North State Journal Vol. 10, Issue 15

“Act

of terror”

Flowers are placed along a makeshift barrier outside of the Boulder County, Colo., courthouse Monday a day after what o cials have labeled as a terror attack that targeted Jewish demonstrators. See more on page A8.

Some state tax refunds delayed

1 dead, 11 hurt in Catawba shooting

Hickory

One person was killed and 11 others were hurt when gun re erupted outside a house party in Catawba County. Some su ered gunshot wounds and others were injured eeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheri ’s deputies said. Authorities said at least 80 shots were red in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. A statement from the Catawba County Sheri ’s O ce said a 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from as young as 16. Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheri ’s spokesperson said.

Former state representative Ager dead at 91

Raleigh

Former N.C. statehouse Rep. Efton Medford Ager died May 27 while in the care at the Brookdale Assisted Living in Goldsboro. He was 91. Sager represented the 11th District (including part of Wayne County) from 2009 to January 2013. He was born on June 10, 1933, in Galena, Missouri, where he lived for most of his youth, later graduated from Pierce City High School in 1950. Prior to entering politics, Sager served in the U.S. Air Force from 195071, achieving the rank of master sergeant. In 2017, he was presented with the state’s highest honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Sager is survived by his children, David Arthur Sager of Goldsboro and Debra Ann Kornegay of Hillsborough, as well as two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The report cited over and understatement of certain receipts, projects

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A nancial audit of Sandhills Community College identi ed “$6.2 million in nancial reporting errors.”

According to the O ce of the

“If we don’t have clean voter rolls, we don’t have fair elections. North Carolina must lead on election integrity. No excuses.”

House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls)

State Auditor (OSA), the audit covered the scal year ending June 30, 2024.

“OSA has determined these errors occurred because there were no detailed year-end procedures planned, and a lack of knowledge and experience to perform the duties required for critical nancial reporting decisions,” the OSA’s report states.

See AUDIT, page A2

State Republican lawmakers praised the move by the Trump administration

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s top Republican lawmakers praised the announcement of a Trump administration lawsuit led against the State Board of Elections last week.

In a May 27 press release, the Department of Justice announced it was suing the State Board of Elections (NCSBE) over its “failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).”

The move was praised

The North Carolina Department of Revenue said printed checks were running behind after a vendor went out of business

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolinians expecting a paper tax refund check should expect delays.

The state Department of Revenue (NCDOR) issued a statement May 15 indicating that the print and mail vendor used for refund checks had unexpectedly gone out of business. The vendor, Professional Mail Services Inc., had been used by the department since 2014.

“We have a dedicated team focused on addressing refund and notice delays resulting from issues with print and mail services vendor.”

North Carolina Department of Revenue

by G OP leaders in the state.

“If we don’t have clean voter rolls, we don’t have fair elections,” House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) said in a post on X. “North Carolina must lead on election integrity. No excuses.”

Hall added that he was con dent the NCSBE would cooperate with the DOJ.

“It is far past time for the @NCSBE to clean up the voter rolls,” Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) wrote in an X post. “This is a commonsense way to increase voter con dence, and why I believe shifting the Board to the Auditor’s O ce was the right thing for NC.”

The DOJ complaint took

See LAWSUIT, page A3

See REFUNDS, page A2

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP PHOTO

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

the word | Overcoming obstacles

“The only use of an obstacle, is to be overcome. All that an obstacle does with brave men is, not to frighten them, but to challenge them. So that it ought to be our goal to overcome everything that stands in the way.” — Woodrow Wilson

In the ancient days of chivalry, when knights arrayed themselves in armor, it was common for a man to be challenged to personal combat. A traveler never knew when he might meet an adversary, and it behooved him to be ready. That day has passed, but there are still adversaries — real ones — on life’s way. There are enemies to meet and obstacles to overcome. There can be no great achievement without great obstacles; for achievement is triumph over di culty. The promises are all to the overcomer — not to the man who has nothing to overcome.

When the warrior of old faced an adversary, he had to meet him boldly or run away like a coward. Every obstacle in our way says, “I challenge you to combat.”

The rst test given by an obstacle is of our courage. Strength is useless if we lack courage to use it. The foundation of victory is always courage. Soldiers may tremble when the battle begins; the di erence between the one who ghts and the one who ees is courage. A brave soldier may tremble, but he nerves himself for con ict. He will do or die.

It was not

God’s intention that obstacles should overcome us, but that we should overcome them. Nothing else can develop our latent powers or increase our strength. Obstacles are opportunities — the stepping-stones to higher life and greater attainment.

It ought to be our goal to overcome obstacles. We should have a manly spirit of determination not to be overcome, but to use our powers e ectively. There is a pride in maintaining ourselves undefeated that brings out our best, summoning all energy into the con ict.

During World War I, we often saw the phrase, “The will to victory.” This will to win, this determination not to be conquered, is as necessary in the Christian life as in battle. Where it is lacking, there will be few victories. Many fail because they lack this will. Some stop trying to live the Christian life because they will not face discouragement or obstacles with determination to conquer them.

Being creatures of environment and heredity, we will nd within ourselves tendencies that must be overcome or they will overcome us. Some people are sel sh, more interested in their own grati cation than others. Some distrust others and nd it hard to have con dence. Others are inclined to jealousy and must ght those battles repeatedly. Unless they conquer these tendencies, their happiness will be hindered.

Some envy those who seem more favored. The feeling that others always have a better chance often leads to

and

is a

in

of

discouragement. Some act impulsively and cause themselves trouble. Self-esteem, love of ease, and exaggeration may also be obstacles.

But why continue the list? Everyone knows the particular things in himself which hinder the normal development of the Christian life and the full operation of God’s grace. What shall we do when we face them? Shall we shrink like cowards? Or shall we face and conquer them?

There are also external obstacles — natural ones, and those placed in our way by others. These too must be met with the same will to victory as internal ones. They will yield to the one who faces them manfully. Put on the whole armor of God. Go forward calmly, courageously, con dently, determinedly, meeting all obstacles with unfaltering faith, trusting in God.

Charles Wesley Naylor is considered one of the most proli c and inspiring songwriters of the Church of God. He was bedridden for much of his adult life but wrote eight books, a newspaper column and more than 150 songs. Many of his writings are in the public domain.

America 250 NC Teaching Fellows named

Fifteen educators were chosen from around the state

By A.P. Dillon

North State Journal

RALEIGH — Fifteen K-12 teachers from around the state have been named as America 250 Teaching Fellows for 2025.

“This fellowship will provide teachers with tools and resources to help students understand our state’s history and the important role it played in the American Revolution,” Pamela B. Cashwell, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said in a press release.

“Throughout 2025, we are focused on connecting our department’s educational resources to as many teachers and students as possible through robust America 250 NC programming, including this fellowship,” she said.

The program is a seven-month series of professional development opportunities centered on America 250 programming in the state to “help ensure classrooms all around the state mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in engaging ways.”

The 2025 America 250 NC

“NCDOR is committed to serving our customers in the most e cient manner possible,” the department said in a press release. “We understand the importance of issuing refund checks and notices in a timely manner. We have a dedicated team focused on addressing refund and notice delays resulting from issues with print and mail services vendor.”

According to the department, approximately 300,000 individual income and business refund checks have been impacted, along with 450,000 notices.

NCDOR indicated that taxpayers who led their state returns electronically and used direct deposit for refund are not impacted by the vendor issue. More than

Teacher Fellows are Tim Barnsback (Burke Middle College), Majulee Edwards (West Craven Middle School), Ijeoma Eke (Oberlin Middle School), Jessi Eriksen (Experiential School of Greensboro), Emily Grogan (Watauga High School), Kristen Kane (Duplin County Schools), Jennah King (East Middle School), Michael Llaury (Smitheld-Selma High School), Eustacia Lowry-Jones (Old Main

2.1 million direct deposit refunds have been issued for tax year 2024 as of May 22, according to NCDOR. At least 90,000 refund checks had already gone out as of May 16. As of May 23, NCDOR said it had mailed approximately 100,000 refund checks that were impacted by the interruption in print and mail services.”

NCDOR’s Where’s My Refund (WMR) lookup tool is currently unavailable, but the department said it is continuing to “review and develop plans for notices that weren’t printed or mailed” and has set up a webpage for updates and frequently asked questions at ncdor.gov/status-mailing-delays.

Questions can also be directed to NCDOR’s Customer Service line at 877-252 -3052.

STREAM Academy), Elizabeth Muller (Riverside Middle School), Rayshawn Powell (Cardinal Charter Academy), Triana Rei Kraitz (Martin Millennium Academy), Colin Richardson (Green Hope High School), Alex Rowe (Kings Mountain High School) and Tinisha Shaw (Guilford County Schools).

The America 250 NC Teacher Fellowship will take educators on a three-century journey

An itemized list of the ndings included:

• Accounts receivable and beginning net position were overstated by $945,130 because the college did not write o student receivable balances that became uncollectible in prior years.

• Construction in progress was understated by $763,460 because the college expensed construction activity that should have been capitalized, which also overstated supplies and services by the same amount.

• Tuition revenues and accounts receivable were overstated by $289,171 because the college did not reverse a prior year journal entry.

• Accounts receivable and accounts payable were understated by $245,591 because amounts were recorded in the wrong general ledger account.

through North Carolina’s relationship with freedom, extending well beyond the Revolutionary War era.

Through visits to historic sites statewide and virtual learning sessions over seven months, teachers will strengthen both their historical knowledge and classroom techniques while building connections with fellow educators, historians, and cultural leaders across the state.

• Unrestricted net position was understated by $210,252, net investment in capital assets was overstated by $144,123, and restricted expendable net position was overstated by $66,129 because of errors in the underlying calculations for year-end presentation.

• Restricted cash was overstated by $380,521 and unrestricted cash was understated by the same amount because of errors in the underlying calculations for year-end presentation.

• Additional audit adjustments were required to correct misstatements in the nancial statements and notes to thenancial statements.

The OSA recommended that Sandhills sta be adequately trained to perform year-endnancial reporting and implement contingency plans to ensurenancial reporting objectives are achieved during times when

“This fellowship will provide teachers with tools and resources to help students understand our state’s history and the important role it played in the

Pamela B. Cashwell, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources secretary

“This program stands as a testament to the commitment of DNCR to our state’s talented teaching professionals,” Cashwell said. “As we approach this signi cant milestone in American history, this collaborative fellowship will foster a deeper understanding of and interest in North Carolina’s place in history and will support educators around the state in inspiring the next generation of engaged and informed leaders.”

The America 250 NC Teacher Fellowship is sponsored by the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in partnership with Carolina K-12, formerly known as the NC Civic Education Consortium, and is a program of UNC Chapel Hill’s Carolina Public Humanities.

To learn more about America 250 NC initiatives, visit A merica250.NC.gov.

sta turnover may be an issue. Additionally, the OSA recommended a “year-end plan” should be designed and implemented so a “thorough review” of nancial statements is accurate for yearend reporting.

In response to the audit, Sandhills Community College President Alexander “Sandy” Stewart wrote the school “fully agrees with the ndings and recommendations” made by the OSA. Stewart listed speci c corrective actions being taken, starting with the Chief Financial O cer (CFO) creating a “comprehensive and structured professional development plan” that will address sta turnover and vacancies.

The CFO and others responsible for the scal management of the college will also ensurenancials are reviewed annually, as well as “review and enhance” end-of-the-year nancial checklists and operating procedures.

“Saint George

the Dragon” by Raphael (c. 1506)

painting

the collection

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

UNCC employee describes evading UNC System DEI ban

The employee, lmed by an undercover journalist, no longer works at the school

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A series of posts on X describing an undercover video of a UNC Charlotte employee bragging about dodging the UNC System ban on diversity, equity and inclusion went viral, garnering nearly 5 million views.

School choice activist Corey DeAngelis’ thread on the video included multiple excerpts of the video, taken by an undercover journalist with Accuracy in Media (AIM). DeAngelis is a fellow at multiple policy groups, and his X pro le notes he is a senior adviser to AIM.

AIM is a 501(c)(3) nonpro t founded in 1969 to combat media bias and describes itself as using “investigative journalism and cultural activism to expose corruption and hold bad public policy actors accountable.”

AIM identi ed the employee as Assistant Director of Leadership and Community Engagement Janique Sanders, who said DEI is still around despite the ban, stating, “We’ve renamed, we’ve reorganized, we’ve recalibrated, so to speak.”

“If you’re looking for, like, an outward DEI position, not going to happen,” Sanders said. “But if you are interested in doing work that is covert, there are opportunities.” In the video, Sanders said

they are going to “continue to do the work” and would “ nesse” the language used to discuss or describe it.

DeAngelis’ thread also included clips of UNCC Provost Jennifer Troyer retreating from questions from AIM’s President Adam Guillette, telling him, “I’m not talking to you.”

Guillette attempted to question Senior Associate Provost Lee Gray, who responded by asking if AIM had talked to the school’s communications department. Gray gave no response time, instead quickly answering his own question with “No” and “Thank you very much” as he turned and abruptly left.

DeAngelis’ X thread caught the attention of Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Guillette responded to her interest by writing that AIM “has more videos from a half dozen universities in North Carolina as well as many more from across the country.”

UNC Board of Governors member Woody White responded to DeAngelis’ posts, saying, “This is disappointing to see.”

“I worked closely with other members of our Board, and the System O ce, to repeal and replace the DEI policies system wide, in May 2024,” wrote White. “The UNC System Board of Governors directed each institution to implement the new policy, eliminate spending on DEI, and report compliance by Sept 1.

“We expected all institutions to fully comply but suspected some would stealthily attempt to rearrange job descriptions and

shift personnel but not undertake what was intended, which was a full uprooting of discriminatory practices and divisive doctrines, and a return to institutional neutrality.

“I will be asking our system o ce to make a formal inquiry about the things said in this video, and expect that UNC Charlotte will be forthcoming in a response.”

UNCC’s Deputy Chief Communications O cer Christy Jackson provided the following statement to North State Journal, which includes clarifying that Sanders is no longer employed by the school.

“UNC Charlotte is aware of a video circulating on social media that shows an employee making statements that suggest the University is failing to uphold DEI-related policies and laws,” the statement said.

“The employee’s statements were inaccurate and do not reect the University’s actions. UNC Charlotte continues to uphold both the letter and spirit of UNC System policy and all federal and state laws.

“The individual featured in the video had no policymaking authority, no role in compliance matters and was not authorized to speak on these issues. Following an internal review, the individual is no longer employed by UNC Charlotte.

“UNC Charlotte takes the statements and assertions made by the former employee seriously. The University, led by the Division of Student A airs in partnership with the O ce of Legal A airs, will conduct a swift and thorough review to ensure all

Audit nds 914 inmates due cash back from Buncombe County jail

An unreconciled bank account holds over $354,000 more than it should

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — An investigative audit report has foundnancial mismanagement and withholding of cash from inmates at the Buncombe County jail. The N.C. O ce of the State Auditor (OSA) received three allegations about the Buncombe County Sheri ’s O ce (BCSO) and opened an investigation. The OSA’s investigative audit spanned from July 1, 2021, through April 30, 2024.

COURTESY BUNCOMBE COUNTY

An audit found the Buncombe County Detention Center owes nearly 1,000 inmates money.

evading the state’s DEI ban in a video lmed by an undercover journalist.

“If you’re looking for, like, an outward DEI position, not going to happen. But if you are interested in doing work that is covert, there are opportunities.”

Janique

Sanders, former UNCC employee

employees understand and are adhering to applicable policies and laws.”

House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) responded to the statement on X, writing, “Chancellor (Susan) Gaber has my full support. Her decisive leadership re ects a rm commitment to student rights and to upholding university policy and the law.”

In May 2024, the UNC Board of Governors (UNC BOG) repealed its DEI policies and replaced them with an equality and nondiscrimination policy.

All 16 UNC System schools received legal guidance on implementing the new policy in

supported balance of $354,804.”

According to the audit, as of July 1, 2021, the BCSO had $100,802 more in the inmate fund bank account than it should have based on inmate records. That di erence rose to $354,804 as of April 30, 2024, a 252% increase.

“As of April 1, 2024, the account held $418,176, meaning the Sheri ’s O ce is unable to support 85% of the total amount held in the inmate fund bank account,” the audit states.

The inmate bank account fund is where the cash a person enters the jail with is kept while they are incarcerated or detained. If the individual is incarcerated for a length of time, family and friends can add funds to an inmate’s account for the inmate to purchase items from the detention center’s commissary.

Buncombe County Sheri Quentin Miller’s response to the audit didn’t disagree with the ndings.

July. That guidance heavily emphasized the use of institutional neutrality, as well as requiring schools to “assess each position and the responsibilities it entails” and that “title changes alone are insu cient.”

At its meeting in September 2024, the UNC BOG announced that 59 DEI positions had been cut and 132 reassigned across UNC System schools. The estimated combined dollar gure for the cuts and redirected positions totaled more than $33.3 million. The position cuts represented over $17.1 million of the total.

As part of the Board of Governors’ Equality Policy implementation, each UNC System school was required to certify the DEI positions that had been eliminated in 2024. UNCC’s certi cation form, signed by Gaber, lists the elimination of two such o ces and seven related positions. In February of this year, the U.S. Department of Education issued a “Dear Colleague“ letter directing education agencies in all 50 states to eliminate DEI programs from schools by the end of that month or risk losing federal funding.

“As of April 1, 2024, the account held $418,176, meaning the Sheri ’s O ce is unable to support 85% of the total amount held in the inmate fund bank account.”

N.C.

reconciliation process to ensure accurate fund disbursement.

For the nding concerning the $354,804 unsupported balance in the inmate fund bank account, the BCSO agreed with the recommendation to establish reconciliation procedures but indicated the reported di erence does not fully reect their cash management processes.

The OSA’s investigative audit found the BCSO “did not return $19,272 to 914 individuals that were released from custody.”

In some cases, inmates were owed thousands of dollars, and

“As a result of this investigation and what our team found and reported on, the Buncombe County Sheri ’s O ce has taken steps to rectify the wrong that’s been done,” State Auditor Dave Boliek said in a press release. “I’ve also reached out to the North Carolina Sheri s’ Association to o er my o ce’s assistance to sheri s across the state. Together, we’ll be working on best practices to help make sure this issue doesn’t occur elsewhere.”

from page A1

aim at voter registrations that it says don’t comply with the law.

“In violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, the State of North Carolina used a state voter registration form that did not explicitly require a voter to provide a driver’s license or the last four digits of a social security number,” the lawsuit states.

The DOJ’s complaint referred to a past “administrative complaint” that raised the issues with voter registrations having noncompliance issues and noted the NCSBE “only took limited actions to prevent future violations from reoccurring” by adopting a new voter registration form highlighting the required information.

New NCSBE Executive Director Sam Hayes said in a statement to North State Journal that the NCSBE was only

recently noti ed of the lawsuit.

He said he was still reviewing the complaint, “but the failure to collect the information required by HAVA has been well documented.”

“Rest assured that I am committed to bringing North Carolina into compliance with federal law,’ Hayes said. The recent North Carolina Supreme Court race between Court of Appeals Judge Je erson Gri n and Associate Justice Allison Riggs stretched into May after Gri n raised concerns about NCSBE’s failures under HAVA. Gri n’s protests met legal challenges, and two days after a U.S. district court ruling, he conceded the race.

NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons issued a similar statement to that of Hall and Berger.

“We are in full support of this e ort to clean up North Carolina’s voter rolls and nally x the problems that have plagued

the audit found “no one in the Sheri ’s O ce was ensuring the funds were returned during the inmate release process.” One example given was an inmate released in April 2023 who is owed $4,806.

The audit also found the BCSO “did not reconcile the inmate f und bank account, which contained an un-

the @NCSBE for years,” Simmons w rote.

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton’s response drew a connection to the HAVA issue raised during the state Supreme Court race court case.

“The DOJ lawsuit comes with no shock as we’ve seen Republicans be complicit with stealing elections by throwing out military ballots!” Clayton w rote in a thread on X. “The Republican interpretation of HAVA (help americans vote act) is wrong and none of these changes to the voter registration process are required.

“North Carolina Democrats will remain vigilant in our ght against Trump and the Republican Party’s agenda to deny democracy in this country. We will be prepared to re-register voters, litigate this ght in the courts, and win by a greater margin in ’26 than we did in ’24.”

Regarding the $19,272 that was not returned to 914 released inmates, BCSO said it has identi ed those individuals and have begun e orts to notify and reimburse them.

Delays in addressing this issue were attributed to the timing of the audit, Hurricane Helene and sta turnover. Miller’s response also said the BCSO is implementing a more robust

The BCSO also indicated that the account was reconciled monthly to the general ledger and that the majority of the discrepancy, $305,012 of the $354,804, was due to an internal reimbursement process delay involving transferring funds from the inmate account to reimburse the county’s general checking account for inmate-related expenses.

COURTESY ACCURACY IN MEDIA

UNC Charlotte Assistant Director of Leadership and Community Engagement Janique Sanders discussed

GARY D. ROBERTSON / AP PHOTO

State Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), right, and NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons — pictured in November — both expressed support for the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

State Auditor’s report ndings

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Time to bend some nails

Good work is not always tidy. Lasting reform is never easy.

A BENT NAIL is a stubborn thing. If you’ve ever torn down an old pig pen — like I did this week with my father and oldest son — you’d know.

Professional carpenters drive straight nails. They also usually have straight lumber, proper tools and time to nish a project. My dad — who built this particular hog lot years ago — rarely had any of those. Instead, he had a random assortment of boards, his old hand tools and an hour here and there to work on the structure.

What he built served its purpose and stood the test of time and swine. Many pig pickin’s were had, and much pork was provided to our family. A new season of life is upon us, and my youngest son’s need for a treehouse far exceeds the likelihood of us needing a pig pen.

My father, a trained forester with a Thoreau-esque personality, was for reusing and recycling long before such actions were considered cool. He could probably tell you the story of every beam and board — reclaimed from family tobacco barns, homeplaces and outbuildings — in the house he built by his own hands in the mid-1970s in Randolph County. We decided we could pull double duty by clearing away the old pig pen and getting free lumber for the oor of the treehouse.

We encountered a lot of resistance from that old structure. Had all the nails been straight and uniform, we would have made

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

short work of removing the boards we needed. They were not. A nail driven straight through two boards comes out easily. A nail driven through two boards and then bent and hammered down into the board … is a challenge.

Such is the opportunity presented to our state and federal leadership at this moment. In North Carolina, we have a General Assembly with a long-term mandate from Murphy to Manteo to reduce spending, protect our elections, preserve our freedoms and safeguard our institutions. At the federal level, President Donald Trump is the bearer of a coast-to-coast mandate to eliminate waste, ensure our territorial sovereignty, and provide for economic and physical security from foreign enemies.

The General Assembly, Congress and the president can build, renovate and remodel government — and they have the will of the people behind them in doing so. But I hope they don’t waste their time and our treasure on a perfect carpentry job.

Instead, I hope they tackle the hard things, x them and bend long, strong nails in the back of every board. If they do, it will be that much harder to undo the reforms the majority of North Carolinians and Americans have demanded.

Congress has the opportunity to codify the cuts from the Department of Government E ciency. I hope they don’t rely on the thumbtack of continuing resolutions and the

Media suddenly concerned about presidential pardon power

So I guess they’d be OK with them as long as Trump issued the pardons at the end of his second term?

THOUGH IT DOESN’T surprise me in the slightest, I nevertheless marvel at how quickly the mainstream media slips into “everything’s a scandal!” mode when a Republican president takes o ce.

They did it in 2017 when Donald Trump rst took o ce, and they’ve done it again, this time in the aftermath of the start of Trump’s second term.

The latest one revolves around presidential pardon power, which Trump has used at various points in the rst four months of his second term. The vast majority of these actions were taken on day one, with the pardoning of more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, as well as the sentence commutations of 14 others.

More recently, the president pardoned reality TV show stars Todd and Julie Chrisley from prison some three years after they were convicted of bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy charges.

The Chrisley pardons prompted ABC News, for example, to write a piece detailing how “Of Trump’s 60 pardons or commutations unrelated to Jan. 6, about one in ve of them have gone to those who have some sort of nancial or political connection to him.”

In other words, around 12 of them. Of those dozen, they found that only four who had donated large sums to Trump’s previous campaigns or “committees associated with Trump and the Republican Party.” The rest were merely listed as political “supporters.”

Stories like these from the mainstream press would probably hold more weight had they expressed the same level of concern when Joe Biden pardoned numerous family members and political allies in his nal few weeks in o ce — including his son Hunter Biden, who is a convicted felon — and some he pardoned and preemptively pardoned in the last hours of his term.

Although ABC News gave them a mention in their story on Trump, they only referenced them in passing while insinuating those particular pardons were justi ed because the former president was doing it to try and protect those he pardoned from the incoming Trump administration.

“Joe Biden, for example, issued pardons — including preemptive ones — during the nal hours of his presidency to several of his close family members and others who he felt were potential targets of the incoming Trump administration, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and lawmakers who

regulatory state but instead use the 10-penny nail of legislation and the full budget.

If courts stop federal action on keeping foreign spies from our colleges and universities, our state leaders should build a strong wall around our state-owned institutions.

When a local government or state o cial wavers from state laws, instead of focusing on one place or person, let’s x the loopholes or lack of oversight in a comprehensive way to prevent repeats elsewhere by others.

Instead of focusing on individuals and personalities — in courtrooms, university classrooms or regulatory bodies — exercise constitutional authority to change jurisdiction, modify tenure rules and hiring practices, and pass legislation eliminating the need for much of the bloated and unaccountable regulatory state.

Good work is not always tidy. Lasting reform is never easy. But the things that hold longest — like those old boards in my dad’s pig pen — are fastened with force and resolve. Our leaders don’t need to leave an easy demolition project behind; they need to leave something that lasts.

As we build a new treehouse in my backyard, we have been diligent in driving straight nails to aid our future selves in the inevitable tear down project.

But, for our leaders, it’s time to bend some nails. The people are counting on more than two-year budgets and bureaucrats. They need a government that stands strong and holds tight to the will of the people.

Neal Robbins is publisher of North State Journal and lives in Asheboro.

served on the House Jan. 6 Committee,” they wrote.

Especially galling about the “full and unconditional” Hunter Biden pardon was the fact that it was done just ahead of what was to be Hunter Biden’s sentencing on felony gun and tax evasion convictions. Further, Joe Biden dated the pardon back to Jan. 1, 2014, which covers a large time frame that saw Hunter Biden engaged in questionable foreign lobbying and using his last name and powerful father as leverage.

Another issue ABC News took with Trump’s pardons is that they are happening early in his term rather than at the end of it.

“In previous administrations, presidents have typically issued the majority of their pardons in their nal weeks in o ce,” they reported.

So I guess they’d be OK with them as long as Trump issued the pardons at the end of his second term? Probably not, of course, but putting that line in there did make one wonder.

As always for Democrats and the mainstream media, “no one is above the law” — except for Democrats and any other political ally willing to go down with the sinking ship as long as they can try taking a bite out of Trump and the rule of law on the way down.

North Carolina native Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah and is a media analyst and regular contributor to RedState and Legal Insurrection.

EDITORIAL | NEAL ROBBINS

The Big Beautiful Bill: A lifeline for America’s seniors

The bill protects Medicaid by removing 1.4 million illegal immigrants from the system, ensuring that resources are directed toward those legally entitled to receive them.

IN AN ERA when many older Americans struggle to meet their most basic needs, the “Big Beautiful Bill” stands out as a transformative piece of legislation — a rare example of commonsense policy that prioritizes dignity, stability and security for our senior citizens.

Across the country, seniors face mounting challenges. Fixed incomes barely stretch far enough to cover skyrocketing housing and medical costs. Prescription drugs often remain una ordable, and navigating government services can be overwhelming. For too long, older Americans — who have contributed decades of labor, wisdom and community service — have been marginalized in policy conversations. The Big Beautiful Bill changes that. At its core, the bill provides robust nancial and health care support to seniors. It increases Social Security bene ts by reducing taxes on them, helping better re ect the real expenses seniors face — such as rising medical costs and housing expenses. This simple yet powerful change ensures that monthly checks align more closely with the nancial realities of aging. Instead of falling behind in ation, seniors’ incomes will nally keep pace with their needs.

The bill also delivers permanent tax cuts and bigger paychecks — an extra $5,000 in the pockets of working Americans — through a double-digit percentage decrease in tax bills. Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 a year will see an average tax reduction of about 15%. In addition, the bill eliminates taxes on tips and overtime work, ful lling two of President Donald Trump’s cornerstone campaign promises and bene ting hardworking Americans where they need it most — their paychecks.

Importantly, the bill protects Medicaid by removing 1.4 million illegal immigrants

from the system, ensuring that resources are directed toward those legally entitled to receive them. It also increases expensing thresholds for businesses, which will reduce costs and expand opportunities — especially for those serving seniors or for seniors choosing entrepreneurship over full retirement.

These changes mean that seniors — and the families who support them — can rely on more substantial resources to meet their needs. It sends a clear message: This administration is committed to protecting the resources older Americans depend on.

The Big Beautiful Bill honors the social contract we make with every generation — that after a lifetime of work, people deserve comfort, health and respect. The long-term savings from reduced hospital visits, lower emergency care needs and delayed nursing home admissions will easily o set any upfront costs.

Most importantly, the bill rea rms a fundamental American principle: Aging should not mean becoming invisible or disposable. Rather than treating seniors as burdens, this legislation recognizes their value — as grandparents, mentors, volunteers and voters. Their lives enrich our society, and our policies should re ect that truth.

In short, the Big Beautiful Bill is not just beautiful in name — it’s beautiful in purpose and impact. It delivers tangible relief to those who have given so much to this country. By passing this legislation, we a rm that in America, no one is too old to matter.

Saul Anuzis is president of the 60 Plus Association, a senior citizens advocacy group, and a former member of the Republican National Committee. This piece was originally published on dailysignal.com.

Intervention is key to criminal justice reforms

Conservatives have historically supported public bene ts to prevent a person facing temporary insecurity from descending into permanent nancial ruin.

CONSENSUS SEEMS LIKE a relic of the past in today’s deeply divided political climate. In this reality, new 2025 polling from the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce o ers refreshing points of agreement. When it comes to criminal justice reform, North Carolinians agree on far more than they disagree. Across party lines, geography and demographics, voters continue to send a clear message — they want practical solutions that keep their families safe and communities thriving, not empty political rhetoric.

This year’s polling echoes what we saw in 2024: Voters across the political spectrum recognize that the key to maintaining and ensuring safe communities throughout our state lies in implementing smart solutions, which cannot be achieved solely by increasing arrests, prosecutions and penalties. Instead, they support targeted, proactive programs that work, especially when it comes to steering vulnerable youth away from the justice system. Respondents identi ed the breakdown of the family as a key driver of crime, signaling a deeper understanding of the social and economic roots behind criminal behavior. Over 90% of North Carolina voters support intervention and support for youth charged with lowlevel crimes, recognizing that changing the cycles faced by vulnerable youth and o ering these kids alternative paths is a far more e ective use of taxpayer dollars than adding additional criminalization that funnels teens into adult crime. Rather than calling for more punitive measures against teens, voters are asking for investments in prevention, rehabilitation and support. One noteworthy example of this shift is the widespread support for allowing individuals with drug felony convictions to access food bene ts as they reenter society. Federal law singles out only individuals who have a drug felony conviction from accessing this life-changing support but allows states

BE IN TOUCH

to opt out of this ban. Regardless of one’s broader feelings about public bene ts, the fundamental purpose for which conservatives have historically supported public bene ts is to prevent a person facing temporary insecurity from descending into permanent nancial ruin. Allowing individuals to access basic needs — such as food for themselves and their families when they’re at their most vulnerable — is directly re ective of this purpose. Over 80% of voters recognize that helping people meet basic needs, such as food, is not just humane — it’s also smart public policy. It reduces recidivism, builds stability and gives returning citizens a ghting chance to rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities.

Crucially, the polling also makes clear that voters will not punish leaders who support these kinds of commonsense solutions. In fact, many respondents indicate they are more likely to support a candidate who backs commonsense criminal justice policies. In a state where neither of the two political parties will ever again win a statewide election by relying only on registered partisan voters, this polling o ers a critical insight for policymakers: Being bold on reform isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s politically popular and a key way to expand support beyond loyal partisan voters.

The people of North Carolina want safety, opportunity and strong communities. They understand that those outcomes are not tied to how harshly we punish but to how wisely we intervene and support. And while agreement is rare in our current discourse, this much is certain — North Carolinians are united in their demand for real, thoughtful and e ective criminal justice reform.

Tarrah Callahan is executive director of Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform.

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com. Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com

Do we really want waste and fraud in Medicaid?

WHEN I WATCH politicians and interest groups rail against Medicaid reform, I wonder if they have any idea what they are saying.

Medicaid is an enormous program. It costs $914 billion a year — and rising. Americans paid $584 billion in federal taxes and $326 billion in state taxes to cover it in 2024 (including the Children’s Health Insurance Program). By the way, this total cost is up from $616 billion in 2018.

So the Medicaid program has grown by 48% in six years. It is the third-largest mandatory spending program — making up 9% of the federal budget. Medicaid is bigger than the entire defense budget.

Considering that 58% of Americans believe there is enough waste in the federal government to balance the federal budget without raising taxes, it is strange that politicians would claim the nearly $1 trillion Medicaid program is waste-free.

In fact, politicians who oppose any changes to Medicaid are supporting payments to illegal immigrants, crooks, and single, capable adults who refuse to work.

Consider the major Medicaid reforms in the House-passed budget plan.

The House budget saves more than $11 billion by prohibiting payments to illegal immigrants. Do any serious politicians want to go home and defend giving away $11 billion to people in the country illegally?

The House budget also saves $289.6 billion by requiring able-bodied adults to work to be eligible for Medicaid. Who wants to tell their hard-working constituents that their tax dollars are paying healthy people to not work?

There are also numerous provisions to eliminate or reduce fraud in Medicaid. Together, they are estimated to save $245 billion. Who wants to defend more than a quarter-trillion dollars of fraud?

Together, these three areas will save taxpayers $545 billion in Medicaid funding, reducing its cost by more than half — without touching any legitimate bene ts.

But we are told by some politicians that these clear savings are really cuts. Special interest groups are running dishonest ads suggesting that Americans who need Medicaid will be hurt by reforms. It’s all baloney — and the American people know it.

At America’s New Majority Project, we have been asking Americans about these important Medicaid reforms.

Sixty-two percent oppose allowing their states to use taxpayer dollars to provide Medicaid services for illegal immigrants. This includes 75% of Republicans, 66% of independents and 47% of Democrats. It makes no sense for any elected Republican to oppose restrictions on Medicaid for illegal immigrants.

In fact, opposition to using state taxpayer dollars to fund Medicaid for illegal immigrants is so strong that 62% also support a federal law prohibiting it.

The desire to stop fraud and waste in Medicaid is even stronger. In fact, 68% of voters say that able-bodied people who refuse to work while receiving taxpayerfunded bene ts are committing fraud.

Despite what some politicians appear to think, support for work requirements for all safety net programs is even stronger. Some 78% of voters support work requirements for able-bodied Americans receiving any federal bene ts. Even among Medicaid recipients, 66% agree there should be a work requirement. And 70% of recent welfare recipients agree that there should be work requirements. When 89% of Republicans, 75% of independents and 70% of Democrats agree on something (especially something that would save taxpayers $289.5 billion), you would think it would become law in no time.

The intense support for work requirements is exactly what we found when we shifted from welfare to workfare in the 1996 Welfare Reform Bill. There was such massive support for a work requirement that half of the House Democrats voted with us for the bill.

The next time a politician tells you we can’t reform Medicaid, ask them if they really want to pay for illegal immigrants, crooks and adults who refuse to work. If they say yes, then you should try to replace them in the next election. If they answer no, then tell them to quit saying Medicaid reform is impossible.

This is a key turning point. We must exit the Obama-Biden path of una ordable government, unsustainable de cits and crushing interest payments on the debt. Otherwise, we will reach nancial and moral collapse.

Passing the Republican Medicaid reforms — and saving $545 billion — will be an important step on the road to a much better American future and, ultimately, a balanced budget.

Tell your congressman and senators to vote for common sense, an a ordable future and vital reforms to Medicaid.

Newt Gingrich was the 50th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

COLUMN | TARRAH CALLAHAN

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Sounds of summer

Children removed from Asheville treatment center after suicides Buncombe County State health o cials have con rmed that all children have been removed from Asheville Academy following the suicide of a 12-year-old girl last week, the second student to die by suicide at the facility in May. Despite the removals, the academy’s license remains intact. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) suspended all admissions last week after uncovering multiple licensing violations. In a letter, the department stated the violations created conditions “detrimental to the health and safety” of students. NCDHHS representatives remain onsite at the Weaverville facility, which is owned by Wilderness Training & Consulting LLC — the same company that operated the now-closed Trails Carolina program in Transylvania County, where a 12-yearold boy died in 2023. WLOS

to remaining vigilant and ensuring the safety of all children in Henderson County,” the sheri ’s o ce said in a social media post.

PIEDMONT

O cials: Crime down in Forsyth County

Forsyth County Crime has decreased in Forsyth County, and law enforcement agencies across the county are collaborating to keep those numbers down. According to a crime analyst, the county has seen a 19% decrease in violent crime since January 2024. Property crime has decreased by 18%. The Winston-Salem Police Department saw 1,768 violent crimes in 2023 and 1,617 in 2024. In terms of homicides, WSPD reported 42 in 2023 and 29 in 2024. So far in 2025, there have been four, according to reports. WXII

Former High Point youth pastor pleads guilty to sex crimes

Randolph County A former youth pastor in High Point is now a convicted sex o ender. Last Thursday, James Robert Murphey pleaded guilty to abusing three teen boys he once worked with at Oak View Baptist Church. With attorney Don Vaughan representing him, Murphey pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual battery, which was down from the 30 counts he initially faced. Prosecutors said Murphey abused the teenage boys while serving as youth director at OVBC, with incidents occurring in late 2023 and early 2024. WGHP

3 re ghters injured after truck overturns

Guilford County Three re ghters su ered minor injuries after a re truck overturned into a ditch Saturday afternoon, according to Guilford EMS. While returning from a live burn training in the 4200 block of Hamburg Mill Road at approximately 3 p.m., the re truck toppled over between Battleground Avenue and the marina on Lake Higgins. The truck was already on its side when it slid into a boulder, causing most of the damage to the front side of the vehicle. One re ghter was taken to a local medical facility for treatment. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The truck, a 2002 model known as The Phoenix, has a storied history, according to Summer eld emergency o cials. It was severely damaged in a 2023 electrical bay re before entering service. During that incident, a garage door fell onto the truck as crews were making entry. WGHP

EAST

MrBeast donates $15K to local emergency management program

Beaufort County Beaufort County Community College

o cials announced that YouTuber and Greenville native Jimmy Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, has donated $15,000 to the college’s re and emergency management program.

O cials said the donation came after the college assisted Donaldson and his team during a recent video project.

O cials told local outlets the money will be used to buy new tech, including ropes and mechanical equipment that they use on their drill tower, for their technical rescue standard.

WITN

4 saved from ocean currents in Holden Beach; 2 hospitalized Brunswick County Four people were saved from rip currents on the North Carolina coast on Saturday, with two taken to a hospital following the rescue. The incident was reported Saturday afternoon at the east end of Holden Beach, an island in Brunswick County along the southern coast, o cials said. The Holden Beach Police Department said two people — a man and a teen girl — were swimming near The Point of the island, which connects the ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway. The two swimmers were quickly ghting for their lives in a strong current, and two bystanders, both men, jumped into the ocean to help but soon needed saving themselves, police said. The Point area is beyond the last public beach access point and is di cult

NATION & WORLD

Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to Maryland assault weapons ban

Justices hinted that the issue could be addressed in the coming terms

By Lindsay Whitehurst

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A split Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a challenge to a state ban on assault weapons, a term referring to semiautomatic ri es that are popular among gun owners and that have also been used in mass shootings.

The majority did not explain its reasoning in turning down the case over weapons like the AR-15, as is typical. But three conservative justices on the nine-member court publicly noted their disagreement, and a fourth said he is skeptical that such bans are constitutional.

Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch said they would have taken the case, and Justice Clarence Thomas wrote separately to say the law likely runs afoul of the Second Amendment.

Thomas wrote. “That question is of critical importance to tens of millions of law-abiding AR-15 owners throughout the country.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the decision to pass on the case now but indicated that he is skeptical such bans are constitutional and that he expects the court will address the issue “in the next term or two.”

The Maryland law was passed after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 children and six adults. The shooter was armed with an AR-15, one of the rearms commonly referred to as an assault weapon.

Several states have similar measures, and congressional Democrats have also supported the concept. The challeng-

LINDSEY WASSON / AP PHOTO

A semiautomatic ri e is displayed above shotguns at Rainier Arms in Auburn, Washington, in 2023.

“I would not wait to decide whether the government can ban the most popular ri e in America.”

Justice Clarence Thomas, who sided with the minority in wanting to address the issue

ers had argued that people have a constitutional right to own rearms like the AR-15, which most gun owners use legally.

The case comes nearly three years after the high court handed down a landmark ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights and spawned challenges to rearm laws around the country.

Ten states and the District of Columbia have similar laws, covering major cities like New York and Los Angeles. Congress allowed a national assault weapons ban to expire in 2004.

Attorneys for Maryland

contend the Constitution doesn’t protect the guns because they’re similar to military-grade weapons.

The law bans dozens of rearms — including the AR15, the AK-47 and the Barrett .50-caliber sniper ri e — and puts a 10-round limit on gun magazines.

The high court also rebu ed a bid to overturn state bans on high-capacity gun magazines in a separate case out of Rhode Island on Monday. Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch said they would have heard the case. More than a dozen states have similar laws limiting the amount of ammunition a magazine can hold.

Thomas and Kavanaugh have previously expressed skepticism about assault weapon bans.

As an appeals court judge in 2011, Kavanaugh wrote a dissent saying that a similar measure in Washington, D.C., was unconstitutional. Thomas, meanwhile, dissented in 2015 when the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a municipal ban on AR-15-style

Man faces federal hate crime charge in Colo. attack

Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly yelled “Free Palestine” during Sunday’s ambush

By Colleen Slevin and Eric Tucker The Associated Press

BOULDER, Colo.

— A man accused of using a makeshift amethrower and an incendiary device to attack a group in Boulder, Colorado, that had gathered to bring attention to Israeli hostages in Gaza, has been charged with a federal hate crime, according to court documents led Monday.

The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, was charged in the attack that injured eight people, some with burns, as a group was concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza.

Authorities say Soliman yelled “Free Palestine” during the attack Sunday, the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. It came barely a week after a man who also yelled “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy sta ers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C.

FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a “needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.”

The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP PHOTO

A passer-by touches the ag of Israel taped onto the top of a bollard on the east end of the Pearl Street Mall near the Boulder County, Colo., courthouse Monday, the day after an attack was carried out on Jewish demonstrators.

downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to in ame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Monday saying he, his wife and the entire nation of Israel were praying for the full recovery of the people wounded in the “vicious terror attack” in Colorado.

“Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,” said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Denver eld o ce, which encompasses Boulder.

In New York, the police department said it upped its presence at religious sites throughout the city for Shavuot.

The eight victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88, and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, o cials said.

The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives were concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, “He’s right there. He’s throwing Molotov cocktails,” as a police o cer with his gun drawn a dvances on a bare-chested suspect who

11 hospitalized after stabbing attack at Oregon homeless shelter Salem, Ore.

A man police arrested on suspicion of stabbing multiple people at a homeless shelter became violent at the check-in desk, the center’s director said. Eleven people were taken to a hospital as o cers converged on the bloody scene. Five remained in the hospital Monday midday after the attack Sunday night at the Union Gospel Mission, o cials said. Executive Director Craig Smith told NBC News late Sunday that the attacker was new to the mission, having spent Saturday night there, and was about to check in for a second night when he got into a ght. At least one sta er was injured in the attack, Smith said.

weapons, writing that the “overwhelming majority” of people who owned the weapons used them for lawful purposes like self-defense.

The high court in 2022 handed down a ruling that expanded gun rights and told lower-court judges they should no longer consider factors like public safety in deciding whether rearm laws are constitutional. Instead, they should focus on whether a law ts into the nation’s historic tradition of gun ownership, the court said.

That led to a urry of challenges to gun laws around the country, multiple restrictions struck down and confusion among lower-court judges over what gun laws can stay on the books.

Since then, the Supreme Court has overturned a ban on rapid- re gun accessories called bump stocks but upheld a law barring people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns and regulations on nearly untraceable ghost guns.

“Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country.”

Mark Michalek, FBI special agent

is holding containers in each hand.

Alex Osante of San Diego said he was having lunch on a restaurant patio across the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground and a “boom” sound followed by people yelling and screaming.

In video of the scene captured by Osante, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on re during the attack. A man, who later identi ed himself as an Israeli visiting Boulder who decided to join the group that day, ran up to Osante on the video asking for some water to help.

After the initial attack, Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then reemerged and threw a Molotov cocktail but apparently accidentally caught himself on re as he threw it. The man then took o his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video that Osante lmed.

Authorities said Sunday they believe Soliman acted alone and that no other suspect was being sought. He was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated. Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of his injuries, but a booking photo showed him with a large bandage over one ear.

Newark airport, riddled with delays, gets runways done early Newark, N.J.

A construction project on one of Newark Liberty International Airport’s three main runways wrapped up nearly two weeks early, so the Federal Aviation Administration expects to be able to ease ight limits next week despite the ongoing shortage of air tra c controllers.

Federal Transportation Department o cials said Monday that some of the runway equipment must be tested before the FAA can increase the ight limits at the second busiest airport in the New York City area. The runway began to be used for departures Monday but won’t be available for arrivals until after that testing is completed early next week.

Sicily’s Mount Etna erupts; o cials say no danger to public

Milan Sicily’s Mount Etna put on a ery show Monday, sending a cloud of smoke and ash several miles into the air, but o cials said the activity posed no danger to the population. The level of alert due to the volcanic activity was raised at the Catania airport, but no immediate interruptions were reported. An o cial update declared the ash cloud emission had ended by the afternoon.

Italy’s INGV National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the spectacle on Europe’s most active volcano was caused when part of the southeast crater collapsed, resulting in hot lava ows. It was the 14th eruptive phase in recent months.

Death toll surpasses 200 in Nigerian oods

Abuja, Nigeria

The death toll from devastating ooding in a market town in Nigeria’s north-central state of Niger rose to at least 200 on Sunday, a local o cial said. Torrents of predawn rainfall early Thursday unleashed the devastating ood on Mokwa, nearly 236 miles west of Abuja and a major trading and transportation hub. Rescue operations have been called o , authorities said, and there are no longer believed to be any survivors. More than 3,000 people were displaced.

FDA approves Moderna’s lower-dose COVID-19 vaccine

Washington, D.C.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna but with restrictions on who can use it. Moderna’s new option is a lower-dose version, a step toward next-generation coronavirus vaccines. The company said in a statement Saturday that it expects to o er both the new vaccine and its existing COVID-19 shot this fall. The FDA approved the new vaccine for all adults 65 and older, and for people age 12 to 64 who are at higher risk from the coronavirus. That’s the same limit that the FDA set in licensing another vaccine option from Novavax.

Mondelez sues Aldi

Chicago Snack food maker Mondelez International is suing the Aldi supermarket chain for packaging its store-brand cookies and crackers in a way that “blatantly copies” products like Chips Ahoy and Wheat Thins. In a federal lawsuit led last week in Illinois, Chicagobased Mondelez alleged that Aldi’s packaging is “likely to deceive and confuse customers” and threatens to irreparably harm Mondelez brands. The company is seeking monetary damages and a court order that would stop Aldi from selling products that infringe on its trademarks. Aldi is a Germanbased discount chain that primarily sells its own branded products. It has faced copyright lawsuits before.

NY Mets hire USTA’s Lew Sherr as president of business operations

Paris

The New York Mets are hiring U.S. Tennis Association CEO Lew Sherr as their new president of business operations. The USTA announced his departure last Friday. Sherr will remain there until the end of June and then start with the Mets in July. He has been the CEO and executive director of the USTA since 2022 and has worked there since 2010, including previously as chief revenue o cer. The USTA is the governing body for tennis in the United States and oversees the U.S. Open Grand Slam tennis tournament.

Ex-Goldman Sachs banker gets 2 years in prison

New York

A former Goldman Sachs banker has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in a $4.5 billion scheme to ransack a Malaysian state investment fund. Tim Leissner was sentenced last Thursday in Brooklyn federal court. He apologized to the people of Malaysia and said they were the victims of the scheme. Leissner had served as a key witness for prosecutors against another Goldman Sachs banker in the looting of the Malaysian government fund, known as 1MBD. The spoils bankrolled extravagant purchases and helped nance the 2013 lm “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

NCDOT CASH REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 30

Beginning Cash

$2,644,429,621

Receipts (income)

$240,533,634

Disbursements

$120,994,396

Cash Balance

$2,763,887,803

Spike in steel tari s could imperil Trump’s promise of lower grocery prices

Higher taxes on aluminum packaging could impact costs

By Matt Sedensky

The Associated Press

NEW YORK— President Donald Trump’s doubling of tari s on foreign steel and aluminum could hit Americans in an unexpected place: grocery aisles.

The announcement last Friday of a 50% levy on those imports stoked fear that big-ticket purchases ranging from cars to washing machines to houses could see major price increases. But those metals are so ubiquitous in packaging that they’re likely to pack a punch across consumer products from soup to nuts.

“Rising grocery prices would be part of the ripple e ects,” says Usha Haley, an expert on trade and professor at Wichita State University, who added that the tari s could raise costs across industries and further strain ties with allies “without aiding a long-term U.S. manufacturing revival.”

Trump’s return to the White House has come with an unrivaled barrage of tari s, with levies threatened, added and, often, taken away in such a whiplash-inducing frenzy it’s hard to keep up. He insisted the latest tari hike was necessary to “even further secure the steel industry in the U.S.”

That promise, though, could be at odds with his pledge to reduce food costs.

Rising grocery prices, Trump has said, were among the biggest reasons voters swung his way. A look around a supermarket makes clear how many products could be impacted by new taxes on steel and aluminum, from beer, soda and dog food to can after can of beans, fruit, tomato paste and more.

“It plays into the hands of China and other foreign canned food producers, which are more than happy to undercut American farmers and food producers,” insists Can Manufacturers Institute president Robert Budway. “Doubling the steel tari will further increase the cost of canned goods at the grocery store.”

Budway says production by domestic tin mill steel producers, whose products are used in cans, has dramatically decreased in recent years, making manufacturers reliant on imported materials. When those prices go up, he says, “the cost is levied upon millions of American families.”

Food companies were already warily assessing the administration’s tari s before the latest hike, which Trump planned to impose Wednesday. The Campbell Co., whose soup cans are a staple for millions of Americans, has said it was working to mitigate the impact of tari s but may be forced to raise prices. ConAgra Brands, which puts everything from cans of Reddi-Whip to cooking sprays like Pam on supermar-

Top Trump o cials visit proli c Alaska oil eld amid push to expand drilling

Some Alaska Native leaders felt ignored by the Biden administration

By Becky Bohrer and Mark Thiessen The Associated Press

DEADHORSE, Alaska — President Donald Trump wants to double the amount of oil coursing through Alaska’s vast pipeline system and build a massive natural gas project as its “big, beautiful twin,” a top administration o cial said Monday while touring a proli c oil eld near the Arctic Ocean. The remarks by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright came as he and two other Trump Cabinet members — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin — visited Prudhoe Bay as part of a multiday trip aimed at highlighting Trump’s push to expand oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in the state that drew criticism from environmentalists.

During the trip, Burgum’s agency announced plans to repeal Biden-era restrictions on future leasing and industrial development in portions of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that are designated as special for their wildlife, subsistence or other values.

The petroleum reserve is west of Prudhoe Bay and Deadhorse, the industrial encampment near the starting point of the trans-Alaska pipeline system. The pipeline, which runs for 800 miles, has been Alas-

ka’s economic lifeline for nearly 50 years.

Government and industry representatives from several Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines, were joining a portion of the U.S. o cials’ trip, as Trump has focused renewed attention on the gas project proposal, which in its current iteration would provide gas to Alaska residents and ship lique ed natural gas overseas. Matsuo Takehiko, vice minister for International A airs at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, was among those at Prudhoe Bay on Monday.

For years, state leaders have dreamed of such a project, but cost concerns, shifts in direction, competition and questions about economic feasibility have hindered progress. U.S. tari talks with Asian countries have been seen as possible leverage for the Trump administration to secure investments in the proposed gas project.

Oil and natural gas are in signi cant demand worldwide; Wright told a group of o cials and pipeline employees in safety hats and vests who gathered near the oil pipeline on a blustery day with 13-degree Fahrenheit windchills. The pipeline stretched out over the snow-covered landscape.

“You have the big two right here,” he said. “Let’s double oil production, build the big, beautiful twin, and we will help energize the world and we will strengthen our country and strengthen our families.”

Oil ow through the trans-Alaska pipeline peak-

Steel Corporation’s Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant last Friday in West Mi in, Pennsylvania.

ket shelves, likewise has pointed to the impact steel and aluminum tari s have.

“We can’t get all of our materials from the U.S. because there’s no supply,” ConAgra CFO David Marberger said at a recent Goldman Sachs conference on global staples. Beyond the obvious products — canned foods like tuna, chicken broth and cranberry sauce — economists warn of a spillover e ect that tari s can have on a gamut of items. If the cost to build a store or buy a truck to haul food rises, the prices of products may follow.

Most Americans will never buy a tractor, but Babak Hafezi, who runs a global consulting rm and teaches international business at American University, says a price spike in such a big-ticket item vital to food production will spill down to all sorts of other items.

“If a John Deere tractor costs 25% more, consumers pay the price for that,” Hafezi says. “This trickles down the economy and impacts every aspect of the economy. Some of the trickling is immediate, and others are slower to mani-

fest themselves. But yes, prices will increase, and choices will decrease.”

Trump appeared before a crowd of cheering steelworkers to unveil the new tari s at a rally outside Pittsburgh. In a statement, David McCall, president of the United Steelworkers International union, called tari s “a valuable tool in balancing the scales,” but “wider reforms of our global trading system” are needed.

It may be harder to gauge the weight of tari s on, say, a can of chickpeas versus that of a new car, but consumers are likely to see myriad indirect costs from the levies, says Andreas Waldkirch, an economics professor at Colby College who teaches a class on international trade.

“Anybody who’s directly connected to the steel industry, they’re going to bene t. It’s just coming at a very high cost,” Waldkirch says. “You may get a few more steel jobs. But all these indirect costs mean you then destroy jobs elsewhere. If you were to add that all in, you come up with a pretty large negative loss.”

ed at about 2 million barrels in the late 1980s. In 2011 — a year in which an average of about 583,000 barrels of oil a day owed through the pipeline, then-Gov. Sean Parnell, a Republican, set a goal of boosting that number to 1 million barrels a day within a decade. It’s never come close in the years since. Last year, throughput averaged about 465,000 barrels a day.

Those joining the Trump ocials Monday included U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Gov. Mike Dunleavy, both Republicans, who also took part in meetings Sunday in Anchorage and Utqiagvik.

In Utqiagvik, an Arctic community that experiences 24 hours of daylight this time of year, many Alaska Native leaders support Trump’s push for more drilling in the petroleum reserve and to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development. They lauded the visit after lamenting that they felt ignored by former President Joe Biden’s administration. Alaska’s political leaders have long complained about perceived federal overreach by the U.S. government, which oversees about 60% of lands in Alaska. Sullivan, Dunleavy and Alaska’s senior U.S. senator, Lisa Murkowski, often complained that Biden’s team was

too restrictive in its approach to many resource development issues. Murkowski, an at-times vocal critic of Trump, joined for Sunday’s meeting in Anchorage, where she said Alaska leaders “want to partner with you. We want to be that equal at the table instead of an afterthought.” Environmentalists criticized Interior’s planned rollback of restrictions in portions of the petroleum reserve. While Sullivan called the repeal a top priority, saying Congress intended to have development in the petroleum reserve, environmentalists maintain that the law balances allowances for oil drilling with a need to provide protections for sensitive areas and decried Interior’s plans as wrong-headed. Erik Grafe, an attorney with Earthjustice, called the Trump administration’s intense focus on oil and gas troubling, particularly in a state experiencing the real-time impacts of climate change. He called the continued pursuit of fossil fuel development “very frustrating and heartbreaking to see.”

The Interior Department said it will accept public comment on the planned repeal.

The three Trump o cials also plan to speak at Dunleavy’s annual energy conference Tuesday in Anchorage.

President Donald Trump walks with workers as he tours U.S.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) rips up a piece of paper that had plans from the Biden administration on Monday near Deadhorse, Alaska.

features

Chris Boerner enlists career comrades in ‘Ask the Question’

The album features members of Hiss Golden Messenger, Bon Iver, The Mountain Goats and Bonny Light Horseman

By Dan Reeves North State Journal

RALEIGH — Even as a teenager, Chris Boerner’s talent was evident to anyone in his orbit.

So it’s no surprise the Raleigh native, now in his late 40s, has evolved into the acclaimed master guitarist, producer and recording engineer he is today. As a mainstay with Durham-based collective Hiss Golden Messenger, founding member of jazz-f unk in uenced trio The Hot at Nights and rock leaning band The Proclivities, and an in- demand producer, Boerner has made a lot of friends along the way.

In his new release, “Ask the Question,” Boerner is in good and familiar company. The nine-track instrumental project features woodwind player and multiinstrumentalist Matt Douglas of the Mountain Goats, drummer Matt McCaughan of Bon Iver, organist and keyboardist Sam Fribush of Hiss Golden Messenger and bassist Cameron Ralston of Bonny Light Horseman.

Improvisational at its core, “Ask the Question” features un-

Chris Boerner’s solo album “Ask the Question” is available on all streaming platforms.

bound ights into free jazz, with safe returns to steady grooves and syncopated rhythms. What guides the album is Boerner’s

distinct tone and unmistakable phrasing, fused with his in uences across genres. Opening tracks “BöRN” and “Three

Rings” are meandering, ethereal overtures, slow-paced and free, introducing the arrows each player holds in their re -

spective quivers. Douglas’ whispering woodwinds, subtle tickling from Fribush, McCaughn’s brushes and taps held steady by timekeeper Cameron Ralston soon ignite the piece for which the album is titled.

Boerner’s a nity for and irrefutable in uence by Jerry Garcia and exploratory rock presents a playful game of cat and mouse in “Ask the Question.” Still, it’s a nod of respect. A thank-you note, as it were. Taking a page from a “Terrapin Station”-like Grateful Dead groove, channeling Garcia’s fret play and envelope guitar lter only to hand it o to Douglas’ horns, let the jazz go down, then give it right back. Each composition, wrought with intensity one moment and calm at the next, presents a focused, exploratory album that makes room for silence, space and improvisation without losing its sense of direction.

