North State Journal — Vol. 1., Issue 20

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 20

www.NSJONLINE.com

SUNDAY, July 10, 2016

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Eamon queeney | north state journal

President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton take the stage together during a campaign event at the Charlotte Convention Center on Tuesday.

Madeline Gray | north state journal

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump raises his fist as he leaves the stage at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday in Raleigh.

NORTH

the Sunday News Briefing Man suspected of making 400 bomb threats Hickory, N.C. Police arrested a man in connection with more than 400 bomb threats to locations in Caldwell, Catawba and Burke counties.

A coordinated investigation involving the FBI, N.C. SBI and West Virginia State Police led to the arrest of Cody Matthew Startt, 27, who was picked up in West Virginia for violating probation from previous bomb threat felonies.

Wilmington Realtor hits $1 billion in sales Wilmington, N.C. Realtor Keith Beatty hit a major milestone this week, topping more than $1 billion in sales since 1993.

A realtor with Intercoastal Realty, Beatty has closed more than 4,000 properties and was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as the No. 27 realtor in the nation.

New program to boost medical care and jobs in Cumberland County Fayetteville, N.C. A new residency program partnership between Campbell University Medical School and Cape Fear Valley Hospital is expected to bring medical care and more than 300 jobs to Cumberland County. The newly passed and signed state-budget provides $7.7 million for the program, with Campbell chipping in $3 million. The residents will begin there next summer.

INSIDE All the best stories from MLB at Fort Bragg. B4-5

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

SHOOTINGS

Police shootings, Dallas attack heighten tensions “Violence will only beget more violence.”

Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal DALLAS — A gunman who served in the U.S. Army Reserve and said he was “upset at white people” was part of an attack in which five Dallas police officers were killed and another seven were wounded, authorities said on Friday.

The attack ended hours later when police used a robot carrying a bomb to kill the shooter, the Dallas police chief said.

The Thursday night shooting, at the end of a protest over this week’s pair of fatal shootings by police of two black men — Alton Sterling, 32, in Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile, 32, in Falcon Heights, Minn. — fueled a national debate over excessive police force. The overnight attack raised fears that others would seek to retaliate against police.

Authorities said the gunman fired at least some of the shots in the attack but have not ruled out that other shooters were involved.

A U.S. government source told Reuters the shooter was identified as Micah X. Johnson, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve.

A string of killings of black men by police in cities including Ferguson, Mo., New York, Baltimore and Chicago have given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement against excessive police force. The killings have spurred almost two years of largely peaceful street protests.

See shootings, page A8

Newly minted Nat Trea Turner talks position switch. B3 Sports N.C. is in bloom and we have expert tips to create beautiful arrangements for any occasion.

Trump, Clinton compete for NC voter attention

By Donna King and Liz Moomey North State Journal CHARLOTTE and RALEIGH — North Carolina was ground zero this week in the fight for the U.S. presidency. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump both appeared in the Old North State Tuesday, trading shots at each other’s character and qualifications for office. The appearances came the same day the FBI announced it will not be indicting Clinton in the email scandal that has dominated headlines. The announcement threw fuel on Trump’s fiery campaign speeches, but was carefully avoided at the Clinton rally.

Clinton in Charlotte On Tuesday afternoon in Charlotte, the epicenter of the H.B. 2 controversy, Clinton focused her message on a promise to continue

President Barack Obama’s progressive policies if she wins the presidency.

“We’re going to build on the vision for America that President Obama has always championed — a vision for a future where we do great things together,” Clinton said. “Not as red states and blue states, but as the United States.”

Approximately, 9,500 people turned out to see Obama join Clinton on the campaign trail. “I am ready to pass the baton, and I know Hillary Clinton is going to take it,” Obama said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Attorney General Roy Cooper, and U.S. Senate candidate Deborah Ross spoke on her behalf. Ross, an attorney and former N.C. House legislator from Wake County, said, “We’re going to keep the White House. We’re going to take back the governor’s mansion, and we are going to take back the U.S. Senate, starting right here.”

See campaigns, page A8

NCGA

Legislative session marked by teacher raises, tax cuts, adjourns on schedule With the passage of the budget, teachers will receive an average 4.7% pay raise, bringing average teacher salaries to $50,186 next year and nearly $55,000 within three years.

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — After 68 days of debate and deliberation, the General Assembly adjourned the short legislative session late into the evening of July 1, making good on legislative leaders’ early predictions of concluding the State’s business in time to celebrate America’s Independence Day. The brevity is owed, in large part, to initial agreements between the chambers on the budget. Leading budget writers in the North Carolina House and Senate settled on a total spending figure at the outset in order to avoid a repeat of last year’s overextended session.

As the paramount legislation passed its final hurdles in the General Assembly with bipartisan support, it weighed in at $22.34 billion. Final totals put the budget less than 1 percent off preliminary targets, representing an overall spending increase of 2.8 percent.

“The governor, President Pro Tempore Berger and I entered this short session with a shared desire to give meaningful raises to teachers and tax relief to working-class North Carolinians while still demonstrating fiscal discipline and conservative See NCGA, page A8

C1 the good life Governor signs multiple bills into law.

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Smiley N. Pool | The Dallas Morning News/via REUTERS

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Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas on Thursday night.

On Murphy to Manteo, page A5

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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NS J datebook

July 12, 11-2 p.m.

Charlotte Career Fair Crowne Plaza Charlotte Executive Park 5700 Westpark Drive, Charlotte

July 12, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Department of Public Safety Job Fairs NC National Guard Armory 100 Minuteman Drive, Asheville

July 13, 9 a.m.-noon Department of Public Safety Job Fairs NC Works Career Center 2215 US 52 North, Albemarle

July 13, noon-5 p.m.

Department of Public Safety Job Fairs NC Works Career Center 110 Fountain Park Drive, Battleboro

July 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Tech and Engineering Career Fair North Raleigh Hilton (Midtown) 3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh

THE BACKSTORY NC schools take top honors in Forbes lists

By Donna King North State Journal DAVIDSON, N.C. — This week, Forbes released its annual Top Colleges list with North Carolina’s Davidson College and Duke University landing top spots, the highest in the Old North State.

In total, 20 colleges and universities from N.C. were ranked by Forbes with Davidson and Duke claiming 25th and 26th, respectively. Davidson was named best in the South. Stanford University in California was named the No. 1 school in the nation.

“College has become one of the biggest financial decisions students and their families make.

They deserve all the information they can get on the questions that directly concern them,” Forbes stated in their methodology. “Are current undergrads satisfied? Is it likely I’ll graduate on time or incur a ton of student debt? Will I get a good job and be a leader in my chosen profession?”

The findings looked at post-graduate success, student debt, student satisfaction, graduation rate and academic success.

While much of the initial focus has been on the national “best” list, Forbes also generated more focused lists that consider school specialties, job opportunities, overall value and geography.

While NC State ranked just 189th on Forbes’ overall list, Forbes named it the 20th best STEM school in the country, the only N.C. school that was ranked at all in the Forbes STEM list. NC State was also ranked in a Wall Street Journal study last month that called it one of the best places in the country to recruit employees.

STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, still has

PHOTOS COURTESY OF Davidson College

Davidson College was the top-ranked college in North Carolina by Forbes, coming in at No. 25.

The findings looked at post-graduate success, student debt, student satisfaction, graduation rate and academic success. the best return on the education investment, a priority for most parents. The National Association of Colleges and Employers recently produced a summer report on college majors that have the best opportunities after graduation. Of the top five jobs

right now, four are in the area of science, technology, engineering and math. The only non-STEM major was business, which has significant math requirements in many jobs. Even among science majors, there was a clear relationship between majors and the workforce.

“Students majoring in computer science, engineering, engineering technology and science technology were far more likely to plan on entering the work force than were those majoring in environmental science, mathematics/ statistics, the physical sciences, and biology,” the study reported.

While the studies looked at

employment trends nationwide, North Carolina is no exception.

The N.C. Department of Commerce recently released a report on “Five Star Jobs” in North Carolina. In their report Commerce ranks occupations on a 1-5 star scale, with five stars having higher hourly wages and more job openings than occupations with fewer stars. Of the 11 five-star jobs that require an associate degree, all but one, paralegals, were in the area of STEM. Of the top jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree, 18 of the 31 were STEM. Of the 10 highest paid jobs that required no higher education, all of them were in sales or construction.

WE PUT A LOT OF ENERGY INTO RENEWABLE RESOURCES. As the power providers to 2.5 million North Carolinians, the state’s 26 electric cooperatives are committed to finding innovative ways to meet member expectations. Our 18 community solar farms allow co-op members to participate in local solar generation, regardless of residential shade or site limitations.

Learn more about the many services that electric cooperatives offer to help members understand and manage energy use at www.EmpowerMeNC.com.

YOUR SOURCE FOR POWER AND INFORMATION.

CEC CR 23943 (10.25x10) North State Jrnl.indd 1

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North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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BUSINESS & ECONOMY the DASHBOARD

4,626,542 number of workers employed statewide

4.7%

May N.C. Unemployment Rate (not seasonally adjusted, decrease from same month last year)

458,300

people employed in manufacturing

75,000

people employed in information technology

SAROS desalination systems aids water crisis

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

Yadkinville, N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory, N.C. Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla II and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina announced Thursday that B&G Foods Snacks will add 58 jobs over the next three years.

The company is expanding its bakery operations in Yadkin County and plans to invest $7.6 million as well.

Chipotle unveils rewards program with short film

courtesy of Justin Sonnett

SAROS system is tested at Jeanette’s Pier in Nags Head, N.C.

ground water is pulled, it’s too salty for human consumption.

“Typically, large all-inclusive resorts on islands, such as St. Thomas and St. Martin, for example, all have their own desalination systems on site.

However, the power needed to run them increases expenses to the resort,” said Sonnet.

An increase in costs for the resort trickles down to an increase in cost for the vacationer.

Desalination is an energyintensive process. According to Sonnett, an easily comparable price analysis is this: North Carolinians pay on average six or eight cents per kilowatts per hour. The tropical island of St. Croix pays 32 cents per kilowatt, which is considerably lower than the rate of 55 cents in 2015.

Desalination systems are taking sea water and pressurizing the water to 800 psi but using a large amount of energy to complete the process.

“Our solution is a pump driven by the motion of waves with no use of generated electricity,” said Sonnett.

“Think of it like this: huge ships are a force pushing waves. We want to put the buoyant force to

work for us by using the naturally occurring energy in waves to provide the sea water for reverse hydrosis osmosis.”

The SAROS system has two prototypes with the first one making 500 gallons of water a day. The SAROS system was recently tested at Jeanette’s Pier in Nag’s Head with much success.

The system offsets the emissions of burning fuel oil, which releases carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases into the air.

“SAROS has a buoy and by using force to lift the buoy on the wave, the up and down motion of the waves drives the high pressure pump. This pump sucks in sea water, pressurizes the water and sends it through a pipe to shore.

The sea water is then pre-filtered and threaded into a reverse osmosis system,” said Sonnett.

Reverse osmosis is the common method to remove salt from water.

“There are 35,000 parts per million of salt in the ocean.

The SAROS system turns the salt water to fresh water with 400 parts per million, which is accepted as drinking water,” said Sonnett.

Through reverse osmosis, the

excess discharge, known as brine, goes back into the ocean leaving cleaner water for consumption.

“California hosts the biggest plant in the hemisphere for desalination. The brine discharge is forced back into one spot in the ocean, which has a large impact on marine life as it makes that one spot too salty. SAROS distributes brine back into the ocean, but it is diluted and distributed over a large area,” said Sonnett.

The SAROS system will continue testing in the water off the coastal regions of North Carolina, and it is part of a pilot study in Puerto Rico. The wildlife reservation on the small island of Ponce, Puerto Rico, will be the center of the study as water supply to this island is typically desolate.

Currently, suitable water is being shipped in on boats for the four park rangers that live on the island year-round. The SAROS system, valued at $30,000, will be in place late fall to turn the island’s salt water to fresh water.

“We want to bring desalination to communities needing water and to bring cleaner water to coastal regions. Making water for people can do a lot for the environment,” said Sonnett.

Veterans find a second career in creating small businesses

By Vera Wilson For the North State Journal ilmington, N.C. — Mark Sblendorio is the owner W of SeaSide Silk Screening, a

family owned business located in Wilmington near the city’s port.

Since purchasing the wholesale contract printing company two years ago, his sales have quadrupled and his workforce has grown from five to 22 employees.

With plans to aggressively market the business to cities such as Raleigh and Atlantic Beach, his need for a reliable pool of talented workers will only increase.

Sharese Robertson is a graduate of Cape Fear Community College and Army veteran who was growing frustrated with her job search after graduation.

Both Sblendorio and Robertson turned for help from NCWorks, an initiative launched by the N.C. Department of Commerce in April 2014 designed to connect job seekers with employers looking for workers. For potential employees like Robertson, the program provides career assessment and guidance, such as help writing résumés. For businesses like

BRIEF B&G Foods Snacks to create 58 jobs

AGS HEAD, N.C. — Clean water is a viable necessity N that has become a growing global

concern due to a shortage in over populated areas, the expense of providing water to remote islands and the extreme droughts in impoverished countries.

“Water is one element that is vital to life. Living in the United States, it is easy to take water for granted. In places where water is scarce, it effects the day-today life of residents. In places with heavy population increases, the pressure on the water supply system increases. California is a prime example,” said Justin Sonnett, co-founder of ECO H2O Innovations of Charlotte.

The World Economic Forum identified a water crisis as the top global risk to industry and society over the next decade as 793 million people are without access to fresh water. Around islands and coastal regions, 233 million people are experiencing a water shortage.

Sonnett knew the answer to the growing water crisis was to search for sustainable water solutions, and North Carolina provided the perfect place to develop a system that can turn salt water into fresh water.

Sonnett and co-founder, Chris Matthews, developed the Swell Activated Reverse Osmosis System (SAROS), a unique system that uses wave energy to drive the desalination process.

The initial concept began as a project when Sonnett was an undergraduate student in the engineering program at UNCCharlotte two years ago. The duo designed, planned and built the machine.

“We developed an idea and chose to turn it into a product people can use,” said Sonnett.

As Sonnett noted, California has serious issues with water shortage. Pulling water out of the Pacific Ocean requires desalination. Popular vacation spots for tourists, such as the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, the Caribbean and subsequent small islands, rely heavily on desalination systems, for when

the

“We are reaching all the way down to the eighth grade, showing kids they can do apprenticeships.

We are changing the entire paradigm and truly creating career pathways.”

John E. Skvarla III, N.C. Secretary of Commerce

SeaSide, the program helps them identify, train and retain employees through services like applicant screenings. It also offers financial incentives for on-the-job training and hiring of individuals from target groups who often face barriers to employment.

Sblendorio, who proclaimed “a sweet spot for veterans,” hired Robertson and fellow veteran Martin Krieger utilizing the program’s on-the-job training program.

“It subsidizes their pay initially — not 100 percent, but a good part of it,” Sblendorio said, “and I will take a little bit more of a risk due to the subsidy.”

Kim Genardo, a com­ munications director with the N.C. Department of Commerce, explained that the partial

reimbursement the employer receives is to help offset the cost of training, and when the training program ends, the employee ideally stays on with that business.

“It’s try before you buy,” she said.

Krieger is SeaSide’s most recent hire. A Marine Corps veteran who was a combat lithographer, he credits the staff at Brunswick County’s NCWorks Career Center, one of 82 across the state, with helping him look beyond the usual ads and expanding his job search to other counties.

“I was struggling to find work as a graphic designer, but they helped me find an opportunity to get back into graphic design work,” Krieger said.

N.C. Secretary of Commerce John E. Skvarla III was in Wilmington this past Tuesday to

recognize SeaSide and Sblendorio for partnering with NCWorks. As part of a statewide tour touting the programs, Skvarla declared businesses like SeaSide “the essence of North Carolina,” that, along with a revamped workforce program, have helped propel North Carolina’s economy.

“The easy idea is we match the needs of employers to the needs of potential employees. And we have an example right here,” Skvarla said.

Skvarla showcased the hiring of Robertson who, after completing her OJT with SeaSide, is now a permanent employee in their preproduction department.

Skvarla is quick to point out the program doesn’t just touch current job seekers. “We are reaching all the way down to the eighth grade, showing kids they can do apprenticeships,” he said. “We are changing the entire paradigm and truly creating career pathways.”

Standing alongside his SeaSide team and Skvarla, Sblendorio declared, “The programs are just spectacular. It’s an example of government and private enterprise working well together.”

New York Chipotle released a short film to introduce their summer rewards program Chiptopia. The video titled “A Love Story” features a cover of “I Want It That Way” performed by Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. The video has more than 5 million views. The rewards program was launched in hopes of bringing back customers after Chipotle suffered a setback after food safety concerns last year.

Asheville leads way in accessing flood risks globally Asheville UNC-Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center’s three-dimensional mapping software models assisting officials in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Cambridge, Mass., prepare for rising sea levels and increases in flooding. Esri, a global company based in California, has teamed up to work creating mapping software to model for areas, including Miami and Asian countries. The 3-D mapping technology could help build an emergencyresponse plan to cope with disasters, similar to the flooding last month in West Virginia.

