilliard Tyler F. Chriscoe Attorney for the Estate Poyner Spruill LLP Attorneys at Law
P. O. Box 371 Southern Pines, N. C. 28388-0371 4: 30, and 5: 7, 14, 21, 2026
Notice to Creditors
Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of MICHAEL JOSEPH MCCORMICK, late of Chatham County, North Carolina (26E000177-180), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 10th day of August, 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 7th day of May 2026. Daniel Dylan McCormick Administrator of the Estate of Michael Joseph McCormick
c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law
P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 05/07, 05/14, 05/21, 05/28/26)
CREDITOR’S NOTICE
Having quali ed on the 23rd day of April 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Sammy Franklin Dickinson, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 30th day of July 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment.
This is the 23rd day of April 2026. Jan Rene Boydstun, Executor of the Estate of Sammy Franklin Dickinson 226 Haven Creek Road Apt 101 Pittsboro, N.C., 27312
Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330
Publish On: April 30, May 7, 14 and 21 of 2026
CREDITOR’S NOTICE
Having quali ed on the 28th day of April 2026, as Co-Executors of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 7st day of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment.
This is the 29th day of April 2026. Eric Johnson, Co-Executor of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson 5090 Butner Drive Hickory, NC 28602 Brad Johnson, Co-Executor of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson 6307 Whedbee Road Julian, NC 27283
Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A.
206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330
Publish On: May 7th, 14th 21st and 28th 2026.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF GEORGE DANIEL JOHNSON FILE NO. 26E000201-180 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against GEORGE DANIEL JOHNSON, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before August 7, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in the bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 30th day of April, 2026. KELLY L JOHNSON, Executor C/O Caitlin Stone, Attorney for the Estate Pierce Law Group, PLLC 3020 S. Miami Blvd, Ste 201 Durham, NC 27703 A30, 7, 14 and 21
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Thomas Bayard Hollingsworth, Jr., deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before 07/31/2026 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All claims must be presented in writing and delivered or mailed to:
James D. Hollingsworth, Executor 1309 Snyder Street Durham, NC 27713 This the 26th day of April, 2026. James D. Hollingsworth Executor of the Estate of Thomas Bayard Hollingsworth, Jr. Chatham County Estate File No.: 26E000039-180 Publication Dates (once a week for four consecutive weeks): 4/30/2026 / 5/7/2026] / 05/14/2026 /05/21/2026
NOTICE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS File No: 26E000078-180
Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of MERLE LEE FEATHERS, deceased, of 13 Danbury Ct., Chatham County, Pittsboro, NC 27312, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned in care of the attorney for the estate on or before July 31, 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 April, 2026. Je rey L. Austin Executor of the Estate of Merle Lee Feathers c/o Law O ce of Je rey L. Austin, PLLC 500 Westover Dr. #32043 Sanford, NC 27330 FOR PUBLICATION: The Chatham News & Record 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, and 5/21/2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CASE NO 26E000235-180
Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Juan Carlos Gonzalez, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said Juan Carlos Gonzalez, to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of August, 2026 (this date being 3 months from the rst publication date of this notice) or same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.
This the 14th day of May, 2026. Susana Gonzalez Administrator of the Estate of Juan Carlos Gonzalez 2865 1st Street Vero Beach, FL 32968 Attorney’s Address: Stephanie M. LeBlanc, Esq. LeBlanc Law Firm, PLLC 1 Page Avenue, Suite 229 - Grove Arcade Asheville, NC 28801 Publication Dates: May 14, May 21, May 28, June 04, 2026.
NOTICE
Moncure Fire Dept Annual Meeting
The Moncure Fire Department will be holding its annual meeting onMonday, June 22, 2026 at Moncure Fire Dept Station #8, 2389Old US 1, Moncure NC 27559. The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm and coverthe state of the re department, nancial report, and Board ofDirectors elections. If you reside in the Moncure Fire District and are a taxpayer, youare a member and invited to attend.
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having quali ed on the 30th day of April, 2026, as Executor of the Estate of James E. Merkel, 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 21st day of August, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This 21st day of May, 2026. Hugh T. Merkel, Executor of the Estate of James E. Merkel c/o Gwendolyn C. Brooks Kennon Craver, PLLC 4011 University Drive, Suite 300 Durham, North Carolina 27707
THE CHATHAM NEWS: 5/21/2026, 5/28/2026, 6/4/206, and 6/11/2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
26E000222-180 ALL persons having claims against Lois Jane Helburn, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before July 30, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.
This the 30th day of April, 2026.
BRUCE JAMES STEINHARDT, Administrator
C/O Pierce Law Group, PLLC 3020 S Miami Blvd, Suite 201 Durham, NC 27703 April 30, May 7, 14, 21 A30, 7, 14 and 21
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
26E000227-180 ALL persons having claims against Mary T Schaumburg-Bo nger, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 07 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 7th day of May, 2026. John R Knauf, Executor C/O Beth W Bowen 590 New Waverly Place, Suite 120 Cary, NC 27518 M7, 14, 21 and 28
NOTICE
Location Chatham County, North Carolina
Notice Text NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF PAUL LESLIE SANDERS
FILE NO. 26E000278-180
The undersigned, Regina Leigh McCoy, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Paul Leslie Sanders, 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 at 42 Carson Ct, Pittsboro, NC 27312 on or before the 21st day of August 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 21st day of May 2026. Chatham News & Record May 21, 28, June 4, 11, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS:
Chatham County, North Carolina RE: THE ESTATE OF KENNETH CARO–
26E000190-108
Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of KENNETH CARO, deceased,Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibitthem to the undersigned on or before the 19th of, August, 2026, or this notice will bepleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 15th day of May, 2026.
Nicholas Young, Executor DSR Legal, PLLC PO Box 51596
Durham, NC 27717
5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 6/11, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM
Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Joe David Styres aka Joe D. Styres, 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 present them to the undersigned attorney for the estate on or before August 7, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations in debted to the said estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 7th day of May 2026
Karen Louise Styres aka Karen L. Styres
Personal Representative Adam G. Kerr Kerr Law, PLLC PO Box 10941 Greensboro, NC 27404
Telephone: (336) 808-5028 Fax: (336) 464-2819 May 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000661-180
The undersigned JONATHAN K. MCMILLAN, having quali ed on the 20TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BOBBY EUGENE MCMILLAN, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 30TH Day OF JULY 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 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2026.
JONATHAN K. MCMILLAN, EXECUTOR
188 LORI LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000194-180
The undersigned SUSAN GILLIAM RAAF, having quali ed on the 8TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of PHILLIP LESLIE GILLIAM, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 21ST Day OF AUGUST 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 21ST DAY OF MAY 2026.
SUSAN GILLIAM RAAF, EXECUTOR 912 FITTS STREET SANFORD, NC 27330 Run dates: M21,28,J4,11p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000250-180 The undersigned DOROTHY TAYLOR, having quali ed on the 29TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MATTHEW TAYLOR, JR., deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 7TH Day OF AUGUST 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 7TH DAY OF MAY 2026.
DOROTHY TAYLOR, EXECUTOR 300 RIVER BEND ROAD SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: M7,14,21,28p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000229-180 The undersigned WANDA STAFFORD AND JAMES HADLEY, having quali ed on the 20TH Day of APRIL 2026 as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of JEANETTE LINDLEY HADLEY, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 30TH Day OF JULY 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 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2026. WANDA STAFFORD, CO-EXECUTOR 4457 SILK HOPE LINDLEY MILL RD. SNOW CAMP, NC 27349 JAMES HADLEY, CO-EXECUTOR 4305 SILK HOPE LINDLEY MILL RD. SNOW CAMP, NC 27349 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000146-180
The undersigned AMY LYNDON, having quali ed on the 27TH Day of MARCH 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JAMES M. LYNDON, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 30TH Day OF JULY 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 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2026. AMY LYNDON, EXECUTOR 17302 BELMONT STAKES LANE CHARLOTTE, NC 28278 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000038-180 The undersigned SHARON GUARIGLIA, having quali ed on the 6TH Day of MAY 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of DUNCAN CRUICKSHANK, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 14TH Day OF AUGUST 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 14TH DAY OF MAY 2026. SHARON GUARIGLIA, ADMINISTRATOR 665 REBECCA LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: M14,21,28,J4p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000242-180 The undersigned TAMARA TICKLE, having quali ed on the 23RD Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of ROBERT L. MIMS, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 30TH Day OF JULY 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 30TH DAY OF APRIL 2026. TAMARA TICKLE, ADMINISTRATOR 309 PINEYWOOD CHURCH RD. CAMERON, NC 28326 Run dates: A30,M7,14,21p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000230-180 The undersigned DWIGHT W. WALKER, having quali ed on the 20TH Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of STANLEY PARRISH WALKER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 7TH Day OF AUGUST 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 7TH DAY OF MAY 2026. DWIGHT W. WALKER, ADMINISTRATOR 2706 VESTAL ST. GREENSBORO, NC 27406 Run dates: M7,14,21,28p
PUBLIC NOTICE
CHATHAM COUNTY ABC The Proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027 has been submitted to the Chatham County ABC Board. A copy of the proposed Budget is available for public inspection in the o ce of the general manager of the Chatham County ABC Board at 10435 US 64 HWY E. Apex, NC 27523, and may be reviewed by the public during normal working hours.