Whichever in uences Boerner wants to tell us about, be it Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Jerry Garcia or John McLaughlin, through and through, “Ask the Question” demonstrates the fruits of his labor. He’s climbed the hill, established a singular sound and through the years created a language with his friends in music.

The album holds together with a clear sense of cohesion from start to nish. Boerner and Douglas have been collaborating for more than a decade. The two formed The Hot at Nights, and McCaughan was part The Proclivities with the two in the early 2000s. Not to mention Fribush and Boerner have been playing together in Hiss Golden Messenger for years. It’s no wonder “Ask the Question” hits all the high notes.

Pulp is back for ‘More,’ their rst album in 24 years

“More,” produced by James Ford of Arctic Monkeys and Fontaines D.C., arrives Friday

By Maria Sherman

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Pulp has returned with a new album, their rst in 24 years. Who could’ve predicted that?

Not even the band, it turns out.

“It took us by surprise as well,” dynamic frontman Jarvis Cocker told The Associated Press. “Why not?”

If there are casual Pulp fans, they don’t make themselves known. The ambitious Britpop -and-then-some band emerged in the late-’70s in Shefeld, England, artistic outsiders with a penchant for the glam, grim and, in the case of Cocker, the gawky. Fame alluded them until the mid-’90s, and then it rushed in with the trend of Cool Britannia.

Their songs varied wildly from their contemporaries, like the recently reunited Blur and soon-to-be-back-together Oasis. Instead, Pulp’s David Bowie-informed synth-pop arrived with humor, ambiguity and intellect — songs about sex and class consciousness that manage to be groovy, glib, awkward and amorous all at once.

Then, and in the decades since, Pulp has inspired devotion from loyal fans across generations. They’ve charmed those lucky enough to catch band members in their heyday before a kind of careerism led to a hiatus in 2002 — and those who saw them for the rst time during reunion tours in 2011 and 2022. With all that reputation on the line, it’s reassuring that the band has decided to give its audience “More,” their rst new album in over two decades.

Give them “More”

There were a few catalysts for “More.” The rst: “We could get along with each other still,” jokes drummer Nick Banks. “It

wasn’t too painful.” The second: The band worked a new song into their recent reunion show run — “The Hymn of the North,” originally written for Simon Stephens’ 2019 play “Light Falls” — and people seemed to like it.

The third and most significant: The band’s bassist and core member Steve Mackey died in 2023.

“It made me realize that you don’t have endless amounts of time,” Cocker says. “You’ve still got an opportunity to create things, if you want to. Are you going to give it a go?”

And so, they did. Cocker assured his bandmates Banks, guitarist Mark Webber and keyboardist Candida Doyle that the recording process could be done quickly — in three weeks, lightspeed for a band that has infa-

mously agonized over its latter records, like 1998’s “This Is Hardcore.” Webber describes a “reticence to get involved in a yearslong process” that was alleviated when they started to work on new songs which came “quite easily.”

That’s at least partially due to the fact that, for the rst time in the history of the band, Cocker elected to “write the words in advance. … It’s taken me until the age of 61 to realize it: If you write the words before you go into the studio, it makes it a much more pleasant experience.”

The 11 tracks that make up “More” are a combination of new and old songs written across Pulp’s career. The late Mackey has a writing credit on both the sultry, existential “Grown Ups” originally demoed around “This

Is Hardcore,” and the edgy dis-

co “Got to Have Love,” written around “the turn of the millennium,” as Cocker explains. “I did have words, but I found myself emotionally unable to sing them.”

“Without love you’re just making a fool of yourself,” he sings in the second verse. “I got nothing else to say about it.”

It makes sense, then, that the romantic song was held until “More,” when Cocker believed them — coincidentally, after he was married last June.

A pop band re ects

Maturation — the literality of growing up on “Grown Ups” — is a prevalent theme on “More,” delivered with age-appropriate insight.

“I was always told at school

that I had an immature attitude. I just didn’t see any point in growing up, really. It seemed like all the fun was had by people when they were younger,” said Cocker. “But, as I said on the back of the ‘This Is Hardcore’ album, it’s OK to grow up, as long as you don’t grow old. And I still agree with that, I think. Growing old is losing interest in the world and deciding that you’re not gonna change. You’ve done your bit and that’s it. That doesn’t interest me.

“You have to retain an interest in the world and that keeps you alive. So, you grow up. And hopefully you live better, and you treat other people better. But you don’t grow old.”

In addition to “More,” 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the song that de nes their career, “Common People.”

GRAHAM TOLBERT

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Jarvis Cocker of the band Pulp performs at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2024.

What to watch for at the Tony Awards, Broadway’s biggest night

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Twenty-nine shows on Broadway got Tony Award nominations this season, but not all will walk away with a trophy — and the box o ce attention they usually bring.

Here are some key things to know as Broadway’s biggest night approaches, including how to watch, who is poised to make history, what old favorite gets to take a victory lap and how you can see George Clooney on Broadway from the comfort of your couch.

When are the Tony Awards?

The Tonys will be broadcast to both coasts on Sunday from 8-11 p.m. live from Radio City Music Hall.

How can I watch them?

On CBS and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. Who’s hosting the Tony Awards?

Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy-winner and three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, the “Wicked” star, will be making her debut hosting the Tonys. She won the lead actress in a musical Tony in 2016 for “The Color Purple” and will have just released her new album, “I Forgive You.”

A preshow will be broadcast on Pluto TV from 6:408 p.m., during which some Tonys will be handed out. Darren

Criss and Renée Elise Goldsberry will host that telecast. Viewers can access it on their smart TV, streaming device, mobile app or online by going to Pluto TV and clicking on the “Live Music” channel, found within the Entertainment category on the service.

How many awards are there?

A total of 26 competitive categories, from lead and featured actors to scenic, costume and lighting design. Some technical award handouts may be pretaped, and winners won’t appear on the live show, only cut down into edited bits sandwiched into the telecast.

What are the top nominees?

There are three of them: “Buena Vista Social Club,” which takes its inspiration from Wim Wenders’ 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary; “Death Becomes Her,” based on the 1992 cult classic lm; and

“Maybe Happy Ending,” a romcom musical about a pair of androids. Each has a leading 10 nominations. Who is vying for best new play and musical?

For new musicals, it’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Dead Outlaw,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Maybe Happy Ending” and “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical.”

For new plays, it’s “English,” “The Hills of California,” “John Proctor Is the Villain,” “Oh, Mary!” and “Purpose.”

Many of the races are unusually tight this year, the product of a Broadway heaving with shows after having largely rebounded from the pandemic.

“I haven’t seen one nominated show that I haven’t been wowed by. Everything brings something,” says Lowe Cunningham, lead producer of “Death Becomes Her” and also a Tony voter.

“How dare the Broadway community come together with

such excellent work,” she joked.

“I needed everything else to be much worse, and I don’t appreciate it.”

Can history be made?

Audra McDonald, the most recognized performer in the theater awards’ history, could possibly extend her Tony lead. Already the record holder for most acting wins with six Tonys, McDonald could add to that thanks to her leading turn in an acclaimed revival of “Gypsy.” She will push the record for a performer to most wins with seven if she prevails on Tony night.

And Kara Young — the rst black actress to be nominated for a Tony Award in four consecutive years — could become the rst black person to win two Tonys consecutively should she w in for her role in the play “Purpose.”

Other possible rsts: Daniel Dae Kim could become the rst Asian winner in the category of best leading actor in a play for his work in a revival of “Yellow Face,” and Marjan Neshat and her co-star Tala Ashe are vying to become the rst female actors of Iranian descent to win a Tony.

A special guest

Shows open for several years typically don’t get any Tony telecast attention, but “Hamilton” is no normal show. The original cast will celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary on Broadway with a performance featuring creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and actors Goldsberry, Ariana DeBose, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Gro , Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Javier Muñoz, Leslie Odom, Jr.,

Okieriete Onaodowan and Phillipa Soo.

What will producers hope to avoid?

Any repeat of last year, when Jay-Z’s electrifying reunion with Alicia Keys on what appeared to be a live duet of “Empire State of Mind” was actually pretaped hours before the live show. The appearance by the rapper in support of Keys’ musical “Hell’s Kitchen” turned out to be a piece of Hollywood trickery, undercutting the Broadway community’s full-throated embrace of live singing and dancing.

Broadway’s big season

The health of Broadway — once very much in doubt during the pandemic lockdown — is now very good, at least in terms of box o ce. The 2024-25 season took in $1.9 billion, the highest-grossing season in recorded history, overtaking the prepandemic previous high of $1.8 billion during the 2018-19 season.

In terms of attendance, Broadway welcomed nearly 14.7 million ticket buyers, the second-best attended season on record behind only 2018-2019. But sky-high ticket prices have led to fears that Broadway is getting nancially out of touch.

A revival of “Othello” with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal broke the record for top-grossing play in Broadway history with a gross of $2,818,297 for eight performances, fueled by some seats going for as high as $921.

How can you get in the mood?

Even if you haven’t been able to get to Broadway this season, you can still see one of the shows. The night before the Tonys, “Good Night, and Good Luck” — starring and co-written by Clooney, a Tony acting nominee — will stream across CNN properties.

The ceremony airs live Sunday at 8 p.m. from Radio City Music Hall

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION VIA AP

A view of the stage appears before the start of the 75th annual Tony Awards on June 12, 2022, at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

MATTHEW MURPHY / POLK & CO. VIA AP

Wesley Wray appears on stage with the Broadway company of “Buena Vista Social Club” during a performance in New York.

JULIETA CERVANTES VIA AP

Left, Megan Hilty, left, and Jennifer Simard perform during a production of “Death Becomes Her” in New York. Right, Joy Woods, left, and Audra McDonald appear during a performance of the Broadway musical “Gypsy” in New York.

MATTHEW MURPHY / POLK & CO. VIA AP

UNC-State rivalry takes a hit, B3

Demon Deacon goes downtown

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NHL Hurricanes’ Fast announces retirement

Raleigh

Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast announced his retirement from hockey Monday after missing all of the 2024-25 season with a neck injury. Fast played seven seasons with the New York Rangers before signing with Carolina in the summer of 2020. He su ered a neck injury in the 2023-24 regular-season nale that knocked him out for the postseason and all of this recent season. The Nassjo, Sweden, native had 36 goals and 101 points in 281 regular-season games with the Hurricanes and totaled 91 goals and 248 points in his 11-season career. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. “I never took for granted the privilege of playing in the best league in the world,” Fast said in a press release issued by the Hurricanes.

NCAA BASKETBALL

Lubin jumps from UNC to State

Former UNC post player VenAllen Lubin is transferring to NC State, becoming the second Tar Heel to join the Wolfpack in as many o seasons. Dontrez Styles played for State last year after transferring from Georgetown, a year after leaving UNC. He’s believed to be the rst player to transfer directly from Carolina to State. Prior to Styles, no one had played for both teams since 1948.

MLB Mariners slugger Raleigh leads MLB in homers

Seattle Cal Raleigh upped his total to a MLB-leading 23 home runs. The 28-year-old backstop and Jackson County native became the rst catcher to reach 20 homers before the end of May.

Hurricanes’ exit interviews o er glimpse of o season ahead

Several players will be unrestricted free agents

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — In what is a rite of passage for perennial contenders who fall short of their ultimate goal, the Carolina Hurricanes took their turn at unpacking what went wrong and what is ahead for the team during last Friday’s end-of-season media availability with select players. Here’s what some of those players said — and the possible meaning behind their words.

Sebastian Aho

He said it: “It’s an exciting o season because we do have cap space and we do have some assets, but I guess time will tell how it’s all going to play out.” What it means: Aho’s not a

kid anymore. He’s felt the pain of seven straight exits from the postseason and will turn 28 this summer. There are plenty of people in the Hurricanes’ locker room who are thirsting

for a Stanley Cup, but no one’s re seems to burn hotter than Aho. Carolina has a very good team, cap space and assets — he wants to see additions that push the team up a tier.

Jordan Martinook

He said it: “If they can win playing that way, then I think we can win playing that way.”

What it means: The Hurricanes were irked at times about accusations they play a “boring” style — one that is very similar to the one played by the team that eliminated them, the Florida Panthers. More importantly, Martinook’s defense of Rod Brind’Amour’s playbook should put to rest any misguided concerns that the team has tuned out its coach.

Jalen Chat eld

He said it: “I could see just how he got better every game and how elite he really can be. It’s going to be fun getting to play with him and on the same team as him and all that good stu .”

What it means: Chat eld’s

Carolina advance to super regionals

The three other teams from N.C. advanced to the regional nals before falling

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

TWO OF THE FIVE teams that North Carolina sent to the NCAA baseball tournament are still playing in the super regionals. The Tar Heels won their regional and will host again this weekend in a super regional series against Arizona this weekend.

UNC was the national 5-seed and opened play with a 4-0 shutout of Holy Cross. Jake Knapp pitched 81⁄3 shutout innings to improve to 13-0, moving within one win of the school single-season record.

The Heels then beat Oklahoma 11-5 to move into the regional nal. UNC scored six rst-inning runs, with the big hit being a three-run Sam Angelo home run. Gavin Galla-

gher went 4 for 5 for the Heels, giving him six hits in his rst seven at-bats of the regional.

The Sooners beat the Tar Heels 9-5 in the rematch. UNC made two errors that led to four unearned runs. Gallagher continued his hot hitting with a homer and two doubles in a losing e ort. That led to a winner-take-all rubber game. The Heels scored three in the rst inning and another four in the third. They didn’t look back, rolling to a 14-4 win. Next, they’ll meet an Arizona team that emerged from the Oregon regional when the national 12-seed lost twice without ever facing the Wildcats.

Duke advanced to its second super regional in the last three years and fourth in school history, all coming since 2018.

The Blue Devils went to Athens, Georgia, as the second-seeded team in the regional. After beating Oklahoma State 12-5 in the opener, See UNC, page B3

STEW MILNE / AP PHOTO

Duke’s Ben Miller, left, celebrates with teammates after hitting a go-ahead three-run home run during a win over regional host Georgia.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, center, celebrates his goal with Andrei Svechnikov and defenseman Dmitry Orlov during Game 5 of their Eastern Conference nal against the Florida Panthers last Wednesday in Raleigh.

Wake Forest in elder Dalton Wentz (1) is congratulated by in elder Luke Costello (11) after hitting a home run during a loss to Cincinnati.

TRENDING

Paul Maurice:

The former Carolina Hurricanes coach did not shake hands with the Canes players when his Florida Panthers eliminated them from the Eastern He also asked Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour not to shake hands with the Panthers. Maurice wanted the postgame ritual to be all about the players and didn’t think coaches and other team personnel should be involved

Christian

The former Carolina Panthers running back is fully recovered from the Achilles and knee injuries that limited him to just four games last season with the San Francisco took part in the open to the media this season last week showing no injuries that led to a frustrating 2024 with the Panthers before being traded in 2022

MK Collins:

The former player personnel analyst for the UNC football team was hired by the player personnel coordinator. Collins had been a scouting assistant and personnel analyst for the Tar Heels for the last year. She replaces Andie Gosper, who was promoted to assistant to the GM with the Bills.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“Someday, maybe when I’m done with Cup racing, I would love

to

do the 500 again.”

Kyle Larson, seemingly ruling out future attempts at the Indy/ Charlotte double He crashed this week in his second attempt.

“For the

last

time, thanks for watching us. It’s the NBA on TNT.”

Ernie Johnson, signing NBA broadcast. The network had aired games since 1988

NASCAR

Cup champ got to Victor y Lane in the No 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske for winner this season.

Pep Biel and Patrick Ag yemang (pictured bottom with Kerwin Vargas) each scored a goal in the second half to lif t Charlotte FC over Toronto FC 2-0. Charlotte (8-8-1) won for just the second time in eight games David since October 2023 in goal, replacing Kristijan Kahlina.

UNC got a commitment from Montenegro combination guard Luka Bogavac The 22-year-old has played four professional seasons in Europe’s Adriatic Basketball Association, averaging 14.9 points last year He’s the ninth addition to UNC’s roster this and three incoming freshmen.

Southeastern Conference schools if their fans rush increase from the old started at $100,000. The conference also has the authorit y to wave

allowed to reach the

Tour victory, shooting at 12-under 268 in the Charles Schwab Challenge The former Ea st Chapel Hill High and UNC golfer beat Matti Schmid by one stroke a s both struggled through warm day with wind gusts around 30 mph at Hogan’s Alley.

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

ACC changes conference schedule format for men’s basketball

The new groupings are a kick in the pants to local traditions

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

THE ACC is changing its men’s basketball conference schedules for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Coming o of the heels of one of its worst seasons in which only four of 18 teams made the NCAA Tournament, the ACC knew it was time to make some changes.

The new schedule format will feature just 18 regular season conference games — the league had played 20 games since the 2019-20 season — with each ACC team facing all but one team in the conference.

“As a league, we have been transparent about the importance of ACC Men’s Basketball and speci cally our commitment to ensuring it is best positioned for the future,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips in a press release. “Moving to an 18-game conference schedule is a direct result of our ongoing strategic review and analysis and provides our schools a better balance of non-conference and conference games, while also allowing them more autonomy in the scheduling process.”

In addition, only two conference opponents will be seen mul-

tiple times in a season now as each team has been assigned a permanent “rival” as well as a rotating opponent.

At the very least, the primary partners for the North Carolina colleges do include a pair of intrastate rivals: Duke-UNC and NC State-Wake Forest, but it certainly puts a damper on the usual intensity of the Tobacco Road rivalries.

This upcoming season, we’ll only see seven intrastate games as opposed to 10 last season, and overall, it seems like we’re going to be getting a much worse local product.

Bonds made with 9-year-old teammate earn UNC lacrosse players an award

Clifton matched with the Tar Heels through Team IMPACT

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

RECRUITS DON’T always

nd the perfect t in their college sports careers, but that wasn’t the case for Noah Clifton, a 9-year-old member of the UNC men’s lacrosse team.

For the past two seasons, Clifton, a super underclassman from Chapel Hill, has become one of the guys. And over the weekend, he and one of his college-aged teammates were honored for that bond.

UNC sophomore attack Owen Du y, senior defenseman Grant Pierce and Clifton were recognized as Team IMPACT’s 2025 Teammates of the Year at the organization’s 13th annual Game Day Gala Saturday in Boston.

Team IMPACT, a national nonpro t, pairs children facing serious illness or disability with college sports teams, giving kids the opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, empowerment and community through athletics.

Clifton, who found the honor as “very awesome,” was diagnosed with severe pulmonary ar-

UNC from page B1

Duke knocked o the region’s host team and national 7-seed, Georgia, 6-3. Ben Miller homered for the second straight game, a three-run shot that put Duke on top to stay. It was his 20th of the year, making him the third Blue Devil in history to reach that mark. Wallace Clark hit two home runs and was 7 for 10 in the rst two games of the regional.

Duke scored three runs in the eighth inning of the rematch against Oklahoma State to sweep the region. The Blue Devils will now face Murray State — which shocked Ole Miss to advance — in the super region-

terial hypertension at the age of six, a rare lung condition that weakens the heart.

“He played soccer and basketball and baseball, and it was through these sports, actually, that we found out that he had the pulmonary hypertension,” Amy Clifton, Noah’s mother, said. “We would see di erences in his breathing compared to peers his age. And what has come from this diagnosis is it is challenging for him to be in a team sport with his breathing needs.”

Through a small nationwide community, the Cliftons met another local family taking care of a boy with the same condition, and he was already connected to the Duke soccer team through Team IMPACT.

“I would send her a message and say, ‘How’s he with the soccer team all the time? That’s really cool,’” Amy Clifton recalled about connecting with the boy’s mother. “She’s actually who talked to us about Team IMPACT.”

In 2023, Grace Lerro, Clifton’s former case manager who’s now a matchup specialist for Team IMPACT, took on the task of nding him a suitable team to join.

“We really honed in on UNC because the location was really easy for his family to access,” Lerro said. “When we were looking at teams who were available and

al, looking to make the College World Series for the rst time since 1961. The other three teams from the state made it to their respective regional nals before falling.

Wake Forest worked through the consolation bracket to advance to the regional nal in Knoxville. Wake opened with an 11-6 loss to Cincinnati, then beat Miami, Ohio, in a wild elimination game, 14-13. The Deacs won an elimination rematch with Cincinnati 10-3, then beat Tennessee 7-6 to set up a decisive Monday matchup.

Wake led early, but Tennessee used a seven-run fourth inning to cruise to an 11-5 win that sent the Deacs home.

Those local rivalry games are huge draws, not only for the schools but the conference as well.

I mean, let’s be honest, do we really need more matchups with Syracuse and Virginia?

“This decision re ects our on-going prioritization to do what’s best for ACC Men’s Basketball, and we appreciate the thoughtfulness of our membership and the support from our television partners,” Phillips said.

I get that the league has to make decisions for all of its members, but losing out on those big-time matchups that fans look forward to in the heart of the conference — in North Carolina — just seems like a huge oversight.

For one, NC State will only play Duke and Carolina once a year now, and this coming season will be the rst time since 1919 that UNC will not play a home game against the Wolfpack.

Also, Wake Forest will only have one home game (NC State) against an in-state opponent in 2025-26.

While the ACC is trying to create less opportunities for self-sabotage within the conference and more chances for schools to have stronger nonconference schedules, it seems like losing the forest for the trees.

The primary opponents for the remainder of the conference are as follows: Boston College-Notre Dame; Clemson-Georgia Tech; California-Stanford; Florida State-Miami; Louisville-SMU; Pitt-Syracuse; Virginia Tech-Virginia.

And for this upcoming season, the variable partners for the North Carolina teams are Duke-Louisville, UNC-Syracuse, NC State-Virginia and Wake Forest-Virginia Tech.

The ACC Tournament will take place March 10-14 in Charlotte at the Spectrum Center and will once again be the 15-team limited format that

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELEVATE COMMUNICATIONS

Noah Clifton, holding his little sister Elizabeth, is surrounded by UNC lacrosse players in a group photo.

“Our relationship felt like second nature really early on”

Grant Pierce

eager to take on a match, it took a little while for us to nd the right team for Noah. We pursued a couple of other sports, and they just didn’t work out for one reason or another.”

As he couldn’t participate in his favorite sports, Lerro suggested one that Clifton and his family knew very little about — lacrosse.

Lerro said UNC coach Joe Breschi reached out to Team IMPACT with eagerness to welcome a new addition, and Clifton accepted the challenge of trying something di erent.

Clifton attended practices that fall, and after o cially signing with the team in January 2024, he went to the team’s

NC State was the second seed in the Auburn regional. The Wolfpack got sent to the consolation bracket in their rst game, getting upset by Stetson 11-2. Wolfpack pitchers walked four of the rst eight batters in the game as Stetson scored seven rst-inning runs.

“Game just got o to a tough start,” said NC State coach Elliott Avent.

The Wolfpack avoided elimination with a 12-0 win over Central Connecticut, recording its rst NCAA Tournament shutout since the 2021 College World Series. Ryan Marohn struck out 10 over eight scoreless innings. “He’s incredible,” said Avent. “He’s the enforcer on our ball club. A lot of

was saw introduced last year.

The full conference schedules are slated to be released in September.

Here’s the opponent breakdown for all four of the North Carolina ACC schools.

Duke

Home games: UNC, Louisville, Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, SMU, Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest Away games: UNC, Louisville, Cal, Florida State, NC State, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia Tech

NC State

Home games: Wake Forest, Virginia, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, UNC, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia Tech Away games: Wake Forest, Virginia, Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU

UNC

Home games: Duke, Syracuse, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest Away games: Duke, Syracuse, Cal, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, SMU, Stanford, Virginia

Wake Forest

Home games: NC State, Virginia Tech, Cal, Clemson, Louisville, Miami, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse Away games: NC State, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Pitt, Virginia

“In the appropriate setting,” Pierce joked. Clifton nominated Pierce for the Teammate of the Year honor last year, but they weren’t named nalists.

Nevertheless, UNC continued to make Clifton feel like a member of the team. He’d join the Tar Heels on the bus and in the locker room. Numerous players even showed up to his birthday party, and Piece and Du y went trick or treating with Clifton last Halloween. Clifton dressed up as Iron Man, Du y was Woody from “Toy Story” and Pierce was A lfredo Linguini from “Ratatouille.”

It was also easy to lose track of time hanging with Clifton. Trips for ice cream that were meant to be half an hour long often lasted for multiple hours.

spring weightlifting sessions and games.

“Honestly, I think it took a little bit for Noah to open up,” Du y said. “I think he was a little intimidated at rst, rightfully so, being around 60 college guys. Once he opened up and he showed the side to him that he’s a little jokester. Just the joy he brings to the room, I think it clicked pretty fast. And once it did, we just got super tight.”

Clifton formed an early connection with Pierce while he rehabbed an ACL injury during the 2024 season. During practices, Pierce threw footballs with Clifton, and as he tried to run on his knee again, Clifton provided support by running with him.

“Our relationship felt like second nature really early on,” Pierce said.

Of course, that relationship comes with plenty of humor.

“Grant does a fart noise with his mouth and acts like I farted, which is pretty funny and annoying at the same time,” Clifton said.

guys work hard, but he does it all the right way. A lot of toughness, a lot of mental toughness, and it showed out there today.”

A wild 17-12 win over Stetson in a rematch put the Wolfpack in a matchup with host Auburn, the national 4-seed. The Tigers rolled to an 11-1 win to end State’s season. East Carolina was the third-seeded team in Conway, South Carolina, but opened on the right foot, upsetting Florida 11-6. Ethan Norby struck out 10 with no walks in 71⁄3 innings, while Austin Irby had four hits, including a home run.

National 13-seed Coastal Carolina was too much in the next game. The host team got three

“He is learning how to be one of the guys,” Amy Clifton said. Team IMPACT matches usually last for two seasons, but per Lerro, Clifton will extend his time with UNC for one more year.

With this experience, Clifton has learned what it takes to be on a team — uplifting your teammates, learning from mistakes and persevering through adversity. But at the same time, the lacrosse team is learning valuable lessons, too.

“Noah and the whole Clifton family have taught myself and the rest of the team about perspective,” Du y said. With everything they’ve gone through and still go through and just seeing how positive they are, it makes you look at the minor inconveniences in your day, and it gives you that perspective of how there’s always something going on in everyone’s lives.” Said Du y, “I think the positivity that they always have and the joy that they bring has made a huge impact on all of us.”

home runs, including a grand slam, to win 18-7 despite another three hits from Irby.

In an elimination game rematch with the Gators, ECU again came out on top. Irby contributed two more hits and a homer, and the Pirates scored seven runs in the rst three innings and went on to win 11-4.

That set up a regionalnal rematch with the Chanticleers, as well as a pitchers’ duel. ECU starter Bradley Zayac put up zeroes for the rst seven innings, matching Coastal’s Riley Eikho . Zayac pitched into the eighth in a career-long start for him and surrendered the only run of the game as Coastal eliminated ECU 1-0.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

NC State guard Dontrez Styles (3) jumps over UNC’s RJ Davis during the rivalry game in Chapel Hill in February. The two teams won’t have a game there this season.

From last to rst: Austin Vernon returns to Durham

A member of the nal Central baseball team, he’s the rst NCCU product on the Bulls

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

A LOT OF PEOPLE want to watch Austin Vernon pitch.

“Like tonight?” he said in the Durham Bulls dugout before a recent game. “I have about 14 ticket requests. So, a lot. Yeah. Obviously, it’s not like that every day because being a reliever, you never know when you’re going to throw. You have an idea of what days you’re probably not going to throw.”

Vernon was born in Raleigh and played at Knightdale High School, where he was a two-time All-Greater Neuse River Conference team member. So it makes sense that there would be plenty of interest in seeing the newest Durham Bull in action, about 25 minutes from home.

That’s not the only local connection for the 6-foot-8 righthander with the fastball that can reach 98 mph. He played for NC Central, across Durham at the Bulls’ old home — Durham Athletic Park, where the baseball scenes

for the movie “Bull Durham” were shot. Vernon was an Eagle from 2018 to 2021 and left in fourth place on the school’s career strikeout list, third in ERA and second in strikeouts per nine innings.

Vernon also threw the rst no-hitter in program history at NCCU and made rst-team All-MEAC while ranking 10th in the nation in strikeout rate.

With his height and long owing hair, Vernon looks the part of a pro wrestler more than a reliever with an elite slider to go with his heat. He’d stand out in any crowd, but that was especially the case in college at an HBCU, since Vernon is white.

“It was awesome,” he said of the HBCU experience. “I felt like there was a lot of support in sports and around campus. It was good. I had a lot of friends. It was a cool experience. Obviously, it’s di erent considering you’re the minority, but to have the opportunity to see where different people come from, di erent backgrounds, and we all end up in the same place. It was pretty cool.”

He ended up at Central because the baseball team was willing to take a chance on him when no one else would.

“It was my only o er out of high school,” he said. “I actually reached out to Central. My

brother (Andrew, who played in the Brewers organization in 2016 and 2017) went there. He was the rst draft pick out of Central. So I reached out to the coaches during my senior year. They came out to watch me pitch, and like a week later, they o ered me, and the rest is history.”

That history includes a dire fate for the NCCU baseball program. Vernon was a member of the nal Eagles’ baseball team and started one of the games in the team’s nal series at the DAP, earning a win. The program was discontinued following the 2021 season. It’s something that still doesn’t sit well with Vernon.

“It’s pretty crazy,” he said. “We found that out right before season started in ’21. There was a lot of mixed emotions at that time when it happened. A lot of people were mad, questioning why it happened. We still haven’t gotten an exact answer. We

“A lot of people were mad, questioning why it happened. We still haven’t gotten an exact answer.”

Austin Vernon on NCCU cutting the baseball program

know funding was a little bit of it, which sucks.

“Obviously, they had just brought it back not 10 years before that, so it was only back for about 10 years before they cut it again. I hate it for like all the guys that were coming in and all the guys that were there that had to transfer out and nd new places to play, it’s really tough to be in that situation as a player. Luckily, I was that was my last year. But yeah, I mean, all in all, it’s just a hard situation to be in considering

NASCAR’s new $1M In-season Challenge starts with drivers focused more on winning races

Seeding begins this week for the ve-race competition

By Teresa M. Walker

The Associated Press

LEBANON, Tenn. — Bubba Wallace sees NASCAR having all the momentum possible right now with di erent media partners. Perfect timing then for NASCAR’s “In-season Challenge” to debut, right?

Well, Wallace forgot that was about to debut.

“For me to forget about it and remember how exciting it was when they announced, I think it’s going to be big for the fans to tune in and give them a little bit more. ... You’re just invested more,” Wallace said.

Kyle Larson just tried his latest attempt at “the Double” of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Count him among those who didn’t realize NA SCAR’s new in-season competition had its eld of 32 set af ter Sunday night’s Cup Series race at the Nashville Superspeedway.

“I just really haven’t seen anything promoted about it, so I think it’s easy to forget about it,” Larson said.

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

Bubba Wallace puts on his helmet before last weekend’s Nashville race. He thinks the upcoming challenge will be exciting for fans.

Chris Buescher of RFK Racing is among those who didn’t realize this challenge is starting. He needs race victories after losing points for a penalty at Kansas in May. The prize is nice.

“That’s real money,” Buescher said. “But I don’t want that to change how we go to the race track. We need to gure out how to win races. There’s a lot more than that on the line at the end of the year.”

Three-time Cup Series champ Joey Logano compared this event’s prize to the money up for grabs in the All-Star Race, and this new competition like a stage win.

“This is a little longer thing, but it’s a race within the race,” Logano said. “So you’re not willing to give up a lot to do that, right?”

what you have to deal with.”

After being drafted by the Rays in the 10th round of the 2021 draft, Vernon earned the honor of being the highest-drafted player in the history of Central baseball. It appears to be a record that will never be broken, but he’s holding out hope. After all, Vernon has returned to Durham, maybe Eagles baseball will too.

“Hopefully one day they bring it back because, I mean, we were getting better and better every year. (2021) was our best year we had as a college. And that sort of sucks because from what I had heard, we had the best recruit class we ever had coming in. So it’s tough to see what could have been.”

In the meantime, he’ll keep at it with the Bulls while he waits for a potential call from Tampa.

“I’m just doing what I can to be where I am,” he said.

No. 6 Ford for RFK Racing went into Nashville at 32 — right on the line to be included in that chase for seeding. He hadn’t given the competition much thought focused on this season. But he thinks it will be fun once it starts.

“It’s good for the sport, good for our fans, and it’s a competition,” Keselowski said. “If there’s competition, we want to win it. But that said, I think our heads down on one week at a time, in some ways one day at a time. ... And it’s hard to look further ahead than that.”

Team Penske all set for the playo s

With Ryan Blaney’s rst victory of the season at Nashville Superspeedway, Team Penske now has its three drivers quali ed for the NASCAR Cup playo s even with Nashville the rst race of the second half of this year.

The format is simple: 32 drivers race for seeding over the next three races starting at Michigan on Sunday and concluding at Pocono on June 22.

Drivers are seeded by their best nish for the ve-race competition starting at Atlanta.

Then it goes to single elimination with the eld cut to 16 at Chicago, eight at Sonoma, four

NASCAR announced this new in-season competition in May 2024, so drivers can be forgiven for being focused on the second half of the season.

CANES from page B1

injury helped give prized prospect Alexander Nikishin his rst look at NHL action, and the Russian defenseman looked better with each shift. Chat eld may have revealed the team’s hand with the statement: It sure sounds like the right-handed Chat eld is thinking Nikishin will be his partner next season.

Dmitry Orlov

He said it: “I don’t know yet. We didn’t talk that much.” What it means: Orlov’s contract is up, and he indicated there hasn’t been much in the way of negotiations between him and the team about extending his deal. A big reason for that is Nikishin, who is a younger, cheaper option on the left side of the defense behind

Jaccob Slavin. It will be interesting to see how people view Orlov’s two seasons in Raleigh once there’s a little breathing room from his struggles in the postseason.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi

He said it: “I feel I was drafted as a big skill guy. I haven’t really gotten there yet, but hopefully that’s coming.” What it means: The 2018 third overall pick still hasn’t ful lled his potential, and this comment is a bit concerning.

Brind’Amour has said several times that he wants Kotkaniemi to play big in a straight-line style, but Kotkaniemi seems to think he can still one day be a top point producer. More than 500 regular season and playo games would indicate that’s unlikely. If Kotkaniemi is going to

at Dover and the nal two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner gets $1 million, and that does get drivers’ attention as part of the new media rights deal that includes TNT.

“It’s going to be something fun that you pay attention to, and there’s good money on the line,” said Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champ. “So you’ve just got to be really consistent throughout.”

succeed in Carolina, he needs to accept his role and adopt a simpler game.

Frederik Andersen

He said it: “I think the ultimate goal is just to be available.” What it means: The veteran goalie has played a combined 38 regular-season games the past two seasons after playing 84 in his rst two years in Carolina. No one expects Andersen to play 60-plus games as he did three straight years earlier in his career, but 30 to 35 games in the regular season would go a long way toward the 35-year-old getting people to believe he can handle a consistent workload.

Seth Jarvis

He said it: “Strengthen it, re -

Denny Hamlin was excited when the In-season Challenge was rst announced. Then he saw the courses for this competition, and his enthusiasm dimmed with the number of road courses included.

“Truthfully, we’re going to get pretty lucky or have such a good draw that just things kind of work out,” Hamlin said. “I wish it was more conventional ovals, but I think that’s just the way the schedule works out. And it’s unfortunately not probably my prime part of the season.”

Brad Keselowski and his

hab it and maybe wear the brace from the very beginning of the year and go from there.” What it means: Jarvis opted against having surgery last o season but quickly was right back to square one when he reinjured his shoulder. He’ll need to get it xed eventually, but with the Olympics looming next season, he admitted he “wouldn’t want to miss time and ruin that chance for myself.” Jarvis will rehab it again, and he has shown he can play well, even with one bum arm.

Andrei Svechnikov

He said it: “I know what kind of player I am and what I can bring.”

What it means: Svechnikov had a breakthrough postseason, but he was mostly quiet in the Florida series. Still, it was an im-

Blaney, who hadn’t won since November, joined Austin Cindric, who won at Talladega, and three-time Cup Series champ Joey Logano, a winner at Texas. Josh Berry, whose Wood Brothers Racing team has a relationship with Team Penske, also won at Las Vegas. Michael Nelson, president of Team Penske’s NASCAR operations, said it was nice to have that pressure o all the teams.

“It’s obviously pretty awesome to have a little bit of that pressure o for the guys,” Nelson said. “And again ... it gives you a chance to go out and take some chances here and there and try to rack up a bunch of wins. So now we’re grateful to be at this point with our cars this time of year.”

portant bounce-back playo s for Svechnikov after a disappointing regular season. Carolina needs the Svechnikov from the rst two rounds to show up from Game 1 next season — physical, assertive and disciplined.

Brent Burns

He said it: “So we’ll see what happens. But we love it here, and we’d love for it to work out.” What it means: Burns wouldn’t come out and say he wanted to play a 22nd NHL season, but he sure seemed like someone who hopes to do so — and do it in Raleigh. Is there a t? The 4 Nations Face-O showed what Slavin is capable of when paired with an in-hisprime top-pairing partner, and Burns isn’t on that level anymore. The question is if Burns is a t in a lesser role.

BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO

Left, Austin Vernon suits up for the Tampa Bay Rays during spring training this year. He’s now a step below the major leagues in Durham. Right, North Carolina Central’s Austin Vernon pitches during the Eagles’ nal baseball season in 2021.

GERALD HERBERT / AP PHOTO

NOTICE

CUMBERLAND

the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August of 2025(which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in the bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the dependent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This day of May 7th, 2025 Michael Bonner 2913 Tindle Hill Ln Charlotte, NC 28216 Of the Estate of Denise Jackson, deceased

The undersigned, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of Brenda Kay Johnson, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 367 Washington Street, Parkton, North Carolina 28371, on or before August 22, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 22nd day of May, 2025. Paula McVickers Autry, Administrator of the Estate of Brenda Kay Johnson, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 5/22/2025, 5/29/2025, 6/5/2025 and 6/12/2025 NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NUMBER:

25E000544-250 In the Matter of the Estate of: CLINTON JAMES BONNELL, Deceased. ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Clinton James Bonnell, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 15, 2025 (which is three (3) months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. THIS the 12th day of May, 2025.

Stefanie Firkins, Executor of the Estate of Clinton James Bonnell, Deceased c/o J. Thomas Neville Yarborough, Winters & Neville, P.A. P.O. Box 705 Fayetteville, NC 28302-0705 Publish: 05/15/2025, 05/22/2025, 05/29/2025 and 06/05/2025 NOTICE

In General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File #25E000055-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Annie G. Hudson, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 15th day of May, 2025 Michael W. Hudson, Executor, 738 Rustland Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28301 Of the Estate of Annie G. Hudson, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF WILLIAM HANSFORD JOHNSON CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E000286-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against William Hansford Johnson, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Sylvia W. Caldwell, Executor, at 2539 McArthur Landing Cir. #103, Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 29th day of August, 2025. (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above. This the 21st day of May, 2025. Sylvia W. Caldwell Executor of the Estate of William Hansford Johnson Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: May 29,

5, June 12 and June 19, 2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In the General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E000755-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator/ Executor of the Estate of Jack Dreher Burnett Jr, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of August, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 20th day of May, 2025. Jacquelyn R. Burnett 7680 Elliott Bridge Road Spring Lake, NC,28390 Of the Estate of Jack Dreher Burnett, Deceased

Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as the executor of the Estate of Michael Dale Harris, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all person, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the descendant are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 6th day of May 2025 Barbara Horne Harris Administrator/Executor 812 Stedman Cedar Creek Road Stedman, NC 28391 Of the Estate of Michael Dale Harris

NOTICE

State of North Carolina In the General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File #:25E000443-250

Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Dorothy Jean Ray Jones, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their discovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 15th day of May, 2025. Franklin and Flora Elliott Administrator/Executor 270 Longhill Drive Fayetteville, NC 28311 Of the Estate of Dorothy Jean Ray Jones, Deceased.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice 25E000742-250 The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Mavis Starling, deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of August 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 29th day of May 2025. Vickie Todd, Administrator of the Mavis Starling Estate Haymount Law Attorneys for the Estate 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 Telephone: (910) 672-4600 Publish: 05/29, 06/5, 06/12, 06/19

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF LACY CHAVIS

CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 96E000262-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Lacy Chavis, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 6th day of September, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Administrator named above. This the 30th day of May, 2025. Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of Lacy Chavis Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: June 5, June 12, June 19 and June 26, 2025

NOTICE

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File Number 25E000533–250 State of North Carolina County of Cumberland having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Arthur Cli ord Cornett late of Cumberland County, North Carolina. The undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations, having claims against the estate of said, decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 1406 Elma Street Spring Lake, NC 28390 on or before August 22nd, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons rms and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 22nd, May 2025. Lydia Cornett Executor of the Estate of Arthur Cli ord Cornett 1406 Elma Street Spring Lake,NC 28390

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT

DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NUMBER:

25E000805-250 In the Matter of the Estate of:

RAYMOND LEWIS BURKART

Deceased. ))))) EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Raymond Lewis Burkart, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before September 5, 2025 (which is three (3) months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. THIS the 2nd day of June, 2025.

Shelton Kesley Burkart Executor of the Estate of Raymond Lewis Burkart, Deceased c/o J. Thomas Neville Yarborough, Winters & Neville, P.A. P.O. Box 705 Fayetteville, NC 28302-0705

Publish: 06/05/2025, 06/12/2025, 06/19/2025 and 06/26/2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File #25E000519-250 Administrator’s Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Grace M. Hales of the Estate of Stephen Michael Hales, deceased,, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons =, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 29th day of August, 2025. (Which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) of this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 20th day of May, 2025. Grace M Hales Administrator/Executor 2681 Shadyside Lane Address Fayetteville, NC 28306 City, State, Zip Code Of the Estate of Stephen Michael Hales, Deceased

ADMINISTRATOR’S/EXECUTOR NOTICE: In the Estate of MARIE SPEED DOBBINS, CASE#: 25E000800-250, CYNTHIA FARMER MCEACHIN, has quali ed as Executor for the Estate of MARIE SPEED DOBBINS, deceased late of Cumberland County (NC), hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations. All creditors must submit claims against the estate by 08/29/2025 EXECUTOR: CYNTHIA FARMER MCEACHIN 5701 BASHFORD CREST LANE RALEIGH, NC 27606 CONTACT INFORMATION: 9192109263 (Cell) cynthia_mceachin@yahoo.com Of the Estate of MARIE SPEED DOBBINS, deceased

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Division Before the Clerk Estate File #24E1671 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Richard R. Lampman deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will pleaded in bar of the recovery. All persons indebted to the state will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 8th day of May, 2025. Administrator of the Estate of Richard R. Lampman 4127 Dellwood Dr. Fayetteville NC 28304-5227

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In the General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File# 25E000883-250 Administrator’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Timothy Carl McNeill, deceased late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before 5th day of September, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are required to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 5th Day of June 2025

Vickie M. Crocker, Administrator 641 Fearrington Post Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF ELIZABETH ANN SANTIAGO

CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E000734-250

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Elizabet Ann Santiago, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 23rd day of August, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor/Administrator named above.

This the 19th day of May, 2025. Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of Elizabeth Ann Santiago Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: May 22, May29, June 5,

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY

present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 1st day of September, 2025, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE FILE NUMBER: 24SP000020-120

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust executed by ANDREW BROWN AND MARIE BROWN payable to R&R FUNDING GROUP, INC D/B/A AMERICAN BUILDERS MORTGAGE, Lender, to SOUTHEASTERN TITLE AGENCY, LLC, Trustee, dated January 3, 2003, and recorded in Book 4250, Page 198 of the Cabarrus County Public Registry by ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, Substitute Trustee, default having been made in the terms of agreement set forth by the loan agreement secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT , having been substituted as Successor Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O cial Records of Cabarrus County, North C arolina, in Book 16688, Page 0225, a nd the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in C abarrus County, North C arolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure

sales, on June 18, 2025 at 11:00am, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in t he County of C abarrus, North C arolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): 5603 59 1110 0000 ADDRESS: 5010 ATHENS STREET KANNAPOLIS, NC 28081 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): UNKNOWN HEIRS OF MARIE BROWN THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF CABARRUS, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 4250, PAGE 198, AS FOLLOWS: LYING AND BEING IN NUMBER FOUR (4) TOWNSHIP OF CABARRUS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA ON THE NORTH SIDE OF ATHENS STREET (FORMERLY PARKS LAND AND FORMERLY ROME STREET) AND BEING LOT “C” OF THE JACK PARKS PROPERTY AS SURVEYED AND PLATTED; A COPY OF WHICH PLAT IS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS FOR CABARRUS COUNTY IN MAP BOOK 6 AT PAGE 93. BEING THE IDENTICAL PROPERTY CONVEYED TO ANDREW BROWN AND WIFE, MARIE BROWN BY DEED OF ANDREW BROWN DATED DECEMBER 19, 2000 AND RECORDED DECEMBER 28, 2000 IN DEED BOOK 3068 AT PAGE 327 IN THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS FOR CABARRUS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.

following described property situated in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 39 of PARK VIEW ESTATES, PHASE 1, MAP 6, as same is shown on a map thereof recorded in Map Book 73, Page 63-64, in the CABARRUS County Public Registry.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 1153 Burning Embers Lane SW, Concord, NC 28025.

A certi ed check only (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS

PROPERTY ADDRESS PURPORTED TO BE: 5010 ATHENS STREET KANNAPOLIS, NC 28081 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty

MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/ or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Skyla Federal Credit Union.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the

dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the

AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT OR AS AN ACT TO COLLECT, ASSESS, OR RECOVER ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THE DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY. Samantha J. Kelley or Sarah A. Waldron ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorneys for the Substitute Trustee P.O. Box 160 Jacksonville, NC 28541-0160 Telephone: (470) 321-7112

party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 4521.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent

the BRIEF this week

Job openings rose in April, signaling strong labor market

Washington, D.C.

U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of con dence in their prospects — fell, and layo s ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022 when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.

Dollar General sets record as bargain stores attract more buyers

Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual pro t and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and o price retailers amid economic uncertainty.

The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the rst drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business. Consumer spending also slowed sharply. For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5%, better than expected by Wall Street analysts.

$2.00

A hard day’s work

UNC’s Jake Knapp receives a standing ovation as he exits against Holy Cross on Friday in Chapel Hill. Knapp tossed 81⁄3 shutout innings, to lead the Tar Heels to a 4-0 win en route to a NCAA Regionals victory. They play Arizona this weekend in the Super Regionals with a trip to the College World Series at stake.

Chatham Board of Education OKs future teacher scholarship program

The Teach Chatham Scholarship is a path for early teacher recruitment

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — Chatham County Schools is introducing a new scholarship program to aid in future teacher recruitment.

At its June 2 regular business meeting, the Chatham County Schools Board of Education approved the Teach Chatham scholarship, an up to $10,000 award for students interested in teaching back in Chatham County following their post-secondary education.

“Teach Chatham is a grass-

roots, grow-your-own teacher program right here for Chatham County Schools,” said Executive Director of Secondary Education Michelle Burton. “The goal is to provide students who are interested in becoming educators an opportunity to begin coursework while they’re still in high school as well as to participate in a number of education-

al career building opportunities throughout the district and even now the full community of Chatham.” Scholarships can be up to $10,000 with the funds awarded by the Chatham Education Foundation as a pass through. Students would be eligible for

See EDUCATION, page A3

Insect-eating Venus ytraps thrive on Carolina’s coast

A weekly hike lets state park visitors see them in the wild

By Erik Verduzco

The Associated Press

CAROLINA BEACH — Park ranger Jesse Anderson leads dozens of people on a weekly hike in North Carolina to see some of the most unique living things in the world — plants that supplement the nutrients they get from sunlight by digesting ants, ies and spiders. But the Venus ytraps aren’t like the human-size,

See PLANT, page A7

Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on a Hickory

street during a house party

At least 80 shots were red just after midnight on Sunday

The Associated Press

HICKORY — Gun re erupted around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from eeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheri ’s deputies said.

Authorities said at least 80 shots were red in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running,

ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law enforcement had made no arrests and was seeking tips from the public in the case.

A statement from the Catawba County Sheri ’s O ce said a 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously reported in critical condition.

A 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed.

ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO

Park ranger Jesse Anderson shows a pitcher plant to visitors during a weekly carnivorous plant hike in March.

BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO

We stand corrected

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

CRIME LOG

May 23

• Ricardo Uriel Nava, 25, of Siler City, was arrested for breaking and entering.

May 25

• Jose Edgar JacoboFelipe, 31, of Siler City, was arrested for driving while impaired, driving without a license, and using a ctitious or altered registration card or tag.

May 26

• Jaylen Latrell Farris, 24, of Siler City, was arrested for assault on a female and domestic violence.

May 27

• Franck Romual Kombou Sile, 34, of Kannapolis, was arrested for cyberstalking and communicating threats.

May 27

• Noe Pulido, 24, of Broadway, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.

May 28

• Koren Cleary, 47, of Winston-Salem, was arrested for misdemeanor child abuse, communicating threats, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

May 30

• Paul Lawrence Rader, 47, of Siler City, was arrested for attempted rst-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and discharging a weapon into occupied property.

Oh, deer

A Chatham County deputy helped rescue a newborn fawn over the weekend after its mother was struck and killed by a vehicle on N.C. 87 near Walter Bright Road. On Saturday, a motorist discovered the fawn — so young its umbilical cord was still attached — and called for help. Deputy Caitlin Cade transported the animal to Holly’s Nest Animal Rescue for care. “This fawn had a slim chance of survival out there alone,” Cade said.

CHATHAM happening

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

June 5

Opinionation Trivia at House of Pops

6-8 p.m.

Two sessions of this “Family Feud”-style game are held each evening, rst round at 6 p.m. and the second at 7 p.m., o ering contestants two opportunities to win House of Hops gift cards worth $15 and $25 each. 112 Russet Run Suite 110 Pittsboro

June 6

Briar Chapel Farmers Market

4-6 p.m.

Every Friday, 10 local vendors gather on the Green of Green Meadow Park to o er an assortment of fresh produce, meats, baked goods, oral arrangements and foods to eat. The last Friday of each month also hosts a selection of local and regional artisans selling their crafts.

161 Salt Cedar Lane Chapel Hill

Jack the Radio at Bynum Front Porch

7-8:30 p.m.

Family-friendly, free musical performance with donations welcomed. Concessions will be available onsite. Free parking.

Front Porch, Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum

June

7

Chatham Mills Farmers Market

8 a.m. - noon

This weekly outdoor farmers market is a producers-only market, which means the wide variety of goods o ered there, from fresh produce to other groceries, including eggs, cheese and meat, along with health and wellness items and crafts, are produced or created by the vendors.

Lawn of the historic Chatham Mills

480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro

June 11

Jazz Night at The Sycamore at Chatham Mills

6-9 p.m.

Every Wednesday night, from 6-9 p.m., The Sycamore at Chatham Mills hosts live Jazz Nights. The series features a rotating list of local musicians. The Sycamore also o ers its Lounge Menu in the dining room on Wednesday nights. Reservations are highly recommended.

480 Hillsboro St. Suite 500 Pittsboro

COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Je rey Randall Allen, winner of competition TV show “Beast Games,” stands atop his $10 million grand prize.

MrBeast to give studio tours to big-dollar charity donors

Giving $100,000 could get a visit to his Greenville HQ

By James Pollard The Associated Press

NEW YORK — MrBeast plans to turn the success of his Amazon Prime Video reality competition series into millions of dollars for charity.

YouTube’s biggest creator is o ering an exclusive weekend on the set of Beast Games Season 2 to the rst 40 donors who make $100,000 gifts to his registered nonpro t. The earliest contributors and up to two guests each will spend June 27-29 touring MrBeast’s North Carolina studio, hearing from the production team in a private Q&A and visiting Beast Philanthropy’s food pantry.

The invitation comes as Jimmy Donaldson’s reported $5 billion media empire surpasses 400 million subscribers on YouTube, where he had already set the record for the biggest following. But the call raises a question: Who among his following of young people and their parents can make a six- gure donation?

“I have some big charity projects I want to fund so I think it’s a win/win,” MrBeast said in a post on X.

Rallying his fervent fan base to make their own contributions marks a new fundraising strategy for Donaldson. He has long stated that his YouTube pages’ featured charitable work is funded with his Beast Philanthropy channel’s revenue.

Beast Philanthropy aims to “alleviate su ering wherever and whenever we are able,” teaching new generations to care more and “making kindness viral” along the way.

The content has drawn a mix of praise from fans for working with local nonpro ts to support previously unfunded community-based projects and pushback from critics who accused Donaldson of exploiting vulnerable people for clickbait “inspiration porn.” Campaigns have involved treating rheumatic heart disease in Nigeria and protecting endan-

HICKORY from page A1

Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheri ’s spokesperson said. The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the o ce.

Sheri ’s o ce Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory.

He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was the motivation for the shooting.

Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP

Jimmy Donaldson, who goes by the online alias MrBeast, arrives at the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on April 5 in Los Angeles.

“I have some big charity projects I want to fund so I think it’s a win/win.”

MrBeast

gered animals in Kenya. Other examples include building wells in countries across Africa and covering the cost of cataract surgery for 1,000 people.

The call also signals Donaldson’s continued philanthropic presence after comments suggesting he would get “less hate” if he stepped away from philanthropy altogether. Responding to allegations that he uses philanthropy as a shield, Donaldson said he thinks “it paints a negative spotlight on me.”

“People hate me more because I do good,” Donaldson said in a conversation uploaded last November on the YouTube channel oompaville. “Maybe that’s too crazy of a statement. I’m not trying to sound like a victim here or anything.

“The truth is, I just nd videos where I help people more fun than videos where I don’t.”

The fundraising strategy resembles high-end charity galas or political campaign golf tournaments where attendees are “paying for status by making some donation,” according to Deborah Small, a psycholo -

gy and marketing professor at Yale University.

Purely generous donors don’t need any additional enticement, she noted, and bene ciaries don’t typically care about the motivations behind contributions as long as their causes get funded.

“It seems like, in this case, MrBeast is betting on the fact that maybe some other segment of potential donors, maybe people who wouldn’t donate otherwise, will buy in for this exclusive opportunity,” Small said.

The announcement comes shortly after Amazon Prime Video renewed Beast Games for two more seasons. The reality competition series pitted 1,000 contestants against each other for a $5 million grand prize that doubled in the Feb. 13 nale. Forbes reported that the show broke the streaming service’s record by totaling 50 million views in the 25 days after its premiere.

MrBeast’s latest fan event follows reports that an April weekend experience hosted by a Las Vegas resort, billed as “immersive” and “unforgettable,” had fallen short of attendees’ expectations. MrBeast responded on X that it “de nitely isn’t the experience we hoped they’d deliver” and o ered a free tour of his North Carolina headquarters to “everybody a ected.”

Church News

FIRST WESLEYAN CHURCH

608 N. Third Avenue

Siler City, NC 27344

We will be having a yard sale, Saturday, June 7

(Rain date – Saturday, June 14) 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Come out and get a bargain!

Many items to choose from. All proceeds will go toward our 100-year Homecoming expenses

EDUCATION from page A1

$2,500 each year for four years.

Those receiving scholarship funds would be required to return to Chatham County and teach for four years.

“This is in an e ort to attract our students starting in 10th grade to have an interest in becoming future teachers and educators,” said Assistant Superintendent Amanda Moran.

“We want to bring those students back home to teach here in Chatham County.”

The inaugural recipients of the scholarship — Callie Fogleman from Jordan Matthews High School and Kyle Stinson from Seaforth High School — were also announced at the meeting.

The board also recognized Moran as being the North Carolina Association School Administrators’ 2025 Administrator of the Year.

This statewide honor recognizes “exceptional leadership, vision, and commitment to student enrichment through academic competition and co-curricular programming.”

“Dr. Moran’s visionary leadership and deep belief in the power of academic competition have helped shape a culture where students are encouraged to challenge themselves and grow,” said Superintendent Anthony Jackson. “We are thrilled to see her outstanding contributions recognized at the state level.”

In addition, the board recognized two art education awards that the district earned.

Chatham County was recognized for earning the Best Communities for Music Education

designation from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.

It is the seventh consecutive year that CCS has been recognized, and Chatham County was one of only two districts in North Carolina to receive the designation.

“This is not an easy award to receive,” Moran said. “In order to receive this, we have to share detailed information about our school district: how we fund arts, graduation requirements, music class participation rates, instructional time, facilities, support for music programs and community music making programs. The responses are then veri ed by school o cials and reviewed by the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.”

In addition, Margaret B. Pollard Middle School band director Rebecca Clemens was named the 2025 Central District Bandmaster’s Association Band Director of the Year.

“This is a testament to Miss Clemens outstanding teaching, hard work and dedication to her students,” said Instructional Program Facilitator for the Arts Bryan DeCristofaro. “She has also been an active member of the CDBA organization for many years, serving on the board as a member at large and is now the Jazz Chair for the central region.

“It’s my hope that you have recognized an increased presence in the arts this year in terms of recognition and growth.”

The Chatham County Schools Board of Education will next meet July 14.

WSOC VIA AP

Various police vehicles gather outside a community after a shooting in Hickory on Sunday that killed one and injured 11. Police did not make any immediate arrests.

COURTESY AMAZON PRIME

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Dear rising ninth graders

I know a teacher who taught high school for four decades. She says that the secret to high school is really as simple as having one trustworthy friend.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have navigated middle school. Who said you wouldn’t make it out alive?! Of course, your experiences are as vastly diverse as each of you, yet you have come a long way on the journey and learned many things, including life lessons like the importance of deodorant. I’m particularly glad for this lesson if you happen to ride in my car.

You have spent the last year on top of the student body pyramid. Now, as you prepare to enter high school, you nd yourselves once again on the bottom.

I know a teacher who taught high school for four decades. She says that the secret to high school is really as simple as having one trustworthy friend. Oh, things like organizational habits and study skills are important. Extracurriculars, community service and volunteer opportunities build character. For heaven’s sake, get a good night’s sleep.

But she maintained that your one friend makes all the di erence.

This is not to imply that you can’t be friendly with di erent folks. Maybe you’ll join a team or a club and meet lots of good people. Perhaps you’ll sit with a dozen students in the cafeteria and enjoy the time together.

Yet, you will face lots of peer pressure about what to do and not to do. Some pressure will be positive, and some of it will

be negative. Most of it will be inconsequential. The clothes you wear or the music you like doesn’t really matter. Trust me, it will change.

But even at your relatively young age, you may face a situation that could impact your long-term future. Who will you trust to help you make that decision? It’s a gift to have elder mentors, like parents, pastors and coaches, to provide guidance.

