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VOLUME 149 ISSUE 31 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM

THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

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Election season President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance made separate campaign stops in North Carolina this past week to stump for Republicans on the ballot, including, most prominently, U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley. Trump came to Gastonia last Wednesday, while Vance flew into Greensboro on Monday.

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BRIEF this week

Trump signs U.S.Denmark-Greenland agreement to bolster Arctic security United Nations The United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed an agreement to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. President Donald Trump signed the deal Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Trump earlier announced he planned to bolster the U.S. military presence in Greenland while keeping it under Danish and Greenlandic control. Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire for Greenland to become part of the U.S., ramping up tension. The agreement recognizes Greenland’s sovereignty and aims to boost security for all parties involved. The U.S. military presence in Greenland has decreased significantly since 1945. There are currently around 200 U.S. troops on the Pituffik Space Base.

Flights disrupted across Northeast U.S. due to technical problems at key air traffic center Technicians have repaired data lines that failed at a key regional air traffic control center, and all major airports in the New York area began resuming operations after hundreds of flight cancellations rippled through the Northeast. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an online post that primary and backup telecom lines were fixed by Monday evening, allowing affected airports to resume operations.

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Siler City to apply for Community Development Block Grant The town intends to ask for $5 million in funding By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record SILER CITY — The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners held two public hearings related to the issuance of Commu-

nity Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications. The purpose of the CDBG program is to provide funding to communities aiming to address development needs. The program is governed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which awards annual grants for housing rehabilitation, public facili-

ties, infrastructure, job creation and public services. “In general, the CDBG activities must meet at least one national objective of benefiting low-to-moderate income persons or preventing or eliminating slums or blight,” said Planning and Community Development Director Tim Garner. According to the grant guide-

lines, low-to-moderate income households are defined as those with an income at 80% or less than the median income of the county. In order to apply, towns must hold two public hearings to gather community input. In total, Siler City is applying See GRANT, page A7

Pittsboro monitors Google Fiber work Some residents have brought up concerns to the town By Bob Sutton Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — Town of Pittsboro officials have been addressing concerns from residents as Google Fiber work

takes place within public rights-of-way around the town. “We want to let the residents know we’ve heard their concerns and we’re aware of the concerns,” said Caitlin Murphy, communications director for the town. Murphy said Tuesday that contract workers have been more visible in recent days, and that might have heightened

the curiosities of some of the residents. “The goal is to expand high-speed internet all across the town,” Murphy said. “I think it’s all with good intentions.” Jeff Harris, assistant public works director for Pittsboro, has been the lead project contact from the town’s side. See GOOGLE, page A7

Rising gas prices frustrate voters; Trump says it’s ‘inexpensive price to pay’ for Iran war The frustration spans party lines and could hurt Republicans in midterm voting By Steve Peoples, Jesse Bedayn and Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press EDINBURG, Texas — Quinten Martinez, pumping gas under a hot South Texas sun, remembers a time when fueling up didn’t require difficult decisions. “Is it going to be groceries this week?” asked the 28-year-old Amazon delivery driver as he watched the numbers tick higher. “Is it gonna be getting gas in our tank to go to work?” He shook his head when asked about President Donald Trump’s assertion last week that higher gas prices are a

small price to pay for the war with Iran. “I don’t feel like it’s a good trade-off,” Martinez said. “I don’t feel like this is good for anyone.” Voters across the country, and across the political spectrum, tend to agree. Interviews with voters in several states, along with a fresh round of national polling, reveal an overwhelming sense of frustration that skyrocketing gas prices — a direct result of Trump’s war — are creating serious and sustained financial hardships for America’s working class. The acute concerns are adding to a bad political environment that may be worsening for Trump and his Republican Party as early voting gets underway in the November midterm elections. Historically, the party holding the See GAS, page A10

“The goal is to expand high-speed internet all across the town.” Caitlin Murphy, Pittsboro communications director

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

THURSDAY

9.24.26 #161

Siler City community center activity room newly christened A former resident’s legacy was honored by the facility

By Melinda Burris Chatham News & Record

“Join the conversation” Chatham News & Record www.chathamnewsrecord.com

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Goldston woman cashes in Jena Johnson of Goldston was the winner of a $10 million top prize in the NC Education Lottery. She bought a $50 scratch-off ticket last month at Murphy Express on New Chatham Road in Siler City. Given the choice of taking the prize as an annuity of $500,000 a year for 20 years or a lump sum of $6 million, she took the lump sum. After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home more than $4.3 million. Johnson, a middle school teacher for 20 years, told lottery officials she plans to purchase a BMW convertible. According to information from the lottery, she has other plans for some of the money. “Our daughter just got engaged, and after I won I said, ‘I found a way to pay for the wedding,’ ” Johnson said.

SILER CITY — When Colleen Jaco died earlier this month, her daughter sought a way to honor her with a project that embodied all she valued and devoted her time to in life. Jaco, who died Sept. 2 at 90, had an active role in her community, working for a variety of companies throughout her professional career, including Quality Mold, Burlington Industries and Ramada Inn. For 22 years, she had a fulfilling career as a personal care assistant. After losing her second leg, Jaco moved into Sunridge Nursing Facility, where she enjoyed putting her professional skills to work as an unofficial patient advocate.

COURTESY

Colleen Jaco A social person by nature, Jaco enjoyed keeping her fellow patients active and tuned in to the world around them. Her daughter Jennifer Reaves said her mother was known for her laugh. “It was infectious,” Reaves said. And so naming the activity center in Siler City after Jaco seemed like the perfect way to honor her legacy. Reaves said her mother had dedicated herself to keeping

older members in the community involved and voicing their opinions while having some fun along the way, and that her mother’s “love of life” was palpable. Kristy Glover, director of post acute partnerships at Genesis HealthCare, was an early proponent of the idea. “Dedicating an activity room to a former patient at a facility such as the Siler City Center can have a profound impact on the local community, current residents and staff,” Glover said. “It bridges the gap between the positive community benefits and serves to deepen community connection and trust. “Naming a room after a resident centers the facility’s narrative around the people who volunteer, host events or support the center through local partnerships. (Dedicating it) to a peer reminds current residents that their lives, stories and contributions matter.” The Siler City Center is located at 900 W. Dolphin St.

• Blaine Ivey Rhodes, 30, was arrested for driving while impaired - .10 -, felony possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges. • Brandon Thomas Hill, 33, was arrested for felony conspiracy, misdemeanor conspiracy and larceny of motor vehicle parts, and other charges. • James Collins Phillips, 42, was arrested for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and being intoxicated in a park. • Phillip James Collins, 42, was arrested for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and being intoxicated in a park. • Wade Hampton Farrish, 73, was arrested for communicating threats and violation of a domestic violence protective order. Sept. 15 • Darren Gerard Clay, 61, was arrested for possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, felony possession of cocaine and communicating threats, and other charges. • Gregory Earl Carter, 48, was arrested for felony possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

happening Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County.

Sept. 26 Mead Fest 2026 Noon to 5 p.m. Starrlight Mead’s free mini-Renaissance celebration with mead tastings, live music, knights’ sword demos, vendors and food. Costumes welcome; rain or shine. Starrlight Mead at The Plant 130 Lorax Lane Pittsboro

MOSAIC Market with The MixTapes Noon to 4 p.m. A Saturday market with musical guest The MixTapes. Free; registration is required. Philip H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons 457 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro

CRIME LOG Sept. 14

CHATHAM

• Matthew Eric Wiechel, 43, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny. Sept. 16 • Cirilo Garcia Rangel, 31, was arrested for probation revocation and driving on a revoked license impaired rev. Sept. 17 • Amanda Nicole Melson, 36, was arrested for serious injury by vehicle. • David Royal Blankenship, 38, was arrested for impaired driving. • Deondre Shamone Degraffenreid, 24, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and second-degree trespass. • James Henry Bolton, 52, was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon; possession of marijuana, half ounce or less; and assaulting a government employee, and other charges. • Lorenzo Eavan Nettles, 35, was arrested for sell controlled substance. Sept. 18 • Jessica Grey Starnes, 43, was arrested for breaking or entering.

impaired. Sept. 19 • Aleaha Renne Marr, 32, was arrested for driving while impaired. • Colon Alston, 68, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny. • Ismael Tolentino Garcia, 29, was arrested for driving while impaired, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to heed a light or siren, and other charges. • Shanna Deann Deplato, 50, was arrested for driving on a revoked license, expired registration and reckless driving, and other charges. Sept. 20 • Randal Levone Riggsbee, 49, was arrested for driving while impaired, felony possession of cocaine and felony possession controlled substance, and other charges. • Travis Ray Upchurch, 49, was arrested for possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon and carrying weapons into assemblies and establishments where alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed.

• Kierra Leshae Marsh, 37, was arrested for driving while

Oct. 1-4 Fall Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance Gate hours vary by day Four stages and more than 50 bands, with food, crafts, workshops, kids activities and camping. Advance four-day tickets are $180 through Sept. 27; single days are $52-$66; kids 12 and under are free. Parking is $30 for the weekend or $15 a day. No pets. Shakori Hills Community Arts Center 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road Pittsboro

Oct. 2 MOSAIC Blast from the Past: Bounce! Party Band 7-9 p.m. The free outdoor concert series continues with Bounce! Party Band. The lawn opens at 6 p.m. Food and drink will be available. Registration is required. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Tommy Edwards Stage 457 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro

Third annual Movie Series in Briar Chapel Park: “The Lorax” 4-8 p.m.

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A wide range of locally made vending items crafted by area creatives. Live music will be featured along with family-friendly activities, food and beverages. Admission is free; donations are encouraged. 12 East St. Pittsboro

Oct. 3-4 Oktoberfest at The Plant Saturday 2-9 p.m. Sunday noon to 5 p.m. A two-day fall celebration with seasonal beers, craft drinks and live music, including a stein-holding contest at bmc brewing. The Plant 220 Lorax Lane Pittsboro

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

Federal Reserve official says fighting inflation likely to be ‘painful’ Supply shocks force the central bank to choose between inflation and employment

Church News SILER CITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

By Christopher Rugaber The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — A top Federal Reserve official said Monday that the central bank may have to cause economic pain in the form of higher unemployment to combat stubbornly high inflation. Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, said in a speech in London that the Fed is facing a series of persistent supply shocks that have driven up inflation, including higher oil prices from the Iran war and tariffs. Typically, Goolsbee noted, the central bank would essentially wait for such shocks to fade and inflation to fall on its own rather than raise borrowing costs. But faced with an ongoing series of persistent supply shocks, the Fed now has little choice but to hike rates, Goolsbee said. The increases are needed to lower consumer and business demand to a level consistent with reduced supply, he added, which should bring inflation back to the Fed’s 2% target. “The only way to bring inflation down is to raise rates and narrow the gap between supply and demand,” he said in a written copy of his remarks. “Forcing inflation back to target in the short run means pushing employment below target. ... In the short run, supply shocks force a difficult trade-off” between the Fed’s goals of low inflation and maximum employment. “It’s going to be painful,” Goolsbee said later to reporters. “It would necessarily be painful.”

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO

Siler City Presbyterian Church at 720 West Third St. in Siler City (across from where the old hospital used to be) is proud to present the Gospel group Redeemed in concert Sunday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. Come and join us at Siler City Presbyterian for a wonderful performance of good old-fashioned Southern gospel music sung by the popular gospel group Redeemed. This all-music event will be something everyone will enjoy. Admission for the concert is one can of food for the Chatham Food Pantry. Everyone is welcome! We hope to see you then! Have a blessed day!

Austan Goolsbee, left, then-Council of Economic Advisers chairman under President Barack Obama, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in February 2013.

“It’s going to be painful. It would necessarily be painful.” Austan Goolsbee, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago president Goolsbee’s comments contradict Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh’s remarks last Wednesday at a news conference that took place after the Fed lifted its key interest rate for the first time in three years to about 3.9%. “I don’t believe that we need to do harm to the labor markets to achieve our objective,” Warsh said last week. The Fed generally fights inflation by raising interest rates to cool borrowing and spending. Historically, such rate hikes have often slowed growth and

have even led to recessions. Yet in 2022-23, the Fed sharply raised interest rates and inflation did decline, without a significant rise in unemployment or economic slowdown. Goolsbee also suggested while speaking with reporters that the Fed may need to implement more than just the one additional rate hike later this year that policymakers, as a group, forecast last week. There are signs that surging investment in data centers for AI is also pushing up inflation, he said, suggesting that strong demand is playing a role, as well as the supply shock from oil. If inflation mostly comes from supply shocks, then just one more rate hike could be sufficient, Goolsbee told reporters. “And if we get evidence that convinces us that it’s coming from demand, then it likely would not be enough,” he said.

VIALS OF GOD’S WRATH! Bible Study: Revelation 16:1-21 Church of Living Water; Pastor: James Mitchell. Vials of God’s wrath are coming upon the wicked-on earth just before the second coming of Christ. These judgments will bring an end to the judgments of those who have persecuted Israel throughout the ages. These plagues will be from Heaven, sent directly from God, and they will have a supernatural cause, as was the case with those in the land of Egypt. You evil devils that vandalized Charlie Kirk’s statue and marked out Jesus’ name, God’s judgment is coming for you. Don’t bow down to the Socialist Democrat Party! Don’t bow down to the radical Muslims who are trying to take over our elections. The consequences of these plagues will get the attention of people from all over the world, for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and God shall give them blood to drink. All the rivers of Italy, Turkey, Syria, Greece, and other parts of the Antichrist’s domain will be running ZLWK EORRG ,Q VSLWH RI WKH PLVHU\ DQG GLI¿FXOW\ WKRVH DIÀLFWHG ZLOO be so humiliated and demeaned that they will not repent. Beware of false prophets and preachers calling for peace. The evildoers don’t want any peace with America or Israel! Christ will come, and sudden destruction will come upon the world of the ungodly. The evil gnawed their tongues for pain and did not repent of their deeds. Children of God who have been born again, don’t let fear and doubt of demonic spirits pull you away from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

THE CONVERSATION Trip Hoffend, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

No AI was used in the writing of these limericks

In school, poetry was a slog. The man from Nantucket was pure mischief.