submitted prior to that date and should be addressed to the Chatham County ABC Board at 10435 US 64 HWY E. Apex, NC 27523. Matthew Williams General Manager Chatham County ABC
NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000257-180 The undersigned GANG NAM YOO, having quali ed on the 30TH Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of CHUN CHA YOO., deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 7TH Day OF AUGUST 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 7TH DAY OF MAY 2026. GANG NAM YOO, ADMINISTRATOR 354 SKY LANE PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: M7,14,21,28p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS: Chatham County, North Carolina RE: THE ESTATE OF DONNA OLSEN– 26E000167180 Having quali ed as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of Donna Olsen, aka Donna Kullman Olsen deceased, Chattam Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of August 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 7 th day of May, 2026. AMY OLSEN, ADMINISTRATOR DSR Legal, PLLC PO Box 51596 Durham, NC 27717
Police were searching for teens behind San Diego mosque shooting before bloodshed began
A security guard was killed attempting to stop the two shooters
By Julie Watson and Eugene Johnson
The Associated Press
SAN DIEGO — Hours before an attack at a San Diego mosque that killed three men, including a security guard being hailed as a hero, police were racing to nd the two teenagers who would ultimately be deemed responsible.
The search began after the mother of one of the teens reported that her son was suicidal and had run away, according to Police Chief Scott Wahl, who said weapons and her vehicle were missing from the family’s home.
Two hours later, the shooting started at the Islamic Center of San Diego, which also houses a school.
The suspects, ages 17 and 18, were found in a vehicle after killing themselves near the site of the shooting.
Authorities planned to execute search warrants Tuesday as they piece together how and why the attack happened. There was no speci c threat against the Islamic center, which is the largest mosque in San Diego, but authorities found that the suspects engaged in “generalized hate rhetoric,” Wahl said, adding that
the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.
Among those killed was a security guard who police believe “played a pivotal role” in keeping the attack from being “much worse,” Wahl said. “It’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” the chief said. “Undoubtedly he saved lives.” The mosque hasn’t released the victims’ names. But a family friend identi ed the guard as Amin Abdullah, who was well known at the mosque and had worked there for more than a decade.
“He wanted to defend the innocent, so he decided to become a security guard,” said Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, who spoke with Abdullah’s son.
The family could not immediately be reached for comment.
In a Facebook post, the mosque called him “a courageous man who put himself on the line of the safety of others, who even in his last moments did not stop protecting our community.”
The center wrote that those who died “were men who put themselves on the line for our
masjid and our community,” using the Arabic word for mosque. “Men of courage, sacri ce, and faith. Their absence leaves a void that can never truly be lled.”
It didn’t provide details about the actions of the other two victims, but the mosque described one as a foundation of the center who was dedicated to building the community from the beginning, and the other as a man whose “kindness, sincerity and wavering spirit touched everyone around him.”
The shooting was the latest in a string of attacks on houses of worship and comes amid rising threats and hate crimes targeting the Muslim and Jewish communities since the beginning of war in the Middle East, forcing increases in security.
Just before the latest attack, the search for the missing teen intensi ed Monday morning as law enforcement began to gather more details. Police found he had dressed in camou age and was with an acquaintance. Ofcers used automated license plate readers to track the car and went to a mall. They also alerted a school where at least one of the teens was a student and interviewed the mother, Wahl said.
When reports of the shooting came in, police responded within four minutes of being called. Three men were dead when they arrived, Wahl said.
The mosque sits in a neighborhood of homes, apartments and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets. The center includes the Al Rashid School, which o ers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and up, according to its website.
The center, which said it was closed until further notice, typically holds ve daily prayers.
TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the center’s parking lot as it was surrounded by police vehicles.
Imam Taha Hassane, the mosque’s director, called it “extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” adding that the center focused on interfaith relations and community building.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S., condemned the shooting.
“No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school,” CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam said in a statement.
President Donald Trump called the shooting a “terrible situation.”
Homes LLC, Trustee(s), which was dated March 17, 2021 and recorded on March 17, 2021 in Book 2197 at Page 399, Chatham County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on May 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Chatham County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Unit No. 49 in The Cottages Condominium I, as shown on plat recorded
26SP000006-180
OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY
and by virtue of a Power of Sale
in that
Deed of Trust executed by Jonathan E. Braswell and Bianca L. Foica to Hilton T. Hutchens, Jr. Esq., Trustee(s), which was dated May 6, 2022 and recorded on May 11, 2022 in Book 2303 at Page 211, Chatham County Registry, North Carolina.
Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on May 28, 2026 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following
in the o ce of the Register of Deeds for Chatham County, North Carolina, in Condominium Book 1, Pages 91 through 93, and Pages 97 through 103, together with an undivided interest in the Common Elements and all rights, obligations and interests appurtenant to the Unit as set forth in the Declaration of Condominium for The Cottages Condominium I recorded in the o ce of the Register of Deeds for Chatham County, North Carolina, in Book 2098, Page 1057, as amended by First Supplemental Declaration to Declaration of Condominium for The Cottages Condominium I recorded in Book 2108, Page 884; as amended by Second Supplemental Declaration to Declaration of Condominium for The Cottages Condominium I recorded in Book 2114, Page 435; as amended by Third Supplemental Declaration to Declaration of Condominium for The Cottages Condominium I recorded in Book 2133, Page 329; as amended by Fourth Supplemental Declaration to Declaration of Condominium for The Cottages Condominium I recorded in Book 2178, Page 200, and any additional amendments or supplemental declarations thereto.
Parcel ID# 0094092
Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.
described property situated in Chatham County, North Carolina, to wit:
All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in New Hope Township, Chatham County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows:
BEING ALL of Lot 2, as shown on the plat and survey thereof by Ritchie Surveying Co. dated January 11, 1996 and recorded as Plat Slide 96-39 in the Chatham County Registry to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description of same.
Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.
Said property is commonly known as 744 N Pea Ridge Rd, Pittsboro, NC 27312.
A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY
CITY” AND RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK EN AT PAGE 39-602. REFERENCE IS MADE TO SAID PLAT FOR MORE ACCURACY AND CERTAINTY OF DESCRIPTION.
Said property is commonly known as 286 Cottage Way, Pittsboro, NC 27312. A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.
Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/ or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current
PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.
Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/ or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Jonathan E. Braswell.
An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior
owner(s) of the property is/are Anthony Scott Murray.
An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.
Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.
If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will
court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.
Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote
OF SILER CITY, MATTHEWS TOWNSHIP, CHATHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
LOT 1: ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF LAND DESCRIBED
LOT 2: BEGINNING AT A POINT, SAID POINT BEING THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF LOT NO. 1, BLOCK “C’ ACCORDING TO PLAT RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK EN PAGE 39602, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY; AND RUNNING THENCE WITH THE NORTHERN LINE OF LOT NO. 1, LOT NO. 2 AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 3 FROM THE POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING 125 FEET TO A POINT, BEING THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF CLARENCE GILLILAND PROPERTY AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN DEED RECORDED IN BOOK 449 AT PAGE 448, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY; AND RUNNING THENCE IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION PARALLEL WITH NORTH EVERGREEN AVENUE 50 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION PARALLEL WITH THE NORTHERN BOUNDARIES OF LOTS NO. 1, NO. 2 AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 3, 125 FEET TO A POINT IN THE EASTERN MARGIN OF NORTH EVERGREEN AVENUE; THENCE IS A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION WITH THE EASTERN MARGIN OF NORTH AVENUE 50 FEET TO THE POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING, AND BEING THE SOUTHERNMOST 50 FEET OF LOT NO. 8, LOT NO. 9, AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 10 AS SHOWN ON THE PLAT HEREIN REFERENCED AND BEING THE SAME AND IDENTICAL PARCEL OF PROPERTY MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS SECOND LOT IN DEED RECORDED IN BOOK 318 PAGE 311, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY AND
FROM
IN
AS
AND
FEBRUARY 6,
CORNER OF LOTS NO. 1, NO. 2, NO. 8 AND NO. 9; THENCE IN A SOUTHERLY 175 FEET TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LOT NO.2, BEING THE POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING, AND BEING THE ENTIRETY OF
OF
and except
or
of
property is commonly known as 506 W 4TH
Siler City, NC 27344. A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period,
TO STANLEY AND RECORDED IN BOOK KG PAGE 538, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY, AND TO WHICH DEED REFERENCE IS MADE FOR A MORE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION. LOT 3: BEGINNING AT A POINT, SAID POINT BEING THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LOT NO. 2, BLOCK “C’ ACCORDING TO PLAT RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK EN PAGE 39602, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY; AND RUNNING THENCE WITH THE SOUTHERN LINE OF LOT NO. 2 AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 3, 75 FEET TO A POINT IN THE
GREGORY BULL / AP PHOTO
Two men embrace at the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday in San Diego.