You will also listen to your trusted friend. Will that person have your best interests in mind?

Apart from making major decisions, a true friend will also allow you to be your true self. What a relief to stop pretending, promoting and performing. You need someone who doesn’t judge you for being you but actually likes the real you. This kind of friend is crucial at any stage in life. (Maybe someday you’ll even marry such a person.)

For now, though, just remember that, as you rise up and move on, many things will change in the next four years. And that’s as it should be.

But if you can, hold on to that best friend.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman’s newest book is “This Is the Day.” He serves as pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, co ee drinker and student of joy.

Lessons in, of life take years to learn

I managed to get thrown out of school assembly my senior year when I was student body president and fouled out of a junior varsity basketball game during the warmups when I was in the ninth grade.

A SIGNIFICANT EVENT came my way this week.

No, it wasn’t the lottery or last house payment or even a note from old girlfriend

Katherine (Kitty) Litter saying she nally realized she missed the boat all those years ago. Instead, it was the annual celebration of some of my mama’s nest work, notably the day she brought me into the world.

I won’t mention the year this event came about or how many years it’s been but simply say it was before Ike came into the White House. But I’ll go on record, however, as saying I can’t believe how quickly it got here.

It’s been a while coming, and there has been a fair amount of water over the dam and under the bridge. But I’m also glad the water continues owing, and I hope it will for some time. Looking back over those years, it doesn’t seem so long ago. People, places and events come to mind, and I wonder where they all are now.

Our little family came to Pittsboro when I was a wee, handsome — well, at least wee — little lad of 5. My dad had changed careers, and Chatham County was home to him and Mama anyway. Had that not happened, I would have grown up in Apex and never gotten acquainted with Bonlee or Harpers Crossroads or Rufus’ Restaurant and hundreds of wonderful folks.

My school days would have been spent in Wake County instead of the halls of Pittsboro High School, where I managed to get thrown out of school assembly my senior year when I was student body president and fouled out of a junior varsity basketball game during the

warmups when I was in the ninth grade. I think back on those growing-up days, remembering who dated who, who had what car, the words to every rock ’n’ roll song WKIX played and many other important pieces of information. However, I could not then — and still cannot now — tell you the words to the French national anthem, how many bones a frog has in its body or how to nd the square root of 147, all of which various teachers deemed essential at the time.

Instead, I think of the 20 or so classmates who are now precious memories. Ditto for the class ahead of and behind me.

The same thing happened with my college career, the one where I managed to cram a four-year course of study into seven years. I knew I was going to Chapel Hill to get an education; I just didn’t think it would all be on campus. And it wasn’t.

These days I remember the guys in my dorm — Chester “Chuck” Conner, who combined brains, books and looks into one great all-around guy; Sam “Froggy” Greathouse, who got us into trouble with the dean because we hung out the second-story windows making pig-gr unt noises at the female students as they walked by and is now one of those aforementioned memories; Ronald and Donald Green, the twins from Carthage who I never could tell apart and still couldn’t a few years ago when I bumped into them at a funeral service I conducted for a family member of a mutual friend, and numerous others whose faces come to mind but don’t bring names with them.

There are other highlights, many, in fact: A career in community journalism which

led me to meet my better — much better — half when we worked beside each other in adjoining buildings in Pittsboro one summer; the wonderful days of courtship when I stopped running so she could catch me; the years since then with our two 40plus somethings who at one time were teenagers who lived at my house and have now produced their own set of humans, some of whom are teenagers and others who will soon be and who live at their houses but for right now are without doubt the most wonderful grandchildren the world has ever seen.

And there are others — a job once that let me work with farmers and rural folks all over the two Carolinas, a seminary course of study that produced a change in careers and the subsequent places of service, and even an opportunity to combine journalism and ministry as a life’s work for several years.

At one time, I thought I’d retire; now I know there’s not enough time to do that. And maybe that’s the best lesson that has come from these yearly celebrations. I know I’m not the only person who has such momentous occasions. My hope through the years of turning out these columns is that maybe once in a while (if you’re brave enough to read them) we all share the human condition known as life and that birthdays are another opportunity to get on with living it. Hope yours is happy and prosperous ... whenever it is and however many there are.

Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

I’m a carrier? No, no!

Whoa! Have you jumped ship? Plague carriers? Incivility virus?

ROUND ABOUT 2015, civility in public dialogue took a nose dive into the putative dung heap. Toxic dialogue, on all sides, thick enough to cut with a butter knife. You noticed? My protective responses bounced among: repeated gulps of Pepto Bismol, sizable amounts of dark chocolate or indulgence-in-my-addiction-for-aparticular-day (usually more chocolate).

Oh, yeah, back to that incivility thing. You know, stu like name-calling, sarcasm to beat the band and dehumanization. The goodies. Can’t forget to mention that, in our country of (some) equal opportunity, all of us have probably, at one time or another, indulged in honing our incivility skills. (I made a great start in high school.)

So what? Folks, of all stripes, are angry and want to be heard. I just wanna get back at the folks who disagree with me (and, of course, are wrong).

Mindblower alert, mindblower alert! All of us who’ve become verbal bomb throwers (but it feels so good!) have unwittingly morphed into plague carriers. Unknowing plague carriers, that is, of the (are you ready?) incivility virus. Whoa! Have you jumped ship? Plague carriers? Incivility virus?

Incivility is a virus that spreads (you go, Scienti c American!) Oh geez, I really can’t believe I’m going to say this, but each person touched by my incivility can pass that negativity on to others. Many others. The ol’

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

I’m

a Harvard Reject

Your life is what you make of it. You play the hand you’re dealt.

GROWING UP in the Boston suburbs, in the shadows of Harvard, there was only one school I wanted to go to: Radcli e, which in those days was the name of the undergraduate school for women at Harvard. I had a great uncle who taught at Harvard Medical School, which is the closest anyone in my family got to Harvard. I did everything a middle-class girl could do: I was the valedictorian of my public high school class, the president of the biggest region of B’nai B’rith Girls, a drum majorette and an experienced waitress who had been working since I was 15. But my school had no AP classes, my board scores were good but not over-the-top, and it just wasn’t enough. As I have told countless graduation classes, I got rejected at all my top choices. Wellesley, the women’s college that was my last choice, gave me money. That was it. Your life is what you make of it. You play the hand you’re dealt. Four years later, it was a di erent story. I had straight A’s from Wellesley and Dartmouth, where I spent my junior year. I had learned something about how to take standardized tests: I got a 795 out of 800 on the law boards. (My sister asked me if they had misstated the number, if it was really a 597, and I was insecure enough to actually call Wellesley and ask them to check.) I got into every law school I applied to. I — nally — went to Harvard.

My rst year, I worked three nights a week and Saturday at a bar in neighboring Somerville. I was afraid of my shadow in those days (I had been violently raped the preceding May), and a couple of the guys (all gang members of Whitey Bulger’s old gang) used to stay with me to close up and then follow me home to the parking lot down the street from my dorm. Then, guns drawn, they would walk me to the front door of my dorm, to the big plaque that said Harvard Law School, to safety. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone. The guys were proud of me. I was a “Harvard girl.” I worked harder than I ever have in my life. The next year, I was elected president of the Harvard Law Review, the rst woman to hold that job, and landed on national television. (Barack Obama was the rst black president; by that time, I was a Harvard professor). My life changed completely. Doors were opened to me that had never been open to a middle-class Radcli e reject. I met faculty members who were legends in the law (my colleagues) and students who would literally go on to run the world. Most of them were people like me, who came from nothing and amounted to a great deal because of the education we got, the friends we made, the networks that welcomed us, the worlds that opened to us. I went to school and later taught students from all over the world, even though I didn’t even have a

throwing a pebble into the pond and its many ripples a ect. We have incivility lifto !

Ouch. I’m a super-spreader with my name-calling, sarcasm, dehumanization, all that wonderful stu I did in Junior and Senior high school?

Well ... yep.

OK, back to being an adult for a short while. It’s tough out there now. Us vs. them, you vs. me. Censoring my reading so I don’t get too badly infected by the incivility virus, nding my jaws locking and teeth grinding.

Yep, again. I’m not currently in possession of a magic wand or wearing a super cape, so I can’t change our often toxic public discourse. But, but, I can change mine, my verbal and written contributions to those conversations. What the hey, I can model something di erent, something minus the ranting and incivility. I mean, does rampant incivility do any good? Change anything, or just make me feel better in that moment?

Am I a Pollyanna? Oh please, how embarrassing! Way, way too sweet! I’m not fond of diabetic comas, are you? Wait, wait, what about simply keeping my side of the street clean? Going for it.

Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.

COLUMN MARC DION

Abe Lincoln and the penny

THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.

I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden- oored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.

I will still bend double to pick up a penny o the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.

My wife thinks that’s funny.

“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?”

“Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.”

Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.

Some people think nding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck.

President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support.

But there’s not much outrage about the Lincoln head penny being taken o the market.

Remember when they took Aunt Jemima o the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state.

Lincoln, though, we ush Lincoln like he was John McCain.

Of course, Abe is still on the n.

Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half-a-yard. Yard.

passport until I was on the faculty — for years. That was Harvard. That is Harvard. That is what Donald Trump is trying to destroy. Why? Maybe it’s because Harvard didn’t want Donald Trump either. Who knows what hidden insecurities and resentments are buried in that angry and foolish man. It doesn’t matter. He was a rich kid, the son of a rich daddy, a member of New York society, an elitist from birth for whom doors were always open. He didn’t need Harvard. He had access to the power elite because he was a member of the lucky sperm club, not because he earned it himself, the Harvard way. His MAGA-maniacs may resent it. But for literally legions of middle-class and working-class students, Harvard was the ticket to worlds we could only dream of.

That he is trying to destroy it cannot be in doubt. He is trampling on the Constitution in his mad rush to take away federal funding for desperately needed scienti c and medical research, canceling grants, threatening students and faculty, even violating the law to try to take away Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Foreign students are terri ed, understandably so; but international students are essential to Harvard’s role and its mission. Trump doesn’t care.

He will not succeed in destroying Harvard, but he will hurt it. Harvard has more money than Trump does, but not enough not to su er if federal funds are taken away. Harvard’s lawyers are in court ghting; I believe that, ultimately, they will beat back Trump’s worst threats. But there will be losses, not only for Harvard, but for people everywhere. Research will be cut; lives will be lost; doors will be slammed shut. This is not how you ght antisemitism; it is how you turn people into antisemites. It is not how you ght the lefties on campus; Trump is proving that the right is as bad as we think they are. It is not how you address the legitimate concerns that members of the Harvard community themselves have raised. Those concerns have been set aside as the Harvard community has uni ed against Trump. How powerful is Harvard? We’re about to see. As for me, I wear my daughter’s Harvard hat with newfound pride. And appreciation. Years ago, I won the Radcli e Alumnae Achievement Award. At the time, I wondered if they had the wrong person. Anyone with a Harvard degree was eligible, they explained to me. That’s enough to make you part of the family. It is, and I am.

Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political operative who served as the campaign manager for Michael Dukakis in 1988.

Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or n.

So, he’s probably OK for now, even though there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?

People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief-on-the-head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and ipping apjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole apjacks.

Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me.

I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a apjack in his life. Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will. A apjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.

Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”

BE IN TOUCH

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

Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com

Sen. Edward Kennedy, center, talks with Susan Estrich, left, platform debate manager, right while Joan Kennedy, second from left, listens Aug. 9, 1980, in New York. Kennedy was in Manhattan for the upcoming Democratic Convention.

obituaries

IN MEMORY

Brenda Graham Dowling

April 16, 1941 – May 24, 2025

Brenda Graham Dowling passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on May 24, 2025. Born on April 16, 1941, she was one of ve children born to James Carey Graham, Sr., and Mavis Faulk Graham of Sanford, NC. Brenda lived a life lled with kindness, strength and abiding love for her family and friends.

While working as a civilian employee for the Department of the Army at Fort Bragg, NC, Brenda met the love of her life, LTC Dean E. Dowling, USA (Ret). They were married in 1976 until his death in 2024. They combined a family of her two daughters, Jo Anne Cameron Russo and Julie Cameron Rudowski, and his two sons, Keith and Brian Dowling (Cari). She leaves behind ve grandchildren: Jana Watkins (Adam), Joseph Russo, Orion, Chase and Charlie Dowling; and three great-grandchildren: Ava,

Austin and Hunter Watkins.

Brenda is also survived by her sister, Kay Graham Key, and brother, James Carey Graham, Jr. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Janet Graham Poteat and Jean Graham Anderson.

Dean and Brenda moved to the Washington, DC area where she worked for the Department of Defense in the Pentagon. Upon her retirement, she worked as a contract employee for the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Bureau of Land Management.

Outside of her professional career, Brenda was a passionate lover of history, art, politics, good food, travel, and classical music. She maintained a large circle of lifetime friends who she cherished.

Brenda was a member of Sisterhood P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization that celebrates the advancement of women through scholarships, grants, awards and loans. She served as President of the Chapel Hill AT Chapter in 20222023. She was also a member of the Governor’s Club Bible Study Group and Book Club.

A Celebration of Life will be held at her home, 73219 Burrington, Chapel Hill on Saturday, May 31st at 2:00. She will be laid to rest with Dean at a graveside service at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC at a later date. Arrangements by Bridges & Cameron Funeral Home.

Condolences may be made at www. bridgescameronfuneralhome. com.

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

ELIZABETH “LIBBY” HALL DOLLAR

MAY 27, 2025

Elizabeth “Libby” Hall Dollar, age 69, of Sanford passed away in the comfort of her home on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, after a battle with ALS. She was born in Lee County to the late Floyd Evan Hall and Ida Blanche Brewer Hall. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband of 49 years, Gary and sister, Ruby Lee Hall. Libby dedicated many years to raising her children with grace, humor, and an unwavering sense of love. Her home was always open, her arms always welcoming, and her support never in short supply. What began as a hobby rooted in creativity and care soon became a thriving business, when she and her husband, Gary opened their own upholstery shop. Libby was an active member of First Congregational Christian Church. Libby is survived by her children, Melissa Dollar and companion, Freddie Bowling of Carthage, Gary Dollar II and wife, Meagan of Lemon Springs, Jeremy Dollar and wife, Ashley of Sanford and Brittany Dollar of Carthage; eight grandchildren, Carlee, Hunter, Mason, Haylee, Chandler, Penelope, Ashton and Aiden; one great-

grandchild, Kolton; brothers Nelson Hall and wife Laura of Sanford, Roy Hall of South Carolina; sisters Frances Hall Spivey of Sanford, Carol Hall Brown of Moncure, Helen Hall Kremer, Edna Hall Haithcox, Brenda Hall Ashworth and husband Glenn, Nancy Hall Goldberg and husband Mike all of Sanford; sister-in-law Peggy Dilworth and husband Joe of Sanford and nephew Matthew Dilworth and wife Holly of Sanford.

MELVIN “MEL” RICHARD SPENCER

FEB. 5, 1956 – MAY 31, 2025

Melvin “Mel” Richard Spencer, 69, of Pittsboro, passed away Saturday, May 31st, 2025, at UNC Chapel Hill surrounded by family. Mel was born on February 5th, 1956, to the late Melvin Reed and Audrey Hawkins Spencer in Oneida County, Idaho. He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Sue Barkley. Mel was an engineer developer in the civil division. He loved the outdoors and reading. He was very dedicated and faithful to his Lord. Mel was an extremely hard worker and enjoyed his work. He loved people and never met a stranger. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Myungha Whang Spencer; his daughters, Melina Spencer of Pittsboro, and Marissa Spencer of Raleigh; and his brother, Robert Spencer and his wife, Shannon of Utah. A celebration of life service will be held June 14th, 2025, at 11 am, at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 151 Old Rock Springs Cemetery Rd. Pittsboro, NC 27312. Burial will follow at Chatham Memorial Park in Siler City. S ervices will be o ciated by Christian Nelson.

Kenneth Farrell

ravenous and cruel Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

In the wild, Venus ytraps are the size of a lima bean and pose no harm to anything other than insects. Their special hairs snap their leaves together when brushed — but only twice in about 20 seconds or less to reduce the amount of false alarms by dust or rain.

Once inside, the insect is doomed to become plant food, Anderson said.

“It continues to trigger those hairs and the trap slowly closes and eventually starts releasing digestive enzymes to start breaking down the insect. And because they’re in nu-

trient-poor environments, they supplement their food with insects,” Anderson said. Anderson’s hike at Carolina Beach State Park on the southeast North Carolina coast also showcases other carnivorous plants. There are vase -shaped pitcher plants with liquid at the bottom that traps insects, then digests them. Butterworts a nd sundews attract insects with glistening leaves then secrete an adhesive to trap them in place. Bladderworts work similarly to Venus ytraps. And the hike is one of the few places to see Venus ytraps. The plant only grows in 12 counties in southeast North Carolina near Wilmington and a few

‘Duck

Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson dies

The family announced in December that he had Alzheimer’s disease

The Associated Press

WEST MONROE, La. —

Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday, according to his family. He was 79.

Robertson’s family announced in December on their Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease. The statement on social media from Robertson’s daughterin-law didn’t mention how he died.

“Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again,” Korie Robertson wrote.

Phil Robertson skyrocketed to fame in the early 2010s when the A&E network created a reality show, presented like a sitcom. It followed the adventures of Robertson, his three sons — including Willie, who runs the family’s Duck Commander company — their wives and a host of other relatives and friends.

Phil Robertson and his boys were immediately recognizable by their long beards and conservative, Christian and family-oriented beliefs.

That got Robertson into trouble, too. He told a magazine reporter in 2013 that gay people are sinners and African Americans were happy under Jim Crow laws.

A&E suspended him from “Duck Dynasty” but reversed course in a few weeks after a backlash that included Sarah Palin.

At the time, Robertson’s family called his comments coarse but said his beliefs were grounded in the Bible and he “is a Godly man.” They also said that “as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm.” Robertson was born

nearby places in South Carolina, which made the organism the state’s o cial carnivorous plant in 2023.

Now is an especially good time to take that hike. Venusytraps bloom from about midMay to mid-June, Anderson said.

The ytrap is a fragile plant that needs re to survive. Wildres in the pine forests where they grow clear o the denser overgrowth to provide the abundant sunlight the plants need.

They face two big enemies — poachers and development. Harvesting the plants without permission is a felony in North Carolina and a misdemeanor in South Caroli-

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in north Louisiana and spent his life in the woods and lakes that make up the region called Sportsman’s Paradise.

Robertson played football at Louisiana Tech and taught school. He also loved to hunt and created a duck call in the early 1970s that he said replicated the exact sound of a duck.

The calls were the centerpiece of the Duck Commander business Robertson would grow into a multimillion-dollar enterprise before A&E came calling.

The family just didn’t sell outdoor and hunting gear; it sold a lifestyle.

“The Robertsons face everything from beavers to business deals in their own special way — with a twist of downhome practicality and a sharp sense of humor,” A&E wrote in its promotion for “Duck Dynasty.”

Appreciations for Robertson appeared on social media shortly after this death was announced, largely from conservative politicians.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X, “The great #PhilRobertson passed today. He loved Jesus & he was utterly fearless. One of my fondest memories was duck hunting with Phil — he was the best shot I ever met. And, in 2016, he recorded this amazing commercial for me. Rest in peace, my friend.”

“Saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson — a man of deep faith, bold conviction, and unwavering love for his family,” wrote Ben Carson, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary, also on X. “I’ll never forget the time I spent with Phil and his wonderful family at their homestead in West Monroe, LA. We rode through the swamp stopping at his favorite duck blinds before being welcomed by Miss Kay with a warm, homecooked meal, surrounded by their extended family and close friends.”

A&E shared their own tribute to the “Duck Dynasty” X account, writing: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family. Our thoughts are with them during this di cult time. We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve.”

na. In 2016, a man was sentenced to 17 months in prison for taking nearly 1,000 Venus ytraps f rom game land in Hampstead. And the ytraps live in one of the fastest-growing parts of the U.S., where neighborhoods and businesses have been built over their habitats. Most of the plants can now be found in preserves and other undisturbed areas.

Scientists counted only about 300,000 ytraps in the Carolinas several years ago.

While Anderson’s hike is one of the few ways to see Venusytraps in their natural environment, he said commercially grown plants can be found around in greenhouses and

Your Journey Starts Here...

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plant stores around the world and can thrive in homes in the right conditions

“They like nutrient-poor soils, and also they can’t stand typical well water or tap water. So they need things like rainwater or distilled water or versus osmosis,” Anderson said. Venus ytraps need abundant sunlight and soils that are moist but not drenched. And they don’t have to eat bugs if they can get enough nutrients from photosynthesis. Please don’t feed them hamburger meat — that’s not what they eat. And try not to trigger the leaves shut without something to digest. That takes a lot of energy the plant needs to replace.

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NOTICE

FILE NO. 24CV2219-180

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

CHATHAM COUNTY

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

JACOBO PABLO PEREZ, Plainti , vs. NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

ASHLEY BREWER WILEY, Defendant.

To: ASHELEY BREWER WILEY, defendant

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the aboveentitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is the recovery of money damages for personal injuries received in an automobile accident on September 30, 2024, in Johnston County, North Carolina. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than July 1, 2025, said date being forty days from the rst publication of this notice. Upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This the 8th day of May, 2025

GASKINS & GASKINS, P.A.

Herman E. Gaskins Attorney for plainti

P. O. Box 933 Washington, N. C. 27889 Telephone: 252/975-2602

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Matthew Ray Johnson, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 7th day of May, 2025.

Amy Stackhouse Johnson, Executor of the Estate of Matthew Ray Johnson

596 R.E. Wright Road Snow Camp, North Carolina 27349 4tp

NOTICE

“All persons having claims against the estate of DENNIS RAY APPLEYARD of Chatham County, NC, who died on March 13, 2025, are noti ed to present them on or before September 1, 2025 to Douglas Appleyard, Executor for the estate of Dennis Ray Appleyard, c/o Schupp & Hamilton, PLLC, P.O. Box 3200, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3200, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.”

DATES: 05/29/2025, 06/05/2025, 06/12/2025, 06/19/2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JACK A. MOODY, DECEASED.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having heretofore quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Jack A. Moody, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 21st, 2025 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of any recovery thereon. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 21st day of May, 2025 William Barden Moody, Executor Estate of Jack A. Moody, Deceased c/o Ronald P. Johnson, Esq. Carruthers & Roth, P.A. Attorneys & Counselors at Law 235 North Edgeworth Street (27401) Post O ce Box 540 Greensboro, North Carolina 27402 Publication dates: May 21st, 28th and June 4th and 11th, 2025. 4908-2207-9811, v. 1

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000288-180

ALL persons having claims against Benjamin Wayne Barber aka Benjamin Barber, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Sep 05 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 5th day of June, 2025.

Cameron Barber, Administrator C/O Kerr Law, PLLC P.O. Box 10941 Greensboro, NC 27404

J5, 12, 19 and 26

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 23th day of May 2025, as Administrator of the Estate of Rachel Hudson, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 3rd day of September 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment.

This is the 27th day of May 2025. Danny Hudson, Administrator of the Estate of Rachel Hudson 292 George Hudson Road Siler City, NC 27344

Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: June 5th, 12th, 19nd and 26th.

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

All persons having claims against the estate of John Edward Hunt of Chatham County, NC, who died on the 19th of April, 2011, are noti ed to present them on or before August 22nd , 2025 to Geo rey E. Hunt, Executor for the Estate, c/o Schupp & Hamilton, P.L.L.C., P. O. Box 3200, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3200, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Schupp & Hamilton, P.L.L.C. P. O. Box 3200 Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3200 For May 22nd , May 29th, June 5th , and June 12th of 2025.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 16, 2025, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312.

Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department o ce. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www. chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Input/Hearing Sign Up. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners.

The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below:

Legislative Request:

A legislative public hearing requested for a general use rezoning by Vikas & Gunsan Laad, from CD-NB to R-1 Residential on Parcel 96061, being 19.43 acres, located at 2676 Farrington Point Rd., Williams Township.

A legislative public hearing requested for a rezoning by Stephen Sta ord on Parcels 9815 and 64619, located at 14987 US 421 S, from R-1 Residential to CD-RB

Conditional District Regional Business, on approximately 3.91 acres, for a self mini warehouse storage facility, Gulf Township.

A legislative public hearing requested for a general use rezoning by Oscar Guarin, from R-1 Non-conforming to Light Industrial on Parcel 5067, being 9.278 acres, located at 4920 Old US 421 S, Bear Creek Township.

A legislative public hearing requested for rezoning and a conversion of an existing Conditional Use Permit by Kent Dickens dba Dicken’s RV Park, from R-1 with CUP, R-1, and Ind H to Conditional District Neighborhood Business (CD-NB) on portions of Parcels 5176, 5177, 5636 (9.73 ac), a portion of 5143 (2.009 ac) and conversion of Parcel 5749 (35.121 ac) of existing campground. Parcels are located at 0 Corinth Rd and 2501 Corinth Rd., Cape Fear Township.

Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions.

Notice to people with special needs: If you have an audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided.

If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204 or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312.

Please run in your paper: June 5th and 12th, 2025

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Nancy Cary Peter late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 20th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 14th day of May, 2025. Linda P. Crabtree, Administrator CTA of the Estate of Nancy Cary Peter 25 Joe Brown Road Bear Creek, North Carolina 27207 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

NOTICE

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Monnda Lee Welch, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before August 29, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 29th day of May, 2025. Anna Brothers, Executor 150 Saddle Tree Dr. Franklinton, NC 27525 IPL000176-180

NOTICE

LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC

On Monday, June 9, 2025, at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold the following legislative public hearings in person at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West, Pittsboro: PB-25-73 – Blue Heel Development LLC has petitioned to have 21.28 acres of land, Parcel 0006844, currently zoned R-12 (Medium Density Residential 12,000 sf) to be reclassi ed as MR-CZ (Multi-family Residential Conditional District). The property, located just north of Cambridge Hills Assisted living in the Town’s extraterritorial planning area along Old Graham Road is currently fully forested. The intention, following conditional rezoning, is to create a 98-lot single family or two-family residential development. PB-25-140 - Trilandco LLC have petitioned to have 29.6 acres of land, Parcels 60740, 7176, 82169, 79874, 7175, and 86195 currently zoned C-2 (Highway Commercial) and R-12 (Residential 12,000 sf) to be reclassi ed as an MUPD (Mixed Use Planned Development). The property, located along the eastern frontage of US Highway15-501 (Hillsboro Street), just south of McDonald’s and is adjacent to the Bellemont development. These parcels are currently utilized for a storage shed sales area and contain a closed convenience store. There are several other structures on site (including a few residential structures), all intended to be removed during construction of this mixed-use development. The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https:// www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on June 9, 2025, with written comments or to sign up to speak at the legislative hearing. You can contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (919) 542-4621 ext. 1104, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000141-180 ALL persons having claims against Elliott Milton Baron, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 22 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 22nd day of May, 2025. MOLLY BAARS, Executor C/O Law O ces of Amy Whinery Osborne, PC P.O. Box 7 Cary, NC 27512 M22, 29, 5 and 12

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000190-180 ALL persons having claims against PHILLIP NORMAN COOPER, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 29 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 29th day of May, 2025.

LINDA WASMUTH, EXECUTOR

C/O GLENN B. LASSITER, JR. PO Box 1460 Pittsboro, NC 27312 M29, 5, 12 and 19

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000250-180 ALL persons having claims against THOMAS HUGH THOMPSON, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Sep 05 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 5th day of June, 2025.

KARLA LACKORE THOMPSON, Executor C/O Jones Branz & Whitaker LLP 4030 Wake Forest Rd. Ste. 300 Raleigh, NC 27609 J5, 12, 19 and 26

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000254-180 ALL persons having claims against STEPHEN CHARLES ALLARIO, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 22 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 22nd day of May, 2025.

KIMBERLY D. ZIERMAN, Executor C/O Privette Legacy Planning 1400 Crescent Green, Suite G-100 Cary, NC 27518 M22, 29, 5 and 12

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Floyd Fried All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Floyd Fried, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Daniel Fried as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before August 30, 2025, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 29th day of May, 2025. Daniel Fried, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF William Brent Sutton All persons, rms and corporations having claims against William Brent Sutton, late of Chatham, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Deborah Moyer or Rebecca Shelton as Administrator CTA of the decedent’s estate on or before September 7, 2025, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the abovenamed Executor. This the 5th day of June, 2025. Deborah Sutton Moyer, Administrator CTA Rebecca Elizabeth Sutton Shelton, Administrator CTA c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF MARIJANE K. WHITEMAN All persons, rms and corporations having claims against MARIJANE K. WHITEMAN, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Patricia McDonough as Administrator CTA of the decedent’s estate on or before August 30, 2025, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the abovenamed Administrator CTA. This the 29th day of May, 2025. Patricia McDonough, Administrator CTA c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000033-180 The undersigned, CARLA PETERS, having quali ed on the 25TH Day of APRIL, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BAILEY LOUIS PIGFORD, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 5TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 5TH DAY OF JUNE 2025 CARLA PETERS, EXECUTOR 11801 US 421 GOLDSTON, NC 27252 Run dates: J5,12,19,26p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000275-180

The undersigned, CATHERINE M. RIEHM, having quali ed on the 20TH Day of MAY, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BERNARD RAY VANCIL, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 29TH Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 29TH DAY OF MAY 2025. CATHERINE M. RIEHM, EXECUTOR PO BOX 194 APEX, NC 27502 Run dates: M29,J5,12,19p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM

The undersigned, James C. Bowers, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of James A. Bowers, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate to present such claims to the undersigned in care of the undersigned’s Attorney at their address on or before August 22, 2025 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the above named Administrator. This the 22nd day of May, 2025. James C. Bowers, Administrator Estate of James A. Bowers John Stephens, Esq. Carolina Estate Planning 380 Knollwood St. Suite 500 Winston Salem, NC 27103 May 22, 29, June 5 and 12, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000247-180 The undersigned, MARK BRAUND CARPENTER, having quali ed on the 2ND Day of MAY, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JEAN MITCHELL CARPENTER deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 22ND Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 22ND DAY OF MAY 2025. MARK BRAUND CARPENTER, EXECUTOR 7409 RUSSELL RD. INDIAN TRAIL, NC 28079 Run dates: M22,29,J5,12p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000198-180

The undersigned, AMANDA JOHNSTON GROCE and EMILY JOHNSTON GORDON, having quali ed on the 11TH Day of APRIL, 2025 as CO-ADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of LINDA CHRISTINE BOGGS SMITH deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 15TH Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 15TH DAY OF MAY, 2025. AMANDA JOHNSTON GROCE, COADMINISTRATOR 145 SCOTTSDALE LANE CLEMMONS, NC 27012 EMILY JOHNSTON GORDON, COADMINISTRATOR 3128 HICKORY RIDGE DR. WINSTON SALEM, NC 27127 Run dates: M15,22,29,J5p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#19E000112-180 The undersigned, RONALD BROOKS, having quali ed on the 28TH Day of FEBRUARY, 2019 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MILDRED WATSON BROOKS deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to him on or before the 22ND Day OF AUGUST 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 22ND DAY OF MAY 2025. RONALD BROOKS, EXECUTOR 1201 ALPHA ST. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: M22,29,J5,12p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000219-180 The undersigned, ALISON S. FLEMING, having quali ed on the 21ST Day of APRIL, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of SUSAN L. FLEMING, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against

FLEMING, EXECUTOR 313 ACADEMIA COURT DURHAM, NC 27713 Run dates: M29,J5,12,19p

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF PITTSBORO The Town of Pittsboro’s Development Fee Ordinance for FY 2025-2026 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners and a copy is available for public inspection in the o ce of the Town Clerk, Town of Pittsboro Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221, Pittsboro, NC. The Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on the

As states roll out red carpets for data centers, some lawmakers push back

Taxes, utilities and red tape are signi cant blocks to development

By Marc Levy The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for arti cial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it’s also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.

Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Many states are o eringnancial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a ght or e orts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy e ciency standards.

Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy in ux of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the ghts revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want:

large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water.

And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler.

While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments.

In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that’s landing in other states.

“Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson. “That’s the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won’t open its doors.”

It’s been a big year for data centers

Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while

Kentucky and Arkansas expanded preexisting exemptions so that more projects will qualify.

Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water a nd clean energy, meet energy-e ciency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity.

Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.

“It’s often a nonstarter if you don’t have them, for at least the hyperscalers,” said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. “It’s just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.”

Zoning, energy ghts often frustrate developers

In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create “microgrid” districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his “landmark policy proposal” for 2025 to put West Virginia “in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.”

Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data

center developers to procure their own power supply without going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility.

The nal bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to nance the cost of new power plants.

“I do not like that we’re making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,” South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during oor debate.

Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they re ect a society that is “addicted” to electricity and are “ lling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we’re all guilty of it. We’re all responsible for it.”

Some lawmakers are hesitant

In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back.

Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center in August 2024 in Boardman, Oregon.

Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them.

Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill.

In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site’s noise pollution and water use.

In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state’s electric grid from fast-growing data center demand.

Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups.

Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such a s data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency.

Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas.

“You’ve seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas,” Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. “I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.”

Trump withdraws nomination of Isaacman to lead NASA

The Elon Musk associate and astronaut was expected to get Senate approval within weeks

By Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.” It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,” Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening and, hone stly, a bit thrilling.” “It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where leaders on both sides of the

aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.” Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever

since buying his rst chartered ight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of spaceights f rom SpaceX and conducted the rst private spacewalk. SpaceX has exten-

“Leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.” Jared Isaacman

sive c ontracts with NA SA. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon. Musk appeared to lament Trump’s decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to nd someone so competent and good-hearted.”

SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government Eciency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

CHATHAM SPORTS

Post 292 wins 18-19U Heroes League season opener

Chatham County defeated South Wake 6-3 in its rst home game

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — The Chatham County Post 292 18-19U team scored three runs in the bottom of the fth inning to beat South Wake Post 116 6-3 in its USA Softball Heroes League season and home opener Monday.

Hitting against a familiar pitcher in Emma Grace Hill for the rst three innings, Marcy Clark led Post 292 at the plate, going 3 for 3 with an RBI. Calissa Clendenin also had a solid batting night with a 2-for-4, two-RBI performance.

“We knew what kind of pitches she throws,” Clark said. “She started throwing change upsa little bit, but we just adjusted.”

Up 3-2 in the bottom of the fth inning with South Wake’s relief pitcher Katie Whitehurst in the circle, Clendenin singled on a ground ball to left eld and batted in Emma Burke, who walked on base, for a two-run lead. Clark kept it going in the next at-bat with a single setting up bases loaded. From there, Whitehurst went on to walk in two more runs for Chatham before ending the inning with a strikeout.

“People showed they could play multiple positions, so that’s very promising.”

Holly Felder

In the bottom of the rst inning, Burke put Chatham County’s rst run on the board when she grounded out and scored Abigail Johnson, who walked and advanced to third on wild pitches. With two outs in the same inning, Clark singled to center eld and knocked pitcher Gabby Czuczuk home for a 2-0 lead.

Facing two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Clendenin singled on a line drive to center eld, sending Avery Kiger, who doubled her way on base, home for a 3-0 advantage. South Wake caught re in the top of the fourth inning, ripping o four straight hits. Andy Care started the rally with a single, and Emma Grace Hill smashed a double to the left center eld fence to put two runners in scoring position. Georgia Miller put South Wake on the board with a single that scored Care, and Cami Brinkley scored Hill with a single to right eld.

For what ended up being a costly mistake, Miller followed Hill for the potential game-tying run, but she was thrown out at home by Clark.

Post 292 got out of more

tricky situations on defense, including the second inning when South Wake had two runners in scoring position with two outs, and Miller ied out to Johnson in center eld.

One inning later, Chatham County found itself at risk of giving up runs again, facing bases loaded with two outs.

Post 116’s Julie Selig grounded out to Kiger, and Chatham County once again survived without any bleeding.

Post 292 even lost the hits battle 13-7 and still came away with the win.

Czuczuk pitched a complete game and logged three strikeouts and two earned runs.

“I think Gabby pitched a really good game,” Chatham County assistant coach Holly Felder said. “We changed our approach a little bit, whether she realized it or not. I was calling some di erent stu at the end of the game, but she hit her spots pretty well, and that kept them o balance.”

Outside of Hill, who went 2 for 3 at the plate and recorded three strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs

Local teams and athletes won titles and made history

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

historic runs and unforgettable individual performances — Chatham County saw it all in high school sports this year.

The 2024-25 high school sports season came to an end in North Carolina over the weekend, closing the book on another action-packed campaign for the local schools.

Chatham County teams and athletes gave fans plenty to cheer for and made numerous memories from the fall to spring. Below, Chatham News & Record relives some of the top moments and storylines from the year.

Seaforth volleyball breaks through to the state nal

As it maintained the 2023 core that went undefeated in

Wins for the Seaforth volleyball team on the way to its rst state title appearance

conference play and reached the fourth round of the state playo s, there was little doubt the Seaforth volleyball team would have a big year in 2024. The Hawks welcomed former Woods Charter standouts Josie (TCU commit) and Abigail Valgus, built on last year’s success and took the next step. They went 25-5 overall (14-0 in conference play) and reached their rst state title game after beating No. 3 Manteo on the road in the regional nal. Throughout the season, the state runners-up received huge contributions from sophomore Ally Forbes and junior Keira Rosenmarkle, who nished the year

Finn Sullivan, Emma Grace Hill and Zach Cartrette were named pitchers of the year

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE CENTRAL TAR Heel

1A and Mid-Carolina 1A/2A spring all-conference lists and awards were released. Here are the local athletes who earned all-conference honors.

MID-CAROLINA 1A/2A

Baseball

First Team: Zane Overman (Chatham Central), Reid Albright (Chatham Central), Ben Wilson (Chatham Central), Jaedyn Rader (Seaforth), Easton Sykes (Seaforth), Bauer Bowling (Seaforth), Daniel White

(Seaforth), Anthony Landano (Seaforth), Landon Moser (Jordan-Matthews), Jake Bowden (Jordan-Matthews), Kaleb Howell (Northwood), Camden Miller (Northwood), Finn Sullivan (Northwood)

Second Team: Brett Phillips (Chatham Central), Brady Phillips (Chatham Central), Carter King (Chatham Central), Colin Dorney (Seaforth), Bryce Honeycutt (Seaforth), Duncan Parker (Seaforth), Riley D’Angelo (Northwood), EJ Gutierrez (Jordan-Matthews), Austin Morgan (Jordan-Matthews)

Pitcher of the Year: Finn Sullivan (Northwood)

Softball

First Team: Maeson Smith (Chatham Central), Maddie Kaczmarczyk (Chatham

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth wrestler Layne Armstrong, left, runs to his coaches to celebrate after winning the state title, one of several highlights for area athletes this past school year.

ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Calissa Clendenin makes contact with the ball in Chatham County’s Heroes League opener on Mondau. She went 2 for 3 at the plate with two RBIs in the win.

Brayden Brewer

Chatham

Central, baseball

Brayden Brewer earns athlete of the week honors for the week of May 26.

In Chatham Post 305’s 2-1 win over Moore County Post 12 on Saturday, Brewer singled and scored Jace Young to tie the game at one run apiece in the bottom of the rst inning. That ended up being Chatham’s only RBI of the game. Before the rst game of a two-game series with Durham was delayed in the third inning Friday, Brewer was already 2 for 2 at the plate with a run. Brewer, a rising senior, played for Chatham Central in the spring. He nished the season with 10 hits and nine runs.

Siler City youth football program joins league

The town’s new youth teams will play in the UYFL

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY PARKS and Recreation’s newly formed youth tackle football program has found a league to play in this fall.

The program joined the United Youth Football League, the town’s parks and recreation director Treiston Burnette announced in a Facebook post Friday.

Burnette said the league gives kids “a chance to compete against top talent.”

After the town’s tackle football teams were announced in May, Burnette told Chatham News & Record that he wanted the kids to play against op-

Local programs to provide middle school football in 2025

ponents they’ll eventually see in high school. Siler City’s new youth football program will stand in place of the Siler City Youth Football League started and run by former town parks and recreation director Donald Dones last year. The program will hold four age divisions — 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U. Players can sign up for $60 on the town’s registration site. Registration is set to close on Aug. 1. Those interested in coaching

a team can contact Burnette for more information. Practices will be held at Bray Park and the Paul Braxton Park multipurpose eld. Workouts will begin June 12.

The town’s program joins Chatham Central’s upcoming middle school football team in creating more opportunities for local kids to play football. Spearheaded by Chatham Central High School football coach Derrin Little, Bear Creek’s new youth football opportunity for sixth, seventh and eighth graders will serve as a feeder system for the high school. Registration for that will open on July 15. On the opposite side of the county, East Chatham has its registration open for 2025 and will once again play in the East Wake Football League. Registration will close on July 1.

in four innings pitched, South Wake has three other players from Seaforth’s 2025 team. Brinkley went 1 for 2 with an RBI. Alyssa Harris (1 for 4, one

RBI) and Annika Johansson also took the eld for Post 116. Post 292 moved players around often defensively Monday night, given this was their rst time playing together since tryouts.

“People showed they could play multiple positions, so that’s very promising,” Felder said. O to a solid start, Chatham Post 292 will continue to put things together against North Wake at home on June 17.

ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

A view facing the goalpost at Phil E. Senter Stadium in Siler City. The town’s new youth football program hopes to serve as a feeder for the Jordan-Matthews high school team.

POST 292 from page B1

Local girls’ soccer players earn all-state honors

More local players receive all-region selections from the NCSCA

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE NORTH CAROLINA

Soccer Coaches Association released its 2025 girls’ soccer all-state teams Monday.

Here are the local girls’ soccer players that received all-state selections and all-region (Region 7) honors.

1A

Annabel Unah (Woods Charter, all-state, all-region)

Sophomore striker Annabel Unah earned her rst all-state selection and all-region honors this season. Unah recorded 42 goals and 12 assists.

Lucy Poitras (Woods Charter, all-state, all-region)

Sophomore mid elder Lucy Poitras received her rst all-state selection and all-region honors after leading the Wolves with 49 goals. She also notched 13 assists.

Eliza Blanchard (Woods Charter, all-region)

Freshman mid elder Eliza Blanchard scored ve goals and recorded a team-high 18 assists in her all-region season.

Kori Myers (Woods Charter, all-region)

Freshman defender Kori Myers received all-region honors with a stellar defensive season and three goals.

Wesley Oliver (Woods Charter, all-region)

Junior defender Wesley Oliver, a veteran presence on the young Woods Charter team, was a reliable defender and scored six goals in all-region-worthy season for the Wolves.

Eve Terrell (Woods Charter, all-region)

Sophomore mid elder Ever Terrell had a solid all-region season for Woods Charter, recording nine goals and nine assists.

2A

Caitlin Erman (Seaforth, all-state, all-region)

Senior striker Caitlin Erman led Seaforth with team-highs of 45 goals and 37 assists for her second all-state selection. She scored at least ve goals in four games this season and nished her career as Seaforth’s all-time leading scorer.

Sydney Nezos (Seaforth, all-region)

Chatham County players earned all-state honors

So a Viana (Seaforth, all-state, all-region)

Junior mid elder So a Viana earned her second all-state selection with 38 goals, 22 assists and 16 steals in 12 games. She dealt with injuries throughout the year but still put up huge numbers. She started the year with back-to-back eight-goal performances against Graham.

Katie Leonard (Seaforth, all-state, all-region)

Junior goalkeeper Katie Leonard earned her rst all- st ate selection after notching 118 saves and 17 clean sheets. She recorded double-digit saves in four games, including 28 saves against A pex Friendship in March.

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Junior defender Sydney Nezos put on a stellar all-region-worthy defensive season for the Hawks, recording a team-high 92 steals.

Sulema Arias (Northwood, all-region)

Junior mid elder Sulema Arias was an all-region-level playmaker for the Chargers this season, leading the team with 12 assists. She scored three goals this year.

Sarah Anne Murrell (Northwood, all-region)

Senior striker Sarah Anne Murrell led Northwood with 23 goals in an all-region year. She recorded four games w ith at least three goals.

Gwyn Williams (Northwood, all-region)

Junior goalkeeper Gwyn Williams recorded 36 saves in an all-region season for the Chargers.

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Cartrette’s walk-o run lifts Post 305 over Moore County 2-1

Chatham improved to 2-3 on the season

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

CHATHAM POST 305 notched a walk-o 2-1 win over Moore County Post 12 in the North Carolina American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday in Hamlet.

Tied at 1-1 with two outs and loaded bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, Chatham’s Colin Dorney hit a y ball to Moore County’s center elder who made an error while trying to get the out. The mistake allowed Zach Cartrette, who doubled to start the inning, to reach home from third base for the game-winning score.

Pitcher Nathan Rose, coming o his freshman season at Guilford, pitched a complete game and earned the win with three hits, four walks and ve strikeouts.

Chatham out-hit Moore County 4-3 with four batters — Jace Young, Brayden Brewer, Anthony Lopossay and Cartrette — all going 1 for 3 from the plate.

Moore County struck rst in the top of the rst inning as a passed ball allowed Oldham to score from third base.

Brewer tied the game in the following batting turn with a single that knocked Young home. Young singled earlier in the inning to get on base.

With the win, Chatham improved to 2-3 as of Saturday. Post 12 fell to 4-4.

Chatham didn’t get to hit the eld as planned last week due to rain postponing multiple games. Post 305 only played two full innings of a scheduled two-game series against Durham. Durham led Chatham 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning when the rst game got delayed Friday.

Sunday’s game against Hamlet Post 49 was also canceled.

New dates for those games have not yet been determined as of Monday.

Following Tuesday’s game against Garner Nationals, Post 305 will be back in action against Randolph County at McCrary Park Monday at 7 p.m.

Share with your community! Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@chathamnewsrecord.com.

The weekly deadline is Monday at Noon.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Woods Charter’s Annabel Unah gets ready to strike the ball in a game against Franklin Academy in April. Unah and her teammate Lucy Poitras earned their rst all-state selections.

CHATHAM AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL / FACEBOOK Chatham Post 305 stands for the National Anthem ahead of its season opener May 18.

Hits for Chatham in its low-scoring win

Di erent paths, same destination for the Thunder, Pacers

Oklahoma City had a dominant regular season, while Indiana got hot at the right time

By Tim Reynolds

The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY spent most of the regular season alone atop the Western Conference standings and just kept adding to its lead. Indiana didn’t spend a single day atop the Eastern Conference standings and was still under the .500 mark in early January.

Di erent paths, the same destination.

It will be the Thunder and the Pacers squaring o when the NBA Finals start in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, a matchup of two clubs that weren’t exactly on similar paths this season.

“When you get to this point of the season, it’s two teams and it’s one goal, and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long — with capital letters in the word ‘dominant.’ Defensively, they’re historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It’s two teams that have similar structures, slightly di erent styles.”

The deep dives into the other side were beginning in earnest on Sunday, a day after the Pacers nished o their Eastern Conference title by ousting New York in six games. Indiana was taking a day o before getting set to return to work on Mon-

from page B1

Central), Emma Burke (Chatham Central), Caleigh Warf (Chatham Central), Sallie Oldham (Chatham Central), Cassidy Graves (Jordan-Matthews), Marcy Clark (Jordan-Matthews), Lilliana Hicks (Jordan-Matthews), Jasmine Wichowski (Northwood), Allison Bryant (Northwood), Annika Johansson (Seaforth), Emma Grace Hill (Seaforth), Alyssa Harris (Seaforth), Cami Brinkley (Seaforth)

Second Team: Chloe Brewer (Chatham Central), Heidi Vicente (Chatham Central), Sophia Murchison (Jordan-Matthews), Jasmine Sorto (Jordan-Matthews), Emma Payseur (Northwood), Makenna Lux (Northwood), Abigail Johnson (Seaforth), Blair Hill (Seaforth), Kaylee Slough (Seaforth), Addison Goldston (Chatham Central), Madalyn Holton (Chatham Central)

Pitcher of the Year: Emma Grace Hill (Seaforth) Player of the Year: Sallie Oldham (Chatham Central)

Girls’ soccer

So a Viana (Seaforth), Caitlin Erman (Seaforth), Sydney Nezos (Seaforth), Amara Darden (Seaforth), Katie Leonard (Seaforth), Sarah Anne Murrell (Northwood), Sulema Arias (Northwood), Madelyn Bolejack (Northwood), Gwynn Williams (Northwood), Dalia Botello (Jordan-Matthews), Minanyeli Soto (Jordan-Matthews), Emily Vazquez (Jordan-Matthews)

O ensive Player of the Year: Caitlin Erman (Seaforth)

Defensive Player of the Year: Sydney Nezos (Seaforth)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Katie Leonard (Seaforth)

Boys’ golf

Ty Willoughby (Seaforth), Gri n Ching (Seaforth), Campbell Meador (Seaforth), Gray Stewart (Seaforth), Alex Ferm (Seaforth), Tyler Measamor (Chatham Central), Gavin Vanderford (Chatham Central), Jesse Eskelund (Chatham Central), Stephen Moody (Chatham Central), Ryan Porter (Northwood), Ferrell Blackburn (Northwood), Ben Buckner (Jordan-Matthews)

Golfer of the Year: Ty Willoughby (Seaforth)

“We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”

Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder center

day; the Thunder were practicing in Oklahoma City.

“We always talk about human nature in our locker room, and the human nature way of thinking about it is ‘four wins away, four wins away.’ You kind of lose sight of the fact that you’ve got to win one to get to four,” Thunder guard Jalen Williams said Sunday. “You’ve got to stack wins. So, that’s how we’re looking at it. Let’s get prepared for Game 1 now and just go from there. And I think that does make it a little easier now that we know who we’re playing.”

The Pacers lost their 14th game of the regular season in early December; the Thunder lost 14 regular-season games this season, total. That would make it seem like this was an unlikely nals matchup.

But since Dec. 13, including regular-season and playo games, the Thunder have the NBA’s best record at 61-13. The team with the second-most wins in the league over those last 51⁄2 months? That would be Indiana, going 52-21 over that span.

“We had expectations to be here, and this isn’t a surprise to any of us because of what we wanted to do,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “And I

think obviously there’s a turning point there in December or January or whatever the case may be. But I just thought we did a great job of just being as present as possible, not living in the past, not worrying about what’s next, just worrying about what’s now.”

What’s now is the NBA Finals. The Pacers were a middle-of-the-pack pick to start the season, with 50-1 preseason odds to win the title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Thunder were only 9-1 entering the season, behind Boston and New York out of the East

Coach of the Year: Bobby Stewart (Seaforth)

Boys’ tennis

Matthew Bowser (Seaforth), Henry McFall (Seaforth), Gavin Maley (Seaforth), Brennan Luster (Seaforth), Joaquin Hernandez Gonzalez (Seaforth), Lukas Olson (Seaforth), Matthew Wanderski (Seaforth), Aidan Hohenwarter (Northwood), I’Jah Sinclair (Northwood), Francisco Ibarra (Jordan-Matthews)

Player of the Year: Joaquin Hernandez Gonzalez (Seaforth) Coach of the Year: Ross Martin (Seaforth)

Girls’ track and eld

Sasha Helmer (Seaforth), Natalie Davis (Seaforth), Claire Morgan (Seaforth), Sasha Holmes (Seaforth), Tinsley Borland (Seaforth), Piper Gensler (Seaforth), Caidence Bazemore (Seaforth), Sydney Gray (Northwood), Julia Hall (Northwood), Avery Adams (Northwood), Gabby Ghitta (Northwood), Amari Bullett (Northwood), Jada Everson (Northwood), Lizzie Alston (Jordan-Matthews), Saniya White (Jordan-Matthews), Sophia Kopela (Jordan-Matthews), Ariana Harris (Jordan-Matthews), Rachael Woods (Jordan-Matthews)

Boys’ track and eld

Sebastian Calderon (Seaforth), Will Cuicchi (Seaforth), Paul Cuicchi (Seaforth), Samuel Neil (Seaforth), Jack Anstrom (Seaforth), Walter Entrekin (Seaforth), Davis Declan (Seaforth), Waylon Vose (Seaforth), Ryan Yoder (Seaforth), Dylan Watkins (Seaforth), Jordan Wiley (Northwood), Joe Flynn (Northwood), Luke Waldstein (Northwood), Benjamin Altenburg (Northwood), Juan Sanchez-Sandoval (Northwood), Tequone Moore (Northwood), Zaire Ellis (Northwood), Brian Krebs (Northwood), Tyler Congrove (Chatham Central), Eli Turner (Chatham Central), Nick Glover (Chatham Central), Reid Albright (Chatham Central), Kamarie Hadley (Jordan-Matthews)

Runner of the Year: Sebastian Calderon (Seaforth)

Coach of the Year: Meredith Bazemore (Seaforth)

CENTRAL TAR HEEL 1A

Baseball (all Chatham Charter)

Jace Young, Jax Young, Tyner Williams, Brandon Rives, Garrison Clark, Luke Johnson, Zach Cartrette

Pitcher of the Year: Zach Cartrette Coach of the Year: Bill Slaughter Softball (all Chatham Charter) Allie McLeod, Taylor Hussey, Ella Ingle, Makenly Stanley Girls’ soccer

Emily Scheidt (Chatham Charter), Jody Shreef (Chatham Charter), Lucy Poitras (Woods Charter), Annabel Unah (Woods Charter), Wesley Oliver (Woods Charter), Eliza Blanchard (Woods Charter), Eve Terrell (Woods Charter), Kori Myers (Woods Charter)

O ensive Player of the Year: Lucy Poitras (Woods Charter)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Jody Shreef (Chatham Charter)

Coach of the Year: Graeme Stewart (Woods Charter)

Boys’ tennis (all Chatham Charter)

Thomas Bjork, Miguel Kirkman, Adam Reece

Boys’ golf

Caden Poremba (Chatham Charter)

— and Denver and Minnesota, two teams that the Thunder eliminated in this season’s West playo s.

“We’ve learned a lot,” Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”

Girls’ track and eld

Aaliyah Walden (Chatham Charter), Jordyn Garner (Chatham Charter), Anna Peeler (Woods Charter), Dana Sudhir (Woods Charter), Dara Sudhir (Woods Charter), Soa Rodriguez (Woods Charter), Michaela Valentine (Woods Charter), Grace Murphy (Woods Charter), Makena Karunditu (Woods Charter)

Runner of the Year: Anna Peeler

Field Athlete of the Year: Jordyn Garner (Chatham Charter)

Coach of the Year: Tommy Johnson

Boys’ track and eld

Torris Price (Chatham Charter), Breylan Harris (Chatham Charter), Wyatt Webster (Woods Charter), Paul Frazelle (Woods Charter), Vlad Akhmedov (Woods Charter), Ezra Roebuck (Woods Charter)

Runner of the Year: Torris Price (Chatham Charter) Field Athlete of the Year: Breylan Harris Central Tar Heel Conference 2025

Sportsmanship Award (Track and Field): Chatham Charter School

Boys’ lacrosse (Central/Mid-Carolina)

Grayson Cox (Northwood), James Flannagan (Northwood), Cameron Exley (Seaforth), Layne Armstrong (Seaforth), Joseph Greto (Seaforth), Ivan Grimes (Seaforth), Jack Petrusa (Seaforth), Finn Prospero (Seaforth)

Coach of the Year: Joe Hubbard (Seaforth)

Girls’ Lacrosse (DC/ Northern Lakes Athletic/ Central/Mid-Carolina)

Rose Costa (Northwood), Lucia Jones (Northwood), Silvy Hopp (Northwood), Mia Moore (Seaforth), Renee Rizvi (Seaforth), Grace Davis (Seaforth), Natalie Boecke (Seaforth)

Honorable mention: Resse Colwell (Seaforth), Evie Kamen (Seaforth) Specialist of the Year: Natalie Boecke (Seaforth)

Sportsmanship Award: Silvy Hopp (Northwood), Makenzie Zelho (Seaforth)

SPRING

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Northwood’s Finn Sullivan res a pitch during a home game against Chatham Central in April. Sullivan was named the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference baseball Pitcher of the Year.

NATE BILLINGS / AP PHOTO

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, left, and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrate after winning the Western Conference nal.

with 274 and 255 kills, respectively. Senior Maris Huneycutt led the team in assists with 440. Northwood football wins Battle of Pittsboro over Seaforth in a 9-6 thriller

A defensive battle came down to a defensive stand. Down 9-6 in the nal minutes of the third Battle of Pittsboro, Seaforth, threatening to score at the Northwood 5-yard line, tried to take the lead with an option play, but the pitch hit the ground. The Chargers recovered it and went on to ice the game with multiple rst downs, pulling out a low-scoring win in which both teams came away with two interceptions. Northwood junior Mikell Wilson recovered a dropped punt snap and returned it for a touchdown in the rst quarter. At the halftime buzzer, junior kicker Leo Mortimer hit a 30-yard eld goal to give Northwood a 9-0 lead.

Chatham Central football wins its rst game since 2022

In 2023, South Davidson beat Chatham Central in the second week of the season 40-0. This past fall, in the same week, it was a much di erent story. The Bears built a 16-2 lead on their way to a 16-14 win over South Davidson, picking up their rst victory since 2022. Chatham Central junior Nick Glover threw two touchdown passes to senior Luke Gaines and sophomore Hance Ramirez.

Jordan-Matthews’ overcomes early adversity in 14-6 win over Chatham Central

After a lost fumble on Jordan-Matthews’ rst o ensive snap, a 38-yard touchdown run by Chatham Central’s Glover and multiple touchdowns by the Jets called back to start the game, it looked like the Bears were on their way to a win. However, Jordan-Matthews kept getting defensive stops and maintained faith in its run game. With two rushing touchdowns from Kenneth Dula and Nolan Mitchell and a defensive stand on the Bears nal, quarter-long drive, the Jets won another classic battle over their rivals.

Seaforth boys’ soccer makes deepest playo run in program history

Seaforth lost three of its last

four regular season games and entered the 2A playo s as a 28 seed in the East. Scoring had been a weak spot for the Hawks all season, but all it takes to win is one. The Hawks upset No. 5 Ca mden County 1-0 on the road in the rst round for the school’s playo win. In the second round, Seaforth took another long trip east and defeated No. 21 Manteo in PKs (4-2).

The Hawks, the lowest seed remaining in the entire 2A bracket, ended their run in a thirdround loss to No. 13 James Kenan.

Seaforth girls go back and forth with Southeast Alamance

A erce rivalry blossomed between the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference girls’ basketball top dogs. In their rst meeting, Seaforth relied on Katie Leonard’s six made 3s to take down eventual 2A state champions Southeast Alamance at home 51-48. At Seaforth a month later, the Stallions snapped the Hawks’ 52-game regular season conference win streak in a 55-53 nailbiter. Senior Gabby White scored 16 points to lead the Hawks over Southeast Alamance for the conference tournament title weeks later, but the Stallions got the nal say in the 2A East regional nal.