I HAVE AVOIDED artificial intelligence like the plague, and that was before last week when I heard it would destroy humankind. I don’t know whether to believe the doomsday predictions. After initially claiming he was the only needed guardrail for the industry, President Donald Trump is now promising federal oversight through a new “AI czar.” Who knows if he is actually serious or if this is yet another gimmick like $5,000 “dividends” for Republican victories on Election Day. Tech companies are propping up the stock market, and an incumbent president facing high inflation and an unpopular war knows he cannot afford a recession. But enough politics — here’s a limerick: There once was artificial intelligence, that threatened a global apocalypse. But if that dire forecast is true, I have better things to do, than wring my hands for the hell-of-it.

Could Claude or ChatGPT have written a better limerick? Who cares? The fun is in the creative process. My kids refer to limericks as “cringe,” the worst insult they can muster, but I grew up going to church on Sunday morning then listening to “A Prairie Home Companion” in the car on the way to lunch, which included Garrison Keillor’s tales from Lake Wobegon and plenty of limericks. In school, poetry was a slog. The man from Nantucket was pure mischief. Keats and Hopkins wrote fine verse, tuned to sing praises of the universe. A thing of beauty is a joy forever, the world’s charged with God’s grandeur. But nothing is funnier than a good curse. No one is promised tomorrow. Howard Thurman said not to ask what the world needs but to find out what makes you come alive and do that. I used to tell students, “Don’t let anyone

steal your joy.” Now I urge them not to outsource their joy to some algorithm. AI can provide facts, but it can’t create meaning. Humans do not have all the answers, especially to the deepest questions, and that’s as it should be, for how else could we experience wonder and awe? Hopkins was right; there lives the dearest freshness deep down things. The sun is shining, the sky is bright, in this time before the fall of night, I walk the woods, pause by the creek, hear the birds singing so sweet, and for a moment, everything is all right. Andrew Taylor-Troutman’s newest book is “This Is the Day.” He serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, coffee drinker and student of joy.

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

Life hangs, changes on slender threads What if I really had gone to class like my folks thought I was?

I DON’T DO computers — or any other technological gadget — very well at all. The height of my techy ability pretty much rests in a No. 2 pencil and some Blue Horse notebook paper or a legal pad. And that’s fine: I’ve gotten used to it, and it doesn’t bother me. For a while though, I was sort of embarrassed about all that since Shirley was making her living teaching young folks use computers and I was limited to turning one on. But I got over it since eventually I did learn to use a word processing program, to play Free Cell and to go to certain web sites. No, not those. Good sites like the National Hurricane Center or old ’50s and ’60s rock ’n’ roll sites and places where they talked about baseball. I learned how to follow baseball in general and my beloved Cardinals in particular, even though they stink this season, on MLB.com. That doesn’t mean all is well. Sometimes the server goes to sleep, and since we are relegated to dial-up because our local phone company says we live in a place so far out we have to pipe in sunshine, I sometimes spend 20 minutes taking care of eight seconds worth of business. Be that as it may, however, the task usually gets done. But each time I read stuff about the Cardinals, I remember how at one time in my life I wanted to live and work — it didn’t matter doing what — in St. Louis so I could go to the home games at Busch Stadium. It didn’t matter that such a prospect would probably cost me a gazillion dollars or that it’s really hot and humid in

St. Louis during the summer or that this ol’ country boy really does not like cement, tall buildings or congestion. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. Shows how well I had thought out things. Kind of like the time I thought I wanted to be a pig farmer. Had the land and desire and enough knowledge to be dangerous but forgot to see if the bank would loan me the cash for the project. Fortunately, they said no. I’d still be up to my snout in debt if they had said yes. Anyway, in time, the St. Louis desire went away, and I decided instead I would go to journalism school at Carolina, become a sports writer for the Durham Morning Herald and be assigned to the UNC beat so I could cover Tar Heels football at Kenan Stadium, eat fried chicken in the press box, watch the games and get paid for all that. The mere fact that I forgot to go to class while in college or to study for exams allowed me to cram a four-year degree program into seven years, and by the time I did get a diploma, we had a little one on the way and the Herald wasn’t hiring. And that brings me to my point: Who we are today and where we are hangs on so many decisions that it is a intriguing mental exercise — or maybe sometimes agony — to consider where would we be today if we had done even one thing differently … or not done it at all. For instance, what if I really had gone to class like my folks thought I was … if I had actually studied instead of pretending … if I had gone to the library as much as I went to the snack bar at midnight or to the student union to shoot pool and

listen to the free-play jukebox where the Fifth Dimension wailed out “The Age of Aquarius” every 10 minutes and so on and so forth. Sometimes that sort of brings me up short since I like my life pretty much as it is now. If I had gone through college in four years instead of seven, my path more than likely wouldn’t have crossed with that of my much-better half and I wouldn’t have the two 50-somethings who used to be teenagers who lived at my house for a while or the no-longer-a-teenager who once lived there with me and would tell people, “Granddaddy knows everything” or his younger sister and her younger sister whose smiles light up a room and my heart, or Nos. 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, my next door neighbors who hold my hands and my heart. I wouldn’t like that. I think that kind of pondering should do a couple of things for us: One, it should make us appreciate what we do have; and two, help us to realize the importance of making good choices as we move along life’s highway. So here’s my two-cents-worth of practical suggestions and good ideas for the journey: Never pet a burning dog, never roller skate in a buffalo herd, don’t play in the road and try to miss the potholes in the highway of life as you travel along it. That should go a long way toward fulfillment. Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

COLUMN | JAN HUTTON

COLUMN SUSAN MILLS

My Achilles’ heel

I’m trapped. That alltoo-present Tyrannosaurus rex-like provocateur, the uncompromising jungle of automated phone systems, has wrapped me in her many wires.

I NEVER, ever imagined that automated phone systems would become my Achilles’ heel, or a path to spiritual enlightenment. But it’s true. Come along for the journey … Not meaning to brag or anything, but I think you’d find I’m truly a nice person. In conversation and on social media, I hold strong values about not contributing to cesspool-like dialogues. (Yay, me!) Nonetheless, verbal dumpster diving (an alltoo-current human trait) can be so satisfying, so cutting-down-to-size and so full of shouted four-letter words. None of these behaviors, or so I thought, were on my chosen values list. (Dream on, girl.) Thanks to my hereditary, millions-of-yearsold, threat-response brain (just like yours), any Tyrannosaurus rex-like challenge today can still become a case for my all-out personal survival. My sainted values be damned! Oh, wait, Tyrannosaurus rex? Those fierce critters aren’t around anymore, are they? Today, it’s the ferocious beasts of differing opinions, political beliefs, religious differences, gender issues and, gosh, even “How can you possibly eat what you’re eating?” I’m trapped. That all-too-present Tyrannosaurus rex-like provocateur, the uncompromising jungle of automated phone systems, has wrapped me in her many wires. This tangled digital trap is the equivalent of a prehistoric, charging, saber-toothed tiger and the powerlessness I experience in its maws. “Someone, anyone, find me human help!” This Quaker pacifist spills over with shouted (not kidding) expletives, begging

the heartless automated phone system, “I just want to speak with a live human. Please!” (Hey, even Quaker pacifists are human.) Sigh. So embarrassing. So very human. I absolutely lose control of myself in the purgatory of automated phone systems. My values, so inclusive of civility, are laid waste. I just head for the bottom of the barrel. The v-e-r-y bottom. Absolutely mortifying to me. Head hanging in disgust at my civility-deprived interlude with an unhearing automated phone system. This being human thing ain’t easy. Trying desperately to maintain values of civility in the context of my saga “Jan and her automated phone system agony.” The expletives win out. A reframe is needed, big time. ’Tis a soul challenge. That’s what it is. This is the one place in my life where I totally lose it. The trigger? I hate not being heard. Just hate it. Do I thank the universe for this continuing thorn in my tender soul, or, or … do what? The answer? “Oh, God, is she really going to say this?” Yes. I hate this challenge. I guess you, dear reader, kind of got that, didn’t you? However, growing my soul, whatever that truly means, is the most important thing in my life. I’m just gonna keep on keepin’ on, and those ol’ automated phone systems will continue as detestable, but needed, carrots on my growth journey. Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.

COLUMN | DANIEL MCCARTHY

The immigration politics of a felon’s pardon “Mandatory deportation” should mean just that.

HOW FAR will New York Gov. Kathy Hochul go to keep immigrant criminals in this country? So far, she’ll even pardon a man convicted of an aggravated felony if that’s what it takes to prevent the United States Supreme Court from setting a restrictionist precedent. Keisy Guerrero Mariano is a Dominican who spent two years in prison for committing a violent crime: second-degree assault. Mariano, known as “G.M.” in court documents, is exactly the sort of lawbreaker Americans overwhelmingly want to see deported. But not Hochul — she granted him clemency Aug. 28. His case stood out from those of the other five people she pardoned that day: The others were nonviolent offenders who’d committed their crimes decades ago: two in the 1980s, two in the ’90s, and just one as recently as 2007. G.M. was convicted in 2015. The governor decided he merited special leniency, for political reasons. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested G.M. in 2020, intending to deport him based on his criminal record. ICE had to let him go in 2022, however, because of a nationwide injunction related to COVID-19 that required the agency to review custody of individuals with certain medical conditions. While ICE had him, though, G.M.’s lawyers challenged the agency’s right to hold him for a prolonged time without a bond hearing. That’s what Hochul’s pardon is really about — the Trump administration planned to make the Dominican’s appeals a test case before the U.S. Supreme Court, one likely to establish that G.M. and others like him are not entitled to a bond hearing. Bond hearings are an easily exploited weakness in America’s immigration security, not only protracting the legal process of deporting lawbreakers but also giving them an opportunity to get out of detention temporarily — and then permanently fail to show up when they’re due for their next hearing. G.M. came to this country legally in 2011, but he forfeited any right to remain here once he committed a felony. Only now Hochul has nullified his conviction to undercut ICE’s grounds for removing him and collapse the appeals process that was leading to the Supreme Court — and

to a probable defeat for those who want to make deportation as difficult as possible. The governor isn’t looking out for New Yorkers here: Her maneuver is about liberal politicians’ zeal for maximum immigration, even when it means letting violent criminals remain in our communities. This is the second lucky break Hochul’s side has had recently. The other test case the Trump administration had teed up, involving a Jamaican national convicted (also in New York) of sexually abusing a child under the age of 11, has been taken out of the courts as well after the offender left the country and filed a court declaration saying he would not be coming back to America. Self-deportation is one way to get immigrants convicted of heinous crimes out of here. But ICE can’t deport someone who has already deported himself, so his claim of a right to a bond hearing is now completely moot. The big question still has to be answered, though: Can immigration enforcement detain these violent perps and sex offenders until they can be tossed out? Or if they’ve been in custody for a while, are they entitled to bond hearings that will further delay their removal — and give them the chance to escape back into Americans’ neighborhoods? Solicitor General John Sauer says he’s not going to let Hochul’s gambit succeed. G.M.’s case may have been pulled, but Sauer aims to find another that will bring the fight to the Supreme Court. “Mandatory deportation” should mean just that — even a legal immigrant who commits a serious offense ought to be expelled promptly, and he shouldn’t get the benefit of a bond hearing just because his case takes longer than it should and he winds up in “prolonged” detention. He shouldn’t get the benefit of a liberal governor’s partisan machinations either. New Yorkers — American citizens — elected Hochul, and she should put them first, not foreigners who commit crimes while they’re here, legally or otherwise. Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a press conference Aug. 12 in New York.

Get to know the real Michael Whatley I HAVE KEPT SILENT hoping people will educate themselves before voting, but I still see fellow Republicans trying to tear down a good person. I was elected NCGOP vice chair to serve with Michael Whatley. I worked with him closely for over three years. He is a man of faith, family and freedom. He loves his beautiful family and would never put his children in harm’s way by “hiring” a person that preys on children. He did not hire Harvey West. Harvey was elected by his constituents in the 1st District. Harvey was already a member of the Plan of Organization Committee when Whatley became chair of the NCGOP. Many people are kept on committees to allow their knowledge of how the committee works to be passed down to new members. There was nothing strange about keeping Harvey on that committee. Look at organizations in your community, state and country. Do you throw out all their institutional knowledge to bring on someone that is new and has no idea of where to begin? Whatley is a man of faith. We started each meeting, event, dinner with a prayer. He is a God-fearing person. He always wanted to do what was right, and he did. No one is perfect, so stop looking for perfection in anyone! Whatley loves the people of North Carolina and of this great country. I have seen it firsthand. He doesn’t put himself first. It’s the folks of N.C. who he put first and always will. He is a man of his word and not a person that lies. We need Whatley in the U.S. Senate. Just remember who closed schools and churches but left open liquor stores and abortion clinics — the Democratic candidate did that! As a person that has worked closely with him and considers him a close friend, I ask you to vote for Michael Whatley for U.S. Senate!

Just remember who closed schools and churches but left open liquor stores and abortion clinics.

Susan Mills is a public high school teacher who lives in Fayetteville.

BE IN TOUCH

Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or mailed to 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op -eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.

Contact a writer or columnist: connect@ northstatejournal.com

YUKI IWAMURA / AP PHOTO

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

obituaries

SPONSORED BY DONALDSON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY 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.

