North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 13

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 13

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www.NSJONLINE.com | wednesday, April 12, 2017

Finally Sergio’s time Sergio Garcia of Spain celebrates winning the Masters with a putt on the 18th green during a playoff against Justin Rose of England in the final round of the 2017 Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

See more on page B1.

Brian Snyder | reuters

the mid-week

News BRIEFing Alabama governor resigns as scandal leads to criminal charges Birmingham, Ala.t Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley resigned on Monday after pleading guilty to two misdemeanors related to campaign finance violations and linked to his relationship with a former adviser, ending a year-long scandal that has enveloped the state’s government. The guilty pleas were part of an agreement with prosecutors that called for him to step down, said Ellen Brooks, special prosecutor appointed by the state Attorney General Steve Marshall to investigate Bentley. “I have decided it is time for me to step down as Alabama governor,” said Bentley at a news conference in the state capital of Montgomery, adding that his service “was a calling that God placed on my life.”

Charleston church shooter pleads guilty to state murder counts Charleston, S.C. Dylann Roof, the white supremacist already sentenced to death in federal court for a 2015 massacre at a historic black church in South Carolina, pleaded guilty on Monday to separate state murder charges, sparing relatives of the victims a second trial.

Roof, wearing a gray prison jumpsuit and shackled at the wrists and waist, stood in a state courtroom in Charleston and entered “guilty” pleas to the murders of nine AfricanAmericans at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

He also pleaded guilty in the attempted murder of three survivors. Judge J.C. Nicholson then sentenced 23-year-old Roof to nine consecutive life terms without possibility of parole, and three consecutive 30-year prison terms in the attempt to kill Felicia Sanders, her grandchild, and Polly Sheppard. In January, Roof was sentenced to death after his conviction on 33 federal counts, including hate crimes and obstruction of religion.

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North Korea threatens nuclear strike on U.S. Tension has escalated sharply on the Korean peninsula, with talk of military action by the United States gaining traction

By Sue-Lin Wong Reuters PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korean state media warned on Tuesday of a nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of American aggression as a U.S. Navy strike group steamed toward the western Pacific.

President Donald Trump, who has urged China to do more to rein in its impoverished neighbor, said in a tweet that North Korea was “looking for trouble” and the U.S. would “solve the problem” with or without China’s help. Tension has escalated sharply on the Korean peninsula, with talk of military action by the United States gaining traction following its strikes last week against Syria and amid concerns the reclusive North may soon conduct a sixth nuclear test.

“Our revolutionary strong army is keenly watching every move by enemy elements with our nuclear sight focused on the U.S. invasionary bases not only in South Korea and the Pacific operation theater but also in the U.S. mainland,” it said.

South Korea’s acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn warned of “greater provocations” by North Korea

Markets slipped as tensions rise with North Korea.

RALEIGH — In a press conference Tuesday, the N.C. Retail Merchants Association warned of high prices for consumers and job loss across the state if a border adjustment tax passes as part of the national conversation on tax reform.

The border adjustment tax, or BAT, is billed as a way to boost U.S. manufacturing by exempting export revenues from federal tax.

However it would also end the deductibility of import costs by corporations and retailers, making imports for production or resale costlier. Retailers say it’s fundamentally unfair to retailers over large corporations that primarily export, and would amount to a

The yen rose 0.6 percent against the dollar

2 days U.S. Treasury yields fell for a second straight day

See north korea, page A2

Christine T. nguyen | north state journal

From right, North Carolina Retail Merchants Association president Andy Ellen, Americans for Prosperity North Carolina state director Donald Bryson and Variety Wholesalers, Inc. CEO Art Pope speak out against the Border Adjustment Tax proposal.

Students leading the charge in science and space Five North Carolina students selected for NASA camp

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

Photo courtesy of Honeywell

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See Bat, page A3

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By Donna King North State Journal

20 percent increase on consumer goods. The cost is estimated to be $1,700 per family per year.

“It would tax virtually everything that N.C. families buy: groceries, prescriptions, gas, home goods, shoes, clothing — you name it,” said Andy Ellen, president of the N.C. Retail Merchants Association. “It would slap a giant 20 percent increase on any of those items that are imported.

Every morning I drink a cup of coffee and eat a banana. My children eat strawberries year-round.

Those products don’t grow here and last time I checked we can’t move the equator.”

The BAT is part of a tax reform blueprint supported by U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan.

President Donald Trump is also working on a tax plan. The quest to revamp the tax code moved to the top of Trump’s legislative agenda after a Republican push to repeal and replace President

Euro sinks for 11th straight day against yen

Expanded coverage of the North Carolina political scene

20177 52016

Statewide retailers are calling on N.C.’s D.C. delegation to oppose a Border Adjustment Tax

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INSIDE

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Retailers join forces to stop increase on cost of imports

Natalie Collier of Raleigh participates in a simulation at the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., on March 8, 2017.

RALEIGH — High school students from the Triangle were invited to experience life as a NASA astronaut and delve deeper into science, space and technology.

Five students were invited to the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., where they were given the opportunity to participate in the same training simulations as NASA astronauts including simulated shuttle missions and a moon walk; meeting NASA scientists, engineers and former astronauts; and designing, building

and testing their own rockets.

“We were exposed to team building related activities with other students participating such as acting as a control center and trying to land a shuttle,” said Levi Malin, 18, a senior at Wakefield High School in Raleigh.

For students from Raleigh — Malin and his brother, Ethan, Natalie Collier and Andrew Harwood — and Justin Hudson of Wendell were the five North Carolinians represented at the academy. This year, the academy selected 320 students from 45 countries and 27 states to participate.

“Being with people from different countries, like Saudi Arabia and Argentina, I was able to see our similarities and differences,” said Levi Malin. “It was a great exSee NASA, page A2

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

A2 wednesday

04.12.17 #69

Your money

What to do with your dormant Health Savings Account A Health Savings Account is supposed to stay with you for life, but if you do not use it, you could lose actually lose it

By Beth Pinsker Reuters

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We stand corrected To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

NEW YORK — Health Saving Accounts, or HSAs, are intended to make medical expenses more affordable by allowing consumers with high-deductible health plans to set aside pretax money in an account that, unlike a Flexible Spending Account, will not expire at the end of the year.

You can keep these accounts as you change jobs, which allows you to build up funds that you can spend as you need to or save for retirement.

But at least 24 percent of the 20 million-plus Americans with these accounts leave them inactive, according to research firm Devenir.

Some may not have enough extra cash to deposit. Some currently may not be eligible to put in money because they have changed health plans. Some may have simply forgotten they opened the accounts in the first place.

When an HSA account sits for

too long with no activity, the bank holding it has several options, one of which is to turn the money over to the state as unclaimed funds.

Before that happens, however, you will probably get a very sternly worded letter filled with arcane terminology about state escheatment law.

In escheatment, the state takes control of unclaimed assets, including bank accounts abandoned by people who cannot be reached because they have moved or died, settlement funds from lawsuits, or other awards that were never claimed. Several websites, like unclaimed.org, allow you to check by state to see if there are registered funds in your name.

Because Health Savings Accounts are often held by banks or credit unions that treat them as regular checking accounts, rather than as retirement investment accounts like an IRA, they can fall under escheatment law, depending on the state.

“If the account is in checking, it might be one set of state rules; if it’s in a brokerage, it might be different rules,” said Steve Christenson, executive vice president of retirement and savings plan provider Ascensus.

Christenson himself has four separate HSA accounts. While

he stays on top of them, he can understand how employees who hopscotch employers and providers can lose track.

Here is what to do if you have a dormant HSA account:

Tell the bank that you want to keep the account The average HSA balance is $1,844, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

There is a benefit to keeping the account open, even with a zero or low balance, said HSA Consulting Services President Roy Ramthun.

Even if you cannot contribute right now, you may be able to do so in the future.

Internal Revenue Service rules start the clock on eligible expenses when you open the HSA account, not when you put in money.

So you could keep your receipts for medical costs now and reimburse yourself whenever you can make deposits.

Compound the interest Most people keep their HSA money in cash via a checking-type account, but if you have any significant balance at all, you can invest the money and let the magic of compounding work for you.

Ten years from now, your $1,000 could be worth $1,790 if you put it in an index fund that earns 6 percent, and that gain would be tax-free.

“We want it to be a longer-term vehicle, so removing the account is counter to that,” said Eric Dowley, senior vice president of Fidelity’s HSA division.

Fidelity generally treats HSAs like it does IRAs and does not seek to close low-balance accounts, he added.

Move the account to a friendly bank If you got one of those scary letters saying your HSA was about to be seized and your financial institution does not seem happy about keeping a dormant account, shop around and pay close attention to fees.

Spend the money If you close your HSA and withdraw the funds that are left, you will have to pay taxes and fees that could eat up your whole balance.

Instead, you could just spend the money on qualified expenses like contact lenses or prescriptions, and then close the emptied account.

North State Journal (USPS PP 166) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Managing Editor Drew Elliot Opinion Editor Will Brinson Sports Editor Samantha Gratton Features Editor

Dave Cote Leadership Award winner Andrew Harwood of North Carolina, center, poses for a photo with, from left to right, Kerry Kennedy, Cecilia Tejeda Robles, Elizabeth Bierman, Dr. Deborah Barnhart and Brenda Carr at the graduation ceremony at th Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

perience to learn how people lived in other nations, and to see how they think and problem-solve as we worked on leadership activities together. I’ve learned it’s good to be both a leader and a follower, and to know when to be which.”

The Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy is a unique scholarship program developed in partnership with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) that uses interactive technology, science-oriented workshops, and team exercises to teach high school students leadership skills in science, technology, engineering and math, otherwise known as STEM. The week-long program is open to all students, ages 16-18, of current full-time Honeywell employees.

“My passion in life is science,”

said Ethan Malin. “This was an opportunity for me to be in a place I love, with new people from different countries speaking different languages, all working together to achieve goals in science, aviation, engineering, math and technology.

“In marching band at school, I’ve always struggled with confidence as a leader. This experience helped me learn confidence on a team,” he added.

Each year, several hundred students apply for admission to one of the sessions. Entry into the program is granted after an application and review process based on academic achievement and community involvement.

Since the program’s launch in 2010, Honeywell, in partnership with the USSRC, has awarded more than 2,090 scholarships to students to attend space camp.

ated assessment about the security situation on the Korean peninsula,” Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun said.

Saturday is the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the country’s founding father and grandfather of current ruler, Kim Jong Un. A military parade is expected in the North’s capital Pyongyang to mark the day. North Korea often also marks important anniversaries with tests of its nuclear or missile capabilities in breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The North’s foreign ministry,

in a statement carried by KCNA, said the U.S. Navy strike group’s approach showed Washington’s “reckless moves for invading had reached a serious phase.”

North Korea is emerging as one of the most pressing foreign policy problems facing the Trump administration.

The North has conducted five nuclear tests, two of them last year, and is working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States. The Trump administration is reviewing its policy toward North Korea and has said all options are on the

table, including military strikes, but U.S. officials said nonmilitary action appeared to be at the top of the list.

The U.S. Navy strike group Carl Vinson was diverted from port calls to Australia and would move toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula. U.S. officials said the strike group would take more than a week to reach waters near the Korean peninsula.

China and South Korea agreed on Monday to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea if it carried out nuclear or long-range missile tests, a senior official in Seoul said.

NASA from page A1

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North Korea from page A1

and ordered the military to intensify monitoring and to ensure close communication with the U.S. “It is possible the North may wage greater provocations such as a nuclear test timed with various anniversaries including the Supreme People’s Assembly,” said Hwang, acting leader since former president Park Geun-hye was removed amid a graft scandal.

Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Florida last week and Trump pressed Xi to do more to rein in North Korea.

Photo courtesy of Honeywell

The North convened a Supreme People’s Assembly session on Tuesday, one of its twice-yearly sessions attended by leader Kim Jong Un, and reported a successful national budget execution and personnel appointments.

There was no mention of its nuclear weapons program or being under threat from the U.S., according to KCNA. South Korean officials took pains to quell talk in social media of an impending security crisis or outbreak of war.

“We’d like to ask for precaution so as not to get blinded by exagger-

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

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BUSINESS DJIA

-0.03%

S&P 500

-0.14%

NASDAQ

-0.24%

OIL

$53.20

the BRIEF Chapel Hill

VIX

+7.54%

A 20-year Disney veteran who worked on some of the most epic family entertainment experiences in the country now has his eye on a much more intimate, hometown experience. On 21 acres in Alamance County, Bob Baranick envisions a smallscale park creation called “Whirligig Woods,” aimed toward the growing number of families in the area. With all of the famed Disney attention to detail but at a fraction of the cost — admission will likely be $25 for adults and less for children — Baranick and his team hope to bring some of the magic of larger-scale theme parks to this small patch of woods, complete with train rides, a haunted house and tree houses. Baranick said he’s still about six months away from finalizing a groundbreaking.