Northwood boys dominate, reach another state title game

A year after ve-star forward Drake Powell graduated, Northwood didn’t go anywhere. The Chargers, led by Cam Fowler’s 20.5 points per game, once again went unbeaten in conference play and marched to its third state title game in ve seasons. Northwood won four of its ve playo games leading up to the state nal by at least 15 points.

Chatham Central boys knock out the back-to-back defending state champions

Junior Jeremiah Young and senior Brennen Oldham never forgot when Wilson Prep narrowly knocked out their Chatham Charter team on the way to the 2023 state title. As Bears, the two got another shot at the back-to-back defending champions. Oldham led No. 7 Chatham Central with 15 points and six blocks, and Young assisted senior Aiden Johnson on the game-winning three to beat the Tigers 61-58 in the second round of the playo s.

Woods Charter girls’ soccer keeps winning tradition alive

After nishing as state runners-up for the third straight

time in 2024, Woods Charter lost 10 seniors. The Wolves started fresh with 12 freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors and zero seniors this spring, and they hardly missed a beat. Woods Charter went undefeated in conference play for the fourth straight season, earned the second seed in the 2A East bracket and reached the fourth round after sophomore Annabel Unah scored the only goal needed to beat No. 10 Voyager Academy in the third round — a rematch of the 2024 regional nal. Sophomore Lucy Poitras led the Wolves with 49 goals on the season.

Local pitchers ball out

It wasn’t easy hitting against Chatham County pitchers this spring. In baseball, Chatham Charter senior Zach Cartrette earned Central Tar Heel 1A conference Pitcher of the Year honors with an 8-3 record, a 1.33 ERA, 97 strikeouts, 13 walks and a 10-strikeout no-hitter against Triangle Math and Science on March 21. Northwood sophomore Finn Sullivan was named the Mid-Carolina 1 A/2A conference Pitcher of the Year with a 5-0 record, including a 17-strikeout performance in a 2-1 win over Bartlett Yancey in March. In softball, Seaforth’s Emma Grace Hill also earned Mid-Carolina 1A/2A Pitcher of the Year honors with

a 12-3 record, 2.49 ERA, 163 strikeouts and three run rule no-hitters. Chatham Central’s Maddie Kaczmarczyk also had a solid season, going 13-1 in the circle with 153 strikeouts and two run rule no-hitters. Jordan-Matthews’ Lilli Hicks had two no-hitters during the season, including a perfect game against Northwood in the conference tournament.

Seaforth has a historic winter and spring

Seaforth saw a lot of rsts this season. In its rst year under coach John Berry, the boys’ basketball team won the program’s rst playo game as a 24 seed, upsetting No. 9 Franklin Academy 62-55 in the rst round of the 2A East playo s. Sebastian Calderon, Jack Anstrom, Will Cuicchi and others helped the boys’ track and eld team win their rst indoor and outdoor state championships. The softball team won its rst playo game in a historic run to the third round. With a program-best win total, the boys’ lacrosse team won a share of a conference title for the rst time. The Hawks became back-to-back individual wrestling tournament champions as three Seaforth wrestlers won state titles (Layne Armstrong, Gabe Rogers and Jordan Miller), besting last year’s total of two.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Northwood’s Grayson Cox runs around a Seaforth defender during the Chargers’ 9-6 rivalry win in October.

John Fogerty celebrates 80th with show in Manhattan

The artist lost the rights to his own songs until recently

By Hillel Italie The Associated Press

NEW YORK — As he turned 80 last week, John Fogerty was in a mood to honor his past and to revise it.

We should all be so alive and so remembered at his age. Fogerty, in the midst of an international tour, played a rowdy 100-minute set last Thursday night to an adoring, near-capacity audience at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre. Crowd members spanned from those likely to remember “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son” and other Creedence Clearwater Revival hits when rst released a half-century ago to those looking young enough to have heard about them through their grandparents. At least from a distance, Fogerty didn’t look or sound much di erent from his prime with Creedence, which was rarely o the charts between 1969 and 1971. He wore his trademark annel shirt; had the same shaggy haircut, although with his bangs brushed back; sang with a vintage roar that

John Fogerty won a Grammy for his solo album “Blue Moon Swamp” in 1998.

has mellowed only slightly; and even played the same guitar, a Rickenbacker, that he had acquired back in the late ’60s. Fogerty presented himself as a proud rock ’n’ roller and a very proud family man. His band includes two of his sons on guitar, Shane and Tyler, with daughter Kelsy brie y joining them on a third guitar. O to the side was his wife, Julie, whom he praised as the love and the hero of his life, if only because she gave one of the greatest gifts an old rock star could ask for: She helped win back rights to his song catalogue. Fogerty had battled over his copyrights for decades and at one point found himself being sued for plagiarizing one of his Creedence hits, which at the time he didn’t own. He has marked his victory with an upcoming album, “Legacy,” for which he recorded new versions of 20 songs. If you were in the house that night, you couldn’t help hearing about it.

A promotional lm about “Leg-

acy” opened the show, and Fogerty mentioned it again before his encore set. Both the album, subtitled “The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years,” and his concert tell a story of how he wants to look back.

As Fogerty noted at one point, Creedence Clearwater Revival soared to the highest heights before imploding bitterly in the early ’70s and never again recording or touring together. Only Creedence diehards would have known the identity of the other band members — drummer Doug Cli ord, bassist Stu Cook and guitarist Tom Fogerty, John’s brother, who died in 1990. Their names were never mentioned, their faces near invisible among the rush of images that appeared on a screen behind Fogerty and his band. The new tracks on “Legacy,” each labeled “John’s Version,” leave only John Fogerty from the original group.

The Beacon show was very much about where is he now and how much he likes it. He dashed about the stage, rocked out on his Rickenbacker with the joy of a teenager on air guitar and even poured himself champagne. Fans clapped and danced while being showered with confetti and dazzled with lasers and fog.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Musician John Fogerty performs during his 80th birthday celebration concert at the Beacon Theatre last Thursday in New York.

this week in history

RFK assassinated, D-Day in Normandy, AA founded, prisoners escape from Alcatraz

JUNE 5

1794: Congress passed the Neutrality Act, which prohibited Americans from taking part in any military action against a country that was at peace with the United States.

1968: Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles; assassin Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was arrested at the scene.

2002: Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her Salt Lake City home.

JUNE 6

1844: The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in London.

1939: The rst Little League Baseball game was played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

1944: During World War II, nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, on D-Day as they launched Operation Overlord to liberate Nazi-occupied Western Europe. More than 4,400 Allied troops were killed on D-Day, including 2,501 Americans.

JUNE 7

1776: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia o ered a resolution to the Continental Congress stating “these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent States.”

1929: The sovereign state of Vatican City formally came into existence as the Italian Parliament rati ed the Lateran Treaty in Rome.

1942: The Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Paci c War.

JUNE 8

632: The prophet Muhammad died in Medina.

1867: Modern American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin.

1968: Authorities announced the capture in London of James Earl Ray, the suspected assassin of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2018: Celebrity chef, author, and CNN host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in eastern France in what authorities determined was a suicide.

JUNE 9

1732: James Oglethorpe received a charter from Britain’s King George II to found the colony of Georgia.

1870: Author Charles Dickens died in Gad’s Hill Place, England.

1915: Guitarist, songwriter, and inventor Les Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

1983: Britain’s Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, won a decisive election victory.

JUNE 10

1692: The rst execution resulting from the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts took place as Bridget Bishop was hanged.

1935: Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith and William Gri th Wilson.

1977: James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee with six others.

JUNE 11

1509: England’s King Henry VIII married his rst wife, Catherine of Aragon.

1770: Captain James Cook,

commander of the British ship Endeavour, “discovered” the Great Barrier Reef o Australia by running onto it.

1955: In motor racing’s worst disaster, more than 80 people were killed during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France when two of the cars collided and crashed into spectators.

1962: Three prisoners at Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay staged an escape, leaving the island on a makeshift raft; they were never found or heard from again.

2001: Timothy McVeigh was executed by injection for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.

Brunson honored at alma mater that inspired ‘Abbott Elementary’

The ceremony was held at

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s mayor honored actor and producer Quinta Brunson with a key to the city last Wednesday in a ceremony dedicating a separate mural at Brunson’s alma mater, which was the inspiration for her show “Abbott Elementary.”

The producer, writer and comedian gazed at the shiny key handed to her by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and quipped: “Wow! I want to ask the question on everybody’s mind: What does it open?”

Brunson used the ceremony held at Andrew Hamilton School to celebrate the power of public education, public school teachers, and music and arts education. Her parents and siblings were in attendance, along with Joyce Abbott, the teacher who inspired the name of the show’s ctional school, the “real life Gregory” and other teachers and classmates.

The mural, titled Blooming Features, was created by artist Athena Scott with input from Brunson and Hamilton students and sta . Its brightly colored depictions of real people from the school wrap around the outside of the school’s red brick facade.

al community members — because “that’s how you know there is a future.”

She said she hopes this mural has the same e ect.

The actor said she nixed an initial mock-up brought to her by ABC that featured actors from the Emmy Award-winning show in favor of actu-

Brunson described taking inspiration from the murals painted along her subway route as a kid, especially when she saw one of her own teachers featured.

solutions

“You don’t need to see famous people on the wall. You need to see you on the wall,” she said. “Painted, beautiful. We are beautiful. It makes a di erence. It made a di erence for me, so I know even if it makes a di erence for just one child, that one child matters.”

Jane Golden, executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, said she was thrilled when Brunson featured her organization on an episode of the show.

Philadelphia is ranked No. 1 in the nation for its murals.

“When people visit Philadelphia, they are struck by the works of art that grace the sides of buildings in every single neighborhood of the city,” she said. “For us, this is a matter of equity. It’s great to have world class galleries and museums — that’s wonderful — but the fact that everyone everywhere can walk out the door and see large -sc ale works of public art that represent them, like the school here, that is awesome.”

Andrew Hamilton School in Philadelphia

TASSANEE VEJPONGSA / AP PHOTO

Philadelphia’s Mayor Cherelle Parker, left, honors Quinta Brunson with a key to the city in a ceremony dedicating a mural at Brunson’s alma mater on May 28 in Philadelphia.

AP PHOTO

Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1986.

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famous birthdays this week

Marian Wright Edelman turns 86, Tom Jones is 85, Nancy Sinatra hits 85, Dick Vitale is 86 THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JUNE 5

Musician-artist Laurie Anderson is 78. Finance author Suze Orman is 74. Musician Kenny G is 69. Actor Ron Livingston is 58. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 54.

JUNE 6

Civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman is 86. Country musician Joe Stampley is 82. Olympic track and eld gold medalist Tommie Smith is 81. Actor Robert Englund is 78.

JUNE 7

Singer Tom Jones is 85. Actor Liam Neeson is 73. Musician Juan Luis Guerra is 68. Former Vice President Mike Pence is 66. Rock musician-TV host Dave Navarro is 58. Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is 50.

JUNE 8

Singer Nancy Sinatra is 85. Actor Sonia Braga is 75. Singer Bonnie Tyler is 74. Actor Gri n Dunne is 70. Singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson is 47.

JUNE 9

Sports commentator Dick Vitale is 86. Mick Box of Uriah Heep is 78. Actor Michael J. Fox is 64. Actor Johnny Depp is 62. Actor Natalie Portman is 44.

JUNE 10

Actor Gina Gershon is 63. Actor Jeanne Tripplehorn is 62. Model-actor Elizabeth Hurley is 60.

JUNE 11

Actor Roscoe Orman (“Sesame Street”) is 81. Actor Adrienne Barbeau (“Maude”) is 80. Actor Hugh Laurie (“House”) is 66. Actor Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) is 56.

DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

Sports commentator Dick Vitale, shown with UNC fans before the team’s championship game against Gonzaga in 2017, turns 86 on Monday.

ROGELIO V. SOLIS / AP PHOTO

Marian Wright Edelman, activist and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, turns 86 on Friday.

JOEL C RYAN / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Singer Tom Jones, pictured at the Brit Awards in 2020, turns 85 on Saturday.

Nintendo’s Switch 2, Addison Rae album, ‘Presence,’ Ariana Madix returns to Fiji

The late Gene Hackman’s greatest lms come to the Criterion Channel

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A Shaquille

O’Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok’s basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo’s Switch 2 are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time: Ariana Madix returns to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.,” TikTok star Addison Rae o ers her debut album “Addison,” and then there’s “Presence,” Steven Soderbergh’s movie entirely from the perspective a ghost.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Presence,” one of two excellent Sodebergh-directed, David Koepp-scripted movies released this year, now streaming on Hulu. The lm, a nifty, experimental little thriller, is lmed entirely from the perspective a ghost inside a home a family has just moved into. From a oating point of view, we watch as the mysterious presence, piecing together a past trauma while observing the unfolding a new one. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Presence” “a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”

Tyler Perry ‘s latest, “Straw,” stars Taraji P. Henson as a struggling single mother who, desperate for money to pay for her daughter’s prescriptions, robs a bank. The lm, co-starring Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor and Sinbad, debuts Friday on Net ix.

For anyone still mourning the death of Gene Hackman, a new series streaming Thursday on the Criterion Channel collects some of the late actor’s best lms. That includes William Friedkin’s seminal 1971 New York thriller “The French Connection,” Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation” and Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” a movie in which Hackman’s strained relationship with the director has been a subject

of conversation following his death. But also, don’t miss Arthur Penn’s 1975 “Night Moves,” a quintessential ’70s neo-noir that gave Hackman one of his most indelible roles in the private eye Harry Moseby.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Has there been a more seamless transition from TikTok social media star to full- edged pop music force than that of Rae? On Friday, she will release her debut LP “Addison,” one of the year’s most anticipated releases — from the Lana Del Rey-channeling “Diet Pepsi” to the trip-hop “Headphones On.” She’s managed to

To honor awardwinning actor Gene Hackman, who died earlier this year, the Criterion Channel is featuring a collection of some of his nest cinematic achievements.

tap into a kind of late-internet cool through a hybrid approach to pop music and a lackadaisical singing style. Could it be “Addison” summer? Only time will tell. Need your Cynthia Erivo x between “Wicked” lms? She’s got your back. The multihyphenate will release her sophomore LP, “I Forgive You,” on Friday, a collection of big belts and even bigger vulnerabilities, with gorgeous songs that sound as though they were ripped straight from Erivo’s diary. Listen closely and carefully for maximum enjoyment.

Anyone who thinks the mainstream music listening world has lost interest in rock bands

needs to simply look at Turnstile, the Baltimore hard-core punk band that could. They’ve largely left those harsh sounds behind and have opted for something more melodic and accessible — which is, arguably, part of the appeal for those curious parties — but they’ve maintained their hard-core ethos and edge. “Never Enough” is gearing up to be the biggest release of their career so far, and we say it’s time to get on board. And get in the pit.

TELEVISION TO STREAM

Madix has returned to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.” The new episodes have big shoes to ll. Last season was the top-rated reality series of 2024. It also broke through the cultural zeitgeist with social media memes and water cooler conversation. Madix says she’s not worried about duplicating that success and wants the contestants to focus on “creating their own lane by being truly themselves and bringing themselves to it, you’ll never lose by doing that.” The show streams six nights a week on Peacock. As a teenager, Kristin Cavallari was a breakout of the MTV reality series “Laguna Beach” because of her un ltered honesty. She’s carried that with her throughout other reality shows

“(‘Presence’ is) a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”

and to her podcast “Let’s Be Honest.” Cameras rolled when Cavallari took the podcast on the road in March. That will air as the docuseries “Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour” is streaming on Peacock.

O’Neal also has his own docuseries now on Net ix called “Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal.” It’s an inside look at his e orts as president of Reebok’s basketball division. Allen Iverson is vice president. Both have a history with the brand. In 1992, O’Neal signed a deal with Reebok as a rookie playing for the Orlando Magic. Iverson famously inked a lifetime deal with the brand one year prior in 1991. The series will show the two pro ballplayers work to make Reebok Basketball cool and competitive in the sneaker market.

Get your feel-good TV x with Apple TV+’s new show, “Stick.” It stars Owen Wilson as Pryce, a broke and divorced former pro golfer who could use a break. He nds it in a teen phenom named Santi and volunteers to be his coach. The show is about chosen family and second chances. “Stick” is streaming now.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Nintendo fans worldwide are bracing themselves for the arrival of the Switch 2, a souped-up version of the eight-year-old console with new social features meant to draw players into online gaming. The highlight of the launch lineup is Mario Kart World, which features a Grand Prix for up to 24 drivers and introduces a sprawling open environment where “everywhere is your racecourse.” Other Day One arrivals include upgraded versions of the last two Legend of Zelda adventures and some popular third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction will be making their Nintendo debuts. The next generation takes the stage Thursday.

JUSTINE YEUNG / APPLE TV+ VIA AP

Owen Wilson, left, and Peter Dager appear in a scene from “Stick.”

NEON VIA AP

Chris Sullivan and Lucy Liu star in the thriller “Presence.”

AP PHOTO

Duplin Journal

the BRIEF

this week

Woman arrested on multiple drug charges

Teachey A Teachey woman was arrested May 30 following a tra c stop conducted on Cornwallis Road. According to authorities, narcotics investigators with the Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce Special Operations Division seized illegal drugs and cash from the vehicle

Desiree L. Anderson was driving. Anderson faces multiple charges, including three counts of possession of Schedule II controlled substances (cocaine and crack cocaine), one felony count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II substance, and two misdemeanor counts for possession of drug and marijuana paraphernalia. She was taken into custody at the Duplin County Jail under a $25,000 secured bond.

Driver arrested after striking a light pole

Wallace A Pender County man was recently arrested after admitting to driving the pickup truck that struck a light pole and two road signs on N.C. 41/W. Main Street in Wallace. According to the Wallace Police Department, Steven Christopher Hewitte faces multiple charges, including failure to remain at the scene, failure to report an accident involving property damage over $1,000, driving while license revoked and failure to maintain lane control.

Support for lung health: Monthly meetings at ECU Health Duplin

Kenansville Join the Better Breathers Club, a monthly support group for individuals living with chronic lung disease. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 4 -5 p.m. at ECU Health Duplin Hospital in the hospital’s extended dining room. The group is led by the hospital’s manager of respiratory care. The Better Breathers Club o ers a welcoming environment where members can learn about managing their conditions and share their experiences with others.

NCDOT dedicates bridge to fallen trooper

“Our hope is that the bridge sign will be a constant reminder of Ben and help keep his memory alive.”

The special tribute honors the legacy of Master Trooper Wallace

By K.D. Beard Duplin Journal

and family joined members of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol in remembering and celebrating his life.

Master Trooper Paul Howard Jr. “They can do them with the gate valves, which would save a lot of money.”

KENANSVILLE — The North Carolina Department of Transportation dedicated a bridge along N.C. 24 in Duplin County to Master Trooper Benjamin “Ben” Derek Wallace last Tuesday following a special ceremony at the Ed Emory Auditorium in Kenansville. Friends

The Northeast Cape Fear River bridge along N.C. 24 will now be known as the Trooper Ben D. Wallace Bridge in recognition of the fallen Duplin County trooper’s service and sacri ce. According to Col. Freddy Johnson Jr. with the NCSHP, the bridge now represents more than just concrete and steel.

“His sacri ce reminds us that freedom and safety come at a cost

often accepted by the brave few who wear the badge,” Johnson said. Wallace served his community as a trooper for more than a decade. On Nov. 2, 2018, he su ered a fatal heart attack after assisting fellow o cers at the scene of an accident with injuries. He was 45 years old.

“I had the distinct privilege of knowing and serving alongside Trooper Ben Wallace. … When our patrol family lost him, we grieved not as colleagues, but as family,” shared Lt. Bryan Wilson. He

Beulaville infrastructure project moves ahead

Gate valves could stretch the project budget further, the public works director said

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

Ricky Raynor, Public Works director

BEULAVILLE — At the Beulaville town board meeting on Monday night, o cials shared updates on the town’s infrastructure e orts.

Public Works Director Ricky Raynor informed the board that the infrastructure project is progressing smoothly and remains ahead of schedule. Pressure testing is complete, with sampling and oor preparation expected to wrap up this week.

“The contractors say there are places where they don’t really think

Magnolia

police

they need to do the line stops,” said Raynor. “They can do them with the gate valves, which would save a lot of money.”

Raynor shared that by the end of June, patching of asphalt and concrete, as well as door repairs, will be nearly nished. Contractors have also begun installing taps. Raynor explained that the engineering team is reviewing whether costly line stops can be replaced with gate valves, which may free up funds to install additional lines if approved. Currently, this phase of the project remains ahead of schedule.

“If they add to it, the only area that will be a ected is where (the engineers decide) to put the lines at. So everything else should be mostly done by the end of this month,” said Raynor. He noted that contractors

arrest key suspect in series of break-ins

“It takes a community coming together with one voice to deny crime a foothold on the communities and freedoms we hold dear.”

Magnolia Police Department

The suspect’s secured bond totals $84,500 following multiple felony charges as probe continues

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MAGNOLIA — Last week, the Magnolia Police Department announced the arrest of Ronnie Lenel Devane, 43, a suspect in a series of break-ins.

prefer gate valves over line stops due to quicker installation.

The board also revisited a county-led grant project involving site work on Lama Road. The county is handling the project incrementally, paying for each stage as it progresses, without committing the town to ongoing costs. The motion to accept the proposal from the Timmons’ Group/Duplin County was approved unanimously. In other business

Town Manager Lori Williams reported that the wastewater treatment plant operated steadily throughout May, handling an average daily ow of 209,000 gallons.

According to authorities, between April 7 and May 10, the town of Magnolia experienced a wave of breakins, which included theft and property damage. Among the a ected were a motor vehicle at Magnolia Court Apartments, Casa Guerrero Restaurant on Railroad Street and

Taqueria Mi Lupita on Main Street, which experienced three separate incidents. Magnolia Police stated the $2.00

See NCDOT, page A2

K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL

A sign dedicating the bridge over the Northeast Cape Fear River along N.C. 24 to Master Trooper Ben D. Wallace was unveiled by loved ones following a special ceremony at the Ed Emory Auditorium on last Tuesday.

Ronnie Lenel Devane

CRIME LOG

May 25

Steven Gerald Holland, 55, was arrested by Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce (DCSO) for interfering with an electronic monitoring device.

May 27

• Kendle Raye Letchworth, 31, was arrested by DCSO for identity theft, possessing a stolen motor vehicle, possessing methamphetamine, possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a place for controlled substances, and shoplifting by concealment.

May 28

• Darius Monterio Askews, 29, was arrested by DCSO for failing to register as a sex o ender.

May 29

Cameron McGaha, 22, was arrested by DCSO for possessing a Schedule III controlled substance, possessing drug paraphernalia, driving with a revoked license (not impaired), center lane violation, and possessing a rearm by a felon.

May 30

Michael Brandon Faison, 36, was arrested by DCSO for driving while impaired (Level 5) and reckless driving with wanton disregard.

• Desiree Lynn Anderson, 60, was arrested by DCSO for felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, possessing drug paraphernalia, and possessing marijuana paraphernalia.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

BEULAVILLE from page A1

The facility also recorded 121⁄2 inches of dirt accumulation.

Police Chief Karl Mobley reported that operations for the month have gone smoothly overall. The department is working to ll one open position to bring the department back to full sta ng capacity.

May’s sales tax revenue was reported at $36,000.

SUNDAY

Bulk trash pickup was delayed due to weather and leaks but will be completed this week. Due to weather disruptions, utility leaks and the shortened workweek, crews were not able to complete all scheduled pickups.

The N.C. Department of Transportation is upgrading wheelchair ramps on Jackson Street as part of a state-funded improvement project.

A town newsletter is planned

for late June, with a content deadline of June 13. The newsletter will highlight important ordinances, including yard maintenance, abandoned vehicles, trash placement, and general code enforcement topics.

A special meeting was scheduled for Monday, June 23 at 5:30 p.m. to nalize the town’s budget. The board is waiting for nal tax gures from the county before moving forward.

K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL

On June 2, members of the Beulaville town board convened at the town hall to receive detailed updates on the progress of the town’s infrastructure project.

NCDOT from page A1

explained that Trooper Kevin Connor had been killed in the line of duty in Columbus County 16 days prior to the death of Wallace, making late 2018 one of the most challenging periods in the agency’s history.

“Nothing could have prepared us for the depth of this loss,” Wilson said.

First Sgt. Jason Casteen added that the loss of Wallace left a void that changed District Four of the NC State Highway Patrol forever.

“We’re gathered today not just to remember Ben, but to honor the memory of those who have given their life in service to our community and the values that we hold dear,” Casteen said. “We — all of us — can honor his memory by living up to the ideals he fought for by embracing the principles he defended and by striving to make a positive impact on our community, just as Ben did.” Casteen thanked Johnson

BREAK-IN from page A1

stolen items held little intrinsic value; however, the impact of t hese crimes led to damage to local businesses, which now bear the costs of repairs.

In an investigation led by Magnolia Police Chief J.T. Wood, Devane emerged as a primary suspect. “Devane did not have a permanent address but was found to be spending most of his time in Magnolia Court Apartments,” reported Magnolia Police on a social media pos t

As the investigation progressed, Wood learned of a break-in at a tanning salon in Wallace. On May 6, after reviewing surveillance footage pr ovided by the Wallace Police Department, he identied Devane as a suspect in t he bur glary. In light of this development, Wood convened

for his commitment to ensuring each fallen member of the Highway Patrol is honored, Master Trooper Paul Howard Jr. for his e orts toward ensuring Wallace received the recognition he deserved, and the NCDOT for their continuous support.

“I would also like to thank my B4 team who are here today, every one of you — the whole district’s here,” Casteen said. “Your attendance today is undoubtedly a tribute to Ben and the lasting legacy he’s left behind.”

Howard in turn expressed his thanks to Casteen, the NCDOT, and the members of law enforcement who’d gathered to honor Wallace.

“We come together for the dedication and celebration of our friend Ben, but not to me — he was not Ben, he was Benji,” said Howard. “I met Benji when we were about 14 years old at Teachey’s Grocery Store in Pink Hill, and de nitely had a friendship that was to the end.”

Howard shared fond mem-

with a Wallace PD detective and law enforcement from neighboring ju risdictions to discuss the recent spate of break-ins

On May 10, Magnolia PD apprehended Devane for trespassing at Small Town Laundromat on Monk Street. He was charged with trespassing, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Following his arrest, Devane was booked into Duplin County Jail under a $7,000 secured bond.

In the following days, Wallace PD announced additional charges against Devane, resulting in a $7,500 increase to his secured bond.

On May 23, the Magnolia Police served Devane with a series of o enses, including three counts of felony breaking and entering, two counts of felony larceny following breaking and en-

ories of Wallace with those gathered, emphasizing the fallen trooper’s sel essness.

“If I called, he always did what he could to help,” he said. “He was a steady force in Duplin.”

Howard, along with others intent on keeping Wallace’s love for the Highway Patrol in Duplin County alive, started the Master Trooper Bejamin Derek Wallace Foundation in 2022. The nonpro t provides scholarships to high school students in Duplin County interested in continuing their studies in criminal justice or vocational foundation and provides aid to the families of troopers throughout the state when the need arises.

“Our hope is that the bridge sign will be a constant reminder of Ben and help keep his memory alive,” explained Howard. “Ben will always be an important part of our lives, and we’re proud to be able to honor him today. God bless us all and the di erence we make as members of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.”

tering, one count of breaking and entering a motor vehicle with larceny and two counts of injury to real property. The new charges resulted in a n a ddition of $70,000 to Devane’s total secured bond, bringing the total to a hefty $84,500.

The Magnolia Police Department extended gratitude to all community members who contributed to the investigation of these cases.

“It takes a community coming together with one voice to deny crime a foothold on the communities and freedoms we hold dear,” wrote Magnolia PD.

Authorities are looking into any potential involvement of other individuals. Magnolia PD stated that no further information can be disclosed at th is time to maintain the i ntegrity of the ongoing investigation.

June

June

to 2 p.m. This exciting event gives kids — and kids at heart — the chance to get up close to re trucks, explore the department’s equipment and meet the volunteers who serve and protect the community. While you’re there, take a stroll through the re station to see where the action happens and enjoy a delicious barbecue plate for just $10.

2800 South N.C. 41 and 50 Highway, Chinquapin

Bow Ties & Tiaras Daddy-Daughter Dance

6-9 p.m.

Get ready to dress to impress and make unforgettable memories at the Bow Ties & Tiaras Daddy-Daughter Dance on Saturday, June 7 from 6-9 p.m. at the Wallace Woman’s Club located at 216 NE Railroad St. This enchanting evening isn’t just about dancing and fun — it’s a special scholarship fundraiser for the 2025 Nurses Ball. Tickets are $25 per dad and one daughter, with just $5 for each additional daughter. Fathers and daughters of all ages are invited. Your style and dance moves will be put to the test as duos compete to be crowned the 2025 Best Daddy-Daughter Duo.

SPONSORED

How technology has impacted teaching in 2025

their

Educators share

thoughts on technology in the classroom

By K.D. Beard Duplin Journal

DUPLIN COUNTY — Education in Duplin County has changed signi cantly since Grove Academy’s establishment in December 1785, and with increasing rapidity as advances in technology inspire innovation at institutions all over the world. Long-standing classroom implements like blackboards, chalk, overhead projectors and dry-erase markers have been supplanted by online classes and PowerPoint presentations. Where students would once take trips to the library to reference encyclopedias or micro lm, instant access to information through the internet and the myriad devices that connect to it have rendered such expeditions largely obsolete.

As technology continues to

transform the teaching profession, facilitating the creation of creative lesson plans and providing instructors with opportunities they may not have previously thought possible, it has also introduced unique challenges that impact the way students learn and interact in 2025.

“When I began teaching, there were no 1:1 devices,” said Wendy Parker, a teacher at B.F. Grady Elementary School who started in 1996. Parker indicated that teaching was once more handson and visual, with students learning through playtime and interaction with one another.

“Today, our classrooms have become more on-demand with technology-rich learning,” she explained. “Students want to ask Siri for answers. When they want to know the time, they just look at their iPad.”

According to a 2020 survey by Pew Research Center, 36% of parents to children aged 0 -11 say their child has used or interacted with a voice-activated assistant.

The same poll indicated 60% of

children began engaging with a smartphone before age 5 — evidence that the dependency of students upon connected devices and the convenience they provide often begins outside of the classroom.

Fourth grade teacher Jessica Villarruel of Wallace Elementary expressed that her students’ needs and expectations for learning have changed drastically since she started teaching in 2005.

“Today’s students are used to immediate grati cation. They’re growing up in a world of instant answers, online gaming and quick Google searches. In the past, when students had questions, nding answers took time,” she said. “Now, with the internet at their ngertips, students expect not only to nd answers instantly but to understand everything just as quickly.”

While she acknowledged that such expectation can sometimes feel overwhelming, Villarruel indicated that she’s tried to present lessons in a way that encourag-

“Children are brilliant when it comes to technology.”

Cody Raynor, teacher

es students to wonder, imagine and explore by giving them questions with answers that can’t be found through quick search engine queries.

“The goal is always to keep them engaged, but also to stretch their thinking and help them develop skills that go beyond just nding quick answers,” Villarruel said.

Access to technology has helped fuel student engagement and opened up instructor resource databases for third grade teacher Lindsey Marshall of Kenansville Elementary School, who described it as both a blessing and a curse.

“Students are engaged in technology so frequently it’s becom-

ing too much,” she explained. “As a teacher, I must nd the balance between lessons driven with technology and ‘back to basic’ type lessons.”

Cody Raynor, currently in his rst year of teaching earth science and biology to ninth and 11th grade Wallace-Rose Hill High School students, echoed Marshall’s sentiment.

“Children are brilliant when it comes to technology and are capable of using it to the maximum for learning, but they are also capable of being very easily distracted,” Raynor explained. “However, as a teacher, technology has been an enormous blessing.”

According to Tumira Middleton, teacher of business management, computer science and entrepreneurship for grades nine through 12 at James Kenan High School, good tech can never replace good teaching — no matter how advanced it becomes.

“Technology is just a tool — it’s the teacher’s strategy and relationships that actually make learning happen,” she said.

Duplin County Schools lead way in vocational training

ASE accreditation boosts automotive programs

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — James Kenan and Wallace -Ro se Hill high schools are shifting into high gear as their automotive programs earn prestigious national accreditation from the ASE Education Foundation in

maintenance and light repair.

Last week, Duplin County Schools announced this achievement, which underscores the programs’ compliance with rigorous industry standards, equipping students to become skilled, job-ready technicians.

“Students will be assured of a quality education, and shop owners will be assured of getting quality job applicants,” said Erica Jones, CTE director.

“During the past few months, we have worked closely with the ASE Education Foundation to make certain

that our program would meet strict industry standards, and now we are delighted to join the ranks of the ASE accredited training programs,” Jones added.

Michael Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation, explained that thanks to strong collaboration between local schools and industry leaders, James Kenan and Wallace -Ro se Hill’s newly accredited automotive programs will ensure that graduates are employable entry-le vel technicians. Coley added that

“Students will be assured of a quality education.”

Jones, CTE director

Erica

with top -tier training, drivers will bene t from better repair t echnicians entering the workforce.

The accreditation process includes a comprehensive evaluation that assesses instruction, facilities and equipment, ensuring that the training

Insect-eating Venus ytraps thrive in the Carolinas

A weekly hike lets state park visitors see them in the wild

By Erik Verduzco

The Associated Press

CAROLINA BEACH — Park ranger Jesse Anderson leads dozens of people on a weekly hike in North Carolina to see some of the most unique living things in the world — plants that supplement the nutrients they get from sunlight by digesting ants, ies and spiders.

But the Venus ytraps aren’t like the human-size, ravenous and cruel Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

In the wild, Venus ytraps are the size of a lima bean and pose no harm to anything other than insects. Their special hairs snap their leaves together

when brushed — but only twice in about 20 seconds or less to reduce the amount of false alarms by dust or rain. Once inside, the insect is doomed to become plant food, Anderson said.

“It continues to trigger those hairs and the trap slowly closes and eventually starts releasing digestive enzymes to start breaking down the insect. And because they’re in nutrient-poor environments, they supplement their food with insects,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s hike at Carolina Beach State Park on the southeast North Carolina coast also showcases other carnivorous plants. There are vase-shaped pitcher plants with liquid at the bottom that traps insects, then digests them. Butterworts and sundews attract insects with glistening leaves then secrete an adhesive

to trap them in place. Bladderworts work similarly to Venus ytraps.

And the hike is one of the few places to see Venus ytraps. The plant only grows in 12 counties in southeast North Carolina near Wilmington and a few nearby places in South Carolina, which made the organism the state’s o cial carnivorous plant in 2023.

Now is an especially good time to take that hike. Venus ytraps bloom from about mid-May to mid-June, Anderson said.

The ytrap is a fragile plant that needs re to survive. Wildres in the pine forests where they grow clear o the denser overgrowth to provide the abundant sunlight the plants need.

They face two big enemies — poachers and development.

Harvesting the plants without permission is a felony in North

Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on a Hickory street during a house party

At least 80 shots were red just after midnight on Sunday

The Associated Press

HICKORY — Gun re erupted around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from eeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheri ’s deputies said. Authorities said at least 80 shots were red in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running, ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law enforcement had made no arrests and was seeking tips from the public in the case.

WSOC VIA AP

Various police vehicles gather outside a community after a shooting in Hickory on Sunday that killed one and injured 11. Police did not make any immediate arrests.

A statement from the Catawba County Sheri ’s O ce said a 58-year- old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously reported in critical condition. Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheri ’s spokesperson said.

The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the o ce.

Sheri ’s o ce Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory.

He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was the motivation for the shooting.

Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and included outdoor and indoor areas. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hickory Police Department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case with a specialized evidence response team, o cials said.

Carolina and a misdemeanor in South Carolina. In 2016, a man was sentenced to 17 months in prison for taking nearly 1,000 Venus ytraps from game land in Hampstead. And the ytraps live in one of the fastest-growing parts of the U.S., where neighborhoods and businesses have been built over their habitats. Most of the plants can now be found in preserves and other undisturbed areas.

Scientists counted only about 300,000 ytraps in the Carolinas several years ago.

While Anderson’s hike is one of the few ways to see Venusytraps in their natural environment, he said commercially grown plants can be found around in greenhouses and plant stores around the world and can thrive in homes in the right conditions.

aligns with nationally recognized benchmarks for excellence in automotive education. Additionally, the accreditation provides students with opportunities to pursue additional certi cations and hands - on e xperiences for enhanced employment opportunities

With upgraded facilities and a curriculum tailored to meet real-world needs, both high schools are now positioned as leaders in vocational education in the area, providing students with a valuable head start in the automotive eld.

“Because they’re in nutrient-poor environments, they supplement their food with insects.”

Jesse Anderson, park ranger

“They like nutrient-poor soils, and also they can’t stand typical well water or tap water. So they need things like rainwater or distilled water or versus osmosis,” Anderson said.

Venus ytraps need abundant sunlight and soils that are moist but not drenched. And they don’t have to eat bugs if they can get enough nutrients from photosynthesis. Please don’t feed them hamburger meat — that’s not what they eat. And try not to trigger the leaves shut without something to digest. That takes a lot of energy the plant needs to replace.

at James Kenan and Wallace-Rose Hill high schools

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

We have no constitutional or moral duty to subsidize Harvard

DO TAXPAYERS have a constitutional duty to bankroll Harvard University?

On MSNBC, David French argued that the Trump administration’s defunding of Harvard is little more than “political retaliation.” In the United States, we don’t sentence people before hearing the verdict, The New York Times columnist said. Ignoring due process is “directly contrary to our constitutional principles.”

French might not be aware that in addition to the joint-government task force’s claim that Harvard leadership failed to meaningfully confront pervasive insults, physical assault and intimidation of Jewish students, there’s also a blistering internal university taskforce report that maintains that Harvard allowed antisemitism to permeate “coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members and the worldview of certain academic programs.” Harvard concedes, “members of the Jewish and Israeli communities at Harvard reported treatment that was vicious and reprehensible.”

The verdict is in.

But, I suppose, I’d pose the situation in another way: If a government investigation and internal review both found that white supremacists on Harvard campus were terrorizing black students and engaging in racist marchers and that their violent beliefs had found favor in the school’s curriculums and in social life, would anyone on MSNBC argue that the government had an obligation to keep funding this school until a civil lawsuit worked its way through the courts? One suspects not.

Now, I’m not accusing French of being blind to the struggles of Jewish students. I am accusing him of being blinded by the presence of Donald Trump. Are the president’s motivations political? Probably. So what? So are those of Harvard’s defenders.

Harvard, a private institution, can do as it likes. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A statue of John Harvard, the rst major benefactor of Harvard College, is draped in the Palestinian ag at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April.

credentialed pseudointellectuals. If the Trump administration failed to follow a bureaucratic process before freezing funds to the university, ne. Get it done. But what “constitutional principle” dictates that the federal government must provide this speci c institution with $3 billion in federal contracts and grants? Giving it to them was a policy decision made by the executive branch. Withdrawing the funding is the same.

French reasons that the administration should, at very least, “target the entity and individuals responsible” for the bad behavior. Defund the Middle Eastern studies department, rather than, say, the pediatric cancer research department. I’m sympathetic to this idea. But funding, as we all understand, is fungible. Targeting one department will do nothing to change the culture.

Moreover, leadership is responsible for the

Abe Lincoln and the penny

Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out credentialed pseudointellectuals.

THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.

I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden- oored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.

I will still bend double to pick up a penny o the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.

My wife thinks that’s funny.

“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?”

“Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.” Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.

Some people think nding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck.

President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support. But there’s not much outrage about the

A ve dollar bill and a penny.

Lincoln head penny being taken o the market.

Remember when they took Aunt Jemima o the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state. Lincoln, though, we ush Lincoln like he was John McCain. Of course, Abe is still on the n. Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half-a-yard. Yard.

Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or n.

So, he’s probably OK for now, even though

culture. It allowed, nay, nurtured, a Middle East Studies department sta ed by a slew of nutjobs. It’s not the only department. Think about it this way: There is a far higher likelihood of nding an apologist of Islamic terrorism than a Christian conservative on the Harvard faculty. Less than 3% of the Harvard faculty identify as conservative. There are real-world consequences for Harvard’s radicalism, as their grads are sta ng newsrooms, in uential law rms and government agencies without ever hearing a dissenting view. Anyway, if the school values its pediatric cancer research e orts so highly, why does it sacri ce grants and prestige by allowing bigoted bullies to run around campus targeting Jews? That’s a choice. As far as I can tell, not one student was expelled, much less suspended, for antisemitism in the two years since Oct. 7, 2023. If your answer is that the school feels a profound obligation to defend free expression, I suggest you speak to some pro-Israeli or pro-capitalist or pro-American or social conservative student on campus and see how comfortable they feel about airing opinions. Harvard nished last for the second year running in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s “College Free Speech Rankings” in 2024, along with Columbia University and New York University. The only speech Harvard values is the extremist variety. We should feel no patriotic imperative to fund speech we dislike, which is very di erent from the imperative of protecting speech we dislike. This distinction seems to be lost on many. Harvard, along with many left-wingers, argues that Trump’s funding freeze violates its First Amendment rights. Who knows what the courts will say? If they force the funding to continue, something is seriously wrong. Anyway, perhaps Harvard should dip into the $53 billion hedge fund it runs to back ll some of the funding. Or maybe it can hit up the Islamic sheiks of Qatar for some more cash. How about those Chicom apparatchiks? Maybe they can chip in. But taxpayers shouldn’t be compelled to subsidize an institution that almost exclusively teaches students to hate their values.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?

People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief- on-the-head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and ipping apjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole apjacks.

Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me. I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a apjack in his life. Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will. A apjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.

Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”

COLUMN | MARC DION

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Gratitude in action: Leadership, community honor EMS heroes

Duplin holds inaugural EMS Community Day

By Ena Sellers and K.D. Beard Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Duplin County recently honored the dedicated men and women of Emergency Medical Services with a celebration during EMS Week, May 18 -28. As a show of gratitude, the public safety administrative team prepared meals for every EMS shift. The appreciation continued with the county’s rst EMS Community Day on Saturday, providing families with an opportunity to connect with their local heroes.

During EMS Week, Brandon McMahon, EMS director, and Dr. Jon Kornegay, EMS medical director, along with shift supervisors, worked diligently to coordinate meals for each shift, ensuring that every crew member felt seen and appreciated. The community’s appreciation also showed through meaningful gestures, such as handwritten notes, thank-you cards, and donations of food, including a 12 -layer chocolate cake.

“The reaction from the sta was incredibly heartfelt. Many of them were surprised,” McMahon told Duplin Journal. “They’re so used to focusing on the job at hand, they rarely pause to receive thanks.”

For McMahon, witnessing his team receive gratitude was deeply moving.

“To see their dedication acknowledged so openly was incredibly a rming, not just for them, but for me as well,” McMahon explained. “When gratitude comes from the very people you serve, it carries a special weight. It’s a reminder that every call, every sacri ce, every long night — it all matters.”

McMahon shared that these gestures of appreciation reminded everyone, including leadership, that the hard work, emotional toll and quiet sacri ces made every day do not go unnoticed. Receiving gifts, sweets and kind words from the community held signi cant meaning because they were more than just tokens; they were acknowledgments from those whose lives have been touched by EMS.

“I wanted each team member to feel that their dedication does not go unnoticed — not by leadership, and certainly not by the people whose lives they touch,” said McMahon.

He explained that sometimes the demands of the job can overshadow the impact of their work, especially as shifts blur together a nd the emotional toll quietly accumulates.

EMS Week provided an opportunity to remind the teams that what they do truly matters.

“They are the backbone of a system that countless people rely on in their worst moments. And for that, they deserve not only gratitude but unwavering support,” said McMahon.

During EMS Week, a moment that stood out particu-

larly for McMahon was when the shift crews had a rare opportunity to come together and fellowship as a group. In the fast-pac ed world of emergency response, such moments are both rare and eeting.

Throughout the week, there were quiet moments that provided space for re ection on what the EMS team has endured over the past year, serving as a powerful reminder of the human strength and compassion that de ne the team.

“They’ve responded to some of the toughest calls imaginable — medical crises, car accidents, overdoses, moments of loss and panic,” recounted McMahon.

He noted that the team faced grueling challenges, sacri cing personal time, and enduring physical and emotional fatigue.

“And through it all, they’ve remained steady, compassionate and committed.”

A key message McMahon shared for the EMS team was,

“You’ve carried not only patients but entire communities through uncertainty, fear and pain. You’ve comforted strangers, saved lives and stood strong when others couldn’t.

That matters more than words can fully express. I’m proud of you — not just for what you do,

but for who you are.”

McMahon shared that the hope for EMS Week is that every member was reminded of their profound importance and that their contributions do not go unnoticed. Most importantly, leadership and community stand with them in gratitude and support.

“The resilience, teamwork and quiet courage you’ve shown inspire everyone around you. Never doubt the impact you have. And most importantly, you are not alone. We see you. We support you. And we are endlessly g rateful for you,” McMahon emphasized.

The week of appreciation aimed to remind EMS teams that their e orts are recognized and valued.

“I hope they carry forward the understanding that they are not just responders — they are healers, protectors and trusted pillars in people’s darkest moments. Emotionally, I want them to feel proud. Not just proud of their technical skills or fast response t imes, but proud of the compassion they bring,” McMahon expressed.

Community Day, held at the Duplin Events Center, provided a special opportunity to bring families together for a day of fun and break down

“When gratitude comes from the very people you serve, it carries a special weight. It’s a reminder that every call, every sacri ce, every long night — it all matters.”

fears around emergency responders by o ering hands- on experiences with ambulances, re trucks and even a medical helicopter.

“This special event is a chance for our community to connect with local EMS professionals, learn about the vital work they do every day and discover how we all can play a part in responding to time - sensitive emergencies like strokes, heart attacks and trauma situations,” McMahon told Duplin Journal.

“We want them to get hands-on so they’re not scared whenever we respond to the real thing,” said Luis Arellano, Duplin County EMS member and one of the event organizers.

Arellano indicated that he hopes that the event will spark interest in public safety and EMS as a profession and expressed the organizer’s aim of establishing EMS Community Day as an annual occurrence.

“Our hope for this year is kicking o our annual thing and making it bigger and better.”

More than just a celebration, the day o ered a powerful reminder of the vital role EMS plays in emergencies like strokes, heart attacks and trauma situations. It also allowed for rst responders to interact with the community outside of crisis situations.

McMahon told Duplin Journal he hopes EMS sta feels recharged and reminded of their purpose in choosing this path. He wants his sta to feel not only appreciated but valued, seen, and deeply respected.

Hands-on summer activities available at Duplin 4-H

Kenansville

The Duplin County 4 -H program will be o ering various workshops and livestock programs over the summer at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Kenansville. Activities include paint parties, dairy tours, cooking for kids, livestock judging, clinics and more. Youth must enroll in 4 -H on line via RegMax and pay at the Extension O ce to secure their spot. Fees range from $5 to $35. For more information, call 910-296-2143.

Chinquapin Volunteer Fire Department to hold Cat sh Tournament

Chinquapin

Registration for the Chinquapin Volunteer Fire Department’s Cat sh Tournament on June 6 -7 is open until Thursday at 7 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the three heaviest sh. Each participating team is allowed a maximum of 30 hooks, which can include bush hooks, rod and reel, or trotlines. Junior anglers aged 5 to 8 can win shing gear, while children ages 9 to 12 have a chance to win $100. Additionally, there will be a TWT (Tournament Within a Tournament) with a 50/50 pot for the largest single sh caught. Tournament winnings will be distributed as follows: 30% for 1st place, 20% for 2nd place and 10% for 3rd place. The registration is $50 per team, TWT is $20 per team and junior anglers are free. For more information, call 910-375-0717 or visit the re department’s Facebook page.

JSCC o ers barber training courses in June

Kenansville

James Sprunt Community College is o ering a barber training program with several course options available throughout the month of June. Night courses begin June 3 and will be held from 5:30 -9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; day courses begin on June 25 from 8 a .m. to 3:45 p.m. and will also run Monday through Thursday. Weekend classes start on June 22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and are also available online. For more information, contact Patsy McCoy at 910 -275-6209.

Brandon McMahon, EMS director

K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Top, from left to right: EMT Alexis Casis, Paramedic Jonathan Kennedy and Paramedic Caroline Norris. Bottom, a participant of Saturday’s EMS Community Day gets hands-on practice with a dummy used to learn intubating techniques.

COURTESY DUPLIN COUNTY EMS

Taylor Swift has regained control of her music

She bought back the rights to her rst six albums

By Maria Sherman The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Taylor Swift has regained control over her entire body of work.

In a lengthy note posted to her o cial website last Friday, Swift announced: “All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me.”

The pop star said she purchased her catalog of recordings — originally released through Big Machine Records — from their most recent owner, the private equity rm Shamrock Capital. She did not disclose the amount.

In recent years, Swift has been rerecording and releasing her rst six albums in an attempt to regain control of her music.

“I can’t thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now,” Swift addressed fans in the post. “The best things that have ever been mine … nally actually are.”

“The best things that have ever been mine … nally actually are.”

Taylor Swift

“We are thrilled with this outcome and are so happy for Taylor,” Shamrock Capital said in a statement.

Swift’s rerecordings were instigated by Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift’s e ort to control her own songs and how they’re used. Previous “Taylor’s Version” releases have been more than conventional rerecordings, arriving with new “from the vault” music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen understanding of her work.

“I am happy for her,” Braun said Friday. She has also released new music, including last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” announced during the 2024 Grammys and released during her record-breaking tour.

So far, there have been four rerecorded albums, beginning

with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021. All four have been massive commercial and cultural successes, each one debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Swift’s last rerecording, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” arrived in October 2023, just four months after the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” That was the same year Swift claimed the record for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history.

Fans have theorized that

“Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” would be next: On May 19, “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)” aired nearly in full during the opening scene of a Season 6 episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Prior to that, the song was teased in 2023’s Prime Video limited-ser ies thriller “Wilderness” and in Apple TV+’s “The Dynasty: New England Patriots” in 2024. Also in 2023, she contributed “Delicate (Taylor’s Version)” to Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

But according to the note shared Friday, Swift says she hasn’t “even rerecorded a quarter of it.”

She did say, however, that she has completely rerecorded her self-titled debut album “and I really love how it sounds now.” Swift writes that both her self-titled debut and “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” “can still have their moments to reemerge when the time is right.”

Representatives for Swift and HYBE did not immediately respond to request for comment.

In Marseille, shadow becomes art in Banksy’s latest street mural

The lighthouse appeared in the French city’s 7th arrondissement, near the ocean

By Thomas Adamson

Bishr Eltoni and Jill Lawless The Associated Press

MARSEILLE, France — The lighthouse appeared overnight. Painted on a wall tucked away in a quiet Marseille street, its beam aligned perfectly with the real-life shadow of a metal post on the pavement. At its center, stenciled in crisp white, are the words: “I want to be what you saw in me.”

Banksy had struck again. Last Friday, the elusive British street artist con rmed the work by posting two images on his o cial Instagram account — without caption or coordinates. Fans quickly identi ed the location as 1 Rue Félix Frégier, in the Catalans district of Marseille’s 7th arrondissement, near the sea. Since then, crowds have gathered at the site. Tourists snap photos. Children point. Locals who usually walk past the building stop to take a closer look. There is no o cial explana-

tion for the phrase. But its emotional pull is unmistakable — a quiet plea for recognition, love or redemption. Some speculate it references a country ballad by Lonestar. Others call it a love letter. Or a lament. Or both. The image is deceptively simple: a lone lighthouse, dark and weathered, casting a stark white beam. But what gives it power is the way it plays with light — the real and the painted, the seen and the imagined. The post in front of the wall becomes part of the piece. Reality becomes the frame.

Marseille mayor Benoît Payan was quick to react online. “Marseille x Banksy,” he wrote, adding a ame emoji. By midday, the hashtag #BanksyMarseille was trending across France, and beyond.

Though often political, Banksy’s art is just as often personal, exploring themes of loss, longing and identity. In recent years, his works have appeared on war-ravaged buildings in Ukraine, in support of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, and on walls condemning capitalism, Brexit and police brutality.

The artist, who has never conrmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting build-

A woman walks past an artwork by street artist Banksy, last Friday

ings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world’s best-known artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two male police ofcers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, “Laugh now, but one day I’ll be in charge.”

His work has sold for millions of dollars at auction, and past

murals on outdoor sites have often been stolen or removed by building owners soon after going up. In December 2023, after Banksy stenciled military drones on a stop sign in south London, a man was photographed taking down the sign with bolt cutters. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.

In March 2024, an environ-

mentally themed work on a wall beside a tree in north London was splashed with paint, covered with plastic sheeting and fenced o within days of being created. Despite the fame — or infamy — at least in Marseille, not everyone walking past noticed it. Some didn’t even know who Banksy was, according to the local press.

On Instagram observers say this Marseille piece feels quieter. More interior. And yet, it is no less global. The work arrives just ahead of a major Banksy retrospective opening June 14 at the Museum of Art in nearby Toulon featuring 80 works, including rare originals. Another exhibit opens Saturday in Montpellier.

But the Marseille mural wasn’t meant for a museum. It lives in the street, exposed to weather, footsteps and time. As of Friday evening, no barriers had been erected. No glass shield installed. Just a shadow, a beam and a message that’s already circling the world.

BISHR ELTONI / AP PHOTO

A man rides his scooter by an artwork by street artist Banksy last Friday in Marseille, France.

NATACHA PISARENKO / AP PHOTO

Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental Stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires in November 2023.

“Marseille x Banksy.” Benoît Payan, Marseille mayor

BISHR ELTONI / AP PHOTO

in Marseille, southern France.

DUPLIN SPORTS

PJ WARD-BROWN / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Irving Brown became the fourth WRH running back to be signed to a fullride scholarship in Division 1 since 2017

Bulldogs RB Brown showcases talent to Division I Ohio Bobcats

Irving Brown’s career and educational accomplishments gave him a jump-start to playing college football

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WALLACE — Wallace-Rose Hill has a long legacy of running backs, especially after the arrival of the late Jack Holley (412-96-9), the second-winningest coach in the state.

But head coach Kevin Motsinger has produced four Division I running backs since taking over for Joey Price in 2017.

The latest running back to motor to big-time college football is Irving Brown.

Brown, who left to attend Ohio University on a full-ride scholarship in January, is the Male Athlete of the Year.

The son of Gary and Kim Brown joined the ranks of Javonte Williams (UNC, Broncos, Cowboys as 2017 grad of WRH), Kayne Roberts (Appalachian State in 2019) and Cameren Dalrymple (Navy in 2019), and Price’s two marquee backs Johnnie Glaspie and Keyshawn Canady (ECU in 2016).

“He’s No. 3 on the depth chart and only because he’s still learning the language and the plays,” Motsinger said of Brown’s time at the Athens, Ohio, school. “They feel he’ll be No. 2 once they get to the meat of the season.

“The kid’s trained hard and loves the weight room. He’s trained with Cedric Baker and has put in a lot of work on his own. That’s Irving Brown.”

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Brown played tight end in middle school until WRH coach Kevin Motsinger made the switch.

That approach, an injury and the coming out of running back Jamarae Lamb (1,360 yards, 8 touchdowns) last season saw Brown get less statistics, though he ran for more than 1,227 yards and scored 14 times as WRH grabbed a share of the ECC title after winning it outright the previous season.

Brown ran for 4,545 yards and 65

That name was said with respect the past three seasons by the opposition, which felt it had to stop him rst.

See BROWN, page B3

Rebels’ Higginbotham was ultimate team player in two sports

Addy Higginbotham was a star who turned on the lights of other players with her talent, calmness and high sports IQ

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — Addy Higginbotham is one of those rare players who has it gured out and goes about her work on a sport eld with a business-like fashion.

You won’t see worry, anxiety, stress or nervousness on her face.

The “cool one” remains calm during each step, though seems to have a clearer view than her teammates or the opposition.

Higginbotham, who was the captain and leader of the North Duplin basketball and softball teams, leaves to play on a diamond at Wingate University as the Duplin Journal’s Female Athlete of the Year.

She follows former teammate Reece Outlaw, who was the top athlete in 2023-24.

Higginbotham beat out East Duplin’s Ja’Myah Pickett and Kinsey Cave and teammates Lilly Fulghum and Tatewayna Faison to capture the honor.

She is the daughter of Joey Higginbotham, longtime men’s basketball coach at UMO and Jaimie Kylis Higginbotham, who coached softball for the Trojans for more than a decade and in her third season as the head coach of the Rebels’ softball team.

Higginbotham surpassed the 1,000-point total in hoops her junior season when she averaged 13.6.points. See ADDY, page B3

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Higginbotham hit .560 with seven doubles, eight triples and two home runs while knocking in 13 runs this spring.

“That’s one of her best qualities is how calm she stays,” said Jaimie Kylis Higginbotham.

“She’s never too up or too down and never becoming overwhelmed. She never lets her emotions run her. I’m not like that, and I don’t think he (Joey) is either.”

Their oldest daughter has all the statistics of a star yet might have something her parents are lacking: The ability to stay unru ed.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Addy

Pickett, Faison, Page, Cave make major waves

ED’s Ja’Myah Pickett and Kinsey Cave, ND’s Tateyawna Faison and WRH’s Jansley Page are major forces in two or more sports

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — Ja’Myah Pickett had her way in the low post for the previous two seasons. She also had few close followers in jumping and throwing events in track.

Jansley Page (volleyball), Tateyawna Faison (basketball), Lilly Fulghum (softball) and Kinsey Cave (basketball) were also forces who emerged when the going got tough.

All ve, however, fell a spike, 3-pointer or triple short of North Duplin’s Addy Higginbotham, who was the top athlete in Duplin County.

The quintet have two connection points.

Each captured a championship during the academic school year, and each have a never-give-up sports approach to competition.

They join ve other athletes on Duplin’s Elite 11 for 2024-25 as the top female athletes.

The list is uno cial but put together after careful consideration of the facts and opinions of area coaches and Duplin Journal sta .

With Higginbotham included there are six seniors, three juniors and two sophomores.

Here’s a capsule look at the Elite 11, which is comprised of six seniors, three juniors and two sophomores. (See B1 for the girls’ Athlete of the Year story.

Ja’Myah Pickett, ED. Sr. (track, basketball)

If Duplin County had a strong woman competition Pickett would be the top cat.

The Panthers senior nished third at the 2A track and eld championships in the discus and shot put.

In basketball, she averaged 9.7 points and 10 rebounds for an East Duplin team that won the ECC championship and advanced to the fourth round of the 2A state tournament. The Panthers nished 25-3.

Pickett excelled in the classroom as well with a 3.54 GPA. Tateyawna Faison, ND, Sr. (volleyball, basketball, track)

Faison is a player that can’t be replaced in the mold she built during four years in three sports.

The 6-foot center averaged 16 points, 13 boards and 3.4 blocks as a scorer and rim protector on a basketball team that otherwise lacking in height.