Annie Dillard, Pulitzer-winning author of ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,’ dead at 81

Thomas “Mark” Jordan Oct. 26, 1951 – Sept. 10, 2026 Thomas “Mark” Jordan, 74, died early morning, September 10th, 2026, at the Raleigh Rehabilitation Center in Wake County, NC. Mark was born in Durham, NC, on October 26, 1951. He was preceded in death by his parents Rev. Robert

Michael Lewis Testerman Nov. 27, 1958 – Sept. 19, 2026 Michael (Mike) Lewis Testerman, of Goldston, passed into the arms of Jesus on September 19, 2026 after several years of declining health. He was born in Lee County, NC on November 27, 1958, the son of Fred Clarence Testerman and Florence Hash Testerman. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Neal and Harvey Junior, as well as his beloved grandson, Jason David Michael Lincoln. Mike was a self-employed master diesel mechanic by trade. His greatest love was

396 West St., Pittsboro, NC 27312 | 919-542-3057 | www.donaldsonfunerals.com Harry Jordan and Frances Weaver Jordan, formerly of Wilson, NC. Mark graduated from Northern Nash High School. He studied at the NC School of the Arts and East Carolina Music Dept. He was an accomplished pianist and organist. Mark is survived by his sister, Charlotte F. Jordan, of Wilson, NC; his aunts, Dianne Weaver, of Tennessee and Frances She spent more than five Weaver, of Richmond, VA and decades exploring the six first cousins of various locations. intersection of nature, Mark’s graveside burial will spirituality and self be held at 3:00PM, Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Oakwood Cemetery in Siler City, NC. The Associated Press Please share a memory or condolence for the family in NEW YORK — Annie DilMark’s guest book below. lard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Smith & Buckner Funeral author and essayist renowned Home, of Siler City, North for her poetic explorations of naCarolina, is honored to serve ture, love, spirituality and the the family of Thomas “Mark” ANDREW HARNIK / AP PHOTO art of writing in the “Pilgrim at Jordan.

his family and his relationship with Jesus, his Lord and Savior. He would do his best to help anyone in need. Mike is survived by daughters, Patricia and Bridget and sons, Michael, Adam and Matt. He is also survived by his step-daughter, Shyanne; step-son, Briar; sister, Martha; brothers, Dale (Wanda), Sam (Charlotte) and Charles (Margie). The funeral service will be held at 2:00 on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at Mt. Tabor Community Church with Pastor David Lambeth and Pastor Ed Murchison presiding. Visitation will be prior to the service from 1:00-1:45 p.m. The family will return to the fellowship hall following the committal and will also receive friends at that time. Condolences may be offered online at www. joycebradychapel.com Joyce-Brady Chapel of Bennett is honored to serve the Testerman family. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3

Tinker Creek,” “The Maytrees” and numerous other works, has died. She was 81. Her literary agent, Rob McQuilkin, said Dillard died Tuesday of natural causes at her home in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Starting in the mid-1970s, Dillard completed a wide range of books, from the poetry collection “Tickets for a Prayer Wheel” to what she would call the “jolly journalism” of “Encounters with Chinese Writers” to the novel of marriage, “The Maytrees,” a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner award in 2008. Seven years later, President Barack Obama presented her with a National Humanities Medal for her “profound reflections on human life and nature.” Born Meta Ann Doak, she was a Pittsburgh native who in the 1987 memoir “An American Childhood” looked back at her early years and on her uniquely curious mind. She was raised

by nonconformists who gave her a wide range to learn and to discover, and she remembered with awe her growing sense of knowledge and self-knowledge. Resistant for much of her life to organized religion, she would find the eternal in animals, mountains, her mother’s skin and in everyday objects. At age 13, she wrote, she was reading “books on drawing, painting, rocks, criminology, birds, moths, beetles, stamps, ponds and streams, medicine.” Dillard had yet to turn 30 when “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” established her as a major, new literary voice and heir to Hen-

Presley Gerber, son of Cindy Crawford, model dead at 27 His sister praised him last month for being remarkably open about addiction The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessperson Rande Gerber, died Sunday at age 27, a family representative said. Gerber died at a rehabilitation facility, according to online records of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. The medical examiner did not provide a cause of death Sunday. An autopsy was performed, but more testing is required before investigators can give a cause, according to the medical examiner’s website. The death was confirmed by Allie Jenkins, a representative for Crawford and Rande Gerber, who were married in 1998. “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” Jenkins said in an email Sunday night. Gerber was model in own right

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Chatham News & Record at obits@chathamnewsrecord.com

President Barack Obama awards the 2014 National Humanities Medal to author Annie Dillard during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., in September 2015.

ry David Thoreau as a sensitive and idiosyncratic observer of the natural world. Published in 1974 and winner of the Pulitzer for nonfiction, “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” drew upon Dillard’s private writings about the surroundings of her home in Roanoke, Virginia. Invoking Thoreau, about whom she wrote her master’s thesis at Hollins College, she called her book “a meteorological journal of the mind,” in which she would explore “some of the sights of this rather tamed valley.” “I am no scientist,” she wrote, likening herself to “an infant who has just learned to hold his head up” and gaze about “in bewilderment.” “He hasn’t the faintest clue where he is, and he aims to learn. In a couple of years, what he will have learned instead is how to fake it: he’ll have the cocksure air of a squatter who has come to feel he owns the place,” she wrote. Dillard taught for more than 20 years at Wesleyan University before retiring in 2002. She was married three times, most recently to the late literary biographer Robert Richardson, whom she met after sending him a fan letter admiring his biography of Thoreau. She had one child, Cody, with second husband Gary Clevidence. Her first husband was creative writing teacher Richard Dillard, whom she divorced in 1975 after 10 years of marriage.

Gerber was a model and the older brother of model and actor Kaia Gerber. He had been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, documenting his journey on Instagram. He even started a “Mental Health Mondays” series on the platform to raise awareness and share wellness tips. Across multiple episodes, he related his own experiences with substances ranging from ketamine to kratom, as well as his time at rehabilitation facilities. He posted an Instagram video in March from Mexico, where he said he planned to take ibogaine, a potent psychedelic that is being studied as a treatment for opioid addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions. Ibogaine — known to sometimes

trigger potentially fatal heart problems — is banned in the U.S. under the federal government’s most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs, although President Donald Trump directed his administration to ease restrictions and spur research. Raised in Malibu, California, Gerber signed with the management agency IMG as a teenager and made his runway debut for Moschino at 16. In 2018, he appeared alongside his mother — whose famous beauty mark he inherited — in a Pepsi Super Bowl ad that paid homage to her 1992 commercial for the soda brand. That same year, he and his sister shot a campaign for Calvin Klein jeans. Gerber later signed with DNA Models. His biography on the agency’s website describes him as an entrepreneur and model who was inspired by “his mother’s legendary modeling career and his father’s lucrative business career.” Rande Gerber’s businesses have included restaurants, nightlife companies and Casamigos — a tequila brand he cofounded with George Clooney and Mike Meldman that was sold to Diageo in a $1 billion deal. Gerber open about struggles with addiction Gerber’s modeling biography also described him as an “avid surfer and skater.” In an Instagram video posted in July 2025, Gerber described growing up as a dedicated athlete who spent hours in the water nearly every day — a routine that came to a halt when he started working. With less physical activity, Gerber said, he was put on more medication and his quality of life suffered. “For me it took 10 years of looking back at my life being like, ‘Well, what changed?’ A lot of the time people would ask like, ‘You were such a happy kid; what happened to you?’” he recalled. “What happened was life hap-

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Presley Gerber poses at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in March 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. pened and I wasn’t able to worry about one thing, which was my next meal and then get back in the ocean. Like I had to start making money, I had to start — I got a job.” In an interview with Vogue last month, Kaia Gerber praised her brother for being so open about his experience with addiction. “My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything—and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone,’” she told the magazine. “There’s only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.” In addition to his testimonial videos, Gerber’s Instagram was a collection of modeling shoots and memories that stretched back to childhood. His life around cameras influenced his own interest in photography as an art form. “I have always been the type of person to stop and take a picture when everybody is just focused on the destination,” he told Vogue in 2016, on the occasion of his runway debut. “I feel like people walk by a countless amount of beauty in the world every day, and I hope that I don’t miss all of it.”

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

Raccoon boot camp in Mississippi teaches abandoned kits survival skills Graduating raccoons are released to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance” By Sophie Bates The Associated Press PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. — Muddy, sweat-soaked and occasionally bloody, the dedicated staff at a Mississippi wildlife center are drill sergeants. And their soldiers? Baby raccoons. Welcome to raccoon boot camp, where the goal is to help sick or injured animals learn to survive in the south Mississippi wilderness — a skill set they would have learned from their mothers, most of whom died or were separated from their kits by storms, traffic incidents or other traumatic events. It’s a challenge that’s left Woodside Wildlife Rescue’s founder, Paula Woodside, with cuts from scared, defensive raccoons and their sharp claws, and when she isn’t able to save a kit, emotional scars too. “When these babies come in and they’re so desperate, it’s heartbreaking,” said Woodside, who most days is covered in sweat from caring for the animals in the Mississippi heat and dirt from curious kits crawling up her legs and onto her shoulders. “It’s really important for

them to get a little bit of a head start.” Wildlife rescue staff teach raccoons by example Woodside, a former U.S. merchant mariner, opened the rescue in 2019 after she helped rehabilitate a baby raccoon found aboard her ship. The rescue in the coastal city of Pass Christian typically raises dozens of kits each year, 76 so far this year, alongside other indigenous wildlife. City animal control and citizens call Woodside, or the rescue’s director, Raquel Priest, when they find a raccoon in need of saving. Together, they attempt to reunite the kits with their mothers, if they can find them, or bring the kits to the rescue. The youngest raccoons will spend a few weeks mostly indoors being bottle-fed by rehabbers until they’re vaccinated for diseases carried by cat colonies and dogs and are ready to move to outdoor pens. Though the kits stay close to their adoptive human parents, they’re eventually allowed to roam free during the day on the rescue’s rural 20-acre property, a sprawling mix of meadows and thick forest spotted with ponds and a nearby river. Thanks to that setting, Woodside and

Raccoons graduate to “Pomp and Circumstance Marches”

SOPHIE BATES / AP PHOTO

Priest can take their troops on learning excursions, a luxury many wildlife rescues don’t have, Woodside said. Woodside and Priest teach by example. They hide worms in the dirt to show the kits how to dig for food and break open pine cones or acorns to reveal the seeds inside. The raccoons’ eyes light up when they encounter a new tasty food, and they run to show their discovery to their rehabbers before hurrying back to fend off other kits who might try to steal their find. Where a drill sergeant might yell, ‘Attention!’ Priest and

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For their final lesson, a volunteer — who isn’t Woodside or Priest — traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans. The experience helps the young raccoons wean themselves from their human rescuers, a process Priest said naturally occurs as they mature. When a group of kits is ready for release, about six months after their rescue, Woodside and Priest host a graduation ceremony. They play Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance Marches” and read a roll call of each graduating kit’s name. A reverend then blesses their journey as they’re released onto a different section of the rescue’s forest-covered property. For kits that die in care, the staff holds a second ceremony to bless and scatter their ashes. “It’s like watching your children leave home,” Priest said. “It’s important to see them prosper and go and be the mischievous creatures they were meant to be.”

A raccoon kit digs through water and mud at Woodside Wildlife Rescue in Pass Christian, Mississippi, on Sept. 1.

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On the property’s pond, the raccoons learn to swim, a critical skill in hurricane-prone south Mississippi. The rehabbers take to kayaks and encourage the kits to swim back and forth. They also take trips to the deep woods, where kits learn to run from tree to tree to avoid being seen by birds of prey and to have a quick escape route from snakes or other dangers on the ground.

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Woodside give a shrill trilling sound, mimicking the raccoon call for danger, that sends the kits running up trees to safety. A short whistle lets the troops know the coast is clear. The kits also practice fishing in shallow pools, their uncoordinated paws tentatively patting the water until they’re quick enough to snag a snack. A live quail hunt provides hunting experience. While these are skills raccoons would likely learn on their own, Woodside’s staff hopes the training gives the kits a greater chance of survival.

GOOGLE from page A1 Information requested about when the project was launched and an expected finishing time frame wasn’t made available by Tuesday night. As part of the response from residents’ concerns, Murphy said, the town has issued a Corrective Action Notice and is monitoring the situation. The town issued a memo that pointed out that staff

GRANT from page A1 for $5 million in funding from the CDBG program, which is to be administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, broken down as follows: • $950,000 for housing rehabilitation • $1.5 million for street resurfacing • $1.5 million for stormwater improvements • $550,000 for fire station upgrades • $500,000 for program administration “Projects that qualify for the CDBG can include area-wide benefits such as community projects, economic development and infrastructure where the project must bene-

has contacted Google Fiber and its contractors to address these concerns and reinforce the requirement that all applicable procedures and protocols be followed. Residents and businesses experiencing issues or concerns related to this work are encouraged to contact the Town of Pittsboro at 919-542-4621. “We want to hear from residents so we can route those concerns up the chain,” Murphy said.

fit at least 51% low-to-moderate income persons, or it could include direct benefits such as housing rehabilitation where the activity must benefit 100% low-to-moderate income persons,” Garner said. The town intends to submit their application in October. “As part of this project, the Town of Siler City will minimize displacement to the greatest extent practicable,” Garner said. “Should any acquisition or displacement occur, the town will fully comply with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act and all associated federal regulations.” The Siler City Board of Commissioners will next meet Oct. 5.