When he does, guests will even be able to spend the night in a treehouse in the middle of Whirligig Woods.

TAX TIME SERIES: 3 OF 3

’Tis the season: FAQs for tax preparers Local financial planner Hans Scheil, CFP® details changes we need to be aware of when submitting 2016 tax returns

By NSJ Staff

NSJ: How can I lower my tax bill next year?

Hans E. Scheil, CFP

Consider opening a home equity line of credit with your bank or credit union to pay off your consumer debt — any interest you pay (which is likely much lower than a credit card) will be tax deductible because it is considered a home loan.

Raise your contribution amount to your 401k and your taxable income will be lower, which in turn could lower your tax bill.

Hans Scheil, CFP: If you are currently renting, purchase a home, if you can.

The money you are paying in rent will go toward paying your mortgage. The mortgage interest you pay on your home loan is tax deductible as well as county and local property taxes.

Consider opening a home equity line of credit with your bank or credit union to pay off your consumer debt. You will probably get a lower interest rate and the interest you do pay in 2017 will be tax deductible because it is considered a home loan. Convert taxable interest and dividends into tax deferred or tax free. You can convert savings you are holding directly into a deferred annuity, a life insurance cash value, or a tax free municipal bond fund. This will either postpone taxes or eliminate taxes. If you are covered under an employer retirement plan, inquire what the maximum amount of your salary is eligible to contribute. If you raise your contribution amount your taxable income will be lower which in turn could lower your tax bill. If you are age 50 or older, the IRS allows you to make catch-up contributions to your IRA or employer plan. If you are 70 or older, you can make charitable contributions directly from your IRA and it counts toward your required minimum distribution.

San Francisco

Facebook says monthly advertisers tops 5 million Facebook announced on Monday that more than 5 million businesses are advertising on the social network each month and that it is updating its suite of ad services to try to draw more small businesses onto its mobile platform. The company said in September that it had 4 million advertisers, and in March 2016 that it had 3 million. The world’s largest social network, which is free to users, has 1.9 billion people on it. Facebook is locked in a battle with Alphabet’s Google for dominance in digital advertising. The two Silicon Valley giants are expected to soak up some 46 percent of online ad spending in 2018, according to research firm eMarketer.

NSJ: Is there anything that I should be reviewing with my financial advisor about my investments that could affect my taxes for next year?

HS: It is easy for your financial planner to assess the income taxes you are paying on your investment income by reviewing your tax returns. If you are not spending your after tax investment income and simply saving it for a rainy day, retirement, or to leave as an inheritance; you might want to consider shifting some of it to a tax deferred annuity or life insurance cash value. And now, some annuities and life insurance allow for withdrawals on a tax favored basis to pay for long term care expenses. Income taxes on your current or upcoming Social Security are calculated based upon your other taxable income. Your financial planner can help you lower your taxable income possibly through a Roth conversion.

Medicare Parts B & D have a surtax for high income individuals and couples which are calculated with your Modified Adjusted Gross Income MAGI. Medicare calls it Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount IRMAA. This is another big expense in retirement that your financial planner

Former Disney designer plans theme park near Triangle

can help you navigate. A Roth IRA is a great planning tool to keep your net taxable income below IRMAA thresholds. If you are approaching age 70 or past that age, required minimum distributions from your IRA create additional taxes. Your financial planner can help you plan for these. Just taking the minimum distribution from your IRA and stockpiling taxable money in your IRA is not a smart estate planning strategy.

NSJ: How has the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affected my taxes?

HS: If you purchase individual health insurance through the ACA exchange and your income is below $47,080 (single) or $63,720 (family of 2) or $97,000 (family of 4), you receive a premium tax credit. You don’t actually see this tax credit because it goes directly to your health insurance company to help pay the premium. The credit is reconciled with your actual income when filing your 2016 return. If

you choose not to have health insurance that provides minimum essential coverage under the ACA you will pay a tax penalty. The enforcement of this penalty is currently under question under a January 2017 executive order from the President. If your income is above $200,000 single and $250,000 married filing jointly, you pay an additional .9 percent in taxes to pay for Medicare. A 3.8 percent surtax is also due on net investment income if you are above these thresholds. If you have children under 27 years of age, premiums for their health insurance coverage can be tax free to you if you are covering them on your health plan.

The ACA provided for a tax deductible Health Savings Account HSA if you are covered under a high deductible health insurance plan.

Hans E. Scheil, CFP, is the CEO of North Carolina-based Cardinal Retirement Planning, Inc. and the author of “The Complete Cardinal Guide to Planning for and Living in Retirement.”

New York

New York financial watchdog investigating Barclays over CEO’s actions New York’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) is investigating Barclays over its chief executive’s attempt to unmask a whistleblower, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday.

The DFS probe is in the preliminary stages, the person said. Barclays Chief Executive Jes Staley apologized to the bank’s staff on Monday, after the lender said it would dock his pay and reprimand him for failing to follow the lender’s policy granting whistleblowers anonymity. A spokeswoman for Barclays declined to comment. The bank said in a statement on Monday that it had notified all relevant authorities about its handling of the case.

New York

Bat from page A1

Barack Obama’s signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act, failed in the U.S. House.

To tackle the biggest overhaul of the U.S. tax code since the Reagan era quickly, House Republicans are hoping to avoid the political fault lines in the party, so opposition among conservatives is raising a red flag in Congress.

“The total value of imports coming into N.C. was around $52.8 billion. That is equivalent to 11.1 percent of N.C.’s GDP,” said Donald Bryson, executive director of N.C.’s Americas for Prosperity. “A 20 percent BAT would lead to $10.57 billion in new taxes on N.C.’s economy, and on our citizens and businesses. To put that in perspective, in 2014 the state only paid $8.69 billion in federal income taxes. ... That’s a significant burden.”

Art Pope, who served as a legislator and the N.C. State budget director under former Gov. Pat McCrory, is a force in GOP politics and said he has been in touch with N.C.’s representation in the Washington to oppose a BAT. He said it unfairly targets retailers, especial-

ly small ones, over other companies that are capital intensive and can still deduct capital goods like equipment and buildings.

“It’s not right, it’s not fair, it’s not tax neutral to let one group deduct all their expenses including capital expenses while retailers cannot even deduct their costs of goods sold,” said Pope.

Pope said some of the state’s delegation have decided to oppose it but others say it’s still on the table. The House Republicans hope to vote on a tax reform bill before they leave for summer recess at the end of July. Congressman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who leads the Freedom Caucus in Congress and was credited with coordinating opposition to the recent health care reform effort, said the tax reform debate boils down to a decision between the BAT plan, backed by Ryan and deficit-funded reforms. He did not take a position on Thursday but recently said his group could support reforms that are not revenue neutral.

“We can get it done before August as long as we are real serious about having real debate. ...

Debate has to be about changing policy,” said Meadows. “We need

“The biggest victims of BAT will be working class families who’ve seen wages stagnate in recent years but will be looking at a $1,700 increase in the cost of goods.”

Andy Ellen, president of the N.C. Retail Merchants Association to go ahead and start having those discussions today. Let’s look at legislative text.”

Two conservative groups, Freedom Partners and Americans for Prosperity, issued results of a survey this week that ranked N.C. as the No. 22 state that could potentially be the most harmed by a BAT, primarily because the retail industry in N.C. is the largest private employment sector with one out of every four jobs tied to retail.

The study was sharply criticized by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, a Texas Republican who

intends to include the BAT in tax reform legislation.

“That so-called study will be easily discredited and probably fits the definition of fake news,” Brady told reporters. “It takes one provision, pretends the economy freezes ... applies it in our current tax code and comes up with fantasy figures.”

Proponents of the BAT refer to a macro-economic theory that says the U.S. dollar will appreciate in value by 25 percent to make up the cost. Pope disagrees.

“I live in the real world,” said Pope. “I have to negotiate with individual vendors on individual products ranging from pants, socks, handkerchiefs, each individual item. To imagine that the U.S. dollar is going to appreciate 25 percent overnight to offset that increase tax is not realistic.”

Tax reform negotiations are currently underway with hearings anticipated for the summer and action on a measure in August.

“We know it takes 500 messages to fill up the voicemail box of a U.S. senator,” said Bryson. “We filled up 24 last week and we are going to do another 24 this week and another 24 next week.”

United shares fall after backlash over dragged passenger United Continental Holdings shares fell as much as 4.4 percent on Tuesday after a worldwide backlash erupted over a passenger who was dragged off one of the carrier’s overbooked U.S. flights. Video showing a man who appeared to be Asian being snatched from his seat, his limp body pulled from the passenger cabin of United Airlines Flight 3411, sparked an outcry on Monday when the footage went viral. On Chinese social media, the incident attracted the attention of more than 340 million users on the Weibo platform by Tuesday morning.

United Continental got about 14 percent of its 2016 revenue from flying Pacific routes.

“The company has a very black eye, and they need to do some PR work, but I don’t think it will have any effect on the fundamentals,” said portfolio manager Craig Hodges of Hodges Capital in Dallas.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

MURPHY To MANTEO

Jones & Blount

A4

Forsyth

Wake

Foxx seeks to prevent use of HSA funds for elective abortion

Watauga

By Emily Roberson North State Journal WASHINGTON — Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., has introduced legislation to prevent tax-favored health savings accounts from being used to fund elective abortion.

Foxx, who represents N.C.‘s 5th Congressional District and is chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, is an active and wellknown pro-life voice in Congress.

“Few things demean the sanctity of human life more than elective abortion,” said Foxx. “It is unconscionable to force millions of taxpayers who hold that view to provide tax advantages for abortion expenses, particularly when such advantages are barred for other controversial uses.”

Dare

Burke

McDowell

Mecklenberg Cumberland

TINT OF CORN: COUNTY NAMES: C:west 0 Benton Sans Bold, M: 12 12pt.

Wildfire Y: 59.4 burns 550 acres K: 6 McDowell County

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire burning on private land in the Dobson Knob Area off Old Linville Road on Sunday around 6 p.m. By Tuesday afternoon, the fire had burned 550 acres and was 10 percent contained. The fire has spread onto U.S. Forest Service Property affecting the Pisgah National Forest. Air support is scheduled to arrive to help ground crews battling the fire amongst steep, rugged terrain.

Aheville citizen-times

BLACK RULE: PIEDMONT Solid black, .5 pt weight

Burke County The mother of the 3-year-old boy found dead on a front porch March 15 is facing charges in his death. A grand jury on Monday indicted Jamie Lyn Basinger, 23, on charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse. Deputies who discovered Landyn Michael Melton’s body reported the front door was open and Basinger was asleep with her boyfriend. She is jailed on a $100,000 bond.

Associated Press

Landslide closes portion of Blue Ridge Parkway

Brunswick

Western region: Piedmont Green EAST Piedmont region: NState Red Eastern region: NState Navy

Body of charter boat owner discovered

Forsyth County Four students in Wake Forest University law school won the Student Trial Advocacy Competition, a title the university has been chasing for years. Wake Forest beat teams from several schools, including Harvard, Tulane and the University of California.

Each team works on the same problem. This year’s was a case of a Pokemon Go player injured during an assault while on business premises. The question the lawyers had to solve was: How much, if any, liability does the business bear in obtained injuries?

The competition is sponsored by the American Association for Justice.

Dare County The body of Brant L. Wise, owner and operator of the charter boat Veronica, was discovered Monday near his boat in the Pirates Cove Marina Channel.

Wise was last seen Friday night, and rescue workers searched the Roanoke Sound by air and boat through Sunday. A dive team had arrived Sunday afternoon to search the Pirates Cove boat basin.

Winston-Salem Journal

Man charged in arson of immigrant-owned store Mecklenburg County Curtis Dwight Flournoy, 32, has been arrested and charged with the Thursday arson against Central Market, a Nepali Indian store in Charlotte. Flournoy, an AfricanAmerican, allegedly left a threatening note complaining about refugee businesses and mentioned torturing the owner if they did not go back to their home country. The note was signed “White America.” Flournoy appeared in court Tuesday afternoon and faces several charges including ethnic intimidation and burning a commercial building.

Associated Press/Fox8 WGHP

Watauga County A massive mudslide shut down several miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway with midweek rains increasing difficulty for cleanup crews. No one was driving in the area when the mudslide occurred. Park rangers said torrential rain was to blame. The parkway is closed between U.S. Highway 421 to Old Highway 421 in Deep Gap. Watauga Democrat

** All counties have a 1.5 pt. white stroke

WFU finally wins prestigious title

Mother charged in death of toddler

Family files lawsuit in pool death Wake County The family of Rachel Rosoff has filed a lawsuit claiming her electrocution and drowning was caused by shoddy electrical work of two Raleigh companies. Rosoff, 17, was filling in as lifeguard Sept. 3 when she was found lifeless in the Heritage Point community pool. The family’s attorney, David Kirby, said Rosoff suffered a terrible death where her muscles contracted from the electric shock but it wasn’t enough to instantly kill her, leaving the strong swimmer paralyzed and consciously drowning.