WakeMed, Duke Lifepoint show interest in Franklin Co. hospital services Franklin County WakeMed and Duke Lifepoint are hoping to take over services at the former Franklin County regional hospital, according to Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Spruce Pine), co-chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations on Health and Human Services.

Budget provisions have enabled state funding for 18 behavioral health beds at the facility, which would allow for an emergency room and other services at the county-owned Franklin Medical Center in Louisburg.

“There are two individuals being interested,” Hise said before the General Assembly adjourned last week. “There are two different proposals for how many beds they would use.”

WakeMed confirmed Thursday their interest in the facility.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

to

Murphy

Manteo

Jones& Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Governor signs multiple bills into law

Tie the Knot

Lake O’ The Woods Plantation

McGuire’s Millrace Farm

Castle Ladyhawke Tuckasegee

Whalehead

Warrenton

Summer is the time of year to say “I do.” North Carolina offers some of the best wedding venues with a variety of landscapes from the mountains to the beach. North State Journal compiled a map of 30 wedding venues to exchange vows. The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is $25,631. FiveThirtyEight compiled the ultimate wedding playlist last month with “Hey Ya!,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “Uptown Funk” The Lodge at Bear River topping the list. Check out some of the best venues across the state.

Marshall

Twickenham House & Hall

Corolla

Graylyn Estate

Jefferson

Winmock at Kinderton

Mulberry Hill Inn

Winston-Salem

Edenton

Castle McCulloch

Bermuda

Childress Vineyards

1812 Hitching Post

Angus Barn Pavilion

Jamestown

Rose Hill Plantation

Raleigh

Lexington

Turnersburg

Linbrook Heritage Estate

Henry Connor Bost House & Farm

Trinity

Salisbury

The Biltmore Estate & Gardens

Jennette’s Pier Nags Head

Nashville

Fearrington Inn Pittsboro

NC Museum of Art Raleigh

Tripp Farms Greenville

Asheville

The Laboratory Mill

Barclay Villa

Lincolnton

Angier

Murphy

The Duke Mansion

The Berkley Manor

Charlotte

Ocracoke

Fox Hollow

Neuse Breeze

Fayetteville

Duplin Winery Chapel

Havelock

Rose Hill

west Old Ashe County Hospital in works to become senior housing Jefferson The Ashe County Board of Commissioners approved a motion to transform the old Ashe County Hospital into low income housing for seniors. The 5-0 vote was taken Tuesday after a presentation from the president of Northwestern Housing Enterprises Ned Frowler. Frowler said the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency will represent 70 percent of the $7 million investment into refurbishing the old Ashe County Hospital. He said he hopes to begin the restoration project in August.

Ashe Mountain Times

RC Catalyst

Airlie Gardens

piedmont

The Winds Resort & Beach Club

City Council funds radios to move from county system Hendersonville The Hendersonville City Council approved funds to equip the city’s police and fire departments with digitally encrypted radio system to move from the county agencies. The digital signal will not be accessible to the public and city agencies would not be able to scan the county frequencies and vice versa. The radios would cost $126,000, which would cover equipment and installation costs.

Raleigh North Carolina’s Welcome Centers now offers free wireless internet service for travelers stopping at the nine locations. Visitors can gain access by requesting the password from the center’s travel counselors.

They have also recently installed electronic guest registries. The Welcome Centers are open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. The centers are closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

North State Journal

Blue Ridge Now

Police: Pizza roll fight leads to couple’s arrest Police seize two firearms in fatal Asheville shooting Asheville Police seized two guns after a fatal shooting in Asheville. According to police, Landon Roberts Henry, 20, died of a gunshot wound July 3.

When officers arrived at the scene, a man met them, told them he fired the fatal shots and fired a firearm. The other gun was found next to Henry’s body. The investigation remains under investigation and no charges have been filed. Police said it is unclear whether Henry shot himself or if he was shot, because the search warrant and document notes officers were responding to indicates it was suicide.

Asheville Citizen-Times

Gastonia A couple was arrested Monday after allegedly assaulting each other with pizza rolls. Brad Scott Beard, 24, and Samantha Brooke Canipe, 21, were each charged with one count of misdemeanor simple assault. Beard faces 60 days in jail, and Canipe will face 30 days in jail. The motive remain uncertain.

Fox 46 Charlotte

Infographic by ally levine

east

Obama, Clinton stop at Midwood Smokehouse after rally

Atlantic Beach begins beach mat installation

Charlotte President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton shocked Midwood Smokehouse’s Frank Scibelli after stopping at his restaurant in Plaza Midwood for takeout after Tuesday’s Charlotte rally. According to Scibelli, he thought the president stopped because it was featured in a bestof barbecue list last week, but the president said the agents with him recommended the restaurant.

According to the restaurant, Obama ordered the brisket and pork, and Clinton got chicken and ribs to go.

According to reports, Clinton’s people picked up the tab.

Atlantic Beach To assist those with difficulty walking or with handicap devices, the Town of Atlantic Beach began installing beach mats this for week for residents and visitors to have easier access to the beach. Ninety-six feet of mat is being installed on the east side of Davis Beachwear. Realty World - First Coast Realty has been holding fundraisers to raise money for the purchase of the mats, though the Town of Atlantic Beach will be responsible for their maintenance.

The company’s goal is to raise $6,000 to purchase more than 200 feet of mat.

Kinston Residents and visitors have flooded the Town of Kinston this weekend for the Fifth Annual Quinton Coples Community Weekend, which strives to bring people together for positive community activities. Coples, a native of Kinston, is a former Kinston High and UNC Chapel Hill football star who now plays for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. The weekend includes a football camp for youth, a block party and R&B concert featuring Sunshine Anderson, a basketball tournament and a community-wide peace rally.

Craven Pamlico animal shelter to expand

Greenville road work continues

New Bern The Craven County Board of Commissioners approved to expand the Craven Pamlico Animal Services Center to increase adoptions and decrease the number of animals euthanized. Close to 10 animals a day are euthanized at the shelter largely due to space constraints. The shelter maintains a 100 percent capacity each day of the week and by tripling the kennel space, they hope to save more adoptable pets from being euthanized. Currently, the shelter only holds an animal for three to five days. The project is estimated to cost $996,000.

Greenville N.C. DOT road work is continuing on the heavily trafficked areas of Fifth Street in downtown Greenville.

The road was closed in June to allow DOT crews to install a pipe, but the road will remain closed for another two to three weeks as the crews complete the project. This is part of the 10th Street Connector project, a $46 million plan to provide a modern, multilane roadway connection between East Carolina University and the city’s medical district.

TWC News

Fayetteville man charged with health violation after refusing syphilis treatment Fayetteville Cumberland County Health Department accused a man for refusing syphilis treatment June 28, according to court documents.

Deyzaun Ford, 19, was charged with a misdemeanor public health violation. He was also charged by police with a misdemeanor carrying concealed weapons without a license in another case. He was arrested June 29, and his bail was set at $1,500.

Fayetteville Observer

E l e c t r o n i c G r a p h i c s /A n d r e w B e r r y Box: AT K B e r r y @ R C N . c o m Vox : 857.869.5277 Fa x : 619.789.6520 783SCH Jewelry-Giftware NorthStateJrnl20-5x6 July 7, 2016 11:46 AM Publication: Bleed: Trim: Live: North State Journal 00" x 00" 00" x 00" 20.5" x 6" Pub. Contact: Delivery Route: Halftone Freq: Materials: Insertion Date: Tracy Garner 150 lpi PDF/X-1a 7/10/2015

Wilmington

Ocean Isle

State Welcome Centers provide Wi-Fi

Shelby veteran in search of service dog Dallas David Dowell, a Navy veteran, lost his service dog Milka after the animal became spooked during a fireworks display Monday night.

Powell suffers from PTSD and was granted a miniature Doberman who helps him with the disorder, reminds him to take his medication and wakes him up from nightmares.

Anyone with information should contact the Dallas Police Department.

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Town gathers for 5th Annual Quinton Coples Community Weekend

The Free Press

WITN

The Daily Reflector

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — Nearly two dozen bills were signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory in the last 10 days, with dozens more awaiting his signature.

Among the new laws are requirements to get a state license in order to legally operate a beach bingo business, and an act to make a veteran’s parade in Warsaw, N.C., the official veteran’s parade of the state.

House Bill 474 has also become law, changing the way school track-out programs are treated. Originally, programs that catered to the care of children while they are tracked-out of year-round schools were held to the higher standards of child care providers. The law makes track-out program standards consistent with the year-round school standards from which the children are coming.

Another bill McCrory signed protects access to Medicaid waivers for military families. The law allows dependents of a service member to maintain waiver status even if the service member is transferred to a facility outside of North Carolina. The member must maintain a legal residence in North Carolina and intend on returning to the state upon completion of the assignment.

Sheyenne’s law is now official, as well.

The law stiffens penalties for impaired boaters that cause a death or serious injury as a result of their inebriation. The law is named after Sheyenne Marshall, a 17-year-old who was killed by an intoxi-

cated boater last year on Lake Norman.

The measure makes the penalties for boating while impaired resulting in death or serious injury consistent with penalties for impaired automobile drivers causing death or serious injury.

The Students Know Before You Go law is an act to provide accurate information to students on post-secondary options, graduation requirements and earnings outcomes of different college majors across the state. The bill is aimed at better preparing students for the transition from school to work, helping identify the skills needed for particular fields and what kind of income one can expect with certain degrees.

Other bills signed into law include administrative charter school changes, the adoption of uniform laws on guardianship and allowing partially disabled veterans with a special license plate to park in designated handicapped parking spaces.

Bills still awaiting McCrory’s signature include the 2016 budget that served as the legislative session’s main focus, as well as the Drinking Water Protection and Coal Ash Clean Up Act, which provides permanent drinking water supplies to those affected by the Dan River coal ash spill.

A change to the controversial H.B. 2, restoring the ability for individuals to sue for wrongful discharge in state courts, also awaits signature. The change has been a focus of McCrory’s ever since the passage of H.B. 2 and the resulting criticism related to the inability to sue for discrimination in state court.

McCrory strikes back at companies joining DOJ action against transgender bathroom law

By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH - Governor Pat McCrory responded Friday to a move by dozens of large U.S. companies to back the Obama administration in it’s bid to strike down a North Carolina law restricting the use of public bathrooms by transgender people. They claimed the law hurts their recruitment efforts and could discourage investment in the state.

In a friend-of-the-court brief filed in federal court in Winston-Salem, N.C., 68 companies including many out of state companies such as Apple Inc , Bloomberg LP, Microsoft Corp, General Electric Co and Nike Inc, said the law, known as H.B. 2, should be blocked pending the outcome of the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit seeking to have it overturned.

Governor Pat McCrory’s office issued the following statement from General Counsel Bob Stephens: “Balancing the competing values of privacy and equality is an important national debate.

But North Carolina does not believe that government at any level should

impose bathroom, locker room, or shower mandates on the private sector. North Carolina businesses can establish their own non-discrimination policies as well as set their own rules for bathrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities.

“North Carolina law protects the longheld expectations of privacy for women and children in government facilities, schools, and highway rest stops, while providing accommodations for special circumstances. It’s disappointing that some companies are joining the Obama Administration’s position which jeopardizes those long-held expectations of privacy. Those corporations that have joined the left-wing HRC are ignoring the fact that they operate in 22 other states, which like North Carolina, are challenging the federal government’s overreach.

“North Carolina welcomes businesses, which is why we have had the fourth fastest GDP growth in the county since 2013 and the ninth largest unemployment rate decline in the nation. In just the past 14 weeks, approximately 3,000 jobs have been announced across North Carolina.”

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North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

A6

north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Drew Elliot, opinion editor | Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor EDITORIALS | Drew Elliot

Don’t blame Roy Cooper for playing politics It is doubtful that Cooper made just one phone call to retard our economy, but it’s impossible to say how many more jobs are on his hands.

Roy Cooper doesn’t have many options in his campaign for governor. Despite holding office in Raleigh for 29 years, he is not well known outside the capital. Cleaning up the Duke lacrosse case, the one shining moment of Cooper’s career, was almost a decade ago.

In a strange way, this explains why he talks about bathrooms all the time. Not because he really wants to, but because he doesn’t have much choice.

Even if voters know who a politician is, beating an incumbent is still difficult. It’s even harder when there is a general feeling that things are going well. In North Carolina, gas prices are down, the economy is growing at a nationally recognized clip, unemployment is down, and the corruption that was once a constant in state politics has all but disappeared.

Gov. Pat McCrory doesn’t get all the credit for each those accolades, of course. But that hardly matters in politics. A politician trying to unseat an incumbent must convince voters that it’s worth it to make a change. So in the aftermath of Charlotte’s bathroom ordinance, Cooper saw an opportunity to hurt McCrory — but it wasn’t a perfect one.

Cooper needed a way to make identity-group politics relatable for the average voter, so he reached for two of the oldest levers in politics: fear and money. He needed to scare voters into believing that backlash from House Bill 2 would cost the state jobs and turn the economic clock back to the days of double-digit unemployment.

Was it really Cooper who personally orchestrated all this? While at first that idea seemed far-fetched, it’s starting to look like he did. The first evidence came in May, when the Wall Street Journal revealed that Cooper had called at least one company to play up the H.B. 2 issue. That phone call, confirmed by his campaign, led to Deutsche Bank AG’s decision to halt an expansion in Cary that would have brought 250 jobs to the Triangle. Take that, my fellow North Carolinians!

It is doubtful that Cooper made just the one phone call to retard our economy, but it’s impossible to say how many more jobs are on his hands. And worse, this kind of political meddling is becoming a pattern for Cooper.

Recently a group of lawmakers from both parties was working together on changes to House Bill 2, the bipartisan bill that was passed in response to the Charlotte ordinance — an ordinance that was passed by Democrats over bipartisan opposition. The bipartisan group was making headway. Then Roy Cooper started working the phones again, Charlotte television station WBTV reported.

Discussions ceased. “We were told Cooper was making personal phone calls to the 10 Democratic members saying if they wanted to be on the team in November they needed to vote against the bill,” a legislative source told the reporter.

To maintain the fiction of the state being led down the wrong path by pigheaded, all-or-nothing Republicans, the last thing Cooper needed was fellow Democrats consorting with Republicans.

The threats worked: 22 Democrats voted against a bill whose substance they had publicly supported — all in the name of politics.

As petty as it sounds, that is how Cooper wanted it.

First working to prevent jobs from coming to the state, then working to prevent legislators from collaborating. For Cooper the North Carolinian and the leader, it’s reprehensible behavior. But as a politician, it’s hard to blame him. He has few cards to play, so he has to make them look as good as they can look.

Win the election at any cost. Damn the citizens. Full speed ahead.

visual VOICES

statements that matter “Violence cannot lead us forward.”

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

“In less than 72 hours, we’ve seen two lives and two souls of black men — dead, and now we’ve seen five lives and five souls of policemen — dead.

We see two fathers, two sons, two brothers in the community, just trying to make it, being killed by those who are supposed to protect and serve. But we also see five officers, five public servants, five members of families, killed and shot while trying to protect and serve. ...

We’re seeing it too much. Rather than love and humanity, we’re seeing hate and inhumanity: violence and death and terrorism. And whether it’s the violence and police terror by those who misuse the badge, or the violence and terror against those who wear the badge and are doing their sworn duty, it is wrong.

Violence will only beget more violence…. In this moment we must mourn for those killed and the families left behind. We must denounce violence and embrace nonviolence. Violence cannot lead us forward.”

From a speech given by the Rev. William Barber, state president of the NC NAACP. Barber spoke to the media in Raleigh on Friday morning following the deaths of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota and the deaths of five policemen in Dallas this week.

BE IN TOUCH Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjvonline.com or 819 W. Hargett St. Raleigh, N.C. 27603. 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.

EDITORIALS | Ray Nothstine

Sam Ervin, Hillary Clinton, and the rule of law Equality under the law is just an ideal, a quant notion from the past, something that an “old country lawyer” might talk about.

North Carolina’s Sam Ervin became a household name when he presided as chair of the Senate Watergate committee in 1973. Ervin, who described himself as “an old country lawyer,” marveled viewers of the hearings with pithy quotes, often from Shakespeare or the Bible. One of his enduring legacies was reminding Americans nobody was above the law. “Divine right went out with the American Revolution,” declared the former judge and senator. Ervin called the president a “servant of the Constitution and not its master.” He continually reiterated that the same laws bind those at the very top of government as every other citizen.

While most Americans know that there is a different set of rules for many officials in government, perhaps it has not been so brazenly flaunted as it was with the Hillary Clinton email case this week. FBI Director James Comey essentially announced that Clinton met all the criteria for a felony in her handling of classified documents but was then let off the hook for lack of clear intent to commit a crime. Comey conceded in his press conference and in front of congressional lawmakers that the former secretary of state was “extremely careless.” The FBI director even added, “To be clear, this is not

to suggest that in similar circumstances, a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences.” Meaning virtually anybody else would be held to some level of accountability for his or her actions.

Questions remain about thousands of emails that were probably intentionally deleted.