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Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

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ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS now for onebedroom apartments, adults 55 years or older. Water included, appliances furnished, onsite laundry, elevator, keyless entry. Section 8 accepted. No security deposit. Application fee $25 per adult. Call Braxton Manor, 919-663-1877. Handicap accessible. Equal Housing Opportunity. J14,tfnc

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YARD SALE FRIDAY, SEPT.25TH, 7:00AM – 5:00 PM – RAIN OR SHINE - Huge Picker & Boutique Clothing Sale! Vintage Collectibles, Furniture, Toys, Organized Family Clothes, Halloween costumes, Holiday Dresses – 93 Willett Rd., Siler City – Follow signs off Hwy.64 1tc

JUNK CARS PICKED UP Free of charge. Due to many months of low steel prices and unstable steel markets, we cannot pay for cars at this time. Cars, trucks, and machinery will be transported and environmentally correctly recycled at no charge. 919-542-2803. A2,tfnc

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TOWN OF SILER CITY 2020 CDBG NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROGRAM Notice is hereby given that the Siler City Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 6:30 PM, or as soon thereafter as the agenda will allow, in the Joseph Moody Buckner Courtroom at City Hall, 311 N. Second Avenue, Siler City, NC 27344. The purpose of the public hearing is to review the budget and activities that have been accomplished through the Town’s 2020 CDBG Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG-NR) program. The program activities have been completed and the Town is in the process of closing out the program. The CDBG-NR project included demolition and reconstruction of three dilapidated dwelling units. The project benefited 100% low-income households. Citizens will also be given the opportunity to provide oral and written comments on the Town’s use of CDBG funds. All interested citizens are encouraged to attend. For additional information or to submit written comments, please contact Jack Meadows, Town Manager, PO Box 769, Siler City, NC 27344. Comments should be postmarked by October 5, 2026. If you plan to attend and require special accommodations because of a disability or physical impairment, please contact Jack Meadows, Town Manager, 919-726-8627, jmeadows@silercity.gov (TDD #919/807-4420 or Relay North Carolina FFY#1-800735-2962) by Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM. Accommodation will be made for all who request assistance participating in the public hearing. This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Jack Meadows, Town Manager, at 919-726-8627, or at City Hall, 311 N. Second Avenue, Siler City, NC for assistance with this request. Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Jack Meadows, Town Manager, al 919-726-8627, o en City Hall, 311 N. Second Avenue, Siler City, NC de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Patricia Ann Eubanks Horton All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Patricia Ann Eubanks Horton, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit them to Jeffrey Wayne Horton as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before December 26, 2026, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 24th day of September 2026. Jeffrey Wayne Horton, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000525-180 The undersigned MARK BAXTER, having qualified on the 15TH Day of SEPTEMBER 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BARBARA LUDWIG, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 24TH Day OF DECEMBER 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 24TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2026. MARK BAXTER, EXECUTOR 812 KEITH ROAD WAKE FOREST, NC 27587 Run dates: S24,O1,8,15P

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NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000522-180 The undersigned ROBIN HOLLAND MCDUFFIE, having qualified on the 11TH Day of SEPTEMBER 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of FRED JACKSON HOLLAND, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 24TH Day OF DECEMBER 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 24TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2026. ROBIN HOLLAND MCDUFFIE, EXECUTOR 86 BLUEBERRY HILL ROAD PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: S24,O1,8,15P

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Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

TAKE NOTICE

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Public Hearings

Having qualified on the 14th day of August 2026, as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Barry D. Edwards, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 10th day of December 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment. This is the 2nd day of September 2026. W. Woods Doster, Administrator CTA of the Estate of Barry D. Edwards 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Attorneys: Law Offices of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: September 10, 17, 24 and October 1st, 2026.

Having qualified as Personal Representative of the Estate of Lee Melvyn Marcus, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, on the 9th day of September, 2026, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the office of the attorney for the estate on or before the 19th day of December, 2026, or this Notice will be pled in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 17th day of September, 2026. Elaine Marcus, Personal Representative, c/o Larry H. Rocamora, Attorney for the Estate, McPherson, Rocamora, Nicholson, & Hinkle, PLLC; 3211 Shannon Road, Suite 400, Durham, NC 27707. Chatham News + Record: 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8

The Annual Meeting of the Bonlee Fire Department will be held on Monday Oct. 12, 2026 @7:00pm at 185 Bonlee Bennett Rd Siler City NC 27213. We encourage our community members to attend and stay informed with your local Fire Department. 1tc

Town of Siler City The following items will be considered by the Siler City Board of Commissioners as legislative hearings. The hearings will be conducted during the Board of Commissioner’s meeting on Monday, October 5, 2026, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the court room located in the Siler City Town Hall at 311 N. 2nd Ave. Legislative Public Hearings The proposed item is available for review by contacting Tim Garner at tgarner@silercity.gov or 919726-8628. All persons interested in the outcome of this item are invited to attend the legislative hearing and present comments, testimony, and exhibits on the above referenced item. Interested parties may also submit written comments. Written comments can be submitted by email to tgarner@silercity.gov. Individuals desiring to speak may sign up by registering their name and information on the sign-up sheet, located outside the entry doors to the court room. The Town of Siler City will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that disabled persons are provided other accommodations, such arrangements may include, but are not limited to, providing interpreters for the deaf, providing taped cassettes of materials for the blind, or assuring a barrierfree location for the proceedings. This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Briana Martinez at 919-726-8620, 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344, or bmartinez@silercity.gov for accommodations for this request. Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Briana Martinez al bmartinez@silercity.gov o 919-726-8625 o en 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344 de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO CREDITORS ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against BEVERLY A. BROWN, deceased, of Chatham County, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before December 17, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the Estate will please make immediate payment. This 17th day of September, 2026. AMY WALKER CAGLE, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE OF BEVERLY A. BROWN c/o Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

NOTICE TO CREDITORS 26E000377-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY The undersigned, Lynn McClurg, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Raymond Augustus Kilner, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of December 2, 2026 or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 3rd day of September 2026. Lynn McClurg Executor Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post Office Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing for an Ordinance Amendment application will be held by the Town of Goldston Board of Commissioners on Monday October 5, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. at Goldston Town Hall located at 40 Coral Ave, Goldston, NC for the purpose of considering the following item: ORDINANCE AMENDMENT APPLICATION OA-26-02 Applicant: Town of Goldston OA-26-02 is a Unified Development Ordinance amendment application initiated by the Town of Goldston to amend language of several sections of the Town of Goldston Unified Development Ordinance. The Town of Goldston Board of Commissioners will conduct a Public Hearing on October 5, 2026 at 7:00 PM to hear this application and make a decision to approve or deny this application. All those wishing to speak on this request are invited to attend and speak during the Public Hearing. Please direct questions about this application to Town Planner Abby Manning at 919-558-2700. ADVERTISE: September 24, 2026 October 1, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of ETHAN DOUGLAS LONG, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, do hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the office of Leigh Peek, Attorney at Law, Attn Noah Oswald obo Leanna Long, PO Box 1059, Hillsborough, NC 27278, on or before the 17th day of December, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the Estate will please make immediate payment. This 7th day of September, 2026. LEANNA ELIS LONG, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ETHAN DOUGLAS LONG 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1

ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against LILIANA MATHY, deceased, of Chatham County, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 17th day of December, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the Estate will please make immediate payment. This 17th day of September, 2026. LISA M. HUGHES, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF LILIANA MATHY c/o Hughes & Leighton PLLC 916 Prince Street, Suite 200 Alexandria, VA 22314

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of James Leon Satterwhite, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, who died on May 8, 2026, the undersigned hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of said decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before December 10, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to said Estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 2nd day of September, 2026. Erica L. Satterwhite, Executor Estate of James Leon Satterwhite 1290 Adrian Ct Mebane, NC 27302 Chatham County, North Carolina Publish: September 10, September 17, September 24, and October 1, 2026.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having qualified on the 31st day of August, 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Roxana Shalo, deceased, of Chatham County does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before December 20th, 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 10th day of September, 2026. Sibyl Wilmont Executor of the Estate of Roxana Shalo c/o J Alan Campbell Law PO Box 850 Hillsborough, NC 27278 919-451-5441

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Marilyn Gerk Ozer, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the offices of Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC, 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, on or before the 3rd day of December, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 3rd day of September, 2026. TRINA SHILOH MATTA, EXECUTOR ESTATE OF MARILYN GERK OZER

Notice to Creditors ALL PERSONS, firms and corporations having claims against Claire Maureen Miller., deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before December 11th, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 10th day of September, 2026. Diane Lee Miller, Limited Personal; Representative, c/o Bagwell Holt Smith P.A., 111 Cloister Court, STE 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 26CV000151-180 Truist Bank, Plaintiff, vs. John Brisbee; Wanda Brisbee; United States of America; Pinnacle Finance; Aqua Finance, Inc.; Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, Defendant(s). NOTICE OF JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Jeremy B. Wilkins, Commissioner, pursuant to the Order/Judgment entered in the abovecaptioned case on July 27, 2026 (“Order”), and by virtue of the appointment, power and authority contained in that Order, has been authorized and ordered to sell the property commonly known as 538 D Hart Rd, Siler City, NC 27344 (“Property”). Said Property is secured by the Deed of Trust executed by John Brisbee and Wanda Brisbee, husband and wife, dated December 21, 2020 and recorded on December 22, 2020 in Book 02173 at Page 0208 of the Chatham County, North Carolina Registry. The Property shall be sold together with improvements located thereon, towards satisfaction of the debt due by John Brisbee, and secured by the lien against such property in favor of Truist Bank. The Commissioner will offer for sale to the highest bidder at a public auction at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Joseph Yunker Kenlan, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the offices of Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC, 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, on or before the 24th day of December 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 24th day of September, 2026. JANICE BRADLEY RIEVES, EXECUTOR ESTATE OF JOSEPH YUNKER KENLAN

NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION CHATHAM NORTH CAROLINA The statewide general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Voters who lack ID can get one for free from their county board of elections. Find out more at ncsbe.gov/voter-id. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF JAMES RALPH STARLING FILE NO. 26E000436-180 ALL PERSONS, firms, and corporations having claims against James Ralph Starling, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before December 24, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 24th of September, 2026. Betsy Starling, Executor of the Estate of James Ralph Starling, c/o Amanda Honea, Attorney, 1255 Crescent Green, Suite 200, Cary, NC 27518.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Personal Representative of the Estate of Vivian Barnett Brown, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, on the 8th day of September, 2026, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the office of the attorney for the estate on or before the 26th day of December, 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 24th day of September 2026. Gloria Ruth Weissman, Personal Representative, c/o Christina G. Hinkle, Attorney for the Estate, McPherson, Rocamora, Nicholson & Hinkle, PLLC; 3211 Shannon Road, Suite 400, Durham, NC 27707. September 24, October 1, 8, 15 2026

Early voting will be held at the following locations from Thursday, October 15, 2026, through Saturday, October 31, 2026.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY 26E000386-180 ALL persons having claims against DAVID JOSHUA BENELIYAHU, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are notified to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Dec 24 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 24th day of September, 2026. c/o DIANE WOLBER BENELIYAHU, Executor C/O Jones Branz & Whitaker LLP 4030 Wake Forest Rd. Ste. 300 Raleigh, NC 27609 S24, 1, 8 and 15

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000495-180 The undersigned, CLYDE GRAHAM BARBER, having qualified on the 26TH Day of AUGUST 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MOLLY YELTON BARBER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 3RD Day of DECEMBER 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 3RD Day of SEPTEMBER 2026. CLYDE GRAHAM BARBER, EXECUTOR 174 CRAIG HILL LANE CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516 Run dates: S3,10,17,24p

customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 29, 2026 at 01:00 PM the following described real property (including all improvements thereon) located in Chatham County, North Carolina and described as follows: Tract 1: ALL of Lot 1 containing 0.314 acre, more or less, according to plat entitled “Survey for James S. Woody & Christy A. Woody” prepared by Van R. Finch - Land Surveys, P.A., dated June 25, 1996, and recorded in Plat Slide 96-235, Chatham County Registry, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description. All or a portion of the property hereinabove described was acquired by Grantor by instrument recorded in Book 698, Page 5, Chatham County Registry. Tract 2: ALL of Lot 2 containing 2.400 acres, more or less, according to plat entitled “Survey for James S. Woody & Christy A. Woody” prepared by Van R. Finch - Land Surveys, P.A., dated June 25, 1996, and recorded in Plat Slide 96-235, Chatham County Registry, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description. All or a portion of the property hereinabove described was acquired by Grantor by instrument recorded in Book 697, Page 535, Chatham County Registry. Tract 3: ALL of Lot D containing 1.004 acres, more or less, according to plat entitled “Survey for Ida H. Smart & Everett C. Smart” prepared by Van R. Finch - Land Surveys, P.A., dated March 7, 2001 and recorded in Plat Slide 2001-130, Chatham County Registry, reference to which is hereby made for a more

Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters who have requested them beginning September 4, 2026. Absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026. A voter can fill out an absentee ballot request at votebymail.ncsbe. gov, or by filling out a request form provided by the county board of elections office. The request must be received through the website or by the Chatham Board of Elections by 5 p.m. October 20, 2026. Contests on the ballot include U. S. Senate, U.S. House, N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice, N.C. Court of Appeals Judge, District Court Judge, N.C. House and Senate, and county offices Board Commissioners, Board of Education, Sheriff, & Soil and Water Conservation Board Members. There are three Statewide Referendum proposing amendments to the N.C. Constitution on the ballot. All persons who are registered to vote with the Chatham County Board of Elections may vote in this election. The voter registration deadline for this election is 5 p.m. Friday, October 9, 2026. Eligible individuals who are not registered by that deadline may register and vote at any early voting site during the early voting period. Individuals registering to vote at an early voting site will be required to provide current documentation of their residence (for example, a government ID, other government document, or a paycheck, bank statement, or utility bill). Voters voting in person are entitled to assistance by an election official, or, if assistance is needed due to disability or illiteracy, by a qualified person of their choice. Voting sites are accessible to all voters. Curbside voting is available for voters who are not able to enter voting sites without physical assistance because of age or physical disability. Questions? Call the Chatham County Board of Elections Office at 919-545-8500 or send an email to elections@chathamcountync.gov. Theron VanDusen, Chair Chatham County Board of Elections

particular description. All or a portion of the property hereinabove described was acquired by Grantor by instrument recorded in Book 911, Page 949, Chatham County Registry. Tract 4: ALL of Lot C containing 0.274 acre, more or less, according to plat entitled “Survey for James Steven Woody & Christy A. Woody” prepared by Van R. Finch - Land Surveys, P.A., dated August 23, 2012, revised December 2, 2016, and recorded in Plat Slide 201730, Chatham County Registry, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description. All or a portion of the property hereinabove described was acquired by Grantor by instrument recorded in Book 1647, Page 590, Chatham County Registry. The above described property will be sold, transferred and conveyed “AS IS, WHERE IS” subject to liens or encumbrances of record which are superior to such Deed of Trust, together with all unpaid taxes and assessments and any recorded releases. Neither the Commissioner nor the holder of the debt secured by such Deed of Trust, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Commissioner or the holder of the debt make any representation of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health, or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such conditions expressly are disclaimed. The Commissioner shall convey title to the property by non-warranty deed, without any covenants or warranties, express

or implied. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 1-339.29 (c) in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the judge or 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 effective 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. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective 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”. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current record owners of the property as reflected on the records of the CHATHAM COUNTY Register of Deeds’ office not more than ten (10) days prior to the date hereof are John Brisbee and wife, Wanda Brisbee. A certified check only (no personal checks) deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchasing price will be required at the time of the sale. Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the full balance of the purchase price of bid in cash or certified check at the time

the Commissioner tenders a deed for the Property or attempts to tender such deed, and should said successful bidder fail to pay the full balance purchase price of bid at that time, said bidder shall remain liable on said bid as provided for under North Carolina law. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. The sale will be reported to the court and will remain open for advance or upset bids for a period of ten (10) days as required by law. If the Commissioner 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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the Commissioner. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Commissioner, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. If the transaction is subject to the FinCEN Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule (“RRE”) issued pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, necessary to comply with the RRE Rule must be obtained and provided to the Reporting Person, as defined in the RRE Rule, prior to closing. JEREMY B. WILKINS, Commissioner 5431 Oleander Drive, Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 (910) 392-4988 Phone NCSales@brockandscott.com File No.: 24-38418-JUD01