A5

Outer Banks Voice

Fayetteville receives $1.2 million Cumberland County Fayetteville was awarded the $1.2 million Golden LEAF Foundation Grant and officials say it will go toward two separate Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts. It was announced at Monday’s city council meeting that $900,000 of the grant will go toward building an alternative entrance to Rayconda subdivision. After flood damage last fall, the city did an emergency repair to the subdivision’s only entrance but want to create a new way in and out. The rest of the grant will go toward cleaning up storm debris from Cross Creek.

Fayetteville Observer

Old Baldy reaches 200 years Brunswick County The Bald Head Island Lighthouse, nicknamed “Old Baldy,” will have its 200th birthday celebration April 15 on the lighthouse grounds. Old Baldy has survived two world wars, the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution. For 100 years, the lighthouse was a beacon of entrance to the Cape Fear River. The celebration will include a flag dedication, U.S. Coast Guard flyover, musical performances and an Old Baldy-shaped cake.

Climbs to the top will also be free that day.

Wilmington StarNews

file photo

Pending lawsuits against farming operations in North Carolina by adjacent property owners have sparked legislation to cap the level of damages awarded in nuisance claims in order to protect farmers from oversized damages awards.

NC House caps damages for nuisance claims

By Jeff Moore North State Journal

R

ALEIGH — In perhaps the most hotly debated piece of legislation this week, the N.C. House of Representatives passed a bill that caps compensatory damages from nuisance claims at an amount equal to the fair market value of the affected property.

“In the past, we have seen farmers sued into bankruptcy without proof of damages,” said Commissioner or Agriculture Steve Troxler (R) in a statement to North State Journal. “I’m glad the legislature is taking a look at these lawsuits that are putting farmers at risk, and I certainly hope this legislation will offer farmers a measure of protection.”

House Bill 467 was filed in late March as federal courts in the State consider 26 lawsuits representing 541 plaintiffs seeking damages to compensate for the diminution of property values as a result of adjacent hog farming operations. The plaintiffs contend that the livestock operations, and spraying of effluent on crops near the properties, represent a nuisance that has reduced their property values.

Sponsors of the legislation pointed out that the presiding judge in the case cited the absence of clarity in state law for damages associated with such temporary nuisance cases, potentially opening the door for outsized damages awards that would be detrimental to the farms’ viability.

“This legislation deals with nuisance lawsuits, only,” said primary sponsor Rep. Ted Davis (R-New Hanover), adding that the bill does

“North Carolina law is not clear on the availability of annoyance and discomfort damages in temporary nuisance actions.”

— Judge W. Earl Britt, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of N.C. not limit damages for a bevy of other categories such as environmental, liability, or punitive damages.

Critics of the measure worried that such caps on nuisance damages unfairly restricted the property rights of potential plaintiffs and were especially concerned that the legislature was crossing a separation of powers line by getting involved in pending litigation in such a way as to benefit the defending hog farming entities.

“It really is not the responsibility of this legislature to take away those property rights, one, and secondly to immerse itself in an existing lawsuit,” said Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke). “It is encouragement for well-heeled defendants or plaintiffs to decide that they will bring all heavily disputed claims to the legislature and persuade somebody that if you label it a clarification of the existing law that it’s okay to do it.”

Conservative stalwarts of the House such as Rep. John Blust (R-Guilford) and Rep. Michael Speciale (R-Craven) argued that not only should the legislature avoid involvement in pending law-

suits, but that actions clarifying or changing such damages should be handled in general tort reform legislation that ensures a uniform application of property rights across multiple legal landscapes.

“Nothing is more fundamental to liberty than you getting the use of your own home unimpeded by bad things that neighbors may do on their property,” said Blust during debate on the House floor.

“It’s long been recognized, we ought not to tamper with it today, particularly to pick the winner in a lawsuit currently before the court.”

As a remedy, an amendment was offered stipulating that the act was to be effective when it became law and would not affect pending lawsuits. After a heated debate, the amendment was adopted by a thin margin of only three votes. Subsequently, the amended bill was passed the chamber with a solid majority.

The amendment was thought to be a boon for trial lawyers who, according to insiders, spent approximately $100,000 on lobbying fees to remove any pending litigation from being subjected to the new caps on damages.

Proponents of the bill such as the N.C. Pork Council are pleased with its passage, though believe pending cases should also be included.

“Farmers continue to believe that this clarification is appropriate to apply to pending cases as well as future cases,” said the council in a press release. “Many farmers need this protection from predatory lawyers who wish to use our farms to line their pockets.”

The bill now heads to the N.C. Senate for consideration.

Individuals with high deductible health insurance plans are eligible to open health savings accounts. Contributions to the accounts are tax deductible while the interest or other earnings on the assets in the accounts are tax-free.

Participants can withdraw funds from the accounts on a tax-free basis to cover qualified medical expenses.

Congress has already established limits on withdrawals from health savings accounts by establishing qualified medical expenses. Certain procedures such as elective cosmetic surgeries have been excluded from eligibility. Similarly, H.R. 2019 removes elective abortion as a qualified medical expense.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., is an original co-sponsor of the legislation.

NC Senate bill to enforce penalties on cities, counties ignoring federal immigration law

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — A N.C. Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation Tuesday that would enact penalties against cities, counties, law enforcement agencies, and universities who willfully defy federal immigration law.

Senate Bill 145, sponsored

by Sen. Norman Sanderson (R-Carteret), adds enforcement measures to previously passed resolutions banning sanctuary cities and other efforts to resist complying with immigration laws.

“We finally put the teeth in the bill to make it a real bill,” said Sen. Jerry Tillman (R-Randolph) during committee consideration of the bill. “I don’t know of anybody that wants to harbor illegals in their city. This is not political to me; this is the real situation we’re facing.”

The bill repeals state statute that allows community issued identification cards to be accepted in lieu of state certified forms of identification; charges the state attorney general with fielding complaints and conducting investigations into non-compliant entities, and maintaining a database of those complaints and investigations; creates uniform penalties for non-compliance with the state’s E-verify laws; and waives local government immunity for cities and counties that have adopted sanctuary policies for any damages committed by illegal immigrants, among other reforms.

Those entities found non-compliant under federal immigration laws will face losing

one or more of six different funding streams from the state, such as beer and wine taxes or telecommunication taxes that are remitted to local municipalities.

For example, if a university in the state is found in violation the entity would have their funding status revoked such that they could not receive general fund appropriations.

“Any funds that are withheld from any of those six streams will not be funds that revert back to the general fund; those funds will be distributed among the cities and counties that are in compliance,” explained Sanderson.

As the bill cleared another legislative hurdle, the ACLU of N.C. issued a response claiming the measure would impose on the rights of illegal aliens in the state.

“This bill potentially violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution and could expose North Carolina to costly litigation,” said Sarah Gillooly, Policy Director for the ACLU of North Carolina. “But more importantly, state lawmakers should not be in the business of telling local officials to target and single out undocumented North Carolinians who work, go to school, and contribute to our communities in countless ways.”

Some Democratic lawmakers asked Sanderson if illegal immigrants reporting violent crimes would risk deportation under the proposal.

“If you’re in this country illegally you have already broken a law,” said Sanderson in response. “We’re either a state of laws or not a state of laws.”

The bill now heads to the Senate Rules Committee for consideration.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

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

Visual Voices

EDITORIAL | Drew Elliot

On NC’s environment, will experience or politics prevail?

To date, there does not appear to be any outrage in the offing for Regan’s sensible philosophy.

How curious.

Just one block of Jones Street separates North Carolina’s Legislative Building from the headquarters of the state’s environmental agency, but sometimes it has seemed like the widest chasm in the state.

That wasn’t the case last week, though, when Michael Regan, Gov. Roy Cooper’s choice to head the agency, sailed through his most important hearing in the state Senate’s confirmation process. After answering questions for less than an hour, Regan passed the Agriculture-Environment-Natural Resources Committee unanimously.

As well he should have. A Goldsboro native, Regan is more than qualified to implement Cooper’s environmental agenda as secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality.

He holds degrees in environmental science and public administration, and has worked at the U.S. EPA. Regan also said all the right things in his hearing. A constant refrain was that he liked to bring various parties to the table to work through disputes. That’s a good strategy, and building trust as an intermediary can be an important function of the agency. Regan has a better chance to succeed through these sorts of collaborative efforts than his predecessors at the agency, for one important reason.

When appointees of Gov. Pat McCrory’s ran the agency, the environmentalist industry had no reason to build relationships or solve problems. In fact, any semblance of working with the agency would have been counter-productive. Their focus was to make McCrory look as extreme as possible, make the environment seem as dirty as possible, and make fundraising as easy as possible — for themselves.

Regan, then, has a chance to get much

done at the agency. He is not only a former regulator, he also has been employed by the environmentalist industry itself. Regan worked as Associate Vice President of U.S. Climate and Energy and Southeast Regional Director of the Environmental Defense Fund. (Is that one title or two?) At any rate, the Environmental Defense Fund — despite is eco-terroristicsounding name — is not the worst of the environmentalist groups. It does have a history of collaboration with other interests, so Regan should get the benefit of the doubt about collaboration.

Overall, Regan was inoffensive at the hearing.

For instance, he made some common-sense comments about working with permitees rather than being trigger-happy on enforcement.

“We would love to have self-reporting versus catch people,” Regan explained. “The goal isn’t a ‘gotcha’ game, or a ‘catch’ game — it’s ‘how can we work together to protect the state’s natural resources.’”

Those comments are strikingly similar to the views of McCrory’s environmental chiefs. Yet when John Skvarla and Donald van der Vaart said those things, they were accused, loudly and often, of being shills for polluters. To date, there does not appear to be any outrage in the offing for Regan’s sensible philosophy. How curious.

While the hearing went very well for Regan, there are bound to be conflicts ahead for the General Assembly and the secretary. One area is staffing levels. The General Assembly has trimmed DEQ, formerly the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, significantly over the past decade, mostly by moving divisions to other agencies. Almost all of what is left are the divisions that are purely regulatory — air, water, and waste.

Lately there have been allegations that

businesses are waiting too long for permits, and agency leadership has suggested that head count is too low. This is where Regan may conflict the most often with the legislature.

The last time a Democratic administration dealt with a Republican-controlled General Assembly, legislators knew the pattern well: cry that there’s not enough staff, then use the “shortfall” between the governor’s proposed budget and the one that passed over her veto as a campaign talking point. Meanwhile, agency leadership have very little incentive to improve permit times, since that would go against their argument for more funding and staff.

Because of this cycle, the level of trust between the General Assembly and the environmental agency was at a low point when McCrory came into office. While the relationship did not automatically improve merely because Republicans controlled both branches, it has improved somewhat. For now, Regan may get the benefit of the doubt from legislators. After all, the state’s surging economy means more permit applications, so workload has likely increased.

But if Regan and Cooper begin to sing the same old song regardless of facts and trends, Regan will quickly see the old, painful pattern of distrust emerge on Jones Street.

The widening of that chasm won’t be good for Cooper, Regan, or North Carolina.

EDITORIAL | Ray Nothstine

A moral case for tax cuts and reform Ultimately the goal of tax reform and good tax policy should be to reorient the federal government toward its legitimate spending obligations prescribed by the Constitution.

Despite progressive claims to the contrary, one of the biggest problems in Washington is not a lack of revenue but unsustainable spending. This month, private citizens will be sending about $1.5 trillion of their hard-earned dollars to Washington to be mismanaged, with no relief in sight. (This does not include the hundreds of billions of dollars annually to comply with the current tax code).

Republicans are promising a major tax reform overhaul before the end of the year.

While they must work to simplify and modernize a pathetically complex tax code, the GOP should too call for aggressive cuts on individual and corporate rates.

A popular and oft-repeated rallying cry pushed by some politicians and lawmakers is that spending must be reduced before taxes can be cut. While there is truth to be gleaned from this statement, there is, of course, no urgency in Washington to curtail federal spending. This is evidenced by the debt explosion, exacerbated by former President Barack Obama’s $831 billion stimulus boondoggle. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has proposed his own infrastructure package that could approach $1 trillion. The new president even campaigned on no reforms to runaway entitlement spending, which poses the greatest obstacle to long-term economic sustainability.

The federal debt, about to surpass $20 trillion, could rise as high as 225 percent of gross domestic product over the next three decades, per the nonpartisan Committee for

a Responsible Federal Budget. The debt has doubled in only 10 years and America is facing $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities. This only spells higher taxes for Americans coupled with dramatic cuts to entitlements and government services. Every dollar spent and borrowed by the government ultimately comes from the pockets of its citizens.