She was an all-Carolina 1A Conference volleyball player in the fall, registering 127 kills and 101 blocks.

Faison captured a regional title in the 100 hurdles and was sixth in that event at the 1Anals. She also displayed her natural speed by landing 11th in the 200.

Faison will play basketball at Fayetteville Technical Community College next winter.

Lilly Fulghum, ND, Jr. (volleyball, basketball, softball)

In terms of power and the energy she generates, Fulghum

has the right stu to be the top athlete.

She played like an all-state player in softball, hitting .632 with eight doubles, seven triples, seven home runs and drove in 18. All were team-highs, sans the doubles. She was 5-2 with a 0.98 ERA in 50 innings in the circle. Fulghum was the Rebels’ third-leading scorer in basketball at 6.9. In volleyball, she was a breath of fresh air on a team that lost two veteran players. She collected her 1,000th dig in the fall.

Barring injury she will be knocking on the door to be the top all-around athlete in Duplin County.

Kinsey Cave, ED, So. (volleyball, basketball, softball)

Cave was Ms. Basketball for the second time and is on pace to become the rst four-time

Lilly Fulghum helped ND in softball as a pitcher and hitter, basketball as a forward and, in volleyball, got her 1,000 digs.

winner of that award. Opportunities abound should the rising sophomore seek to transfer to a private school.

She was the point guard and guiding force for the basketball team that nally overcame Southwest Onslow to win the ECC. And there’s no way the Panthers go 25-3 and 24-5 without Cave, who lives in the WRH school district.

Cave averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals as the quarterback of the o ense.

She was third on the team in kills (138) and fth in digs (105) as ED went from 10-12 in 2023 to 15-7. Cave hit .362 in softball, with four doubles, four triples and 12 RBIs played at second base.

Jansley Page, WRH., Jr. (volleyball, basketball, softball)

Fulghum, Cave and Page

are the early favorites at Athlete of the Year in 2025-26, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Bulldogs’ three-sport staple. Page’s best sport is volleyball as she went for 260 kills, 153 digs and 50 aces.

She averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 boards in basketball and hit .407 in softball with seven extra-base hits after missing time for an injury.

Y’Anna Rivers, JK, So. (volleyball, basketball)

Rivers, one of two sophomores on the list, was an all-ECC selection in basketball and volleyball.

She threw down for 14.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and shot a team-high 49% from the eld as James Kenan’s top hoopster.

Angelia Cavallaro, WRH. Sr. (volleyball, track)

Cavallaro is like Cave in that she can win the top player award in her main sport — volleyball — four times before graduating. That day will delight foes, as the junior logged a mind-blowing 401 kills. She also had 120 digs and 94 aces.

WRH went 21-3 and was conference champion for the rst time in more than 30 years. The Bulldogs lost to Seaforth in the third round of the 1A playo s.

Karsyn Parker, ED, So. (volleyball, softball)

Parker’s name will be front and center in two sports the next two years.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Addy Higginbotham, ND

ELITE ELEVEN FOR 2024-25

Ja’Myah Pickett, ED. Sr. (track, basketball)

Lilly Fulghum, ND, Jr. (volleyball, basketball, softball)

Kinsey Cave, ED, So. (volleyball, basketball, softball)

Jansley Page, WRH., Jr. (volleball, basketball, softball)

Tateyawna Faison, ND (volleyball, basketball, track)

Y’Anna Rivers, JK (volleyball, basketball)

Angelia Cavallaro, WRH. Sr., (volleyball)

Karsyn Parker, ED, So. (volleyball, softball)

Analeise Rivenbark, WRH, Sr. (volleyball, basketball, track)

Katherine Enamorado, JK, Sr. (soccer)

Zoey Cavanaugh, ED, Jr. (v-ball, basketball, soccer)

She led the Panthers in hitting (.408) and runs (31) and on-base-percentage (.483).

She had six doubles, two homers and walked 16 times as the leado hitter on a team that went 15-7 following a less-than-normal 10-12 record the previous season.

Volleyball coaches like Parker as a hustler, as she made 188 digs and red in 67 aces.

The Panthers were 14-8 after charting to 12-10 in 2023.

Analeise Rivenbark, WRH, Sr. (volleyball, basketball)

Rivenbark joined Cavallaro and Page as part of WRH’s Big 3

She had 180 kills, 54 digs, 30 aces and 26 blocks.

Rivenbark averaged 5.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in basketball.

Katherine Enamorado, JK, Sr. (soccer)

Enamorado punched in 33 goals and had ve assists to pace the Tigers to their third-place nish in the ECC standings. James Kenan won nine matches in back-to-back seasons, after going 12-28-4 from 2021-23.

Zoey Cavanaugh, ED, Jr. (volleyball, basketball, soccer)

Cavanaugh made contributions in three sports before suffering an injury in soccer.

She was the top kill player for the volleyball team with 174 and added 169 digs and 30 aces.

The sister of Panthers baseball legend Nick Cavanaugh was a key defender for the soccer team that turned its season around to nish 13-9-2 after losing to No. 3 Roanoke Rapids in the fourth round of the 2A playo s.

In basketball, she averaged 3.0 points as a sixth man and later started when Zakoya Farrior and Ava Noble were forced out with knee injuries.

NOTICE OF AUCTION FOR NONPAYMENT

The storage units contents will be sold for nonpayment of storage rental fees. Bid amounts start at the price owed on the units. All payments must be remitted by cash or money order prior to June 13, 2025.

#5 and #30 – Christina Ashley #46 – Elizabeth Burney #60 – Deborah White #7 – Nathan Cochrane Auction Date: June 13, 2025 10 a.m. at Johnson Storage |

PHOTOS BY EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Ja’Myah Pickett was an all-ECC hoopster and placed in the shot put and discus at the 2A state championships.

Left, Tatewayna Faison returned here senior season to play volleyball and excelled it that and basketball and track and eld. Right, WRH’s Jansley Page was part of a bashing trio that included Ms. Volleyball Angelina Cavallaro and Analeise Rivenbark.

touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry. He caught 22 passes for 408 yards and two scores.

Brown’s nal prep game came as a member of the North Carolina team during the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. He scored on a 44-yard run and had 88 yards as the Tar Heel team beat the Palmetto gang 49-24, its rst win in 12 years.

Ohio University, which won the MAC and was 11-3, has six consecutive bowl wins, including a 30-27 triumph in the Sun Bowl last December.

Brown beat out East Duplin’s Jordan Hall, James Kenan’s Tyquise Wilson, North Duplin’s Carell Phillips and Trashawn Ru n and Lamb to capture the honor.

Brown’s early graduation prevented him from playing basketball for the Bulldogs. He was an all-Duplin County rst-team selection in 2024.

“His character, discipline and intelligence is o the charts,” Motsinger said. “He checks all the boxes to get to where he is now. Recruiting has changed and colleges are going to the portal instead of nding high school players. That makes this even more special.”

One trait she got from both is the ability to take charge of her team.

“She directs tra c really well,” Jaimie Kylis Higginbotham said. “And she’s a self-disciplined player who is willing to learning a game she loves. She sends me (softball) clips all t he time. She likes being that voice in the huddle, no matter what sport she’s playing.”

Yet the younger Higginbotham isn’t consumed with sports.

“I don’t talk sports with her and my other daughter (Gracie, who will be a freshman pitcher next season) when we’re in the car unless they bring it up. They separate life from sports. I’m most happy running my children to travel games all over the U.S.

“I enjoyed coaching her because she’s a student of the game, and a lot of things don’t need to be said to her because of that. Or I can give her a look and she know what to do.”

Hoop teams go

Higginbotham and Outlaw played softball and basketball together since they were drawing up game plans in the dirt in the peewee leagues.

The former was a better dribbler and passer while the two matched skills on the diamond and when they played volleyball for two seasons.

Outlaw had more power but that never mattered. Both were stellar defensively and had high sports IQs.

Higginbotham lettered in volleyball three times and left it after her junior season.

She wasn’t inactive, though, as travel ball runs nearly year-round.

Higginbotham adjusted well to the absence of Outlaw in basketball.

She took starter Fulghum and frosh Abby Rose and Maggie Brown under her umbrella of knowledge and in uence late last fall as Higginbotham developed them into stron-

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Irving Brown scored a touchdown and ran for 88 yards in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. He ran for 4,545 yards and scored 65 touchdowns during his career at WRH.

Turns out that Brown was told he couldn’t be a running back in middle school and was put at tight end.

“I remember the day we told him and his daddy that Irving was going to be a running back,” Motsinger said. “They didn’t believe us.

“Irving is a sweet-as-molasses kid (inside), which is a credit to his mom and dad. He’s just a great kid and a super hard-working football player.”

WRH lost a generational talent who averaged 116.5 yards for three years on Friday nights.

ger starters. She learned quickly how each might move and how they might want the ball.

The Rebels lost early 2A affairs with Kinston and East Duplin (twice) and stood 3-2 when the calendar year ended but rebounded to survive by winning seven in a row.

They stretched it to nine in a row before falling to CC foe Lakewood on the road and the CC Tournament nals.

Wins in the playo s over Weldon, Gates County and Northside-Pinetown followed in the playo s. North Duplin fell to East Bladen, who would become state runner-up, in the fourth round, to wind up 24-5.

The Rebels were 68-17 with Higginbotham as a starter in basketball the past four years and 57-17 in softball.

The Rebels were 68-17 with Addy Higginbotham as a starter in basketball the past four years and 57-17 in softball.

Katelyn Jones

No player in the county has those kind of numbers or results in two sports.

Higginbotham hit .560 with seven doubles, eight triples and two home runs, and she knocked in 13 runs this spring. She was at .629 last season with 12 doubles, three triples and three yard shots.

ND was 1A runner-up in 2023 and won the CC four times.

She surpassed the 1,000-point total in hoops her junior season when she averaged 13.6.

Higginbotham was a pass- rst point, putting up 10.5 points and 5.0 assists her senior campaign. Add three more outright CC basketball titles to her collection and four CC Tournament crowns and it’s abundantly clear that she went home more rock-star happy than anyone in Duplin County.

East Duplin, soccer

Katelyn Jones nished her four-year soccer career by scoring three points during key playo matches.

The senior had an assist and goal when the Panthers upset Princeton 3-2 and had an assist during a 3-2 upset over Washington.

East Duplin lost to Roanoke Rapids in the fourth round to nish 13-9-2.

Jones scored 10 goals and had four assists. She knocked in 19 goals as a junior when the Panthers won the ECC title and scored eight her sophomore campaign.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Hall, Wilson, Lamb, Ru n thrive as multisport stars

The county’s best athletes shined as one-spor t specialists, though 10 of the 12 best athletes from Duplin will graduate

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — The sports page will turn this fall without some of the best athletes in Duplin County.

Most will be in college, and the Male Athlete of the Year — Irving Brown — went to Ohio University in after graduating from Wallace-Rose Hill in December.

While not every player on the Elite Eleven for 2024-25 is bound for college athletics, each player on the list left a legacy at their school.

Here’s a quick recap of some of the memories they will look back on.

Jordan Hall, ED, Sr. (football, track, basketball)

Hall started out his nal season in blue by making 114 tackles and missed ve basketball games before returning.

He averaged 3.0 points and 5.5 rebounds to help East Duplin go from 2-22 in 2023 to 11-11 last winter.

Hall was fth in the triple jump at the Mideast regional championships and 10th at the 2A meet in Greensboro.

Tyquise Wilson, JK, Sr. (football, basketball, track)

Wilson has athletic talent and speed to burn.

Wilson was a rst-team all-Duplin basketball player who averaged 11 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He made 50 tackles in the secondary and had ve interceptions on defense for a James Kenan g ridron team that reached the fourth round of the 2A playo s.

He will play football at Johnson C. Smith University, a private HBCU in Charlotte.

Wilson was sixth in the 100 at the East Region championships.

Jamarae Lamb, WRH, Jr. (football, basketball)

Lamb is probably the most versatile athlete on the Elite list.

He carried the ball 179 times last fall for 1,3601 yards and eight touchdowns to help lead Wallace-Rose Hill to a shared ECC title with James Kenan. He was also key the previous season when the Bulldogs won it outright.

It the ’Dawgs are going to repeat, Lamb will be required to produce more, like he did last season when Irving Brown was on the injury list.

MALE ATHLETE

OF THE YEAR

Irving Brown, WRH, Sr. ELITE ELEVEN FOR 2024-25

Jordan Hall, ED, Sr. (football, track, basketball)

Tyquise Wilson, JK, Sr. (football, basketball)

Jamarae Lamb, WRH, Jr. (football, basketball)

Carell Phillips, ND, Jr. (football, track)

Trashawn Ru n, ND, Sr. (football, track)

Hassan Kornegay, JK, Sr. (football)

Calvin Harper, ED, Sr. (football, basket, baseball)

Donovan Armwood, ND (football, basketball)

Kyle Kern, ED, Sr. (baseball)

Alex Zepeda, WRH, Sr. (soccer)

Peter Omega, JK, Sr. (soccer)

Donovan Armwood, ND, Sr. (football, basketball)

Mr. Basketball in Duplin County averaged 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. His played helped North Duplin win eight of its nal 10 games to make the 1A playo s. Armwood had 37 tackles as a defensive back for the Rebels, who won a Carolina 1A Conference football title and nished 10-1 after losing to Lakewood in the third round of the postseason.

Kyle Kern, ED, Sr. (baseball)

Lamb put in 8.6 points on the basketball court as WRH’s second-leading scorer.

Carell Phillips, ND, Jr. (football, track)

Phillips ran for 1,913 yards and scored 31 touchdowns after going for 687 yards and eight scores as a sophomore.

North Duplin won the Carolina 1A Conference title and was 10-0 before falling to Lakewood in the third round of the postseason.

While others participated, Phillips’ number was called constantly, and he delivered, even and especially when the pressure was on.

Trashawn Ru n, ND, Sr. (football, track)

Trashawn Ru n was the

foundation piece on the line for North Duplin.

He made 34 tackles and pushed the ow of a play to spots where more than one Rebel was waiting to make a tackle.

Ru n changed his college choice from Texas A&M to UNC after the Tar Heels hired former New England head coach Bill Belichick.

Ru n was seventh at the region meet in the shot put after winning that event and the discus at the 2A championships.

Hassan Kornegay, JK, Sr. (football)

Kornegay was to the Tigers as Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor were to their NFL clubs.

Kornegay’s 203 tackles not only led the Duplin County but were the most in the state in all classi cations.

He averaged a whopping 14.5 tackles per game and made a runner lose yardage 28.5 times.

The pressure allowed James Kenan to stop the run while the secondary made 17 interceptions.

JK went 12-2 and advanced to the fourth round of the 2A playo s before falling to Northeastern. They broke a 13-game skid against WRH in the third round and shared the ECC ag with the Bulldogs.

Calvin Harper, ED, Sr. (football, basketball, baseball)

Harper quietly had three productive seasons.

He was all-county and all-ECC rst-team pick in football with 86 tackles while averaging 16 points in basketball and hitting .271 with 11 RBIs on the diamond in the spring.

Kern, who will be a top candidate for Mr. Baseball, led the state in strikeouts with 130. He went 5-2 with a 1.75 ERA, allowing the opposition to hit .133 and have an on-base-percentage of .273.

Peter Omega, JK, Sr. (soccer)

Omega, a rst-team all-state 2A player booted in 31 goals and had 19 assists to lead James Kenan to a tie for the ECC with WRH and East Duplin. The Tigers lost to eventual 2A champ Clinton in the fourth round.

Alex Zepeda, WRH, Sr. (soccer)

Zepeda was a goal-scoring machine to become a two-time all-state player. He scored 45 goals and dished out 24 assists and was selected to play in the NC Coaches East-West match this summer in Greensboro.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#25E001169-300 The undersigned, HENRY JARMAN, having quali ed on the 7TH DAY of MAY, 2025, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of DAVID LEE COLE, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on

PHOTOS BY EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Top, Trashawn Ru n anchored the ND line in football and won state 2A titles in the discus and shot put. Bottom left, ED’s Jordan Hall made 114 tackles in football and was star at the ECC track and eld meet and played basketball. Bottom right, JK’s Tyquise Wilson starred in basketball and football.

Tobatha Carr Beatty

Nov. 16, 1944 – May 25, 2025

Tobatha Carr Beatty, age 70, of Teachey, passed away on Sunday, May 25 at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Hospital in Wilmington.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 7 at 12:00 noon at Keathern Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Harrells. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.

Left to cherish her precious memories are ve children, Reese Beatty Jr. of Teachey, Randall Beatty and Timothy Beatty of Rose Hill, Je rey Beatty of Durham and Shantay Beatty of Harrells; two brothers, James Kerr of Raleigh and Richard Carr of Wallace; two sisters, Sharon Carr of Ivanhoe and Barbara Kerr of Raleigh; twelve grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two aunts, Jean Faison and Margaret Carr; one uncle, Lowell Tatum; sister-in-law, Eunice Beatty; special friend, Norbert Newsome; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss her dearly.

Christina “Kit” Anne Fiedler

Oct. 23, 1943 – May 28, 2025

Christina “Kit” Anne Fiedler, age 81 died Wednesday, May 28 at the Wallace Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Wallace. She is survived by her husband Bill Fiedler of Chinquapin; daughters, Betsy Fiedler of Chinquapin and Lenore Fiedler of Chinquapin; sons, Larry Fiedler and wife Adrienne of Chinquapin, Andy Fiedler and wife Laura of Connecticut; brother, Walter Koch Jr of New York; thirteen grandchildren; six greatgrandchildren; and her beloved dog, Socks.

A Memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Linda Gail (Garriss) Sholar

Feb. 8, 1948 – May 25, 2025

Linda Gail Garriss Sholar, age 77, of Wallace passed from this life to her eternal rest on Sunday, May 25.

She was born on February 8, 1948, in Pender County; the daughter of the late Bernice and Lena Wells Garriss. Gail was also preceded in death by her best friend and husband of 47 years Glenn McAllen Sholar; sister, Alma Padgett; and brother, Warren Garriss.

Surviving to cherish her memory are her devoted children, Phyllis Southerland and husband Deyo, Glenda Ramsey, and Anthony Sholar and wife Diane, all of Wallace; grandchildren, Lyndsey Deal, Alex Henderson, Zara Rogers, Christian Rogers, Alleigh Ramsey, Jared Ramsey, Brandi Cole and husband Tanner, Ashly Stanley and husband Franklin, and Waylon Sholar and wife Destiny; great-grandchildren Peyton Deal, Leighton Deal, Cooper Henderson, Ryan Cole and Alan Cole; sister, Frances Beasley of Warsaw; brother, Douglas Garriss of Watha; her canine companion, Maggie; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends that loved Gail dearly.

Gail was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and sister who loved her family with all her heart. She enjoyed the simple things of life, but her greatest joy was her family, especially her grandchildren. Whenever you saw Gail, she was always the same sweetest and loving woman you would ever meet. Being an avid animal lover, she enjoyed tending to animals such as ducks, watching their eggs hatch and caring for the little ones as they grow. Gail also enjoyed going out to eat, and the ‘little adventures’ she had. One of her favorite adventures was the one where she and her granddaughter traveled to Pennsylvania and the other was going to Graceland with family. Gail lived her life with a spirit of patience, gratitude, wonder and love. She will surely be missed but treasured memories of her will forever remain in the hearts of those you knew and loved Gail.

Funeral service was held on Friday, May 30 at Lighthouse Family Worship Center. The family received friends in the hour prior to the service at the church and at other times at the home of Dwight and Susie Sholar. Burial followed in Lighthouse Cemetery.

Faye Kornegay Coward

Aug. 19, 1941 – May 27, 2025

Just moments after midnight which ushered in Tuesday, May 27, Faye Kornegay Coward, resident of Albertson, passed away at UNC Lenoir Hospital in Kinston. She was 83.

Faye was raised in the Pleasant Grove section of Duplin and was a member of the 1959 graduating class of B. F. Grady High School. She had enjoyed a long tenure of employment with the East Carolina Vocational Center where she was a departmental administrator.

After Faye relocated to the Vanceboro area, she became a member of West Vanceboro Church of God. Upon her return to the Albertson area, she attended Tanglewood Church of God in Kinston, and more recently, she worshipped at Mount Zion Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church at Pink Hill.

Faye is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Theressa Grady Joyner and Kevin Joyner of Ahoskie, and Frances Anne Grady Wallace and Tommy Wallace of Je erson; a daughterin-law, Angela P. Grady of Beulaville; grandchildren, Ashley Brown and husband Willie, Je ery Rhodes and wife, Cynthia, Angela Bailey and ance, Darrel Jones, Heather Fairless and husband, Adam, Emily Grady, Kara Parker, and Cody Howard; honorary grandson, Anthony Bailey and wife Gayle Bailey; greatgrandchildren, Noah Harmon, Isla Brown, Andrew Morton, Brianna Bailey, Faith Bailey, and Charlotte Fairless; a great-great-grandson, Levi Gomez; a sister-in-law, Rhoda Kornegay of Albertson; a brother-in-law, Hubert Radford of Kinston; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her son, David Allen Grady; her husband, James Ray “Dick” Coward; two grandchildren, Eliza Brown and Morgan Thompson; her parents, Allen and Nellie H. Kornegay; a sister, Anne K. Radord; and a brother, Randall “Rank” Kornegay. A service for which to remember Faye’s life was held Friday, May 30 at Greenleaf Memorial Park in New Bern at the outdoor service pavilion, after which she was entombed in the cemetery’s Floral Garden mausoleum. O ciating at the service was the Rev. Brent Manning. The family greeted friends and relatives at the cemetery after the service.

Robert

Jermaine Sloan

Feb. 3, 1974 – May 27, 2025

Robert Jermaine Sloan, age 51, of New York City, New York , formerly of Teachey, passed away on Tuesday, May 27. A visitation of family and friends was held on Sunday, June 1 at Rose Hill Funeral Home in Rose Hill. Funeral services were held on Monday, June 2 at Rock sh AME Church in Teachey. Burial followed at the church cemetery.

Left to cherish his precious memories are his parents: Gardine Sloan of Teachey and Robert L. Mathis “Bud” of Rose Hill; four brothers, George Sloan of New York. Montaro Johnson of Teachey, Wesley Johnson of Alabama, and Louis R. Faison (Enjoli) of Richlands; sister, Nakachia Smutko (Brian) of Garland; special friends, Patrice Newkirk, Happi Mathis, and Connie Cheeks; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss him dearly.

Annie Grace Herring

Aug. 10, 1941 – May 29, 2025

Annie Grace Herring, 83, of Warsaw passed away May 29 at UNC Rex Healthcare in Raleigh.

A public viewing was held Wednesday June 4 at St. Peter’s AME Church in Warsaw. Funeral service was Thursday June 5 at Prayer of Faith Evangelistic Church in Warsaw. Entombment followed the service at Devotional Gardens in Warsaw.

Robert Wade Moore

Jr.

Dec. 4, 1946 – May 27, 2025

Robert Wade Moore Jr., lovingly known as “Junior,” passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 27 at his home, surrounded by his devoted family. He was 78.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Bonnie Smith Moore of the home; his daughter, Christy Moore of Mount Olive; and his son, Bobby Dean Moore and his ancée Brenda, of Dudley. He is also survived by his only and most cherished granddaughter, Tess Bronson of Florida.

Robert leaves behind his siblings, Sylvia Gerdeman and her husband Bill of Florida; Kathy Robinson of Mount Olive; Billy Moore and his wife Linda of Mount Olive, and Rodney Moore and his wife Charlene of Rutherford. He will also be missed by his beloved K-9 grandpup, Cody. Moore retired from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, where he served as a truck driver, and also from the Boling Plant in Mount Olive. In both roles, he was respected for his reliability, dedication, and strong character. A Funeral Service was held on Friday, May 30 at Tyndall Funeral Home. Visitation with the family took place in the hour prior to service. Burial followed at Wayne Memorial Park in Dudley.

Leah Marquez

July 24, 1934 – May 30, 2025

Leah Marquez age 90, peacefully transitioned into a world of eternal peace and rest on Friday, May 30 at Lenoir Assisted Living in Pink Hill. Her journey on this earth was marked by grace, strength and a heart full of love. The arrangements are incomplete at this time.

Alf Clausen, composer for ‘The Simpsons’ for 27 years, dies at 84

He was nominated for 30 Emmy awards, winning twice

By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of “The Simpsons” for 27 years, died last Thursday.

His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson’s disease for about a decade. He was 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including “Moonlighting” and “Alf” (“no relation,” he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for

“Matt Groening said to me very early on, ‘We’re not a cartoon. We’re a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.’

I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to speci c action hits on the screen.”

Alf Clausen, composer

“The Simpsons,” winning twice. Al Jean, an early “Simpsons” writer who was one of the key creative gures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X last Friday that “Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons.” While Danny Elfman wrote the show’s theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, com-

posing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio.

His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show’s comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible.

“This is a dream job for a composer,” Clausen told Variety, which rst reported his death, in 1998. “Matt Groen-

ing said to me very early on, ‘We’re not a cartoon. We’re a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.’ I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to speci c action hits on the screen.”

Groening, in a 1996 interview, called him “one of the unacknowledged treasures of the show.”

Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows, including “Donny & Marie.” Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s

lms including “Splash” and “The Beastmaster.” It was Holdridge who rst got the composing job on “Moonlighting,” the late-’80s ABC rom- com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig o to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it.

Clausen won his Emmys for “The Simpsons” in 1997 and 1998, and he also won ve Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in lm and television. He was red from “The Simpsons” in a cost- cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal. Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.

PHOTOS BY

The North Carolina Pork Council provided free barbecue sandwiches, pork burgers, chips, cookies and soda to the Wallace Community last Friday as part of their Pig Country Proud Days celebration.

Stanly NewS Journal

Hot dog summer

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Job openings rose in April, signaling strong labor market

Washington, D.C.

U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of con dence in their prospects — fell, and layo s ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022 when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.

Dollar General sets record as bargain stores attract more buyers

Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual pro t and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and o price retailers amid economic uncertainty. The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the rst drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business. Consumer spending also slowed sharply.

For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5%, better than expected by Wall Street analysts.

Stanly County commissioners tasked with board appointments

Membership decisions were made for three boards

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Commissioners recently made membership adjustments to three boards delegated to county approval.

At the commissioners’ meeting on Monday night, the board was presented with pending appointments for the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC), an extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) representative for the Norwood Planning and

Zoning Board, and the Stanly Community College (SCC) Board of Trustees.

Dolly Clayton, the county’s health and human services director, told the commission-

“It’s hard to fathom the dollar sign that you see in regard to what our people do for that number to keep it as low as it is.”

Councilmember Benton Dry

Councilmembers narrowly decided to keep the same property tax rate

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — At the Albemarle City Council meeting on Monday night, councilmembers voted 4-3 to pass their proposed 2025-26 city budget.

The budget will keep the property tax rate at 61 cents, which is 11 cents above the revenue-neutral rate of 50 cents following a property revaluation.

Although the rate itself remains unchanged, the revaluation means most property owners will see a tax increase resulting in higher property values and tax bills for residents.

Councilmember Chris Bramlett wasn’t on board with keeping the tax rate where it was, suggesting it needed to be lowered.

“I’d like to move an amend-

ers that Stanly County had membership applications for the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council for Kathy Johansen, Michael Hatley and Victoria Ramos.

ment to the motion that instead of the rate being 61 cents, that it be 55 cents, and that the city manager be commissioned to adjust elements of the budget to bring it in line with a 55-cent assessment instead of the 61,” Bramlett said. City Manager Todd Clark originally brought the proposed 2025-26 city budget to the council on May 5; employee health insurance increases, the addition of 10 new re ghters funded through a FEMA Sta ng for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, and three new patrol vehicles for the police department were among the new projects and expenditures included. The proposed scal year budget is $94.6 million, which represents a 13% increase of $11.4 million over the current scal year’s original budget. Bramlett’s motion received

“The Juvenile Crime Prevention Council is a voluntary council that is made up of about 20 members of di erent professions that are required by general statute, and there are a couple of public members as well,” Clayton said prior to the commissioners’ vote on the agenda item. The board unanimously voted to appoint Hatley and Ramos to the JCPC.

Next up, County Manager Andy Lucas presented the commissioners with the Town of Norwood’s request for Douglas Smith to be the county’s ETJ representative for the Norwood Planning and Zoning Board as

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Dexter and Blanca exchange greetings at the Summer Sip Festival in Albemarle on Saturday. Turn to page A4 for more photos and coverage.

CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

PHOTO VIA STANLYTV

The Stanly County Board of Commissioners approved county board appointments for three boards on June 2.

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North State Journal

(USPS 518620) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Neal Robbins, Publisher

Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers

Cory Lavalette, Senior Editor

Jordan Golson, Local News Editor

Shawn Krest, Sports Editor

Dan Reeves, Features Editor

Charles Curcio, Reporter

Jesse Deal, Reporter

PJ Ward-Brown, Photographer

BUSINESS

David Guy, Advertising Manager

WEDNESDAY JUNE 4

THURSDAY JUNE 5

The council approved a request to add wedding venus to the M-1 light manufacturing zone.

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

NORWOOD — The town of Norwood may soon get a new wedding and event center inside the city limits after a decision at Monday’s town council meeting. Council members voted unanimously to approve the addition of banquet halls and meeting facilities to the uses allowed in the M-1 light industrial zoning designation.

Michael Sandy presented the item during a public hearing Monday, saying most of the town’s M-1 zoned

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May 27

• Randall Lynn Oldaker, 38, was arrested for larceny by merchant product code fraud and possession of methamphetamine.

May 28

• Marcus Kevin Magness, 21, was arrested for possession of stolen motor vehicle, possession of rearm by felon, possession of weapon of mass destruction, possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances, possession of burglary tools, carrying a concealed gun, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and resisting a public o cer.

• Maggie Blake Wingler, 35, was arrested for possession of rearm by felon.

May 29

• James Rolland Rummel, 55, was arrested for felony possession of schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances and possession with intent to manufacture sell or deliver schedule II controlled substance.

• Khalil Daquez Davis, 26, was arrested for possession of rearm by felon, felony possession of schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture sell or deliver marijuana, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances and misdemeanor child abuse.

• Phong Se Moua, 34, was arrested for felony possession of schedule I controlled substance.

June 1

• Yaniel

20,

areas are along the rail line.

Sandy added the town’s planning board and town sta both recommended making the change.

The changes came as the result of an applicant wanting to buy the old A.L. Lowder facility across from Darrell Almond Park.

Mayor Linda Campbell asked if other municipalities allowed such venues as a part of a light industrial zone, which Sandy said they did, mostly calling them “assembly” places.

“It could be used for a multitude of assembly purposes,” Sandy said. “It could be a church, a fraternal organization, a social club or an event facility. It really covers a lot of those things.”

The reason for not zoning

it as a highway business, Sandy added, was “there’s a multitude of uses in that zoning district. The building is built as an industrial building.”

Council member Keith Almond asked if a conditional use permit would be preferable to the text amendment change. Sandy said the text change would “allow something with a lot lighter usage to come into this and other properties. It’s a whole lot less intensive.”

Sandy later added conditional use would limit the building’s uses for a new owner should the current owner of any M-1 building wish to sell it.

Council member Robbie Cohen moved to approve the new text amendment, seconded by mayor pro tem James Lilly.

Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on Hickory street during house party

At least 80 shots were red just after midnight on Sunday

The Associated Press HICKORY — Gun re erupted around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from eeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheri ’s deputies said. Authorities said at least 80 shots were red in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running, ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law enforcement had made no arrests and was seeking

tips from the public in the case. A statement from the Catawba County Sheri ’s Ofce said a 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously reported in critical condition.

Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheri ’s spokesperson said. The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the o ce.

Sheri ’s o ce Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord

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June 8 |

in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory. He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was the motivation for the shooting.

Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and included outdoor and indoor areas.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hickory Police Department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case with a specialized evidence response team, o cials said.

Couple Games App and more! Mint Hill Veterans Memorial Park 8850 Fairview Road Mint Hill

June

7

Race to Remember: Alzheimer’s Charity Race

8-10 a.m.

Raise money with the Albemarle Rotary Club by joining the 5K Run/Walk or 1K Fun Walk. Registration ends June 6, $30.

Stanly County YMCA Park 115 C.B. Crook Drive Albemarle

June

8

Freedom! Concert by the Singing Americans 5-6 p.m.

A free concert by The Singing Americans of Stanly County, a group that has been presenting public concerts with a patriotic theme throughout the area for almost 50 years. This performance is part of a series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and honoring veterans.

Badin Baptist Church –Better Badin 28 Falls Road Badin

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

We have no constitutional or moral duty to subsidize

Harvard

DO TAXPAYERS have a constitutional duty to bankroll Harvard University?

On MSNBC, David French argued that the Trump administration’s defunding of Harvard is little more than “political retaliation.” In the United States, we don’t sentence people before hearing the verdict, The New York Times columnist said. Ignoring due process is “directly contrary to our constitutional principles.”

Abe

Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out credentialed pseudointellectuals.

French might not be aware that in addition to the joint-government task force’s claim that Harvard leadership failed to meaningfully confront pervasive insults, physical assault and intimidation of Jewish students, there’s also a blistering internal university taskforce report that maintains that Harvard allowed antisemitism to permeate “coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members and the worldview of certain academic programs.” Harvard concedes, “members of the Jewish and Israeli communities at Harvard reported treatment that was vicious and reprehensible.”

The verdict is in.

But, I suppose, I’d pose the situation in another way: If a government investigation and internal review both found that white supremacists on Harvard campus were terrorizing black students and engaging in racist marchers and that their violent beliefs had found favor in the school’s curriculums and in social life, would anyone on MSNBC argue that the government had an obligation to keep funding this school until a civil lawsuit worked its way through the courts? One suspects not.

Now, I’m not accusing French of being blind to the struggles of Jewish students. I am accusing him of being blinded by the presence of Donald Trump. Are the president’s motivations political? Probably. So what? So are those of Harvard’s defenders.

Harvard, a private institution, can do as it likes. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

credentialed pseudointellectuals. If the Trump administration failed to follow a bureaucratic process before freezing funds to the university, ne. Get it done. But what “constitutional principle” dictates that the federal government must provide this speci c institution with $3 billion in federal contracts and grants? Giving it to them was a policy decision made by the executive branch. Withdrawing the funding is the same.

French reasons that the administration should, at very least, “target the entity and individuals responsible” for the bad behavior. Defund the Middle Eastern studies department, rather than, say, the pediatric cancer research department. I’m sympathetic to this idea. But funding, as we all understand, is fungible. Targeting one department will do nothing to change the culture.

Moreover, leadership is responsible for the

Lincoln and the penny

THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.

I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden- oored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.

I will still bend double to pick up a penny o the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.

My wife thinks that’s funny.

“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?”

“Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.” Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.

Some people think nding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck.

President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support. But there’s not much outrage about the

A statue of John Harvard, the rst major benefactor of Harvard College, is draped in the Palestinian ag at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April. FILE GRAPHIC

culture. It allowed, nay, nurtured, a Middle East Studies department sta ed by a slew of nutjobs. It’s not the only department. Think about it this way: There is a far higher likelihood of nding an apologist of Islamic terrorism than a Christian conservative on the Harvard faculty. Less than 3% of the Harvard faculty identify as conservative. There are real-world consequences for Harvard’s radicalism, as their grads are sta ng newsrooms, in uential law rms and government agencies without ever hearing a dissenting view. Anyway, if the school values its pediatric cancer research e orts so highly, why does it sacri ce grants and prestige by allowing bigoted bullies to run around campus targeting Jews? That’s a choice. As far as I can tell, not one student was expelled, much less suspended, for antisemitism in the two years since Oct. 7, 2023. If your answer is that the school feels a profound obligation to defend free expression, I suggest you speak to some pro-Israeli or pro-capitalist or pro-American or social conservative student on campus and see how comfortable they feel about airing opinions. Harvard nished last for the second year running in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s “College Free Speech Rankings” in 2024, along with Columbia University and New York University. The only speech Harvard values is the extremist variety. We should feel no patriotic imperative to fund speech we dislike, which is very di erent from the imperative of protecting speech we dislike. This distinction seems to be lost on many. Harvard, along with many left-wingers, argues that Trump’s funding freeze violates its First Amendment rights. Who knows what the courts will say? If they force the funding to continue, something is seriously wrong. Anyway, perhaps Harvard should dip into the $53 billion hedge fund it runs to back ll some of the funding. Or maybe it can hit up the Islamic sheiks of Qatar for some more cash. How about those Chicom apparatchiks? Maybe they can chip in. But taxpayers shouldn’t be compelled to subsidize an institution that almost exclusively teaches students to hate their values.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

A ve dollar bill and a penny.

Lincoln head penny being taken o the market.

Remember when they took Aunt Jemima o the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state. Lincoln, though, we ush Lincoln like he was John McCain. Of course, Abe is still on the n. Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half-a-yard. Yard.

Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or n. So, he’s probably OK for now, even though

there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?

People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief-on-the-head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and ipping apjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole apjacks.

Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me.

I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a apjack in his life.

Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will. A apjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.

Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”

COLUMN | MARC DION

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Albemarle wine festival celebrates 15 years with new name, new season summer sippin’

Summertime Sips was previously the Winter Wine Festival

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The annual downtown Albemarle celebration of local wineries this year was moved from February to this past weekend and rechristened the Summertime Sips Festival. Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation’s 15th annual event moved to Courthouse Plaza, where around 500 tickets were presold for the event with 10 di erent wineries represented.

Katie Lynn, ADDC’s Main Street manager and director, said the new location and time

of the year improved the annual event.

“We are excited to showcase the new Courthouse Plaza downtown and utilize it as a festival atmosphere,” Lynn said.

“We have plenty of space for our wineries, food trucks and artisan craft vendors. People are really having a great time outdoors here today, enjoying the beautiful weather.”

Festival goers got a break, weather wise, with partly cloudy skies, no rain after several days of ash ooding and temperatures in the mid 70s.

“With all the rain we have had, it’s nice to get a break,” Lynn said. The Courthouse Plaza has been used previously for a fall festival, trick or treating and downtown Christmas, and was o cially opened June 2024.

STANLY from page A1

a replacement for Walter Davis, who opted not to seek reappointment at the end of his three-year term. Commissioner Bill Lawhon made a motion to nominate Smith for the position: “He’s an upstanding citizen. I know the majority of the other peo -

ALBEMARLE from page A1

support from Councilmembers David Hunt and Bill Aldridge, falling just short of the 4-3 majority needed to pass the adjustment.

Following Bramlett’s motion,

ple that serve on that board are mainly citizens of Norwood, which they should be.”

The commissioners then voted 7-0 in favor of Smith’s nomination.

In the final board appointment agenda item of the night, Lucas told the commissioners that the SCC Board of Trustees had one available appoint -

the council voted on the original proposed budget with the 61-cent tax rate; Mayor Pro-Tem Martha Sue Hall and Councilmembers Dexter Townsend, Chris Whitley and Benton Dry each voted to pass the budget, while Bramlett, Hunt and

ment that needed to be filled; the decision was far from unanimous as Melvin Poole and Blake Underwood were both presented as nominees for the community college’s leadership role. Poole came out on top in the narrow voting lines.

Chairman Mike Barbee and Vice Chairman Brandon King

Aldridge remained opposed. Dry made the case that the tax rate needed to stay where it is, if not be raised even higher, in order to not “negate the opportunities of the city’s employees.”

“It’s hard to fathom the dollar sign that you see in regard

joined Commissioners Billy Mills and Patty Crump in voting for Poole, while Commissioners Lawhon, Scott E rd a nd Trent Hatley voted for Underwood. “I would also like to say that we’ve lost four appointees to this board,” Barbee said after the vote. “The legislature took four governor appointments

to what our people do for that number to keep it as low as it is,” Dry said. “Quite honestly, we probably ought to be at 64 cents, and people have said to me that’s really getting out of line. But again, if we funded everything that this commu-

away from us, so to those who didn’t get on, please contact your representative or your senator and see if you can get added back there.”

The Stanly County Board of Commissioners is set to hold its next regular meeting on July 7 at 6 p.m. inside the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.

nity would need to be substantial in what the community and citizens need, we’d be a lot more than where we are.”

The Albemarle City Council is set to hold its next regular meeting on June 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

PHOTOS BY CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

Festival goers enjoy the Cupid Shu e during the Summertime Sips Festival last weekend.

Cherrelle Wall and Glasha get down to the music played by DJ Chris Lambert.

Left, four festival goers — from left, Salem Taylor, Liz Ritter, Joy Almond and Genny Jordan — dressed up as Mrs. Roper from the classic TV show “Three’s Company.” Center, from left, Amanda Dyer, Rebecca Dyer and Dillon Capps enjoy wine slushies and yuca fries from Lilo’s Cuban Cafe food truck. Right, Rock of Ages’ Madeline Hartman pours wine samples for Connor Matthews and Hailee Alvarez.

Taylor Swift has regained control of her music

She bought back the rights to her rst six albums

By Maria Sherman The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Taylor Swift has regained control over her entire body of work.

In a lengthy note posted to her o cial website last Friday, Swift announced: “All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me.”

The pop star said she purchased her catalog of recordings — originally released through Big Machine Records — from their most recent owner, the private equity rm Shamrock Capital. She did not disclose the amount.

In recent years, Swift has been rerecording and releasing her rst six albums in an attempt to regain control of her music.

“I can’t thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now,” Swift addressed fans in the post. “The best things that have ever been mine … nally actually are.”

“We are thrilled with this outcome and are so happy for Taylor,” Shamrock Capital said in a statement.

Swift’s rerecordings were in-

stigated by Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift’s e ort to control her own songs and how they’re used. Previous “Taylor’s Version” releases have been more than conventional rerecordings, arriving with new “from the vault” music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen understanding of her work.

“I am happy for her,” Braun said Friday. She has also released new music, including last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” announced during the 2024 Grammys and released during her record-breaking tour. So far, there have been four rerecorded albums, beginning with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021. All four have been massive commercial and cultural successes, each one debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Swift’s last rerecording, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” arrived in October 2023, just four months after the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” That was the same year Swift claimed the record for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history. Fans have theorized that “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” would be next: On May 19, “Look What You Made Me Do

state park

(Taylor’s Version)” aired nearly in full during the opening scene of a Season 6 episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Prior to that, the song was teased in 2023’s Prime Video limited-series thriller “Wilderness” and in Apple TV+’s “The Dynasty: New England Patriots” in 2024. Also in 2023, she contributed “Delicate (Taylor’s Version)” to Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

But according to the note shared Friday, Swift says she hasn’t “even rerecorded a quarter of it.”

She did say, however, that she has completely rerecorded her self-titled debut album “and I really love how it sounds now.” Swift writes that both her self-titled debut and “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” “can still have their moments to reemerge when the time is right.”

Representatives for Swift and HYBE did not immediately respond to request for comment.

A weekly hike lets state park visitors see them in the wild

By Erik Verduzco The Associated Press

CAROLINA BEACH — Park

ranger Jesse Anderson leads dozens of people on a weekly hike in North Carolina to see some of the most unique living things in the world — plants that supplement the nutrients they get from sunlight by digesting ants, ies and spiders.

But the Venus ytraps aren’t like the human-size, ravenous and cruel Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

In the wild, Venus ytraps are the size of a lima bean and pose no harm to anything other than insects. Their special hairs snap their leaves together when brushed — but only twice in about 20 seconds or less to reduce the amount of false alarms by dust or rain.

Once inside, the insect is doomed to become plant food, Anderson said.

“It continues to trigger those hairs and the trap slowly closes and eventually starts releasing digestive enzymes to start breaking down the insect. And because they’re in nutrient-poor environments, they supplement their food with insects,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s hike at Carolina Beach State Park on the southeast North Carolina coast also showcases other carnivorous plants. There are vase-shaped pitcher plants with liquid at the bottom that traps insects, then digests them. Butterworts and sundews attract insects with glistening leaves then secrete an adhesive to trap them in place. Bladderworts work similarly to Venus ytraps.

And the hike is one of the few places to see Venus ytraps. The plant only grows in

12 counties in southeast North Carolina near Wilmington and a few nearby places in South Carolina, which made the organism the state’s o cial carnivorous plant in 2023.

Now is an especially good time to take that hike. Venusytraps bloom from about midMay to mid-June, Anderson said.

The ytrap is a fragile plant that needs re to survive. Wildres in the pine forests where they grow clear o the denser overgrowth to provide the abundant sunlight the plants need.

They face two big enemies — poachers and development.

Harvesting the plants without permission is a felony in North Carolina and a misdemeanor in South Carolina. In 2016, a man was sentenced to 17 months in prison for taking nearly 1,000 Ve-

Park ranger Jesse Anderson

nus ytraps f rom game land in Hampstead.

And the ytraps live in one of the fastest-growing parts of the U.S., where neighborhoods and businesses have been built over their habitats. Most of the plants can now be found in preserves and other undisturbed areas.

Scientists counted only about 300,000 ytraps in the Carolinas several years ago.

While Anderson’s hike is one

of the few ways to see Venusytraps in their natural environment, he said commercially grown plants can be found around in greenhouses and plant stores around the world and can thrive in homes in the right conditions

“They like nutrient-poor soils, and also they can’t stand typical well water or tap water. So they need things like rainwater or distilled water or versus osmosis,” Anderson said. Venus ytraps need abundant sunlight and soils that are moist but not drenched. And they don’t have to eat bugs if they can get enough nutrients from photosynthesis.

Please don’t feed them hamburger meat — that’s not what they eat. And try not to trigger the leaves shut without something to digest. That takes a lot of energy the plant needs to replace.

STATE & NATION

As states roll out red carpets for data centers, some lawmakers push back

Taxes, utilities and red tape are signi cant blocks to development

By Marc Levy The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for arti cial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it’s also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.

Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Many states are o eringnancial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a ght or e orts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy e ciency standards.

Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy in ux of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the ghts revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want: large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water.

And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of

acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler.

While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments.

In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that’s landing in other states.

“Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson. “That’s the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won’t open its doors.”

It’s been a big year for data centers

Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while Kentucky and Arkansas expanded preexisting exemptions so that more projects will qualify.

Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water and clean energy, meet energy-e ciency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity.

Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three

dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.

“It’s often a nonstarter if you don’t have them, for at least the hyperscalers,” said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. “It’s just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.”

Zoning, energy ghts often frustrate developers

In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create “microgrid” districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his “landmark policy proposal” for 2025 to put West Virginia “in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.”

Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data center developers to procure their own power supply with-

out going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility.

The nal bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to nance the cost of new power plants.

“I do not like that we’re making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,” South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during oor debate.

Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they re ect a society that is “addicted” to electricity and are “ lling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we’re all

guilty of it. We’re all responsible for it.”

Some lawmakers are hesitant

In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back.

Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them.

Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill.

In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site’s noise pollution and water use. In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state’s electric grid from fast-growing data center demand.

Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups.

Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such as data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency.

Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas.

“You’ve seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas,” Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. “I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.”

Trump withdraws nomination of Isaacman to lead NASA

The Elon Musk associate and astronaut was expected to get Senate approval within weeks

By Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.”

It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,”

Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening

and, honestly, a bit thrilling.”

“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where lead-

“Leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

ers on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his rst chartered ight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of

Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of space ights from SpaceX and conducted the rst private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon.

Musk appeared to lament Trump’s decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to nd someone so competent and good-hearted.”

SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government E ciency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.

@POLARISPROGRAM / X

Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman climbs out of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the rst private spacewalk last year.

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center in August 2024 in Boardman, Oregon.

Jared Isaacman

STANLY SPORTS

Wampus Cats split home games over weekend

Uwharrie is scheduled to wrap up its homestand Wednesday and Thursday

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Uwharrie Wampus Cats’ season continued last weekend with a pair of home games at Don Montgomery Park Saturday and Sunday.

As part of the team’s youth camp, the Cats will host the rival Carolina Disco Turkeys at 11 a.m. Wednesday, then wrap up the homestand with a 7 p.m. game Thursday against the Greensboro Ducks.

Saturday Uwharrie 5, Greensboro Yard Goats 4

The Cats played an afternoon game Saturday as a part of downtown’s Summertime Sips Festival.

Uwharrie took an early lead against Greensboro, a men’s league baseball team, but saw the visitors come back to tie the game. The Cats walked it o in the bottom of the ninth to win the team’s third in a row.

Drew Holcomb earned the win in relief for Uwharrie (3-0), one of ve pitchers in the game for the Cats. Malik Foster started for the hosts and pitched four scoreless innings, allowing one hit with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Blake McKinney and James Germosen put Uwharrie up in the bottom of the rst 2-0 with a pair of RBI singles.

The score stayed the same until the top of the sixth when Greensboro drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the lead in half.

In the eighth, a two-RBI double put the Yard Goats ahead 4-2, but the Cats rallied in the

See WAMPUS CATS, page B2

Pfei er Athletics names new interim athletic director

Je Childress is the director of the Falcon Club and previously held the position from 1998-2003

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

A FAMILIAR FACE has taken the reins of the Pfei er University athletics program as interim athletic director.

Je Childress, who was the Falcons’ AD from 1998 to 2003, was already with the university as the director of the fundraising arm of the athletic program, the Falcon Club.

Childress was a student-athlete at Pfei er, running cross-country and playing on the tennis team. He graduated in 1989. He coached men’s and women’s tennis at Catawba College, later serving Catawba as the associate athletic director for development.

“I am looking forward to getting back more involved with Pfei er athletics,” Childress said. “We have an outstanding coaching sta , and the number of our student-athletes just keeps growing.

“I will keep things together and moving forward until a full

“Athletics is a very special part of Pfei er University. Always has been. Always will be.”

time Director of Athletics can start. Athletics is a very special part of Pfei er University. Always has been. Always will be.” Childress added he was “looking forward to hosting the 2025 Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame on the Pfei er campus again this year.”

Dre’ Davis repeated as a champion, while Amari Baldwin claimed the triple jump crown

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

GREEENSBORO — The 2025 NCHSAA 1A state track meet took place May 16 at Truist Stadium on the North Carolina A&T Campus.

Albemarle had several athletes medal at the meet, including two athletes combining to win three state championships.

Senior Dre’ Davis repeated as the 1A 100-meter champion, nishing with a time of 10.74 seconds. He defeated Kymani Brown of South Stokes by .31 seconds.

Davis also made it two state championships by winning the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.70 seconds, beating Lucas Keller of Elkin by .41 seconds.

Albemarle senior Amari Baldwin, after setting a county scoring record during basketball season, earned the 1A women’s state title in the triple jump with a distance of 38 feet 0.5 inches. She beat Union Academy freshman Kennedy Ware, who jumped a distance of 35 feet, 7 inches. Baldwin also nished fourth in the long jump. In other results, the 4x100

See TRACK, page B2

CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

Uwharrie Wampus Cats catcher Tomer Erel slides safely into second base in the second inning of the Cats’ home win Saturday versus Greensboro.

Out elder Blake McKinney makes a catch for the Wampus Cats. McKinney’s bat also came up big last week.

Je Childress, Pfei er interim athletic director

COURTESY PHOTO

School football team to a 121-25 record from 1993 to 2003, securing state 1AA championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

B1

team of Davis, Cain White, Joneil Cabrera and Quron Pemberton came with .08 seconds of winning the state title, nishing second. Mountain Island Charter won the title with a time of 43.28 seconds.

Jasmine Brown nished second in the shot put with a distance of 37 feet, 9 inches. Eastern Randolph’s Mirianna Corea won the event with a throw of 38-6. Brown also nished third in the discus throw with a result of 110-6. Joss Stamper of Cherokee won with a distance of 129-11.

The event marks the hall’s 32nd annual induction ceremony

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

MISENHEIMER — The Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame will soon enshrine four new local athletes in its 2025 class of inductees as part of its 32nd annual induction ceremony.

The event’s dinner and banquet was set after press time for Tuesday at Pfei er University’s Merner Gymnasium.

This year’s inductees for the Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 are Jack Gaster, Bill Mauldin, Darrell Mauldin and Fran Watson.

More than 60 men and women have been inducted into the Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame to date.

Gaster led the Albemarle High

bottom of the frame. Tomer Erel’s RBI double pulled the Cats within a run, then Uwharrie tied it on a Carter Devore single to center. In the bottom of the ninth, McKinney singled and reached second on an error, then moved to third after a groundout. Will Brooks walked, bringing up Germosen. Uwharrie’s DH then grounded into a double-play chance, but the Yard Goats could not turn the double play at rst, allowing McKinney to score the winning run.

Winning streak by Uwharrie that was snapped by Sunday’s loss 1989

3

Sunday Marion Hungry Mothers 10, Uwharrie 8

The Wampus Cats hosted another independent college wood bat team Sunday evening out of Virginia.

Bill Mauldin, a graduate of Albemarle High School and Appalachian State, led Watauga High School to the NCHSAA 3A championship in 1978 and guided Catawba College to a South Atlantic Conference title in 1988. Darrell Mauldin, who graduated from North Stanly High School and Campbell University, was a two-time all-conference basketball player and the North Piedmont Conference MVP in 1976. During his 1978-79 season at Campbell, he topped the nation in free-throw percentage.

Watson set records as a basketball player at Rich eld High School and Pfei er University.

After graduating, she pursued a career in education, becoming a longtime teacher and a highly successful coach for volleyball, basketball and softball teams at East Rowan High School.

Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame member Rod Broadway will serve as the event’s keynote speaker.

After a renowned high school football career at West Stanly, Broadway received All-ACC and All-American honors at

Named for Hungry Mother State Park, the new Marion team took a big lead in the middle innings and held o a late Uwharrie rally to end the Cats’ three-game win streak. Jett Thomas took the loss for the Cats (3-1), allowing four earned runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. All 10 runs allowed by the Uwharrie pitching sta were earned. The Cats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on a throwing error, then Marion tied the game on an error by Uwharrie in the fourth.

In the top of the fth, the

The rst induction class of the Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame, which has since enshrined more than 60 inductees.

UNC Chapel Hill. He then began a football coaching career at North Carolina Central, Grambling State and North Carolina A&T.

The Stanly County Sports Hall of Fame dates back to Jan. 23, 1989, when the event sponsored by the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce had its rst induction ceremony; coaches Toby Webb and Frank Mabry made up the rst class of inductees.

Over the years the Sports Hall of Fame committee — with the in uence of Albemarle natives and famous ACC announcers Woody Durham (UNC) and Bob Harris (Duke) — has managed to land sports gures such as Roy Williams, Dale Jarrett and Mike Krzyzewski to serve as guest speakers.

Hungry Mothers scored ve runs on ve hits and led 6-1. Hayworth helped the Cats cut the lead in the sixth with an RBI single, but the Hungry Mothers added four more runs in the top of the seventh. Uwharrie matched Marion’s four runs with four of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Ben Mecimore had a sacri ce y, then Germosen drove in two with a single to center. Hayworth added an RBI single to left to make it 10-6 Brooks’ two-RBI double in the bottom of the eighth pulled the Cats to within two runs for the game’s nal score.

Pfei er Falcon featured in 2025 USILA Senior All-Star Game

Recent graduate Mason Tardi played on the South team

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — A Pfei er Falcon was the only player from the USA South Athletic Conference to participate in the recent United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) NCAA Division III Senior AllStar Game.

Joining the top DIII seniors, recent graduate and Pfei er men’s lacrosse standout Mason Tardi played on the 30-player South team in the North-South exhibition All-Star Game on May 23 at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.

The North squad came away with an 18-13 victory in the contest.

Tardi — a second-team AllUSA South selection as a midelder — had a season to remember for the Falcons (15-4, 8-0 USA South), who notched their second consecutive unde-

feated mark in play and their third straight USA South tournament title last month.

The Peterborough, Ontario, native racked up 54 goals and added 27 assists this year, along with a team-best four game-winning goals. His 81 total points is the 13th-best single-season mark in program his-

tory; Tardi now ranks 15th in program history with 148 career points after four seasons playing for Pfei er.

“Pumped for Mason, what an honor — so proud!” Pfei er coach Tucker Nelson posted on social media after Tardi ’s inclusion in the all-star game was announced May 22.

Tardi ’s 2025 season was his best campaign for the Falcons since coming to Misenheimer and joining the team for the 2022 season. Statistically, he set his personal records in games played (19), starts (17), goals (54), assists (27) and points (81), among several other individual categories.

Blaney opens Cup Series’ second half with rst win of season at Nashville

The Team Penske driver’s breakthrough came after ve top- ve nishes

By Teresa M. Walker

The Associated Press

LEBANON, Tenn. — Ryan Blaney gave fans a burnout to celebrate kicking o the second half of the Cup Series season by running away down the stretch for his rst Cup Series victory of the year Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway.

“I’m ready to go celebrate,” Blaney said.

The 2023 Cup champ had been racing well with ve top- ve nishes over the rst half of this season. He nally got to Victory Lane in the No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske for his 14th career victory and rst since Martinsville in November.

“I never gave up hope, that’s for sure,” Blaney said. “We’ve had great speed all year. It just hasn’t really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. But (No.) 12 boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes.”

He became the ninth di erent winner this season and the fth driver to win in as many races at Nashville. He also gave Team Penske a second

straight Cup win at Nashville’s

1.33 -mi le concrete track.

Blaney, who started 15th, quickly drove his way to the front as he won the second stage. He easily held o Carson Hocevar by 2.83 seconds. Hocevar matched his career-best nish at Atlanta in February after complaining during the race that his No. 77

Chevrolet was undriveable.

“Either I’m really dramatic or they’re really good on adjustments,” Hocevar said. “Probably a little bit of both, but, yeah, proud of this group proud of this car. A place that is really, really di cult to pass, we’re able to go 26th to second.”

Denny Hamlin nished third

in his 700th career Cup Series race, matching the third-place nish by Je Gordon at Darlington in 2013 for the best nish in a driver’s 700th race.

Joey Logano, who won here last year, was fourth, followed by William Byron in fth. Hamlin was hoping for one more caution that never came

“Pumped for Mason, what an honor — so proud!” Pfei er coach Tucker Nelson

With an undefeated 8-0 conference record, the Falcons recorded their third consecutive USA South regular-season crown this season and had won 10 games in a row heading into the rst round of the NCAA DIII Tournament.

While Pfei er eventually fell short in a 18-9 loss to St. Mary’s College of Maryland on May 7, the Falcons still managed to accomplish a program-record four DIII statistical championships in 2025; the team led the country in goals, assists, and points and scoring margins per game.

“Great team accomplishments! Cool to lead the country in four team categories,” Nelson posted on social media.

Next season, the Falcons will be aiming to reach their fourth straight conference title and hoping to make a longer run throughout postseason play. The team — under the leadership of Nelson — has advanced past the rst round one time (2024) but has had several opportunities to make an extended NCAA Tournament run following strong regular-season campaigns.

after seven cautions for 35 laps.

“Just couldn’t run with the 12 there in the super long run,” Hamlin said. “After 40 laps, I could maintain with him. But then after that, he just pulled away and stretched it on us.”