Advertisement of 2025 Tax Liens on Real Property
County of Chatham
Advertisement of 2025 Tax Liens on Real Property
Under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 105-369 of the North Carolina General Statutes and pursuant to an order of the Board of Commissioners of Chatham County, I am hereby advertising tax liens for the year 2025 upon the real estate described below. The amount advertised includes interest and costs, and the omission of such from the amount advertised will not constitute a waiver of the taxing unit’s claim for those items. The real estate parcel that is subject to the lien, the name of the person to whom the property was listed for taxes, the current owner’s name if the property was transferred in the year 2025 and the principal amount of the
taxes are set out below. When a parcel was subdivided after January 1, 2025 and ownership of one or more of the resulting parcels was transferred, the amount of the tax lien on each parcel, as shown in this advertisement, is the amount of the lien on the original parcel as it existed on January 1, 2025 and is subject to adjustment when the taxes are paid or the lien is foreclosed. If the taxes remain unpaid after this advertisement is completed, the taxing unit may foreclose on the property to satisfy the tax lien unless taxpayers are protected by bankruptcy.
This the 11th day of May 2026.
Jenny Williams Chatham County Tax Collector
BEAL, JEFFREY C 0009248 331.67
BECERRA, MARIBEL MEDINA 0015068 1068.70
BELL, DAISY M 0076555 4317.24
BENSON, ARICA LYN 0075755
BERRIOS, BRIAN F 0083886
BERRIOS, BRIAN FRANKIE 0015224 2344.53
BETTS, DEAN P 0013026 1042.56
BEVILACQUA, CINDY 0072631 1979.29
BEYOND MEASURE REAL ESTATE GROUP LLC 0011411 1050.92
BINGHAM, JACOB HEIRS 0075082 321.31
BINKLEY, ASHLEY T HEIRS 0016147 7.33
BINKLEY, ASHLEY T HEIRS 0016149 2000.17
BIRCHETT, FRANKLIN CONRAD 0090490 1289.98
BIVENS, MARY HEIRS 0008985 348.61
BLACKWELL, JONATHAN MARSHALL 0011610 729.25
BLACKWELL, STANLEY JR 0070863 7588.51
BLAND, HENRY JACKSON JR 0070149 4371.33
BLAND, VERALYNN 0018308 44.58
BLANTON, CARL L 0011378 673.85
BLANTON, HEATHER L 0076479 651.55
BLANTON,
BOOKER, PHIL L 0070652 129.14
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CHATHAM SPORTS
Seaforth celebrates its rst trip to the baseball regional nals.
Chatham Charter, Seaforth reach baseball regionals
Both teams advanced past the third round for the rst time
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record BASEBALL
For the rst time, Chatham Charter and Seaforth broke the third wall.
In the third round of the 1A West bracket, No. 2 Chatham Charter blasted No. 3 Andrews 10-0 in ve innings to reach its rst regional nal in program history. The Knights had been
eliminated in the third round twice out of the previous three seasons.
“It’s just an incredible feeling,” Chatham Charter coach Bill Slaughter said. “Because I came into the year not knowing what to expect. I think I told you that before, but this team has exceeded all expectations. We’re playing really well right now.”
Senior Brandon Rives led the way in all phases. He pitched a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts and two hits allowed.
As a batter, he went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and a run.
“I could hardly sleep last
night,” Rives said. “I knew that this was probably going to be the biggest game that I’d ever pitched in.”
Said Rives, “First inning, the nerves were crazy and all, but once I found my groove and I knew I could trust my guys out there, I mean, I just settled in.”
Chatham Charter took control of the game in a second inning that saw four hits, four walks and ve runs scored.
In the fourth inning, Rives hit a two-RBI single to extend the Knights lead to seven. Up 9-0 in the bottom of the fth inning, junior Jax Young sent the Wildcats home with a
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Northwood’s boys pose with their championship banner after the 3A state meet.
Charging through the nish line
Northwood’s boys and Ben Altenburg won historic track and eld state titles
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
GREENSBORO — A chance for history came down to the nal event of the NCHSAA
1A/3A track and eld state championships at North Carolina A&T on May 14. Trailing rst-place North Stanly by 6.5 points ahead of the boys’ 4x400, Northwood
6
Individual champions from Chatham County
needed a win in the event and other teams to nish ahead of North Stanly for its best shot at the title. North Stanly nished second in the rst heat, and in the second heat, the Chargers’ 4x400 relay team, consisting of Ben Altenburg, Wyatt Webster, Tequone Moore and Ezra
Roebuck, comfortably won with a time of 3:25.33. When the event’s compiled results came in, Northwood sat at rst place while North Stanly landed at sixth. The Chargers secured their rst boys’ state championship in school history.
“I’m just so proud of them,” Northwood coach Austin Graham said. “They worked as hard as I’ve seen anybody work. You want it so bad for them. You can’t go out and do it for them. You want them to
See TRACK, page B4
“This team has exceeded all expectations” Bill Slaughter
ground rule double that scored senior Garrison Clark.
Chatham Charter ended the night with 10 hits. Sophomore Ryder Murphy went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs.
Senior Tyner Williams also went 3 for 3.
The Knights are playing a best-of-three series against No. 1 North Carolina Leadership Academy for a spot in the state championship series.
Over in the 5A East playo s, No. 9 Seaforth reached its rst regional nal after downing No. 4 Oak Grove 7-3 in the fourth round.
“I think it’s huge, man,” junior Bauer Bowling said. “For
these seniors (Jaedyn Rader) and (Colin Dorney), they basically laid the foundation for this program. With the school not being open for that long, and then we’re getting here with these guys that are back, I mean, it just means everything because we want it more for them than we do ourselves.”
The Hawks crushed the Grizzlies in the third inning in which they notched four hits, a walk and ve runs, including two scored on an error, against future UNC Greensboro pitcher Carson Everhart. Bowling, who launched one of two of his doubles during that stretch, went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs. Rader went 2 for 4 with two doubles and a run. However, Rader’s pitching helped Seaforth hold on to its lead. The senior pitched a complete game, logging nine
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
BOYS’ GOLF (STATE
CHAMPIONSHIPS)
Chatham Central nished as state runners-up in the 1A state championship tournament with a score of 685. Senior Tyler Measamer shot 161 in the two rounds to end his high school career as the individual runner-up. The Bears had three other golfers (Gavin Vanderford, Brett Phillips and Jesse Eskelund) nish in the top 15. In the same tournament, Chatham Charter’s Channing Jordan nished tied for 25th. Seaforth ended a tightly contested 5A tournament in third place. Senior Ty Willoughby tied for second alongside East Rowan’s Camden Honeycutt with a score of 141. Willoughby earned a top- ve nish for the third straight year. In the 3A tournament, Northwood’s Ben Porter tied for 25th with a score of 166.
GIRLS’ SOCCER (STATE PLAYOFFS)
Woods Charter, the top seed in the 1A East playo s, is heading to the regional nals after a
3
Goals for Amelia Cherry in the Chargers’ win over Bedding eld
7-1 win over No. 4 Vance Charter on Monday. The Wolves will make their fourth trip to the Final Four in ve seasons. They’ll face No. 2 Falls Lake for a spot in the state championship Thursday.
Northwood, the No. 4 seed in the 3A East bracket, is moving on to the fourth round after defeating No. 5 Bedding eld 10-1. Senior Amelia Cherry notched a hat trick, while seniors Sulema Arias and Mabel Collins scored two goals each. The Chargers will face No. 1 Wake Prep for a spot in the regional nal Thursday.
In the second round of the 5A East bracket, No. 9 Seaforth fell to No. 8 Croatan 2-0 as junior Kaitlyn Sickles scored two goals. The Hawks’ season ended with a 13-7-1 record. Prior to that round, Seaforth dominated
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Ezra Roebuck
Northwood, track and eld
Northwood senior Ezra Roebuck earns athlete of the week honors for the week of May 11.
Roebuck was huge in the Chargers clinching the NCHSAA 3A boys’ track and eld state title on May 14. The sprinter won a state championship in the 400 with a time of 49.86 seconds. He also helped the Chargers nish second in the 4x200 relay, and he took fourth place in the 200. In the nal event of the day, Roebuck was part of the state champion 4x400 team that won the necessary points for a team victory. He earned the Sportsmanship Award at the end of the meet.
In the indoor season, Roebuck won state titles in the 4x400 and the 300. After last week’s meet, he announced that he will continue his track career at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
REGIONALS from page B1
strikeouts, ve hits allowed and one earned run. He threw his 200th career strikeout during the game, yet his most important one came in the nal out of the fth inning. The Grizzlies scored two runs and had two more runners on base when Rader retired Cam Sharpe to halt the rally.
“Just trying to execute my pitches,” Rader said. “Work-
ing with Colin. My catcher is incredible. He calls all our pitches when we pitch together. He does a great job, and he knows the hitters better than I do.”