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Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

Computer savvy? Not quite A new Apple brings old frustrations By Erika Hoffman For Chatham News & Record WHEN I WAS in 10th grade in New Jersey, our geometry teacher led us down the hall to a locked room. She opened the door, and we filed in. What we beheld was a large monstrosity filling most of the classroom. She declared, “Students, this is a computer!” In college, I never took computer courses, although my roomie, Cora, did. She had to run programs using punch cards at all hours of the day and night. I never paid much attention to which courses she took as a business major. I followed the humanities curriculum, thankful that I had much more discretionary time than she did. A few years after I began my teaching career, I thought the Xerox machine was an exotic, modern, luxurious, almost godly invention. Not having one’s hands-stained blue from ditto paper ink was a joyous technological novelty. Hasn’t the world changed for baby boomers? This past July, my computer went kaput. I called our unpaid tech support — our third son — and unloaded my woes. “My Microsoft Word isn’t working. How will I send my articles to magazines, e-zines or newspapers without a computer? Or even create them?” I queried. He told me he’d buy an Apple computer and install it Aug. 1, a few days before we departed on our solar eclipse cruise. After we returned from our voyage, where we had some truly memorable experiences, I

White House has suffered major losses in midterms. Today, seven weeks before Election Day, Republican candidates at all levels are struggling with the additional burden of Trump’s weak approval ratings, an unpopular foreign conflict and an affordability crisis that Trump and his congressional allies had promised to fix. But when Trump campaigned in Gastonia last Wednesday, he played down the impact of surging gas prices. “You have a little higher. It’s a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done,” Trump said of the war, which he describes as critical to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “Remember that. It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more.” “Gas prices matter,” Republican strategist says Despite what Trump says, there are few things that may matter more this election year than the price of a gallon of gasoline, according to political operatives in both parties. Gas prices are moving sharply in the wrong direction at a time of year when drivers typically get some relief. The national average for a gallon of gas reached $4.48 last Friday, according to AAA, up roughly 17 cents over the last week, 40 cents in a month and $1.27 from a year ago. “Gas prices matter because they’re one of the few economic indicators voters experience and see in real time,” said veteran Republican strategist Chris Wilson. “The price is literally staring them in the face several times a week. So I wouldn’t minimize

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY 26 SP 000096-180 Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Allied Investors Group, LLC, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $215,800.00, to Kiavi Funding, Inc., Mortgagee, dated January 13th, 2025 and recorded on January 14th, 2025 in Book 2449, Page 1015, Chatham County Registry. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Chatham County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Chatham County, North Carolina, at 2:00 PM on October 6th, 2026, and will sell

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A worker operates an early computer system using punch cards, technology that helped usher in the modern computer age. plopped myself down in front of our brand-new Apple computer. I glanced at my legal pad, where I’d composed a noteworthy essay, and immediately began pounding the keys to produce a Word document I planned to submit to an editor. I zipped along. I had finished the first paragraph before I peered up at the screen. Voila! I leaned back in my swivel chair. There before me, I thought, I’d see my hook, my lede, the opening sentences about witnessing a solar eclipse off the coast of Spain. Instead, what appeared looked like hieroglyphics. I didn’t understand a word of it. My oeuvre was written in Chinese!

the frustration we’re seeing, particularly among working- and middle-class voters.” Interviews with voters this week found bipartisan frustration and disappointment. Democrats and independents were especially motivated to punish Republicans at the ballot box for their economic hardship, while some of Trump’s working-class supporters pledged to support Republicans this fall, even if they weren’t happy with the president’s leadership on the economy. Some Republicans say they’re disappointed

“You signed up for paperless billing.” Visa salesperson Huh? How did that happen? Smarter, computer-savvy folks might know, but I was clueless. I didn’t possess the savoir-faire to remedy the situation. What key did I need to press to type letters of the alphabet instead of those squiggles? Never had I acquired the prerequisite knowledge to solve such a dilemma. Did I consult an Apple manual that might reveal the solution? Nah. In my defense, I’m

publican because they’re the “lesser of two evils.” She said gas prices aren’t part of her calculation. “We don’t mind paying $8 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, but we have a problem paying four bucks at the pump?” she said. “Make it make sense.” More than 1,500 miles to the north in central Michigan, 35-year-old Garth Johnson is trying to make ends meet running a deep-cleaning business with several gas-powered vehicles and one machine fueled by diesel, which was $6.79 a gallon as he filled up his SUV. Johnson voted for Trump, but doesn’t know what he’s going to do in November. Johnson doesn’t feel qualified to second-guess the president’s evaluation of the war, but he’s feeling financial pressure in his own life. “I like a lot of the things he’s done,” Johnson said but added, “I’m a little guy, and I’ve got to live my life.”

not sure I was supplied with one. So I called my son, the expert. He told me my iPhone was connected to my Apple computer and that I should use my phone. He added that he was too busy to help me. “OK,” I answered. I picked up my cellphone, opened my contacts and found a number in New York. I phoned his brother. Luckily, Henry wasn’t too busy to walk me through what to do. “Thanks. I owe you!” Sometimes, I wish I’d inherited a genetically programmed mind for technical stuff. If I wasn’t given the brain cells to understand computers, I wish I’d at least been bestowed with the patience to hunt for answers on my own instead of relying on my instant default: “Call a friend” or “phone a son.” Last night, my husband asked if I’d seen our Visa bill. “It should have arrived by now,” he said. “Maybe when we had our mail held for our trip, it came and got lost in the bundle?” He called the credit card company and explained that we had never received our bill the previous month and that was why they hadn’t received a check from us yet. The woman on the other end of the phone found our account. “You signed up for paperless billing,” she explained. On speakerphone, we exclaimed in unison, “No! We didn’t.” After all these years, my husband asked, when exactly had we signed up for paperless billing? “Aug. 1,” she answered. That date rang a bell. “Isn’t that when we got our new Apple computer?” I asked my spouse. He nodded. We called our third son and related our story.

“Gas prices matter because they’re one of the few economic indicators voters experience and see in real time. The price is literally staring them in the face several times a week.” Chris Wilson, Republican strategist

Dan Lloyd, who voted for Trump, lamented the president’s leadership as the 63-year-old carpenter paid $4.39 a gallon to fill up his pickup truck in Mesa, Arizona. “He hurt himself stepping into this,” Lloyd said of Trump. “Where’s all this oil from Venezuela? I thought we were flush with gas and everything, but no. The American people eat it every time, whether it’s interest rates, food, gasoline.” Still, he expects to vote Republican in the midterms. “I think the Democratic Party has lost its way,” Lloyd said. “I just feel like the whole system’s on the verge of collapse.” In sweltering Edinburg, Texas, 52-year-old Kristin Jimenez shrugged off the rising price of gas after filling up her Mercedes. “We’ve paid the same price under Republican presidents, we’ve paid this price under Democrat presidents,” said Jimenez, a mother who runs a small business. She plans to vote for a Re-

Midterm voting was already underway last Friday in Virginia, where 60-year-old engineer Alan Johnson said Trump seems to have “no empathy” for Americans who are struggling financially. “With the gas prices being what they are and continuing to grow, we’ve got to do something. Hopefully the Democrats can get into office and turn the ship around,” said Johnson, who cast ballots in the morning for Democrats for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House. In Raleigh, teacher Brittney

Bivins sees surging gas prices as evidence that Trump and his Republican Party aren’t dealing with the issues that matter most to people like her. “He really doesn’t care about everyday people,” the 45-year-old said. “He can afford the gas, but most of us can’t. So it feels like he’s not even connected to his own people.” Bivins, who described herself as an independent, said she’s eager to support Democrats this fall — especially the party’s emerging democratic socialist wing. At a gas station in Lansing, Michigan, Rina Risper spent $50 on eight gallons of premium gas. “When I rolled up I was in shock, actually, and said, ‘Well, maybe I should drink water instead of having that $4.99 bottle of whatever it was I was gonna get,’” Risper said. She thinks Trump’s tariffs will make affordability even worse. “We’re not in Miami. We’re in Lansing, Michigan,” she said. “It’s really going to impact our people.”

to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Beginning at an iron stake in the Northern Margin of Driftwood Road, the Southeast corner of Lot #50 and running thence North, 12 degrees 09 minutes East, 72.87 feet to an iron stake, thence North, 3 degrees 38 minutes East, 27.72 feet to an iron stake; thence North, 6 degrees 06 minutes West, 76.44 feet to an iron stake, the Northeast corner of Lot #50; thence South 87 degrees 01 minutes East, 28.19 feet to an iron stake designated control corner; thence onward South, 87 degrees 01 minutes East, 82.37 feet to an iron stake, the Northwest corner of Lot #48, thence South, 2 degrees 57 minutes West, 175.02 feet to an iron stake in the Northern margin of Driftwood Road; thence North, 87 degrees 01 minutes West 110.00 feet to the point of Beginning, and being a portion of Lot #49 as shown on plat entitled, “Homewood Acres, No. III Addition”, which plat is dated March 13, 1965. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 1004 Driftwood Drive, Siler City, NC 27344 Tax ID: 0015842 Third party purchasers must pay the

recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount of Forty-five Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of five percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certified funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered 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 offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer

taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Allied Investors Group LLC. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §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 effective 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 (North Carolina General Statutes §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 effective date of termination. If the Trustee is unable to convey

Other voters not so forgiving

“I don’t think I pressed anything that would have caused it to change to paperless billing,” he said. “Maybe it does it by default.” Not only are these modern computers smart, but they are also cagey! At any rate, we straightened out the snafu with the credit card company. So I’m going to return to scribbling stories about my travel adventures. Today, I want to describe seeing the solar eclipse and relate how the night of Aug. 12 was supposed to be the highlight of the trip — something we’d all remember for the rest of our lives, according to the astronomer aboard as the crowd peered toward the heavens. Yet I’m not sure that’s true. I remember the morning of Aug. 12 more vividly. While eating breakfast in the cafeteria-style dining room, I heard a commotion a couple of tables away. Two elderly Asian men were jabbing their fingers into each other’s chests while engaging in a loud altercation. One had asked the other to turn down the volume on his iPhone. The man with the phone pushed it up against the complaining man’s ear and turned the volume even louder. Next, they pushed back their chairs and stood, squaring off, each poking the other in the chest with an index finger. Ship stewards ran over to referee — or, I should say, separate — the contenders. They ushered them out of the dining room. The show was over. The takeaway from this essay is twofold: First, there is never a dull moment on an ocean cruise. Second, technology plays a part in nearly every aspect of life, even those supposedly quiet minutes spent savoring a delicious Gruyere omelet en route to the northern coast of Spain to behold a solar eclipse.

Most voters think Trump’s administration has made economy worse, poll shows Nationwide, more than three times as many voters say they are falling behind financially as getting ahead, according to a Fox News survey released Wednesday. By a 15% margin, Democrats are considered the party that would better handle inflation and prices at a time when the cost of living and the economy are voters’ top concerns. The Fox poll found that 61% of voters say gas prices are a major problem for their household, compared with 48% two years ago, while 52% say the same for healthcare costs, compared with 44% in 2024. Majorities also view housing costs and grocery prices as major problems, although neither has increased. Overall, nearly two-thirds of voters (63%) say the administration has made the economy worse, compared with 52% in September 2025, including one-quarter of Republicans. Only 46% of Republicans say the administration has improved the economy, while about one-quarter don’t see an impact. Back in rural South Texas, an area where Trump’s GOP made gains in recent elections, Martinez, the Amazon delivery driver, could not contain his frustration. Trump “likes to tout that we are the best economy in the world,” said Martinez, but in more rural towns, “you don’t see any of the winning, you don’t see any of the ups that he’s talking about.” “You just see struggles for day-to-day life,” he said.

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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation 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 Substitute 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 have no further remedy. Anchor Trustee Services, LLC Substitute Trustee By: David Neill, NCSB #23396 McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC Attorney for Anchor Trustee Services, LLC 3550 Engineering Drive, Suite 260 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 404-474-7149 (phone) 404-745-8121 (fax) dneill@mtglaw.com 26-002886-01

CHATHAM SPORTS PREP FOOTBALL

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Jordan-Matthews senior JJ White signals a first down in a game earlier this season.

Bears add to special season Chatham Central won its first conference game to remain undefeated

Chatham News & Record staff GAVIN WILLIAMS reached the end zone on a pass reception with four seconds left to break a tie and lift Chatham Central to a 30-24 victory against Winston-Salem Prep in a Greater Triad Conference football opener last Thurs-

day night in Winston-Salem. Quarterback Brooks Albright ran for two touchdowns and passed for the go-ahead points. His 2-yard run with slightly more than a minute left allowed the Bears to pull even. Nolan Mitchell’s interception got the ball back to set up Chatham Central’s winning touchdown. The Bears (4-0) have already secured the program’s best record since 2005 regardless of results the rest of the season. Albright finished with 101

Week 6 games FRIDAY • Chatham Central at North Stokes • Jordan-Matthews at East Chapel Hill

passing yards and 65 rushing yards. Chatham Central’s Matthew Victorino returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown. Winston-Salem Prep dropped to 1-4.