Why cut taxes now? The obvious reason is that lower taxes increase wages, create jobs, and promote overall economic growth and health. However, another reason Americans should be demanding tax relief is perhaps more obvious: The federal government has woefully mismanaged the funds it already receives from taxpayers. As Calvin Coolidge so aptly noted, a government without “sound public policy is not a protector of liberty, but an instrument of tyranny. It condemns the citizen to servitude.”

It is essential for Americans to demand accountability and transparency from government before it continues to part with further confiscation of property through taxation. It would be wise to once again adopt the attitude noted by the 18th century English writer Samuel Johnson, who declared that our American forefathers “were probably the lowest taxed people in the history of the human race, and they resented every penny.”

Ultimately the goal of tax reform and good tax policy should be to reorient the federal government toward its legitimate spending obligations prescribed by the Constitution.

After all, the states and civil society exist for a

reason. Simplifying the tax code, by limiting deductions, and preferably nixing the payroll tax, will help Americans see more clearly the true and brutal cost of government spending.

Furthermore, the increasing number of Americans who pay no federal income taxes is detrimental to the stability of the Republic.

Even low-income earners should bear a very minimal burden of the spending and debt crisis.

The last time there was major tax reform was over 11,000 days ago in 1986. Since then the federal debt has ballooned from $2 trillion to an unacceptable $20 trillion. Our current tax and spend policy makes a mockery of the idea that the government is the servant of the people and that its mission is to “secure the blessings of liberty.”

Tax cuts remain a moral necessity if Washington lacks the political courage to be good stewards of the property and resources of its citizens. Tax cuts coupled with spending cuts is the most fiscally prudent path forward.

Let’s hope Washington is finally paying attention.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

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Guest Opinion | Troy Kickler

Walter Williams

Metastasizing academic cancer he average American has little knowledge of the extent to which our T institutions of higher learning have been

MADELINE GRAY | North State Journal

The North Carolina state flag flies above the Old State Capitol building.

What ‘First in Freedom’ means When North Carolina colonists believed the Crown ignored their requests and “charter rights,” many started championing independence.

Do you ever wonder why “First in Freedom” is printed on some North Carolina license plates, or why April 12, 1776 is one of the two dates on the plate and on the North Carolina flag?

April 12 is the anniversary of the Halifax Resolves — a document that empowered the three North Carolina delegates at the Continental Congress to “concur with delegates of the other colonies in declaring independency and forming foreign alliances . . .” This action was a first! According to the prolific “father of American history,” George Bancroft, “North Carolina was the first colony to vote explicit sanction to independence.” The intellectually versatile historian of North Carolina, Samuel A’Court Ashe, later added: the Halifax Resolves “was the first utterance for separation that had been made on behalf of any colony in America.”

It was more than that, however. Historian Hugh T. Lefler points out that the resolution was also “a recommendation to the Continental Congress that independence should be declared by all colonies.” Later in 1776, the document was reprinted in newspapers in various colonies and read to the Continental Congress. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts even beseeched his peers to implore their respective assemblies to adopt similar resolutions; he hoped, in particular, that “his native colony [might] follow this laudable example.” On May 15, Virginia “followed North Carolina’s lead,” writes native North Carolinian and first Archivist of the United States, R.D.W. Connor. Virginia, though, directed its delegation to propose independence.

What prompted North Carolina’s action? For some time, American colonists debated whether to separate from Great Britain. Although there were many Loyalists across the American colonies, many Americans complained that British Parliament overstepped its constitutional authority. In particular, they believed that local assemblies only had the right to tax colonists. Yet for some time, Americans remained loyal to the Crown — that is, if he provided protection from what they deemed parliamentary usurpation. (Colonists reminded the Crown that the British constitution bound both the Crown and his subjects.) When North Carolina colonists believed the Crown ignored their requests and “charter rights,” many started championing independence.

A series of resolutions by various Committees of Safety expressed these sentiments. As Patriot sentiment increased up and down the Atlantic seaboard from colony to colony, it expanded from east to west in a colony that would become known as the Old North State. In 1775, the Mecklenburg Resolves, the resolves issued at Martinsborough, the “association” formed by the New Hanover Committee of Safety — to name only three examples — were antecedents to the Halifax Resolves.

During early 1776, the political divide increased between American colonists and the British government. The North Carolina delegation at the Continental Congress — John Penn, Joseph Hewes, and William Hooper — observed an increasing “spirit of independence” at the Continental Congress.

The seemingly most assertive of the North Carolina delegates, Penn, wrote: “Matters are drawing to a crisis.” Hewes concurred: “I see no prospect of reconciliation.” While some delegates demanded immediate action, others preferred postponement. In short, delegates at the Continental Congress were in a quandary. What was to be done? And, what was the best way to execute an action?

For months, North Carolina Patriot pamphleteers slowly fostered “a spirit of independence” by writing with quills while Patriot orators perfected their rhetoric and eloquence. When the guns ceased and the smoke cleared after Patriots defeated Loyalists at the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge on Feb. 27, 1776, many believed the colony had “crossed the Rubicon.” Meanwhile, North Carolina’s delegation at the Continental Congress desired to know “the sentiments” and wanted direction from the North Carolina Provincial Congress regarding forming alliances.

On April 12, 1776, Hewes, Penn, and Hooper were given an answer via resolution. Acting before South Carolina and Virginia and before any other colony, North Carolina’s Fourth Provincial Congress unanimously passed the Halifax Resolves. The colony had given the Continental Congress a needed impulse.

The Old North State was “first in freedom.”

Troy Kickler holds a doctorate in history and is a longtime student of North Carolina’s past. His numerous works include “The King’s Trouble Makers.”

column | Cal Thomas

The Middle East’s siren call

Peace can only be achieved when people decide not to fight and kill each other anymore.

That’s what happened in Northern Ireland, but it’s a long way from happening in the Middle East.

In Greek mythology, sirens were beautiful creatures that lured sailors to their doom with their hypnotic voices. In Homer’s epic, “The Odyssey,” ships came to ruin on jagged reefs, following siren song, the pull of the beautiful voices so strong that the hero Odysseus, in order not to succumb, commanded that his crew lash him to the mast of his ship, and not untie him, until they were in safe waters.

That’s a lesson American presidents might have learned.

After repeatedly criticizing President Obama for his Middle East policy from which candidate Donald Trump said America got nothing in return, President Trump ordered a missile strike on a Syrian airbase reportedly used to launch chemical weapons attacks. Some on the right are beating their chests claiming this is a demonstration of leadership. To what end? Does anyone believe that Bashir al-Assad will not continue killing Syrians by other means?

Last week during meetings with King Abdullah of Jordan, the New York Post writes, “a report revealed that the administration wants to host a Mideast summit between Israel and the Palestinians as soon as this summer.” Trump said he and Abdullah would “advance the cause of peace in the Middle East, including peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.”

Since Palestinian leaders dating back to Yasser Arafat, along with

terrorist groups like Hezbollah (and ISIS), have vowed never to make peace with Israel, that can only mean one thing: pressure on Israel to “do more” by relinquishing additional territory to her enemies and watching as those enemies use that territory to advance their timetable for the eradication of the Jewish state.

When I asked Sarah Stern, president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, a pro-Israel think tank and policy center based in Washington, D.C., about this, she responded in an email: “After all of these years of experience in the Middle East, it is about time that we realize that the IsraelPalestinian dispute does not lay at the root of the problem. ... It is rather the growth of radical Islam and a 14-century-old Sunni versus Shiite divide, coupled with the breakdown of the arbitrary lines drawn by the Sykes-Picot agreement, which amalgamated various tribal, feuding factions into nation states, where there was no common denominator.”

The Sykes-Picot Agreement, commonly known as the Asia Minor Agreement, was a secret 1916 deal between Britain and France, with the assent of the Russian Empire; to arbitrarily carve up the region into spheres of influence. In 1921, Winston Churchill, Herbert Samuel, the head of Britain’s Liberal Party and Abdullah I of Jordan, met in

Jerusalem and redrew the lines of the Levant, ensuring the conflicts that have raged even before the 1948 re-establishment of Israel in its ancient homeland where Jews have always lived.

Every American president since Dwight Eisenhower has tried to reduce conflict and bring peace to the region. But peace can only be achieved when people decide not to fight and kill each other anymore.

That’s what happened in Northern Ireland, but it’s a long way from happening in the Middle East, especially when those committed to Israel’s destruction find hope in “summits” and meetings they use to pressure Israel into, in effect, committing suicide by making agreements her enemies have not and will not live up to.

Only a president with the power God gave Moses to part the Red Sea could do something as miraculous as bring peace to the Middle East. Even a brief review of history proves the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is not the cause of instability. Arabs were fighting Arabs before 1948 and conflicts between Sunni and Shia Muslims have nothing to do with Israel.

If Trump thinks he can be the ultimate peacemaker, he’s listening to siren song, and heading for the reef.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist.

infected with a spreading cancer. One aspect of that cancer is akin to the loyalty oaths of the 1940s and ’50s. Professors were often required to sign statements that affirmed their loyalty to the United States government plus swear they were not members of any organizations, including the Communist Party USA, that sought the overthrow of the United States government. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down loyalty oaths as a condition of employment in 1964.

Today we’re seeing the re-emergence of the mentality that gave us loyalty oaths, in the form of mandating that faculty members write “diversity statements,” especially as part of hiring and promotion procedures. They are forced to pledge allegiance to the college’s diversity agenda. For example, the University of California, San Diego requires that one’s “Contributions to Diversity Statement” describe one’s “past experience, activities and future plans to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, in alignment with UC San Diego’s mission to reflect the diversity of California and to meet the educational needs and interests of its diverse population.” George Leef, director of research at The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, has written an article titled “Loyalty Oaths Return with Faculty ‘Diversity Statements.’”

His article documents the growing trend of mandated faculty diversity statements — such as that at Virginia Tech, in which “candidates should include a list of activities that promote or contribute to inclusive teaching, research, outreach, and service.”

College diversity agendas are little more than a call for ideological conformity.

Diversity only means racial, sex and sexual orientation quotas. In pursuit of this agenda, colleges spend billions of dollars on offices of diversity and inclusion, diversity classes, and diversity indoctrination. The last thing that diversity hustlers want is diversity in ideas. By the way, the next time you hear a college president boasting about how diverse his college is, ask him how many Republican faculty members there are in his journalism, psychology, English and sociology departments. In many cases, there is none, and in others, the ratio of Democrats to Republicans might be 20-to-1. Nearly 100 percent of political campaign contributions from liberal arts faculty go to Democrats.

At Cornell University, for example, 97 percent of contributions from faculty went to Democrats. At Georgetown University, it was 96 percent.

A study by my George Mason University colleague Daniel B. Klein, along with Charlotta Stern, titled “Professors and Their Politics: The Policy Views of Social Scientists,” concluded: “The academic social sciences are pretty much a one-party system. Were the Democratic tent broad, the one-party system might have intellectual diversity. But the data show almost no diversity of opinion among the Democratic professors when it comes to the regulatory, redistributive state: they like it. Especially when it comes to the minimum wage, workplace-safety regulation, pharmaceutical regulation, environmental regulation, discrimination regulation, gun control, income redistribution, and public schooling.”

College diversity agendas are little more than a call for ideological conformity.

Diversity only means racial, sex, and sexual orientation quotas.

The fascist college trend that we are witnessing today is by no means new. As early as 1991, Yale University President Benno Schmidt warned: “The most serious problems of freedom of expression in our society today exist on our campuses. The assumption seems to be that the purpose of education is to induce correct opinion rather than to search for wisdom and to liberate the mind.”

What diversity oaths seek is to maintain political conformity among the faculty indoctrinating our impressionable, intellectually immature young people.

Vladimir Lenin said, “Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.” That’s the goal of the leftist teaching agenda.

You might ask, “Williams, what can be done?” Parents, donors and legislatures need to stop being lazy. Check to see whether a college has diversity mandates for faculty.

Check to see whether campus speakers have been disinvited. College administrators have closed minds about their diversity agenda, but there’s nothing more effective in opening up closed minds than the sound of pocketbooks snapping shut.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Nation & WORLD

week in images

the BRIEF NASA’s Peggy Whitson takes command of space station Cape Canaveral, Fla. NASA’s Peggy Whitson, soon to become the most experienced U.S. astronaut in terms of time spent in space, assumed command of the International Space Station on Sunday as two Russian crew members and an American prepared to fly back to Earth.

For Whitson, 57, it was her second stint in charge of the $100 billion station, a multinational project overseen

by NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

Navesh Chitrakar | reuters

A devotee takes a holy bath at the Balaju Baise Dhara (22 water spouts) during the Baishak Asnan festival in Kathmandu, Nepal,on Tuesday.

Enrique Calvo | reuters

Penitents of “Joventut Serafica” brotherhood wait for the start of a Palm Sunday procession, during the Holy Week in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on Sunday.

Fox to investigate sexual harassment claim against anchor O’Reilly New York Fox News parent Twenty-First Century Fox said on Sunday it will investigate a sexual harassment claim against TV anchor Bill O’Reilly, who has seen several companies pull their ads from his top-rated news show in the past week.