There was a sprint to the nish under green forcing teams and drivers to pick and choose when to pit. Blaney had led 107 laps when he went to the pits under green ag on lap 248. Hamlin took the lead before going to pit road on lap 256. Brad Keselowski had the lead when he went to the pits on lap 269, and Blaney took the lead for the nal 31 laps.

Waiting on a call

Hamlin raced Sunday night hoping to take advantage of his starting spot spot beside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. Whether Hamlin would chase his third win this season had been in question with his third child, a boy, due the same day. Hamlin practiced and qualied well, so he drove his No. 11 Toyota even as Joe Gibbs Racing had Ryan Truex on standby in case Hamlin got the call that his ancee was in labor. Hamlin won the rst stage.

Tyler Reddick beat his boss Hamlin, a co-owner of his 23XI Racing team, to new parent status, which Reddick announced on social media earlier Sunday. His family welcomed their second son at 2:20 a.m. on May 25, then Reddick followed up hours later by nishing 26th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Di erent paths, same destination for the Thunder, Pacers

Oklahoma City had a dominant regular season, while Indiana got hot at the right time

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY spent most of the regular season alone atop the Western Conference standings and just kept adding to its lead. Indiana didn’t spend a single day atop the Eastern Conference standings and was still under the .500 mark in early January.

Di erent paths, the same destination.

It will be the Thunder and the Pacers squaring o when the NBA Finals start in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, a matchup of two clubs that weren’t exactly on similar paths this season.

“When you get to this point of the season, it’s two teams and it’s one goal, and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,” Indi-

ana coach Rick Carlisle said.

“And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long — with capital letters in the word ‘dominant.’ Defensively, they’re historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It’s two teams that have similar structures, slightly di erent styles.”

The deep dives into the other side were beginning in earnest on Sunday, a day after the Pacers nished o their Eastern Conference title by ousting New York in six games. Indiana was taking a day o before getting set to return to work on Monday; the Thunder were practicing in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, left, and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrate after winning the Western Conference nals.

“We always talk about human nature in our locker room, and the human nature way of thinking about it is ‘four wins away, four wins away.’ You kind of lose sight of the fact that you’ve got to win one to get to four,” Thunder guard Jalen Williams said Sunday. “You’ve got to stack wins. So, that’s how we’re looking at it. Let’s get prepared for Game 1 now and just go from there. And I think that does make it a little easier now that we know who we’re playing.” The Pacers lost their 14th game of the regular season in early December; the Thunder lost 14 regular-season games this season, total. That would

make it seem like this was an unlikely nals matchup. But since Dec. 13, including regular-season and playo games, the Thunder have the NBA’s best record at 61-13. The team with the second-most wins in the league over those last 51⁄2 months? That would be Indiana, going 52-21 over that span.

“We had expectations to be here, and this isn’t a surprise to any of us because of what we wanted to do,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “And I think obviously there’s a turning point there in December or January or whatever the case may be. But I just thought we did a great job of just being as present as possible, not living in the past, not worrying about what’s next, just worrying about what’s now.”

What’s now is the NBA Finals. The Pacers were a middleof-the-pack pick to start the season, with 50-1 preseason odds to win the title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Thunder were only 9-1 entering the season, behind Boston and New York out of the East — and Denver and Minnesota, two teams that the Thunder eliminated in this season’s West playo s. “We’ve learned a lot,” Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”

COURTESY PFEIFFER ATHLETICS

Pfei er’s Mason Tardi (71) stands next to lacrosse teammates Ethan Miles (87) and Khyler Johnson (18).

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

The pit crew for Ryan Blaney rushes to work on the car during his NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday at Nashville.

NATE BILLINGS / AP PHOTO

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Donal Ryan’s spellbinding sequel in 21 voices continues saga of small town

Nenagh has weathered economic ruin only to face a new threat — drugs

By Ann Levin The Associated Press

IN 2014, Donal Ryan published a novel in the U.S. called “The Spinning Heart” about a rural Irish town after the 2008 nancial collapse. It was narrated by a chorus of voices, one per chapter, and at the center was a good-hearted contractor, Bobby Mahon.

Ryan’s latest book is a spellbinding sequel, “Heart, Be at Peace,” that works just ne on its own. It chronicles the changes that have bu eted Nenagh, County Tipperary, in the decade since the recession. Once again, the story is told by 21 townspeople, including one who has died, and Bobby is in the middle of it all.

Over the years he has done well for himself with a “kitchen the size of a soccer pitch” and a “marble island in the middle of it that you could feed an army at,” as one envious frenemy grouses. But recently, Bobby has been having panic attacks because a compromising picture of him at a stag party in Amsterdam has

been making the rounds. Also, he is worried sick about the drug dealers lurking around town in cars with blacked-out windows, posing a threat to the children, including his own.

Another member of the chorus is Lily, who describes herself as “witch by training” and prostitute by inclination. She learned her magic from a Roma woman who settled in the town, “caught roots” and married a

local. Lily adores her beautiful granddaughter, Millicent — her long legs, blue eyes and “the shine o of her like the sun on the water of the lake.” They go for long walks in the meadows, gathering wild garlic, dock leaves and sorrel, but lately, the girl has fallen under the spell of Augie Penrose, the ringleader of the drug dealers, and Granny knows in her heart it will not end well.

Bobby, Lily, Millicent and all the others — each one sees the town and its residents, including the newcomers from Eastern Europe, from a di erent perspective. Together, they narrate a gripping story that is heartbreaking, funny and occasionally raunchy of a beaten-down but resilient community that embodies the best and worst of humanity.

The book ends with a monologue from Bobby’s preternaturally wise and forbearing wife, Triona, who is puzzling over a dramatic plot development in the last chapter. “There’s more to that story, a lot more I’d say, but it’ll be told elsewhere, I’m sure.” If she is right, then perhaps Ryan is already planning the third installment of a trilogy. What a gift that would be for readers everywhere.

These services are currently provided using SCUSA in Stanly County. Services are rendered by SCUSA. The total estimated amount requested in Stanly County for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 is $18,584 in federal support (80%) and $2,323 in state support (10%) with a required Monarch share of $2,323 (10%). This project totals $23,230. This application may be inspected at Monarch’s Administrative O ces, 350 Pee Dee Ave, Albemarle, NC 28001 from June 14 to June 19, 2025. Written comments should be directed to Carol Shinn by June 10, 2025.

Por la presente se informa al público que se realizará una audiencia pública sobre la Solicitud del Programa de Transporte Comunitario Monarch a ser presentado al Departamento de Transporte de Carolina del Norte a más tardar el 3 de octubre de 2025. La audiencia pública tendrá lugar el viernes, 20 de junio a las 9:00 a.m.

ante la Junta de Directores de Monarch Albemarle City Hall, Ray Allen Community Room #118, 144 N. Second Street, Albemarle, NC 28001. Los interesados en concurrir a la audiencia pública y que necesiten ayudas y servicios auxiliares bajo la Ley de Norteamericanos con Incapacidades (ADA por sus siglas en inglés) o un traductor de idiomas deberán comunicarse con Carol Shinn antes del 14 de junio de 2025 inclusive, llamando al número de teléfono (704) 986-1853 o por correo electrónico a Carol.Shinn@ MonarchNC.org. El Programa de Transporte Comunitario provee asistencia para coordinar los programas existentes de transporte que operan en Condado de Moore así como provee opciones y servicios de transporte a las comunidades dentro de esta zona de servicios. Estos servicios son provistos actualmente usando transporte del SCUSA en el Condado de Stanly. Los servicios son prestados por transporte del SCUSA. El monto total estimado solicitado para el período 1 de julio de 2026 al 30 de junio de 2027 para esta Condado de Stanly es de $23,230 con apoyo federal de $18,584 y una participación de Monarch de $2,323. NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000317-830

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000117-830 NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Co-Executor of the estate of Albert R. Allen, Jr. aka Albert Ralph Allen, Jr., deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Albert R. Allen, Jr. aka Albert Ralph Allen, Jr. to present them to the undersigned on or before August 14, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 14th day of May, 2025 Co-Executor: Dana Jo Hepler aka Dana Allen Hepler 117 Logan Riley Road Thomasville, NC 27360 Co-Executor: Joel Shane Allen PO Box 267 Mt. Gilead, NC 27306 Publish: May 14, 21, 28 and June 4, 2025

NOTICE

NOTICE OF DISCHARGE OF UNTREATED WASTEWATER The City of Albemarle experienced the following sanitary sewer over ows at the following locations due to heavy rains.

On May 29th, 2025, an over ow at 42844 Vickers Store Road occurred due to heavy rains, which released approximately 9,700 gallons of untreated wastewater to Mt. Creek starting at 9pm and ending at 4am on 5-30-25. City crews were able to evacuate wastewater from an upstream manhole to stop and lessen the impact of the over ow. Crews then used city equipment to clean up spill area.

On May 29th, 2025, an over ow at 1313 North Sixth Street occurred due to heavy rains, which released approximately 3,900 gallons of untreated wastewater to Melchor Branch starting at 9:20pm and ending at 1am on 5-30-25. City crews were able to evacuate wastewater from an upstream manhole to stop and lessen the impact of the over ow. Crews then used city equipment to clean up spill area.

On May 29th, 2025, an over ow near 429 Salisbury Ave occurred due to heavy rains, which released approximately 6,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to Little Long Creek starting at 9:26pm and ending at 4am on 5-30-25. City crews were able to evacuate wastewater from an upstream manhole to stop and lessen the impact of the over ow. Crews then used city equipment to clean up spill area. This notice is required by the North Carolina General Statutes Article 21 Chapter 143.215.C. For more information, contact The City of Albemarle Public Utilities Department at (704) 984-9605.

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000257-830 NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Dolores Hart Carter, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Dolores Hart Carter to present them to the undersigned on or before August 14, 2025 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 14th day of May 2025. Executor: Christina M. Vanderburg aka Christina Marie Vanderburg 2207 Carolina Avenue Kannapolis, NC 28083 Publish: May 14, 21, 28 and June 4, 2025

NOTICE

The annual meeting of the Aquadale

Volunteer Fire Department will be held on June 23, 2025 @ 7pm. The address is 11578 NC Hwy 138, Norwood NC 28128.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Ancillary Administrator of the Estate of Donna L. Brandon, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at P.O. Box 5994, Greensboro, North Carolina 27435, on or before the 14th day of August, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 14th day of May, 2025. Melissa Brandon Ancillary Administrator of the Estate of Donna L. Brandon Jonathan M. Parisi

Attorney at Law Spangler Estate Planning P.O. Box 5994

Greensboro, NC 27435 Publish: 5/14, 5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 2025

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000234-830

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Imogene S. Snuggs aka Imogene Sophia Snuggs, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Imogene S. Snuggs aka Imogene Sophia Snuggs to present them to the undersigned on or before August 14, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This the 14th day of May, 2025.

Executor: Samuel D. Swaringen 604 Lexington Drive Albemarle, NC 28001

Publish: May 14, 21, 28 and June 4, 2025.

NOTICE

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk File #- 25E000271-830 North Carolina Stanly County Notice to Creditors Having quali ed as Executrix of the Estate of Mickey Ronal Thompson, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina. This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Mickey Ronal Thompson to present them to the undersigned on or before August 22, 2025, of the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This 21st day of May, 2025. Bonnie S. Dennis 43184 Vicker Store Road Albermarle, NC 28001

NOTICE

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000214-830 NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Maxine Williams Spivey, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Maxine Williams Spivey to present them to the undersigned on or before August, 22 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 10th day of April, 2025. Executor: John Brady Sr. aka John Grover Brady, Sr. PO Box 57 Rich eld, NC 28137 Publish: 5/21/25, 5/28/25, 6/4/25, 6/11/25

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000196-830 NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Jane Irby Gillespie, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Jane Irby Gillespie to present them to the undersigned on or before August 11, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 14th day of May, 2025. Administrator: Sherrie E. Wood 12448 NC 138 Hwy Norwood, NC 28128 Publish: May 14, 21, 28 and June 4, 2025.

NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Co-Administrator of the Estate of Nila Lyn Elliott late of Stanly County, North Carolina, hereby noti es to all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 19, 2024, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 21st day of May, 2025. Ashley Grace Elliott Co-Administrator 102 Windmill Road Salisbury, North Carolina 28147 Alyvia Maurine Elliott Co-Administrator 825 19th Street South Arlington, VA 22202

Emily G. Thompson, Esq. Attorney for Co-Administrators Reed & Thompson, PLLC 204 Branchview Dr SE Concord, NC 28025 Estate File No.: 25E000290-830

NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Virginia Edith Peangatelli late of Stanly County, North Carolina, hereby noti es to all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before September 4, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 4th day of June 2025. Lori Ann Waugh, Executor 117 Lincolnshire Street Oxford, Pennsylvania 19363 Jordan Morris McIntyre, Esq. Attorney for Executor Reed & Thompson, PLLC 204 Branchview Dr SE Concord, NC 28025 Estate File No.: 25E000114-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of: Sheila Diane Kimrey Taylor aka Sheila Diane Taylor File#25E000301830-Stanly County Clerk of Superior Court

Date of Death: March 7,2025 Notice is hereby given that Letters For Administration have been issued to the undersigned on May 19th, 2025 in the matter of the estate of Sheila Diane Kimrey Taylor aka Sheila Diane Taylor, Deceased, by the Stanly County Clerk of Court. All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate

Nintendo’s Switch 2, Addison Rae album, ‘Presence,’ Ariana Madix returns to Fiji

The late Gene Hackman’s greatest lms come to the Criterion Channel

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A Shaquille O’Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok’s basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo’s Switch 2 are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time: Ariana Madix returns to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.,” TikTok star Addison Rae o ers her debut album “Addison,” and then there’s “Presence,” Steven Soderbergh’s movie entirely from the perspective a ghost.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Presence,” one of two excellent Sodebergh-directed, David Koepp-scripted movies released this year, now streaming on Hulu. The lm, a nifty, experimental little thriller, is lmed entirely from the perspective a ghost inside a home a family has just moved into. From a oating point of view, we watch as the mysterious presence, piecing together a past trauma while observing the unfolding a new one. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Presence” “a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”

Tyler Perry ‘s latest, “Straw,” stars Taraji P. Henson as a struggling single mother who, desperate for money to pay for her daughter’s prescriptions, robs a bank. The lm, co-starring Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor and Sinbad, debuts Friday on Net ix.

For anyone still mourning the death of Gene Hackman, a new series streaming Thursday on the Criterion Channel collects some of the late actor’s best lms. That includes William Friedkin’s seminal 1971 New York thriller “The French Connection,” Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation” and Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” a movie in which Hackman’s strained relationship with the director has been a subject

of conversation following his death. But also, don’t miss Arthur Penn’s 1975 “Night Moves,” a quintessential ’70s neo-noir that gave Hackman one of his most indelible roles in the private eye Harry Moseby.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Has there been a more seamless transition from TikTok social media star to full- edged pop music force than that of Rae? On Friday, she will release her debut LP “Addison,” one of the year’s most anticipated releases — from the Lana Del Rey-channeling “Diet Pepsi” to the trip-hop “Headphones On.” She’s managed to

To honor awardwinning actor Gene Hackman, who died earlier this year, the Criterion Channel is featuring a collection of some of his nest cinematic achievements.

tap into a kind of late-internet cool through a hybrid approach to pop music and a lackadaisical singing style. Could it be “Addison” summer? Only time will tell. Need your Cynthia Erivo x between “Wicked” lms? She’s got your back. The multihyphenate will release her sophomore LP, “I Forgive You,” on Friday, a collection of big belts and even bigger vulnerabilities, with gorgeous songs that sound as though they were ripped straight from Erivo’s diary. Listen closely and carefully for maximum enjoyment.

Anyone who thinks the mainstream music listening world has lost interest in rock bands

needs to simply look at Turnstile, the Baltimore hard-core punk band that could. They’ve largely left those harsh sounds behind and have opted for something more melodic and accessible — which is, arguably, part of the appeal for those curious parties — but they’ve maintained their hard-core ethos and edge. “Never Enough” is gearing up to be the biggest release of their career so far, and we say it’s time to get on board. And get in the pit.

TELEVISION TO STREAM

Madix has returned to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.” The new episodes have big shoes to ll. Last season was the top-rated reality series of 2024. It also broke through the cultural zeitgeist with social media memes and water cooler conversation. Madix says she’s not worried about duplicating that success and wants the contestants to focus on “creating their own lane by being truly themselves and bringing themselves to it, you’ll never lose by doing that.” The show streams six nights a week on Peacock. As a teenager, Kristin Cavallari was a breakout of the MTV reality series “Laguna Beach” because of her un ltered honesty. She’s carried that with her throughout other reality shows

“(‘Presence’ is) a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”

and to her podcast “Let’s Be Honest.” Cameras rolled when Cavallari took the podcast on the road in March. That will air as the docuseries “Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour” is streaming on Peacock.

O’Neal also has his own docuseries now on Net ix called “Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal.” It’s an inside look at his e orts as president of Reebok’s basketball division. Allen Iverson is vice president. Both have a history with the brand. In 1992, O’Neal signed a deal with Reebok as a rookie playing for the Orlando Magic. Iverson famously inked a lifetime deal with the brand one year prior in 1991. The series will show the two pro ballplayers work to make Reebok Basketball cool and competitive in the sneaker market.

Get your feel-good TV x with Apple TV+’s new show, “Stick.” It stars Owen Wilson as Pryce, a broke and divorced former pro golfer who could use a break. He nds it in a teen phenom named Santi and volunteers to be his coach. The show is about chosen family and second chances. “Stick” is streaming now.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Nintendo fans worldwide are bracing themselves for the arrival of the Switch 2, a souped-up version of the eight-year-old console with new social features meant to draw players into online gaming. The highlight of the launch lineup is Mario Kart World, which features a Grand Prix for up to 24 drivers and introduces a sprawling open environment where “everywhere is your racecourse.” Other Day One arrivals include upgraded versions of the last two Legend of Zelda adventures and some popular third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction will be making their Nintendo debuts. The next generation takes the stage Thursday.

JUSTINE YEUNG / APPLE TV+ VIA AP

Owen Wilson, left, and Peter Dager appear in a scene from “Stick.”

NEON VIA AP

Chris Sullivan and Lucy Liu star in the thriller “Presence.”

AP PHOTO

Solution to last week’s puzzle

Solution to this week’s puzzles

A hard day’s work

UNC’s Jake Knapp receives a standing ovation as he exits against Holy Cross on Friday in Chapel Hill. Knapp tossed 81⁄3 shutout innings, to lead the Tar Heels to a 4-0 win en route to a NCAA Regionals victory. They play Arizona this weekend in the Super Regionals with a trip to the College World Series at stake.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Job openings rose in April, signaling strong labor market

Washington, D.C.

U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of con dence in their prospects — fell, and layo s ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022.

Dollar General sets record as bargain stores attract more buyers

Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual pro t and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and o price retailers amid economic uncertainty. The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the rst drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business. Consumer spending also slowed sharply. For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5%, better than expected by Wall Street analysts.

Winston-Salem nearing adoption of FY 2025-26 budget

The city’s budget balances at $728M, even with a drop in tax rate

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — The City of Winston-Salem is nearing the adoption of its 2025-26 budget.

At its June 2 meeting, the Winston-Salem City Council held a public hearing for the budget, one of the last steps in its budget adoption process.

The recommended budget is balanced at approximately $728 million, an increase of about $69 million (10.5%) from the prior year’s budget.

According to Director of Budget and Performance Management Scott Tesh, the budget is

broken down into four priorities.

The rst is to allow Winston-Salem to continue being an employer of choice in terms of looking at its total compensation package for employees as well as the other things that make it a top option in the Triad and region.

Then there’s also maintaining service levels across the organization — as the budget does not recommend reducing nor increasing provided services — strengthening the city’s nancial position as part of its Good Government strategic focus area and looking at many of the projects that have already had funds appropriated for in prior years and trying to get as many of those as they can completed.

The budget breaks down to about $529 million for opera-

10.5%

percentage increase in this year’s budget compared to the prior year

tions, $96 million for debt services and $103 million for capital improvements.

“There are two di erent instances here where we are discontinuing the use of debtnancing for things and moving to cash nancing, which will save taxpayers money in the long term,” Tesh said.

The proposed tax rate for FY 25-26 is $0.575 per $100 valuation, a decrease of 15 cents from the prior year’s tax rate.

Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on a Hickory street during a house party

At least 80 shots were red just after midnight on Sunday

The Associated Press

HICKORY — Gun re erupted around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from eeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheri ’s deputies said. Authorities said at least 80 shots were red in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running, ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law en-

However, that rate is $0.048 higher than the revenue neutral tax rate, which would be the rate needed to generate the same amount of revenue for the city as the prior year. And due to the increase in property values, many may still see a higher tax bill than in previous years.

“This is a revaluation year, which happens once every four years in Forsyth County,” Tesh said. “One thing that we’ve noted is that residential properties have grown at a much higher rate than commercial and industrial properties over the last four years.”

The city is also proposing to increase water and sewer fees by an average of 5% (approximately $2.81 more per month for the average residential user), a 4% increase in stormwater fees and various rate increases for programming and facility rentals within the parks and recreation department.

The budget’s adoption is anticipated to be voted on at the council’s next meeting on June 16.

Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously reported in critical condition.

Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheri ’s spokesperson said. The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the o ce.

Sheri ’s o ce Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory. He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise com-

statement from

forcement had

and was

in the case.

A

the Catawba County Sheri ’s O ce said a 58-year-old man, Shawn

BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO

“Join

the conversation”

North State Journal

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HICKORY from page A1

plaint was the motivation for the shooting.

Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and included outdoor and indoor areas. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hickory Police Department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case with a specialized evidence response team, o cials said.

THURSDAY JUNE 5

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6

Dogs, cats can also su er from allergies, but furry friends can he helped by veternarians

Pets can be allergic to other animals or even humans

By Laura Ungar The Associated Press

ABOUT FIVE YEARS ago, Gail Friedman noticed her Parson Russell Terrier was constantly licking his paws and seemed super uncomfortable.

“The poor dog. I would put baby socks on his feet so that he wouldn’t lick them or bite at them,” said Friedman, of Oak Brook, Illinois. “I was constantly changing the socks, washing his feet a lot. Nothing worked.”

It turned out her canine companion, Mr. Friedman, had allergies.

It’s a common and tricky problem in pets — caused by various things such as pollen, dust, mold, chemicals and food — but veterinarians say there are several ways to ease their su ering.

What sorts of allergies do dogs and cats get?

Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to a foreign substance. Cats and dogs react to many of the same things people do, as well as pests like eas.

There are no de nitive recent statistics on how many pets have allergies, but research suggests the problem is growing.

“I probably see allergic dogs and cats every single day, probably multiple times a day,” said Dr. Karen Woodard, medical director at Thrive Pet Healthcare-Elmhurst in Illinois.

About 90% of allergic pets react to environmental triggers, Woodard said, and the rest have food allergies only.

Dog breeds that are especially vulnerable include various types of terriers, boxers and bulldogs; in cats, it’s Per-

sians, Siamese and Himalayans.

Pets can even be allergic to other animals — cats to dogs, dogs to cats and either to another species.

“It’s possible for them to be allergic to us, just like we are to them,” said Thrive’s Dr. Anthea Elliott Schick of Scottsdale, Arizona, immediate past president of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology.

How can you tell if your pet has allergies?

Allergic cats and dogs aren’t as likely as humans to sneeze and cough. More often, they scratch and lick themselves, shake their heads and develop ear infections.

Woodard said her Yorkie mix, Teddy, had the classic signs — scratching around his shoulders and getting rashes and ear infections starting as a 6-month-old puppy. She lived in the South at the time, and he tested positive for allergies to various trees and grasses there.

A common sign of allergies

in her feline patients is “overdoing their grooming,” said Woodard, who’s on the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association’s board of directors. “Cats shouldn’t be pulling their hair out when they groom. So if you start seeing bald patches on your cat, even though the skin underneath it looks normal, that could be a sign of allergies.”

Even food allergies, often to chicken, beef, lamb or other protein sources, frequently show up on the skin, although pets can have vomiting or diarrhea, too.

Rarely, pets can develop life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, perhaps after being stung by an insect. But most allergies are simply miserable for the animals.

“It breaks my heart because it gets to a point that not only do I have socks on poor Mr. Friedman — which is humiliating for him — he sometimes gets so bad he has to wear the cone of shame,” Gail Friedman said. “And that’s not fair because he can’t move around right, he can’t sleep right. It’s terrible.”

“It’s possible for them to be allergic to us, just like we are to them.”

Dr. Anthea Elliott Schick

How can you help your pet?

The rst step is to get a diagnosis from the vet. This could involve allergy testing, or in the case of food allergies, an “elimination diet,” which involves feeding limited ingredients the pet hasn’t previously eaten.

If the allergy culprit is environmental, there are medications like anti-in ammatory drugs and newer oral and injectable medications for dogs to block chemical signals associated with itchiness. Food allergies may be treated with special diets such as “hydrolyzed” food, in which proteins are chemically broken down into tiny pieces.

All this can get expensive. Friedman estimates she’s spent about $10,000 on testing, medication and care for Mr. Friedman and another allergic dog.

But vets say there are also ways to help pets at home by cleaning their bedding frequently, wiping their fur with a wet washcloth and giving them baths.

Outdoors, “they’re almost acting like little Swi ers, getting allergens on their skin, and it goes through their skin and actually becomes a problem,” Schick said. “We say bathe your dog, at a minimum, once a week if they’re allergic.”

After she’s tried nearly everything, Friedman’s dogs are still vexed by allergies. But they’re doing better.

“I’m going to keep experimenting until we nd what stops it completely,” she said. “All you can do is try.”

Insect-eating Venus ytraps thrive in the Carolinas

A weekly hike lets state park visitors see them in the wild

By Erik Verduzco The Associated Press

CAROLINA BEACH — Park

ranger Jesse Anderson leads dozens of people on a weekly hike in North Carolina to see some of the most unique living things in the world — plants that supplement the nutrients they get from sunlight by digesting ants, ies and spiders. But the Venus ytraps aren’t like the human-size, ravenous and cruel Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

In the wild, Venus ytraps are the size of a lima bean and pose no harm to anything other than insects. Their special hairs snap their leaves together when brushed — but only twice in about 20 seconds or less to reduce the amount of false alarms by dust or rain.

Once inside, the insect is doomed to become plant food, Anderson said.

“It continues to trigger those hairs and the trap slowly closes and eventually starts releasing digestive enzymes to start breaking down the insect. And because they’re in nutrient-poor environments, they supplement their food with insects,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s hike at Carolina Beach State Park on the southeast North Carolina coast also showcases other carnivorous plants. There are vase-shaped pitcher plants with liquid at the bottom that traps insects, then digests them. Butterworts and sundews attract insects with glistening leaves then secrete an adhesive to trap them in place. Bladderworts work similarly to Venus ytraps. And the hike is one of the few places to see Venus ytraps. The plant only grows in 12 counties in southeast North Carolina near Wilmington and a few nearby places in South Caroli-

na, which made the organism the state’s o cial carnivorous plant in 2023. Now is an especially good time to take that hike. Venusytraps bloom from about midMay to mid-June, Anderson said. The ytrap is a fragile plant that needs re to survive. Wildres in the pine forests where they grow clear o the denser overgrowth to provide the abundant sunlight the plants need. They face two big enemies — poachers and development.

Harvesting the plants without permission is a felony in North Carolina and a misdemeanor in South Carolina. In 2016, a man

was sentenced to 17 months in prison for taking nearly 1,000 Venus ytraps from game land in Hampstead. And the ytraps live in one of the fastest-growing parts of the U.S., where neighborhoods and businesses have been built over their habitats. Most of the plants can now be found in preserves and other undisturbed areas.

Scientists counted only about 300,000 ytraps in the Carolinas several years ago.

While Anderson’s hike is one of the few ways to see Venusytraps in their natural environment, he said commercially grown plants can be found around in greenhouses and plant stores around the world and can thrive in homes in the right conditions

“They like nutrient-poor soils, and also they can’t stand typical well water or tap water. So they need things like rainwater or distilled water or versus osmosis,” Anderson said.

Venus ytraps need abundant sunlight and soils that are moist but not drenched. And they don’t have to eat bugs if they can get enough nutrients from photosynthesis.

Please don’t feed them hamburger meat — that’s not what they eat. And try not to trigger the leaves shut without something to digest. That takes a lot of energy the plant needs to replace.

LAURA BARGFELD / AP PHOTO

Dr. Karen Woodard checks for eas and ticks on Gail Friedman’s allergy-prone dog, Mr. Friedman, in Elmhurst, Illinois, in May.

ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO

Park ranger Jesse Anderson shows a pitcher plant to visitors during a weekly carnivorous plant hike in March.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

We have no constitutional or moral duty to subsidize

Harvard

DO TAXPAYERS have a constitutional duty to bankroll Harvard University?

On MSNBC, David French argued that the Trump administration’s defunding of Harvard is little more than “political retaliation.” In the United States, we don’t sentence people before hearing the verdict, The New York Times columnist said. Ignoring due process is “directly contrary to our constitutional principles.”

French might not be aware that in addition to the joint-government task force’s claim that Harvard leadership failed to meaningfully confront pervasive insults, physical assault and intimidation of Jewish students, there’s also a blistering internal university taskforce report that maintains that Harvard allowed antisemitism to permeate “coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members and the worldview of certain academic programs.” Harvard concedes, “members of the Jewish and Israeli communities at Harvard reported treatment that was vicious and reprehensible.”

The verdict is in.

But, I suppose, I’d pose the situation in another way: If a government investigation and internal review both found that white supremacists on Harvard campus were terrorizing black students and engaging in racist marchers and that their violent beliefs had found favor in the school’s curriculums and in social life, would anyone on MSNBC argue that the government had an obligation to keep funding this school until a civil lawsuit worked its way through the courts? One suspects not.

Now, I’m not accusing French of being blind to the struggles of Jewish students. I am accusing him of being blinded by the presence of Donald Trump. Are the president’s motivations political? Probably. So what? So are those of Harvard’s defenders.

Harvard, a private institution, can do as it likes. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A statue of John Harvard, the rst major benefactor of Harvard College, is draped in the Palestinian ag at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April.

credentialed pseudointellectuals. If the Trump administration failed to follow a bureaucratic process before freezing funds to the university, ne. Get it done. But what “constitutional principle” dictates that the federal government must provide this speci c institution with $3 billion in federal contracts and grants? Giving it to them was a policy decision made by the executive branch. Withdrawing the funding is the same.

French reasons that the administration should, at very least, “target the entity and individuals responsible” for the bad behavior. Defund the Middle Eastern studies department, rather than, say, the pediatric cancer research department. I’m sympathetic to this idea. But funding, as we all understand, is fungible. Targeting one department will do nothing to change the culture.

Moreover, leadership is responsible for the

Abe Lincoln and the penny

Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out credentialed pseudointellectuals.

THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.

I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden- oored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.

I will still bend double to pick up a penny o the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.

My wife thinks that’s funny.

“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?”

“Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.” Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.

Some people think nding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck. President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support. But there’s not much outrage about the

A ve dollar bill and a penny.

Lincoln head penny being taken o the market.

Remember when they took Aunt Jemima o the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state. Lincoln, though, we ush Lincoln like he was John McCain. Of course, Abe is still on the n. Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half-a-yard. Yard.

Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or n. So, he’s probably OK for now, even though

culture. It allowed, nay, nurtured, a Middle East Studies department sta ed by a slew of nutjobs. It’s not the only department. Think about it this way: There is a far higher likelihood of nding an apologist of Islamic terrorism than a Christian conservative on the Harvard faculty. Less than 3% of the Harvard faculty identify as conservative. There are real-world consequences for Harvard’s radicalism, as their grads are sta ng newsrooms, in uential law rms and government agencies without ever hearing a dissenting view. Anyway, if the school values its pediatric cancer research e orts so highly, why does it sacri ce grants and prestige by allowing bigoted bullies to run around campus targeting Jews? That’s a choice. As far as I can tell, not one student was expelled, much less suspended, for antisemitism in the two years since Oct. 7, 2023. If your answer is that the school feels a profound obligation to defend free expression, I suggest you speak to some pro-Israeli or pro-capitalist or pro-American or social conservative student on campus and see how comfortable they feel about airing opinions. Harvard nished last for the second year running in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s “College Free Speech Rankings” in 2024, along with Columbia University and New York University. The only speech Harvard values is the extremist variety. We should feel no patriotic imperative to fund speech we dislike, which is very di erent from the imperative of protecting speech we dislike. This distinction seems to be lost on many. Harvard, along with many left-wingers, argues that Trump’s funding freeze violates its First Amendment rights. Who knows what the courts will say? If they force the funding to continue, something is seriously wrong. Anyway, perhaps Harvard should dip into the $53 billion hedge fund it runs to back ll some of the funding. Or maybe it can hit up the Islamic sheiks of Qatar for some more cash. How about those Chicom apparatchiks? Maybe they can chip in. But taxpayers shouldn’t be compelled to subsidize an institution that almost exclusively teaches students to hate their values.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?

People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief-on-the-head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and ipping apjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole apjacks.

Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me. I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a apjack in his life. Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will. A apjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.

Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”

COLUMN | MARC DION

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Taylor Swift has regained control of her music

She bought back the rights to her rst six albums

By Maria Sherman The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Taylor Swift has regained control over her entire body of work.

In a lengthy note posted to her o cial website last Friday, Swift announced: “All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me.”

The pop star said she purchased her catalog of recordings — originally released through Big Machine Records — from their most recent owner, the private equity rm Shamrock Capital. She did not disclose the amount.

In recent years, Swift has been rerecording and releasing her rst six albums in an attempt to regain control of her music.

“I can’t thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now,” Swift addressed fans in the post. “The best things that have ever been mine … nally actually are.”

“The best things that have ever been mine … nally actually are.” Taylor Swift

“We are thrilled with this outcome and are so happy for Taylor,” Shamrock Capital said in a statement.

Swift’s rerecordings were instigated by Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift’s e ort to control her own songs and how they’re used. Previous “Taylor’s Version” releases have been more than conventional rerecordings, arriving with new “from the vault” music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen understanding of her work.

“I am happy for her,” Braun said Friday. She has also released new music, including last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” announced during the 2024 Grammys and released during her record-breaking tour. So far, there have been four rerecorded albums, beginning

with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021. All four have been massive commercial and cultural successes, each one debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Swift’s last rerecording, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” arrived in October 2023, just four months after the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” That was the same year Swift claimed the record for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history.

Fans have theorized that

“Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” would be next: On May 19, “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)” aired nearly in full during the opening scene of a Season 6 episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Prior to that, the song was teased in 2023’s Prime Video limited-series thriller “Wilderness” and in Apple TV+’s “The Dynasty: New England Patriots” in 2024. Also in 2023, she contributed “Delicate (Taylor’s Version)” to Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

But according to the note shared Friday, Swift says she hasn’t “even rerecorded a quarter of it.”

She did say, however, that she has completely rerecorded her self-titled debut album “and I really love how it sounds now.” Swift writes that both her self-titled debut and “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” “can still have their moments to reemerge when the time is right.”

Representatives for Swift and HYBE did not immediately respond to request for comment.

In Marseille, shadow becomes art in Banksy’s latest street mural

The lighthouse appeared in the French city’s 7th arrondissement, near the ocean

By Thomas Adamson Bishr Eltoni and Jill Lawless The Associated Press

MARSEILLE, France — The lighthouse appeared overnight. Painted on a wall tucked away in a quiet Marseille street, its beam aligned perfectly with the real-life shadow of a metal post on the pavement. At its center, stenciled in crisp white, are the words: “I want to be what you saw in me.”

Banksy had struck again.

Last Friday, the elusive British street artist con rmed the work by posting two images on his o cial Instagram account — without caption or coordinates. Fans quickly identi ed the location as 1 Rue Félix Frégier, in the Catalans district of Marseille’s 7th arrondissement, near the sea. Since then, crowds have gathered at the site. Tourists snap photos. Children point. Locals who usually walk past the building stop to take a closer look. There is no o cial explana-

tion for the phrase. But its emotional pull is unmistakable — a quiet plea for recognition, love or redemption. Some speculate it references a country ballad by Lonestar. Others call it a love letter. Or a lament. Or both. The image is deceptively simple: a lone lighthouse, dark and weathered, casting a stark white beam. But what gives it power is the way it plays with light — the real and the painted, the seen and the imagined. The post in front of the wall becomes part of the piece. Reality becomes the frame.

Marseille mayor Benoît Payan was quick to react online. “Marseille x Banksy,” he wrote, adding a ame emoji. By midday, the hashtag #BanksyMarseille was trending across France, and beyond.

Though often political, Banksy’s art is just as often personal, exploring themes of loss, longing and identity. In recent years, his works have appeared on war-ravaged buildings in Ukraine, in support of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, and on walls condemning capitalism, Brexit and police brutality.

The artist, who has never conrmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting build-

ings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world’s best-known artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two male police ofcers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, “Laugh now, but one day I’ll be in charge.”

His work has sold for millions of dollars at auction, and past murals on outdoor sites have of-

ten been stolen or removed by building owners soon after going up. In December 2023, after Banksy stenciled military drones on a stop sign in south London, a man was photographed taking down the sign with bolt cutters. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.

In March 2024, an environmentally themed work on a wall beside a tree in north London

“Marseille x Banksy.” Benoît Payan, Marseille mayor

was splashed with paint, covered with plastic sheeting and fenced o within days of being created. Despite the fame — or infamy — at least in Marseille, not everyone walking past noticed it. Some didn’t even know who Banksy was, according to the local press.

On Instagram observers say this Marseille piece feels quieter. More interior. And yet, it is no less global. The work arrives just ahead of a major Banksy retrospective opening June 14 at the Museum of Art in nearby Toulon featuring 80 works, including rare originals. Another exhibit opens Saturday in Montpellier.

But the Marseille mural wasn’t meant for a museum. It lives in the street, exposed to weather, footsteps and time. As of Friday evening, no barriers had been erected. No glass shield installed. Just a shadow, a beam and a message that’s already circling the world.

PHOTOS BY BISHR ELTONI / AP PHOTO

A man rides his scooter by an artwork by street artist Banksy last Friday in Marseille, France.

A woman walks past an artwork by street artist Banksy, last Friday in Marseille, southern France.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION VIA AP

Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour in June 2024 in London.

Forsyth SPORTS

Di erent paths, same destination for the Thunder, Pacers

Oklahoma City had a dominant regular season, while Indiana got hot at the right time

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY spent most of the regular season alone atop the Western Conference standings and just kept adding to its lead. Indiana didn’t spend a single day atop the Eastern Conference standings and was still under the .500 mark in early January.

Di erent paths, the same destination.

It will be the Thunder and the Pacers squaring o when the NBA Finals start in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, a matchup of two clubs that weren’t exactly on similar paths this season.

“When you get to this point of the season, it’s two teams and it’s one goal, and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long — with capital letters in the word ‘dominant.’ Defensively, they’re historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It’s two teams that have similar structures, slightly di erent styles.”

The deep dives into the other side were beginning in earnest on Sunday, a day after the Pacers nished o their Eastern Conference title by ousting New York in six games. Indiana was taking a day o before getting set to return to work on Monday; the Thunder were practicing in Oklahoma City.

“We always talk about human

nature in our locker room, and the human nature way of thinking about it is ‘four wins away, four wins away.’ You kind of lose sight of the fact that you’ve got to win one to get to four,” Thunder guard Jalen Williams said Sunday. “You’ve got to stack wins. So, that’s how we’re looking at it. Let’s get prepared for Game 1 now and just go from there. And I think that does make it a little easier now that we know who we’re playing.”

The Pacers lost their 14th game of the regular season in early December; the Thunder lost 14 regular-season games this season, total. That would make it seem like this was an unlikely nals matchup.

But since Dec. 13, including regular-season and playo games, the Thunder have the NBA’s best record at 61-13. The team with the second-most wins in the league over those last 51⁄2 months? That would be Indiana, going 52-21 over that span.

“We had expectations to be

here, and this isn’t a surprise to any of us because of what we wanted to do,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “And I think obviously there’s a turning point there in December or January or whatever the case may be. But I just thought we did a great job of just being as present as possible, not living in the past, not worrying about what’s next, just worrying about what’s now.”

What’s now is the NBA Finals. The Pacers were a middle-of-the-pack pick to start the season, with 50-1 preseason odds to win the title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Thunder were only 9-1 entering the season, behind Boston and New York out of the East — and Denver and Minnesota, two teams that the Thunder eliminated in this season’s West playo s.

“We’ve learned a lot,” Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Chey Johnson

Reagan, track and eld

Chey Johnson is a senior on the Reagan track and eld team.

Johnson won the state title in the NCHSAA class 4A meet, taking rst in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.04 seconds, .05 seconds faster than the next competitor. He also took fth place in the 300 hurdles.

Earlier in his successful senior season, Johnson also won the county championships in high jump and set a Reagan school record in the 300 hurdles.

Blaney opens Cup Series’ second half with rst win of season at Nashville

By Teresa M. Walker

The Associated Press

LEBANON, Tenn. — Ryan Blaney gave fans a burnout to celebrate kicking o the second half of the Cup Series season by running away down the stretch for his rst Cup Series victory of the year Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway.

“I’m ready to go celebrate,” Blaney said.

The 2023 Cup champ had been racing well with ve top- ve nishes over the rst half of this season. He nally got to Victory Lane in the No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske for his 14th career victory and rst since Martinsville in November.

“I never gave up hope, that’s for sure,” Blaney said. “We’ve had great speed all year. It just hasn’t really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. But (No.) 12 boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes.”

He became the ninth di erent winner this season and the fth driver to win in as many races at Nashville. He also gave Team Penske a second straight Cup win at Nashville’s 1.33-mile concrete track.

Blaney, who started 15th, quickly drove his way to the front as he won the second stage. He easily held o Carson Hocevar by 2.83 seconds. Hocevar matched his career-best nish at Atlanta in February after complaining during the race that his No. 77 Chevrolet was undriveable.

“Either I’m really dramatic or they’re really good on adjustments,” Hocevar said. “Proba-

“I’m

bly a little bit of both, but, yeah, proud of this group proud of this car. A place that is really, really di cult to pass, we’re able to go 26th to second.”

Denny Hamlin nished third in his 700th career Cup Series race, matching the third-place nish by Je Gordon at Darlington in 2013 for the best nish in

a driver’s 700th race. Joey Logano, who won here last year, was fourth, followed by William Byron in fth.

Hamlin was hoping for one more caution that never came after seven cautions for 35 laps.

“Just couldn’t run with the 12 there in the super long run,” Hamlin said. “After 40 laps, I could maintain with him. But then after that, he just pulled away and stretched it on us.”

There was a sprint to the nish under green forcing teams and drivers to pick and choose when to pit. Blaney had led 107 laps when he went to the pits un-

der green ag on lap 248. Hamlin took the lead before going to pit road on lap 256. Brad Keselowski had the lead when he went to the pits on lap 269, and Blaney took the lead for the nal 31 laps.

Waiting on a call Hamlin raced Sunday night hoping to take advantage of his starting spot spot beside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. Whether Hamlin would chase his third win this season had been in question with his third child, a boy, due the same day.

Hamlin practiced and qualied well, so he drove his No. 11 Toyota even as Joe Gibbs Racing had Ryan Truex on standby in case Hamlin got the call that his ancee was in labor. Hamlin won the rst stage.

Tyler Reddick beat his boss Hamlin, a co-owner of his 23XI Racing team, to new parent status, which Reddick announced on social media earlier Sunday. His family welcomed their second son at 2:20 a.m. on May 25, then Reddick followed up hours later by nishing 26th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

NATE BILLINGS / AP PHOTO

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, left, and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrate after winning the Western Conference nals.

The Team Penske driver’s breakthrough came after ve top- ve nishes

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

The pit crew for Ryan Blaney rushes to work on the car during his NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday at Nashville.

ready to go celebrate.”

Ryan Blaney

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

EA Sports names WRs Williams, Smith as College Football 26 cover athletes

Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith are the cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 26. EA Sports announced the cover with the electric sophomore wide receivers last week. Last year’s game was the rst for the franchise in 11 years and was among the best-selling video games in 2024. The ’26 edition will test if the franchise still has the same staying power it had when it was released annually in the early 2000s.

LPGA

Sweden’s Stark wins U.S. Women’s Open for her rst major championship Erin, Wis. Maja Stark of Sweden won the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday at Erin Hills for her rst major championship. Stark shot an even-par 72 to nish at 7-under 281, two strokes ahead of top-ranked Nelly Korda and Japan’s Rio Takeda. Stark earned $2.4 million in the biggest event of the women’s golf season. The 25-year-old Stark became the sixth Swede to win a women’s major and the rst since Anna Nordqvist in 2021. She’s the rst Swede to win a U.S. Women’s Open since Annika Sorenstam in 2006.

NFL Bills QB Allen, actress Steinfeld marry in Southern California Bu alo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and actor Hailee Steinfeld have tied the knot. Multiple media outlets reported the power couple’s wedding took place in Southern California, where both Allen and Steinfeld live. Pictures of the event showed Steinfeld in a white strapless gown, walking down the aisle as well as the couple sharing a kiss. The timing and location of the wedding were closely guarded secrets. Allen, who turned 29 last week, and the 28-year-old Steinfeld were engaged during the Bills bye week in November.

NHL Panthers set NHL mark for games played in a 3-year span

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The Florida Panthers don’t play hockey every day. It only seems like that’s the case. When the Panthers took the ice for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton on Wednesday, it was the team’s 309th game over the past three seasons, tying the NHL record for most games in a three-year span. That means they’ll break the record in Game 2 on Friday. The Panthers made the Stanley Cup Final in three consecutive seasons.

SOCCER

PSG fans raise the roof as triumphant players hold aloft Champions League trophy

Paris Paris Saint-Germain players walked into a wall of noise at their home stadium and brandished aloft the Champions League trophy that their fans have waited so long to see. The night after a 5-0 destruction of Inter Milan in the nal, PSG coach Luis Enrique and players received a huge ovation at Parc des Princes. PSG put on an open-top bus parade on Paris’ Champs-Élysées for its fans amid joyous scenes. Thousands of police were deployed to keep order after overnight violence marred celebrations and led to two fatalities.

Panthers-Oilers nal rematch: who’s favored, what to look for

Florida and Edmonton play in the rst Stanley Cup nal redux since 2009

The Associated Press

THE FLORIDA Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are playing for the Stanley Cup once again.

The Cup nal is a rematch from last year. The Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference to reach their third consecutivenal, while the Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars to win the West.

This is the NHL’s rst rematch in the nal since the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and ’09. Those teams split those series, with Detroit hoisting the Cup after their rst meeting and Pittsburgh the second.

Florida is looking to become the NHL’s rst back-to-back winner since the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and ’21. Canada’s hopes of ending the nation’s Cup drought — dating to Montreal’s win in 1993 — rests with the Oilers, who are slight favor-

ites on BetMGM Sportsbook.

All four rounds of the playo s are best-of-seven, and the rst team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.

Rematch time

Last year, Florida went up 3-0 before Edmonton won the next three in a row to force a deciding Game 7. The Panthers won 2-1 on home ice in Sunrise to take home the rst title in franchise history. This is the fth rematch in the league’s expansion era that began in 1967. Like Detroit and Pittsburgh, the Oilers and New York Islanders also split theirs in 1983 and ’84, while Montreal took each of the previous two: 1977 and ’78 against Boston and 1968 and ’69 against St. Louis.

The last team to win the Cup back to back after full, 82-game seasons was the Penguins in 2016 and ’17. Edmonton has not won it all since 1990.

How to watch

Every game of the Stanley Cup Playo s is nationally televised in the U.S on an ABC/

March Madness bracket expansion could be decided soon

The NCAA Tournament could expand from 68 teams to 72 or 76

By Maura Carey The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. — NCAA

President Charlie Baker said he sees value in expanding the NCAA Tournament by a handful of teams and wants to reach a decision on the matter in the next few months. Baker spoke during Big 12 spring meetings, where conference leaders are discussing everything from the multibillion-dollar revenue-sharing House settlement to complexities brought on by the transfer portal and name, image and likeness compensation.

Baker discussed the idea of expanding from 68 teams to 72 or 76. “We’ve had good conversations with CBS and WBD,” Baker said, referring to Warner Bros. Discovery, whose holdings include the Turner networks that air NCAA Tournament games. “Our goal here is to try to sort of get to either

“The window to actually negotiate it will probably end sometime early summer.”

Kansas coach Bill Self 1993

yes or no sometime in the next few months because there’s a lot of logistical work that would be associated with doing this. If we were to go down this road, you just think about the opening weekends, who has to travel the longest, it gets complicated.”

The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 68 teams in 2011. The change introduced the First Four round, a set of pretournament games in which the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and four lowest-seeded conference champions compete for spots in the traditional 64-team bracket. Baker indicated that the current formula has aws and said it would be bene cial to give more opportunities to worthy teams.

ESPN or Turner network. The NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Much of TNT’s coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup nal, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.

Who to watch

Florida: Matthew Tkachuk. He took the Stanley Cup for a dip in Atlantic Ocean a year ago and became one of the faces of the league when he dropped the gloves and was a star for the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-O . He got injured in that tournament and still might not be 100%, but he is the Panthers’ emotional energy and could get them back to hockey’s mountaintop.

Edmonton: Connor McDa-

vid. The best hockey player in the world had a down season by his standards and dealt with injury, yet McDavid still nished with 100 points. Maybe he was on cruise control waiting for this moment, and the Stanley Cup is close enough to feel again for the three-time league MVP.

Who are the Stanley Cup favorites?

Before the playo s: Dallas and Florida were listed as co-favorites by BetMGM Sportsbook, followed by Colorado, Carolina, Edmonton and Vegas (tied), and Washington.

After the rst round (in order): Florida, Carolina, Dallas, Edmonton, Vegas, Toronto, Winnipeg and Washington. After the second round (in order): Edmonton, Florida, Dallas, Carolina. After the third round: (in order): Edmonton, Florida.

When is the Stanley Cup nal?

The nal started on June 4. If the nal goes the distance, Game 7 could be as late as June 23.

“If you have a tournament that’s got 64 or 68 teams in it, you’re going to have a bunch of teams that are probably among what most people would consider to be the best 68 or 70 teams in the country that aren’t going to make the tournament, period,” Baker said. “The point behind going from 68 to 72 or 76 is to basically give some of those schools that were probably among the 72, 76, 68, 64 best teams in the country a way into the tournament.” Baker cited a competitive Indiana State team falling short of the tournament as an example. Indiana State went on to play Seton Hall in the 2024 NIT title game, which he referred to as one of the best games that spring. Kansas coach Bill Self said fellow Big 12 coaches seem to

favor an NCAA tourney expansion. The Big 12 had seven bids in 2025, half the total of the SEC.

“There was a little bit that was brought forth and the consensus among the coaches, even though it was very little, would be in favor of that,” he said. “I don’t know if you could make it where it was totally equitable all the way across the board for everybody. Certainly, there’s going to be outliers on every situation.”

Changes could come as soon as this upcoming season, but negotiations will have to move quickly.

“That would be the goal — to try and do this for next year, which is why the window to actually negotiate it will probably end sometime early summer,” he said.

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

NCAA President Charlie Baker speaks during the association’s annual convention in January.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, right, pose with the Prince of Wales trophy after Florida won the Eastern Conference nal.

The last year a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup

the stream

Nintendo’s Switch 2, Addison Rae album, ‘Presence,’ Ariana Madix returns to Fiji

The late Gene Hackman’s greatest lms come to the Criterion Channel

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A Shaquille O’Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok’s basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo’s Switch 2 are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time: Ariana Madix returns to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.,” TikTok star Addison Rae o ers her debut album “Addison,” and then there’s “Presence,” Steven Soderbergh’s movie entirely from the perspective a ghost.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Presence,” one of two excellent Sodebergh-directed, David Koepp-scripted movies released this year, now streaming on Hulu. The lm, a nifty, experimental little thriller, is lmed entirely from the perspective a ghost inside a home a family has just moved into. From a oating point of view, we watch as the mysterious presence, piecing together a past trauma while observing the unfolding a new one. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Presence” “a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”

Tyler Perry ‘s latest, “Straw,” stars Taraji P. Henson as a struggling single mother who, desperate for money to pay for her daughter’s prescriptions, robs a bank. The lm, co-starring Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor and Sinbad, debuts Friday on Net ix.

For anyone still mourning the death of Gene Hackman, a new series streaming Thursday on the Criterion Channel collects some of the late actor’s best lms. That includes William Friedkin’s seminal 1971 New York thriller “The French Connection,” Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation” and Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” a movie in which Hackman’s strained relationship with the director has been a subject

of conversation following his death. But also, don’t miss Arthur Penn’s 1975 “Night Moves,” a quintessential ’70s neo-noir that gave Hackman one of his most indelible roles in the private eye Harry Moseby.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Has there been a more seamless transition from TikTok social media star to full- edged pop music force than that of Rae? On Friday, she will release her debut LP “Addison,” one of the year’s most anticipated releases — from the Lana Del Rey-channeling “Diet Pepsi” to the trip-hop “Headphones On.” She’s managed to

To honor awardwinning actor Gene Hackman, who died earlier this year, the Criterion Channel is featuring a collection of some of his nest cinematic achievements.

tap into a kind of late-internet cool through a hybrid approach to pop music and a lackadaisical singing style. Could it be “Addison” summer? Only time will tell. Need your Cynthia Erivo x between “Wicked” lms? She’s got your back. The multihyphenate will release her sophomore LP, “I Forgive You,” on Friday, a collection of big belts and even bigger vulnerabilities, with gorgeous songs that sound as though they were ripped straight from Erivo’s diary. Listen closely and carefully for maximum enjoyment.

Anyone who thinks the mainstream music listening world has lost interest in rock bands

needs to simply look at Turnstile, the Baltimore hard-core punk band that could. They’ve largely left those harsh sounds behind and have opted for something more melodic and accessible — which is, arguably, part of the appeal for those curious parties — but they’ve maintained their hard-core ethos and edge. “Never Enough” is gearing up to be the biggest release of their career so far, and we say it’s time to get on board. And get in the pit.

TELEVISION TO STREAM

Madix has returned to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.” The new episodes have big shoes to ll. Last season was the top-rated reality series of 2024. It also broke through the cultural zeitgeist with social media memes and water cooler conversation. Madix says she’s not worried about duplicating that success and wants the contestants to focus on “creating their own lane by being truly themselves and bringing themselves to it, you’ll never lose by doing that.” The show streams six nights a week on Peacock.

As a teenager, Kristin Cavallari was a breakout of the MTV reality series “Laguna Beach” because of her un ltered honesty. She’s carried that with her throughout other reality shows

“(‘Presence’ is) a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”

and to her podcast “Let’s Be Honest.” Cameras rolled when Cavallari took the podcast on the road in March. That will air as the docuseries “Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour” is streaming on Peacock.

O’Neal also has his own docuseries now on Net ix called “Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal.” It’s an inside look at his e orts as president of Reebok’s basketball division. Allen Iverson is vice president. Both have a history with the brand. In 1992, O’Neal signed a deal with Reebok as a rookie playing for the Orlando Magic. Iverson famously inked a lifetime deal with the brand one year prior in 1991. The series will show the two pro ballplayers work to make Reebok Basketball cool and competitive in the sneaker market.

Get your feel-good TV x with Apple TV+’s new show, “Stick.” It stars Owen Wilson as Pryce, a broke and divorced former pro golfer who could use a break. He nds it in a teen phenom named Santi and volunteers to be his coach. The show is about chosen family and second chances. “Stick” is streaming now.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Nintendo fans worldwide are bracing themselves for the arrival of the Switch 2, a souped-up version of the eight-year-old console with new social features meant to draw players into online gaming. The highlight of the launch lineup is Mario Kart World, which features a Grand Prix for up to 24 drivers and introduces a sprawling open environment where “everywhere is your racecourse.” Other Day One arrivals include upgraded versions of the last two Legend of Zelda adventures and some popular third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction will be making their Nintendo debuts. The next generation takes the stage Thursday.

JUSTINE YEUNG / APPLE TV+ VIA AP

Owen Wilson, left, and Peter Dager appear in a scene from “Stick.”

NEON VIA AP

Chris Sullivan and Lucy Liu star in the thriller “Presence.”

AP PHOTO

STATE & NATION

As states roll out red carpets for data centers, some lawmakers push back

Taxes, utilities and red tape are signi cant blocks to development

By Marc Levy The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for arti cial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it’s also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.

Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Many states are o eringnancial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a ght or e orts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy e ciency standards.

Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy in ux of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the ghts revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want: large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water.

And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of

acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler.

While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments.

In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that’s landing in other states.

“Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson. “That’s the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won’t open its doors.”

It’s been a big year for data centers

Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while Kentucky and Arkansas expanded preexisting exemptions so that more projects will qualify.

Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water and clean energy, meet energy-e ciency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity.

Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three

dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.

“It’s often a nonstarter if you don’t have them, for at least the hyperscalers,” said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. “It’s just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.”

Zoning, energy ghts often frustrate developers

In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create “microgrid” districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his “landmark policy proposal” for 2025 to put West Virginia “in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.”

Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data center developers to procure their own power supply with-

out going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility.

The nal bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to nance the cost of new power plants.

“I do not like that we’re making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,” South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during oor debate.

Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they re ect a society that is “addicted” to electricity and are “ lling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we’re all

Trump withdraws nomination of Isaacman to

The Elon Musk associate and astronaut was expected to get Senate approval within weeks

By Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.”

It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,”

Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening

and, honestly, a bit thrilling.”

“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where lead-

“Leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

Jared

guilty of it. We’re all responsible for it.”

Some lawmakers are hesitant

In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back.

Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them.

Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill.

In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site’s noise pollution and water use.

In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state’s electric grid from fast-growing data center demand.

Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups.

Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such as data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency.

Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas.

“You’ve seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas,” Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. “I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.”

lead NASA

Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of space ights from SpaceX and conducted the rst private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon.

ers on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his rst chartered ight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of

Musk appeared to lament Trump’s decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to nd someone so competent and good-hearted.”

SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government E ciency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.

@POLARISPROGRAM / X

Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman climbs out of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the rst private spacewalk last year.

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center in August 2024 in Boardman, Oregon.

Isaacman

Randolph record

Three-peat for Eagles

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Alex Carver holds the trophy after the Eagles captured their third consecutive Class 1A state championship in baseball by winning two games against Perquimans on Saturday at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs. For a story and more photos, see Page B1.

WHAT’S

HAPPENING

Job openings rose in April, signaling strong labor market

Washington, D.C.

U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of con dence in their prospects — fell, and layo s ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022 when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.

Dollar General sets record as bargain stores attract more buyers

Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual pro t and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and o price retailers amid economic uncertainty. The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the rst drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business. Consumer spending also slowed sharply. For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5%, better than expected by Wall Street analysts.