On top of that, the secretive meeting last week of former president Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch at the Phoenix Airport only added to the bad optics in what appears to be a clear double standard. Then a jubilant Hillary Clinton traveled with President Barack Obama to Charlotte just as she was deemed cleansed of her crimes.

“If Main Street Americans did what Secretary Clinton did, they’d get a ride to prison. Instead, this week, Secretary Clinton got a ride on Air Force One,” declared Congressman Mark Meadows.

While criminal charges of any sort appear unlikely now, Clinton has been further exposed as a serial liar. This is nothing new, though. She still stands a good chance of becoming the next president. Donald Trump may be even better at repelling voters than Hillary Clinton is at losing them. Still, it’s disconcerting to hear the

head of the FBI declare that Clinton may not be “sophisticated enough” to understand material as being marked classified.

Many of the reasons that Clinton claims that she should be president have been eviscerated. Much of her campaign inevitably will go forward on the strength that at least she’s not Donald Trump. It might even be enough. But regardless of ideology, she serves as a powerful and visible image that Americans are not equal under the law.

Equality under the law is just an ideal, a quant notion from the past, something that an “old country lawyer” might talk about.

Ervin wasn’t right about everything, but he was right about justice and equality under the law. He once said, “A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service.” It almost seems surreal that as Americans we have to relearn that.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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Guest Opinion | RICHARD VINROOT

Charter schools: a good decision and wise investment for North Carolina Other 4%

Asian 3%

Asian 3%

Here’s how Congress can save Medicare

Hispanic 8%

Hispanic 17%

The more than 150 charter schools in N.C. have managed to compete effectively with larger school systems with similar groups of students.

Other 6%

Traditional Schools Black 26%

Charter Schools

Black 26% White 50%

A

ccording to recent data verified by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the demographic makeup of the children in our state’s traditional public school systems and public charter schools is almost identical. Except for the percentages of Hispanic students — who constitute 17 percent of the children in our public school systems and 8 percent in our charter schools — the two systems look much the same.

In their overall academic performance, however, the students who attended charter schools outperformed those attending school system schools on End of Grade (EOG) tests in 2014-15 by more than 10 percentage points (66.6 percent for charter students versus 56.2 percent for school system students).

Moreover, except for one category (academically or intellectually gifted students, where school system students out-scored charter school students by onehalf of one percentage point), charter school students also out-performed school system students in all of the other demographic sub-groups.

This is a significant accomplishment by the more than 150 charter schools in North Carolina that have managed to compete effectively with the larger

White 57%

school systems of our state with similar groups of students. The charter schools have done so at considerably less cost to our taxpayers. They have done it a) without the benefit of any capital funding, and b) with only 73 percent of “local current expense funding” provided to the students in our district school systems).

Certainly no one should argue that one system is better than the other — and I am not suggesting that.

However, I do believe that it is fair to conclude at this time that charter schools in North Carolina are working very well for all of our students, at a reduced cost to our taxpayers, and should be applauded for their success.

It appears to me that the N.C. General Assembly’s 1996 decision to implement school choice in our state through the creation of charter schools constituted good public policy, for which we should be very grateful.

Richard Vinroot is a former mayor of Charlotte and Republican candidate for governor. He is a lawyer with the firm Robinson Bradshaw and lives in Charlotte.

Female

Charter Schools 67.9%

Traditional Schools 58.3%

Male

65.3%

54.1%

American Indian

44.9%

41.2%

Asian

89.3%

76.8%

Black

46.8%

37.0%

Hispanic

58.6%

44.9%

Multi-racial

67.2%

56.5%

White

75.1%

68.5%

AIG

95.5%

96.0%

Economically disadvantaged

49.9%

41.5%

English learner

31.2%

22.2%

Migrant

75.0%

35.1%

Students with disabilities

30.9%

20.6%

Students proficient on End of Grade exams, 20142015 academic year.

Columnist | MICHAEL MUNGER

Repubexit? resumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is notorious for P interpreting events in ways that make him look good.

Trump may actually be right that Brexit has similarities to what is going on in the United States. But perhaps not in the way he thinks.

His first reaction to the Orlando massacre was a tweet that said: “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism…” His reactions to Brexit, the decision by Britain to exit the European Union, have also been solipsisms: “Many people are equating BREXIT, and what is going on in Great Britain, with what is happening in the U.S. …Good timing, I was here for BREXIT.” But Trump may actually be right in the case of Brexit: people might equate what’s going on in Great Britain with what is happening in the U.S. We might call it “Repubexit:” people leaving Republican Party because of Trump.

Of course, it may just be self-serving of me to expect this. My own Repubexit was in 2003. I had been a Republican since about 1982, and became a “Reagan Revolutionary,” working at the Federal Trade Commission as an economist. We were going to change the world, cutting taxes, eliminating regulations, and decentralizing power. Now, “we” (the Republicans) haven’t actually done many of those things, but hey, it’s hard, right? I was willing to make excuses.

Then, within one week in March 2003 two things happened that, in different ways, I couldn’t excuse.

The first was that George W. Bush performed elective surgery on the world map, invading Iraq.

The second was that I had dinner at an elegant restaurant in Durham with a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. The senator was a Republican, and later ran for president. There weren’t many other Republican professors at Duke, and so I was asked to host him that night. The senator talked pretty much non-stop about how 1) we had to shrink government, and 2) how he was sponsoring several bills that would expand government, increase spending, and centralize federal control over many areas. That did it and I quit.

Will this election cause a much more widespread Repubexit? Will Republicans vote with their feet, or their ballots, abandoning the GOP? I’m obviously biased, but it looks like it might happen. Humorist P.J. O’Rourke, who had managed to remain a Republican through a lot of trials and betrayals, said he’s voting for Clinton. Not that he’s a Clinton fan, mind you. But as P.J. put it, “I am endorsing Hillary, and all her lies and all her empty promises… It’s the second-worst thing that can happen to this country,

Robert Moffit

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

but she’s way behind in second place. She’s wrong about absolutely everything, but she’s wrong within normal parameters.”

More recently, George Will stepped up and announced his Repubexit. He switched his registration to “unaffiliated,” and said that “This is not my party,” in a considered response to the apparent clinching of the Republican nomination by Trump.

So, Trump may actually be right that Brexit has similarities to what “is going on in the United States.”

But perhaps not in the way he thinks.

On the other hand — and of course this is the hope of the Trump campaign — the loss of traditional Republicans may be more than made up by Trump’s populist appeal to unhappy Democrats. In the last week of June, four polls came out measuring the views of North Carolinians. The race is tied, at about 44 percent each, with many in the undecided category. If losing the George Will wing of the party is hurting Trump, it’s not showing up in the polls. We may get new partisan alignments, along with a new president.

Michael Munger is a professor and director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program at Duke University.

hen will Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund run out of money?

W A new report from the Medicare Trustees

says it will be exhausted in 2028 — two years earlier than projected last year. Using slightly different assumptions, the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the trust fund would be insolvent by 2026.

No matter how you slice it, the fund meets neither short-term nor long-term standards of “financial adequacy” (the trustees’ term). But the Trust Fund’s precarious financial state is merely the symptom of the growth of Medicare spending and financial burdens on seniors and taxpayers.

Over the next 10 years, Medicare spending will jump from $648 billion to $1.2 trillion.

During the next four years, it will grow faster than workers’ wages, the general economy and all other health spending. Medicare will eat up larger portions of the federal budget, and account for an ever growing chunk of the nation’s gross domestic product. The main driver is, of course, the accelerating enrollment of 77 million baby boomers.

In 2015, the general revenues required just to support Medicare Part B (the part that pays doctors) amounted to 13.5 percent of all personal and business income taxes. That share will climb to 16 percent by 2020, and reach 21.4 percent by 2030. That same year, the trustees project general revenues will account for 48 percent of all Medicare funding.

As the trustees warn, “Growth in general revenue financing as a share of GDP adds significantly to federal budget pressures.”

How to cope with Medicare spending growth is at the heart of the debate between President Obama and his critics. Obamacare was intended, in part, to slow Medicare spending increases by authorizing big Medicare payment cuts.

What does the ACA do to Medicare?

According to the Medicare Trustees, “By 2040 simulations suggest that approximately half of hospitals, 70 percent of skilled nursing facilities, and 90 percent of home health agencies would have negative total facility margins, raising the possibility of access and quality of care issues for Medicare beneficiaries.”

Medicare hospital payment today is only 61 percent of private payment, but under the ACA it could eventually decline to just 40 percent of private payment. For doctors, Congress changed Medicare payment formula in 2015, but the trustees say the 2015 change will also eventually result in much lower reimbursement than previous law, further aggravating problems of access to care for future seniors.

Then there’s the long-term challenge: the promised benefits to seniors that are not paid for. The technical term for this debt is Medicare’s unfunded obligation.

The Medicare Trustees project long-term unfunded obligations at $32.4 trillion, up from last year’s estimate of $28 trillion. If current law changes (meaning, among other things, that Congress overturns the physician payment cuts slated to take effect in the future), the Medicare actuary posts the total bill at $43.5 trillion.

So, America’s dilemma is this: if Obamacare succeeds in driving down Medicare payments, then medical professionals get lower reimbursement and patients face reduced access to care. If Obamacare fails to curb Medicare spending, costs continue to climb, taxpayers and seniors are stuck with bigger bills, and working families face hideous debt.

In their latest report the trustees plead, once again, for Congress and the executive to address Medicare’s problems with a “sense of urgency.” Reform legislation, they say, is needed sooner rather than later.

As a first step, Congress could make changes to modernize Medicare. It could generate substantial savings by expanding the “means testing” of Medicare premiums from 6 percent to 10 percent of the total Medicare population; gradually raising the age of Medicare eligibility to 68; and simplifying the traditional program by combining Parts A and B, rationalizing the cost sharing and adding a catastrophic benefit.

From there, Congress could expand the defined contribution financing system (“premium support”) to the entire Medicare program. The Medicare drug program is the best model for that financing arrangement. Intense competition among plans and providers has proven savings, while stimulating innovation in medical delivery and better patient care.

Americans don’t have to settle for today’s dysfunctional Medicare status quo or tomorrow’s gloomy Medicare future. But lawmakers must act sooner rather than later.

Robert E. Moffit, PhD. is a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation and former senior official of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Personnel Management.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

A8

NATION& WORLD S&P 500 nears record high after jobs report

By Donna King North State Journal NEW YORK — The benchmark S&P 500 stock index brushed against its record closing high on Friday as Wall Street rallied after a much-larger-than-expected jump in jobs growth allayed fears of a slow down after a dismal jobs report for May. The S&P briefly traded above its record close but ended less than a point below it, coming within three points of the all-time intraday high of 2,134.72.

“The equity market is telling you the second quarter economy looks better than the first quarter,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities in New York.

He said if earnings season, which begins next week, provides investors with a strong outlook, the S&P will likely break the record and has a chance at rallying from there. According to FACTSET, the S&P 500 is expected to report a year-over-year decline in earnings of 5.6 percent for

Campaigns from page A1 Cooper took Trump’s presence in the state as an opportunity to tie Republican Gov. Pat McCrory to the often controversial statements from the Republican presidential candidate.

“Even here in North Carolina, we’ve seen the damage that one reckless act has cost our economy,” Cooper said. “The last thing America needs is a reckless president.”

Clinton echoed Cooper’s comments.

“Donald Trump is simply unqualified and temperamentally unfit to be president,” Clinton said. “Here in North Carolina, this election is our chance to say our country is better than this. In America, we don’t tear each other down. We lift each other up. We build bridges, not walls. We don’t call the country we love a disaster and a laughingstock. We know that America is the greatest country on Earth.”

Trump in Raleigh In the capital city of Raleigh, Trump got standing ovations and cheers as he took aim at Clinton’s policy positions and Tuesday’s decision from FBI Director James Comey that she will not face charges of mishandling classified information. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said she would accept the recommendations of the FBI. “Today is the best evidence we’ve ever seen that our system is totally rigged,” said Trump before approximately 2,200 supporters at Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh. “Hillary Clinton put our entire country in danger. It was confirmed today that she routine-

the second quarter, making the near record-high market prices suspect.

“The old high has been resistance and if you break it and see earnings growth and relatively good guidance, people will probably try to get in front of that,” said Hogan.

Some analysts said the strong jobs number could put an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve back on the table, even as concerns linger over the global economic impact from Britain’s vote last month to leave the European Union.

Financial stocks on the S&P 500, which may benefit from a rate hike, gained 1.8 percent. Wells Fargo and JPMorgan were among the biggest boosts to the broad index, while Goldman Sachs’ 2.3 percent rise provided the biggest boost to the Dow. The Dow Jones industrial average closed 250.86 points, or 1.4 percent, higher at 18,146.74; the S&P 500 gained 32 points, or 1.53 percent, to 2,129.9 and the Nasdaq Composite added 79.95 points, or 1.64 percent, to 4,956.76.

ly sent classified emails through an insecure network.

“We now know that she lied to the country when she said she did not send classified information through her server. She was grossly incompetent, and the lives of American people were put in danger so she could continue her corrupt financial dealings and hide what she was doing.”

Trump also criticized Clinton and Obama’s use of Air Force One for the Charlotte campaign stop.

“Why is she campaigning with a plane owned by the United States?” Trump said. “He can take that kind of time off to take Air Force One and campaign for her?

She was standing there with the presidential seal. She doesn’t look presidential to me folks, I can tell you that.”

While his comments on Clinton drew cheers from the audience, the key points of the speech that triggered standing ovations were Trump’s comments on the economy and battling ISIS. “Hillary Clinton’s policies have spread ISIS and made Iran the dominant power in the Middle East. She can’t keep her emails safe, and folks, she sure as hell can’t keep our country safe,” he said. “We need fresh, tough, bold ideas from people who know what they’re doing, people who don’t worry about political correctness.

“We are going to bring jobs back to North Carolina and to our country. It’s going to be America first, not all these other countries who don’t give a damn about us,” he said. “We are going to take our country back, and we want to help everybody, African-American youth, Hispanics, Latinos, we have to take it back for all of us.”

Trump was introduced by Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and Ken McK-

For the week, the three major indexes posted gains of more than 1 percent.

All major S&P 500 sectors were higher, led by gains in materials and industrials, which tend to outperform when the economy is seen expanding.

The CBOE Volatility index, Wall Street’s “fear gauge,” which has swung wildly since the June 23 vote

by Britons to leave the European Union, ended at its lowest since late May. However some investors remained concerned about the effects of “Brexit” and the upcoming earnings season. Near record lows in 10- and 30-year U.S. government bond yields underscored those concerns.

“I am maintaining a cautious outlook for the next couple of months,” said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors in New York, citing Brexit, uncertainty about rate hikes and the November U.S. presidential election.

Reuters contributed to this report.

ay, Trump’s senior adviser and a 1991 graduate of High Point University. McKay was the campaign manager for Chris Christie before the New Jersey governor dropped out of the Republican nomination race.

Reaction While there were no reports of violence or arrests at either rally, both had a handful of protesters demonstrating outside. Three protesters were removed from inside the Trump event early, while an announcement was made to the audience not to confront protesters directly.

Overall, supporters attending both rallies seemed to find the messages they came to hear. Jerri Jackson, a retiree living in Mooresville, said she has been a continued supporter of Clinton.

“She is the right person for the job,” Jackson said. “I knew it a long time ago, but she’s always worked to help children, education and healthcare.”

John Cauldwell, on the other hand, said Trump’s message speaks to his priorities as a business owner and father.

“I’m very opposed to Hillary,” he said. “We have a son in the military, and I don’t trust her judgment. She just has a lot of baggage that follows her and I think we can do better for president.

Trump knows how to employ people and I believe him about bringing jobs back to this country and strengthening our military.”

Both candidates were on planes by Tuesday night, headed for their next campaign stops.

They are vetting possible running mates in preparation for the political party conventions later this month.

shootings from page A1 Thursday’s shooting sent protesters running in panic while swarms of police found themselves under attack by what they believed to be multiple gunmen using high-powered rifles at ground level and on rooftops.

During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman said “the end is coming,” according to Dallas Police Chief David Brown.

“He said he was upset about the recent police shootings,” Brown said. “The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”

The Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, called for nonviolence from both police and protesters.

“Whether it’s the violence and terror by those who misuse the badge or the violence and terror against those who wear the badge and are doing their sworn duty, it is wrong,” Barber said. “Violence will only beget more violence,” Barber said.

Thursday’s attack was the deadliest day for police in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

NEWS IN IMAGES

Shailesh Andrade | Reuters

A boy stands under an overflowing dam along Powai Lake after heavy rains in Mumbai, India, on Monday.

NCGA from page A1 budgeting,” said House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) of the session’s fiscal focus.

“Through close collaboration, House and Senate budget writers helped achieve these goals in a major way.”

Teacher, state employee pay raises With the passage of the budget, overall education spending increases $512 million. Teachers will receive an average 4.7 percent pay raise, bringing average teacher salaries to $5j0,186 next year. The budget includes a provision for a third grade teacher bonus program, totaling $10 million, that rewards the top 25 percent of third grade teachers across the state and the top 25 percent of teachers in each local education area. Third grade teachers could potentially receive bonuses of up to $6,500.