In the third round, Seaforth edged No. 1 Hunt 4-3 to get over the hump of consecutive third round exits from the past two postseasons.
Back in the 1A West bracket, NCLA defeated No. 5 Chatham Central 13-2 in the third round.
Local Nike Jr. EYBL team nds major success this spring
The Carolina Hornets have won ve championships through May
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
THE FIRST HALF of a jam-packed season of high-level basketball has been a success for a local Nike Jr. EYBL girls’ team so far.
The Carolina Hornets United 13U squad, coached by Chatham County natives Ryan and Jarred Siler and consisting of players from Chatham and surrounding areas, has gone 25-1 and won multiple championships from March to Sunday.
The Hornets recently went 3-1 (4-1 with the inclusion of a bracket forfeit win) at the Nike Session II in New Orleans over the weekend. After a 60-30 win over Team Takeover to start pool play Friday, the Hornets took their rst loss of the season to Team Herro in overtime 67-63. They trailed by three with less than ve seconds left in regulation and made a half-court shot at the buzzer to force extra minutes.
On Saturday, Carolina picked up two more wins over Drive Nation (59-55) and Proformance Athletics Elite (50-43).
The Hornets started the spring going 4-0 at the Phenom Opening event and winning the 13/14U championship in Rock Hill, South Carolina from March 13-15.
After that, they won the LaMelo Ball Invitational in Charlotte for the second year in a row. Carolina won its two pool games and its rst bracket game by more than 30 points each. The Hornets defeated the Carolina Hornets 13U Regional team 72-64 in the championship.
Carolina returned to Rock Hill and played in the Phenom Lady Rumble from April 10-12. They dominated in pool play
The Bears ended their season with a 14-10 record.
SOFTBALL
No. 4 Seaforth ended its season with a 7-2 loss to No. 4 Rockingham County in the third round of the 5A East playo s.
Both teams logged seven hits each, but Seaforth struggled to bring runs home. Rockingham
has met and played in front of three-time national champion
Wins, with one loss, so far for the Hornets’ 13U squad
with a 62-22 win over the Palmetto 76ers and a 63-39 victory over HER Elite. Following a 57-8 win against Strong Center Plata in the rst bracket game, the Hornets claimed another championship by beating CSF Select 58-53 in the nal.
At the Apache Memorial in Knoxville, Tennessee, from April 17-19, the Hornets claimed another tournament title with a 72-67 win over Tennessee Xtreme Harris. Carolina ended its run last weekend with another tournament championship victory at the BOND Basketball D2/D3 Hoopfest in Winston-Salem on May 9. The Hornets went 3-0, including a 47-27 win over the NC Lady Heels in the tournament nal. This season’s tournament run has created exposure opportunities for the girls. The team
County pitcher and UNC commit Ava Grace Pruitt struck out 12 batters and allowed one earned run in a complete game. Down ve runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Seaforth had bases loaded with two outs, but junior Emma Grace Hill was thrown out on an attempt to score on junior Stella Lang’s ground ball.
The Hawks nished the year with a 19-3 record.
South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley. Heavenly Craig, an eighth grader in the Carolina Hornets organization, picked up an o er from North Carolina A&T in April.
The Hornets still have a few tournaments left to play this summer.
The team will get back in action at the U.S. Open Basketball event from June 5-7 in Bermuda Run. Following that, it will travel to the NTBA Nationals in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from June 25-28. The month after, the Hornets will play in the Summer Showcase in Charlotte (July 5), the Nike Session III in Las Vegas (July 10-13) and the Nike Nationals in Chicago (July 24-27).
The Silers started the travel team in Siler City in 2023. After picking up tournament wins and posting solid results on the national level, the team, then called the Carolina Magic, was presented the opportunity to take a step higher. Last year, the team joined Carolina Hornets United, a member organization of the Nike EYBL and Jr. EYBL circuits.
In the third round of the 3A East playo s, No. 10 Northwood fell to No. 2 McMichael 6-1.
McMichael pitcher Lindsay Redmon, a Western Carolina commit, struck out 11 batters and allowed two hits in a complete game. The Chargers ended a successful turnaround campaign with a 15-11 record after four straight losing seasons.
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
COURTESY RYAN SILER
The Carolina Hornets 13U Jr. EYBL team takes a champions’ photo.
Oldham, Eskelund celebrate college signings
Chatham Central’s
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
in
CHATHAM CENTRAL softball’s Sallie Oldham o cially signed with Wingate last week.
This spring, the senior outelder logged a .489 batting average, a career-high 43 hits and led the team in runs (45), RBIs (36), doubles (16) and triples (seven). As a elder, she recorded a 1.000 elding percentage with 21 putouts and a double play. Her best game of the year came against North Stokes on March 27 when she went 4 for 4 with a home run, ve RBIs and three runs in a 9-3 win.
Across her four varsity seasons, Oldham posted a career batting average of .469 with 119 hits, 93 RBIs and 123 runs. She helped the Bears win four straight regular season conference titles and make four straight playo appearances. In 2024 and 2025, she earned All-State honors.
Oldham committed to Wingate as a junior in 2024.
The rising freshman will join a Wingate program that went 27-20 this spring. The Bulldogs, led by coach Sydney Lahners, who was hired in October, compete in the NCAA Division II with the South Atlantic Conference.
No. 24 South Granville 9-0. Senior So a Viana recorded a hat trick and two assists in her nal high school victory.
No. 18 Jordan-Matthews defeated No. 15 Randleman 3-1 in the rst round of the 4A East playo s, picking up its rst postseason win since 2022. The Jets fell to No. 2 First Flight in the second round 9-0, ending their season at 8-14.
No. 7 Chatham Charter edged No. 10 River Mill 1-0 in four overtimes to pull o a rst round upset in the 1A East bracket. Freshman Addy Frazier scored the game-winning goal. The Knights lost to No. 2 Falls Lake 2-0 in the second round and ended their spring with a 7-15 record.
BOYS’ LACROSSE (STATE PLAYOFFS)
In the second round of the 1A-6A playo s, No. 9 Northwood fell to No. 8 East Chapel Hill 5-3. The Chargers scored fewer than four goals for the rst time since March 13, ending their season with a 13-10 record. Prior to that loss, Northwood defeated No. 24 Roxboro Community 15-8 in the rst round. Senior Grayson Cox recorded seven goals and three assists.
Before last season, the Bulldogs saw a surge in success. Wingate made four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including its rst Super Regionals appearance in 2023.
Chatham Central senior Jesse Eskelund was also celebrated for making his decision to swim at the University of Lynchburg o cial.
Eskelund is Chatham Central’s only swimmer in the history of the school. He became a state champion in the winter, taking the 1A-3A crown in the boys’ 50 free and 100 free.
Leading up to his senior year, Eskelund won high school meets and conference and regional titles, but he never placed higher than fourth in a state championship event. This season, he decided to not play basketball and only focus on swimming instead which paid o in the end.
Lynchburg is an NCAA Division III program that competes in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The Hornets have produced three male ODAC champions since 2020.
Further down the bracket, No. 13 Seaforth lost to No. 4 Croatan 16-7 in the second round. In the rst round, the Hawks smothered Southeast Alamance 19-3. Seaforth nished the year with a 7-10 record.
GIRLS’ LACROSSE (STATE PLAYOFFS)
No. 4 Seaforth advanced to the third round of the 1A- 6A East playo s after a 16-1 win over No. 13 Jackson-
ville in the second round. Junior Natalie Boecke scored a team-high ve goals. Senior Kylyn Schlosser contributed three goals. In the same bracket, No. 15 Northwood ended its
season with a 18-1 second round loss to No. 2 East Chapel Hill. The Chargers defeated No. 18 Hunt 19-12 in the rst round. Northwood went 3-10 for the second straight season.
softball standout will remain
North Carolina for college
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Sallie Oldham makes a throw from the out eld in a 2025 game. She will play softball at Wingate.
Triples for Sallie Oldham
ROUNDUP from page B1
Woods Charter’s Annabel Unah runs past a Vance Charter defender in the third round of the 2026 1A playo s.
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Hamlin beats teammate Briscoe at Dover for 2nd NASCAR All-Star Race win
The million-dollar exhibition made its Delaware debut after two years in Rockingham
The Associated Press
DOVER, Del. — In the debut of the All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway, the Monster Mile lived up to its billing as one of NASCAR’s most treacherous tracks.
Even for winner Denny Hamlin, surviving Dover was a high-wire test for the $1 million prize.
Rebounding from a qualifying spin to start from the pole position, Hamlin steered clear of trouble Sunday for his second NASCAR All-Star Race victory. He led the nal 30 laps and outdueled Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe while
“It makes it a lot easier when you’ve got a car this fast.”
Denny Hamlin
avoiding the eight caution ags that involved 23 of 36 drivers in the eld, which was inverted after the rst 75-lap segment.