• Seaforth 50, North Moore 0: On Friday in Pittsboro, Duncan Parker threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as the Hawks reached the 50-point mark for the second time this season with the home romp. Noah Fuller and Mason Pooley both had two touchdown receptions. Jude O’Neill scored on a run. Seaforth (4-1) notched its second shutout of the season. Jeremiah Gilmore returned a fumble for a touchdown. North Moore dropped to 0-5. Seaforth is off until its Big Seven Conference opener Oct. 2 at Orange.

• Providence Grove 45, Jordan-Matthews 6: At Climax, Connor Tozar scored on offense and defense, Nick Straughn ran for two touchdowns, and the Patriots snapped a two-game skid with the home victory. Tozar returned an interception for a touchdown and also caught one of Landon Fox’s two touchdown throws. Fox also passed to Braedyn Waddell for a touchdown. Straughn gained 130 yards on 10 carries. Hunner Norris also had a touchdown run for the Patriots (3-2). Kyler Keller kicked a field goal and six extra-point kicks. Jordan-Matthews fell to 2-3.

PREP ROUNDUP

Volleyball streak ends for Seaforth Chatham Charter also had a winning streak come to a close Chatham News & Record staff

COURTESY NORTHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTERS / FACEBOOK

Northwood’s Vince Karpf (21) leaps for the game-saving interception.

Northwood wins on late TD The Chargers made a number of clutch plays to pull out a victory By Bob Sutton Chatham News & Record RAJE TORRES scored on an 11-yard run with less than a minute to play for the only touchdown of the second half in Northwood’s 21-14 home victory against North Surry last Friday night in Pittsboro. “It was something new for us,” Northwood coach Dalton Brown said. “We hadn’t scored at the end of any half this year, so this was a good time for it.” Brody Murchinson had an early touchdown run and Aiden Girard scored early on a long run for the Chargers (2-3), who trailed 14-13 at halftime before

“It was like a huge program win. When the offense wasn’t feeling it, defense picked it up.” Dalton Brown, Northwood coach avenging a 27-point loss from a year ago. Northwood’s defense stood tall until the offense came through in the clutch. The winning drive began with about four minutes to play and the Chargers needed to cover 70-plus yards. “We were moving it pretty well all night, so we were confident,” Brown said. Following the go-ahead touchdown with 55 seconds

left, Torres also scored on the ensuing 2-point conversion on a pass from Finn Sullivan. Vince Karpf’s interception sealed the outcome. Girard finished with 146 rushing yards on 14 carries. Murchinson gained 64 yards on 11 attempts, while Sullivan completed 11 of 17 passes for 160 yards. Campbell Parks posted 64 receiving yards on three catches. “It was like a huge program win,” Brown said. “When the offense wasn’t feeling it, defense picked it up.” Rowan Fisher led the Northwood defense with 11 tackles, while Girard was in on nine stops. Jackson Freeman’s interception came prior to the Chargers’ first touchdown. One of North Surry’s See NORTHWOOD, page B2

SEAFORTH’S volleyball team had a seven-match winning streak halted with last Thursday’s four-set defeat at Cedar Ridge in the Big Seven Conference. Two days earlier, the Hawks were 25-22, 25-23, 25-18 winners against visiting Carrboro as Sarah Beth Smith recorded 18 kills, Abigail Valgus had 29 assists, Isabelle Valgus supplied 20 digs, and Arden Kelly and Ally Forbes each provided 10 service points. • Northwood won a Four Rivers Conference home match in four sets vs. visiting North Moore and then lost 25-22, 25-

9, 25-11 to visiting Southwestern Randolph. • Jordan-Matthews lost on three consecutive days last week in sweeps, losing at home to Southwestern Randolph and then on the road to Lee County and Uwharrie Charter Academy. • Chatham Central won two Greater Triad Conference road matches by topping Winston-Salem Prep 25-14, 25-21, 25-22 and North Stokes 26-24, 11-25, 26-24, 25-20. • Woods Charter won nine of its first 10 matches, including last week’s 25-9, 25-11, 25-6 sweep of visiting The Hawbridge School in the Central Tar Heel 1A Conference. • Chatham Charter edged Central Carolina Academy 2511, 22-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-10 See ROUNDUP, page B2

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth’s volleyball team congratulates Carrboro after a recent win.

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Bettina Crump Boylorn, Jake Houck, Lauren Rhyne Oldham, Dante Lee and Cortney Gunter

COURTESY NORTHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTERS / FACEBOOK

The Northwood High School’s Hall of Fame class of 2026 was inducted at last Friday’s football game. The new members are, left to right: Bettina Crump Boylorn: A 1974 graduate who was one of the pioneers of Northwood girls’ sports. She played basketball, softball, and track and field. Jake Houck: A 2009 graduate who was an all-state basketball player and regional MVP of the 2009 state runners-up. He was also all-conference in football and baseball. Lauren Rhyne Oldham: A 2010 graduate who was four-time all-conference and all-district in softball, winning all-state twice. She led Northwood to three conference titles and won conference player of the year as a senior before going on to play at Elon. Dante Lee: A 1997 graduate who was conference and area player of the year in basketball. He was also all-conference in football and won conference championships in track and field. He was a two-time Northwood Male Athlete of the Year. Cortney Gunter: A 2005 graduate who was two-time all-conference in football and also played basketball. He set several school weightlifting records and went on to play at Greensboro College.

NORTHWOOD from page B1 touchdowns came on Jhett Tolbert’s kickoff return. Murchinson had a 17-yard run prior to his 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Chargers their first points. Girard ran 67 yards for his touchdown.

Beau Carson racked up 116 receiving yards for North Surry (3-2), but quarterback Brett Lyons was limited to a 57.9% completion rate. Northwood is off until its Oct. 2 game at Eastern Randolph to open Four Rivers Conference play.

Bridgeman rallies with career-best 61 to win inaugural Biltmore Championship The Sunday rally wiped out a five-shot deficit The Associated Press ASHEVILLE — Jacob Bridgeman rallied from a five-shot deficit with the lowest round of his young PGA Tour career, a 10-under 61 that carried him to a two-shot victory Sunday in the Biltmore Championship Asheville. Bridgeman, whose first PGA Tour title was earlier this year at Riviera in the Genesis Invitational, became the sixth multiple winner this season. His victory came several hours after J.J. Spaun won the BMW PGA Championship on the European tour, making a statement that perhaps he deserved consideration as a Presidents Cup pick for the U.S. team. Bridgeman’s victory was a reminder why he was one of the U.S. picks for the event next week outside Chicago. The 26-year-old from South Carolina was practically flawless at The Cliffs at Walnut Grove, and given the rain-softened conditions, there was no other choice. J.T. Poston had a 25-foot putt for 59 that he narrowly missed, and Ben James also shot a 61. Neal Shipley, the 54-hole leader, couldn’t keep pace. He didn’t make his first birdie until the par-5 eighth hole, and by the time he finally was under par for his round it was too late. Bridgeman had eagle attempts from 10 feet and about 20 feet late in his round, missed them both for tap-in birdies and finished at 26-under 258. He won by two shots over James, who birdied three of his last

ROUNDUP from page B1 in the Central Tar Heel 1A Conference. But the Knights had an eightgame winning streak end with last Thursday’s 25-19, 10-25, 25-23, 18-25, 16-6 loss at River Mill. BOYS’ SOCCER Seaforth won its Big Seven Conference opener by nipping

MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO

Jacob Bridgeman speaks during a press conference earlier this year. four holes and had to scramble for par on the final hole. Jackson Koivun, the 21-year-old who made his pro debut in early July and won in his third start, also was one of Brandt Snedeker’s picks for the Presidents Cup matches at Medinah. Koivun had a 63-65 weekend and tied for fifth. Bridgeman, who leads the PGA Tour in the key putting statistic, leaned hard on his putter. Along with eight birdies and an eagle, two of his biggest putts were for par on the 11th and 12th holes to keep him in the chase. He made a 13-foot par putt on the 11th, and then after going bunker-to-bunker on the par-4 12th, Bridgeman made a 12-foot putt. He followed with three straight birdies to pull away. He grew up about an hour away in Inman, South Caro-

lina, and had his parents, his wife’s parents and plenty of other family members watching. His parents were not in Los Angeles when he won earlier this year. “I think they wanted me to get a win in front of them,” Bridgeman said. “I didn’t think it would happen this soon. I’m just super pumped.” James had a 61 in his second straight tournament. It just wasn’t enough to catch Bridgeman. Shipley wound up with a 69 and tied for third with Ricky Castillo (65), three shots behind. Shipley came into the first of eight FedEx Cup Fall events at No. 183 in the standings. The FedEx Cup Fall determines the top 100 who keep full cards for 2027. With his tie for third, Shipley moved up only to No. 135.

visiting Cedar Ridge 3-2. • Jordan-Matthews ended in a 2-2 tie with visiting Wheatmore. The Jets recovered for that result after a 7-0 setback at East Chapel Hill. • Northwood didn’t have a game last week. Its Four Rivers Conference opener will come Monday night at Eastern Randolph. • Woods Charter secured a 4-1 overtime victory at Clover

Garden in the Central Tar Heel 1A Conference after defeating visiting Ascend Leadership Academy 2-0 in league play. • Chatham Charter lost its first two Central Tar Heel 1A Conference games, falling 3-2 at The Hawbridge School and by 9-1 to visiting Southern Wake. Chatham Charter’s Breylan Harris and Colten Pena scored in the first loss of the week. Carson Shelton scored in the next game.

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

NC State’s Doeren faces test of rallying Wolfpack after shocking loss to Vanderbilt The last-second loss was a blow to the locker room By Aaron Beard The Associated Press NC STATE coach Dave Doeren has led his Wolfpack through tough moments before. Doing so this week — after suffering one of the most stunning and improbable losses in recent memory in college football — will be a tougher challenge. The Wolfpack led Saturday before quarterback CJ Bailey lost a fumble in the end zone while trying to burn the clock and take an intentional safety, turning a road win against a Southeastern Conference opponent into a 35-31 loss at Vanderbilt that has dominated national headlines and replay clips. That’s left the 14th-year coach with more wins than any coach in program history facing the challenge of rallying a team from a devastating loss in time for Saturday night’s visit from Appalachian State.

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

NC State head coach Dave Doeren looks onto the field during the second half of the Wolfpack’s game at Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee. “It’s a terrible way to end a football game that you controlled,” Doeren said Monday afternoon. “So there was a lot of pain in that locker room after the game, a lot of anger. I know the fans feel the same way.” The moment will haunt Do-

eren and the Wolfpack (1-2) regardless of what happens from here. According to ESPN, college football teams were 1,046-1 over the last 20 seasons when having the ball and the lead with 10 seconds to go in a game. NC State led 31-28 and faced

a fourth-and-3 play from its own 5-yard line with 6 seconds left. Bailey could have taken a knee or scrambled out of the back of the end zone to all but seal the win while giving up a safety. Instead, the third-year starter started running toward the oncoming desperation pass rush, then took a hit that knocked the ball loose for Vanderbilt to recover as a winning touchdown. Doeren said it was a scenario the team practices regularly, and that Bailey was “trying to get too much time off the clock.” “When a play isn’t executed properly, there’s two things that are true,” Doeren said. “The player didn’t do what he was coached or trained to do, and the coach didn’t do a good enough job training the player to do what he wanted him to do. And both of those things are true. “Like I said after the game: CJ takes ownership, I take ownership, (offensive coordinator) Kurt Roper takes ownership, we take ownership.” Doeren said he and Bailey have spent time “just talking

through” the whole sequence since Saturday. “Letting him vent and talk, letting me do the same,” Doeren said. “He and I love each other and have a lot of respect for each other.” Doeren said he was “just so mad and in shock at what went down” immediately after the game, particularly with the Wolfpack playing well enough to win right up until that moment. “You never sleep as a coach after a tough loss, particularly a loss like that when you feel like you were the better team,” Doeren said. Asked about any other comparable experience he could draw from, Doeren referenced a 2016 loss at Clemson. That game saw the Wolfpack miss a short field goal to win at the end of regulation before losing in overtime. Doeren has brought it all up with this year’s team. “That devastated our locker room for a long period of time,” Doeren said. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

Vanderbilt defensive end Miles Capers (29) celebrates the team’s win over NC State.

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B4 SIDELINE REPORT NFL

NFL says teams can’t sign Harris, Wright after attempts to play for LSU New York The NFL has sent a memo to each of its teams saying Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright are not eligible to join any NFL teams this season after they attempted to return to college and play for LSU. Harris and Wright both played for Mississippi last season and had tryouts in the NFL this summer after going undrafted. They then tried joining former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU and sued for the right to regain their college eligibility. LSU left both players off its roster as it opened its season.

MLB

Paralyzed A’s minor leaguer Lasko leaves hospital West Orange, N.J. Ryan Lasko, a minor league prospect with the Athletics who was paralyzed in an outfield collision more than two months ago, was released from an in-patient rehabilitation hospital to continue his recovery from home. The 24-year-old Lasko was released exactly two months after arriving at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey. It’s about 35 miles from where he attended college at Rutgers and became a second-round draft pick by the A’s in 2023.

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

Avs’ 41-year-old defenseman Burns trimmed beard, not ambition The former Hurricane enters 23rd season

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns smiles at his teammates at the end of game in March.

By Pat Graham The Associated Press ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The famed bushy beard of Brent Burns was neatly groomed. His hair, too. When he smiled, front teeth gleamed in the gap where he once had none. It’s a fresh look as the 41-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenseman embarks on his 23rd NHL season. But he’s still the colorful character they refer to as “Burnsy,” the one who’s still up for the grind as he chases his first Stanley Cup title. The one who took a young player under his wing this summer and invited him into his house. The one who doesn’t focus on the possibility of breaking the league’s all-time ironman streak, which, health willing, could happen in February. “I’m trying to figure out what stick I’m going to use tomorrow, what I’m going to eat tonight,” said Burns, who has played in 1,007 straight regular-season games and sits 57 away from tying the mark of Phil Kessel. “I don’t really think about all the other stuff.” Retirement didn’t even really cross his mind after the Avalanche were swept by Vegas in the Western Conference final. He signed another one-year deal in late June and was right back to training. His superpower, according to teammate Brock Nelson, is his ability to stay young at heart. “I don’t think he strikes anybody as a 41-year-old. He still seems like an 18-, 19-year-old

ERIN HOOLEY / AP PHOTO

kid,” the 34-year-old Nelson said. “Just having fun, always laughing and having a good time.” Chasing Kessel’s ironman streak Kessel’s consecutive games streak stands at 1,064 and took place from Nov. 3, 2009, to April 13, 2023. Should Burns remain in the lineup, he could tie the mark Feb. 13 at Tampa Bay and break it two days later in front of the home crowd against Columbus. “I’m not going to be the guy that breaks that streak,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “I’ve got way too much respect for him, for what he’s done in his career, and for what he’s doing for us on a daily basis. He’s proven to me that he deserves to be in our lineup. I’m hoping that he can stay healthy and get it. I wish him the best of luck, and I just hope his health holds up.”