The budget included 1.5 percent raises for all state employees, as well as a half percent bonus. It also funded merit-based pay increases across all state employees.

State retirees were awarded a one-time bonus of 1.6 percent in the budget, in lieu of an earlier House proposal that instituted a recurring cost of living adjustment for retired state employees. The judiciary also received a 4.5 percent salary increase.

The budget fixes college tuition for a standard degree term for all University of North Carolina institutions and enacts reduced $500 per semester tuition for Western Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University and University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

“I think it gives families some certainty on what the cost of education will be,” said Sen. Harry Brown (R-Jacksonville).

Tax cuts and savings

Jeffrey Dubinsky | Reuters

Sandra Sterling reacts during a community vigil Wednesday in memory of her nephew, Alton Sterling, who was shot dead by police at the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge, La., on July 5.

A total of 12 police officers and two civilians were shot during the attack, officials said. Three of the officers who were shot were women.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory released a statement Friday in support of the fallen officers.

“Ann and I are heartbroken after the terrible tragedy in Dallas,” the statement said. “Our prayers go out to our dedicated

law enforcement officers across our nation and our state who risk their lives every day to protect and serve. During times like this, we must all come together and support one another in our communities.”

Presidential candidates Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton canceled planned events following the attack.

The budget increased the standard deduction, or zero tax bracket, to $17,500 over two years, a more than 12 percent increase. As a result, a family with a median income of $44,000 a year will save an extra $110 in the first year with the change, with additional savings going forward.

A measure to reduce the cap on personal income taxes from 10 percent to 5.5 percent, offering voters the chance to amend the state constitution with the new limit, failed to make it out of House committee after passing the Senate. Still, majority leaders continued the pivot away from income taxes and toward sales taxes by further expanding sales taxes to services and clarifying which service-related businesses do, and do not, collect sales taxes.

The budget also dedicated a record amount to the state’s rainy-day fund, totaling approximately 7.5 percent of the budget, for a total fund reserve of nearly $1.6 billion.

“This budget puts close to $500 million in our savings reserves,” said Brown. “I think that’s important, as we look in the future when that next recession does come, how we’ve prepared ourselves for that.”

Unfinished business The short session also tackled unfinished business from last session, most notably addressing property owners whose water supplies were affected by the Dan River coal ash spill. The session’s lone veto by Gov. Pat McCrory came when legislators again passed a coal ash bill that McCrory said ran counter to the N.C. Supreme Court’s McCrory v. Berger decision on the issue of commission appointments.

Rather than a protracted legal fight, the chambers passed a consensus bill that provides for permanent water supplies for affected property owners, and allows for reclassification of certain coal ash sites. The new bill has not been signed as of press time.

A new Jessica Lunsford Act bans registered sex offenders convicted of crimes against children from certain places, adding specificity after a court ruled part of the law was too vague. Reporting requirements for state agencies implementing last session’s Medicaid reform law were also bolstered.

Also awaiting the governor’s signature is a bill that allows for the establishment of Achievement School Districts, comprised of chronically low performing schools and subject to outside administrative management under the authority of the State Board of Education.

In one of their last legislative acts of 2016 before adjourning, and perhaps the most heavily anticipated item of the session, lawmakers passed a technical fix related to the controversial Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, or H.B. 2.

After overtures made by McCrory and leaders in the House and Senate were reportedly rejected by conservative Republican caucus members, and reports Democrat gubernatorial nominee and current Attorney General Roy Cooper warned Democrats off any proposals short of a full repeal, any fix at all a seemed an uphill climb. In the end, a bill was passed that restored an individual’s cause for action in state court as it relates to discrimination in wrongful termination cases. The change fulfills a pledge by McCrory to work with the legislature to insure an individual’s ability to sue in state court in such cases, but was widely panned as insufficient by opponents of H.B. 2.

Being an election year, lawmakers will now switch into full campaign mode, while North Carolinians from Murphy to Manteo take inventory of how any changes may affect their bottom line, both personally and economically, going forward. A brand new budgeting process and a long legislative session will begin in earnest in January 2017.

the Sunday Sideline report

MLB

1. Reigning MVP Cam Newton was ranked No. 1 on the NFL Network’s annual ‘Top 100’ list. He was joined in the top 10

by Luke Kuechly, ranked No. 7.

2. Portugal and France advanced in the Euro 2016 semifinals and will play on Sunday in France.

3. NBA Free Agency shake ups: Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors, Dwyane Wade to the Chicago Bulls and Al Horford to the Boston Celtics.

4. Seattle Seahawks and former NC State quarterback Russell Wilson and singer Ciara were married on Wednesday.

5. Syracuse named John Wildhack, a 36-year ESPN veteran, as its next athletic director.

@dwyanewade: Relationships are important people!

Eamon queeney | north state journal

Helicopters fly over the field as soldiers wave a giant flag for the playing of the national anthem before the Major League Baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on July 3. The game goes down in history as the first regular-season professional game of any sport played on an active military base. The Miami Marlins defeated the Atlanta Braves 5 - 2.

SPORTS NBA

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

@lahlahlindsey: Has anyone considered canceling the Rio Olympics

all of Famer Bobby Cox took a seat in the Fort H Bragg mess hall and let soldiers

@espn_macmahon: David West might as well carry around a sign: WILL WORK FOR RING

NBA

Former Pack coach Lowe joins Wizards Former NC State basketball coach Sidney Lowe joined the Wizards as one of the team’s assistants, the team announced this week. Lowe will serve as an assistant under head coach Scott Brooks and will join a group of coaches including Tony Brown, Chad Iske, Mike Terpstra and Maz Trakh. Lowe was the coach at NCSU from 2006-2011 and has since served as an assistant with the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Duke

Longtime voice of the Blue Devils to retire after 2016-17 Bob Harris, the “Voice of the Blue Devils” for the last four decades, announced he will step down at the end of this academic year. The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame broadcaster is the longest-tenured announcer in ACC history after starting with Duke in 1976. In 2016, Harris received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine along with receiving N.C. Broadcaster of the Year from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association three times.

ECU

Williams-Sutton named First-Team Freshman All-American Dwanya Williams-Sutton of Wilson, N.C. was named a First-Team Freshman AllAmerican by D1Baseball on Wednesday. It’s the third freshman All-America honor for the N.C. native after he became the first Pirate to lead a conference in batting average (.360) since 2005.

WWII vet, Braves fan gets game of a lifetime at Bragg

Kyle Terada | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30, right) is congratulated by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) after game seven of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 96-88.

Durant bolts OKC for the Bay in gamechanging decision

By Brian Geisinger North State Journal he Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder met T in the 2012 NBA Finals. LeBron

James versus Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade versus Russell Westbrook, Chris Bosh versus James Harden. The offensive firepower on the court was undeniably awesome. In the Thunder we were watching the beginnings of budding dynasty — built on three superstars, Oklahoma City would be in the Finals year after year. The Thunder won the first game, 10594, behind Durant — only 23 at the time — scoring 36 points.

The Thunder were three wins away from a championship, and they would never get closer with

Durant on the roster.

The Heat, led by James, won the next four games. That offseason the Thunder dealt Harden to Houston. Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka battled through injuries over the next few years.

They got within one win of the Finals again before coughing up a lead to the Warriors and a hobbled Steph Curry.

The final deathblow to what could be the greatest “What If” team in league history just took place: Kevin Durant — the greatest player in franchise history — left in free agency to those same Warriors. The next jersey for KD to don will be that of the Golden State, and that’s when this new reality will finally set in.

See durant, page B8

This team will blanket the court with three of the ten greatest shooters in the history of basketball and Durant will get looks he could’ve only dreamed about during his time in OKC.

and their families come to him.

The 75-year-old former Braves manager was willing to sign every autograph and pose for every picture.

But there was one person who made him stand up from his seat and walk across the mess hall, weaving between tables and plunging through crowds of fans.

Braves slugger Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis were so deluged by admirers, it quickly became clear they would never get to eat lunch. So military officials whisked them into a private room off the mess hall to eat in peace before going back out to meet their fans.

But one person was given admittance to the private room, so Freeman could meet him.

The man was Hubert Edwards, a 97-year-old World War II veteran and lifelong Braves fan.

“He’s been a fan for more than 60 years,” his wife said.

“But he’s never been to a game!”

The year Edwards was born, Babe Ruth entered the season with 20 lifetime home runs.

When he was stationed at Fort Bragg in 1937, Ted Williams hit

For more tales and images from the Braves game at Fort Bragg, see pages B4 and B5.

.291 in his second pro season, in Double-A. Edwards didn’t spend much time at Fort Bragg because the world was in the process of going to war. He served in the Army, where he was reminded of home by listening to broadcasts of Braves games on the radio.

A military official found out Edwards’ story and learned he had never seen his favorite team play. The official set out to rectify the issue while giving Edwards the opportunity of a lifetime.

Edwards approached a table of Braves players, all just sitting down to eat lunch. When the players found out who he was, they leapt up, meals forgotten, and crowded around him.

“Do you think you could give us an inning on the mound tonight?” asked pitcher Tyrell Jenkins, who was born the year Edwards turned 73.

Instead, Edwards served as the Braves’ honorary coach for the game.

He had a team full of wideeyed admirers.

inside

Logan Bowles | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Former NC State baseball star Trea Turner is the rare top prospect forced to face a circuitous path to the majors. Turner’s been traded and forced to change position. Despite that, he continues to grow as a player and person and was called back up to the Nationals on Friday. He talked to Shawn Krest about his previous stint in the bigs and his future with Washington. B3

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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NS J beyond the box score 07.10.16

POTENT QUOTABLES

Zeek Rodney: Wake Forest starting nose guard took leave of absence from football. According to the school, Rodney plans to return in 2017 after addressing “personal issues.”

Dwyane Wade: Wade signed a two-year, $47.5M deal with the Chicago Bulls after his relationship with the Miami Heat fizzled.

Matt Harvey: New York Mets placed Harvey on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury that is expected to require season-ending surgery.

MLB All-Star Game: The rosters for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, set for Tuesday, July 12 in San Diego, were announced.

Jon Jones: Former UFC light heavyweight champ was pulled from his title bout against Daniel Cormier at UFC 200 after U.S. Anti-Doping Agency informed Jones of a potential doping violation.

Lionel Messi: Messi and his father, Jorge, were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud. Spanish courts sentenced the Argentinian star to 21 months in jail.

David West: Garner native signed veteran’s minimum deal to join the Warriors for the 201617 season.

Roy Hibbert: Hornets signed former Pacers All-Star to one-year, $5M contract.

Wimbledon

Roger Federer’s dream of an 18th Grand Slam fell apart Friday when he lost to Milos Raonic in the men’s semifinals. Federer fell in the finals the last two years and remains without a GS win since 2012.

Paul Childs | reuters

“It’s no problem.

We can postpone the wedding” Dominika Cibulkova on potentially making Wimbledon finals, same day as her wedding

NCAA baseball

7 Led by Nick Feight and Steven Linkous, the UNCW baseball team finished in the top-10 nationally for seven different offensive categories (home runs, home runs per game, runs, runs per game, hits, batting average, slugging) in the final NCAA statistics.

Susan Mullane | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Euro 2016 finals

von miller | twitter

Christian Hartmann | Reuters

Hot Dog Patriotism

70 Joey Chestnut won the 100th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest with 70 hot dogs and buns consumed in 10 minutes — the most hot dogs and buns ever eaten at the event— to reclaim the Mustard Yellow International Belt Monday.

miller wants in

France toppled Germany 2-0 and Portugal bested Wales 2-0 to set up an outstanding Euro 2016 final Sunday.

Super Bowl MVP Von Miller jumped in on the NBA Free Agency fun this week. Using a photoshopped picture of himself in a Golden State Warriors uniform, Miller joked that he too would be joining the superstar team.

North Carolinians compete for Olympic spots

Kirby Lee | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Hickory, N.C. native Ryan Hill (second from left) was one of several athletes with North Carolina ties competing for a spot on the United States Olympic team during Track and Field trials in Oregon this week.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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mlb

Logan Bowles | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner (7) throws for an out in the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Space Coast Stadium. The Washington Nationals won 9-4.

Trea Turner on his cup of coffee,

learning a new position and his Wolfpack ties

By Shawn Krest North State Journal ormer NC State shortstop Trea Turner has had a Ftumultuous three years in pro

baseball. After being chosen in the first round of the 2014 draft by the Padres, he played for two different Class-A teams and an Arizona Fall League team in the next four months.

Last season, the Padres traded Turner to the Washington Nationals, and he ended up playing for four different teams, including a 27-game stint in the majors at the end of the season. This season, Turner played the entire year in Triple-A Syracuse, save for a three-day promotion to the big leagues and his call-up prior to the All-Star Break.

Turner recently returned to the DBAP as a visiting player and newly minted Triple-A All Star.

There’s also more transition, as Turner is seeing time in centerfield. With the Nationals set at shortstop for the near future, center is likely Turner’s fastest path to the big leagues — the versatile prospect was recalled to the big leagues again on Friday.

North State Journal: You’re learning a new position, how has that been?

Turner: “I’m getting used to it. I’ve played four games in centerfield now. It’s been … not easy but smooth. It’s been a smooth transition. I haven’t had any problems. It’s just baseball.

I used to play it when I was a little kid, and that’s what I feel like. I’m 10 or 11, trying to make every play.”

there, hopefully, and if I get that opportunity, I want to take advantage of it. If it’s not there, I want to play short as long as I possibly can. So I’m keeping an open mind, but, at the same time, I’m competitive and want to play shortstop.”

What’s the biggest adjustment to playing center?

“I think mostly it’s knowing where to throw the ball in game situations. On pop flies, it’s mostly get behind it and catch it. Catch it coming in and make good throws. Catching ground balls, it’s basics there.

But knowing when to throw to third base, when to throw to home, when to get it into second base and keep the double play in order, that takes time.”

You had a brief call-up in June. How were you able to refocus after returning to the minors?

“I don’t know. I think that’s the way I was raised. I’m always going to look at the positives. I’ve got a good chance to come down here and get better. I think I’ve gotten better in the last week or two. Offensively I’m swinging a better bat than I was at the beginning of the year, and I’m playing a lot better defense. I think my competitive nature helps me focus on what’s in front of me and keeps me happy.”

How have things changed for you since you left NC State?

Will you miss playing short?

“I don’t think too much. I’ve gotten a little wiser professional baseball wise. You learn a lot in your first half year. I got traded real quickly, so I learned it’s a business. Things happen. Things go around. I switched teams four or five times and played with a lot of different people, whereas in college, you’re stuck on one team and get a chance to work with the same coaching staff and same team for four or five years.

I guess that part’s changed, but I feel like I’m the same kid, the same guy as I was in college.”

“I’m real competitive. I want to be a shortstop, but at the same time, there’s an opportunity

After playing for four teams in two organizations last year, you’ve had 80 games in

What has the Nationals organization said about the position change?

“Not much. They don’t tell people much about anything like that. They came to me awhile ago and asked if I would take some reps out there. So far I’ve done that. You guys know as much as I do. It’s close to the vest.”

Reinhold Matay | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner (7) throws to first base during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium

Trea Turner Age: 23 Hometown: Lake Worth, FL College: NC State Team: Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals Triple-A team) MLB Debut: August 21, 2015 Bats: Right Throws: Right Position: 2B/SS/CF Twitter: @TreaVTurner

Syracuse this year. Has that stability helped?

“I think it just helps in the beginning. I always got off to a slow start everywhere I went. So three or four times last year, I got off to slow starts. This year, I was a little bit more comfortable early on. After a couple weeks, you get used to everything, and it shouldn’t be too bad after

that.”

You made the International League All-Star team. What does that honor mean to you?

“It means a lot. You get voted for that. So a lot of people think you’ve done a lot to get there. It’s special. You want to be the best and be competitive. If you’re an All Star, then you’re doing something.”

This is your first time playing in the area as a pro. What is it like to be back?

“It’s great to be able to come back and see people I haven’t seen in a long time and get a chance to see my parents, my girlfriend, because you don’t get to see them much up in the Northeast, playing in Syracuse.”

How do you deal with the speculation that you might get called up to Washington in the very near future?

“I’m going to keep at it. I went 1-for-5 last night. We won. I’m just trying to win every at-bat

and have good at-bats. If I have a bad at-bat, just try to improve on it.”

What were your impressions of the Wolfpack’s season?

“I was pretty hurt by that whole rain delay and loss to Coastal, but if somebody had to win, I’d have picked Coastal, since that’s who [NCSU] lost to. It’s tough, but it’s nice being competitive, hosting regionals, having a chance to go to superregionals.”

How often do you keep in touch with Coach Avent?

“I talked to him a couple weeks ago, about the snake incident. I think I sent a text to him when I got called up, too. I talk to him a few times throughout the year.”

If there was one person in baseball who would miss a game due to a snake bite…

“Only him. That’s exactly what I said when I heard it. That would only happen to him.”

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

Playing ball at Fort Bragg

B5

Braves and Marlins make history with MLB game on military base

Stories by Shawn Krest | Photos by Eamon Queeney North State Journal

On Independence Day weekend, the Miami Marlins played the Atlanta Braves at the newly constructed ball park at Fort Bragg to honor the

country’s servicemen and servicewomen. The game goes down in history as the first regularseason professional game of any sport played

on an active military base. The Marlins defeated the Braves 5 - 2. These are the stories we found beyond the box score from the historic night.