“It makes it a lot easier when you’ve got a car this fast,” said Hamlin, whose No. 11 Toyota led a race-high 103 of 200 laps in the last segment. “We strive to be No. 1, and we did it today. It really challenged us to have to go through tra c, but I denitely like the invert. Obviously, it caused some chaos there and took out some good cars, but overall, it’s a typical All-Star Race when that stu happens.”
Briscoe nished 0.887 seconds behind Hamlin with a No. 19 Toyota that was heavily damaged in a practice crash Saturday.
“It was obviously a really fast car,” Briscoe said after his career-best second in the All-Star Race. “I’m just proud of our group. I knocked the wall down in practice, and we basically rebuilt the whole car. So for them to be able to just get the car back to where it was competitive, it says a lot about the guys.”
It’s the third consecutive win on the 1-mile oval for Hamlin, who won points races at Dover in 2024 and last year. He also started from the pole when he won the All-Star Race in 2015 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. At 45, Hamlin became the second-oldest winner of the All- Star Race after Mark Martin (who was 46 in 2005).
Erik Jones, who was involved in a nine-car crash to end the rst segment, completed a top -three sweep by Toyota, followed by Austin Dillon and rookie Connor Zilisch.
Several crashes during the rst two 75-lap segments collected more than half the 36 - car eld. There were 19 drivers locked into the 200-lap dash for $1 million, but Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain still were eliminated because their cars could not be repaired, and backups weren’t allowed.
The eld was narrowed to 26 cars for the nal segment. Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell started the last stage with cars that were damaged and slower than the rest.
Larson retired from the race with 60 laps remaining be -
cause of a power steering failure. By winning an online fan vote, Daniel Suarez advanced to the nal segment with a damaged car and nished four laps down.
Untimely exits
Elliott, voted eight times as the most popular driver in the Cup Series, was knocked out after his No. 9 Chevrolet was caught in two wrecks during the rst segment.
“It was pretty wild,” said Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion and 2020 All-Star Race winner. “I hate to get caught up in that. I knew better. I saw it getting crazy. I should have bailed.”
Chastain was eliminated in a three-car crash on the sixth lap of the second segment.
“Bummer because we thought we executed that rst stage really well,” Chastain said. “We weren’t passing anybody, but we were able to maintain, which has not been the case for this downforce package. The car drove a lot better, so a lot to look forward to if we can take another step like that.”
Rai runs away with PGA Championship, becomes rst English-born winner since 1919
Duke’s Alex Smalley led after three rounds but tied for second
By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.
— Aaron Rai shifted into high gear Sunday and pulled away from a world-class eld with one amazing shot after another until he became the rst English-born player in more than a century to capture the PGA Championship.
Rai was three shots behind and approaching the turn at Aronimink Golf Club when he delivered a performance worthy of a major champion.
He made a 40-foot eagle putt
from page B1
know what it feels like to win, and it may not happen often in Pittsboro, North Carolina, but it did for them. To be able to see how happy they are and how they feel, man, that’s everything.”
Altenburg also had a historic day on his own.
After clinching his third straight pole vault title, defending his 2025 outdoor and 2026 indoor crowns, Altenburg set the 3A meet record by hitting a mark of 16 feet, 2 inches.
“It feels really good to come back and be better than I was the year before,” Altenburg said. “My aspirations for myself are very high, so like, I don’t like to stay settled.”
Altenburg even tried to break the state record (16-6) at a height of 16-6.25, a mark he hadn’t attempted until that moment, but he was unable to clear it in three tries.
“I wanted that next bar, but it’ll come soon enough,” Altenburg, a junior, said. Before he put the nishing touches on the Chargers’ meet-clinching race, Roebuck
on the par-5 ninth during a stretch when he one-putted seven straight greens to take the lead.
And on the closing holes when the contenders needed him to stumble, Rai holed a birdie putt of some 70 feet across the 17th green for the clincher.
The 31-year-old Rai, who joins two-time PGA champion Vijay Singh as major champions of Indian heritage, closed with a 5-under 65.
“To be here is outside my wildest imagination,” Rai said. Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schau ele, Cameron Smith, Justin Rose, all major champions, all of them in position until they were undone by untimely mistakes or fail-
took home the 3A 400 title with a time of 49.86 seconds. It was the senior’s rst outdoor state title, and it came months after he won state in the indoor 300 during the winter.
“The 400 has always been my favorite event,” Roebuck said, “the one I’ve always been training for the most, the one I’ve had so many ups and downs with.
“I was able to get under 50 seconds for the rst time last year. This year, I’ve been consistently running 49s.”
Chatham Charter junior Torris Price won the 1A boys’ 1,600 with a time of 4:23.83. Price, who remained the Knights’ sole state champion in school history, added his third career title after winning the 1,000 and the 1,600 in the 1A indoor state championships months prior.
“Coming in, I was favorited, so I thought it would go pretty well,” Price said. “Tried to conserve as much energy as possible for the 3,200 later. But I was just happy to get it done. Nothing went wrong.”
In the 4A state meet, Jordan-Matthews senior Kamarie Hadley ended his high school
ure to get good looks at birdie.
McIlroy, who closed with a 69, played the par 5s in even for the week, and he chopped up the reachable par-4 13th for a bogey.
Rai, who nished at 9-under 271, is the rst player from England with his name on the Wanamaker Trophy since Jim Barnes in 1919, the second edition of this major and the rst after World War I.
He wound up winning by three shots over 54-hole leader Alex Smalley and Rahm, who had his best nish in a major since defecting to LIV Golf at the end of 2023. Rahm was slowed by a pair of bogeys on the front nine and managed only one birdie on the back nine for a 68.
Smalley lost the lead with a
career with his rst state title in the boys’ long jump. Hadley won the competition with a best jump of 22-3, becoming the Jets’ rst track and eld state champion since Seaforth senior Ryan Yoder won his rst outdoor pole vault title in the 5A boys’ state competition. Yoder and runner-up Levi Maness from West Carteret both nished at the 15-6 mark, but the former cleared the height in one less try. The Hawks’ pole vault specialist nished his career with three state titles in the event, including two indoor championships. Chatham County had other noteworthy performances across the state meets.
Northwood’s boys’ 4x200 team, Chatham Central sophomore Tyler Congrove (1A boys’ 100), Price (1A boys’ 800) and Altenburg (3A boys’ long jump and 110 hurdles) nished as state runner-ups in their respective events.
Jordan-Matthews sophomore Khamya Woods (4A girls) and senior Yadiel Zayas (4A boys) both set new personal bests and school records in the 300 hurdles with respective
messy double bogey on the sixth hole, and his best golf was too late. Rai already had his eye on the Wanamaker Trophy. Smalley made birdie on the 18th for a 70.
So concluded a most remarkable week in the Philadelphia suburbs, where no one could separate themselves on Aronimink. The 22 players within four shots of the lead going into the nal round was a PGA Championship record.
From that pack emerged the 31-year-old Rai, with one PGA Tour title, three on the European tour, and no nishes inside the top 15 at any of the majors.
He might not be well known among casual observers, but he is a star in the eyes of his peers for his hu-
times of 48.63 (11th) and 41.02 (seventh). Other track and eld championships results (school, event, place): 1A Boys: Jeremiah Young (Chatham Central, long jump, eighth); Tyler Congrove (Chatham Central, 200, eighth); Breylan Harris (Chatham Charter, long jump, triple jump and high jump; fth, fourth, fourth, respectively); Joshua Hayes (Chatham Charter, high jump, 10th); Eli Coleman (Chatham Charter, 1,600 and 800, ninth and fth); Isaac Hayhurst (Chatham Charter, 200, 10th); Chatham Charter (4x400, fth); Woods Charter (4x800, 10th); 1A Girls: Addie Williams (Chatham Central, high jump, 11th); Bella Thomas (Chatham Central, high jump, 13th); Aaliyah Walden (Chatham Charter, high jump, sixth); Emily Scheidt (Chatham Charter, 1,600 and 800, sixth and 10th); Addison Vickrey (Chatham Charter, 1,600 and 3,200, 12th and 12th); Chatham Charter (4x100, 13th); Ivy Nuss (Woods Charter, discus, 15th); So a Rodriguez (Woods Char -
mility and gracious personality.
“You won’t nd one person on property who’s not happy for him,” McIlroy said.
“Super pumped for him and his team,” Schau ele said. “All-world gentleman, no doubt.” Those seven straight one-putts included a short putt for bogey on the par-3 eighth, leaving Rai three behind Matti Schmid, who had three birdies in a ve-hole stretch on the front to take the lead.