$2.00

Commissioners approve loan to Seagrove for cannery development project

The $250,000 loan will help the town get a certi cate of occupancy for the cannery

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Randolph County is assisting the Town of Seagrove with one of its major projects.

At its June 2 meeting, the Randolph County Board of Commissioners approved a $250,000 loan to the Town of Seagrove to assist with its up t of the Historic Lucks Cannery.

“As of now, Seagrove has spent a little over $3 million to try and get the cannery up and operating,” said Seagrove Mayor David Fernandez. “We don’t have a certi cate of occupancy right now, which means two -thirds of the building we can’t use. So our request to the commission is to not give us

money, but to loan us the money that we need to nish the cannery and be able to get our certi cate of occupancy.”

The cannery is being developed into a ve-acre municipal center that will house community spaces, shops, entertainment and more, and according to Fernandez, the process for obtaining the certi cate of occupancy is expected to take just a few months now with the loan.

In terms of paying back the loan, Fernandez was con dent the town would be able to pay it back and stated the only reason they were even asking the county for funding now was due to the timing of potential businesses looking to occupy space in the cannery.

“In the ve years that we’ve been going about putting this together, we’ve raised over $3 million,” Fernandez said. “We currently have several grant requests out there to various foundations, and a large

“I’m very con dent that Seagrove will be able to pay it back.”

David Fernandez, Seagrove mayor

portion of the money that we’ve been able to raise already has been through grants and donations from individuals and corporations. We have a pretty good track record in that regard, and once the building is operating, we’ll also be generating income from the use of the facility.

“I’m very con dent that Seagrove will be able to pay it back.”

The board also approved the use of $116,000 in Law Enforcement Restricted Funds for the purchase of 25 BolaWrap 150 devices, as well as subscriptions for two data collec-

Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on Hickory street during house party

At least 80 shots were red just after midnight on Sunday

The Associated Press

HICKORY — Gun re erupted around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from eeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheri ’s deputies said.

Authorities said at least 80 shots were red in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running, ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law enforcement had made no arrests and was seeking tips from the public in the case.

A statement from the Catawba County Sheri ’s Ofce said a 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from as young as 16. It

said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously reported in critical condition. Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheri ’s spokesperson said. The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the o ce. Sheri ’s o ce Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord

tion software to streamline and centralize the process.

“The BolaWrap is a device that basically deploys a 71⁄2-foot, Kevlar tether with hooks on it,” said Chief Deputy Steven Nunn. “Where a lot of your less lethals, like tasers, beanbag rounds, things like that, use pain compliance, the idea behind this is to restrict movement. It wraps the person and allows the deputies a few extra seconds to get in there and gain control of the individuals.”

Finally, the board approved the merger of two re departments doing business within the county into the Central Piedmont Fire Department.

“Climax Fire Department is merging with Pleasant Garden Fire Department e ective July 1, 2025,” said Fire Marshal Erik Beard. “Both of these departments have a long history of providing the highest level of re protection to both the citizens of Randolph and Guilford counties, and I believe this merger will not only enhance those services but will preservethem for many years to come.”

While Pleasant Garden is based in Guilford County, it had provided services in Randolph County.

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet July 7.

in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory. He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was t he motivation for the shooting.

Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and included outdoor and indoor areas.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hickory Police Department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case with a specialized evidence response team, o cials said.

THE RANDOLPH COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — Mac Sherrill was honored as trustee emeritus by the Randolph Community College board of trustees.

Sherrill, a retiring board member, spent 28 years serving the community college. That included 12 years as board chair and six years as vice chair.

School o cials credit him with holding a critical role in RCC’s pandemic response, helping nurture the nursing program to record success rates, and aiding in securing the college’s No. 1 state ranking by two separate entities and a second-in-the-nation ranking by SmartAsset.

“Mac Sherrill’s commitment to Randolph Community College is the gold standard of leadership and advocacy in higher education,” RCC president/CEO Shah Ardalan said in a release.

“His strategic vision and tireless dedication have helped shape RCC into one of the most respected institutions in the state and beyond. Honoring him as Trustee Emeritus serves as a permanent reminder of his remarkable service and in uence on this college.”

During Sherrill’s time with the board programs such as Apprenticeship Randolph and the Industrial Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship took shape.

Former Randolph Community College board chair Mac Sherrill, center, was

“It is di cult to nd people who are willing to volunteer and make a commitment to an organization as Mac Sherrill has for Randolph Community College,” board chair Reynolds Lisk Jr. said.

Past trustee Emeritus honorees include Jack Lail, Martha Luck Comer Johnson and state Sen. Jerry Tillman.

PHOTO

Sherrill is past president of the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce and chaired the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation along with roles with the United Way, American Red Cross and the Lions Club. He participated in nine national Association of Community College Trustees national conferences.

Randolph Guide

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Randolph County:

June

5

Thrifty Thursday Senior Movie: “Man in the Moon” 1-3:30 p.m.

Admission is free for those 50 and over. Cost per ticket is $5 each for younger guests and includes a fun-size drink and popcorn.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

June

6

Friday Night Sunset Series: Held every Friday, May-August 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Admission for 21-plus and $8/person. A variety of homemade concessions are available for purchase, including hard cider, local wine, craft beer and a variety of seasonal cocktails. Admission does not include food or drink but does cover musical performances.

Millstone Creek Orchards 506 Parks Crossroads Church Road Ramseur

Two girls took their own lives in less than a month

By Je rey Collins The Associated Press

A RESIDENTIAL treatment school for girls outside Asheville has closed after a state investigation and the deaths of two of its students who took their own lives. Asheville Academy announced Tuesday that it released all of its students from its Weaverville campus this past weekend, saying the decision to voluntarily close was di cult.

The closing came a few days after state mental health ocials ordered the academy to

CRIME LOG

May 20

• Wesley Eugene Calhoun, 34, of Liberty, was arrested by Randolph County Sheri ’s O ce for possession of a rearm by a felon.

May 27

• Wesley Eugene Calhoun, 34, of Liberty, was arrested by RCSO for two counts of breaking and entering, three counts of larceny after breaking and entering, three counts of possessing stolen goods, two counts of larceny of a rearm, two counts of possessing a stolen rearm, and breaking and entering a

stop taking in new students until the school could show it was protecting girls from harm, abuse and neglect and was properly supervising employees.

That order came after the launch of a state investigation into Asheville Academy that began May 8, ve days after a 13-year-old girl killed herself at the school, o cials said.

The state ordered Asheville Academy to stop taking new patients on May 27. Two days later, authorities said a 12-year-old girl killed herself at the school — the second death in less than four weeks.

The academy said it released all of its students two days after that.

“We are utterly heartbroken

May 28

• John Ellis Newman Jr., 40, of Franklinville, was arrested by RCSO for ten counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

• Lonnie Wayne Beasley, 33, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for breaking and entering a motor vehicle with theft.

May 29

• James Anthony Duncan, 57, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine and resisting a public o cer.

by the loss of a young life and share our deepest condolences with the family and everyone touched by this tragedy. Out of respect for those grieving and in deference to ongoing investigations, we cannot provide further comment at this time,” the school said Saturday.

The school had 27 girls and was licensed to hold up to 90 students.

The owner of Asheville Academy had a nature-based residential therapy program for boys closed by North Carolina o cials last year. The license for Trails Carolina in Transylvania County was revoked after a 12-year-old boy was found dead in a cabin in February 2024, the day after he arrived.

May 30

• Douglas Arthur Daugherty II, 56, of Sophia, was arrested by RCSO for ve counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

• Max Gray Harris, 33, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia.

June 1

• Leomin Bolaina-Parez, 49, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for assault in icting serious injury and child abuse causing serious bodily injury.

June 7, 10 & 12

City of Asheboro Farmers Market

7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fresh seasonal produce, farm-fresh products, baked goods, and a variety of owers and plants are available for purchase directly from local farmers. Open weekly on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of October.

134 S. Church St. Asheboro

June 9 & 11

Liberty Farmers Market

4-7 p.m.

Purchase a wide array of high-quality, fresh produce from local farmers and growers at this convenient downtown location. Open every Monday and Wednesday through the end of October.

423 W. Swannanoa Ave. Liberty

June

10

Making Art with the Masters

11 a.m. to noon

Art classes each Tuesday for ages 8-12 that teach history, theory and practice; 11 a.m. classes are for ages 10-12, and 3:30 p.m. classes are for ages 8-9.

Asheboro Public Library 201 Worth St. Asheboro

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

We have no constitutional or moral duty to subsidize

Harvard

DO TAXPAYERS have a constitutional duty to bankroll Harvard University?

On MSNBC, David French argued that the Trump administration’s defunding of Harvard is little more than “political retaliation.” In the United States, we don’t sentence people before hearing the verdict, The New York Times columnist said. Ignoring due process is “directly contrary to our constitutional principles.”

French might not be aware that in addition to the joint-government task force’s claim that Harvard leadership failed to meaningfully confront pervasive insults, physical assault and intimidation of Jewish students, there’s also a blistering internal university taskforce report that maintains that Harvard allowed antisemitism to permeate “coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members and the worldview of certain academic programs.” Harvard concedes, “members of the Jewish and Israeli communities at Harvard reported treatment that was vicious and reprehensible.”

The verdict is in.

But, I suppose, I’d pose the situation in another way: If a government investigation and internal review both found that white supremacists on Harvard campus were terrorizing black students and engaging in racist marchers and that their violent beliefs had found favor in the school’s curriculums and in social life, would anyone on MSNBC argue that the government had an obligation to keep funding this school until a civil lawsuit worked its way through the courts? One suspects not.

Now, I’m not accusing French of being blind to the struggles of Jewish students. I am accusing him of being blinded by the presence of Donald Trump. Are the president’s motivations political? Probably. So what? So are those of Harvard’s defenders.

Harvard, a private institution, can do as it likes. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A statue of John Harvard, the rst major benefactor of Harvard College, is draped in the Palestinian ag at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April.

credentialed pseudointellectuals. If the Trump administration failed to follow a bureaucratic process before freezing funds to the university, ne. Get it done. But what “constitutional principle” dictates that the federal government must provide this speci c institution with $3 billion in federal contracts and grants? Giving it to them was a policy decision made by the executive branch. Withdrawing the funding is the same.

French reasons that the administration should, at very least, “target the entity and individuals responsible” for the bad behavior. Defund the Middle Eastern studies department, rather than, say, the pediatric cancer research department. I’m sympathetic to this idea. But funding, as we all understand, is fungible. Targeting one department will do nothing to change the culture.

Moreover, leadership is responsible for the

Abe Lincoln and the penny

Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out credentialed pseudointellectuals.

THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.

I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden- oored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.

I will still bend double to pick up a penny o the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.

My wife thinks that’s funny.

“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?”

“Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.” Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.

Some people think nding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck. President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support. But there’s not much outrage about the

A ve dollar bill and a penny.

Lincoln head penny being taken o the market.

Remember when they took Aunt Jemima o the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state. Lincoln, though, we ush Lincoln like he was John McCain. Of course, Abe is still on the n. Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half-a-yard. Yard. Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or n. So, he’s probably OK for now, even though

culture. It allowed, nay, nurtured, a Middle East Studies department sta ed by a slew of nutjobs. It’s not the only department. Think about it this way: There is a far higher likelihood of nding an apologist of Islamic terrorism than a Christian conservative on the Harvard faculty. Less than 3% of the Harvard faculty identify as conservative. There are real-world consequences for Harvard’s radicalism, as their grads are sta ng newsrooms, in uential law rms and government agencies without ever hearing a dissenting view. Anyway, if the school values its pediatric cancer research e orts so highly, why does it sacri ce grants and prestige by allowing bigoted bullies to run around campus targeting Jews? That’s a choice. As far as I can tell, not one student was expelled, much less suspended, for antisemitism in the two years since Oct. 7, 2023. If your answer is that the school feels a profound obligation to defend free expression, I suggest you speak to some pro-Israeli or pro-capitalist or pro-American or social conservative student on campus and see how comfortable they feel about airing opinions. Harvard nished last for the second year running in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s “College Free Speech Rankings” in 2024, along with Columbia University and New York University. The only speech Harvard values is the extremist variety. We should feel no patriotic imperative to fund speech we dislike, which is very di erent from the imperative of protecting speech we dislike. This distinction seems to be lost on many. Harvard, along with many left-wingers, argues that Trump’s funding freeze violates its First Amendment rights. Who knows what the courts will say? If they force the funding to continue, something is seriously wrong. Anyway, perhaps Harvard should dip into the $53 billion hedge fund it runs to back ll some of the funding. Or maybe it can hit up the Islamic sheiks of Qatar for some more cash. How about those Chicom apparatchiks? Maybe they can chip in. But taxpayers shouldn’t be compelled to subsidize an institution that almost exclusively teaches students to hate their values.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?

People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief-on-the-head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and ipping apjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole apjacks.

Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me. I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a apjack in his life.

Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will. A apjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.

Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”

COLUMN | MARC DION

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Fletcher Wayne Miller

June 15, 1947 – May 29, 2025

On May 29, 2025, Fletcher Wayne Miller’s faith was made sight. He is now face to face with the God that he has longed to be home with his entire life.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at the Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, with Eddie Voncannon and Jimmy Routh o ciating. Military honors will be provided by the Randolph County Honor Guard. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Ridge Funeral Home prior to the service.

Born on June 15, 1947, Fletcher grew up in Asheville and Thomasville, NC. He served valiantly in the army in Korea, and then later went on to lead a furniture trucking business. More than anything that he accomplished, Fletcher was de ned by a deep, unwavering love for the God that he followed all of the days of his life, and a genuine love for and delight in his family and his friends.

Fletcher’s relationship with his high school sweetheart, Cris, was the stu of Hallmark movies. He saw her across the room in high school and was instantly captivated. Fletcher stubbornly pursued a very uninterested Cris until he nally captured her heart with his signature dimples and larger-than-life personality. They married on December 16, 1962. As their marriage grew, their life together began to revolve around their kitchen table, a sacred place where con ict was gently resolved, where their well-worn Bibles were studied side-by-side, where they held family meetings with the children they loved dearly, and where they welcomed an endless stream of friends and family. Their relationship was marked by an enjoyment and passion that never dimmed even into their twilight years—their kids would often catch them shag dancing or kissing in the kitchen. Fletcher and Cris always signed their letters to each other, “I’ll love you till the 12th of never”— an unwavering commitment that they honored for 53 faithful, happy years. As Cris slowly succumbed to Alzheimer’s, Fletcher tenderly cared for his precious wife until the Lord called her home. We are certain that after seeing Jesus face to face, Fletcher then sprinted to nd his girl.

Fletcher found in nite delight in playing golf—his bookshelves were cluttered with trophies collected over a lifetime spent on the green. When he wasn’t playing one of his multiple rounds a week, he could be found putting in the hallway at home, meticulously perfecting his swing. Golf brought him great joy—not simply the game, but the fellowship it o ered with dear friends who shared his passion for the sport and for the Lord.

The brotherhood of men that formed around golf was a glimpse into the kind of community that

William Andrew Freeman

June 21, 1951 – May 29, 2025

William Andrew Freeman, 73, of Siler City, and formerly of Asheboro, passed away Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Siler City Center.

obituaries

we were created for—the kind of community that Fletcher is experiencing in perfection today.

Fletcher took tremendous pride in his yard. He could be found daily outside tending to the creation that God had given him to care for by planting owers, mowing, watering, or simply squinting his eyes and studying his grass. He loved Carolina basketball and cheering raucously for his Tar Heels—a passion which eventually in uenced his daughter to attend UNC. Known for his humor, magnetic personality and deep wisdom, Fletcher was a light in every room. Everyone wanted to be where he was. His uncanny ability to make the people around him dissolve in helpless laughter, and the dogged loyalty with which he served his family and friends made him unforgettable. Even in his nal years, friends would travel great distances simply to sit with him—a testimony to the love that he had so freely given all his life.

Everything that Fletcher treasured and held dear paled in comparison to the inexhaustible beauty and goodness he found in knowing and following Jesus. Fletcher loved the Lord deeply and clung to the truth that in Christ, he had been made a new creation. Jesus was his rst and truest love, and he fought daily to give the Lord rst place in his life. Every morning, his children saw their Father sitting in front of his open Bible. He was always quick to share a recent insight from his time with the Lord or delve into a lively discussion a ectionately known as “running a rabbit”. He was a man who spoke the truth—always direct, and somehow, always with deep love. You never questioned his thoughts; they came from a place of profound wisdom, authenticity and unwavering conviction. Even as his memory began to fade in his later years, he would smile and nod as his daughter read scripture over him. She would sometimes rest his hand on his Bible to bring him comfort—when he could remember little else, his body still remembered the feel of the well-worn pages that he had poured over for so many years. Fletcher understood deep in his bones that even when he could not remember the Lord, the Lord remembered him. God had Fletcher’s name engraved on the palm of his hand—the God who hated the brokenness of sin so much that he died to undo it held Fletcher tenderly and provided for him faithfully until he breathed his last. Very few men nish their race well—Fletcher Miller did. His legacy of faith has had an eternal impact on many, many people who experienced the gift of knowing and being loved by him.

Fletcher’s memory will be cherished, and his story will be told by his daughter, Alicia Miller, his son, Brian Miller, his brother Darrell Miller, his grandchildren Kayla and Jeremy Mitchell and Hagan Miller, his nieces and nephews and a deep, loving, faithful community of friendstoo many to name. We mourn the loss of Fletcher, but we know that he is not mourning now. The second he stepped out of the pain of this world, he stepped into the bliss of eternity, where everything sad is being made untrue. Fletcher is whole. He crossed the nish line of his faithful race and fell straight into the arms of Jesus, who bear-hugged him and whispered, ‘Well done, son. Welcome home.’

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants.” (Psalm 116:15)

A graveside memorial service will be held at a later date at Sawyersville Wesleyan Church Cemetery.

Mr. Freeman was born on June 21, 1951, in Montgomery County, NC. He enjoyed hunting, shing, and going to Myrtle Beach. Collecting old money, guns, and anything vintage was a lot of fun for him. He extremely enjoyed cats and dogs.

Mr. Freeman was preceded in death by his parents, Paul Wade Freeman and Ruby Evelyn Kelly Freeman.

Survivors include his brothers, Thomas Freeman, Don Freeman, Harold Freeman, Horace Freeman and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends at Ridge Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.

Ruby Mae Thompson Hill

Dec. 20, 1933 – May 28, 2025

Ruby Mae Thompson Hill, age 91, of Asheboro, passed away on May 28, 2025, at her home.

Mrs. Hill was born in Randolph County on December 20, 1933, to Henry and Aggie Tysinger Thompson. She was a member of Smyrna Grove Community Church. Ruby was a homemaker who loved to sew and make quilts. She loved to work with her owers and cook, persimmon pudding and biscuits being her specialties. Ruby never met a stranger and loved everyone. Ruby’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were her pride and joy. In addition to her parents, Ruby was preceded in death by her husband, Herman Hill, brother, Dempsey Thompson, infant sister, Margie Thompson, sister, Lucille Russell, and brother, David Thompson. She is survived by her children, Ronnie Hill (Cindy) of Asheboro, Roger Hill (Patty) of Asheboro, Wanda Talent (Chris) of Asheboro, and Kathy Robbins (Robin) of Seagrove; grandchildren, Travis Talent (Beth), Jason Hill, Dale Hill, Danny Hill, Ti any Smith (Je ), Tyler Robbins (Morgan), and Morgan Hill; great grandchildren, Chase, Kayla, Cameron, Carter, Ayden, Bentley, Hudson, Hadley, Cooper, and Emmalyn; sisters, Gladys Smith, Faye Thompson (Je Whiting), and Helen Barrett (Frank).

The family will receive friends on Friday, May 30, 2025, from 10-10:50 a.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro. Funeral services will follow on Friday at 11 a.m. at the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Chapel with Mike Thompson o ciating. Burial will be held at the Smyrna Grove Community Church Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Thomas “Tommy” Ralph Powers

Oct. 11, 1952 – May 27, 2025

Thomas “Tommy” Ralph Powers, age 72, of Randleman, passed away May 27, 2025, at Brookstone Haven Nursing Home. He was born October 11, 1952, in Siler City, North Carolina, the son of the late Thomas Randall Powers and Lilly Mae Callahan Powers. He is also preceded in death by his brothers, Jack Powers, David Powers, Eli Powers, Je Powers and Bobby Martindale, and halfsister Kaye Powers. Tommy was a skilled laborer in the construction industry until he became disabled. He had a profound love for shing and the State of Florida. He liked to watch eagles y and old westerns. He is survived by Rev. Dr. Phillip Aaron Powers and wife Stephanie of Mebane, NC and Thomas Michael Powers of Asheville, NC; four grandchildren; brothers, Billy Gray Martindale and wife Debbie of Randleman and Randall Franklin Powers of Lexington; sister Mary Dale “Cindy” Hayes of Coleridge, NC; Josephine Powers Brey of Asheboro, NC; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends at Brookstone Haven.

The family may hold a private service at a later date.

Janice Lee Gallimore Peck

May 6, 1953 – May 28, 2025

Janice Lee Gallimore Peck, born on May 6, 1953, in Chatham County, North Carolina, passed away peacefully at her residence on May 28, 2025, at the age of 72.

Janice dedicated many years of her life to the food industry, working diligently as a server. Her warm smile and attentive nature made her beloved among colleagues and patrons alike.

Beyond her professional life, Janice had a deep love for the beach, where she found serenity in the sound of crashing waves and the feel of sand beneath her feet. She was an avid collector of dolls, cherishing each piece for its unique beauty. Janice also greatly enjoyed going out, dancing and immersing herself in the joy that music brought. She is preceded in death by her parents, Herman Gallimore and Joyce Stalker Poe; her son, Joey Jacques; and her brother, Je Gallimore.

Janice is survived by her loving daughter, Nicki Casper and husband Steven of Star; her devoted sons, Jeremy Jacques of Franklinville and Zachary Peck of Siler City; her caring sisters, Jeanette Gallimore Teague of Siler City and Jessie Gallimore Martin of Staley; and her cherished grandchildren, Aulston Jacques, Aaron Jacques, Ashlin Jacques, Annabelle Grace Peck and Moriah Davis and husband Joseph. Her family will honor her memory with a service of remembrance at a later date. Janice will be dearly missed by all who knew her and whose lives she touched with her kindness and joy. Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service in Asheboro is honored to assist the family of Ms. Janice Peck during this di cult time.

Prudence Frisbie

Sept. 13, 1950 –May 26, 2025

Mrs. Agnes Prudence Fitzgerald Frisbie, age 74, of Sophia, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 26, 2025, at Hospice of Randolph, Asheboro, NC.

Prudence was the daughter of the late Je erson Earl Fitzgerald and the late Bertha Gray Ingram. She was born in Asheboro on September 13, 1950. She loved horses, dogs, all animals, and mostly her friends. She worked and trained horses for over 40 years; that’s where her heart was.

Prudence is survived by her husband, Harry Frisbie; son: Je Frisbie (Jill); grandsons: Nick Frisbie (Chelsea), and Aaron Frisbie (April Ennis, Fiance’); great grandchildren: Kinley, Milo, and Indy Rae; brothers-in-law: Frank Frisbie and Mark Frisbie.

Donations in Prudence’s honor may be made to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC, 27203.

A casual get-together for family and friends will be planned in the near future to celebrate her life.

July 9, 1938 – May 28, 2025

Lucille Harvell Lamb, age 86, of Sophia, went home to meet her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at Hospice House of Randolph.

Lucille was a native and lifelong resident of Randolph County. She was formerly employed with Commonwealth Hosiery for 45 years. Lucille was of the Baptist faith and loved spending time with family and friends. She enjoyed being outside, especially near water, whether it was a lake or a beach.

Lucille was preceded in death by her parents, Jacob Daniel Harvell and Alice Lineberry Harvell; husband, Paul; brothers, GT and Lester Harvell; sisters, Gladys Webster, Mary Crout, and Rosa Stutts.

Lucille is survived by her daughter, Angela Nelson and her husband, Kevin of Sophia; grandson, Derek Nelson of Sophia.

In lieu of owers, the family asks that donations be made in Lucille’s name to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Pugh Funeral Home in Randleman is honored to serve the Lamb family.

James V. “Jim” Williams

March 12, 1950 –May 27, 2025

James V. “Jim” Williams, 75, of Franklinville, passed away on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at his residence.

Memorial Services, 2 p.m., Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 4820 Liberty Grove Road, Liberty, NC 27298.

Jim graduated in 1968 from George Washington High School in Danville, VA, and spent most of his adult life working as a painting contractor. He loved animals, enjoyed shing, gardening and going to the beach. Most of these activities brought even more happiness to him when shared with his beloved wife, Phyllis. Jim had a very strong faith in God and the Bible’s promises for a better future with the hope of everlasting life. He attended the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Liberty, NC.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin James Williams and Betty Jean Williams and his wife of 32 years, Phyllis Thompson Williams, who passed away only nine months before Jim. Following her passing, he was brokenhearted and lonely.

Survivors are a daughter, April W. Murray and husband, Jim, of Belmont, sister, Charle Elaine Williams, of Danville, VA, stepchildren, James D. Frazier and wife, Carol, Sandra F. Stanley and husband, Tracy, Lisa F. Dunn, Phillip Dean Frazier, all of Ramseur, Harvey Lynn Frazier, of Silk Hope, as well as several stepgrandchildren.

Arrangements by Lo in Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur.

Lucille Harvell Lamb

Raeford Monroe Coley

June 1, 1953 – May 31, 2025

Raeford Monroe Coley, age 71, of Asheboro, passed away May 31, 2025, at his home.

A funeral service will be held at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at Pisgah Church with Pastor Arnold Luther and Pastor Kevin Coley o ciating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. He was born in Chatham County on June 1, 1953, to the late Euma Cleo “Boss” Coley and Margaret Helena Wright Coley. He graduated from Eastern Randolph High School. After graduating, he worked as a brick mason as the owner of Coley Masonry.

In addition to his parents, Raeford was preceded in death by sisters, Margaret Ann Shore, Martha Coley Kinney; brothers Thomas “Tommy” Coley, Jesse Coley, Euma “Buck” Coley Jr.; brother-in-law, Phillip Cagle; and mother-in-law, Helen Cagle.

Raeford is survived by his wife of 48 years, Diane Cagle Coley of the home; son, Kevin Coley and wife Renee of Archdale, daughter, Cheryl Henderson and husband Seth of Asheboro; grandchildren, Joah Coley, Morgan Coley, Lillian Coley, Daniel Coley, Selah Henderson, Jamie Henderson; father-in-law, Jimmy Cagle; sisters, Phyllis Overman of Snow Camp, Kaye Joyce Coley Smith and husband, Ed of Asheboro; brother, David Coley and wife, Vickie of Sanford, and several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Coley is also survived by his brothers-in-law, Amos Shore of Franklinville, Carl Kinney of Ramseur, sisters-in-law, Sarah Coley of Asheboro, Sharon Coley of Seagrove, Cynthia Cagle of Asheboro, and Patricia Jarvis and husband Sam of Asheboro.

Raeford enjoyed coaching his kids and many others through the years. He thoroughly enjoyed being a papaw to his six grandkids and mowing the lawn on his John Deere mower.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Pisgah Church, 5373 Pisgah Covered Bridge Road, Asheboro, NC 27205.

Larry Bennett

Nov. 30, 1946 – May 29, 2025

Larry Bennett, 78, of Randleman, passed away Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Pennybyrn at Mary eld in High Point. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Dean Tsialkas o ciating. Military honors will be provided by the Randolph County Honor Guard.

Born November 30, 1946, in Robeson County, NC, Mr. Bennett was the son of the late Charlie Lester Bennett and Mabel Johnson Bennett. He worked at Black & Decker and Bordon Chemical. Mr. Bennett loved shing at the beach, playing golf, and was an avid Duke fan, especially college basketball. Spending time at his grandchildren’s sporting games brought him the most joy.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Bennett was preceded in death by his brother, Eugene Bennett, and his sister, Carolyn Capps.

Mr. Bennett is survived by his son, Anthony Bennett, and wife, Kelly, of Asheboro; grandchildren, Dustin Bennett, Cody Bennett and wife Megan, Tyler Bennett, Gracie Ann Bennett; great-grandchildren, Andy Bennett, Kinsley Bennett, and Lesley Bennett.

The family will receive friends at Ridge Funeral Home following the memorial service.

Michael Wayne West

May 12, 1952 – May 30, 2025

Michael Wayne West, 73, of Randleman, went home to the arms of his Lord and Savior on Friday, May 30, 2025, while at Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro.

Completed service arrangements will be updated as soon as they are available.

Wayne was a native of Bennettsville South Carolina and a longtime resident of Randolph County. He was employed with the United States Postal Service for 28 years and was a member of Friendship Baptist Church.

Wayne loved going to the beach, eating good food and spending time with his family, but most of all he loved his Savior, Jesus.

Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, William B. Pen eld and Cecil Mae Hardee West, sister, Lee Pulp, and brothers, Elderage, Charles, and James West.

Survivors: wife of 56 years, Deborah Fagg “Debbie” West, of the home, daughters, Melissa Kinton, of Asheboro, Deanna Payne (David), of Asheboro, Kim Newman (Roland), of Belews Creek, son, James West, of Randleman, grandchildren, Brandon, Alivia, Miranda, Jacob, Bryan and Andrew, twelve greatgrandchildren, one great-greatgrandchild.

Arrangements by Lo in Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur.

In lieu of owers memorials may be made to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Cecil Robert Gregory

Oct. 7, 1956 – May 28, 2025

Cecil Robert Gregory, born on October 7, 1956, in Richmond County, North Carolina, passed away peacefully at the Richmond County Hospice House on May 28, 2025, at the age of 68.

Throughout his life, Mr. Gregory was known for his dedication and skill as a diesel mechanic, spending many years working on trains. His meticulous nature and love for engines extended beyond his career; he often found joy in tinkering with cars and driving trucks. However, it was the time he spent with his beloved grandchildren that truly brought him the greatest happiness.

A proud veteran of the United States Army, Cecil served his country with honor and integrity. His service left an indelible impact on those who knew him, both during and after his military career.

Cecil was preceded in death by his loving parents, Cecil Phillip and Bobbie Prevatt Gregory, his brothers Gary and Keith Gregory, and his sister Janet Gregory. His memory will be cherished by his surviving family: his daughter, Crystal Perdew, and her husband Chris of Ellerbe; his son, Robert Eugene Gregory of Rockingham; and his twelve adored grandchildren. He is also remembered fondly by his close friends, Darrell and Ted Goodson.

The family will hold a service of remembrance at a later date to honor Cecil’s life and legacy. His presence will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his spirit and lessons will live on in the hearts of his loved ones forever. Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service in Asheboro is honored to assist the family of Mr. Cecil Gregory during this di cult time.

George Ralph Sondecker III

Oct. 13, 1946 – May 30, 2025

George Ralph Sondecker III, age 78 of Asheboro, NC, passed away on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Randolph Health.

George was born on October 13, 1946, in Pittsburgh, PA, to George Ralph Sondecker II and Idell Roberts Sondecker. George was the oldest of ve children and an engineer by trade who could truly x anything. He received his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Cleveland State University before completing executive education programs at the University of Michigan and Ohio State University. George proudly served his country as a Captain in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

Following his military service, he worked for the Energizer Battery Company. While at Energizer, he developed several patents and served as the Global Director of Engineering before retiring after 30 years. George enjoyed traveling, mission work, gardening and woodworking. Most of all, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather and brother. In addition to his parents, George is preceded in death by his brother, Lee Sondecker.

George is survived by his wife of 51 years, Brenda Nash Sondecker, daughters, Stacey Sondecker Bennett (Tate) of Wake Forest, Sara Jane Sondecker Fielder (Robert Jr.) of Houston, TX, Mary Kay Sondecker (Karl Goza) of Ashburn, VA; son, George Ralph Sondecker IV (Elizabeth) of Los Angeles, CA; grandchildren, Savannah, Lauralee, Robert III, Emma, Lilian, Maddie, Catherine, Caroline, and George V arriving in October 2025; sister, Kathy Basa (Marty) of Friendswood, TX; brother, Chuck Sondecker (Gayle) of Mans eld, TX; sister, Mary Handel (Gene) of Dallas, TX; sister-in-law, Norma Banhidy of Strongsville, OH; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Friday, June 6, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Ave., Asheboro. The Celebration of Life service will follow at 2 p.m. in the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Chapel. The burial will take place in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery at a later date.

Memorials may be made in George’s honor to Tunnels2Towers, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or the organization of the donor’s choice.

Dorothy Denise Dougherty Schisler

July 22, 1938 – May 27, 2025

Dorothy Denise Dougherty Schisler, age 86, of Asheboro, passed away peacefully on May 27, 2025, surrounded by her family at home. She was born July 22, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of the late James Joseph Dougherty and Dorothy Denise Dougherty. She worked as a cardiac care nurse with both Johns Hopkins and the Greater Baltimore Medical Center until her retirement. A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Carol Edwards Jones

Aug. 1, 1936 – May 29, 2025

Carol Edwards Jones, age 88, of Asheboro, passed away on May 29, 2025, at her home. Mrs. Jones was born in Sparta, NC, on August 1, 1936, to Chap and Margie McGrady Edwards. Carol was a 1954 graduate of Sparta High School, where she played basketball, and she attended UNC-G. Carol was a member of First Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir. She loved to play the piano and paint. She and her husband enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, Europe and South America. Carol also loved the beach, especially Cherry Grove in South Carolina, and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, Carol was preceded in death by her son-inlaw, Gill Frye. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Victor Allen Jones; daughters, Caroline Jones Frye of Asheboro and Julie Jones of Asheboro; son, Victor Allen Jones Jr. (Elizabeth) of Charlotte; grandchildren, Michael Frye (Morgan), Zach Frye (Kaci), Victor Alexander Jones, and Olivia Ann Jones; great grandchildren, Jaxon, Eli, and Colbie; and her special caregivers, Donna Hoover and Jessica Carter. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, from 1-2 p.m. at First Baptist Church sanctuary in Asheboro. Funeral services will follow on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church with Rev. Stephen Owen and Dr. John Rogers o ciating. Private family interment will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Cranberry Cemetery in Laurel Springs, NC. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Building Fund, 133 North Church Street, Asheboro, NC 27203 or Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Danny Cecil Pierce

Aug.11, 1961 – May 27, 2025

Danny Cecil Pierce, age 63, of Sophia, NC, passed away at home on May 27, 2025. Danny was born on August 11, 1961, in Thomasville, NC, to Cecil Pierce and Joyce Webb. A lifelong handyman, Danny had a natural talent for xing anything and everything, often crafting something out of nothing. He loved working on cars and shing any chance he could, and spending time with his beloved dogs. He was a man who never liked to sit still, always believing that being idle was just “laziness.” Whether he was tinkering in the garage or helping someone out, Danny lived a life of action and usefulness. He loved his family deeply and found great pride and joy in being a grandfather and greatgrandfather. Danny shared 37 years of marriage with his late wife, Patricia Gail Dagenhart, and together they built a life lled with love, resilience and family. Danny is preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Gail Dagenhart, and his parents, Cecil Pierce and Joyce Webb. He is survived by his grandson, Brad Dagenhart (Megan); his granddaughter, Haven Dagenhart; and six cherished great-grandchildren.

Danny will be remembered for his strong work ethic, his love for his family, and his ability to turn every moment into something meaningful.

Pugh Funeral Home of Asheboro is honored to serve the Pierce Family.

Heather “Sis” Michelle Mulkey

Sept. 22, 1977 – May 29, 2025

Heather “Sis” Michelle Mulkey, age 47, of Asheboro, passed away peacefully May 29, 2025, at her home surrounded by her family after a courageous battle with liver disease and diabetes. She was born on September 22, 1977, in Texarkana, Texas, the daughter of Billy Dean Mulkey and Patty Horner Mulkey.

Heather’s radiant spirit touched the lives of those around her in ways both profound and simple. She was a gentle soul with a boundless love for animals. Her cherished dog, Bentley, was more than a companion; he was a testament to her nurturing heart.

Heather also welcomed a turtle named Kiwi into her life, allowing him the freedom to roam her home, mingling with the cats and dog in delightful harmony. The playful antics between Kiwi and Bentley were always a delight to witness, especially when treats were stolen by Kiwi from Bentley. These moments always brought a smile to Heather’s face, always enjoying their charming and humorous interactions.

Heather’s passion extended beyond her immediate circle to the underwater worlds she created with her beautiful sh tank landscapes. By night, these glowing aquariums transformed her home into a beacon of tranquility and fascination, o ering passersby a glimpse of her creativity at night from her window. Her legacy is one of compassion, warmth and an inspiring reminder of the simple joys found in all life. Though her presence will be deeply missed, the memory of her gentle kindness will continue to shine brightly in the hearts of those who knew her.

Left to cherish her memory are her parents, Billy Dean Mulkey and Patty Horner Mulkey; brother, Michael Mulkey and wife Brandy; nephew, Wesley Mulkey; grandmother, Ann Alice Mulkey; her beloved canine companion, Bentley; and numerous other beloved family and friends.

Heather is preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Barbara Thompson, Charles Mike Thompson; paternal grandfather, Jimmy Neal Mulkey; aunt, Betty Gann; and uncles, Tony Mulkey, Larry Mulkey and Joe Mulkey.

The family will hold a private service to celebrate the life of Heather at a later date.

The family would like to thank Pastor Mark Wilburn, the dedicated sta of Hospice of Randolph, and the devoted nurses at Randolph Health, whom Heather referred to as “The Girls,” for their compassionate care.

Flowers are welcome, or memorial donations may be made to Balfour Baptist Church, 1642 N. Fayetteville Street, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Randolph Record at obits@ randolphrecord.com

STATE & NATION

As states roll out red carpets for data centers, some lawmakers push back

Taxes, utilities and red tape are signi cant blocks to development

By Marc Levy The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for arti cial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it’s also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.

Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Many states are o eringnancial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a ght or e orts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy e ciency standards.

Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy in ux of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the ghts revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want: large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water.

And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of

acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler.

While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments.

In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that’s landing in other states.

“Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson. “That’s the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won’t open its doors.”

It’s been a big year for data centers

Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while Kentucky and Arkansas expanded preexisting exemptions so that more projects will qualify.

Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water and clean energy, meet energy-e ciency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity.

Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three

dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.

“It’s often a nonstarter if you don’t have them, for at least the hyperscalers,” said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. “It’s just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.”

Zoning, energy ghts often frustrate developers

In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create “microgrid” districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his “landmark policy proposal” for 2025 to put West Virginia “in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.”

Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data center developers to procure their own power supply with-

out going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility.

The nal bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to nance the cost of new power plants.

“I do not like that we’re making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,” South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during oor debate.

Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they re ect a society that is “addicted” to electricity and are “ lling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we’re all

guilty of it. We’re all responsible for it.”

Some lawmakers are hesitant

In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back.

Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them.

Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill.

In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site’s noise pollution and water use. In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state’s electric grid from fast-growing data center demand.

Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups.

Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such as data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency.

Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas.

“You’ve seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas,” Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. “I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.”

Trump withdraws nomination of Isaacman to lead NASA

The Elon Musk associate and astronaut was expected to get Senate approval within weeks

By Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.”

It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,”

Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening

and, honestly, a bit thrilling.”

“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where lead-

“Leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

ers on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his rst chartered ight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of

Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of space ights from SpaceX and conducted the rst private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon.

Musk appeared to lament Trump’s decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to nd someone so competent and good-hearted.”

SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government E ciency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.

@POLARISPROGRAM / X

Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman climbs out of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the rst private spacewalk last year.

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center in August 2024 in Boardman, Oregon.

Jared Isaacman

RandolpH SPORTS

UCA’s baseball team captures third straight state championship

The Eagles responded from a Game 1 setback to win twice on the season’s nal day

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

HOLLY SPRINGS — It was a di erent route for Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team in the Class 1A state nals.

The Eagles ended up in the same place.

It took two victories on thenal day of the season for UCA to secure its third consecutive championship Saturday at Ting Stadium.

“We pitched and played defense so well,” coach Rob Shore said. “These guys decided they wanted it, and they came out here and did it.”

UCA won 6-4 in Game 2 to even the series with Perquimans and, a few hours later, rode Jake Hunter’s pitching and big hits from Grat Dalton to a 6-0 title-securing victory.

UCA nished the season with a 20-12 record. Perquimans ended at 26-8.

Dalton doubled and scored the rst run in the third inning

of the decisive game and later smacked a two-run home run.

“It gave us a lot of momentum there, and we just kept our foot on their throat and continued to play our game,” Dalton said. The sudden power surge even caught the junior catcher by surprise.

“It’s not something I expected to do,” Dalton said of his homer.

“After my double, I was feeling myself a little bit, had condence and took advantage of it.”

Landon Zephir provided a

sacri ce y to make it 2-0, and Dalton’s homer doubled the margin. Jaxon Mabe hammered a run-scoring triple and scored on Daniel Brandon’s single.

Hunter’s six-hitter included one walk and ve strikeouts. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series for the second year in a row.

“As soon as that rst inning (arrived), I had my stu , and I knew it was going to be over,” Hunter said.

In the day’s afternoon game,

UCA racked up six rst-inning runs, and Logun Wilkins worked his way through some tough spots to register a complete game. Wilkins was largely e cient — aided by Brandon’s diving catch in center eld to end Perquimans’ second inning — with an eight-hitter with six strikeouts.

“It’s good we started hitting early,” Wilkins said, suggesting it was his worst out of the season on the mound. But he was good enough,

“As soon as that rst inning (arrived), I had my stu and I knew it was going to be over.”

Jake Hunter, UCA pitcher

withstanding a Pirates runner on second base with no outs in the top of the rst inning.

Alex Carver drilled a two-run double over center elder Sean Saunders’ head for a big blow, though Zephir added a tworun single and later scored on a two-out double steal. Ty McAuley followed with an RBI bloop single.

“We’ve never been to a Game 3 before,” Wilkins said.

“It’s a lot di erent.”

Shore said: “I’ll take a win, but we’ve got to play better.”

The Eagles answered that plea.

Until Friday’s 4-1 loss in Game 1, the Eagles had never lost on championship weekend. Their three previous titles also includes the 2019 version.

The goal stayed the same even if the method was altered.

“We forced a Game 3 and it is a little bit di erent,” Shore said.

“We’re still playing for it all.”

In Friday’s clash, Brett Smith took the loss on the mound. He gave up a run in the rst and three more in the second. Mabe’s run-scoring single had tied the game in the top of the second.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

It was time for another celebration as Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team reacted after winning the Class 1A championship series.

PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Left, the Uwharrie Charter Academy baseball team and its fans enjoyed another Class 1A state championship in Holly Springs. Right, UCA pitcher/shortstop Jake Hunter holds the MVP plaque.

Jake Hunter throws a pitch during Game 3 of the state nals.

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Jaxon Mabe was red up during the Class 1A state nals.

PHOTOS BY PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Members of the UCA baseball team celebrate on the eld after the nal out in Saturday night’s state nal.

Daniel Brandon

Daniel Brandon of UCA takes a swing during the Class 1A state nals.

Uwharrie Charter Academy, baseball

Brandon gave the state champion Eagles a boost defensively from his center eld position. He also o ered production in the lineup. In Saturday night’s decisive Game 3 of the state championship series against Perquimans, Brandon had two hits and drove in a run at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs. Earlier in the day, he scored a run in UCA’s victory in Game 2. The Eagles won the Class 1A state title for the third year in a row.

American Legion teams fall

Postponements impacted the schedules for both Randolph County teams during the past week

Randolph Record sta

LEXINGTON — Randolph County Post 45 lost for the rst time this season in American Legion baseball with Sunday’s 7-6 setback to host Davidson County Post 8. Randolph County overcame a ve-run de cit to pull even before Davidson County scored the nal run. Zack Scruggs drove in two runs for Post 45. Tate Andrews, one of four pitchers used, took the loss.

The game came after a week o because of weather-re-

lated schedule adjustments.

Post 45 and Liberty Post 81 have two scheduled meetings during a ve-day stretch. There was a scheduled matchup Wednesday night at Eastern Randolph and a rematch Sunday night at McCrary Park in Asheboro.

• Post 81, which had three games postponed last week, fell twice on the weekend.

Liberty dropped a 7-1 decision at host Hamlet Post 49 on Saturday. Luke Johnson suffered the pitching defeat.

On Sunday, also at Hamlet, Garner Post 232 topped Post 81 by 9-4 in a rain-shortened ve-inning game. Grant Kirk homered and Westin Phillips had a two-run double for winless Post 81. Cade McCallum took the loss.

Carter becomes youngest golfer to claim title in Asheboro City Amateur

Carter said he had seen the list of past winners and gured it would be a notable achievement to be added to that group.

“It’s always a goal to have my name on there,” he said.

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Connor Carter became the youngest champion of the Asheboro City Amateur by winning the 2025 tournament during the weekend.

Carter celebrated his 20th birthday Saturday and a day later became the event’s champion.

“I didn’t want to put pressure on about it,” he said. “I de nitely thought being the youngest was something I wanted to do.”

His 2-under-par 211 was good enough for a ve-stroke victory on Asheboro’s Sam Davidson of Asheboro, a former Division I college golfer.

Carter shot 70 at Asheboro Country Club on Friday, 71 at Asheboro Municipal Golf Course on Saturday and then produced a 2-under 70 on the nal day at Pinewood Country Club, which is his home course.

Carter, a 2023 Eastern Randolph graduate, recently nished his sophomore season on the Catawba College men’s golf team.

In high school, Carter was a state runner-up twice (2022 and 2023) in Class 1A. Until the past week, he hadn’t won a tournament since a couple of youth-level events two years ago prior to entering college.

He was in the Asheboro City Amateur for the third time, nishing in fth place last year.

“I try to prepare myself like it’s a tournament in college,” Carter said.

Carter said it took him time to adjust to damp greens in Friday morning’s round and that Saturday’s winds caused some di cult conditions. Arriving at Pinewood Country Club for the nal round was ideal for Carter, who has worked there for several years.

“I got a new putter two or three weeks ago,” he said.

“Mentally, I regained my putting stroke. The greens were rolling pretty fast.” Connor

“Mentally, I regained my putting stroke. The greens were rolling pretty fast.” Carter said he’ll likely enter some Carolinas Golf Association competitions in the coming weeks. Davidson, who was the runner-up for the third time in four years, had rounds of 75, 75 and 66. Jacob Clodfelter was third at 217 (75, 72, 70), while Liberty’s Steve Kidd, the runner-up last year, was next at 218 (68, 73, 77). Fifth place went to David Elliott with 219 (70, 75, 74). Flight winners were Garrett Law ( rst ight, 229), Jack Chambers (second ight, 243), Ryan Hill (third ight, 272) and Ricci D’Angelo (super senior, 231). There were 95 total entrants.

Asheboro’s team began the Coastal Plain League season with a variety of results

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — Davis Germann made a big impression in the rst home game of the season for the Asheboro ZooKeepers by belting three home runs.

The power displayed provided highlights as the ZooKeepers won back-to-back games following a season-opening loss as the Coastal Plain League baseball season began last week.

Germann’s three-homer game came in an 11-1, seven-inning victory against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms on Friday night at McCrary Park.

The right elder out of Morehead State nished with seven

runs batted in. He set the tone with a two-out grand slam in the rst inning before adding a two-run shot in the third and a solo blast in the sixth. Germann also played for the ZooKeepers last year. Jake Minarik also nished

with three hits for Asheboro. Mason McDaniel was the winning pitcher with three shutout innings of relief. Starting pitcher Joe Rauscher held the HiToms to one run on six innings across four innings. Seojun Oh homered in Saturday’s 10-0 victory at Martinsville’s Hooker Field, while pitchers Connor Darling and Nathanael Volk combined for eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts against the Martinsville Mustangs. Darling logged ve innings. Asheboro fell 11-3 in its season opener last Thursday to the host Holly Springs Salamanders despite Yariel Diaz’s tworun home run in the top of the rst inning. Shane Keup took the loss.

Asheboro’s upcoming home games include Thursday night against the Boone Bigfoots and Saturday night vs. Martinsville.

The former Eastern Randolph golfer had a birthday during the golf tournament

Connor Carter sinks the nal putt to win the Asheboro City Amateur on Sunday.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

ZOOKEEPERS PHOTO Davis Germann

Carter, area golfer

Connor Carter, second from right, holds the trophy Sunday along with tournament organizers, from left, Chuck Welch, Rob Elliott and Chad Clark.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

RFK assassinated, D-Day in Normandy, AA founded, escape from Alcatraz

JUNE 5

1794: Congress passed the Neutrality Act, which prohibited Americans from taking part in any military action against a country that was at peace with the United States.

1968: Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles; assassin Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was arrested at the scene.

2002: Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her Salt Lake City home.

JUNE 6

1844: The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in London.

1939: The rst Little League Baseball game was played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

1944: During World War II, nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, on D-Day as they launched Operation Overlord to liberate German-occupied Western Europe. More than 4,400 Allied troops were killed on D-Day, including 2,501 Americans.

JUNE 7

1776: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia o ered a resolution to the Continental Congress stating “these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent States.”

1929: The sovereign state of Vatican City formally came into existence as the Italian Parliament rati ed the Lateran Treaty in Rome.

1942: The Battle of Midway ended in a decisive victory for American naval forces over Imperial Japan, marking a turning point in the Paci c War.

JUNE 8

A.D. 632: The prophet Muhammad died in Medina.

1867: Modern American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin.

1968: Authorities announced the capture in London of James Earl Ray, the suspected assassin of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2018: Celebrity chef, author, and CNN host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in eastern France in what authorities determined was a suicide.

JUNE 9

1732: James Oglethorpe received a charter from Britain’s King George II to found the colony of Georgia. 1870: Author Charles Dick-

ens died in Gad’s Hill Place, England.

1915: Guitarist, songwriter, and inventor Les Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

1983: Britain’s Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, won a decisive election victory.

JUNE 10

1692: The rst execution resulting from the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts took place as Bridget Bishop was hanged.

1935: Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith and William Gri th Wilson.

1977: James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee with six others.

JUNE 11

1509: England’s King Henry VIII married his rst wife, Catherine of Aragon.

1770: Captain James Cook, commander of the British ship Endeavour, “discovered” the Great Barrier Reef o Australia by running onto it.

1955: In motor racing’s worst disaster, more than 80 people were killed during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France when two of the cars collided and crashed into spectators.

1962: Three prisoners at Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay staged an escape, leaving the island on a makeshift raft; they were never found or heard from again.

2001: Timothy McVeigh was executed by injection for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.

AP PHOTO

Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1986.

AP PHOTO

Operation Overlord, the code name for the Allied invasion of the Normandy coast in France during World War II, was launched on June 6, 1944. The D-Day invasion helped change the course of the war.

John Fogerty celebrates 80th with show in Manhattan

The artist lost the rights to his own songs until recently

By Hillel Italie

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — As he turned 80 last week, John Fogerty was in a mood to honor his past and to revise it.

We should all be so alive and so remembered at his age. Fogerty, in the midst of an international tour, played a rowdy 100-minute set last Thursday night to an adoring, near-capacity audience at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre. Crowd members spanned from those likely to remember “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son” and other Creedence Clearwater Revival hits when rst released a half-century ago to those looking young enough to have heard about them through their grandparents.

At least from a distance, Fogerty didn’t look or sound much di erent from his prime with Creedence, which was rarely o the charts between 1969 and 1971. He wore his trademark annel shirt; had the same shaggy haircut, although with his bangs brushed back; sang with a vintage roar that

John Fogerty won a Grammy for his solo album “Blue Moon

in 1998.

has mellowed only slightly; and even played the same guitar, a Rickenbacker, that he had acquired back in the late ’60s.

Fogerty presented himself as a proud rock ’n’ roller and a very proud family man. His band includes two of his sons on guitar, Shane and Tyler, with daughter Kelsy briefly joining them on a third guitar. O to the side was his wife, Julie, whom he praised as the love and the hero of his life, if only because she gave one of the greatest gifts an old rock star could ask for: She helped win back rights to his song catalogue. Fogerty had battled over his copyrights for decades and at one point found himself being sued for plagiarizing one of his Creedence hits, which at the time he didn’t own.

He has marked his victory with an upcoming album, “Legacy,” for which he recorded new versions of 20 songs. If you were in the house that night, you couldn’t help hearing about it. A promotional lm about

“Legacy” opened the show, and Fogerty mentioned it again before his encore set. Both the album, subtitled “The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years,” and his concert tell a story of how he wants to look back.

As Fogerty noted at one point, Creedence Clearwater Revival soared to the highest heights before imploding bitterly in the early ’70s and never again recording or touring together. Only Creedence diehards would have known the identity of the other band members — drummer Doug Cli ord, bassist Stu Cook and guitarist Tom Fogerty, John’s brother, who died in 1990. Their names were never mentioned, their faces near invisible among the rush of images that appeared on a screen behind Fogerty and his band. The new tracks on “Legacy,” each labeled “John’s Version,” leave only John Fogerty from the original group.

The Beacon show was very much about where is he now and how much he likes it. He dashed about the stage, rocked out on his Rickenbacker with the joy of a teenager on air guitar and even poured himself champagne. Fans clapped and danced while being showered with confetti and dazzled with lasers and fog.

last Thursday in

Donal Ryan’s spellbinding sequel in 21 voices continues saga of small town

Nenagh has weathered economic ruin only to face a new threat — drugs

By Ann Levin

The Associated Press

IN 2014, Donal Ryan pub -

lished a novel in the U.S. called “The Spinning Heart” about a rural Irish town after the 2008 nancial collapse. It was narrated by a chorus of voices, one per chapter, and at the center was a good-hearted contractor, Bobby Mahon.

Ryan’s latest book is a spellbinding sequel, “Heart, Be at Peace,” that works just ne on its own. It chronicles the changes that have bu eted Nenagh, County Tipperary, in the decade since the recession. Once again, the story is told by 21 townspeople, including one who has died, and Bobby is in the middle of it all.

Over the years he has done well for himself with a “kitchen the size of a soccer pitch” and a “marble island in the middle of it that you could feed an army at,” as one envious frenemy grouses. But recently, Bobby has been having panic attacks because a compromising picture of him at a stag party in Amsterdam has been making the rounds. Also, he is worried sick about the drug dealers lurking around town in cars

with blacked-out windows, posing a threat to the children, including his own.

Another member of the chorus is Lily, who describes herself as “witch by training” and prostitute by inclination. She learned her magic from a Roma woman who settled in the town, “caught roots” and married a local. Lily adores her beautiful granddaughter, Millicent — her long legs, blue eyes and “the shine o of her like the sun on the water of the lake.”

They go for long walks in the meadows, gathering wild gar-

SOLUTIONS FOR THIS WEEK

“There’s more to that story, a lot more I’d say, but it’ll be told elsewhere, I’m sure.”

Triona (“Heart, Be at Peace”)

lic, dock leaves and sorrel, but lately, the girl has fallen under the spell of Augie Penrose, the ringleader of the drug dealers, and Granny knows in her heart it will not end well.

Bobby, Lily, Millicent and all the others — each one sees the town and its residents, including the newcomers from Eastern Europe, from a di erent perspective. Together, they narrate a gripping story that is heartbreaking, funny and occasionally raunchy of a beaten-down but resilient community that embodies the best and worst of humanity.

The book ends with a monologue from Bobby’s preternaturally wise and forbearing wife, Triona, who is puzzling over a dramatic plot development in the last chapter. “There’s more to that story, a lot more I’d say, but it’ll be told elsewhere, I’m sure.” If she is right, then perhaps Ryan is already planning the third installment of a trilogy. What a gift that would be for readers everywhere.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Musician John Fogerty performs during his 80th birthday celebration concert at the Beacon Theatre

New York.

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE VIA AP

“Heart, Be at Peace” is the follow-up to author Donal Ryan’s “The Spinning Heart.”

Swamp”

Marian Wright Edelman turns 86, Tom Jones is 85, Nancy Sinatra hits 85, Dick Vitale is 86

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JUNE 5

Musician-artist Laurie Anderson is 78. Finance author Suze Orman is 74. Musician Kenny G is 69. Actor Ron Livingston is 58. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 54.

JUNE 6

Civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman is 86. Country musician Joe Stampley is 82. Olympic track and eld gold medalist Tommie Smith is 81. Actor Robert Englund is 78.

JUNE 7

Singer Tom Jones is 85. Actor Liam Neeson is 73. Musician Juan Luis Guerra is 68. Former Vice President Mike Pence is 66. Rock musician-TV host Dave Navarro is 58. Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is 50.

JUNE 8

Singer Nancy Sinatra is 85. Actor Sonia Braga is 75. Singer Bonnie Tyler is 74. Actor Gri n Dunne is 70. Singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson is 47.

JUNE 9

Sports commentator Dick Vitale is 86. Mick Box of Uriah Heep is 78. Actor Michael J. Fox is 64. Actor Johnny Depp is 62. Actor Natalie Portman is 44.

JUNE 10

JUNE

the stream

The late Gene Hackman’s greatest lms come to the Criterion Channel

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A Shaquille

O’Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok’s basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo’s Switch 2 are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time: Ariana Madix returns to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.,” TikTok star Addison Rae o ers her debut album “Addison,” and then there’s “Presence,” Steven Soderbergh’s movie entirely from the perspective a ghost.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Presence,” one of two excellent Sodebergh-directed, David Koepp-scripted movies released this year, now streaming on Hulu. The lm, a nifty, experimental little thriller, is lmed entirely from the perspective a ghost inside a home a family has just moved into. From a oating point of view, we watch as the mysterious presence, piecing together a past trauma while observing the unfolding a new one. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Presence” “a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”

Tyler Perry ‘s latest, “Straw,” stars Taraji P. Henson as a struggling single mother who, desperate for money to pay for her daughter’s prescriptions, robs a bank. The lm, co-starring Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor and Sinbad, debuts Friday on Net ix.

For anyone still mourning the death of Gene Hackman, a new series streaming Thursday on the Criterion Channel collects some of the late actor’s best lms. That includes William Friedkin’s seminal 1971 New York thriller “The French Connection,” Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation” and Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” a movie in which Hackman’s strained relationship with the director has been a subject

of conversation following his death. But also, don’t miss Arthur Penn’s 1975 “Night Moves,” a quintessential ’70s neo-noir that gave Hackman one of his most indelible roles in the private eye Harry Moseby. MUSIC TO STREAM

Has there been a more seamless transition from TikTok social media star to full- edged pop music force than that of Rae? On Friday, she will release her debut LP “Addison,” one of the year’s most anticipated releases — from the Lana Del Rey-channeling “Diet Pepsi” to the trip-hop “Headphones On.” She’s managed to

tap into a kind of late-internet cool through a hybrid approach to pop music and a lackadaisical singing style. Could it be “Addison” summer? Only time will tell. Need your Cynthia Erivo x between “Wicked” lms? She’s got your back. The multihyphenate will release her sophomore LP, “I Forgive You,” on Friday, a collection of big belts and even bigger vulnerabilities, with gorgeous songs that sound as though they were ripped straight from Erivo’s diary. Listen closely and carefully for maximum enjoyment.