Relishing the moment Do not let Dario Alavarez pack your parachute skilled 82nd Airborne parachute rigger can pack a A chute, solo, in about 30 minutes.

It took Braves reliever Dario Alvarez significantly longer.

The Braves were visiting the parachute packing facility. While infielder Emiliano Bonifacio and starter Julio Teheran were trying on the equipment, and the coaching staff was exploring the inside of a cargo chute, Alvarez went to work folding a chute.

It’s a big job. “There’s a lot,” said Warrant Officer One Joshua Hendrax, who is in charge of the 156 parachute riggers at the Fort Bragg facility. “It’s really technical. With the old chutes, you had room you could play with. With the new system, there’s a lot of little things you have to do exactly right.”

For instance, the corner arms and vents need to be folded correctly. The pack assist loops can’t be tangled. And the slider needs to be in the middle. Not sure what all of that is? Don’t worry, neither is Alvarez. What could possibly go wrong?

“If it’s not done exactly the

enjoyed the Fort Bragg Game more than Francoeur.

NTheoJeffone loneliest item in the mess hall at Fort Bragg

right way, every single time,” Hendrax explained, “the parachute will not deploy correctly. It will go into a spin and not fully inflate. The friction from your fall could straight-up burn the canopy. If that happens, that little hole in the top? It becomes a big hole.”

Alvarez sought out help. Two riggers walked him through the process, and a third eventually took over, finishing the job of getting the giant chute into a 56-pound package to be worn on a diver’s back.

Or maybe not.

“It takes awhile,” Hendrax said. “A new rigger will dry pack chutes, not to be used, until I certify that he’s safe to pack live chutes. It takes about three to four days of dry packing all day until I’ll even attempt to certify them.”

So no one wants to jump with Alvarez’s masterpiece?

“Absolutely not,” said one of the riggers that assisted him, while the soldiers looking on murmur their agreement. “Not in the slightest.”

Atlanta Braves pitcher Joel De La Cruz (60), right, gets a little help as he trades hats with Sergeant first class Alex Burnett, left, of the 82nd Airborne before the Major League Baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on July 3.

was Francoeur’s lunch. He got a tray, loaded with burger and fries, and there it sat, in front of the salad bar, while Francoeur signed autographs and mugged for selfies with soldiers and their families.

Francoeur wore an expression of wide-eyed joy bigger than the kids he hugged. Each time a person in uniform thanked him after getting their souvenir, Francoeur responded with, “Thank you for having us!”

When the last person with a pen or cell phone cleared away from the salad bar, Francoeur turned and picked up his lunch, now ice cold. Then he noticed a couple, holding hands, a respectful distance away.

“Did you want a picture?” he asked, then set down his tray before they could decline. He approached the husband and wife and signed for them.

The Braves outfielder, affectionally known as “Frenchy,” was full of Americana at Fort Bragg. He ran around like a fan, drinking in the atmosphere everywhere he went.

“It’s awesome man,” he said. “Probably more just because I’ve been around awhile now, and you get to do a lot of awesome things. Doing something like this is just the best. This has been the best experience for me.”

In his excitement, Francoeur found it difficult to put his feelings into words, or even complete a sentence.

“Just the way they put the field up and did this,” he said. “They welcomed us so much. We’re just … awesome to be here. The fun part hasn’t even started yet.

We’re going to be here for the game and put on a show for these guys. Oh man. I mean, the biggest military base in the U.S.? All day, these guys have been nothing but gracious hosts … especially to get to do this on the base. It’s the best.”

Finally alone, Francoeur reunited with his lunch tray and headed into the seating area, packed with hundreds more soldiers and their families. A base official approached him and offered to let him sit in a private room, so he could eat his cold meal in peace before greeting more admirers.

Francoeur gawked at him in shock.

“No way,” he said. “I’ve got kids. I’m used to eating with interruptions.”

Fort Bragg game rang close to home for Braves’ Peterson raves manager Brian Snitker was expressing his enthusiasm for B the 82nd Airborne when his second baseman stole the show.

“I think if I were Jace [Peterson]’s age, I might try jumping out of a plane,” Snitker said prior to the Braves’ game against the Marlins on Fort Bragg. “But I think I might be too old to do it now.”

That’s when Peterson, seated to his manager’s right, spoke up.

“I have jumped out of a plane,” he said.

The moment was true to form for the infielder who has made himself into one of the Braves’ most-reliable hitters. No matter what the stakes or obstacles, the humble Peterson keeps working, keeps a positive attitude, and keeps a low profile.

Peterson battled through a thumb injury that plagued him much of last

The Heavy Hitters, the Atlanta Brave’s drumline, perform before the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on July 3..

Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto (11) slides into second as Atlanta Braves shortstop Erick Aybar (1) loses the ball in the seventh inning of the Major League Baseball game at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Sunday, July 3..

Missing the game for all the right reasons W arrant Officer One Joshua Hendrax greeted the Braves players visiting the parachute packing facility and explained just what was at stake for the 156 people he oversees.

“There are no off days here,” he advised. “We have to be on our A-game every single day or people die.”

Hendrax describes himself as the “quality control guy” for the 500 chutes the facility packs on an average day. (They’ll be packing 5,000 chutes over the next five days.)

“My job is to ensure that this

facility and everything that goes out is done to standard,” he said.

Hendrax is the prototype soldier MLB was thinking of when it decided to hold a game at Fort Bragg for the troops. The Warrant Officer won tickets in the lottery to attend the Braves-Marlins game, but he gave them up instead.

“No, I won’t be going to the game,” he said, a few hours before first pitch. “What we try to do is ensure that all the soldiers have tickets and that everyone out there…” he gestured toward the floor, where riggers were hard at

work, packing chutes, “gets to go to the game. They do all the hard work during the day. I just stand around and make sure they do it right.”

Not that Hendrax was overly disappointed about missing the event.

“I’ll get to spend some time with my family,” he said. “We’ve (the unit) been gone a lot. We just got back from Germany, where we assisted in a large airborne operation for three or four weeks.

So I’ll get to spend the two or three hours during the game with them.”

Fans wave a flag covered with signatures during the game.

season. Earlier this year, he was demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett. Rather than sulking, Peterson went to work, and since his return to Atlanta, he’s been a different man at the plate. An 0-for-5 day at Fort Bragg snapped a 13-game hitting streak.

Despite that, the day was a positive experience for the aspiring airman.

“Two of my grandfathers were in the military, both in the Vietnam War,” he said. “They don’t like to talk about it too much. It really touches home for me, just because I know what they’ve been through and the sacrifices they’ve made for their country. I’m huge on family. I know that what they did for us was all about their families.

They did it to protect us. They did it to provide for us. We live the life we live because of all of our heroes. It’s really a special privilege to be here.”

Unfortunately, Peterson will be

much closer to Snitker’s age before he gets the chance to skydive again.

MLB contracts expressly prohibit players from jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.

“That’s probably one of the most exhilarating things I’ve done,” Peterson said. “I know I can’t do it now, but eventually, I’d like to do it a lot more.”

While Peterson and his teammates got to meet with special ops and see how they train, he looked jealously at former NFL wide receiver Hines Ward. The day before Peterson’s tour, Ward, no longer under the constraints of a pro sports contract, was able to do a tandem jump out of a plane with the Black Knights skydiving team.

“I was mad,” Peterson said. “They didn’t let us do that. We got the beginner’s tour. That was a little disappointing.”

Phillies fans, Master Sergeant Jonathan Harvey, of the 82nd Airborne, and his daughter Aisling, 6, check out batting practice from the field before the Major League Baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, on July 3.

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North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

2016 rio olympics

NC State rifle shooter Kozeniesky focused on W.I.N.

By Liz Moomey North State Journal ALEIGH — Lucas Kozeniesky moved his rifle R to his shoulder, connected the

circles with his right eye through his glasses and squeezed the trigger. His left eye is blocked by a piece of paper with three handwritten letters: “W-I-N.” The rising NC State senior is headed to the Summer Olympics in Rio to compete Aug. 8 in the 10m air rifle event, but his focus is on one thing — What’s Important Now. “W.I.N.” was Kozeniesky’s motivation this year to improve in both rifle and academics, as well as a phrase he picked up from his grandfather, who emphasized a focus on the present.

“Something I’ve done over the last year is really change my focus from he big picture of ‘Oh, I’m going to do this incredible big thing’ to ‘I’m going to achieve this small goal of walk over to x, achieve it, and look over at y,’” Kozeniesky said.

His first small goal began at the NC State-Navy match. That’s when Kozeniesky set a goal of breaking the air rifle record. He did that and more, shooting a personal best in both small bore and air rifle, while breaking the school record in the latter.

“That was probably the first time I set a goal and went out to achieve it, and I did do it,” Kozeniesky said. “I used that model to get where I am now.”

Setting goals is what helped the future Olympian become better at a sport he only began to play in high school.

“I ended up the worst on my team,” he said. “At the end of that year, I’m like ‘I’m going to get better next year,’ and since then it’s been the small goals in front of me that I hold on to.”

Making the Olympics wasn’t actually his goal. Instead, he simply wanted to have the best performance of his life at every event. This hyper-focused mindset will continue when he competes in Rio. “The goal is the same goal I had at trials — to have the best performance ever,” Kozeniesky said. “If I finish up last, if I had my best performance, then who cares. [Same] if I finish up ninth and don’t get the chance to medal. If I medal, that would be awesome. I just want to go there and perform.”

He’s still excited to be a part of Team USA, and being afforded a lifetime opportunity.

“It’s a pretty cool feeling of being one of the first NC State shooters to go to the Olympics,” he said. “I have a lot of family members in the military, so it is cool that I get to represent my country on the big stage.”

Kozeniesky has been bouncing around the world attending training camps to prepare, leaving him little time to think about

Madeline Gray | north state journal

Lucas Kozeniesky, a rising senior at NC State, practices rifle shooting on July 1 in Raleigh. Kozeniesky will compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

“If I finish up last, if I had my best performance, then who cares.

[Same] if I finish up ninth and don’t get the chance to medal.

If I medal, that would be awesome. I just want to go there and perform.”

Lucas Kozeniesky, on competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics

actually being a global sports ambassador for the United States in Rio. “Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming, like ‘Oh wow this is so cool. I’m one of the two people who get to do my event every couple of years.’” he said. “It’s a really cool thing. I’m super excited.”

Having an ideal student-teacher/mentor relationship with his coach, Keith Miller, adds a helpful layer of calm to this experience — Miller’s been supporting Kozeniesky’s bid since Olympic trials in December.

“If I were to picture the ideal student-athlete to coach relationship, it would be what we got,” Kozeniesky said. “A lot of people come up to me and say ‘What you and Keith have is awesome.’ It is cool that we are a model.”

Miller will be joining Kozeniesky on his trek to Rio but won’t have the advantage of a floor spot to give his pupil last-minute coaching. Kozeniesky’s family, including his parents and girlfriend, are going to Rio as well.

“I’m excited to meet a bunch of athletes and being able to compete on that high level,” he said. “Probably the thing I am most looking forward to is having the people supporting me the most be there and participate in what I’m doing. I am able to share the moment with people I care about.”

Having a bond with the other Team USA air rifle shooter, Dan Lowe, has provided increased motivation for both of America’s shooters.

“We both have the same attitude toward this, and we are both going to push each other to get better, and that’s how it was at nationals,” Kozeniesky said.

“We are going to do this, and we ended up doing well. I got first, and he got second. And in a match before that he got third in one event and I got fourth. The difference between us getting third and fourth was a tiebreaker, so that was really cool. We are supporting each other.”

And although he remains focused on the present, he does

occasionally sneak a look into the future. Kozeniesky wants to spend his post-Olympic and collegiate years giving back to his sport in trying to reverse a decline in popularity over recent years.

“A long-term goal that I want to do is to make the sport bigger collegiately,” he said. “It’s a really neat sport, and I want to try to [help it grow]. I also want to give back to the Juniors. When I was shooting, there wasn’t a lot of mentorship and advice-giving from the older guys, so that’s what I want to do.”

Miller can attest to the issues for rifle shooting. He competed at NC State and sees rifle-range guidelines and anti-gun movements clamping down on a once-popular sport.

“They put on some pretty tough standards and some places just upgraded and fixed it and some didn’t,” Miller said. “In parallel to that, the general anti-gun things were going on. High schools used to have ranges all over the country, and they kind

of poo-pooed that.“ The appeal of the sport for Kozeniesky is how different it is to other sports. Rifle is a co-ed collegiate sport and features different divisions competing with each other throughout the season.

“You don’t see anything like it. The only sport that is really similar to it is golf because you’re using a tool to achieve something that is very precise,” Kozeniesky said. “If you hit the ball wrong in golf, you’re done. If you do something wrong in rifle, you’re done.”

The mental aspect of rifle shooting appeals to him as well — improving his mindset has been one of the primary focuses as he’s grown in the sport.

“You need to trust yourself,” Kozeniseky said. “You need to train the right way, need to have confidence and the belief in yourself to do well. The last two things were definitely what I worked on this year. I’m not really doing anything different. I am just trusting myself more and I believe in myself, and that really worked.”

nascar

Young drivers leading the way for Roush resurgence

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal revor Bayne is finally finding the consistency Roush T Fenway Racing wanted to see

when they signed him before the 2015 season. After a third-place finish at Daytona — his first since winning the Daytona 500 in 2011 — Bayne’s second half of 2016 looks even more encouraging than the first.

Coming off four-straight finishes outside the top 10, Bayne needed a solid result at Daytona.

Thanks to a wild restart with just a handful of laps remaining, the 25-year-old driver nailed down his second top five of the season and third career top five at the Sprint Cup level.

“That last restart was wild,” Bayne said. “We restarted 12th and with help from the No. 3 car were able to get up to the outside and really make up some ground.

We got behind the No. 18 down the backstretch and I pushed him with all I had.”

Bayne was the top finishing

Roush driver on the night, but he was far from the only RFR contender in the race. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top five while Greg Biffle, who started from the pole for the first time since 2012, earned his first top10 result of the season by finishing eighth.

Biffle is mired in yet another disappointing season, but things are looking up for both Bayne and Stenhouse. The two drivers have combined for four topfives and seven top 10s this year, with Bayne currently 17th in the points standings after Daytona.

“I think that’s kind of a landmark for us as an organization with the struggles we’ve had to get all three teams running strong on a weekend like this,” Bayne said. “Obviously a lot of it is just getting through the day.

“It’s not a win that we need to get in the Chase, but it’s a great step in the right direction for making it in on points.”

Both drivers have a chance of driving their way into the Chase based on points, but likely need a

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Trevor Bayne (6) looks on during driver introductions prior to the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Mike DiNovo | USA TODAY SPORTS images

win to guarantee a spot.

Bayne is currently 17th in the standings, but he now needs to

be top 15 to make the postseason because of Tony Stewart (30th in points) crashing the party with a

win at Sonoma. There’s also the potential of Kyle Larson winning a race or A.J. Allmendinger finishing the job at Watkins Glen to jump Bayne on the Chase Grid.

The opportunity for a win is certainly there. Now Roush just has to put it all together for an entire race.

Bayne finished in the top 10 at Michigan last season and narrowly missed the mark with a 13th-place result at Kentucky. He also finished fifth at Bristol earlier this year for his only top five outside of Daytona. With races at all three of those tracks before the Chase begins in September, Bayne seems like the most likely candidate to make NASCAR’s postseason for Roush Fenway.

After missing the Chase last year for the first time since 2004 — RFR had a minimum of two every season of the Chase — the team needs more than just one great race to get back. Thanks to the rise of Bayne and Stenhouse, a Chase berth looks like an increasingly likely possibility this year.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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carolina hurricanes

For prospect Max Zimmer, diabetes is an afterthought ALEIGH — First-round picks Jake Bean and Julien R Gauthier were the center of

attention following the first day of the Hurricanes’ development camp Tuesday at PNC Arena.

All fourth-round pick Max Zimmer could do was look on in amusement at the media horde surrounding the two.

Bean’s path to the first round is well documented: the son of the Calgary Flames COO, Bean rose from an undrafted WHL player to the 13th overall pick.

Zimmer, a left wing from Plymouth, Minn., was taken more than 90 players after Bean, the seventh of nine picks Carolina selected. He has a much less-heralded path, but is looking to join a highly exclusive club.

There are plenty of late bloomers who were never even taken in the NHL draft — Luc Robitaille, Martin St. Louis and Tyler Johnson, for example — never mind being passed over in a junior draft. But the list of people who are diabetic and made the NHL is much smaller. Zimmer doesn’t see his condition as much of a hurdle though.

“I’ve had it since I was 2. It’s second nature to me now,” Zimmer said. “But I try to keep my levels pretty good and pretty in the zone. ... It’s not a big deal.”

Type 1 diabetes — sometimes called juvenile diabetes because it usually starts in people under 20 — makes up only about 5 percent of all diabetic cases. In Type 1 diabetes the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, a hormone that allows the body to absorb glucose to produce energy. Too much or too little glucose can result in several symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, seizures, and even diabetic coma or death.