Rai hit 5-wood into the ninth for his 40-foot eagle putt. He saved par with a 10-foot putt on the 10th. He hit wedge to 4 feet to a dangerous pin on the 11th for birdie. He got up-and-down from behind the 12th green for par. And on the 292-yard 13th hole, which tripped up McIlroy, Schau ele and Nick Taylor of Canada when they were right in the mix, Rai blasted out of a bunker to 6 feet for a birdie to become the rst player all week to reach 7 under. And then he kept right on going.
ter, 1,600 and 3,200, ninth and eighth); Grace Murphy (Woods Charter, 3,200, fth)
3A Boys: Titus Moore (Northwood, long jump, 11th); Northwood (4x800, eighth); Ezra Roebuck (Northwood, 200, fourth); Liam Patterson (Northwood, 3,200, eighth); 3A Girls: Jada Everson (Northwood, discus and shot put, 6th and 16th); Chloe Waldstein (Northwood, pole vault, fth); Northwood (4x800, 15th); Taylor Perry (Northwood, 100 hurdles, 12th); Synai Palmer (Northwood, 100, 13th); Sydney Gray (Northwood, 3,200, fth)
4A Boys: Kamarie Hadley (Jordan-Matthews, triple jump, third)
4A Girls: Juanita Perez (Jordan-Matthews, triple jump, 15th)
5A Boys: Dylan Watkins (Seaforth, shot put and discus, 10th and fth)
5A Girls: Amber Brown (Seaforth, long jump and 400, 12th and eighth); Seaforth (4x800, ninth); Sasha Helmer (Seaforth, 800, 12th); Emily Jump (Seaforth, 800, 14th); Caidence Bazemore (Seaforth, 3,200, 12th)
TRACK
DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO
Denny Hamlin celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star race at Dover.
SIDELINE REPORT
HORSE RACING
Napoleon Solo holds o Iron Honor by 1 ¼ lengths to win Preakness
Laurel, Md.
Napoleon Solo held o Iron Honor in the stretch to win the Preakness Stakes, rebounding from a pair of fth-place showings for his rst victory of the year. A wide-open eld of 14 horses contested the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. The Preakness was held at Laurel Park this year because Pimlico in Baltimore is being rebuilt.
Taj Mahal was the top choice at 9-2 — the longest odds for a Preakness favorite since 1925. Napoleon Solo went o at 7-1.
NASCAR Spurlock becomes 1st black woman to race in NASCAR national series, crashes in debut
Dover, Del.
Dystany Spurlock became the rst black woman to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national series, crashing on lap 39 in her debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Dover Motor Speedway. The 34-year-old drove the No. 69 MBM Motorsports Ford. Her truck became loose while coming around a turn and she tried to save it before crashing into the outside wall, which ended her race. She made her stock car racing debut in March, nishing seventh in the ARCA Menards Series East at Hickory Motor Speedway.
NBA
Gilgeous-Alexander repeats as NBA MVP
Oklahoma City Thunder guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named NBA MVP, becoming the 14th player to win the award in back-to-back years. He beat out Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets, a three-time MVP and the last back-to-back winner, and Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. It’s the fth consecutive season players born outside of the U.S. nished 1-2-3 in the MVP race. Golden State’s Stephen Curry was the last American-born player in the top three of the MVP balloting; he was third in 2021. James Harden was the last American to win it, in 2018.
NCAA FOOTBALL
ACC formally backs Big Ten’s push for College Football Playo to expand to 24 teams
The ACC is backing the Big Ten’s push for a 24-team playo . ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said coaches and athletic directors reached consensus this week on wanting to double the current College Football Playo model. Phillips said, “When you’re leaving national championship contending teams and schools out of the playo , you don’t have the right number.” He pointed to Florida State getting snubbed from a four-team CFP eld in 2023 and Notre Dame getting left out of last year’s 12-team model.
NCAA BASEBALL
NCAA urges coaches to not cancel games to protect position for tournament
The NCAA issued an appeal to Division I baseball coaches to not cancel nonconference midweek games to protect their teams’ positioning for the national tournament. Scheduling hijinks allow teams to avoid no-win situations this time of year. So games against mid- or low-major opponents sometimes are called o because a win wouldn’t help the RPI and a loss would hurt it, perhaps badly.
Rousey stops Carano with armbar 17 seconds into Net ix MMA bout
The former UFC champ then con rmed she was retiring
By Greg Beacham The Associated Press
INGLEWOOD, Calif. —
When Ronda Rousey nally got back into a mixed martial arts cage after 91⁄2 years away from her sport, she couldn’t wait even one more minute to collect another arm — and to have her own arm raised one last time.
Rousey stopped Gina Carano with her signature armbar just 17 seconds into the two iconic ghters’ double comeback bout Saturday night. After nishing Carano, 44, with a ferocity that evoked her famous heyday, the 39-year- old Rousey rea rmed that this was only the epilogue on her historic MMA career. She insisted she is headed into retirement after ending on a dominant victory.
“I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible,” Rousey said. “I didn’t really want to hurt her. Luckily it was beautiful martial arts, that’s what I think that was. It was art.”
Rousey (13-2) didn’t waste
an instant after the opening bell, immediately charging and tackling Carano. Rousey quickly moved into position and applied her famous nishing move, wrenching Carano’s arm as the ght was stopped.
Rousey famously won eight ghts in less than a minute during her meteoric rise through MMA in the 2010s. When asked if she considered waiting a bit longer to go for the nish in this comeback ght, since it was so many years in the making, Rousey laughed.
“Hell no,” she said. “My husband and my kids are watching me. I don’t want to put them through anything more than I have to.”
Carano, who hadn’t fought in 17 years, was all smiles even after the swift end to one of the longest layo s in pro sports history. Rousey and Carano hugged and shared warm words after the nish, raising each other’s arms in victory.
“I wanted that to last longer,” Carano said. “I felt so ready. I’ve never felt that good. But I haven’t been here for 17 years ... and I wanted to hit her.”
This improbable double comeback bout united two of
“I
the most important ghters from MMA’s past two decades. Rousey became one of the world’s most famous athletes as she won the rst women’s title in the UFC, which only began to promote women’s MMA because of Rousey’s undeniable talent and star power. Rousey rst became interested in MMA because of Carano, whose athleticism and star power made her into a television headliner when the nascent sport was still ghting for legitimacy and acceptance in the late 2000s. Rousey left the sport after consecutive losses, while Carano moved on to an acting career after taking her rst loss. After having two children and settling into post- ghting life on her farm in Riverside, Rousey seriously began to consider an MMA return last year. She immediately focused on a ght with Carano, whose
long-thriving career as an actor abruptly ended in 2021 with her series of controversial social media posts.
Carano was happy to nally accept the comeback she had occasionally considered, saying she used her preparations as a way to overcome multiple health problems from recent years.
“Getting in here after 17 years was a victory,” Carano said. “Fighting a legend was a victory. I feel great. But she trained. She had her game plan. I have so much love and respect for her.”
The show at Intuit Dome was the rst live MMA event on Net ix, which is moving steadily into combat sports. Rousey had repeatedly said this will be her nal ght, while Carano has said she doesn’t know what the future holds. Afterward, Carano said she hasn’t closed the door on another bout, and promoter Nakisa Bidarian said he would be eager to put Carano on another show.
“I think 17 years (o ) was a lot,” Carano said. “(Being) 44 is a lot. But I’m going to go look at this. I didn’t get anything out I expected to get in this ght.”
Legge could become rst woman to complete racing’s ‘Double’ at Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600
She will become the rst woman to attempt it
By Michael Marrot The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Kather-
ine Legge hopes to become the rst woman to attempt “The Double” in racing — even if she’s reluctant to claim the title.
She’s not terribly interested in being the rst non-American to try it, either.
Just hours after her NASCAR team, BRANDed Management, announced that the 45-year-old British driver had added the Coca-Cola 600 to a May 24 schedule that already included the Indianapolis 500, Legge told reporters she welcomed the opportunity more than the milestone.
“I don’t want to be like the rst woman because at the end of the day, I always say I just want to be a race car driver,” she said. “It doesn’t matter whether I’m black, white, female, male, whatever it may be. I think I’m probably getting the opportunity to do this because I’m female, so that does not escape me, and I’m very grateful for it. I think being the rst to do anything is cool. Being one of the very few who gets to attempt to race at Indy and at Charlotte and then do both on the same day, like looking back in 10, 20 years, like yeah.”
Legge’s feat also comes on the 50th anniversary of Janet Guthrie making her rst appearance on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s historic 2.5-mile oval.
Guthrie did not make Indy’s starting grid in 1976 but still traveled to North Carolina and made her NASCAR Cup Series debut by starting the World 600 in Charlotte. That was the previous version of today’s Coca-Cola 600.
Now, like then, A.J. Foyt is playing a role in this gender-breaking attempt.
In 1976, Foyt let Guthrie use a backup car in her attempt to make the eld. This weekend, Legge will be one of 33 drivers trying to qualify for the 500, and she’ll be driving the No. 11 Chevrolet for HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing. In 1977, Guthrie returned to Indy, becoming the rst woman to start the 500 on the same day that Foyt became the rst four-time race winner.
Foyt also cast aside his longtime rivalry with the Andrettis in 1994 when he put the late John Andretti in an IndyCar as Andretti became the rst driver to attempt “The Double.”
And Legge has gotten a crash course in that history as she also prepares to qualify in the No. 78 for Live Fast Motorsports at Charlotte. She’s the only female driver in Indianapolis this month.