“Just trying to stay afloat most of the time — and figure out what’s for dinner.” Brent Burns Bednar added that Burns returned this season in “phenomenal condition.” “It’s not just the beard that’s making him look younger — or lack of a beard — I think he’s in great condition.” But there’s another factor that goes into keeping the streak going: good fortune. That’s why he doesn’t fret about it. “There’s just too much that can happen,” said Burns, whose streak began on Nov. 21, 2013, while with San Jose. “If you start thinking about that, (expletive) will happen. I’m not really lying, I don’t really think about it.

“Just trying to stay afloat most of the time — and figure out what’s for dinner.” A long season He embraces the grind of a long season, which he still relishes. “I must,” he said, referring to his longevity. As for his groomed beard, he said, “it’s a little different, for sure.” But he found an advantage: The trim makes him more aerodynamic on the ice to keep up with the youngsters. “You’ve got to enjoy the fun things, the (expletive) things, the mundane things,” Burns said. “You’ve got to enjoy being at the rink. It’s not easy. It’s not all great. Some hard days, hard work. But I think when you’re with a group that loves to work and we just naturally have fun doing it, it definitely helps, too. “I think that’s an important part, just to enjoy that process.”

NBA

Knicks star Brunson to make appearance on “Law & Order: SVU” New York New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson will make a guest-starring appearance on “Law & Order: SVU” this fall. NBC announced Brunson will appear in the season’s fifth episode, which is scheduled to air Nov. 5. Details on Brunson’s exact role weren’t revealed. Brunson already is set to host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” on Sept. 26. He made an appearance in the opening of the Emmy Awards telecast that was hosted by “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay.

NCAA FOOTBALL

CFP clarifies how committee can respond to Michigan-WMU result The College Football Playoff says it can’t change the outcome of any games played during the regular season but notes that its selection committee relies on various measures beyond wins and losses. The CFP statement follows the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee’s announcement that it also doesn’t have the authority to overturn the result of No. 19 Michigan’s controversial 13-12 victory over Western Michigan. The CFP notes that its selection committee “evaluates all teams on a comprehensive body of work over a full season, driven by how teams perform in each game.”

Wide receiver Coker thriving in Carolina while first-round pick Legette struggles The Holy Cross product has developed into an NFL starter By Steve Reed The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — Wide receiver Jalen Coker, an undrafted rookie in 2024, is thriving with the Carolina Panthers. The same can’t be said for the team’s first-round draft pick that year, Xavier Legette. Legette finds himself firmly behind Coker on the depth chart — and the gap only seems to be widening. Coker, who took over Carolina’s No. 2 wide receiver spot opposite Tetairoa McMillan late last season, turned in an eye-catching performance to open the season with eight catches for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns last weekend against the Bears. That came after he hauled in nine passes for 134 yards and a touchdown in last year’s wild-card playoff game against the Rams. “The NFL has no respect for rounds,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said of the NFL Draft. Canales points to the 2014 Seattle Seahawks, a team he worked for as an assistant coach. The Seahawks reached the Super Bowl with mostly undrafted wide receivers on their roster. “They were tough guys who cared, and were intentional about their work. They made plays when the plays came to them,” Canales said. “And it’s as simple as that. ... For all of these guys on our team, when the quarterback gives you an opportunity, make the play. He will come back to you again.” Bryce Young has learned he can trust Coker to catch the ball, and he keeps going back to him. Over the last 12 games, Young has thrown 62 balls to Coker and he’s caught 81% of them. Coker first turned heads

SCOTT KINSER / AP PHOTO

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker makes a catch to score a touchdown against the Bears. in Carolina in a 2024 game against Denver, when he made a difficult leaping catch along the sideline just weeks after being promoted from the practice squad. “At that time, he still didn’t have a full grasp for what our system was,” Canales said. “All he knew was he had a one-on-one opportunity, go get the ball. Jalen has got that type of gamesmanship. If you talk to him, he’s the nicest kid in the world. When he gets between the lines, it’s a different animal.” Part of that mentality comes from his desire to prove to the league that he belongs. Coker wasn’t highly recruited out of high school — he had average speed — and wound up at Holy Cross. He put up big numbers his first two seasons and had some opportunities to transfer and play for bigger schools. But he kept a promise to his mother and stayed in Worcester, Massachusetts. “I just remember my mom

told me, ‘If you commit here, you’re committing to go here for all four years — no transferring, none of that stuff,’” Coker said. “So I said, ‘OK, I made a commitment. I’m sticking to it.’” Coker missed the first third of the 2025 season with a quad injury, and slowly saw more playing time as the season went on. He finished the regular season with 33 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns. That, along with the big performance in the playoff game, persuaded the Panthers to give him a three-year, $35 million contract extension this offseason — a deal that could end up being a huge bargain for the Panthers if he continues to produce like he has the last two games. The rest of the league seems to be taking notice of No. 18. Falcons cornerback Jessie Bates III said before Atlanta’s game Sunday against the Panthers that the Falcons can’t focus all of their attention on McMillan, last season’s

Offensive Rookie of the Year. Coker can beat them too. “I think he’s just someone that Bryce has created some chemistry with and someone that he really trusts,” Bates said. “He can give him a chance, 50-50 balls. He can really trust that dude to go make some plays for him. So I just think that he’s a really good receiver. It’ll be another draft that doesn’t explain what type of player he is.” Coker said success came quickly for him last season, but added that he approached this offseason needing to improve on “everything.” “I just want to continue to elevate what I did last year and just make it just a little bit better,” Coker said. “Work on run after the catch. I have a few passes in the playoff game in particular that I want back. There were plays I could have been better, just cleaner.” Coker added: “I still have a ton of work to do. By no means have I arrived or anything like that.”

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

Logano claims Cup playoff victory at Bristol Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney fought afterward The Associated Press BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joey Logano won the Cup Series race Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, while the driver he passed for the win stole the show with old-school NASCAR feuding and fisticuffs. Carson Hocevar, a brash 23-year-old who has earned the ire of veterans with his aggressive driving, traded punches in the pits with Ryan Blaney after they were involved in an incident while racing for second with 41 laps left. Hocevar stopped his car after finishing third and was greeted by a shove from Blaney.

The 6-foot-4 Hocevar, who stands several inches taller than Blaney, responded with two overhand rights. The first knocked off Blaney’s hat, and the second connected with Blaney’s left cheek. Blaney fell to the pavement and then scrambled to his feet and out of a crew member’s hold while Hocevar raised his arms and pointed at him. Blaney charged and threw a wild left that knocked off Hocevar’s hat. They then were separated by team members as Blaney continued to yell at Hocevar. “There wasn’t a whole lot of talking,” Hocevar said. “He just kind of said one thing and then went after me, and I wasn’t going to take it. I got ran into a lot for the win. That was for second, and he wants to come fight. They got an old-school Bristol show here.”

“There wasn’t a whole lot of talking,” Carson Hocevar The contact between the drivers started shortly after Blaney took second with an outside pass of Hocevar, who immediately slid his No. 77 Chevrolet down the track. Blaney moved low to block, and Hocevar stayed in the accelerator to knock the No. 12 Ford into a spin that ended in the inside wall. “I don’t know what I did wrong there,” Hocevar said. “I crossed him over and looked like he spun himself, and then he wants to instigate a fight. I was going to finish that, and it seemed like the crowd was pretty pumped up, so

I was going to play the audience for a second.” Blaney, who led a race-high 202 laps despite starting 29th, was already frustrated after falling into heavy traffic because of a penalty for a pit lane violation with just over 100 laps remaining. His rally was cut short by the crash that dropped him to sixth in the Chase standings with his second consecutive finish outside the top 30. In an interview during the race, Blaney said, “I tried to protect the bottom, he crossed and never lifted, and I got crashed.” When asked which driver was at fault, Blaney said, “I don’t (expletive) know. Each person is going to say they did nothing wrong.” Kyle Larson finished second to move into the Chase lead by a point over Denny Hamlin.

Christopher Bell was fourth, followed by Ty Gibbs, who led 120 laps before finishing fifth. Gibbs and Hocevar exchanged the lead four times in the final 100 laps. Their battle for first after a restart with nine laps remaining opened the door for Logano, who zipped past Hocevar and led the final seven laps. With his 40th career victory and third this season, Logano became the winningest Cup Series driver for Team Penske and moved into third place in the Chase points standings. But he realized all of those accomplishments would be eclipsed by videos of the Blaney-Hocevar fight that he still had yet to see. “I’m sure I’ll see it all week long,” Logano said, pausing to add with a laugh. “They’ll probably forget who won the race.”

WADE PAYNE / AP PHOTO

Ty Gibbs (54) leads Carson Hocevar (77), Kyle Larson (5) and Ryan Blaney (12) during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol.

Sanchez eyes NWSL record in career season with North Carolina The Courage midfielder looks to score 20 goals By Drew Renner The Associated Press ASHLEY SANCHEZ entered the season with a number in mind. Nineteen goals later, the finish line keeps moving. First, the North Carolina Courage midfielder wanted 10 goals. Then 15. Now, after setting the National Women’s Soccer League single-season scoring record for an American player, Sanchez has settled on another number — and another record to break. “What’s funny was, I did have a goal, and then it just kept moving,” Sanchez said. “Now, I guess it’s just 20.” Sanchez’s latest goal, a curling strike into the top right corner in the 82nd minute against the San Diego Wave on Saturday, moved her within one of Temwa Chawinga’s NWSL single-season record of 20 in 2024. It came after Sanchez scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win over the Chicago Stars, earning her the third NWSL Player of the Week honor this season. For the 27-year-old, this kind of scoring output would have

seemed unlikely a year ago. Sanchez scored five goals in 2024 and two last season. Before this year, she had never recorded a professional brace. Now, she has five multigoal games, including her first career hat trick, and is the runaway leader in the NWSL’s Golden Boot race with six games left for the Courage in the regular season. “This is my first year playing this position,” Sanchez said. “I do think that I could do even more.” The move out wide had an early believer. Sanchez said her fiancé, former professional soccer player Tommy Williamson, was one of the first people to see her potential as a winger. The two trained together, working specifically on the position long before the flurry of goals. “He was like, ‘Oh, I think this would be really good for you in this spot. Let’s get some reps here,’” Sanchez said. Courage coach Mak Lind said the goals are the result of qualities Sanchez already possessed. “She has herself to thank,” Lind said. “The only thing I’ve been doing, together with the coaching side, is to make sure she understands her potential.” As Sanchez has found a new

MARK ZALESKI / AP PHOTO

U.S. midfielder Ashley Sanchez (2) kicks the ball away from Japan midfielder Fuka Nagano (8). rhythm on the field, she has also found more balance away from it. Sanchez said she used to be “lazy” when she came home from training, but getting a second dog about a year and a half ago changed her routine. Benny, an energetic yellow Labrador, joined her French bulldog, Nala, and made sitting around less of an option. Sanchez now takes them to the park nearly every day. Those trips have become a way to slow down, spend time in nature and ground. “This job is a lot, and it’s chaotic,” Sanchez said. “I try to calm myself.”

“What’s funny was, I did have a goal, and then it just kept moving,” Ashley Sanchez On the pitch, opponents are paying increasingly close attention. Ahead of Saturday’s match, Sanchez said one of San Diego’s “Keys of the Game” caught her eye: “Silent Sanchez.” That level of attention is unfamiliar, even for a player who made her senior U.S. national team debut in 2021 and went

to the 2023 World Cup. Sanchez has 28 international appearances but has not been called into a U.S. camp since January 2025. She said this season has not been about proving anything. “I’ve just been really enjoying this season,” Sanchez said, “and I feel like I’m showing the joy that I’m having with the things that I’ve been able to do on the field.” Even as the attention around Sanchez grows, Lind said her approach has stayed the same. “It’s easy to get hyped when you hear people talk about you, but she’s so humble in what she does,” Lind said. “So that makes me believe that she’s not done with scoring goals.”

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

entertainment this week in history British occupy Philadelphia, R. Kelly convicted, coronavirus death toll hits 1 million The Associated Press SEPT. 24 1789: President George Washington signed a Judiciary Act establishing America’s federal court system and creating the post of attorney general. 1869: Thousands of businessmen were ruined in a Wall Street panic known as “Black Friday” after financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market. 1906: President Theodore Roosevelt established Devil’s Tower in Wyoming as the first U.S. national monument. SEPT. 25 1513: Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and sighted the Pacific Ocean. 1956: The first trans-Atlantic telephone cable officially went into service with a three-way ceremonial call between New York, Ottawa and London. 2018: Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home. (After serving nearly three years, Cosby went free in June 2021 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction.) SEPT. 26 1777: British troops occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution. 1960: The first nationally televised debate between pres-

idential candidates took place as Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon faced off in Chicago. 2024: Helene, a major Category 4 hurricane, made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region. It went on to cut a swath across Georgia and South Carolina before triggering historic flooding in North Carolina and Tennessee, causing an estimated $78 billion in damage and 219 deaths. SEPT. 27 1940: Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, formally allying the World War II Axis powers. 1964: The government publicly released the report of the Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy. 2021: R&B singer R. Kelly was convicted in a sex trafficking trial in New York after numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. SEPT. 28 1781: American forces in the Revolutionary War, backed by a French fleet, began their successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia. 1928: Scottish medical researcher Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first broadly effective antibiotic. 2020: The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic reached 1 million, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. SEPT. 29 1789: Congress officially established a regular army under the U.S. Constitution.