Zimmer wears an insulin pump, which regulates his glucose.

“I usually take it off when I’m playing and test my blood sugar between periods and adjust accordingly,” Zimmer said.

Above: Hurricanes left winger Max Zimmer (41) runs drills during practice at PNC Arena in Raleigh on Wednesday.

Below: Zimmer listens as coach Bill Peters explains a drill during practice.

photos by Madeline Gray | north state journal

Zimmer spent the last two seasons with the USHL’s Chicago Steel and is headed to the University of Wisconsin this fall,

one of three NCAA-bound Type 1 diabetics chosen in this year’s draft. First-round picks Luke Kunin (15th overall, Minnesota)

and Riley Tufte (25th overall, Dallas) are also diabetic. Kunin, a rising sophomore with the Badgers, and Zimmer will even

be teammates this coming season.

“I actually know both of them now,” Zimmer said. “I’m going to play with [Luke], so I’ve been with him over the summer a little bit. I’m good buddies with Tufte, so I train with him in the summers.”

Andy Hrodey has worked with both Kunin and now Zimmer as an athletic trainer with the University of Wisconsin hockey team. He said both lead the way in their care, with his primary job being learning from them and offering support.

“For the most part, we’re there in the background,” Hrodey said. “We have the supplies for them, the emergency things if they need it. But in reality, it’s just checking with them quickly to make sure they’re where they need to be and monitoring from a short distance. ... In my interaction with Max so far, he’s much the same.”

Very few diabetics have made the NHL, but it hasn’t kept some — including Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke and Arizona Coyotes 21-year-old Max Domi — from achieving hockey stardom.

For Zimmer, his diabetes is largely an afterthought.

“I’ve been pretty good about it. I’m pretty independent about it,” Zimmer said. As of Tuesday night, he hadn’t yet bothered discussing it with the Hurricanes’ training staff. Like the 26 other players at Carolina’s development camp, Zimmer is simply looking to make an impression in his short time in Raleigh.

“These guys, they just want to play,” Hrodey said. “I know they wish they wouldn’t have to deal with it, but it’s become routine for them. [They] are so professional at a young age and responsible about what they do. … It’s really just about supporting them.”

That just leaves the on-ice work needed to become the latest in a short list of diabetics to make it to the NHL. Maybe then the media horde will follow.

panthers

Five questions ahead of Panthers training camp

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal t’s less than two months away from the Carolina IPanthers kicking off the NFL

season, which means training camp is quickly approaching.

The Panthers kick things off July 28 at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., a place where dreams will be realized and crushed in the final weeks before the preseason.

The Panthers head into the season as the NFC South favorite after making it to the Super Bowl last year, but that means nothing in 2016. Prior to the start of training camp, here are five questions surrounding the defending NFC champions.

1. How important was Josh Norman to Carolina’s secondary?

Josh Norman is gone, and the Panthers are moving forward without the Pro Bowl cornerback. General Manager Dave Gettleman has made it very clear that he intends to build around his front seven rather than the secondary, but can young players step up in Norman’s absence?

The Panthers still have holdovers in Robert McClain and Bene’ Benwikere likely at the top of the depth chart. James Bradberry, Daryl Worley and Zack Sanchez were all taken with consecutive picks to build the secondary.

While the quantity is clearly there, is the quality? Replacing Norman is easier than people might be claiming because of Carolina’s scheme and front seven, but it’s not a plug-and-play situation.

2. Has Cam reached his pinnacle?

Prior to signing Cam Newton to a five-year, $103.8 million

contract, Gettleman said simply, “We believe he’ll take us to the Promised Land.” Less than nine months later, Newton nearly did just that. So has Newton, who was recently ranked the No. 1 player in the NFL by his peers, reached his pinnacle? Nope.

In 2015, Cam captured his first MVP award after passing for 3,837 yards, rushing for 636 yards and combining for 45 touchdowns. That all came with Greg Olsen serving as the Panthers leading receiver and journeymen wideouts Ted Ginn and Jerricho Cotchery combining for 83 receptions.

The Panthers offense is healthier heading into training camp. With Kelvin Benjamin back on the roster and the entire backfield still intact, the ceiling for Newton is still higher than what we’ve witnessed to this point. That’s a terrifying reality for the rest of the NFL. 3. Is Kelvin Benjamin ready to carry the receiving corps again?

Speaking of that Benjamin guy, he comes into the season essentially under the radar.

Following a stellar rookie campaign (73 catches, 1,008 yards, 9 touchdowns), Benjamin sat on the sidelines during the best season in Panthers history after tearing his ACL in training camp. The thought of adding him to one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league is certainly intriguing.

At 6-foot-5, Benjamin brings an extra dimension — particularly in the red zone — to the passing game. Combine his return with the growth of second-year player Devin Funchess (also 6-5) and the Panthers could once again give defensive coordinators headaches deep into January and maybe longer.

Jeremy Brevard | USA TODAY SPORTS images

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) passes the ball at the practice field at Bank of America Stadium.

4. Will Kawann Short reach a deal before the regular season?

Remember that whole notion about Gettleman wanting to build the front seven? Signing Kawann Short, one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, to a contract extension would certainly fit into those plans.

Short had a breakout season in 2015, setting career-high marks with 55 total tackles, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles and four passes defeneded, but is still waiting on a new contract.

A $1.47 million cap hit for the Panthers this season, Short is expected to see a pretty mammoth bump in his second contract. So

much so negotiations haven’t gotten too far down the road between the team and the tackle.

This isn’t a Norman situation where Gettleman simply feels he can move on without him. Short is also in his prime at 27 years old. In order to end all distractions leading up to the season, Carolina should get a long-term deal done with Short. He’s too talented and too important to the roster for the Panthers to let him walk. The franchise tag is in play next year already.

5. Is there enough depth at running back?

2015 was one of the best in Jonathan Stewart’s career. The

oft-injured running back carried the ball a career-high 242 times for 989 yards (the second-highest total of his career) and 6 touchdowns. He was an integral part of the second-best rushing attack in the NFL (142.6 yards per game) and was largely healthy until a late-season injury. The Panthers record allowed him to miss the stretch run.

With Newton serving as a de facto running back from under center, Carolina’s rushing game can withstand injuries. But the Panthers need to both see what they’ve got in second-year back Cameron Artis-Payne and establish a pecking order of guys who can spell Stew should injury occur.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

B8 mlb

Didn’t miss a thing: A.J. Pierzynski’s day at Fort Bragg

By Shawn Krest North State Journal t took 52 outs, but A.J. Pierzynski finally got into the Igame at Fort Bragg.

The veteran Braves catcher was called upon to pinch hit with one out in the ninth inning.

Atlanta was down 5-1 but rallying, with runners on second and third, and the tying run on deck.

Pierzynski swung at the first pitch and drove the ball to center field. The crowd gasped when it left the bat, but it hung in the air and drifted down into the glove of the center fielder. A run scored, giving Pierzynski the first sacrifice fly ever hit by a Major Leaguer on a military base. Still, it was a near miss — a fraction of an inch difference and Pierzysnki could have put a real scare into the Marlins.

It was the last in a series of near misses at Fort Bragg for the 19-year MLB veteran. While many players and coaches on both teams had friends and family members in the military, Pierzynski was one of the few who had people he knew currently stationed at Fort Bragg.

Unfortunately for A.J., by the time he arrived at the base, they were gone.

His high school friend and teammate, Major Ron Colombo, is a member of Army Special Operations Aviation Command at Fort Bragg, but Colombo’s wife surprised him with a trip to Bos-

ton for his time off around the July Fourth holiday. The vacation came with seats on the Green Monster in Fenway. So Pierzynski and Colombo had to settle for trading insults via video, courtesy of ESPN. “Other friends of my family are stationed here,” Pierzynski said before the game. “One of them actually was deployed two days ago.”

The fact that some familiar faces were missing didn’t dampen the moment for Pierzynski, however.

“I’ve been very lucky,” he said.

“I’ve been able to do a lot of things that most people don’t get to do.

I got to go to a basketball game on aircraft carrier a couple years back. I got to fly with the Blue Angels. I got to tour the Naval Academy earlier this year, walk around and eat with the troops and cadets. There are just a lot of really cool things, through this job—baseball. Obviously, people want to meet you. They want to see you, and they look up to us, when, in reality, we ought to look up to them.

“Obviously, [playing at Fort Bragg] is right up there with anything I’ve ever done. It puts everything together: baseball which has been my life for a long time, the military, which I have huge respect for, my family, who got to make the trip too. It puts everything together under one giant banner.”

Pierzynski just missed a

The Miami Marlins stretch for batting practice before the Major League Baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on July 3.

Eamon queeney | north state journal

game-changing home run, but the day was a no-doubter.

“As a player, you play a lot of games. You remember good ones. You remember bad ones.

Winning the World Series, playing in All-Star Games, stuff like that,” Pierzynski reflected. “But as far as a regular-season game goes, it’s hard to top not only the the atmosphere here but just the whole package of what was accomplished here today — what Major League Baseball accomplished with this stadium and for us to get to go meet with the troops today. Seeing everybody in

2016 MLB All-star game

durant from page B1

Four things to know about the 2016 Midsummer Classic

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal etco Park will host two talented rosters on Tuesday night for the 2016 P MLB All-Star Game, with the Home Run Derby serving as an appetizer Monday night. A slew of young stars — several from North Carolina — will be on display in both events.

Here’s everything baseball fans need to know to get prepped for the Midsummer Classic between the National and American Leagues.

Ortiz’s curtain call Most farewell tours in the MLB are more about pomp and circumstance rather than actual substance. David Ortiz, now a 10-time All-Star, is going out in a blaze of glory.

In his final campaign, Ortiz leads the MLB in on-base percentage (.429), slugging percentage (.677), OPS (1.106) and extra-base hits (69) as well as several other advanced metric categories. He’s also 40 years old. No big deal.

Ortiz’s 20th home run before the AllStar break locked in his 15th straight season with 20-plus homers. Only two other players in MLB history — Babe Ruth (16) and Hank Aaron (20) — bested that streak. Ortiz will get a similar curtain call as a player like Derek Jeter, but it has a completely different feel with the incredible season he is putting together.

Youth is served By this point, most baseball fans know names like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant. All three budding superstars are under 25, joining Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Addison Russell as youthful starters on Tuesday night.

Ortiz will get plenty of attention in his final All-Star Game, but MLB is in a great position with most of the game being decided by the young bats featured around the league. Tack on the likes of Francisco Lindor and Nolan Arenado, two great bats and stellar defenders, and this season boasts one of the best crops of young, All-Star talent in quite some time.

NC represented in SD Three players with North Carolina roots made the National League roster: Wil Myers, Corey Seager and Madison Bumgarner all got the nod.

Myers, a Thomasville native, will serve as an All-Star ambassador for the host Padres. It’s fitting considering he is in the midst of a breakout season. After winning Rookie of the Year with the Rays in 2013, Myers struggled to stay healthy the following two years. He transitioned

the whole Braves organization on buses to go meet the guys, that’s something that’ll never happen again.”

Pierzynski didn’t get to have a reunion with his friends, but he met plenty of new ones.

“Being able to walk into these places and seeing the soldiers and the soldiers’ families also,” he said.

“They all have their kids with them. They all have their wives with them.

“That’s the part we all forget about. We look at the solders, but they all have lives other than being soldiers. It’s the same as

Jake Roth | USA TODAY SPORTS images

A detailed view of the 2016 All Star game logo at Petco Park.

from outfielder to first baseman in 2016 and already set career-high marks with 19 home runs and 57 RBI before the All-Star break.

Seager will also be making his first appearance in the All-Star Game after a torrid start to his rookie year. The much-ballyhooed Dodgers shortstop and Concord native is batting right at .300 with 17 home runs and 41 RBI. Bumgarner is making his fourth straight All-Star appearance thanks to a 2.09 ERA, 132 strikeouts, 1.02 WHIP in 120 2/3 innings pitched — ranking in the top six in the MLB in all four categories. The only downside is he won’t be allowed to hit in the derby.

UNC product Andrew Miller also earned a spot with the American League. Despite struggling early in his career as a starting pitcher, the Yankees reliever (1.43 ERA, 0.66 WHIP) has carved out a role for himself as one of the best late-game relievers in baseball in recent years.

An offense fitting for a star The single most important skill in basketball is shooting, and when the 2016-17 Warriors take the court they will unquestionably be the greatest shooting team in NBA history. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the league in 3-pointers: 402 and 276, respectively. Durant, who has four scoring titles and an MVP award to his name, was able to achieve the uber-rare 50/40/90 shooting line (field goal/threepoint/free throw percentage) while playing in OKC’s frustratingly stagnate, isolation-heavy offense. Durant got buckets in a ruthlessly efficient fashion, contested shots be damned. That’s about to change now, for the betterment of KD. In their recruiting pitch to Durant, the Warriors sold connectivity, the importance of winning championships and an offense that placed far greater emphasis on spacing, ball movement and open shots. For the first time in his career, KD will operate in a powerful motion offense.

Single-double screen action for Durant and Thompson will have defenses floundering about, trying to contain one of the two deadly snipers shaking loose for a catch-and-shoot look. Even when Durant, Curry and Thompson don’t have the ball, their gravity will flummox even the best defenses. All three of these players finished in the top-25 in three-point shooting on catch-and-shoot opportunities (Durant at 40.8 percent is the low man in this category). Last season Durant averaged just five catch-and-shoot attempts per game, but you can bet on that number climbing out in Oakland (Thompson led the league with 8.5 per game).

Pick-and-rolls between Curry and Durant will be unstoppable. Golden State could run pick-and-rolls with Curry and Draymond Green — the most efficient play in basketball — while Durant and Thompson spot on the wings, and stretch defenses. There’s nowhere for defenses to hide. This team will blanket the court with three of the ten greatest shooters in the history of basketball and Durant will get looks he could’ve only dreamed about during his time in OKC.

Poppin’ in Petco

What it means for Golden State in 2016-17

Todd Frazier will return to the plate in the Home Run Derby to retain his belt, but he has plenty of competition on Monday night. Just how much power is there this year? Frazier is the No. 2 seed a year after winning it all.

Mark Trumbo, who leads the MLB in homers with 26, is the top seed. With the bracket-style event, Trumbo takes on No. 8 seed Seager, particiatping in his first Derby.

Carlos Gonzalez matches up with Frazier after hitting 18 homers before the break.

Myers also represents N.C. in the derby as the No. 6 seed against No. 3 Adam Duvall.

The final matchup is the biggest headliner, with No. 4 Robinson Cano taking on No. 5 Giancarlo Stanton. Thanks to a fast-paced event and plenty of pop, Monday night could very well be the highlight of the festivities.

The Warriors managed to sign veteran center Zaza Pachulia to a measly $2.9 million contract. Pachulia is no longer an elite rim protector, but he’s still a brute on the offensive glass. He will fit nicely amongst this roster’s elite perimeter players. When the Warriors downsize and trot out their new small-ball, megadeath lineup, look freaking out. Curry, Durant, Thompson and Green with either Andre Iguodala or Shaun Livingston is a terrifying proposition. Defenses will have to rotate as hard as possible and pray for good fortune. The best-case, prayers-answered scenario may be an open corner three from Durant.

Good luck, you’re going to need it.

One possible negative could be chemistry issues early on: Curry, Durant and

in baseball. We all have families that we’re away from. Obviously, they’re on a whole different level, because they could lose their lives doing what they do away from their families. And a lot of times, their families don’t know where they’re at or what they’re doing.

For me to see the look on the kids’ faces and have the kids come up and ask for autographs and pictures, to see the smile on their face. That’s a special thing for me, especially having kids and knowing what that’s all about.”

To hear him tell it, Pierzynski didn’t miss a thing.

especially Thompson will have to make some sacrifices. Will Thompson have concerns, two years away from his initial foray into unrestricted free agency, with being an apex third option? It could be clunky early on, but when this team figures out the correct balance, there will be no stopping them. The Warriors will be thin in terms of depth, but their top seven players could vaporize the sun.

Not only does the move improve Golden State’s roster, but it also cuts off the head of the Warriors’ chief rival in the Western Conference. The Thunder still have Westbrook and a roster of quality players, but they’ll sink towards the backend of the conference. Westbrook hits free agency 12 months from now, and if he’s planning on relocating in 2017, OKC may have to look into shipping him for a treasure chest of assets. The San Antonio Spurs will once again be dominant, but even on paper they’re no match for the Warriors. The Clippers, Trail Blazers, Rockets and Grizzlies all have the potential to be 50-win teams, but the West belongs to the Warriors now.

Vegas set their over-under for wins next year at an incredulous 68.5 — four teams have won 69 games or more in NBA history — and not representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals would be a massive disappointment.

A perfect storm of circumstances It took an amazing series of events for Durant to even end up in Golden State: Curry’s ankle issues forcing him to sign a below market value contract three years ago, Oklahoma City’s injuries forcing them to fall short of their lofty expectations the last four years, the owners and union failing to reach an agreement for leveling off the salary cap’s growth, the spiking of said cap in an unprecedented fashion, and, of course, the 2015-16 NBA Playoffs.