“He’s been awesome, Lar-
The di erence between Legge and others who tried “The Double” is logistics. Their plans were made months in advance, while Legge’s became a reality only recently.
“I knew that at some point, it would be something we looked at doing, but I didn’t anticipate it being this year,” she said. “I think it’s just a very cool opportunity that kind of came up. Obviously, Indianapolis was rst, and when that domino fell there was a lot of talk about it, and we thought, why not?” Legge certainly has experience on her side.
ry (Foyt) has been awesome too,” Legge said, referring to the 91-year-old team owner and his grandson, who is running the team’s day-to-day operations.
“Actually, there’s a few idiosyncrasies we weren’t aware of until this came up. So it’s like weird, serendipitous things, neat little facts.”
Five drivers have competed in both the 500 and 600, but three-time Cup champ and Indiana native Tony Stewart remains the only one to complete all 1,100 miles in one day.
Defending Cup champion Kyle Larson attempted “The Double” each of the past two years but failed to complete it. He missed the Coca-Cola 600 start in 2024 after the Indy 500 ran late because of rain, and he crashed in both races last year.
She quali ed for her fth Indy start last weekend after nishing 29th last May. Her best 500 nish was 22nd in 2012. Over the past two years, she has competed in eight Cup races.
Legge also has competed in Ferraris in Bahrain and Audis in Germany, as well as on the A1 Grand Prix, Formula E and the IMSA SportsCar circuits during her career, though she’s never run the Coca-Cola 600.
But nothing is certain. She’ll be one of 41 attempting to make the 40-car Coca-Cola 600 eld. And yet she’s willing to take her chance on making history.
“It might be the only opportunity I get,” she said. “It might not be, but I might as well take it while the iron is hot, and it’s one of those really cool things not many people get to do.”
ADRIAN KRAUS / AP PHOTO
Katherine Legge is introduced before a NASCAR Cup Series race in Watkins Glen.
was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible. I didn’t really want to hurt her.”
Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey, left, celebrates after defeating Gina Carano in their featherweight mixed martial arts ght Saturday in Inglewood, California.
JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO
this week in history
Red Cross founded, Earhart crosses Atlantic, Johnson outlines “Great Society”
The Associated Press
MAY 21
1881: The American Red Cross was founded by nurse and educator Clara Barton in Washington, D.C.
1927: Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis monoplane near Paris, completing the rst solo airplane ight across the Atlantic Ocean in 331⁄2 hours. 1932: Amelia Earhart became the rst woman to y solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.
MAY 22
1939: The foreign ministers of Germany and Italy, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Galeazzo Ciano, signed a “Pact of Steel” committing their two countries to a military and political alliance.
1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson, speaking at the University of Michigan, outlined the goals of his “Great Society,” saying that it “rests on abundance and liberty for all” and “demands an end to poverty and racial injustice.”
1992: After a reign lasting nearly 30 years, Johnny Carson hosted his nal episode of NBC’s “The Tonight Show.” (Jay Leno took over as host three days later.)
MAY 23
1915: Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, aligning with the Triple Entente of Russia, France and the United Kingdom.
BOB DAUGHERTY / AP PHOTO
Surgeon General C. Everett Koop speaks at a news conference in Washington, D.C. On May 23, 1984, he released a report stating cigarette smoking is “a major cause” of lung, larynx and esophagus cancer.
1934: Bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were shot to death during a police ambush in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
1984: Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issued a report saying there was “very solid” evidence linking cigarette smoke to lung disease in nonsmokers.
MAY 24
1883: The Brooklyn Bridge, then the world’s longest suspension span, opened to tra c in New York.
1844: Samuel F.B. Morse sent the message “What hath God wrought” from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, inaugurating the nation’s rst telegraph line.
1935: Major League Baseball’s rst night game was played at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field, where the Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1.
MAY 25
1787: The Constitutional
Convention began at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia after enough delegates arrived for a quorum.
1935: At Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Babe Ruth, then with the Boston Braves, hit his 714th and nal home run; the record stood for nearly 40 years.
1977: “Star Wars” was released by 20th Century Fox and went on to become the highest-grossing lm in history at the time.
MAY 26
1940: Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, began during World War II.
1924: President Calvin Coolidge signed the Immigration Act of 1924, barring immigration from Asia and limiting total annual immigration to 165,000.
1927: The Ford Model T ended production as Henry Ford and his son Edsel drove the 15 millionth car o the assembly line in Highland Park, Michigan.
1938: Congress established the House Un-American Activities Committee.
1967: The Beatles released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
MAY 27
1937: The newly completed Golden Gate Bridge, linking San Francisco and Marin County, California, opened to pedestrians; vehicles began crossing the next day.
1930: New York’s Chrysler Building, then the world’s tallest, opened to the public.
1941: The British Royal Navy sank the German battleship Bismarck o France, killing more than 2,000 German sailors.
AP PHOTO
Moviegoers line up outside the Avco Center Theater in Los Angeles for “Star Wars,” released May 25, 1977, which became the highest-grossing lm at the time.
New Wings exhibit traces McCartney’s reinvention as husband, father, bandleader
The Hall of Fame will keep the display open for at least a year
By Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos and Leah Willingham The Associated Press
CLEVELAND — The largest collection of Paul McCartney’s personal artifacts ever publicly displayed is part of a new exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame centering on his life after The Beatles.
“Paul McCartney and Wings,” which opened last Friday in Cleveland, explores the musician’s reinvention after leaving the iconic British rock band through displays of instruments, handwritten songwriting notes and photographs taken by his wife, Linda McCartney, who was keyboardist and harmony vocalist for Wings during its decade-long run from 1971 to 1981, when the band produced hits including “Band on the Run,” “Silly Love Songs” and “Live and Let Die.”
After the breakup of The Beatles, Paul McCartney was no longer just the musician who had been known around the world since his teenage years but also a husband and father of a young family. What he built with Wings re ected that new stage of life, said Andy Leach, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s senior director of museum and archival collections.
Leach said the band’s embrace of domestic life — bringing children on tour, having a married couple perform together and writing songs inspired by his wife, who was also a member of the group — was “remarkable and unusual” for the era, when rock music remained overwhelmingly male-dominated and family life was rarely incorporated so visibly into a band’s public identity.
“What’s interesting about Wings is that they were formed around the idea of reinvention, renewal, risk-taking, experimentation but collaboration,” Leach said. “And family was at the center of it too.”
Leach traveled to London to work with McCartney and his team to prepare and transport guitars along with clothing worn
during performances to Cleveland. The vast majority of the artifacts are from McCartney’s personal collection.
Leach said Wings helped pioneer the large-scale production that came to de ne 1970s arena rock, using increasingly elaborate lighting and stage design on tours such as Wings Over the World and Wings Over America.
Leach said it was amazing to see and handle guitars that “I’ve heard on record my whole life.”
Visitors will also be able to step into a recreation of the farmhouse that McCartney still owns in Scotland, where Paul and Linda retreated after The Beatles’ breakup in 1970 and set up a recording studio.
In the home, photos of Paul and Linda McCartney and their children line the walls. Linda’s camera sits inside a case on the makeshift kitchen table.
The photographs taken by Linda, an acclaimed artist in her own right and the rst female photographer to have a photo featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, in 1968, showcase her role “at the center of the family, and in some ways, at the center of the band,” Leach said.
Linda McCartney was married for three decades to Paul, who taught her to play the keyboard after The Beatles’ breakup. She died in 1998 of breast cancer.
The Hall of Fame said it hopes to keep the exhibit open through the summer of 2027.
Shakira, Burna Boy release o cial 2026 FIFA World Cup Anthem, ‘Dai Dai’
The tournament runs through June and July
By Maria Sherman The Associated Press
NEW YORK — As the song demands: “Let’s go!”
The Colombian superstar Shakira and Afrobeats icon Burna Boy have teamed up for “Dai Dai,” the o cial song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It’s a mesh of their musical landscapes: Afrobeats and Latin rhythms, an undeniably global, multilingual pop track. In one verse, they name a number of the world’s most famous soccer players and countries competing in this year’s World Cup: “Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia,” Shakira cheers. “Mexico, Japan, Korea, Netherlands.”
After the rst chorus, Shakira and Burna Boy take turns tackling their own verses, singing back and forth before joining in a duet.
The song arrived shortly after it was announced that Shakira, Madonna and K-pop group BTS will co-headline the FIFA tournament’s rst-ever nal halftime show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City. The lineup was curat-
ed by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.
Shakira rst teased “Dai Dai” last week, sharing a minute-long teaser clip of her dancing in the center of the eld of Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. She included a snippet of the opening verse: “Here in this place / You belong,” she sang in English, a male voice harmonizing with her now identi able as Burna Boy. “What broke you once / Made you strong.” She is no stranger to World Cup anthems. Her song “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” was the o cial song of the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa and is widely regarded as one of the best. It’s also not uncommon for sponsors of the FIFA World Cup to release their own singles for the tournament. In March, Coca-Cola shared its own ocial anthem for the World Cup, a reimagination of Van Halen’s “Jump” that features Colombian singer J Balvin, drummer Travis Barker, pop/R&B singer Amber Mark and guitarist Steve Vai. It is similarly multilingual: Balvin wrote a new verse in Spanish for the anthem, bringing in Brazilian funk and hip-hop to the classic rock staple.