The investigation comes after a complaint was phoned in to the network’s corporate hotline last week by Wendy Walsh, a former regular guest on Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor” TV show.

Mohsin Raza | reuters

A soldier stands guard during evening prayers led by Sheikh Saleh bin Ibrahim Imam Qaba at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, on Sunday.

Mario Anzuoni | reuters

A student who was evacuated after a shooting at North Park Elementary School is embraced after groups of them were reunited with parents waiting at a high school in San Bernadino, Ca., on Monday.

Trump’s pick Gorsuch sworn in, restoring top court’s conservative tilt After nearly 14 months with eight justices, U.S. Supreme Court restored to full bench

By Lawrence Hurley Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — Neil Gorsuch, picked by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, was sworn in as a U.S. Supreme Court justice at the White House on Monday and was poised to have an instant impact on a court once again dominated by conservatives.

Trump earned the biggest political victory of his presidency and fulfilled a major campaign promise when the Senate voted on Friday to confirm the conservative federal appeals court judge from Colorado to the lifetime job despite vehement Democratic oppo-

sition. With Gorsuch aboard, the court once again has five conservative justices and four liberals.

Gorsuch took his judicial oath in a White House Rose Garden ceremony with Trump watching on, filling a vacancy that lingered for nearly 14 months after the death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016. The oath was administered by Justice Anthony Kennedy, for whom Gorsuch worked as a clerk as a young lawyer. Gorsuch will become the first justice to serve alongside a former boss.

Under bright sunshine on a warm spring day in the U.S. capital, Trump hailed Gorsuch as a man of great integrity and unmatched qualifications who was deeply faithful to the U.S. Constitution.

“To the American people, I am humbled by the trust placed in me today,” Gorsuch said, with his wife, Louise, and the Republican

president standing behind him.

“I will never forget that to whom much is given, much will be expected. And I promise you that I will do all my powers permit to be a faithful servant of the Constitution and laws of this great nation.”

Trump made a point of thanking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for his role in winning confirmation. McConnell last week led the effort to change long-standing Senate rules in order to end a Democratic blockade of Gorsuch’s nomination. Under McConnell’s leadership, the Senate last year refused to consider Democratic former President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to replace Scalia.

All the other members of the court were at the ceremony, including liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who called Trump “a faker” last year during the presidential campaign but later said she regretted the remark. Trump

at the time called on her to resign and said her “mind is shot.”

Scalia’s widow, Maureen, also attended the ceremony.

“He will decide cases not based on his personal preferences but based on a fair and objective reading of the law,” Trump said of Gorsuch.

During last year’s presidential campaign, Trump said he would pick a justice who would overturn the landmark 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Gorsuch declined to answer questions about whether Roe v. Wade and other important court precedents were properly decided.

Trump made Gorsuch, 49, the youngest Supreme Court nominee since Republican President George H.W. Bush in 1991 selected Clarence Thomas, who was then 43. Gorsuch could be expected to serve for decades, and Trump could make further appointments to the high court to make it even more solidly conservative, with three of the eight justices 78 or older: Ginsburg, 84; fellow liberal Stephen Breyer, 78; and conservative swing vote Kennedy, 80.

Families gather after Egypt church attack, state of emergency approved Alexanderia, Egypt Families of victims of Sunday’s bombing at Alexandria’s Coptic cathedral gathered at the Monastery of Saint Mina under heavy security on Monday as Egypt’s cabinet approved a three-month state of emergency ahead of a scheduled trip by Pope Francis.

Coffins of the 17 killed were lined up on the tiled square outside the monastery ahead of the funeral. Police checked cars and dozens of tanks lined parts of the road from Cairo.

China, South Korea discuss more sanctions on North Korea amid talk of Trump action Seoul, South Korea China and South Korea agreed on Monday to slap tougher sanctions on North Korea if it carries out nuclear or longrange missile tests, a senior official in Seoul said, as a U.S. Navy strike group headed to the region in a show of force.

North Korea marks several major anniversaries this month and often marks the occasions with major tests of military hardware.

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wednesday, April 12, 2017

SPORTS

Previewing the full NHL Playoff Schedule, Page 3 Better late than never From amateurs to professionals, 93 golfers from around the world competed in this year’s Masters Tournament in Augusta for a purse of $11 million. Sergio Garcia of Spain celebrates winning the Masters with a putt on the 18th green.

Leaderboard

Justin Rose England -9

At long last, Sergio Few golfers in the history of the sport knew the heartbreak of second place like Garcia. On Sunday, he finally got to experience how it feels to win.

T

he year was 1999 when Sergio Garcia first stepped onto the perfectly manicured grass at Augusta, playing in his first Masters as an amateur. He walked the course with his hero, Seve Ballesteros, recording the lowest score of any amateur in the field.

He was destined to win multiple green jackets among his many major victories.

But golf, like life, is a funny thing.

And Sergio never found his way to the green as a major winner in what was, until Sunday, the ultimate bridesmaid career.

Sergio had given up, he admitted, on winning a major. He came to grips with the idea that he would leave the sport of golf as a great player but someone who never found Sunday afternoon magic on the course during a major.

He found a whole heaping pile of it on the back nine Sunday. After dropping shots on 10 and 11, Garcia was literally lost in the woods, finding the pine straw on 13.

He recovered to make par on Azaela then ripped off a birdie on 14 and a ground-shaking eagle on 15 to tie Justin Rose at the top. He would close with a pair of pars and then make birdie in the playoff to win his first major.

Seve couldn’t be there on the course with him, but it was fitting that Sergio won on what would have been Seve’s 60th birthday.

Seve went pro in 1974 and Garcia won on his 74 major start. Garcia was born in 1980, the year Seve won his first green jacket.

Fate is a funny thing sometimes.

Charl Schwartzel South Africa -6

Matt Kuchar USA -5

Thomas Pieters Belgium -5

Paul Casey England -4

Rory McIlroy Ireland -3

Kevin Chappell USA -3

Adam Scott Australia -2

Ryan Moore USA -2 top photo by BRIAN SNYDER, bottom photo by jonathan ernst | Reuters

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

B2 WEDNESDAY

04.12.17

Trending

Dave Tallon: Florida Panthers named Tallon their GM, again, which is weird because 2016-17 was supposed to be his final year with the club, except they named him GM again and removed Tom Rowe as coach. “We have the talent to be back on track in a hurry,” Tallon said in a statement.

World Cup: The United States, Mexico and Canada are all partnering up to formally submit a bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the countries announced on Monday.

The three CONCACAF member nations have hosted a total of 13 FIFA World Cups combined across different levels, “more than any other trio of geographically connected countries.”

Lindy Ruff: Dallas Stars head coach is out after his first full losing season as a head coach since 2002-03.

The Stars finished the year with a 34-37-11 record (79 points) in 2016-17, Ruff’s fourth season with Dallas. Stars GM Jim Nill thanked Ruff for “his commitment and professionalism.”

Deshaun Watson: Former Clemson quarterback visited the San Francisco 49ers this week. Watson, considered one of the top two or three quarterback prospects in April’s 2017 NFL Draft, is a wild card in terms of where he will go.

San Francisco holds the No. 2 overall pick.

Gary Sanchez: Yankees catcher will miss around four weeks with a strained brachialis muscle, New York manager Joe Girardi announced on Monday.

The slugging phenom suffered the injury in the middle the Yankees home opener.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

nfl

The NFL announced officially that the Saints and Dolphins would be playing on October 1st, 2017 at Wembley Stadium for one of the four international games being played during the 2017 season. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. London time, meaning that everyone in the United States will be treated to some early football (9:30 a.m. ET) this year.

Brian Snyder | Reuters

“I figured this would make a kid’s day and make a kid’s year.”

PGA Tour golfer Matt Kuchar after hitting a holein-one on the 16th hole Sunday at the Masters, explaining why he handed the ball from the ace to a young man, who was wearing a Sam Snead hat.

via twitter | @NFL

nba

mlb

Sergio Estrada | Usa Today Sports images

“I’m not going to get into depths, but I thought winning is the most important thing.”

Rockets guard James Harden discussing Russell Westbrook breaking records.

nba

42 Number of triple doubles recorded by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook during the 2016-17 season (with two games to play), breaking the 55-year-old record set

by Oscar Robertson for most triple doubles in a season. Westbrook scored 50 points on Sunday, hitting a buzzer-beating three to beat Denver and eliminate the Nuggets from the postseason.

via twitter | @talkhoops via twitter | @darrenrovell

Stephen Curry has plenty of quality footwear that Under Armour produces under his brand. But the Curry Lux sneakers, which look like a hiking boot and were released to a torrent of snark on Twitter Monday, probably will not hold up against the test of time.

nfl

The Seattle Mariners are pushing the limits on acceptablity when it comes to ballpark food, releasing a pretty gross-looking culinary item: toasted grasshoppers. The insects have plenty of protein, are called Chapulines in Mexico and are totally gluten free.

It was initially believed that running back Marshawn Lynch would only be interested in returning to the NFL if the Oakland Raiders were willing to pay him and/or trade for him from the Seattle Seahawks.

But Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reported Monday that Lynch, should Oakland drag its feet on signing him this season, might be interested in turning his attention to the New England Patriots. The Pats have not re-signed LeGarrette Blount yet.

Kelley L Cox | Usa Today Sports images

Always Dry. Always Comfortable.

introducing the NEW 29 Express

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

B3

stanley cup

Playoff look-ahead: Lots of intriguing first-round matchups The Sports XChange

Raj Mehta | USA TODAY SPORTS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Now the fun really begins.

The NHL’s 2016-17 regular season was a doozy, but the biggest surprise may be the changeover from last year. A total of seven teams who were on the outside of the Stanley Cup chase last spring jumped into the playoffs this time around, a group that features the Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins and five Canadian teams, including the Edmonton Oilers — who last reached the playoffs in 2006.

What happens from here? Can the Pittsburgh Penguins, the defending champs, repeat? It would be a mean feat considering their injury woes. Can the San Jose Sharks, the runners-up last spring, take one last step? Again, it would be impressive seeing how they fell in the standings down the stretch and also have key players hurting.

Or is this the year the Washington Capitals finally hoist hockey’s Holy Grail? Or do the Chicago Blackhawks continue their dominance?

Or is the year a title is celebrated in Canada for the first time since 1993?

It’s anybody’s guess, but we are willing to take a shot at predicting who wins each first-round series: EASTERN CONFERENCE

GARY A. VASQUEZ | USA TODAY SPORTS

GEOFF BURKE | USA TODAY SPORTS

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) blocks a shot against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Honda Center.

Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik (44) shoots the puck against the Florida Panthers in the first period at Verizon Center.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators

Washington Capitals vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Blackhawks offense vs. Predators defense: Chicago’s attack is top-heavier than in past years, but the man leading the way remains the same, Patrick Kane. Kane and Artemi Panarin pace the top line, while Jonathan Toews is the main cog of the second line to face a very solid Nashville defense corps led by Roman Josi and P.K. Subban. Predators goalie Pekka Rinne had an up-and-down season.

Predators offense vs. Blackhawks defense: This may come as a surprise to some, but the Predators scored only two fewer goals than the Blackhawks this season. Nashville does have a more balanced attack, but are unquestionably led by 31-goal scorers Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg. Chicago’s defenders are a veteran group with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya and Brian Campbell all boasting loads of experience in front of goalie Corey Crawford.

Possible surprise stories: Chicago rookie Ryan Hartman pumped in 19 goals this season, four of them game-winning tallies. Nashville’s Colin Wilson scored five goals in six games when the Predators last face the Blackhawks in the playoffs in 2015.

Prediction: The Blackhawks won both previous series meetings in six games. Deja vu? Blackhawks in six.

Capitals offense vs. Maple Leafs defense: Toronto’s defenders, as well as goalie Frederik Andersen, ended up in the bottom third of the league, and lowest among playoff teams, in goals against, and will face a Washington squad with all kinds of weapons in the likes of Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson, T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams.

Maple Leafs offense vs. Capitals defense: Toronto finished fifth in the league in offense, paced by sensational rookie Auston Matthews, who netted 40 goals on the season.

While Matthews and the other freshmen, such as Mitch Marner and William Nylander, received much of the attention, Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk had strong seasons. That said, they are facing arguably the best defense corps in the league, with John Carlson, Matt Niskanen, Kevin Shattenkirk, Karl Alzner and Dmity Orlov and reigning Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Braden Holtby.

Possible surprise stories: Washington’s fourth line of Daniel Winnik, Jay Beagle and Tom Wilson combined for 32 goals in the regular season. For some reason, Toronto’s Leo Komarov seems the type to make some noise in the playoffs.

Prediction: Can’t see the Leafs winning more than one game. Capitals in five.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Calgary Flames

Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers

Ducks offense vs. Flames defense: Pick your poison with the Ducks on the attack.