A wet spot on the floor against Houston resulted in an injury to Curry and exposed the 73-win Warriors as vulnerable.

OKC took advantage and put Golden State on the ropes, up 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder led in the fourth quarter of Game 6 on their home court. Then Durant and Co. inexplicably froze up, Thompson went nuclear and the Warriors staved off elimination. They won the series, ultimately sealing the end of Durant’s tenure. If OKC closes out Golden State, maybe they go on to beat Cleveland in the Finals, Durant signs another extension with the only franchise he’s ever played for and the dynasty in the making finally starts to take its true form. (Concurrently, if LeBron James doesn’t will the Cavaliers to a Finals win over Golden State, perhaps they’re content with the current roster.)

You can bet several smaller market owners aren’t happy with this development, and will look to restructure the terms of the CBA in efforts to prevent “super-teams” when the option to re-negotiate the agreement comes up in 2017.

But that’s for the future. The present involves Durant on the Warriors and the rest of the NBA on tilt. The foundation of the league has been altered, for better or for worse.

perspective “In a vast field with a horse, their place in the world is drawn into perspective. They can go out with their guard down and they don’t have to say anything if they don’t want to, or they can unburden it all.”

— Ashley Edmonds Boswell, founder, Shepherd Youth Ranch

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

bloom

NS J SUNDAY

7.10.16

playlist July 15 Summer Food Truck Rally Huntersville A food truck rally at Historic Rural Hill featuring music, food, N.C. craft beer, wine, and family fun. ruralhill.net

July 15-16 Spruce Pine BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival in Spruce Pine The event features a sanctioned professional barbecue competition, live bluegrass, award-winning and mouthwatering barbecue from multiple vendors, the chance to sample true competition barbecue during the Tasters’ Choice event, a jamming stage, championship clogging teams, artists and crafts vendors, a corn hole tournament, local food vendors, kids activities, and more! Tickets can be purchased at the festival or in advance online. sprucepinebbqbluegrass.org Fine Arts & Master Crafts Festival Banner Elk This special two-day festival in beautiful downtown Banner Elk includes a juried festival a unique array of art. For over 24 years the combination of limited participants and proper atmosphere has contributed to the continued success of the event. July temperatures are perfect in the mountains and this special setting is close to Grandfather Mountain and the Linn Cove Viaduct. averycounty.com PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Irma Mayo, of Cary, creates a summer flower arrangement using flowers and greenery common in many yards at the English Garden in Raleigh on Thursday, June 7.

The art of arranging An addition of blossoms elevate a room. We asked a few floral experts for tips on how they compose their masterpiece displays.

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

S

ummertime means warm temperatures and gardens in full bloom. Home gardeners find themselves swimming in a sea of zinnias, sunflowers, hydrangeas, and beautiful greenery ready for the picking. Bringing in blooms from the yard can make beautiful arrangements for summer suppers, cookouts, wedding and baby showers, or an old-fashioned porch sit. Understanding what to do with those flowers and how to arrange them can be tricky.

Our florist friends at Flowers and Gifts by Roberts in Pinetops are helping us tackle the questions, tips and tricks of how to handle and arrange those beautiful blooms. Here’s a look at some of the top flowers gardeners adore.

See BLOOM, page C6

Inside

THE ENGINE

We visit with the owner of Taggart Autosport for a chat and a peak under the hoods of the high-end sports cars and extreme off-road vehicles.

Dahlias sit in big buckets of water at the English Garden in Raleigh on Thursday, June 7.

Alleghany County Fiddler’s Convention The Alleghany County Fiddlers Convention began in 1995 as a way to raise money for the new nonprofit fairgrounds, now the site of family events year-round.

Now, it features a competition in bluegrass and old time music for bands and individuals with cash prizes, a dance contest, and even a songwriters circle jam. alleghanyfiddlersconvention.com

July 15-17 O’Neill/Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest Wrightsville Beach Dozens of amateur surfers and over 90 professional surfers from around the world participate in this three-day event. Some professionals that have won in the past include Rob Machado, Fisher Heverly, and Avon Corsican. sweetwatersurfshop.com

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

C2

necessities thrive!

history marked

Three Ways to Beat the Heat and Boredom at the Gym

July 13, 1974

By Alton Skinner For the North State Journal summer in North Carolina, which for many of Iust’s means the temperatures

outside are too dangerous or uncomfortable to exercise outdoors.

If you’d rather run off the roof of the gym than spend 30 minutes on a treadmill, use these tricks to give your brain a break from the monotony and make the torture more tolerable.

Crank up the tunes: “Music is like a legal drug for athletes,” says Costas Karageorghis, who holds a doctorate degree from London’s Brunel University School of Sport and Education, one of the world’s leading authorities on music and exercise. “It can reduce the perception of effort significantly and increase endurance by as much as 15 percent.”

Muscle Media: Enjoy a podcast, audio book, or good read that reinforces your fitness goals. Or take a listen to Lewis Howe’s School of Greatness podcast to hear from some of the smartest, most interesting, and informative interviews on the web. Social media fitness expert Natalie Jill, author of the “7-Day Jump Start: Unprocess Your Diet with Super Easy Recipes—Lose Up to 5-7 Pounds the First Week!” gives this cardio advice, “I prefer short, intense workouts that get my heart rate up, and send some sweat running down.

Those are the workouts that truly challenge me and those are the workouts that change your body.”

Binge and Burn: Behind on Game of Thrones?

Did you just discover “Friends” and realize you’ve got 10 seasons to watch? Fire up Hulu, Netflix, or iTunes and find your favorite show. Most episodes are between 25 and 45 minutes long, the perfect length of time for a workout and many people won’t stop until the show is over.

These tips will help your workout beat the heat and keep your summer body in shape until the hot spell ends.

Alton Skinner is a health and fitness expert with over two decades of experience training athletes and author of “The Golfer’s Stroke Saver Workout.”

Voices Contributors to this section this week include: Samantha Gratton Josh Hyatt Laura Ashley Lamm Alison Miller Amy Richards Alton Skinner

Tell us Know a North Carolina story that needs telling?

Drop us a line at features@nsjonline.com.

John Harris became the first person to hang glide from the 1,600-foot high rock pinnacle of Grandfather Mountain. Harris managed to convince Hugh Morton, the mountain’s owner, to let him make the daring attempt during the mountain’s annual Gathering of the Scottish Clans. In 1975, the U.S. Open Hang Gliding Tournament was held at Grandfather Mountain, and it continued to be held there until 1986. By then the gliders had become more efficient and there were inadequate safe landing areas around the heavily forested mountain. Flying was suspended from the peak in 1986.

just a pinch preserve those

Don’t let your fresh garden herbs go to waste once summer has come and gone, preserve them for later use. Cut, clean, and pat dry your thyme, mint, parsley, basil, and chives. Seal in a freezer-safe container with a label and then freeze. Come winter you’ll be happy you can still enjoy your fresh herbs of summer.

July 15, 1949

Announcer Jim Patterson signed on at Charlotte’s WBTV, the first television station in the Carolinas, two months ahead of WFMY in Greensboro, which began airing programming in September 1949.

At the time, both WBTV and WFMY were owned by Jefferson Standard Broadcasting Company, an affiliate of the life insurance company of the same name.

Information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

the plate “Pan searing puts a really nice crust on a steak. I like to think you’re sealing it up like an envelope, keeping all those juices and all that flavor inside. Basting is also important. We baste all our steaks with butter, whole garlic cloves, and whatever fresh herbs we have on hand—thyme, rosemary, parsley, tarragon, chives.

We serve our Delmonico with rösti, a Swiss dish that loosely translates to golden potatoes. We get them nice and golden brown and finish them with blue cheese on top.”

— Dan Grunbeck, Chef

turn the page Get inspired to arrange the abundance of blooms bursting forth across North Carolina with these gardening book suggestions from City Lights bookstore in Sylva.

Seared Delmonico with Blue Cheese Rösti Kimball’s Kitchen at Sanderling Resort, Duck Start to finish: 45 minutes Serves: 1 of the steak. Baste with butter, whole garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs for two minutes. Remove from skillet and place in broiler until desired level of doneness.

“A Wilder Life: A Season-bySeason Guide to Getting in Touch with Nature”

by Celestine Maddy

released January 2016

“How to Be a Wildflower: A Field Guide”

by Katie Daisy

released February 2016

“The Flower Chef: A Modern Guide to Do-It-Yourself Floral Arrangements”

by Carly Cylinder

released March 2016

“Styling Nature: A Masterful Approach to Floral Arrangements”

by Lewis Miller with Irini Arakas released March 2016

“The Flower Workshop: Lessons in Arranging Blooms, Branches, Fruits, and Foraged Materials”

by Ariella Chezar with Julie Michaels released March 2016

Seared Delmonico 14-ounce Delmonico steak (center-cut boneless rib-eye) Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons blended oil (3 parts canola oil, 1 part olive oil) 2 tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic 2 sprigs thyme 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced shallots 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons brandy ¼ cup cream 1 dollop butter 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs

Heavily salt and pepper both sides of the steak, and let it sit out on a plate for 20 minutes.

Warm oil in a cast iron skillet until you see ripples, then sear both sides

Remove garlic cloves and thyme sprigs from the pan but leave butter and oil. Add minced garlic and shallots, saute briefly, then add Dijon mustard. Add brandy and deglaze.

Reduce by half, then add cream.

Reduce until thickened, then finish with butter and herbs. Just before serving, pour sauce over steak.

Blue Cheese Potato Rösti 2 Idaho potatoes, shredded (peels on) 1 tablespoon flour Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons blended oil (3 parts canola oil, 1 part olive oil) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs 1 tablespoon Great Hill Blue Cheese

Toss shredded potatoes with flour, salt, and pepper. Warm oil in a cast iron skillet until you see ripples, then spread potato mixture evenly in the pan. Sprinkle chopped herbs on top.

When golden brown on the bottom, flip and cook until the other side is also golden brown. Remove from pan and sprinkle blue cheese on top.

Serve with Delmonico steak.

the table Got to Be NC Competition heats up Raleigh

By Jennifer Wood North State Journal The Triangle will take on the sweet and savory smell of competition as the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series returns to Raleigh.

Eight highly competitive chefs will take over 214 Martin Street for the seven dinner event, which runs July 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21 and 24.

This is a single-elimination tournament designed to highlight the best of the best across North Carolina in the arena of food, agriculture and culinary expertise. This is the first time the seven dinner battle will be split into two separate brackets in which the winners emerge from each to be crowned the culinary champion of the Triangle.

We caught up with one contender this week Steven Goff, the owner and chef at soon-toopen Brine Haus Meat + Provisions food truck and former head butcher at Standard Foods, who will compete for Team Brinehaus on July 19. “We have 30 minutes to write a menu from the ingredient we’re given - everything from scratch, for over 300 plates serving for about

six or seven hours.” Goff said At each dinner event, the two chefs battling it out receive their North Carolina ingredient just before they begin. The competitors are then required to prepare three courses that focus on the ingredient they’ve been given. Beyond enjoying the delicious meal prepared by these talented chefs, the guests at the meal help determine who moves on to the next round by voting on an app for each dish during the dinner.

Across the state, the 2016 Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series schedule includes local tournaments in Raleigh, Charlotte, Durham, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Wilmington. The six winning teams each receive a grand prize of $2,000 in cash and prizes.

In preparation for the event, we asked Goff if he had a favorite North Carolina ingredient he was secretly hoping for. “No, honestly I like to work with a variety of things — there’s a ton of great ingredients here.”

Best of luck to all of the chefs as they take over the Triangle with their culinary talent.

PHOTO COURTESY Of Got to be NC competition dining

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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timeless Camp Albemarle | Newport

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mong the whistling of the tall pine trees and overlooking the washing of the waves, a wooden cross stands tall marking the place where campers have gathered year after year to find and strengthen their faith. It’s a place they call Camp Albemarle.

“This is a place where kids can learn in different ways, and it can be a powerful experience. We want to create a safe place to ask those questions about God and the events happening in their lives,” said Tom Hussman, executive director.

Camp Albemarle was started by the Albemarle Presbytery in 1953 and has opened its doors to campers, families, and churches ever since. The camp is open to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, and is a private nonprofit.

“We love our Presbyterian heritage, but we are nondenominational in how we do things. We encourage kids to go back and get involved in church and grow their faith beyond their five days at Albemarle,” said Hussman.

Program varieties are plentiful and designed for those ranging in age from three years old to high school seniors. There is the traditional weeklong camp with cabin mates of their age, a day camp for young ones in the Carteret County community, and a service camp for older youth that allows them to work with organizations in the area, such as OWLS Wildlife Shelter and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Coastal Carolina.

There are pathfinding and adventure camps where outdoor skills, a compass, and learning to build a shelter and start a fire come into play. There are cadet and mariner sailing camps where one can fine-tune those Sunfish-steering nautical skills. There are also night owl camps with a focus for activities under the stars and moon as well as leadership training camps for older youth seeking to gain leadership skills. This fall, Albemarle will debut an outdoor preschool geared towards teaching children to find God through the wonders of creation. There is a camp for everyone.

“God is calling us to serve here and this community,” said Hussman. “This is a great opportunity to be the hands and feet of God. Camp Albemarle is a safe place where everybody belongs.”

This summer, 100 campers from across the state will ascend on these historic 29 acres of land each week where they will join 35 counselors and program staff for fun, fellowship, faith, and adventure.

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

(L to R) Bayleigh Ipock, 13, Delaney Maybee, 13, Aspen Manning, 12, and Madi Boeck, 12, hangout in their cabin at Camp Albemarle on Thursday, June 16 in Newport.

Campers at Camp Albemarle watch an end-of-camp video.

Cabins gather together for three meals a day in the dining hall.

Morning energizers and campus clean-up get everyone geared up for days that are spent creating in arts and crafts; reading in Bible study; swimming, sailing and canoeing on the Bogue Sound; playing four square; climbing up trees and ropes courses; and hitting the target in archery. Evenings are spent gathering together for vespers and devotions.

“The things that set Camp Albemarle apart are we offer campers a sense of community, and we are very intentional in kids knowing more about God,” said Hussman.

The sense of community is one reason that second, third, and fourth generations of families are taking their turn as campers and often as counselors.

“This is home to me. Every summer I’ve wanted to come, and there is no place I’d rather be,” said

Matthew Chappell, 18, of Greenville.

He has followed in a long line of family footsteps, having spent nine years as a camper and currently serving in his first year as a counselor.

“This is a very special place. It’s where I feel closer to God,” said Chappell.

Helping one another feel closer to God through activities and time together at camp is one of the main goals of the staff and counselors.

“God is always around. Our ultimate mission is to serve God and spread his word,” said Mandy Goff, assistant director. “The traditions we have, our cabins, small groups, and sense of community create a tight-knit family that’s really important here.”

“What has been created here is very special. God has his hands on this place,” added Hussman.

On the last night of camp, as all gather around the campfire with s’mores roasting and the soft melodies of youth singing along to “Sanctuary,” and “Light the Fire,” it’s a chance to connect with the natural beauty of the outdoors and listen for the quiet whispers of God.

“The traditions we have, our cabins, small groups, and sense of community create a tight-knit family that’s really important here.”

— Mandy Goff, Assistant Director

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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perspective Shepherd Youth Ranch | Wake Forest

Left, a participant paints a handprint on Abraham during an equine therapy session at Shepherd Youth Ranch. Right, Abby McCabe, programming and development director for Shepherd Youth Ranch, talks about symbols a participant painted on Sake during an equine therapy session

By Jennifer Wood North State Journal

A Shepherd Youth Ranch participant nuzzles with Ferro during an equine therapy session on Tuesday, June 21. Shepherd Youth Ranch is a faith-based equine therapy nonprofit near Wake Forest.

The non-profit serves children suffering from abuse, neglect, grief or loss, along with children who have autism.

W W

hen the world of a young person is shattered and trust in other people eroded, the peace of a walk in a vast field whispering problems and secret dreams to a horse has powerful results. Horses are herd animals, and when they are with us they watch diligently in order to find the bond and form a relationship.

“Sitting still talking in a windowless office does not give the same lasting life lessons. I’ve seen children who haven’t spoken one word in traditional therapy come out and stand in a field with a horse and open up,” said Ashley Edmonds Boswell, founder and executive director of Shepherd Youth Ranch.

Boswell knew in her soul standing in a barn in 2004 that horses could heal, so she stepped out on faith.

“There were two children at the barn where I boarded my horse, and I knew I was going to start a program working with animals and children — and I knew those two kids really needed help,” Boswell said. “So one afternoon I told them that we had a program.”

She tells the story like it is no big deal, but it was her faith, her degree in counseling, and her lifelong experience as a horsewoman that changed the lives of those children and subsequently many others including her own.

Before long, the social worker assigned to the family of her initial charges came to the barn for a visit.

“She wanted to talk with me about the changes she’d seen in the kids and she wanted to give me a list of other children for my ‘program,’” she said.

What was once a mere step out on faith was now a giant leap. Based in Charlotte at the time, Shepherd Youth Ranch flourished serving multiple groups of equine therapy clients. Time passed, and although Boswell was grateful for her place in the Mecklenburg County community she wanted to be closer to her hometown of Raleigh in order to grow her organization long-term.