“‘Jump’ is not a fútbol song,” he told The Associated Press about the original track, using the Spanish word for soccer. “So that’s why I had to put the Latin love and passion for fútbol (in the lyrics).”
BRUNA PRADO / AP PHOTO
Colombian singer Shakira rehearses a day ahead of her free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, on May 1.
PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS / AP PHOTO
The entrance of the Paul McCartney and Wings exhibit is pictured at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 14.
famous birthdays this week
Bernie Taupin hits 76, Priscilla Presley turns 81, Mike Myers is 63, Lenny Kravitz celebrates 62
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
MAY 21
Singer Ronald Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 85. Singer Leo Sayer is 78. Actor Mr. T is 74. Actor Judge Reinhold is 69. Filmmaker Nick Cassavetes is 67.
MAY 22
Actor- lmmaker Richard Benjamin is 88. Songwriter Bernie Taupin is 76. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is 69. Singer Morrissey is 67. Singer Johnny Gill (New Edition) is 60. Actor Brooke Smith is 59. Model Naomi Campbell is 56. Tennis player Novak Djokovic is 39.
MAY 23
Actor Joan Collins is 93. Tennis Hall of Famer John Newcombe is 82. Chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov is 75. Comedian-TV host Drew Carey is 68. Comedian-actor Lea DeLaria is 68. Singer-songwriter Maxwell is 53. “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings is 52.
MAY 24
Comedian Tommy Chong is 88. Musician Bob Dylan is 85. Singer Patti LaBelle is 82. Actor Priscilla Presley is 81. Actor Alfred Molina is 73. Musician Rosanne Cash is 71. Actor John C. Reilly is 61.
MAY 25
Actor Ian McKellen is 87. Country singer Jessi Colter is 83. Actor-singer Leslie Uggams is 83. Filmmaker and puppeteer Frank Oz is 82. Actor Karen Valentine is 79. Actor Jacki Weaver is 79. Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 63.
MAY 26
Singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks is 78. Actor Pam Grier is 77. Country singer Hank Williams Jr. is 77. Actor Genie Francis is 64. Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait is 64. Musician
Kravitz is 62. Actor-producer-writer Matt Stone is 55. Singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill is 51.
MAY 27
Actor Lee Meriwether is 91.
Actor Bruce Weitz is 83. Musician Bruce Cockburn is 81. Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater is 76. Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater is 72. Singer Siouxsie Sioux is 69. Comedian Adam Carolla is 62. Rapper-musician Andre 3000 (Outkast) is 51.
Lenny
EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO Stevie Nicks turns 78 on Tuesday.
JEFF SPICER / AP PHOTO Ian McKellen turns 87 on Monday.
John Krasinski, ‘Ladies First,’ Rod Stewart, Brooke Shields, ‘Lego Batman’ game
“Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody A air” lands on Peacock
The Associated Press
JOHN KRASINSKI returning as Jack Ryan in “Jack Ryan: Ghost War” for Prime Video and “Stranger Things” masterminds the Du er Brothers producing a Net ix show in which a retirement community teams up to battle monsters 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: Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike starring in the gender satire “Ladies First,” “The Chi” returning for its eighth and nal season and an ambitious Lego Batman video game acting like a career retrospective for the Caped Crusader.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Four years after his series run in the Tom Clancy spy series ended, Krasinski returns as Jack Ryan in “Jack Ryan: Ghost War” (Prime Video). It’s the sixth lm and third reboot in the “Jack Ryan” franchise. Many series regulars return also, including Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly and Betty Gabriel.
“Ladies First” (Net ix, Friday) stars Baron Cohen and Pike in a gender satire. Cohen plays a chauvinistic man who wakes up in a parallel world dominated by women. Co-starring in it are Charles Dance, Emily Mortimer and Richard E. Grant.
An Oscar nominee for best animated feature, “Arco” (Hulu, Friday) is a rainbow-colored French time-traveling fantasy. A boy named Arco, living in the year 2932, accidentally travels to 2075. There, he’s found and befriended by a young girl whose future world includes robots that do most of the parenting and near-constant climate disaster. AP Film Writer Jake Coyle praised it as a cartoony and dreamy parable that “directly confronts ecological apocalypse and yet still nds a thrillingly optimistic note to end on.”
In December, Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill Vol. 1” and “Kill Bill Vol. 2” were fused into one movie. After a theatrical run, the conjoined whole “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody A air” debuts Friday on Peacock. The connective tissue is a 7½-min-
for
AMY HARRIS / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Rod Stewart performs during the rst weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 26. “Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live” is streaming now for Paramount+ Essential subscribers.
ute animated sequence cut from the original lm.
MUSIC TO STREAM
Less than a year before the Grammys migrate over to ABC for the next decade, CBS and the Recording Academy have teamed up once again for a two -hour television special.
“Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live” is out now. It’s part concert lm and interviews, full of archival footage and behind-the-scenes shots — an ideal viewing for the Stewart fan in your midst. Paramount+ Essential subscribers can stream along. The keen English sing-
er-songwriter Maisie Peters sharpens her storytelling skills on a new album, “Florescence,” out Friday. It’s an ideal soundtrack for those experiencing new love — or those who are not immune to her folk-pop charms. In a previous life, Lowertown — the New York-via-Atlanta duo composed of Olivia Osby and Avsha Weinberg — were a promising bedroom pop band perhaps a little bit too indebted to the indie rock cult hero Alex G, signed to the 1975-related Dirty Hit Records. On Friday, they will release a new record, “Ugly Duckling Union,” out on Summer Shade Records, their strongest release
“‘Arco’ is a cartoony and dreamy parable that directly confronts ecological apocalypse and yet still nds a thrillingly optimistic note to end on.”
Jake Coyle, AP lm writer
to date. Scrappy earworms have become hookier (the addictive love song “I Like You A Lot”), folk-jazz explorations are written stream-of-consciousness style with harmonica and 12-string guitar (“Big Thumb”), narrative verses are handed o to one another for maximum emotionality (“Worst Friend.”) Lo- , indie rock fans, listen up — it is likely that this will be one of your favorites of the year.
SERIES TO STREAM
In “You’re Killing Me,” Brooke Shields plays a popular novelist who teams up with a true crime podcast host to solve a murder mystery. The six-episode series is available now on Acorn TV. Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany stars in “Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed” as a down-on-her-luck divorcee who witnesses a crime unfold live on a webcam. Jake Johnson (“New
Girl”) plays her ex-husband. The rst two episodes are streaming now on Apple TV.
The Du er Brothers have gone from creating a story centered around teens in “Stranger Things” to executive producing a series about a di erent demographic. Net ix’s “The Boroughs” debuts Thursday and follows residents of an idyllic retirement community who team up to battle monsters. Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard and Denis O’Hare star.
“The Chi” returns for its eighth and nal season Friday on Paramount+. Created by Lena Waithe, the show is a coming-of-age story about residents of the South Side of Chicago as they try to rise above violence and systemic racism.
GAMES TO PLAY
VIDEO
The Caped Crusader has always packed a punch, but Lego Batman really knows how to hit the bricks. “Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight” aims to provide a career retrospective, combining elements from decades of movies and TV shows. The Joker, the Penguin, Two -Face and Bane are up to their usual antics, and if you’re having trouble with all those villains, you can team up with a friend playing Robin, Batgirl or Catwoman. Answer the signal Friday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.
Cuddly dinosaur Yoshi may have been the breakout star of April’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” but he’s been a headliner on Nintendo consoles for decades. In “Yoshi and the Mysterious Book,” he stumbles across a talking encyclopedia named Mr. E, with each two -page spread opening up into a world for our hero to bounce around. As usual, Yoshi can attack enemies with his tongue — but he can also invite friendly creatures to ride on his back and share their skills. Turn the page Thursday on Switch 2.
After stops in the United States, Europe, Australia and Mexico, Microsoft’s “Forza Horizon 6” racer is nally roaring into one of the hot spots of car culture: Japan. This country has everything, from seaside trails to mountain roads to the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Besides a huge assortment of races, on-road and o , you can spend time mastering stunts, delivering food or collecting fast-food mascots. The starting ag ies on Xbox X/S and PC.
ROB YOUNGSON / NETFLIX VIA AP
Emily Mortimer, left, and Sacha Baron Cohen star in “Ladies First,” debuting Friday on Net ix.
THOMAS PADILLA / AP PHOTO
French lmmaker Ugo Bienvenu, center, with producer Sophie Mas, left, and lmmaker Félix de Givry pose after winning the César for best animated lm
“Arco” at the 51st César Awards in Paris on Feb. 27.
LOPEZ,
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