Adding Patrick Eaves at the trade deadline has given them three very potent forward lines. Ryan Getzlaf leads the way, but Ryan Kesler netted four goals and nine points in five meetings with the Flames this season. Calgary shored up its defense late in the year by adding Matt Bartkowski and Michael Stone to a group with a strong top three in Mark Giordano, Dougie Hamilton and T.J. Brodie, but the key is how well goalie Brian Elliott performs.

Flames offense vs. Ducks defense: Calgary actually scored two more goals than Anaheim in the regular season, with a top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland and a second line of Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik and rookie Matthew Tkachuk. This season, though, the Ducks, who finished third in the league in goals against, kept them in check other than one game.

Possible surprise stories: Ferland’s crash and bash style was a big reason the Flames reached the second round of the playoffs two years ago. He can be an x-factor on that line. Anaheim’s Antoine Vermette managed just nine goals and 28 points in the regular season. Turning it around would bode well for a team that’s won five straight division titles.

Prediction: This is the third playoff meeting between these franchises. Anaheim won the first two and should make it 3-for-3. Ducks in six.

Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues Wild offense vs. Blues defense: Only the Pittsburgh Penguins scored more goals than the Wild in the regular season. Minnesota saw a dozen players reach double-digits in goals, led by Eric Staal — who had a fantastic bounce-back season — and Mikael Granlund, coming off a career campaign. St. Louis’s defenders took a hit when blue-liner Kevin Shattenkirk was traded away, but thanks to improved goaltending from Jake Allen and a tighter defensive game, the Blues went 15-3-2 down the stretch.

Blues offense vs. Wild defense: Only two St. Louis skaters reached the 20-goal mark, 39-goal sniper Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund. More players must step up against a Wild team boasting a strong defense corps. with the likes of Ryan Suter, Jonas Brodin, Marco Scandella and Mathew Dumba in front of goalie Devan Dubnyk, who had a great first half of the season, saw some struggles but finished strong.

Possible surprise stories: Wild 2015 first-round draft choice Joel Eriksson Ek joined the team after his season concluded in Sweden and collected seven points in 15 NHL games. Speaking of players coming from Europe, Blues prodigal son Vladimir Sobotka returned to the team for the season finale — he bolted for the KHL after the 2013-14 season — and scored in his return.

Prediction: Something says this goes seven games. We’ll pick Minnesota to win the coin flip.

Edmonton Oilers vs. San Jose Sharks Oilers offense vs. Sharks defense: Edmonton’s attack essentially only comes from two lines, but those two lines are impressive, especially the top unit featuring the league’s top point producer, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl. The second line heated up down the stretch, with Milan Lucic and Jordan Eberle both reaching the 20-goal mark. San Jose has a strong defensive team, led on the blue line by Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, but Edmonton’s speed could give them trouble.

Sharks offense vs. Oilers defense: Injuries to Logan Couture and Joe Thornton made even worse a late-season swoon that saw the Sharks plummet from top spot in the Pacific Division. Those two can’t be 100 percent to start the playoffs, but the Sharks do have a strong top-heavy attack that also features Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Joel Ward. However, too little of Edmonton’s improved defense has been discussed amidst the team’s turnaround. The Oilers truly shored up their blue line by acquiring Adam Larsson and Kris Russell last summer and goalie Cam Talbot had a banner season in net. The end result is a team that finished eighth in the league in goals against.

Possible surprise stories: Edmonton winger Patrick Maroon scored seven goals in 16 playoff games a couple of years ago. Don’t be shocked if he is just as effective this year on the top line. San Jose needs more from Tomas Hertl and Mikkel Boedker.

Prediction: Not only are the Oilers in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, but we are pegging them to reach the second round. Edmonton in six.

Canadiens offense vs. Rangers defense: Max Pacioretty led Montreal this season with 35 goals. Second on the team was Paul Byron with 22. The Habs aren’t the worst offensive team in the playoffs, but don’t have the kind of depth that scares teams. That said, the Rangers are a middling squad defensively, they also didn’t get a whole lot of offense from the defensemen, and goalie Henrik Lundqvist is coming off a pedestrian season.

Rangers offense vs. Canadiens defense: New York’s bread and butter has been its balanced attack, with eight different forwards scoring 15 or more goals, led by Chris Kreider’s 28 tallies, Michael Grabner’s 27 and Rick Nash’s 23. Shea Weber leads a Montreal blue line that needs an all-world performance from goalie Carey Price to have a hope — although that is a possibility.

Possible surprise stories: Artturi Lehkonen, Montreal’s 2013 second-round draft choice, netted 18 goals this season. Rangers rookie winger Jimmy Vesey struggled in the second half of the season, but still collected 16 goals and 27 points.

Prediction: Montreal won all three regular-season meetings, but that means nothing in the second season. Rangers in six.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Penguins offense vs. Blue Jackets defense: The defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins led the league in goals and boast five forwards who hit the 20-goal mark, paced by Sidney Crosby and his league-leading 44 tallies. That said, Columbus finished second to Washington in goals against thanks to an under-rated defense corp. that boast a couple of young stars in Seth Jones and Zach Werenski and a goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky, who had a big-time bounce-back season.

Blue Jackets offense vs. Penguins defense: Columbus doesn’t have a big-name attack, but did finish sixth in the league in goals scored, paced by Cam Atkinson (35 goals), Nick Foligno (26) and Brandon Saad (24). The Penguins, a middle-of-the-pack squad in goals against, have a strong one-two punch in goal with Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury, but a less-than-inspiring defense corps., especially with Kris Letang on the shelf due to injury.

Possible surprise stories: There aren’t many unknowns with the Penguins after last season, but it will be interesting to see whether Conor Sheary can carry his regular season success — 23 goals, 53 points — into the playoffs. Sam Gagner’s career appeared to be heading nowhere fast, but the veteran was rejuvenated in Columbus to the tune of 18 goals and 50 points.

Prediction: These teams finished three points apart and split the season series. With Pittsburgh’s injuries, Columbus winning in seven games seems a good call.

Ottawa Senators vs. Boston Bruins Senators offense vs. Bruins defense: Ottawa is the lowest scoring team to make the playoffs, and the only one with a negative goal differential. Kyle Turris (27 goals), Mike Hoffman (26) and Mark Stone (22) did their job, but Derick Brassard and Bobby Ryan had off years. The Bruins have a solid defense crew, still led by Zdeno Chara, but infused by youngster Brandon Carlo and a very good goalie in Tuukka Rask.

Bruins offense vs. Senators defense: Brad Marchand missed the final two games due to suspension, and that left his career season at 39 goals, which led a Bruins team that also received 34 from David Pastrnak. Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson put together an impressive season, especially when you consider his wife has been battling cancer, but will need Erik Karlsson to be at his best and the likes of Dion Phaneuf to step up their game a notch or two.

Possible surprise stories: Ottawa’s Clarke MacArthur played the final four games after suffering a horrific concussion in training camp. His return could mean a boost emotionally and on the scoresheet. If you like the Bruins, Frank Vatrano scored 10 goals in 44 games and could be a great sleeper pick.

Prediction: Ottawa swept the season series, but the way the Bruins played down the stretch gives them an edge. Boston in seven.

B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

B5

A very special Sunday for Sergio

MIKE SEGAR | REUTERS

JONATHAN ERNST | REUTERS

Sergio Garcia of Spain hits his second shot on the seventh hole in final round play.

BRYAN SNYDER | REUTERS

MIKE SEGAR | REUTERS

Justin Rose of England walks past the leaderboard on the 11th hole in final round play.

Sergio Garcia of Spain hits from a bunker on the seventh hole in final round play during the 2017 Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

Garcia captures first major title during wild playoff finish at 2017 Masters The Spaniard celebrated his first ever major victory on Sunday The Sports XChange There was a time not that long ago when Sergio Garcia told people he could accept and be proud of his legacy as a professional golfer without winning a major championship.

Garcia doesn’t have to worry about that any longer.

The 37-year-old Spaniard — his career on an upward track brought on by experience and proficiency in his game and calmness in his private life — birdied the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to outlast England’s Justin Rose and capture the Masters on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Garcia broke his 0-for-73 drought in major tournaments with the birdie putt on the 18th green.

“It’s been such a long time coming,” Garcia said. “I thought I had it on 18 (in regulation). I knew I was playing well. Today I felt a calmest I’ve ever felt on a major Sunday. Even after making a couple of bogeys I was still very positive and I knew there were still a lot of holes I could get to.

“I hit some really good shots coming in — I’m so happy.”

Both players missed birdie putts — Rose’s was from 10 feet while Garcia’s was from 5 feet — on the final hole in regulation to push the tournament into the playoff tied at 9-under-par 279.

The players returned to the 18th tee for the first playoff hole. Rose’s drive found the pine straw under a tree and he had to punch out, with his ball ending up just a few yards in front of Garcia’s tee shot. Garcia ripped his approach to 10 feet before Rose found the green on his third shot well outside the Spaniard’s ball, meaning he would have to putt first.

Rose missed and Garcia calmly rolled in a 12-foot putt for the win, breaking down in tears and pounding the green with his right fist as the crowd chanted his name.

Both players shot 3-under 69s on Sunday before heading into the playoff.

Garcia’s win came on what would have been the 60th birthday of his mentor, two-time Masters champion Seve Ballesteros, a swashbuckling Spaniard who died from brain cancer in 2011. Garcia said he received a text from his other mentor, Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal (who won this event in 1994 and 1999) about how to handle himself this week.

“It’s amazing to do this on Seve’s birthday and to join him and Olazabal,” Garcia said. “Jose sent me a text Wednesday night telling me how much he believed in me and what I needed to do and to believe it myself and to remind me to be calm.”

Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open winner, took the lead when he birdied the par-3 16th via a 10foot putt, after which Garcia missed a quick left-to-right breaker from half that distance.

The duo was tied again when Garcia parred and Rose bogeyed the par-4 17th after hitting his approach shot into the bunker short of the green.

Charl Schwartzel of South Africa finished alone in third at 282 after a final-round 68, while Matt Kuchar (67) and Thomas Pieters (68) of Belgium tied for fourth at 283. Kuchar had a hole-in-one on the 16th hole.

England’s Paul Casey (68) ended up alone in sixth at 284, while Kevin Chappell (68) and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (69) tied for seventh at 285.

There was never a charge from the pack — the 67s by Kuchar and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama were the low rounds — which allowed Rose and Garcia to focus on each other and the difficulty of the golf course.

“I’m disappointed, that’s pretty simple I suppose,” said Rose, the men’s gold medalist at the

2016 Rio Olympics. “A lot of good things happened today and it was a wonderful battle with Sergio so don’t feel bad for me. If there’s anyone to lose to, it’s Sergio — he deserves it as much as anyone out here. He’s had his fair share of heartbreak.”

Rose and Garcia began the final round tied for the lead at 6 under, but the Spaniard quickly moved to a three-shot lead thanks to birdies on the par-4 first hole and the par-4 third and Rose’s bogey on the par-4 fifth.

Rose turned things around with three straight birdies from Nos. 6-8, and the two players hit the back nine tied at 8 under.

Garcia unraveled on the downhill par-4 10th, popping up his tee shot before slashing his long approach shot into the bushes long and right of the green on the way to a bogey. He dropped another shot on the par-4 11th when he drove his ball into the woods to the left of the fairway and couldn’t fashion a par. Rose walked off the 11th green with a two-shot lead.

“I really felt like I had it under control at the turn, I was playing really great golf,” Rose said.

“I just needed one or two more putts to fall in. I played well and he made a great rally. This is a tournament I think I will win one day.”

Both players parred the par-3 12th and Garcia looked as if he was doomed when he hit his

drive into the trees to the left of the fairway and Rae’s Creek on the par-5 13th. He was forced to take a drop and incur a penalty stroke but pitched onto the green with his fourth shot and made the putt for par.

Garcia got a stroke back with a brilliant birdie on the par-4 14th and poured in a 15-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th when his approach landed a foot from the hole and clipped the flagstick.

His ensuing putt just dropped into the hole on its final roll and Rose answered by holing out a four-foot birdie putt for a tie at 9 under to set up what would be a four-hole match, including the playoff, for the title.

“I hit good third and fourth shots and I needed to because I knew I could do what I did on 14 and 15,” Garcia said. “I knew I was playing well enough to make something happen and that putt turned things for me and got me even more confident.”

Garcia (71-69-70-69) and Rose (71-72-67-69) were the only golfers under par for the week.

“Both Justin and I were trying to win but at the end of the day we are both people and we have to represent the game and how we were raised,” Garcia said. “We are good friends and we are respectful to one another and cheering each other on. We wanted to beat each other, instead of one of us losing it.”

LUCY NICHOLSON | REUTERS

Justin Rose of England misses his putt on the 18th green during regulation play of the final round of the 2017 Masters golf tournament.