WARNER BROS. / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Actor James Dean, shown in a publicity still for “Rebel Without a Cause,” died Sept. 30, 1955, at age 24 after his Porsche crashed near Cholame, California.

1938: British, French, German and Italian leaders concluded the Munich Agreement, which was aimed at appeasing Adolf Hitler by allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland. 1954: Willie Mays of the New York Giants made a running, over-the-shoulder catch of a ball hit by Vic Wirtz of the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the World Series; “The Catch” would become one of the most famous plays in baseball history. SEPT. 30 1791: Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” premiered in Vienna. 1947: The World Series was broadcast on television for the first time, as the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 5-3 in Game 1; the Yankees would go on to win the Series four games to three. 1955: Actor James Dean was killed at age 24 in a two-car collision near Cholame, California.

MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO

Debris covers part of Asheville after Hurricane Helene struck the Southeast on Sept. 26, 2024, bringing catastrophic flooding to western North Carolina.

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

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Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

Burna Boy to headline halftime at NFL’s first regular-season game in Paris The Jonas Brothers performed at the league’s game in Melbourne By Jonathan Landrum Jr. The Associated Press

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LOS ANGELES — Burna Boy is returning to Stade de France for another historic moment, headlining halftime at the NFL’s first regular-season game in Paris. The Grammy-winning Nigerian star will perform Oct. 25 when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France, the league announced Thursday. The performance marks a return to the stadium for Burna Boy, who last year became the first African artist to headline Stade de France. “Paris gave me one of the biggest nights of my career, and to walk back into Stade de France for a moment like this means everything,” Burna Boy told The Associated Press in a statement. “The NFL is bringing something to France that has never happened here before, and I get to stand in the middle

AMY HARRIS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Burna Boy performs during the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2025. of it representing African music and I intend to give the people a show they will not forget.” The Paris game is part of the NFL’s largest international season to date, with games being played across several countries and four continents. The league is staging a record seven halftime shows as it increasingly pairs its overseas games with major music acts. Burna Boy joins a lineup that

includes Ricky Martin and Pedro Sampaio for the NFL’s Rio de Janeiro game on Sept. 27, Ayra Starr in London on Oct. 11, Cage the Elephant in Munich on Nov. 15 and Mexican rock trio The Warning in Mexico City on Nov. 22. “The first NFL game in France deserves a halftime moment that matches the occasion, and there is no artist better suited to it than Burna Boy,”

Reiner avoids death penalty over parents’ killings, still faces life in prison Nick Reiner appears during his arraignment on murder charges for the deaths of his parents Feb. 23 in Los Angeles.

The 33-year-old son of filmmaker Rob Reiner was charged in December By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner’s son will not face the death penalty on charges he fatally stabbed his parents after lying in wait at their home in Los Angeles last year, prosecutors said last Tuesday. If convicted, the maximum sentence 33-year-old Nick Reiner could get is life without the possibility of parole, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference. Before reaching its decision, Hochman said his office did a thorough review, including speaking to Rob and Michele Singer Reiner’s families and evaluating mitigating factors in Nick Reiner’s favor. Nick Reiner, who briefly appeared at a court hearing, has twice pleaded not guilty. The death penalty had been on the table because of the lying-in-wait allegation, the fact that multiple people were killed, and the use of a knife, which is considered a danger-

CHRIS TORRES / POOL PHOTO VIA AP

ous weapon. However, it’s been two decades since California’s last execution, and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a moratorium on the practice in 2019. Nick Reiner’s public defender highlights his mental illness Reiner’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly

solutions

Greene, said prosecutors made the right decision. “Nick has a serious mental illness and a long history of struggling with self-medication. His circumstances are a tragic example of how difficult it can be for people experiencing significant mental health challenges to access and navigate the treatment and support they need,” Greene said in a statement. “Nothing can

undo the profound loss experienced by the Reiner family and those who loved them. Our hearts remain with the family.” Nick Reiner was charged with first-degree murder on Dec. 16, two days after the stunning killings. Reiner’s former defense attorney, Alan Jackson, adamantly insisted that “pursuant to the laws of California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder.”

said Tim Tubito, the NFL’s senior director of global game presentation, music and entertainment. Tubito said Burna Boy’s history in the stadium and the popularity of African music in Paris made him a natural choice for the inaugural game. Burna Boy, whose music draws from Afrobeats, hip-hop, reggae, R&B and other influences, won a Grammy for his 2020 album “Twice as Tall.” His catalog includes “African Giant,” “Love, Damini” and his most recent album, “No Sign of Weakness.” He has also become one of African music’s most prominent touring acts, performing in arenas and stadiums around the world while helping open doors for a generation of African artists. The league has played more than 60 regular-season games outside the United States, with previous stops including London, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto. France, Australia and Rio de Janeiro are among the new markets on the 2026 schedule.

A grand jury indicted Reiner in July. The judge in the case was deciding whether to make public the transcripts of those secret grand jury proceedings, a move that would likely reveal many key details about the killings. Nick Reiner wants access to trust fund Reiner has asked a different judge to force the release of money from a trust his parents set up for him when he was a child, so that he can rehire Jackson, a high-profile defense attorney whose clients have included Kevin Spacey and Karen Read. The trustees overseeing the funds argue Reiner shouldn’t get them, but his lawyers argue that he is still innocent under the law and that the money would legally be his regardless of his parents’ deaths. Reiner is awaiting a ruling on the money. Hours earlier, Rob Reiner was honored at Emmys Rob Reiner received an emotional tribute at the Emmy Awards on Monday night. He won a posthumous Emmy for best guest actor in a comedy series for his role on “The Bear,” and was honored by his friend and “Bear” co-star Jamie Lee Curtis. “He was generous, kind and funny as hell, and a friend to all,” Curtis said. “And we all miss Rob and Michele and all those we lost this year.”

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

famous birthdays this week Angie Dickinson turns 95, Johnny Mathis is 91, Michael Douglas hits 82, Mark Hamill celebrates 75 The Associated Press SEPT. 24 Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Greene is 80. Actor Gordon Clapp is 78. Actor Harriet Walter is 76. Filmmaker Brad Bird is 69. Actor Kevin Sorbo is 68. Actor-screenwriter Nia Vardalos is 64. Celebrity chef Robert Irvine is 61. SEPT. 25

JOEL C RYAN / AP PHOTO

Actor Naomi Watts turns 58 on Monday.

Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown is 93. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates is 83. Actor-producer Michael Douglas is 82. Model Cheryl Tiegs is 79. Actor Mark Hamill is 75. Basketball Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo is 75. Actor Heather Locklear is 65. Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen is 61. SEPT. 26 Country singer David Frizzell is 85. Singer Bryan Ferry is 81. Author Jane Smiley is 77. Singer-guitarist Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) is 72. Actor Linda Hamilton is 70. Actor Jim Caviezel is 58. Tennis player Serena Williams is 45. SEPT. 27

PAUL A. HEBERT / INVISION / AP

Singer Johnny Mathis turns 91 on Wednesday. Young Jeezy is 49. TV personality Bam Margera (“Jackass”) is 47. Actor Hilary Duff is 39.

Singer-guitarist Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive is 83. Actor A Martinez is 78. Actor Liz Torres is 79. Singer-actor-director Shaun Cassidy is 68. Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron is 63. Singer-guitarist Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind is 62. Actor Patrick Muldoon is 58. Actor Gwyneth Paltrow is 54. Rapper Lil’ Wayne is 44. Singer Avril Lavigne is 42.

SEPT. 29

SEPT. 28

SEPT. 30

Actor Vernee Watson (“Bob Hearts Abishola,” “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) is 77. Actor-comedian Janeane Garofalo is 62. Actor Mira Sorvino is 59. TV personality and singer Moon Zappa is 59. Actor Naomi Watts is 58. Rapper

Actor Angie Dickinson is 95. Singer Johnny Mathis is 91. Actor Barry Williams is 72. Actor Fran Drescher is 69. Actor Eric Stoltz is 65. Actor Monica Bellucci is 62. Actor Marion Cotillard is 51. Actor Kieran Culkin is 43. Rapper T-Pain is 42.

Actor Ian McShane is 84. TV personality Bryant Gumbel is 78. Singer-guitarist Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad is 78. Comedian Andrew “Dice” Clay is 69. Actor Jill Whelan is 60. Singer Devante Swing of Jodeci is 57. Actor Zachary Levi is 46. Actor Chrissy Metz is 46. Singer Halsey is 32.

B10

Chatham News & Record for Thursday, September 24, 2026

the stream

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Chiwetel Ejiofor, left, and Kane Parsons arrive at the premiere of “Backrooms” on May 7 at Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California.

‘A Different World,’ ‘Toy Story 5,’ Kenny Chesney Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson star in the comedy “Brothers” The Associated Press THE DISNEY+ debut of “Toy Story 5” and a new album from Kenny Chesney are some of the new television shows, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: the “A Different World” sequel, “Backrooms” and “Silent Hill: Townfall.” MOVIES TO STREAM It might be great or terrible news for parents, depending on their views about screen time and whether movies are an exception, but “Toy Story 5” has finally made its way to Disney+. Appropriately, the film, co-written and directed by Andrew Stanton, pits toys against tech in the battle for Bonnie’s attention. In his review for The Associated Press, film writer Jake Coyle said, “It may fall shy of the first three and probably ranks as the fifth best of these movies. But ‘Toy Story’ has a high bar and the quality and thoughtfulness that have long distinguished Pixar is very much present here in the film.” Even if you didn’t catch “Backrooms” in theaters this summer, you probably heard something about its box-office success and the then-20-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Kane Parsons behind it. Coyle, in his review, wrote that “where ‘Backrooms’ came from is more interesting — and potentially meaningful — than the result,” calling it “a fitfully unsettling nightmare that never convincingly builds beyond its creepy, dated-decor premise.” It’ll be on HBO Max starting Friday. Leo Woodall plays a piano tuner who gets caught up in the criminal underworld, using his unique ears to crack safes in “Tuner,” a whip-smart, original thriller from Daniel Roher, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “Navalny.” I called it one of the best of the year so far, and a spiritual descendant of a “Good Will Hunting.” It is streaming on Paramount+. And finally, Jacob Tremblay plays Ted Kaczynski in “Unabomber,” which debuts Fri-

CJ RIVERA / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Singer Kenny Chesney performs on NBC’s “Today” at Rockefeller Plaza on Sept. 17 in New York. His 21st album, “Silver Sands Marina,” drops Friday.

“‘Backrooms’ is a fitfully unsettling nightmare that never convincingly builds beyond its creepy, dated-decor premise.” Jake Coye, AP Film Writer it is not. “Think I’m ‘bout to lose it, I don’t even care no more,” she sings in the song’s chorus. “I’m ‘bout to lose control.” CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Woody Harrelson, left, and Matthew McConaughey pose together at the premiere of the show “Brothers” last Thursday in Los Angeles. day on Netflix. The stacked cast includes Russell Crowe as a psychologist and Shailene Woodley as the FBI agent on the case. MUSIC TO STREAM He’s one of the most consistent giants in country music for a reason. Chesney will release his 21st studio album — you read that correctly — Friday, titled “Silver Sands Marina.” It’s full-throated stadium country, with big hooks and bigger heart. You know, like all the great Chesney records.

Introducing the new Tinashe, unlike the old Tinashe except for the swagger. Her last album, 2024’s “Quantum Baby,” was defined by its viral hit “Nasty.” But she’s not interested in flash-in-the-pan moments. Her latest, “Popstar,” can be described in one word: unexpected. From the sped-up “Melatonin” to the falsetto and Kesha-esque talk-sung chorus of “Too Easy” there is no pop experiment too off-kilter for Tinashe. And the courage pays off. Just don’t call it a complete 180: “Crash Out” is Tinashe at her R&B-pop best, but a love song

SERIES TO STREAM Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson play exaggerated versions of themselves in “Brothers,” an eight-episode comedy from “The Office” alum Lee Eisenberg. After Harrelson’s daughter’s wedding falls apart, he moves his family to McConaughey’s Austin ranch — only for McConaughey’s mother (played by Holland Taylor) to reveal a secret suggesting the lifelong buddies might be brothers. The series marks a rare return to comedy for Harrelson, whose work on the small screen since “Cheers” ended in 1993 has largely been drama, including “True Detective” and “White House Plumbers.” The first two episodes are now streaming on Apple TV. Nearly 40 years after the

original premiered, Netflix revives the beloved HBCU sitcom “A Different World” on Thursday. Maleah Joi Moon plays Deborah Wayne, the daughter of Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), who is starting her freshman year at their alma mater, Hillman College. Guy, Hardison, Jada Pinkett Smith and other original cast members return for the first season. In “S.W.A.T.: Exiles,” Shemar Moore returns as Sgt. Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in a spinoff of the CBS procedural, which ended its eight-season run in 2025. Pulled from forced retirement after a mission goes wrong, Hondo takes charge of an experimental S.W.A.T. unit made up of young recruits. Starz has already renewed it for a second season. It premieres Friday. VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY In 2019’s “Control,” a government agent explored the inside of a Manhattan skyscraper that had been warped by paranormal forces. Bad news, New Yorkers: In “Control Resonant,” the hostile entities have left the building and are running rampant across the borough. Good news: The agent now on the case has supernatural powers of his own, including the ability to wield a giant Thor-style hammer that shapeshifts into other weapons. Finland’s Remedy Entertainment is best known for its small-town “Alan Wake” thrillers; we’ll see how well the studio can translate that eeriness to the big city. Start spreading the news Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC. One of the all-time great horror series made a spectacular return in 2025 with “Silent Hill f,” which moved the terror from its American roots to 1960s Japan. One year later, the nightmare is spreading to 1990s Scotland in “Silent Hill: Townfall.” This time, a guy named Simon finds himself in a foggy seaside village with no memory of how he got there — though he knows he has been summoned to “put things right.” As usual, you have just a few simple weapons to defend yourself against the zombies and other monsters roaming the streets. The miasma descends Thursday on PlayStation 5 and PC.