Once again Boswell looked at the ledge and stepped out in faith. As she says, “The Lord just provided. A friend told a friend, and we got the land for our horses to set up in Franklin County — grateful is an understatement.”

Home again, the ranch is able to operate their equine therapy program serving Wake County and 12 surrounding counties. Shepherd Youth Ranch is certified by EAGALA, the leading international nonprofit association for professionals who use equine therapy in mental health and human development.

Their Trail to Success: Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program works with the N.C. Department of Public Safety and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council to provide trauma focused therapy in a 24-week program consisting of group and family sessions.

In equine therapy there is no horseback riding.

The horses are the counselors and in that role they are on the same level as the client. Horses are social animals.

“A horse is uniquely gifted with the ability to read us and mirror us,” said Abby McCabe, director of programs and development. McCabe leads the group of counselors, equine specialists, and interns at their prep meeting prior to their client’s arrival and explains the horse and human dynamic. “These young women have the solutions — we all know what we have to work on — the journey and the work to get there is just painful.”

Program manager Alison Clayborn chimed in emphatically, “Sessions 11 through 14 are the hardest because that’s when they are really getting deep into what they are working on — they know change is coming.”

As program manager, it is Clayborn’s job to welcome the young women when they arrive and speak to their parent or guardian about how things are going before the session gets started. After those rounds are complete it is time to huddle up.

“What are the three things we have to remember?”

Clayborn asked the group. One very eager young woman waves her arm and pipes up.

“I know: never stand directly over a horse head in case they rear up and bump you, watch where your feet are and where the horse hooves are so they don’t step on your feet, and be aware of the electric fence,” she said. All solid farm advice.

Clayborn reminds the group that everything said here is confidential, and the only time they would have to share any information would be if someone says they are planning to hurt themselves, hurt someone else, or if they share that someone has hurt them. The summer afternoon, the blue sky, the green pasture, and the soft neighs in the distance are not enough to make you forget these young women are here to heal from trauma.

Today that curative process takes the form of painting. Everyone is handed a harness and told to head out to the pasture to pick a horse.

The girls return to the ring in varied states of eagerness to find grooming tools, cups of vegetable dye, and a poster hanging from the fence with a key of

PHOTOS BY christine t. nguyen | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

“Sitting still talking in a windowless office does not give the same lasting life lessons. I’ve seen children who haven’t spoken one word in traditional therapy come out and stand in a field with a horse and open up.”

— Ashley Edmonds Boswell symbols illustrating the war paint Cherokee Indians traditionally used before going into battle along with the meaning behind those drawings.

“In life people have goals, and today you are going to paint some of your goals on your horse,” McCabe instructs the girls. “Think about something or somewhere you want to be or do and draw it on your horse.

There’s no wrong answer.”

The counselor’s words are carefully crafted. The “no wrong answer” mantra is one they repeat to the young women as a way to encourage them to come to their own conclusions, to dig deep, and work on their “stuff.”

For some, a frenzy to brush down their horse and select just the right color paint begins, while others hang back timid and unsure. After a few minutes, the weight of the afternoon falls away and the group seems to forget the adults are present. The girls and the horses are all that remain. The girls know the horses are not judging them outside of reacting to their behavior. Many of the horses swatting flies in the fading light as blank canvases awaiting life-goal war paint are rescues with back stories and struggles of their own. Prior to getting in this ring each horse goes through extensive training, and when you watch

them interact with the young women it seems these hooved counselors are singularly designed to be in this space at this time.

One young woman is intent on painting her horse’s face. Squirming, he is not having it at first, but eventually he gives in and stands still. The counselors raise their clipboards in the background — there’s a fervent discussion and scribbling of notes that make it apparent the decorating of this particular horse’s face is a big deal. The counselors continue observing each client, some painting epic poems of their lives across the bare backs, others a simple smiley face.

Eventually it is time for each to share the meaning behind this artistic expression with their peers. Willingness to share ebbs and flows throughout the circle until we reach Ferro with his painted face.

Ferro who stood stock-still so he could be adorned with paint by a young woman in a riding ring on a hot summer afternoon. After Ferro’s artist shares her life goal design, McCabe shares Ferro’s story.

“Do you know why it’s such a big deal that he let you paint his face?” asks McCabe, only to be met with silence. “Well, we don’t know all of his story, but see here,” as she points to a dent on his nose, “this dent is the size of a 2x4, and we think before coming to us he either ran into a 2x4, or he was hit with one on purpose.” Still there is more silence. “So you see, it is a big deal that he trusted you enough to stand still for you to paint his face.” In that moment, the wave of recognition of trusting again and what that means washes over the group, and the silence is enough.

It is no small thing to step out on faith to help others. Shepherd Youth Ranch has partnered with horses to do so, and that is a remarkable contract of belief in action. Horses are strong, majestic animals capable of carrying our baggage and helping us mend.

They — along with a team of amazing women — are doing so in Franklin County.

Shepherd Youth Ranch intern Elizabeth Cassada walks with Jacob and a participant during an equine therapy session.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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the engine

Taggart Autosport | Cary

By Josh Hyatt North State Journal

SS

tepping into Taggart Autosport’s showroom with the owner, Jim Taggart, is like stepping into a dreamworld of vehicles.

The room is filled with vehicles that make you want to hit the highway — Corvette, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz AMG, and Porsche 911 Cup cars.

High-end sports cars and extreme off-road vehicles, with as much custom work as you want to pay for, are Taggart’s attitude-filled bread and butter. Being a rarity in a sea of new and used car dealers in the Triangle area, the North State Journal caught up with Jim to see why he does what he does.

“I was just racing, and then I got the bug to do something entrepreneurial again,” Taggart said. “I just wanted to start a new business. And I wanted to parlay that into my racing and what I’ve done. I thought, ‘I love cars, cars are cool. It’s fun buying and selling cars.’”

Taggart came to North Carolina roughly 30 years ago, straight out of college from Ohio State, to work for IBM. He says he felt like a “fish out of water” there, so after 7 years with the company he decided it was time to begin his own business venture. Jim most notably founded Physicians Pharmacy Alliance in 2002, which he sold in 2011.

Today, if you visit his appointment-only dealership, you’ll find a random yet incredible assortment of high-end vehicles managed by him and his seven staff members. All of the vehicles are driven by Taggart himself to ensure they perform as intended, and so he can provide a briefing to the sales people on how they should be displayed and driven.

“It’s an awful job,” Taggart said, laughing.

His head mechanic, Eric Arms, says there really is more to it than Jim’s enjoyment of driving the cars. He says it provides a personal touch as well as a lot of insight, because it prevents the sales people from driving something they may not be ready to handle because it’s all been checked out by a trained professional.

A few of Taggart’s accolades include SCCA National Rookie of the Year (2012), Pirelli World Challenge Rookie of the Year (2013), and SCCA Performance Driver of the Year for the Southeast Division (2013).

While Jim may be, more often than not, the man

behind the wheel, Arms is the man behind the scenes.

“He can do about anything,” Taggart said, walking around the lot to show us some of Eric’s inventions.

“You can throw baseballs at this thing,” he said, hitting the side of a lifted, grainy textured Jeep Wrangler. The extreme off-road vehicle was coated in a layer of paint with ground carbon fiber mixed in that Arms developed himself called “Carbon Infused Armor.” Jim said a coating of it on your own vehicle will set you back about $10,000.

Arms, from Michigan, has an extensive racing background as a master welder and former chassis fabricator in Indy. He’s been living in N.C. for nearly a decade. Before the dealership picked up a couple of years ago, Arms was Taggart’s crew chief for his various race cars.

“It was an easy transition when we stepped into this,” Arms said. “More fast cars and performance.

Just having the heritage was huge. We made it into, obviously, a unique dealership.”

Back in the garage, Arms is a bit of a mad scientist.

When Taggart brings him difficult and often unusual problems, Eric takes on the challenge.

“I need somebody that doesn’t cringe when I come to them and say, ‘Eric, can we, what if we did this,’” Taggart said. “Most of the time, he says, ‘that can be done.’”

While Taggart Autosport doesn’t take on your average service work, if you come to them with a unique request, and they think it’s cool, they’ll figure it out. Even if it’s not a big profit maker.

Another invention by Arms is their JK Jeep “Driver Aid Override,” a simple-to-use button on the dash that will completely disable all traction control. The function strictly for off-road use was developed inhouse.

We asked Arms if there were any new issues that he was trying to invent a solution for, but he kept his cards close to the vest.

“I will share that it’s great that the things we’re doing and the advertising that we’re doing is getting the actual car sales side of what we do, which is what we’re here to do, is really starting to ramp up,” he said. “So the first year we had a broader range of exotics, and they started just flying out the door … It’s a good problem to have.

We continue to look far ahead to purchase enough cars to keep our inventory up … That’s where our challenges are now.”

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Jim Taggart poses for a photograph in the showroom of Taggart Autosport in Cary, Wednesday, June 8. Pharmacy entrepreneur turned SCCA and Pirelli World Challenge “Rookie of the Year” race car driver, Taggart has slowed his professional racing career to start Taggart Autosport. The company deals in buying and selling high-end, exotic sports cars and off-road vehicles while modifying cars in the full-service garage.

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Left, a simple mason jar can form the base for a summer flower arrangement. Spray painting the jar is another option to add some color. Center, greenery should be added to the vase first and can include flowering basil, green hypericum, and elaeagnus, which grows in most yards. Right, after adding the greenery to the vase, add bright colored flowers such as sunflowers, roses, cockscomb, zinnias and marigolds to complete the summer arrangement.

BLOOM from page C1 Hydrangeas Hydrangeas have long been considered a favorite flowering shrub plant for Southerners. Blooming from late spring to early autumn, hydrangeas are found in the colors of white, blue, red, pink, light purple, and dark purple. Pairing well with a variety of greenery or in a bushel, these flowers are a go-to for many centerpieces.

When tackling the hydrangea bush in your yard, cut the flowers and then submerge them upside down in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. After they have soaked, pull them out and lightly shake of the excess water from the blossoms. Fill a vase with warm water and you’re set to enjoy these beauties for at least a week.

“To get the most out of your hydrangeas, keep them in a room with a cool temperature during this summer season. Recut the stems and replace the water every other day for maximum potential,” said Tommy Roberts, floral designer and owner.

Roses Roses have been a classic in gardens for decades thanks to their beauty and delicacy. A perennial flowering plant, it varies in color from whites to yellows to reds, and the long stems make a cheerful bouquet any time of day. When brought from outside, rose stems should be cut at a slant and placed directly in water afterwards.

“Stop by your local florist shop and ask for a preservative packet to help your roses stay in full bloom longer when they are in your flower arrangement,” said Roberts.

Zinnias Zinnias are often a gardener’s favorite. Growing from seeds into a diversity of colors and shapes, these

flowers can survive during North Carolina’s hottest temperatures and often attract butterflies for the sitting. Zinnias are native primarily to North America and are a summertime flower. White, chartreuse, yellow, orange, red, purple, and lilac are the colors you’ll find.

“Zinnias can take care of themselves. Cut and place them in warm water before they’ve bloomed fully, and you’ll be able to keep them indoors for up to two weeks,” said Roberts.

Lilies The sweet scent of lilies bring fragrance to gardens. Ranging in height from two to six feet, lilies grow from bulbs and are large flowering plants. Color variety in gardens include whites, reds, oranges, pinks, and purples.

“When the bud starts to show color, that is the best time to cut the flower and bring indoors to enjoy,” said Roberts.

Sunflowers Sunflowers grow to approximately 120 inches, and as one of the tallest flowers they are also vast in their ability to provide cheerfulness to any room. While sunflowers are growing they tilt during the day to face the sun and stop once they begin blooming.

“These flowers can stand alone due to their depth and beauty. Cut them at a slant and at different lengths for a layered look in a large vase,” said Roberts.

Greenery Greenery can be found in your own backyard, and the uses are endless. Gardenia, camellia, port laurel, and aucuba bushes are perfect for pulling and rounding out a flower arrangement. The Southern classic of magnolias are best saved for large arrangements,

mantels, and door wreaths due to their size and bulkiness.

“Greenery can be pulled directly from your yard and add the right filler to your arrangement. Use hand clippers to gather what you need,” said Roberts.

Creating an Arrangement After you’ve selected your flowers and greenery from the outdoors, it’s time to sit at the kitchen table and craft a unique centerpiece. Once you know your theme, selecting a container can be a fun task. Everything from vases, silver pitchers, mason jars, mint julip cups, baskets, and empty wine bottles can pair with your theme of choice for a centerpiece everyone will rave about.

Fill your vases with the larger flowers and greenery first and place your delicate flowers in last. Hot water induces the bloom quicker, and cooler water keeps a flower in hibernation.

Zinnias can stand alone in a vase due to the variety of colors. Gather them in a small mint julip cup with greenery for your bridge club luncheon.

For small arrangements, try pulling together three hydrangeas, three lilies, and three roses with mixed greenery. Gerbera daisies in small bouquets are another option fit for cookouts and birthday celebrations.

For large arrangements, pull together five to six hydrangeas, snapdragons, lilies, and mixed greens.

Sunflowers make a stunning arrangement all on their own.

“Remember when putting together an arrangement, if it doesn’t turn out the way you envision it, you can take everything out of the vase and start again,” said Roberts. “Flowers show elegance and welcomes guests to any home.”

For exlusive tips from The English Garden of Raleigh on crafting that perfect arrangement go to nsjonline.com.

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

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Sunday author Q&A Jess Conolly

PHOTO COURTESY OF Gina Zeidler

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orth Carolina is home to a wide variety of talented authors and no matter how far they go later in life, the state seems to take a hold of their hearts and impact the stories they tell. For Jess Connolly, that is most certainly the case as “Wild and Free” starts out by describing the force and beauty of the horses in Corolla that grabbed her attention one day when she saw them on TV. Co-authored with Hayley Morgan (who also briefly called North Carolina home), this book challenges and inspires women to be wild and free in their lives, just like those majestic horses.

The authors trade off writing chapter-by-chapter and uncover the many insecurities and questions women often face by sharing moments and memories from their own lives.

We got to talk with Jess and hear more about her thoughts on growing up in North Carolina, writing a book, and what her life looks like now.

How did where you were from have influence on your work?

Specifically for our book, culture and location played a HUGE part in how we wrote the book. We both grew up in such parallel communities and that was one of the major points to us that proved women across America needed this book. If such different towns and cultures can have such similarly plaguing problems, surely this wasn’t just a thing with us. Also, North Carolina gets a major shout-out in the first chapter as we talk about the wild horses of Corolla!

North State Journal: What are your North Carolina roots?

Connolly: I was born and raised in Charlotte and both sides of my extended family are North Carolina natives! My mom was raised in Charlotte and my dad was raised in Shelby, N.C. They met as summer workers at Carowinds in the ‘70s. My husband and I moved to South Carolina for college and moved back to Charlotte after we married to help start a church in North Charlotte.

What books are currently on your summer reading list?

I’m re-reading “Half the Church” by Carolyn Custis James and “Sisterhood” by Bobbie Houston.

“Wild and Free” was released on May 3, 2016 and is a USA Today Best Seller and was also on Amazon’s Best Seller list.

What is one thing you hope readers get out of the book?

I hope the women who read this book feel it’s the words they’ve been looking for to cry out and declare their own wild freedom. I pray they realize they’re already wild and they’re already free.

Wild and Free by Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan.

Where are you now and how do you spend your days?

Now I live in Charleston, S.C. I’m a pastor’s wife, mom to four kiddos, author, and speaker. My days are a mix of writing, working, playing with kids, spending time with women in our church, and lots of coffee!

What prompted you to write a book?

We both felt the prompt to write “Wild and Free” because WE needed to read it. We saw so many women around us struggling with the issues that were plaguing us— feeling too much and not enough—and we knew that God made us for more than that stifled and scared kind of living.

What was the process like to co-author it?

It was sticky at times, but honestly such a gift.

Neither of us could have written this book on our own, and neither of us wanted to. I see the Lord so mightily in Hayley and it was such an honor to write alongside her. He words are a balm to me still as I read it over!

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

COMING UP in the good life

An outdoor excursion July is picnic month, and we have your guide for how to pack a picnic North Carolina style along with some prime picnic spot suggestions.

Water and wildlife

We continue the North Carolina Aquarium 40th anniversary celebration with the second installment in our series as we travel to Fort Fisher for more underwater fun.

One in a million girls

Figuratively all parents think their babies are one in a million, but statistically these identical triplets really are.

We visit with the Wake Forest triplets now that they are home and settling into dayto-day family life.

C8

North State Journal for Sunday, July 10, 2016

pen & Paper pursuits I reckon . . .

Your guide to what’s what, where, why, and how to say it.

color AWAY!

Take a swim and color a sea adventure with us. Be sure to use #coloraway and share your work on social media.

Shad boat The shad boat was the pickup truck of the nineteenth century waterway. Designed and built by George Washington Creef in the 1870s, the boat was the workhorse for many a fisherman from Elizabeth City to Ocracoke Island. Today, the old shad boat is revered as North Carolina’s official state boat.

Janric classic sudoku

Solutions to puzzles from 7.3.16

illustration for the north state journal | AMY RICHARDS