B6

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

2017 NFL Draft Reset SAINTS

PERSONNEL TRACKER

2017 STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

Players re-signed Player

POS

Contract

Travaris Cadet

RB

$855K/1 year

Nick Fairley

DT

$28M/4 years

Sterling Moore CB

$900K/1 year

John Phillips

TE

1 year, $ unknown

Darryl Tapp

DE

$1.08M/1 year

Players acquired

KIRBY LEE | USA TODAY SPORTS

NFC quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints (9) passes against the AFC during the first half of the 2017 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium.

The Saints have two firstround picks and a plethora of needs on defense.

By Frank Cooney The Sports XChange he New Orleans Saints spent the first month of the T new league year on two major

projects — both of them involving the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

Fixated on getting better on defense after a slight improvement last season from 2015, when they were absolutely dreadful on that side of the ball, the Saints made one big deal with the Patriots and have been working hard at getting another one done.

So desperate are the Saints that, for the second time in the past three seasons, they traded away one of the key pieces of the their record-producing offense to acquire an extra first-round draft pick that they will probably use to pick up some help for the defense.

In March 2015, it was All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks for dependable center Max Unger and a first-round draft pick, which the Saint used to take middle linebacker Stephone Anthony.

This time, it was wide receiver Brandin Cooks’ turn. The speedy, fourth-year wideout was sent to the Patriots along with a fourthround draft pick. In return, the

Saints received the 32nd and final pick of the first round and a thirdround selection in this year’s draft.

Then the Saints started their due diligence on Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, a restricted free agent whom the Saints think can be a major help to a defense that ranked last in the league against the pass.

Although the Saints want to pry Butler from the Patriots, it was made pricey when New England tendered him with a first-round pick as compensation.

The Saints now hold the 11th and 32nd picks of the first round and the price to get Butler would be to give up one of those picks.

Saints head coach Sean Payton will play a wait-and-see game before making any kind of a move.

Butler has until April 21 to sign an offer sheet with another team.

Otherwise, the Saints were busy sizing up draft prospects for their five picks in the first three rounds.

They re-signed several of their own unrestricted free agents, notably defensive tackle Nick Fairley and defensive end Darryl Tapp.

They also signed seven unrestricted free agents — including guard Larry Warford, middle linebacker A.J. Klein, wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and linebacker Manti Te’o.

Here is a closer look at where the Saints are, how they got here and a shot at what they should do with their first pick in the draft, at No. 11 overall.

2016 finish: 3rd NFC South (7-9) Total Offense

426.0 (1st)

Rushing

108.9 (16th)

Passing

317.1 (1st)

Total Defense

375.4 (27th)

Rushing

101.6 (14th)

Passing

273.8 (32nd)

TEAM NEEDS

Player

POS

Contract

Rafael Bush

S

$855K/1 year

Chase Daniel

QB

1 year, $ unknown

Ted Ginn Jr.

WR

$11M/3 years

A.J. Klein

LB

$24M/4 years

The Saints, who had just 30 sacks last season, resigned Darryl Tapp and brought in Alex Okafor, but may still want to add a young, speedy pass rusher to pair with steady two-time Pro Bowler Cameron Jordan.

Alex Okafor

LB

$2M/1 year

2. Cornerback:

Manti Te’o

LB

$5M/2 years

Larry Warford

OG

$34M/4 years

If the Saints can’t acquire Malcolm Butler before the draft, they’re extremely likely to go for a cornerback with the 11th or 32nd pick. They could also wait and hope one in a deep draft pool lasts until the second round.

Players lost

1. Defensive end:

Player

POS

Contract

3. Running back:

Jairus Byrd

S

Released

With Mark Ingram having another good season last year, the Saints feel better about this position. Yet, they could use a shifty satellite back -- a la Darren Sproles - who will be a major threat coming out of the backfield.

Brandin Cooks WR

Traded to NE

Kasim Edebali

Signed with DEN

DE

Tim Hightower RB

Signed with SF

Tim Lelito

OG

Signed with TEN

Luke McCown

QB

Released

NFL DRAFT SCOUT SUGGESTS Rob Rang (April 3 mock draft): Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama. The Saints ranked dead last in pass defense in 2015 and may opt to trade this or another pick for New England Patriots’ star cornerback Malcolm Butler in an attempt to fix the issue. Until that occurs, adding talent in the secondary is likely New Orleans’ top priority. Humphrey has a rare combination of size (6-0, 197 pounds) and speed (4.41), who at just 20 years old appears to be just scratching the surface of his potential.

Dane Brugler (April 3 mock draft): Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama. Projecting as either a MIKE or WILL linebacker in the NFL, Foster hits anything that moves with the closing burst and aggressive mindset to create violent collisions at contact. His Combine incident has teams scrambling for more information, but the tape shows a player worthy of this selection.

FALCONS

PERSONNEL TRACKER

2017 STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

Players re-signed Player

POS

Contract

Kemal Ishmael

SS/ LB

$2M/1 year

LaRoy Reynolds

LB

Matt Schaub

Total Offense

415.8 (2nd)

Rushing

120.5 (5th)

$1.3M/1 year

Passing

295.3 (3rd)

QB

$9M/2 years

Total Defense

371.2 (25th)

Levine Toilolo

TE

$12M/3 year

Rushing

104.5 (17th)

Courtney Upshaw

DT

unknown

Passing

266.7 (28th)

Players acquired Player

Brian Spurlock | USA TODAY SPORTS

Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center.

Atlanta wants to crank up its defense and make another run after a brutal loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl

By Frank Cooney The Sports XChange Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn must deal with the psyche of his team after the historic collapse in the Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots.

Hard to tell how long that will take.

Meantime, the Falcons’ to-do list was topped by re-signing their own players and adding some help for the defensive front. So, in free agency they picked up defensive tackle Dontari Poe and defensive end Jack Crawford. After letting fullback Patrick DiMarco leave in free agency, they filled that void by signing former Seattle fullback Derrick Coleman.

A look at the Falcons’ pass-rush ratio explains why the team elected to move on from veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Babineaux and Tyson Jackson.

Hoping to get a better pass rush up the middle next to the emerging

Grady Jarrett, they signed two-time Pro Bowler Poe. Also, the Falcons are heavily scouting the pass rushers in the upcoming draft, which is set for April 27-29 in Philadelphia.

The pass-rush ratio - sacks, hits and hurries - show there is still a need for improvement. The Falcons’ 34 sacks were the most since the 2007 team had 37 sacks.

The Falcons registered their 34 sacks over 655 pass attempts last season. They had a sack per 4.9 pass attempt, which ranked 27th in the league. The Falcons had 19 sacks over 561 pass attempts in 2015; one per 3.3 pass attempts, last (32nd) in the league.

In 2016, counting hurries and quarterback hits, the Falcons affected the quarterback on 255.5 of 655 pass attempts (39 percent).

Linebacker Vic Beasley led the team with 16.5 hits and 33.5 hurries. With his sacks, he affected the quarterback on 65.5 plays.

In 2015, the Falcons had 19 sacks, 70 hurries and 75 hits (164 plays) on 561 pass attempts for (29.2 percent).

Here is a closer look at where the Falcons are, how they got here and a shot at what they should do with their first pick in the draft, at No. 31.

2016 finish: 1st NFC South (11-5)

POS

Contract

Derrick Coleman FB

unknown

Jack Crawford

DE

$8.8M/3 years

Dontari Poe

DT

$8M/1 year

Andre Roberts

WR

$1.8M/1 year

Hugh Thornton

G

$690K/1 year

Manti Te’o

LB

$5M/2 years

Larry Warford

OG

$34M/4 years

Players lost Player

POS

Contract

Carter Bykowski

T

Retired

Chris Chester

G

Retired

Tom Compton

T

Signed by CHI

Tyson Jackson

DL

Released

Patrick DiMarco

FB

Signed by BUF

Aldrick Robinson

WR

Signed by SF

Eric Weems

WR

Signed by TEN

Paul Worrilow

LB

Signed by DET

TEAM NEEDS 1. Right guard: With the retirement of Chris Chester, the Falcons are in need of interior offensive line help. Also, center Alex Mack is 31 and left guard Andy Levitre is 30. The Falcons could select Dan Feeney or Forest Lamp in the first round of the draft if they are available. They have put a premium on making sure that Matt Ryan is protected after they botched the previous rebuild of the offensive line.

2. Defensive end: The Falcons signed Dwight Freeney last season to help with the pass rush. They are heavily scouting defensive ends with pass-rushing talent. The draft is considered to have good depth and they could land a solid prospect in the second or third rounds.

3. Free safety: The draft is deep in defensive back talent. Converted free safety Ricardo Allen has been steady, but not spectacular.

NFL DRAFT SCOUT SUGGESTS (No. 31 overall).

Rob Rang (April 3 mock draft): Budda Baker, FS, Washington. After surrendering a Super Bowl record 466 passing yards to Tom Brady, no one should be surprised if the Falcons opt to reinforce the secondary. At just 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, Baker does not possess ideal size, but head coach Dan Quinn has previously been willing to overlook that at free safety with the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Ricardo Allen currently starting in Atlanta and previously working with Earl Thomas (5-foot-10, 202) in Seattle. Baker has more range and quickness than Allen, projecting as a traditional centerfielder who can drop down to help at nickel, as well.

Dane Brugler (April 3 mock draft): Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan. Charlton has only one true season of starting experience in college, but he is built for the pro game and still far from hitting his ceiling as an edge rusher.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

B7

MLB notebook

Nats Turner to DL, Police locate missing ex-Braves OF Nixon NSJ Staff Nats place Turner on DL Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring.

Turner could miss only eight games with off days factored into the equation and manager Dusty Baker said Turner should be ready to play in a matter of days.

Turner was replaced on the 25man roster by outfielder Michael A. Taylor, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.

Turner left Saturday’s game against the Phillies in the first inning with the injury.

Police locate missing Nixon Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Otis Nixon, who was reported missing Sunday, was found Monday morning.

The Woodstock (Ga.) Police Department issued a statement Monday that the 58-year-old Nixon “has been located and is safe. We appreciate the assistance from the public and media.”

Nixon left his home for a scheduled golf tee time at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, authorities said in a statement. Nixon, who has battled addiction, did not show up at the golf course.

Woodstock Police posted to Twitter on Sunday asking for the public to assist in the search for Nixon: “HELP US LOCATE: Otis Nixon, black male, 58, who was last seen yesterday morning at 10am leaving his residence in a gray 2011 Range Rover.”

A 17-year veteran, Nixon was a feared speedster on the bases during his playing career in which he helped key a revival of the

Braves with 72 stolen bases in 1991. He had 620 career steals.

Nixon missed the postseason that year serving a 60-game suspension for testing positive for cocaine, a violation of the MLB aftercare program.

Nixon was arrested during a traffic stop in 2013 for possession of cocaine and a crack pipe.

Yankees 1B Bird remains out First baseman Greg Bird is out of the lineup Monday with continued flu-like symptoms and a slight ankle bruise, but could be available to pinch hit in the New York Yankees’ home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

He is officially listed as day-today.

Bird sat out Sunday’s game, the same day catcher Gary Sanchez was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained biceps, and also missed a 5-4 loss to the Orioles on Saturday.

The 24-year-old has one hit in 16 at-bats in 2017.

Bird hit third in the Yankees’ lineup on Opening Day at Tampa, one spot behind Sanchez after scorching Grapefruit League pitching.

Bird mashed eight home runs in spring training to win the starting job at first base.

Cueto dominates Padres in second start Johnny Cueto continued his domination of San Diego and Hunter Pence and Buster Posey connected on San Francisco’s first back-to-back homers this season in a win at Petco Park that snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Pence and Posey homers capped a five-run, two-inning

BRAD MILLS | USA TODAY SPORTS

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner (7) forces out Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto (11) and throws to first to complete a double play during the fourth inning at Nationals Park.

assault of Clayton Richard.

Cueto, who last season was 3-1 against the Padres with a 1.41 ERA and three complete games, blanked the Padres for 5 1/3 innings before walking Travis Jankowski in the sixth with one out, ending a string of 11 straight Padres retired. Myers followed with his second homer of the season to cut the Giants’ lead to 5-2. Cueto, who has both Giants wins this season, worked seven innings and allowed the two runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out seven.

Pirates walk off Braves on Marte homer Starling Marte hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning to lift Pittsburgh over Atlanta and

complete a weekend series sweep.

Freddie Freeman went 4-for-5 with two solo homers, and Dansby Swanson added a solo homer for Atlanta, which lost its fourth in a row.

Freeman hit a one-out, firstpitch homer to left in the fifth to give Atlanta a 3-2 lead. He hit his second homer with one out in the seventh for a 4-2 lead.

Reds rookie Garrett stifles Cards in first start In a baseball sense, Amir Garrett is indeed a rookie. But in a sports sense, when you’ve played big-time college basketball in Madison Square Garden and scored 15 points against Villanova, as he did four years ago, you aren’t exactly a neophyte.

“When I went out there,” he said of his major league debut Friday night, “I felt like I’d been out here before. Just in a different sport.”

In the patois of his old sport, Garrett hit nothing but net against the St. Louis Cardinals. He gave up just two hits and two walks in six scoreless innings Friday night, striking out four and pitching the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-0 win in Busch Stadium.

A former four-star hoops recruit who played two seasons at St. John’s, Garrett switched to baseball after transferring to Cal State-Northridge with intentions of continuing his basketball career.

Based on his first MLB game, the 6-foot-5, 228-pound Garrett might have made the right decision.

nfl notebook

Ben back for 2017, players facing discipline for arm wrestling NSJ Staff

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) gestures to an official against the New England Patriots in the 2017 AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium.

Roethlisberger announces he’ll return for 2017 Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger informed the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday that he will be back for a 14th season.

Days after the Steelers lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game in January, Roethlisberger hinted he might have played his last game.

Big Ben, as expected, officially put to rest any speculation about his future with an announcement on Twitter.

“Informed the team I am looking forward to my 14th season. Steeler Nation will get my absolute best! — Ben,” Roethlisberger tweeted.

Roethlisberger, who has been the team’s starter since being drafted in the first round in 2004, left the door open about retirement following the Steelers’ defeat to the Patriots.

Roethlisberger, who turned 35 last month, threw for 3,819 yards and 29 touchdowns with 13 interceptions over 14 games in 2016. He is the Steelers’ all-time leader in passing yards (46,814) and touchdowns (301) in 185 career games over his 13 seasons in Pittsburgh.

NFL to discipline arm wrestling competitors A group of NFL players who participated in an arm wrestling event at a casino in Las Vegas will be disciplined by the league.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the current players will be fined for violating the league’s policy barring players from appearing at casinos as part of promotional events. The players did not get pre-approval from the NFL. It was reported over the weekend the NFL began its investigation after learning of the inaugural Pro Football Arm Wrestling Championship at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino that featured more than 30 current and former players.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ESPN on Sunday that the league just became aware of the event and would be looking into it further.

The competitors reportedly included Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison and retired running back Marshawn Lynch.

GEOFF BURKE | THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Bills bolster QB depth by adding Yates The Buffalo Bills signed quarterback T.J. Yates on Monday to add some veteran depth at the position.

Yates, 29, becomes the fourth quarterback on the Bills’ roster and the only veteran behind starter Tyrod Taylor. Buffalo also has 2016 fourth-round pick Cardale Jones and Josh Woodrum on the offseason roster.

Yates, who visited with the Bills last week, is a former fifthround pick of the Houston Texans in 2011 out of North Carolina.

He made five starts in his rookie season.

After three seasons as a backup, the Texans traded Yates to the Atlanta Falcons in 2014.

The Falcons released Yates before the 2015 season and he re-signed with the Texans.

Yates closed out last season on the Miami Dolphins’ roster when they needed a backup to Matt Moore after Ryan Tannehill went down to a knee injury.

In his 18 regular-season appearances, Yates has

thrown for 1,534 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Bills also signed defensive end Ian Seau, the nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau.

Simms breaks silence: ‘I am not done’ Phil Simms finally broke his silence after losing his job this week to Tony Romo as the lead game analyst for CBS. “I am not done,” Simms texted Gary Myers of the New York Daily News.

Romo, who turns 37 this month, was granted his release from the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday and subsequently retired and accepted a job as CBS’ No. 1 analyst alongside play-by-play veteran Jim Nantz.

CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus welcomed Romo in a statement after the network’s announcement but also took time to praise the 61-year-old Simms.

“As we welcome Tony, we want to acknowledge Phil Simms who served as our lead NFL analyst for nearly 20 years. Phil

has been a very important part of our coverage since the NFL returned to CBS in 1998. His strong opinions, coupled with his tremendous knowledge and passion for the National Football League, has created a unique broadcasting style making him one of the best analysts to ever call the game.

“We are discussing with Phil his future role with CBS Sports.

We cannot thank him enough for the way he has represented himself and CBS Sports during his tenure as CBS’ lead NFL analyst.”

If Simms works out an agreement to remain at CBS, he likely will continue on “Inside The NFL” on CBS-owned Showtime, according to the Daily News’ Myers. Simms reportedly has at least two years remaining on his contract with CBS. Falcons lock up CB Trufant on long-term deal The Atlanta Falcons and Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Trufant agreed to terms on a fiveyear contract extension, the team

announced Saturday.

The deal is worth a reported $69 million with approximately $42 million guaranteed, putting Trufant in elite company among cornerbacks. Last offseason, the Washington Redskins signed Josh Norman to a five-year, $75 million deal with $50 million in guarantees.

The 26-year-old Trufant, the 22nd overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Washington, was heading into the final year of his rookie contract. He was due to make $8.026 million in 2017 after the Falcons exercised the fifthyear option.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn repeatedly said re-signing Trufant would be Atlanta’s top offseason priority.

“We are really happy to be able to get this extension done,” Dimitroff said in a statement.

“Trufant has proven to be a valuable leader to our team, and embodies every trait that Coach Quinn and I are looking for from players that are a part of our brotherhood.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

B8

Young receiver stands out, but still no QB clarity for UNC Sophomore Juval Mollette caught touchdown passes from three different quarterbacks Saturday as the Tar Heels closed out spring practice with their annual Blue-White scrimmage

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal aturday’s spring football game didn’t provide a lot of S clarity to North Carolina’s uncer-

Juval Mollette Sophomore

tain quarterback situation, especially with graduate transfer Brandon Harris still yet to arrive. But it may just have identified a potential new pass-catching target for whoever ends up winning the job.

Sophomore Juval Mollette staked his claim to a prominent role on his team’s graduation-depleted receiving corps this fall by catching touchdowns from three different quarterbacks to highlight the Tar Heels’ annual spring scrimmage.

The game was played at Fetzer Field, home of UNC’s soccer and lacrosse teams, because of work being done to Kenan Stadium and featured a scoring system that awarded points to the offensive and defense based on yards gained on certain downs and distances.

The defense beat the offense 80-70, but both side of the ball had their moments.

Many of those from the offense were provided by Mollette, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound Randleman native who caught seven passes for 100 yards. The former four-star recruit caught a 33-yard touchdown from Nathan Elliott, a 17-yarder from Manny Miles and a 21-yard score from Logan Byrd — the final two coming on fade patterns in the right corner of the end zone.

“This is the first offseason that Javal has actually gone through,” coach Larry Fedora said after the game. “Last year it was two shoulder surgeries simultaneous and he missed all of the offseason. So he’s really just now, strength-wise, getting back to a point where he looks like he can do some things, where

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Juval Mollette (5) catches a touchdown pass under pressure from defensive back Zach Goins (37) during the annual Spring Football Game at Fetzer Field in Chapel Hill.

“Now he feels comfortable with it mentally.

When you’re on the sideline and you’re not playing at all, it’s hard to stay into it mentally.”

— Larry Fedora on the progress of wide receiver Juval Mollette

he can use his body in the air, he can use his body on the ground and do all the things he needs to do to be a great receiver.

“Now he feels comfortable with it mentally. When you’re on the sideline and you’re not playing at all, it’s hard to stay into it mentally.

We’re just now getting him back to where he’s feeling comfortable with the offense.”

While Molette and redshirt freshmen Roscoe Johnson stood out among UNCs young receivers — Johnson had 88 yards and a touchdown — the battle to replace Mitch Trubisky under center remains as unclear at the end of spring practice as it was when it started.

Elliott, the only returner with meaningful snaps to his credit, completed eight of 12 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns.

Redshirt freshman Logan Byrd went 12 for 21 with 120 yards and classmate Chazz Surratt was 5 of 14 for 90 yards. Walkon Miles, the

son of former LSU coach Les Miles finished up and went 3 of 8 for 41 yards and a score.

“I’d say they made a lot of progress, but I wouldn’t say anyone separated themselves,” Fedora said of his quarterbacks. “We’ll get into the summer and get into fall camp and if somebody separates at that time we’ll make a decision.

I know we’ve got to put somebody out there in the first game, but I’m not anywhere close to making that decision.”

Fedora said that each of the three scholarship quarterbacks took turns working with the first and second teams and got an equal number of snaps.

“We’ve got four guys that are competing for the job right now and I think all four have made good progress,” he said. “I don’t think any one of them is ready to go for us at this point, but through all the work over the summer and all the work through fall camp, we’ll have somebody ready to lead this team.”

Among the other standouts in Saturday’s game were veteran receiver Austin Proehl with four catches for 109 yards and a touchdown, early enrolling running back Michael Carter with 31 yards on nine carries, and kicker Freeman Jones, who converted field goals of 25, 48 and 41 yards.

Defensively, sophomore D.J. Ford led the team with 13 tackles while senior defensive end Dajuan Drennon had three sacks.

All-in-all, Fedora pronounced himself pleased with the work his team did during the spring, especially some of the young players that will be counted on to play expanded roles once the season kicks off on Sept. 2 against California.

“They’ve all flashed throughout the spring,” Fedora said. “That’s what we’re looking for. We’re trying to find some consistency. If you’re going to do it today, I want you to do it tomorrow and the next day also. If we can get that consistency, we have some talent.”

Continued improvement focus of Wake Forest during spring game The Deacons finished their spring work with an offensive performance that showed off more big-play potential than they’ve had in the recent past

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal Wake Forest entered a new phase in the Dave Clawson era, winning seven games and going to a bowl last season.

The Deacons’ focus, however, hasn’t changed as they begin to look ahead following Saturday’s annual spring scrimmage.

“Our theme for this year is ‘Keep Building,’” Clawson said after watching his offense get the better of the defense 43-24 using a scoring system that awarded offensive points for first downs, explosive plays and traditional scoring, while defensively rewarding fourth down stops and forcing turnovers.

“Quite honestly, I think our guys don’t like hearing that they had a great year last year. It wasn’t a great year. We improved, we got better. But we don’t want 7-6 to be the standard for great here.

We want a higher standard. To get more wins and compete for an ACC title, having said that, with our conference and our division, I know how hard that is. Those are easy things to say and a very tall mountain to climb in our conference. But that’s where we want to get to and it’s going to take a lot of work over the summer to get there.”

The Deacons finished their spring work with an offensive performance that showed off more big-play potential than they’ve had in the recent past.

Although both of their touch-

“Quite honestly, I think our guys don’t like hearing that they had a great year last year. It wasn’t a great year.

We improved, we got better.

But we don’t want 7-6 to be the standard for great here.”

— Wake Forest football coach Dave Clawson

Marc Lebryk | USA TODAY SPORTS

Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback John Wolford (10) throws a pass during the second half of the game at Memorial Stadium.

downs came on the ground — on a 1-yard run by Cade Carney and a 15-yard carry by Matt Colburn — quarterbacks John Wolford and Kyle Kearns combined for three completions of 38-yards or more.

The longest of the day was a 66yard strike from Wolford to Tabari Hines that set up Carney’s short score.

Wolford was in the game for both touchdowns and solidified his hold on the starting job by going 5 of 7 for 132 yards. Kearns, who filled in for Wolford against Clemson last season, hit on all five of his passes for 111 yards while Kendall Hinton was 3 for 8 and 45 yards.

Hinton, who was the starter before suffering a season-ending injury, also rushed five times for 10 yards. But according to Clawson, his effectiveness was hampered by the fact that no contact was allowed on quarterbacks in the game.

“When you don’t go live that never helps him,” the coach said.

“Part of his quarterbacking skill set is the ability to make people miss, the ability to create plays and

TOMMY GILLIGAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson walks down the sidelines during the second quarter against the Temple Owls at NavyMarine Corps.

our ability to run the quarterback with him in there. In a scrimmage when he’s wearing a green shirt and he’s not live and he’s got a little bit of a hip flexor, that always impacts his play.”

Overall, Clawson said he was happy with the development of

his offense, which despite showing improvement last season, still ranked in the bottom half of the ACC standings in most statistical categories.

But he added that its performance in Saturday’s spring game may have been helped by a defense

that was depleted by injuries.

Cornerback Amari Henderson led the team with eight tackles while linebacker Jaboree Williams added six and forced a fumble for the day’s only turnover.

“We’re making progress on offense,” Clawson said. “We’re older.

I think our talent level is better.

You saw some explosive plays that we made today. The defense was short-handed. We didn’t play (defensive end) Duke (Ejiofor) much, obviously didn’t have (safety) Cam Glenn out there. We’ve got to get healthy, we’re a little thin up front.

When we’re thin up front and the O-line is healthy, for the first time in three years, there’s probably an advantage there for the offense.

“When you have more time to throw it and guys have more time to get open, you’re going to make more plays. I think there was a huge gap between the offense and the defense when we got here and I think that gap is starting to get closed a little bit.”

Wake opens the 2017 season on Thursday, August 31 against Presbyterian.