Anyone who thinks the mainstream music listening world has lost interest in rock bands

needs to simply look at Turnstile, the Baltimore hard-core punk band that could. They’ve largely left those harsh sounds behind and have opted for something more melodic and accessible — which is, arguably, part of the appeal for those curious parties — but they’ve maintained their hard-core ethos and edge.

“Never Enough” is gearing up to be the biggest release of their career so far, and we say it’s time to get on board. And get in the pit.

TO STREAM

TELEVISION

Madix has returned to Fiji as host of a new season of “Love Island USA.” The new episodes have big shoes to ll. Last season was the top-rated reality series of 2024. It also broke through the cultural zeitgeist with social media memes and water cooler conversation. Madix says she’s not worried about duplicating that success and wants the contestants to focus on “creating their own lane by being truly themselves and bringing themselves to it, you’ll never lose by doing that.” The show streams six nights a week on Peacock.

As a teenager, Kristin Cavallari was a breakout of the MTV reality series “Laguna Beach” because of her un ltered honesty. She’s carried that with her throughout other reality shows

“(‘Presence’ is) a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.”

and to her podcast “Let’s Be Honest.” Cameras rolled when Cavallari took the podcast on the road in March. That will air as the docuseries “Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour” is streaming on Peacock.

O’Neal also has his own docuseries now on Net ix called “Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal.” It’s an inside look at his e orts as president of Reebok’s basketball division. Allen Iverson is vice president. Both have a history with the brand. In 1992, O’Neal signed a deal with Reebok as a rookie playing for the Orlando Magic. Iverson famously inked a lifetime deal with the brand one year prior in 1991. The series will show the two pro ballplayers work to make Reebok Basketball cool and competitive in the sneaker market. Get your feel-good TV x with Apple TV+’s new show, “Stick.” It stars Owen Wilson as Pryce, a broke and divorced former pro golfer who could use a break. He nds it in a teen phenom named Santi and volunteers to be his coach. The show is about chosen family and second chances. “Stick” is streaming now.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Nintendo fans worldwide are bracing themselves for the arrival of the Switch 2, a souped-up version of the eight-year-old console with new social features meant to draw players into online gaming. The highlight of the launch lineup is Mario Kart World, which features a Grand Prix for up to 24 drivers and introduces a sprawling open environment where “everywhere is your racecourse.” Other Day One arrivals include upgraded versions of the last two Legend of Zelda adventures and some popular third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction will be making their Nintendo debuts. The next generation takes the stage Thursday.

Chris Sullivan and Lucy Liu star in the thriller “Presence.”

HOKE COUNTY

out the

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Job openings rose in April, signaling strong labor market Washington, D.C. U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of con dence in their prospects — fell, and layo s ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022 when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.

Dollar General sets record as bargain stores attract more buyers

Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual pro t and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and o price retailers amid economic uncertainty. The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the rst drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business. Consumer spending also slowed sharply. For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5%, better than expected by Wall Street analysts.

per

Commissioners to hold public hearing for 2025-26 county budget

The proposal includes a 2.5% cost-of-living pay increase for employees

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing to gather input on the recommended county budget for scal year 2025-26. At its June 2 meeting, the board was presented with the county manager’s recommended 2025-26 budget.

“The proposed budget is one that intends to maintain and support the current level of services,” said County Manager Letitia Edens.

The budget is balanced at approximately $81 million and

also is recommended to maintain the same tax rate of $0.73 per $100 valuation.

“We haven’t had any tax increases in years, and we do that so our citizens can a ord to live here,” said Chairman James Leach. “When you become a senior, you just can’t a ord these high taxes. So we have to be very careful with these taxes.”

The budget also features approximately $15 million for Hoke County Schools (including per student allotments, debt payments and capital outlay) and a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for employees.

“One thing for certain that I can guarantee you guys is that there will be no tax increase, and I do agree with the COLA of 2.5%, but we’re gonna keep looking to see if we can nd

some more money and try to give our employees a raise,” said Vice Chair Harry Southerland.

The commissioners also discussed the current uncertainty surrounding annual funding from the federal and state government and how it could affect the upcoming budget.

“We have to be careful with this budget,” Southerland said. “We may have to cut contracts over here to move money over here because of what the federal government does. We have to look real hard at this budget because we never know by the day what’s going to happen on the federal level. We may have funding, we may not. As good stewards of your money, we have to be very careful with this budget.”

The public hearing will be held June 16.

Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on a Hickory street during a house party

At least 80 shots were red just after midnight on Sunday

The Associated Press

HICKORY — Gun re erupted around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from eeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheri ’s deputies said. Authorities said at least 80 shots were red in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running, ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law enforcement had made no arrests and was seeking tips from the public in the case.

a

a

Various

A statement from the Catawba County Sheri ’s O ce said a 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from

as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously

“We will meet on at least three or four more occasions before we come up with our nal budget prior to July 1,” Southerland said.

The board also approved a resolution establishing a Housing Authority in Hoke County following a public hearing.

“This is the rst time in our history that Hoke County is looking into actually establishing a Housing Authority,” Southerland said. “We’ve never had one in the history of our county. We have 10 units that are really complete, and we’re going to be doing a ground breaking soon to start this process o .”

The board then approved the fees for three new clinical services at the Health Department:

reported in critical condition. Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheri ’s spokesperson said. The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the o ce.

Sheri ’s o ce Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory. He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was the motivation for the shooting.

Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and included outdoor and indoor areas.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hickory Police Department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case with a specialized evidence response team, o cials said.

WSOC VIA AP

police vehicles gather outside

community after

shooting in Hickory on Sunday that killed one and injured 11. Police did not make any immediate arrests.

Hoking around

Hoke Fest began Friday and runs through Sunday at East Hoke Middle School. The event has been celebrated annually since 2011, Hoke County’s centennial. Above, comedian and magician Bob Bohm, right, entertains the crowd Monday night with a magic trick spelling

name of a Hoke Fest sponsor, Fit4Life tness center. His show takes place multiple times

day during the festival.

HAL NUNN FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

NC residential treatment school closes after pair of suicides

Two girls took their own lives in less than a month

By Je rey Collins The Associated Press

A RESIDENTIAL treatment

school for girls outside Asheville has closed after a state investigation and the deaths of two of its students who took their own lives.

Asheville Academy announced Tuesday that it released all of its students from its Weaverville campus this past weekend, saying the decision to voluntarily close was di cult.

The closing came a few days after state mental health ocials ordered the academy to stop taking in new students until the school could show it was protecting girls from harm, abuse and neglect and was properly supervising employees.

That order came after the launch of a state investigation into Asheville Academy that began May 8, ve days after a 13-year-old girl killed herself at the school, o cials said.

BOARD from page A1

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The state ordered Asheville Academy to stop taking new patients on May 27. Two days later, authorities said a 12-year-old girl killed herself at the school — the second death in less than four weeks.

The academy said it released all of its students two days after that.

“We are utterly heartbroken by the loss of a young life and share our deepest condolences with the family and everyone touched by this tragedy. Out of respect for those grieving and in deference to ongoing investigations, we cannot provide further comment at this time,” the school said Saturday.

The school had 27 girls and was licensed to hold up to 90 students.

The owner of Asheville Academy had a nature-based residential therapy program for boys closed by North Carolina o cials last year. The license for Trails Carolina in Transylvania County was revoked after a 12-year-old boy was found dead in a cabin in February 2024, the day after he arrived.

Finally, the board also ofcially approved the retirement of K-9 O cer Maizey, a 9-year-old black lab, after seven years of service with the Hoke County Sheri ’s O ce.

Handler Lt. David Hayworth will be adopting her. The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet June 16.

your community! Send us your

deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: hokecommunity@northstatejournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

We have no constitutional or moral duty to subsidize

Harvard

DO TAXPAYERS have a constitutional duty to bankroll Harvard University?

On MSNBC, David French argued that the Trump administration’s defunding of Harvard is little more than “political retaliation.” In the United States, we don’t sentence people before hearing the verdict, The New York Times columnist said. Ignoring due process is “directly contrary to our constitutional principles.”

French might not be aware that in addition to the joint-government task force’s claim that Harvard leadership failed to meaningfully confront pervasive insults, physical assault and intimidation of Jewish students, there’s also a blistering internal university taskforce report that maintains that Harvard allowed antisemitism to permeate “coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members and the worldview of certain academic programs.” Harvard concedes, “members of the Jewish and Israeli communities at Harvard reported treatment that was vicious and reprehensible.”

The verdict is in.

But, I suppose, I’d pose the situation in another way: If a government investigation and internal review both found that white supremacists on Harvard campus were terrorizing black students and engaging in racist marchers and that their violent beliefs had found favor in the school’s curriculums and in social life, would anyone on MSNBC argue that the government had an obligation to keep funding this school until a civil lawsuit worked its way through the courts? One suspects not.

Now, I’m not accusing French of being blind to the struggles of Jewish students. I am accusing him of being blinded by the presence of Donald Trump. Are the president’s motivations political? Probably. So what? So are those of Harvard’s defenders.

Harvard, a private institution, can do as it likes. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A statue of John Harvard, the rst major benefactor of Harvard College, is draped in the Palestinian ag at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April.

credentialed pseudointellectuals. If the Trump administration failed to follow a bureaucratic process before freezing funds to the university, ne. Get it done. But what “constitutional principle” dictates that the federal government must provide this speci c institution with $3 billion in federal contracts and grants? Giving it to them was a policy decision made by the executive branch. Withdrawing the funding is the same.

French reasons that the administration should, at very least, “target the entity and individuals responsible” for the bad behavior. Defund the Middle Eastern studies department, rather than, say, the pediatric cancer research department. I’m sympathetic to this idea. But funding, as we all understand, is fungible. Targeting one department will do nothing to change the culture.

Moreover, leadership is responsible for the

Abe Lincoln and the penny

Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out credentialed pseudointellectuals.

THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.

I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden- oored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.

I will still bend double to pick up a penny o the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.

My wife thinks that’s funny.

“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?”

“Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.” Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.

Some people think nding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck. President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support. But there’s not much outrage about the

A ve dollar bill and a penny.

Lincoln head penny being taken o the market.

Remember when they took Aunt Jemima o the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state. Lincoln, though, we ush Lincoln like he was John McCain. Of course, Abe is still on the n. Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half-a-yard. Yard.

Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or n. So, he’s probably OK for now, even though

culture. It allowed, nay, nurtured, a Middle East Studies department sta ed by a slew of nutjobs. It’s not the only department. Think about it this way: There is a far higher likelihood of nding an apologist of Islamic terrorism than a Christian conservative on the Harvard faculty. Less than 3% of the Harvard faculty identify as conservative. There are real-world consequences for Harvard’s radicalism, as their grads are sta ng newsrooms, in uential law rms and government agencies without ever hearing a dissenting view. Anyway, if the school values its pediatric cancer research e orts so highly, why does it sacri ce grants and prestige by allowing bigoted bullies to run around campus targeting Jews? That’s a choice. As far as I can tell, not one student was expelled, much less suspended, for antisemitism in the two years since Oct. 7, 2023. If your answer is that the school feels a profound obligation to defend free expression, I suggest you speak to some pro-Israeli or pro-capitalist or pro-American or social conservative student on campus and see how comfortable they feel about airing opinions. Harvard nished last for the second year running in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s “College Free Speech Rankings” in 2024, along with Columbia University and New York University. The only speech Harvard values is the extremist variety. We should feel no patriotic imperative to fund speech we dislike, which is very di erent from the imperative of protecting speech we dislike. This distinction seems to be lost on many. Harvard, along with many left-wingers, argues that Trump’s funding freeze violates its First Amendment rights. Who knows what the courts will say? If they force the funding to continue, something is seriously wrong. Anyway, perhaps Harvard should dip into the $53 billion hedge fund it runs to back ll some of the funding. Or maybe it can hit up the Islamic sheiks of Qatar for some more cash. How about those Chicom apparatchiks? Maybe they can chip in. But taxpayers shouldn’t be compelled to subsidize an institution that almost exclusively teaches students to hate their values.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?

People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief-on-the-head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and ipping apjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole apjacks.

Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me. I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a apjack in his life. Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will. A apjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.

Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”

COLUMN | MARC DION

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

As states roll out red carpets for data centers, some lawmakers push back

Taxes, utilities and red tape are signi cant blocks to development

By Marc Levy

The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for arti cial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it’s also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.

Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Many states are o eringnancial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a ght or e orts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy e ciency standards.

Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy in ux of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the ghts revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want: large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water.

And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of

acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler.

While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that’s landing in other states.

“Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson. “That’s the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won’t open its doors.”

It’s been a big year for data centers

Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while Kentucky and Arkansas expanded preexisting exemptions so that more projects will qualify.

Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water and clean energy, meet energy-e ciency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity.

Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three

dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.

“It’s often a nonstarter if you don’t have them, for at least the hyperscalers,” said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. “It’s just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.”

Zoning, energy ghts often frustrate developers

In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create “microgrid” districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his “landmark policy proposal” for 2025 to put West Virginia “in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.”

Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data center developers to procure their own power supply with-

out going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility.

The nal bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to nance the cost of new power plants.

“I do not like that we’re making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,” South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during oor debate.

Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they re ect a society that is “addicted” to electricity and are “ lling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we’re all

guilty of it. We’re all responsible for it.”

Some lawmakers are hesitant

In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back.

Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them.

Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill.

In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site’s noise pollution and water use.

In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state’s electric grid from fast-growing data center demand.

Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups.

Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such as data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency.

Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas.

“You’ve seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas,” Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. “I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.”

Trump withdraws nomination of Isaacman to lead NASA

The Elon Musk associate and astronaut was expected to get Senate approval within weeks

By Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.”

It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,”

Integrity

Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening

and, honestly, a bit thrilling.”

“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where lead-

“Leaders

ers on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his rst chartered ight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of

Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of space ights from SpaceX and conducted the rst private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon.

Musk appeared to lament Trump’s decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to nd someone so competent and good-hearted.”

SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government E ciency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.

Arms Residents of the Month

Robin Jacobs

Robert General has been a resident at Open Arms since August 2021. He was born in South Carolina, relocated to Richmond Virginia and later moved to North Carolina. Robert enjoys BINGO, church and knitting. He is a joy to have here at Open Arms Retirement Center.

Robin has been with Integrity Open Arms for a little over a year. On her time away from work she enjoys shing, working in the garden, cooking and spending time with family. Residents enjoy Robin and every holiday she brings surprises and gifts for the residents.

Integrity Open Arms would like to THANK ROBIN for a job well done!

Mrs. Florence Herbert has been a resident here since May 2021. She moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania to escape the bad weather. Florence enjoys word searches, BINGO, watching TV and spending time with her friends on the Special Care Unit at Integrity Open Arms.

RESIDENT OF THE MONTH

Mrs. Betty Purcell is from Raeford, North Carolina. She moved into our assisted living this past June. Besides being the mother of two, she worked for many years at Burlington Mills. Betty enjoys church, watching youtube and doing word searches.

@POLARISPROGRAM / X Polaris Dawn Mission

Isaacman climbs out of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the rst private spacewalk last year.

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

HOKE SPORTS

Hoke County holds athletic banquet

Cascavilla, Leak pick up the big awards

North State Journal sta HOKE COUNTY High School held its annual athletics department awards banquet after the school’s sports seasons were completed for the school year.

The biggest honors given out were for the school’s male and female athlete of the year.

Here’s a look at the two Bucks student athletes who took home the trophies.

Top 10s in the state indoor meet for William Leak this year; he also had one at the outdoor meet

Male athlete of the year — William Leak: Leak is a junior on the Bucks’ track and eld team. He’s the school record holder in the triple jump and high jump. He won the 2024 state titles in the triple jump and high jump, and he picked up where he left o this season. He placed in the top 10 in the state in triple jump, high jump and long jump during the indoor track and eld season, and he took a second place in the triple jump at the outdoor state meet.

Leak won two North State Journal Athlete of the Week awards this season and has three for his career.

Leak still has another year with the Bucks as he continues to rewrite the school record book and ll the trophy case.

Female athlete of the year — Alyssa Cascavilla: Alyssa Cascavilla nished her senior season on the Hoke County softball team. She led the Bucks in hits and batting average, was second in on base percentage and stolen bases, and third in slugging percentage. She was one of four Lady Bucks named to the All-Sandhills Conference team and was named team MVP at the banquet, in addition to Athlete of the Year.

Alyssa Cascavilla, left, accepts her female athlete of the year award at the Hoke County sports banquet.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Evalynn Groemm

Hoke County, girls’ soccer

Evalynn Groemm is a sophomore defender for the Hoke County girls’ soccer team. She led the team in steals, was second in goals and points, and third in shots.

The Lady Bucks’ season is over, but Groemm picked up a postseason honor. She was the only Hoke County player named to the Sandhills All-Conference team.

Di erent paths, same destination for the Thunder, Pacers

Oklahoma City had a dominant regular season, while Indiana got hot at the right time

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY spent most of the regular season alone atop the Western Conference standings and just kept adding to its lead. Indiana didn’t spend a single day atop the Eastern Conference standings and was still under the .500 mark in early January.

Di erent paths, the same destination.

It will be the Thunder and the Pacers squaring o when the NBA Finals start in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, a matchup of two clubs that weren’t exactly on similar paths this season.

“When you get to this point of the season, it’s two teams and it’s one goal, and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,” Indi-

ana coach Rick Carlisle said.

“And we understand the magni-

tude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long — with capital letters in the word ‘dominant.’ Defensively, they’re historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It’s two teams that have similar structures, slightly di erent styles.”

The deep dives into the other side were beginning in earnest on Sunday, a day after the Pacers nished o their Eastern Conference title by ousting New York in six games. Indiana was taking a day o before getting set to return to work on Monday; the Thunder were practicing in Oklahoma City.

“We always talk about human nature in our locker room, and the human nature way of thinking about it is ‘four wins away, four wins away.’ You kind of lose sight of the fact that you’ve got to win one to get to four,” Thunder guard Jalen Williams said Sun-

day. “You’ve got to stack wins. So, that’s how we’re looking at it. Let’s get prepared for Game 1 now and just go from there. And I think that does make it a little easier now that we know who we’re playing.”

The Pacers lost their 14th game of the regular season in early December; the Thunder lost 14 regular-season games this season, total. That would make it seem like this was an unlikely nals matchup.

But since Dec. 13, including regular-season and playo games, the Thunder have the NBA’s best record at 61-13. The team with the second-most wins in the league over those last 51⁄2 months? That would be Indiana, going 52-21 over that span.

“We had expectations to be here, and this isn’t a surprise to any of us because of what we wanted to do,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “And I

think obviously there’s a turning point there in December or January or whatever the case may be. But I just thought we did a great job of just being as present as possible, not living in the past, not worrying about what’s next, just worrying about what’s now.”

What’s now is the NBA Finals. The Pacers were a middleof-the-pack pick to start the season, with 50-1 preseason odds to win the title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Thunder were only 9-1 entering the season, behind Boston and New York out of the East — and Denver and Minnesota, two teams that the Thunder eliminated in this season’s West playo s.

“We’ve learned a lot,” Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”

SPORTS BLAST

NATE BILLINGS / AP PHOTO

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, left, and guard Shai GilgeousAlexander celebrate after winning the Western Conference nal.

Florida and Edmonton play in the rst Stanley Cup nal redux since 2009

The Associated Press

THE FLORIDA Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are playing for the Stanley Cup once again.

The Cup nal is a rematch from last year. The Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference to reach their third consecutivenal, while the Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars to win the West.

This is the NHL’s rst rematch in the nal since the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and ’09. Those teams split those series, with Detroit hoisting the Cup after their rst meeting and Pittsburgh the second.

Florida is looking to become the NHL’s rst back-to-back winner since the cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and ’21. Canada’s hopes of ending the nation’s Cup drought — dating to Montreal’s win in 1993 — rests with the Oilers, who are slight favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook.

All four rounds of the playo s are best-of-seven, and the rst team to 16 victories wins the Stanley Cup.

Rematch time

Last year, Florida went up 3-0 before Edmonton won the next three in a row to force a deciding Game 7. The Panthers won 2-1 on home ice in Sunrise to take home the rst title in franchise history.

This is the fth rematch in the league’s expansion era that began in 1967. Like Detroit and Pittsburgh, the Oilers and New York Islanders also split theirs in 1983 and ’84, while Montreal took each of the previous two: 1977 and ’78 against Boston and 1968 and ’69 against St. Louis.

he is the Panthers’ emotional energy and could get them back to hockey’s mountaintop.

Panthers-Oilers nal rematch: what to look for 1993

The last year a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup

How to watch

NHL schedule is here and a streaming guide is here. Much of TNT’s coverage, which includes the Stanley Cup nal, will be simulcast on truTV and available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. In Canada, games will be showcased on Sportsnet and CBC.

Who to watch

followed by Colorado, Carolina, Edmonton and Vegas (tied), and Washington.

The last team to win the Cup back to back after full, 82-game seasons was the Penguins in 2016 and ’17. Edmonton has not won it all since 1990.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

EA Sports names WRs Williams, Smith as College Football 26 cover athletes

Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith are the cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 26. EA Sports announced the cover with the electric sophomore wide receivers last week. Last year’s game was the rst for the franchise in 11 years and was among the best-selling video games in 2024. The ’26 edition will test if the franchise still has the same staying power it had when it was released annually in the early 2000s.

LPGA

Sweden’s Stark wins U.S. Women’s Open for her rst major championship Erin, Wis. Maja Stark of Sweden won the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday at Erin Hills for her rst major championship. Stark shot an even-par 72 to nish at 7-under 281, two strokes ahead of top-ranked Nelly Korda and Japan’s Rio Takeda. Stark earned $2.4 million in the biggest event of the women’s golf season. The 25-year-old Stark became the sixth Swede to win a women’s major and the rst since Anna Nordqvist in 2021. She’s the rst Swede to win a U.S. Women’s Open since Annika Sorenstam in 2006.

Every game of the Stanley Cup Playo s is nationally televised in the U.S on an ABC/ ESPN or Turner network. The

NFL

Bills QB Allen, actress Steinfeld marry in Southern California

Bu alo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and actor Hailee Steinfeld have tied the knot.

Multiple media outlets reported the power couple’s wedding took place in Southern California, where both Allen and Steinfeld live. Pictures of the event showed Steinfeld in a white strapless gown, walking down the aisle as well as the couple sharing a kiss. The timing and location of the wedding were closely guarded secrets. Allen, who turned 29 last week, and the 28-year-old Steinfeld were engaged during the Bills bye week in November.

NHL

Panthers set NHL mark for games played in a 3-year span

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Florida Panthers don’t play hockey every day. It only seems like that’s the case. When the Panthers took the ice for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton on Wednesday, it was the team’s 309th game over the past three seasons, tying the NHL record for most games in a three-year span. That means they’ll break the record in Game 2 on Friday. The Panthers made the Stanley Cup Final in three consecutive seasons.

Florida: Matthew Tkachuk. He took the Stanley Cup for a dip in Atlantic Ocean a year ago and became one of the faces of the league when he dropped the gloves and was a star for the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-O . He got injured in that tournament and still might not be 100%, but

Edmonton: Connor McDavid. The best hockey player in the world had a down season by his standards and dealt with injury, yet McDavid still nished with 100 points. Maybe he was on cruise control waiting for this moment, and the Stanley Cup is close enough to feel again for the three-time league MVP.

Who are the Stanley Cup favorites?

Before the playo s: Dallas and Florida were listed as co-favorites by BetMGM Sportsbook,

After the rst round (in order): Florida, Carolina, Dallas, Edmonton, Vegas, Toronto, Winnipeg and Washington. After the second round (in order): Edmonton, Florida, Dallas, Carolina. After the third round: (in order): Edmonton, Florida. When is the Stanley Cup nal?

The nal started on June 4. If the nal goes the distance, Game 7 could be as late as June 23.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, right, pose with the Prince of Wales trophy after Florida won the Eastern Conference nal.

Wanda Sims

July 3, 1951 – May 23, 2025

Wanda Francis Rockholt Sims, born July 3, 1951, in Raeford, North Carolina, was received by her Lord and Savior on May 23, 2025. Her life was plagued by cancer. Six times she had overcome, the seventh took her home.

Wanda, or Lou as many a ectionately called her, was always loyal to the task at hand. She stood by her father, caring for him for over twenty years, after the death of her mother.

Marrying later in life, she followed her husband as he searched for the perfect job that took them across numerous states. She never faltered in her loyalty to him, asking little of life, but giving love and devotion to all that she had.

She often wondered why her life was riddled with cancer for so many years. But she never doubted the love of Jesus and was an encouragement to many who were facing the trials she had faced or were facing. She loved to gather with family and friends and often asked her brothers when they would be coming to Raeford to get together. Just mention Farkle, and it was game on. She was a erce competitor, so we didn’t ever plan on winning, and we lovingly called her the “Farkle Champ”. We will remember her for her devotion to family and friends, never criticizing, but always loving and encouraging.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Craig Wesley Rockholt Jr. and Mamie Francis Rockholt, her husband, Jim Sims, and two brothers, John Rockholt and Sam Rockholt.

Wanda is survived by four brothers, Joe Rockholt and wife Ofelia of Willow Springs, North Carolina, David Mack Rockholt and wife Rhonda of Biloxi, Mississippi, Jim Rockholt and wife Dana of Collinsville, Oklahoma, and George Rockholt and wife Linda of Raeford, North Carolina, her aunt Janet Hendrix of Raeford, North Carolina, many nieces and nephews, and tons of great nieces and nephews.

She will be missed by so many friends and family.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 11 a.m. in the Raeford Cemetery.

Johnny McLaughlin Jr.

Feb. 11, 1953 – May 30, 2025

Mr. Johnny McLaughlin Jr., age 72, went home to be with his Heavenly Father on May 30, 2025. Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 7, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. The Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, June 8, at 2 p.m. at the Helper’s Hand Ministry.

Johnny will be greatly missed.

Dawn S. Buckner

Nov. 7, 1955 – May 30, 2025

Ms. Dawn S. Buckner, age 69, went home to be with her Heavenly Father on May 30, 2025. A Memorial Service to Honor her Life and Legacy will be held on June 21, at noon, at the Cape Fear Conference B Headquarters. Dawn will be greatly missed.

Dalton Eric Wayne Lord

Dec. 5. 2024 – May 26, 2025

Dalton Eric Wayne Lord, of Lumber Bridge, NC, gained his wings on Monday, May 26, 2025, at ve months old.

He was born in Cumberland County on December 05, 2024, to Tyler and Jessica Lord.

He loved to eat and was a very happy baby. Dalton adored his siblings and enjoyed being outside.

He is survived by his parents, Tyler and Jessica Lord; his siblings, Delilah and Dawson Lord; his grandparents, Sherry and Shane DeLong, Charlie and John Lord, and Candy and Ray Carter; his aunts and uncles, Brittnay Hollingsworth (Michael Rich), Ashley and Kody Gordon, Danielle and Gerry Davis, and Samantha and Dejon Gardner; and his 10 cousins.

A service will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 01, 2025, at Crumpler Funeral Home, 131 Harris Avenue, Raeford, NC 28376.

Online condolences may be made on the Crumpler Funeral Home Website.

Matilida Blue

Feb. 9, 1969 – May 27, 2025

Mrs. Matilda Blue, age 56, of Red Springs, North Carolina, was born on February 9, 1969, to the late Mr. Adam Fields Jr., and Mrs. Mizay Blue in Scotland County. She departed this life into eternity on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Our mom was the rock for so many people. Like, you could go to her about anything, even if you messed up and she’d still listen and love you through it. She had the biggest heart and made everyone feel like they mattered. She was always laughing. She could make anyone smile, even on their worst day. I’ve had so many people reach out saying how much she meant to them, and it just reminds me how lucky I was to have her as my mom. She was one of a kind, and we will miss her forever. She leaves to cherish her memories, one son, Phillip Sanders (Tanya) of Fayetteville, North Carolina; one daughter, Faith Sanders (Shane) of Pembroke, North Carolina; her mother, Mizay Blue of Red Springs, North Carolina; two brothers, William Fields of Red Springs, North Carolina; Adam Fields III of Rennert, North Carolina; three sisters, Bonnie Fields-Taylor (Joey) of Red Springs, North Carolina; Louise Fields of Maxton, North Carolina; Crystal Greene (Montreal) of Winterville, North Carolina; one grandson, Adam Ray Sanders, nieces, nephews, great nieces, nephews, and a host of other family and friends.

Linda Locklear

Feb. 19, 1947 – May 29, 2025

Mrs. Linda Locklear, age 78 of Raeford, North Carolina, was born on February 19, 1947, to the late Mr. Ed Brewer and late Mrs. Minnie Locklear Brewer in Robeson County. She departed this life into eternity on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at her home. Along with her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, James “Booty “ Locklear, two children, Baby Locklear and Johnny Locklear, her siblings, Edward Brewer, Sharon McGirt, Larry Brewer, Milton Ray Brewer, Mary Tyler and Bobby Brewer. She leaves to cherish her memories, four daughters, Brenda Boquist and Cierra Jacobs both of Raeford, North Carolina; Jeannie Marmaude of Eden, North Carolina, Angel Grogan of Greensboro, North Carolina; one sister, Jean Kidd of Lillington, North Carolina; special niece, Janice, special handyman Lynn Hunt, four grandchildren, one great grandchild and a host of other family and friends.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at obits@northstatejournal.com

‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson dies

The family announced in December that he had Alzheimer’s disease

The Associated Press

WEST MONROE, La. — Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday, according to his family. He was 79.

Robertson’s family announced in December on their Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease. The statement on social media from Robertson’s daughter-in-law didn’t mention how he died.

“Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again,” Korie Robertson wrote.

Phil Robertson skyrocketed to fame in the early 2010s when the A&E network created a reality show, presented like a sitcom. It followed the adventures

of Robertson, his three sons — including Willie, who runs the family’s Duck Commander company — their wives and a host of other relatives and friends. Phil Robertson and his boys were immediately recognizable by their long beards and conservative, Christian and family-oriented beliefs. That got Robertson into trouble, too. He told a magazine reporter in 2013 that gay people are sinners and African Americans were happy under Jim Crow laws.

A&E suspended him from “Duck Dynasty” but reversed course in a few weeks after a backlash that included Sarah Palin. At the time, Robertson’s family called his comments coarse but said his beliefs were grounded in the Bible and he “is a Godly man.” They also said that “as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm.” Robertson was born in north Louisiana and spent his life in the woods and lakes that make

“Saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson — a man of deep faith, bold conviction, and unwavering love for his family.”

up the region called Sportsman’s Paradise. Robertson played football at Louisiana Tech and taught school. He also loved to hunt and created a duck call in the early 1970s that he said replicated the exact sound of a duck. The calls were the centerpiece of the Duck Commander business Robertson would grow into a multimillion-dollar enterprise before A&E came calling.

The family just didn’t sell outdoor and hunting gear; it sold a lifestyle.

“The Robertsons face everything from beavers to business deals in their own special way — with a twist of downhome practicality and a sharp sense of humor,” A&E wrote in its promotion for “Duck Dynasty.”

Appreciations for Robertson appeared on social media shortly after this death was an-

nounced, largely from conservative politicians.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X, “The great #PhilRobertson passed today. He loved Jesus & he was utterly fearless. One of my fondest memories was duck hunting with Phil — he was the best shot I ever met. And, in 2016, he recorded this amazing commercial for me. Rest in peace, my friend.”

“Saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson — a man of deep faith, bold conviction, and unwavering love for his family,” wrote Ben Carson, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary, also on X. “I’ll never forget the time I spent with Phil and his wonderful family at their homestead in West Monroe, LA. We rode through the swamp stopping at his favorite duck blinds before being welcomed by Miss Kay with a warm, home-cooked meal, surrounded by their extended family and close friends.”

A&E shared their own tribute to the “Duck Dynasty” X account, writing: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family. Our thoughts are with them during this di cult time. We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve.”

Ben Carson

MATT ROURKE / AP PHOTO

Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty speaks at a campaign stop for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in South Carolina in 2016.

STATE & NATION

As states roll out red carpets for data centers, some lawmakers push back

Taxes, utilities and red tape are signi cant blocks to development

By Marc Levy The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for arti cial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it’s also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.

Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Many states are o eringnancial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a ght or e orts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy e ciency standards.

Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy in ux of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the ghts revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want: large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water.

And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of

acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler.

While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments.

In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that’s landing in other states.

“Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson. “That’s the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won’t open its doors.”

It’s been a big year for data centers

Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while Kentucky and Arkansas expanded preexisting exemptions so that more projects will qualify.

Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water and clean energy, meet energy-e ciency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity.

Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three

dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.

“It’s often a nonstarter if you don’t have them, for at least the hyperscalers,” said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. “It’s just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.”

Zoning, energy ghts often frustrate developers

In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create “microgrid” districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his “landmark policy proposal” for 2025 to put West Virginia “in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.”

Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data center developers to procure their own power supply with-

out going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility.

The nal bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to nance the cost of new power plants.

“I do not like that we’re making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,” South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during oor debate.

Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they re ect a society that is “addicted” to electricity and are “ lling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we’re all

Trump withdraws nomination of Isaacman to

The Elon Musk associate and astronaut was expected to get Senate approval within weeks

By Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.”

It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,”

Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening

and, honestly, a bit thrilling.”

“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where lead-

“Leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

Jared

guilty of it. We’re all responsible for it.”

Some lawmakers are hesitant

In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back.

Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them.

Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill.

In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site’s noise pollution and water use.

In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state’s electric grid from fast-growing data center demand.

Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups.

Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such as data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency.

Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas.

“You’ve seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas,” Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. “I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.”

lead NASA

Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of space ights from SpaceX and conducted the rst private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon.

ers on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.” Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his rst chartered ight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of

Musk appeared to lament Trump’s decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to nd someone so competent and good-hearted.”

SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government E ciency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.

@POLARISPROGRAM / X

Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman climbs out of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the rst private spacewalk last year.

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center in August 2024 in Boardman, Oregon.

Isaacman

MOORE COUNTY

A hard day’s work

UNC’s Jake Knapp receives a standing ovation as he exits against Holy Cross on Friday in Chapel Hill. Knapp tossed 81⁄3 shutout innings, to lead the Tar Heels to a 4-0 win en route to a NCAA Regionals victory. They play Arizona this weekend in the Super Regionals with a trip to the College World Series at stake.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Job openings rose in April, signaling strong labor market

Washington, D.C.

U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million. But the number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of con dence in their prospects — fell, and layo s ticked higher. Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022 when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.

Dollar General sets record as bargain stores attract more buyers

Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual pro t and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and o price retailers amid economic uncertainty. The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the rst drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars disrupted business. Consumer spending also slowed sharply. For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5%, better than expected by Wall Street

Commissioners to directly fund charter school expansion project

The Academy of Moore County requested nearly $500,000 in funding from the county

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

CARTHAGE — The Moore County Board of Commissioners is looking to directly fund the capital outlay of a charter school for the rst time.

At its June 3 meeting, the board voted in favor of providing direct funding to The Academy of Moore County, in the form of a loan, pending legal and nancial review from county sta . This decision comes in response to The Academy of

Moore County’s request to the county for $490,000 in funding to support a roughly $700,000 classroom expansion project.

“This is relatively new legislation that allows us to be able to fund charter schools’ capital projects,” said Commissioner Tom Adams. “It’s only been on the books for two years.”

In 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly granted authority to counties to be able to fund certain charter school capital outlay projects.

According to County Manager Wayne Vest, the request is based on the school’s student body being 70%, or 325 students, from Moore County.

“They’re doing something to educate our children, and whatever they’re doing, is doing

right,” said Commissioner Jim Von Canon. “I wish that maybe our schools would sit down and maybe discuss with them what they are doing that’s right.”

The Academy of Moore County has received at least a B rating from the state in each of the last seven years. In comparison, ve of the county’s 11 elementary schools received at least a B performance grade in 2023-24.

“This is not a reward to them,” Von Canon said. “This is something so that they can expand their classrooms and expand their student base to have more students. To teach them how to read and how to do things that are going to be pertinent in life.”

According to the commissioners, the Academy of Moore

Shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 hurt on a Hickory street during a house party

At least 80 shots were red just after midnight on Sunday

Associated Press HICKORY — Gun re erupted around a house party near Hickory early Sunday and one person was killed and 11 others were hurt, some with gunshot wounds and others with injuries from eeing the shooting in a usually quiet residential neighborhood, sheri ’s deputies said. Authorities said at least 80 shots were red in the shooting that began at about 12:45 a.m. People reported running, ducking for cover and scrambling to their cars for safety. Hours later Sunday, law enforcement had made no arrests and was seeking tips from the public in the case.

A statement from the Catawba County Sheri ’s O ce said a 58-year-old man, Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir, was killed, the oldest of the victims who ranged in age from

as young as 16. It said seven of the injured remained hospitalized late Sunday, though updates on their conditions were not immediately released. One of the victims was previously

is also willing to accept the funding in the form of a loan.

“It’d be a lot better than some of the money we’re sending now to other projects,” Von Canon said.

“This school is exceptional at what they do, and if they’re reaching out and we can help them with a loan, then I don’t see any reason to not,” said Vice Chair Nick Picerno.

While all of the commissioners were in favor of supporting the academy based on their merits, a few did have hesitations on the potential nancial impacts that providing funding to one school may incur in the future.

“As we look at it and as charter schools become more inte-

reported in critical condition. Authorities believe there was more than one shooter, a sheri ’s spokesperson said. The agency said it was asking for people who attended the party to contact the o ce. Sheri ’s o ce Maj. Aaron Turk aid at a news conference that the shooting occurred in a normally quiet neighbhoord in southwest Catawba County about 7 miles south of Hickory. He said that about two hours before the shooting, someone in another home complained about noise from the party. He added that deputies responded but that investigators don’t believe the noise complaint was the motivation for the shooting.

Turk said the crime scene spanned several properties along a neighborhood road, covering about two acres, and included outdoor and indoor areas. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Hickory Police Department are investigating the shooting. The FBI is also assisting in the case with a specialized evidence response team, o cials said.

WSOC VIA AP

Various police vehicles gather outside a community after a shooting in Hickory on Sunday that killed one and injured 11. Police did not make any immediate arrests.

BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO

THURSDAY 6.5.25

THURSDAY JUNE

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North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Neal Robbins, Publisher

Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers

Cory Lavalette, Senior Editor

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P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer

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

CRIME LOG

May 26

• Sheila Mae Hinesley, 60, was arrested by Moore County Sheri ’s O ce (MCSO) for misuse of 911 system.

May 27

• David James Fedorick, 57, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for attempting to obtain property by false pretense.

• Juwan Ortez Wilson, 31, was arrested by MCSO for intentional child abuse causing serious physical injury and felony child abuse.

May 28

• Louis Charles Gustafson, 31, was arrested by MCSO for possession of weapon of mass destruction.

May 29

• Lisa Brady Russell, 61, was arrested by MCSO for second-degree arson.

• Dasani Avione Collins, 22, was arrested by MCSO for possession of methamphetamine.

May 30

• Christopher Kant Verbal, 28, was arrested by MCSO for tra cking in opium or heroin.

May 31

• William Alfred Cooper, 42, was arrested by MCSO for breaking and entering.

Insect-eating Venus ytraps thrive on the Carolina coast

A

weekly hike lets state park visitors see them in the wild

By Erik Verduzco The Associated Press

CAROLINA BEACH — Park

ranger Jesse Anderson leads dozens of people on a weekly hike in North Carolina to see some of the most unique living things in the world — plants that supplement the nutrients they get from sunlight by digesting ants, ies and spiders. But the Venus ytraps aren’t like the human-size, ravenous and cruel Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

In the wild, Venus ytraps are the size of a lima bean and pose no harm to anything other than insects. Their special hairs snap their leaves together when brushed — but only twice in about 20 seconds or less to reduce the amount of false alarms by dust or rain.

Once inside, the insect is doomed to become plant food, Anderson said.

“It continues to trigger those hairs and the trap slowly closes and eventually starts releasing digestive enzymes to start breaking down the insect. And because they’re in nutrient-poor environments, they supplement their food with insects,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s hike at Carolina Beach State Park on the southeast North Carolina coast also showcases other carnivorous plants. There are vase-shaped pitcher plants with liquid at the bottom that traps insects, then digests them. Butterworts and sundews attract insects with glistening leaves then secrete an adhesive to trap them in place. Bladderworts work similarly to Venus ytraps.

And the hike is one of the few

BOARD from page A1

grated into our overall educational system, we need to look at this as part of the future expenses we’re going to have as a county for schools,” Adams said. “Going forward, I’d hope that rather than accepting a request based on a relatively small amount of information, that we perhaps look at some type of more formalized way of considering when we may want to make these types of investments.”

“They are serving Moore County students and the state dollars do follow that, so those factors tend to make me want

ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO

Park ranger Jesse Anderson shows a pitcher plant to visitors during a weekly carnivorous plant hike in March.

places to see Venus ytraps. The plant only grows in 12 counties in southeast North Carolina near Wilmington and a few nearby places in South Carolina, which made the organism the state’s o cial carnivorous plant in 2023.

Now is an especially good time to take that hike. Venusytraps bloom from about midMay to mid-June, Anderson said.

The ytrap is a fragile plant that needs re to survive. Wildres in the pine forests where they grow clear o the denser overgrowth to provide the abundant sunlight the plants need.

They face two big enemies — poachers and development.

Harvesting the plants without permission is a felony in North Carolina and a misdemeanor in South Carolina. In 2016, a man was sentenced to 17 months in prison for taking nearly 1,000 Venus ytraps from game land in Hampstead.

And the ytraps live in one of the fastest-growing parts of the U.S., where neighborhoods and businesses have been built

to help them, but I also understand that we can’t help every person, every school in every situation like that,” said Commissioner John Ritter.

The board also approved an amendment to the contract with Simmons and Simmons Management — an agreement for the grinding of approximately 20,000 tons of yard debris per year collected at the Monroe County Land ll — in order to extend it for two years at the same rate of $11.45 per ton (up to $322,000 per year).

Finally, the board approved a resolution requesting that the Board of Education have the

over their habitats. Most of the plants can now be found in preserves and other undisturbed areas. Scientists counted only about 300,000 ytraps in the Carolinas several years ago. While Anderson’s hike is one of the few ways to see Venusytraps in their natural environment, he said commercially grown plants can be found around in greenhouses and plant stores around the world and can thrive in homes in the right conditions

“They like nutrient-poor soils, and also they can’t stand typical well water or tap water. So they need things like rainwater or distilled water or versus osmosis,” Anderson said.

Venus ytraps need abundant sunlight and soils that are moist but not drenched. And they don’t have to eat bugs if they can get enough nutrients from photosynthesis. Please don’t feed them hamburger meat — that’s not what they eat. And try not to trigger the leaves shut without something to digest. That takes a lot of energy the plant needs to replace.

North Carolina Highway Patrol present on safe driving to all students prior to the end of the school year. “We just recently lost one teenager and we have one in dire straits in the burn unit,” said Von Canon. “I’ve been reached out to by numerous parents about what we are doing to address the tra c safety of our children because a lot of the programs that existed when I was going to school no longer exist and they have to wait until driver’s ed.”

The Moore County Board of Commissioners will next meet June 17.

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

June 5-7

Moore County Historical Association: Shaw House and Property Tours

1-4 p.m.

The Moore County Historical Association’s Shaw House grounds and properties are open for tours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons. Tours are free and open to all ages. Enjoy learning about the impressive history of Moore County.

Shaw House 110 Morganton Road Southern Pines

June 6-7

Cosmic Bowling 6-11:55 p.m.

Sandhills Bowling Center presents an evening of Cosmic Bowling every Friday and Saturday night. Enjoy two hours of bowling for rates that range from $5.50-$17 per person based on age. Shoe rental is free.

Sandhills Bowling Center 1680 N.C. Highway 5 Aberdeen

June 7

Moore County Farmers Market

8 a.m.-12 p.m.

A vast and varied selection of fresh produce, canned goods, including honey and fruit preserves and baked goods has earned this producers-only farmers market a reputation as one of the best in the region. Visitors are treated to musical performances and complimentary appetizers prepared by local chefs from fresh regional ingredients every Saturday in the summer.

156 SE Broad St. Southern Pines

U Pick Lavender at Lazy Fox Lavender Farm

11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Spend the day in the country exploring the farm and enjoy seeing chickens and sheep. Visitors enjoy the beauty and scent of fresh lavender, which can be cut and purchased by the bundle. A gift shop and an ice cream truck are also on the grounds. Admission is $5 each for adults and children over 2 years old (children under the age of 2 are admitted for free).

272 Edgewood Road Cameron

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

We have no constitutional or moral duty to subsidize

Harvard

DO TAXPAYERS have a constitutional duty to bankroll Harvard University?

On MSNBC, David French argued that the Trump administration’s defunding of Harvard is little more than “political retaliation.” In the United States, we don’t sentence people before hearing the verdict, The New York Times columnist said. Ignoring due process is “directly contrary to our constitutional principles.”

French might not be aware that in addition to the joint-government task force’s claim that Harvard leadership failed to meaningfully confront pervasive insults, physical assault and intimidation of Jewish students, there’s also a blistering internal university taskforce report that maintains that Harvard allowed antisemitism to permeate “coursework, social life, the hiring of some faculty members and the worldview of certain academic programs.” Harvard concedes, “members of the Jewish and Israeli communities at Harvard reported treatment that was vicious and reprehensible.”

The verdict is in.

But, I suppose, I’d pose the situation in another way: If a government investigation and internal review both found that white supremacists on Harvard campus were terrorizing black students and engaging in racist marchers and that their violent beliefs had found favor in the school’s curriculums and in social life, would anyone on MSNBC argue that the government had an obligation to keep funding this school until a civil lawsuit worked its way through the courts? One suspects not.

Now, I’m not accusing French of being blind to the struggles of Jewish students. I am accusing him of being blinded by the presence of Donald Trump. Are the president’s motivations political? Probably. So what? So are those of Harvard’s defenders.

Harvard, a private institution, can do as it likes. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out

BEN CURTIS / AP PHOTO

A statue of John Harvard, the rst major benefactor of Harvard College, is draped in the Palestinian ag at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April.

credentialed pseudointellectuals. If the Trump administration failed to follow a bureaucratic process before freezing funds to the university, ne. Get it done. But what “constitutional principle” dictates that the federal government must provide this speci c institution with $3 billion in federal contracts and grants? Giving it to them was a policy decision made by the executive branch. Withdrawing the funding is the same.

French reasons that the administration should, at very least, “target the entity and individuals responsible” for the bad behavior. Defund the Middle Eastern studies department, rather than, say, the pediatric cancer research department. I’m sympathetic to this idea. But funding, as we all understand, is fungible. Targeting one department will do nothing to change the culture.

Moreover, leadership is responsible for the

Abe Lincoln and the penny

Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. There’s nothing illegal about coddling extremists or pumping out credentialed pseudointellectuals.

THE PENNY, which costs more to make than it’s worth, will be going away. That’s a shocking reversal of government policy. Usually, the government doesn’t stop producing anything that’s overpriced or just plain worthless.

I’m just about old enough to remember little pieces of candy that sold for a penny at a little wooden- oored store near my house called “Mac’s.” The man behind the counter was, of course, Mac. If there was a woman behind the counter, it was Mrs. Mac.

I will still bend double to pick up a penny o the sidewalk, even in a snowstorm.

My wife thinks that’s funny.

“It’s cold as hell out here,” she says, running for the door of our house. “What are you doing?”

“Picking up a penny,” I tell her. “A hundred of them still make a dollar.” Pennies from heaven. A penny for your thoughts.

Some people think nding a penny is good luck, but some people think it’s good luck only if the penny is heads up. If the tail side of the coin is up, it’s bad luck. President Abraham Lincoln’s head is on the penny. Lincoln freed the slaves. That’s a decision some people still don’t support. But there’s not much outrage about the

A ve dollar bill and a penny.

Lincoln head penny being taken o the market.

Remember when they took Aunt Jemima o the bottle of pancake syrup? You could hear the howls of pain from the Gulf of America to Canada, America’s 51st state. Lincoln, though, we ush Lincoln like he was John McCain. Of course, Abe is still on the n. Single. Deuce. Fin. Sawbuck. Double sawbuck. Half-a-yard. Yard.

Those are the slang names I learned for United States paper money. Lincoln is on the $5 bill, or n. So, he’s probably OK for now, even though

culture. It allowed, nay, nurtured, a Middle East Studies department sta ed by a slew of nutjobs. It’s not the only department. Think about it this way: There is a far higher likelihood of nding an apologist of Islamic terrorism than a Christian conservative on the Harvard faculty. Less than 3% of the Harvard faculty identify as conservative. There are real-world consequences for Harvard’s radicalism, as their grads are sta ng newsrooms, in uential law rms and government agencies without ever hearing a dissenting view. Anyway, if the school values its pediatric cancer research e orts so highly, why does it sacri ce grants and prestige by allowing bigoted bullies to run around campus targeting Jews? That’s a choice. As far as I can tell, not one student was expelled, much less suspended, for antisemitism in the two years since Oct. 7, 2023. If your answer is that the school feels a profound obligation to defend free expression, I suggest you speak to some pro-Israeli or pro-capitalist or pro-American or social conservative student on campus and see how comfortable they feel about airing opinions. Harvard nished last for the second year running in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s “College Free Speech Rankings” in 2024, along with Columbia University and New York University. The only speech Harvard values is the extremist variety. We should feel no patriotic imperative to fund speech we dislike, which is very di erent from the imperative of protecting speech we dislike. This distinction seems to be lost on many. Harvard, along with many left-wingers, argues that Trump’s funding freeze violates its First Amendment rights. Who knows what the courts will say? If they force the funding to continue, something is seriously wrong. Anyway, perhaps Harvard should dip into the $53 billion hedge fund it runs to back ll some of the funding. Or maybe it can hit up the Islamic sheiks of Qatar for some more cash. How about those Chicom apparatchiks? Maybe they can chip in. But taxpayers shouldn’t be compelled to subsidize an institution that almost exclusively teaches students to hate their values.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

there’s just the single between him and the street. I’m worried, though. Whatever it costs to make, the $5 bill won’t buy much of anything anymore. How long before Lincoln gets “canceled” and we can forget that anyone freed the slaves, which would be a real boon to people who pay minimum wage?

People fought for Aunt Jemima because she was a “great woman erased from history” and because she was a comforting reminder of slavery and segregation’s upside, which was hog fat, handkerchief-on-the-head, happy Mammy taking care of her beloved white family and ipping apjacks. Did she go rioting through the streets when a white cop killed her son? She did not. She didn’t sue anybody, either. She cried some, and she had a little talk with Jesus, and then she went out in the kitchen and whomped up another batch of them good ole apjacks.

Lincoln, on the other hand, went rioting through the whole country, refusing to leave the Confederacy alone, freeing other people’s livestock and making Robert E. Lee sad. That Lincoln sounds like an outside agitator to me. I don’t think anybody’s gonna miss Lincoln. He never cooked a apjack in his life. Slavery is the bone in America’s throat, and it won’t go down. I don’t know that it ever will. A apjack, now, that goes down easy, and sweet with syrup.

Marc Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.”

COLUMN | MARC DION

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Taylor Swift has regained control of her music

She bought back the rights to her rst six albums

By Maria Sherman The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Taylor Swift has regained control over her entire body of work.

In a lengthy note posted to her o cial website last Friday, Swift announced: “All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me.”

The pop star said she purchased her catalog of recordings — originally released through Big Machine Records — from their most recent owner, the private equity rm Shamrock Capital. She did not disclose the amount.

In recent years, Swift has been rerecording and releasing her rst six albums in an attempt to regain control of her music.

“I can’t thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now,” Swift addressed fans in the post. “The best things that have ever been mine … nally actually are.”

“The best things that have ever been mine … nally actually are.”

Taylor Swift

“We are thrilled with this outcome and are so happy for Taylor,” Shamrock Capital said in a statement.

Swift’s rerecordings were instigated by Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift’s e ort to control her own songs and how they’re used. Previous “Taylor’s Version” releases have been more than conventional rerecordings, arriving with new “from the vault” music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen understanding of her work.

“I am happy for her,” Braun said Friday. She has also released new music, including last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” announced during the 2024 Grammys and released during her record-breaking tour. So far, there have been four

rerecorded albums, beginning with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021. All four have been massive commercial and cultural successes, each one debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Swift’s last rerecording, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” arrived in October 2023, just four months after the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” That was the same year Swift claimed the record for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history.

Fans have theorized that “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” would be next: On May 19, “Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor’s Version)” aired nearly in full during the opening scene of a Season 6 episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Prior to that, the song was teased in 2023’s Prime Video limited-series thriller “Wilderness” and in Apple TV+’s “The Dynasty: New England Patriots” in 2024. Also in 2023, she contributed “Delicate (Taylor’s Version)” to Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

But according to the note shared Friday, Swift says she hasn’t “even rerecorded a quarter of it.”

She did say, however, that she has completely rerecorded her self-titled debut album “and I really love how it sounds now.”

Swift writes that both her self-titled debut and “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” “can still have their moments to reemerge when the time is right.” Representatives for Swift and HYBE did not immediately respond to request for comment.

The lighthouse appeared in the French city’s 7th arrondissement, near the ocean

By Thomas Adamson Bishr Eltoni and Jill Lawless The Associated Press

MARSEILLE, France — The lighthouse appeared overnight. Painted on a wall tucked away in a quiet Marseille street, its beam aligned perfectly with the real-life shadow of a metal post on the pavement. At its center, stenciled in crisp white, are the words: “I want to be what you saw in me.”

Banksy had struck again.

Last Friday, the elusive British street artist con rmed the work by posting two images on his o cial Instagram account — without caption or coordinates. Fans quickly identi ed the location as 1 Rue Félix Frégier, in the Catalans district of Marseille’s 7th arrondissement, near the sea.

Since then, crowds have gathered at the site. Tourists snap photos. Children point. Locals who usually walk past the building stop to take a closer look.

There is no o cial explana-

tion for the phrase. But its emotional pull is unmistakable — a quiet plea for recognition, love or redemption. Some speculate it references a country ballad by Lonestar. Others call it a love letter. Or a lament. Or both.

The image is deceptively simple: a lone lighthouse, dark and weathered, casting a stark white beam. But what gives it power is the way it plays with light — the real and the painted, the seen and the imagined. The post in front of the wall becomes part of the piece. Reality becomes the frame.

Marseille mayor Benoît Payan was quick to react online. “Marseille x Banksy,” he wrote, adding a ame emoji. By midday, the hashtag #BanksyMarseille was trending across France, and beyond.

Though often political, Banksy’s art is just as often personal, exploring themes of loss, longing and identity. In recent years, his works have appeared on war-ravaged buildings in Ukraine, in support of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, and on walls condemning capitalism, Brexit and police brutality.

The artist, who has never conrmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting build-

ings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world’s best-known artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two male police ofcers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, “Laugh now, but one day I’ll be in charge.”

His work has sold for millions of dollars at auction, and past murals on outdoor sites have of-

ten been stolen or removed by building owners soon after going up. In December 2023, after Banksy stenciled military drones on a stop sign in south London, a man was photographed taking down the sign with bolt cutters. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.

In March 2024, an environmentally themed work on a wall beside a tree in north London

“Marseille x Banksy.” Benoît Payan, Marseille mayor

was splashed with paint, covered with plastic sheeting and fenced o within days of being created. Despite the fame — or infamy — at least in Marseille, not everyone walking past noticed it. Some didn’t even know who Banksy was, according to the local press.

On Instagram observers say this Marseille piece feels quieter. More interior.

And yet, it is no less global. The work arrives just ahead of a major Banksy retrospective opening June 14 at the Museum of Art in nearby Toulon featuring 80 works, including rare originals. Another exhibit opens Saturday in Montpellier.

But the Marseille mural wasn’t meant for a museum. It lives in the street, exposed to weather, footsteps and time. As of Friday evening, no barriers had been erected. No glass shield installed. Just a shadow, a beam and a message that’s already circling the world.

NATACHA PISARENKO / AP PHOTO

Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental Stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires in November 2023.

A woman walks past an artwork by street artist Banksy, last Friday in Marseille, southern France.

MOORE SPORTS

Post 292 wins 18-19U Heroes League season opener

Chatham County defeated South Wake 6-3 in its rst home game

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

SILER CITY — The Chatham County Post 292 18-19U team scored three runs in the bottom of the fth inning to beat South Wake Post 116 6-3 in its USA Softball Heroes League season and home opener Monday.

Hitting against a familiar pitcher in Emma Grace Hill for the rst three innings, Marcy Clark led Post 292 at the plate, going 3 for 3 with an RBI. North Moore’s Calissa Clendenin also had a solid batting night with a 2-for-4, two-RBI performance.

“We knew what kind of pitches she throws,” Clark said. “She started throwing change-ups a little bit, but we just adjusted.”

Up 3-2 in the bottom of the fth inning with South Wake’s relief pitcher Katie Whitehurst in the circle, Clendenin singled on a ground ball to left eld and batted in Emma Burke, who walked on base, for a two-run lead.

Clark kept it going in the next at-bat with a single that loaded the bases. From there, Whitehurst went on to walk in two more runs for Chatham before ending the inning with a strikeout.

In the bottom of the rst inning, Burke put Chatham County’s rst run on the board when she grounded out and scored Abigail Johnson, who walked and

“People showed they could play multiple positions, so that’s very promising.”

Holly Felder

advanced to third on wild pitches. With two outs in the same inning, Clark singled to center eld and knocked pitcher Gabby Czuczuk home for a 2-0 lead.

Facing two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Clendenin singled on a line drive to center eld, sending Avery Kiger, who doubled her way on base, home for a 3-0 advantage.

South Wake caught re in the top of the fourth inning, ripping o four straight hits. Andy Care started the rally with a single, and Hill smashed a double to the left center eld fence to put two runners in scoring position.

Georgia Miller put South Wake on the board with a single that scored Care, and Cami Brinkley scored Hill with a single to right eld.

For what ended up being a costly mistake, Miller followed Hill for the potential game-tying run, but she was thrown out at home by Clark.

Post 292 got out of more tricky situations on defense, including the second inning when South Wake had two runners in scoring position with two outs, and Miller ied out to Johnson in center eld.

One inning later, Chatham County found itself at risk of giving up runs again, facing bases loaded with two outs. Post 116’s Julie Selig grounded out to Kiger, and Chatham County once again survived without any bleeding.

Post 292 even lost the hits battle 13-7 and still came away with the win.

Czuczuk pitched a complete game and logged three strikeouts and two earned runs.

“I think Gabby pitched a really good game,” Chatham County assistant coach Holly Felder said. “We changed our approach a little bit, whether she realized it or not. I was calling some di erent stu at the end of the game, but she hit her spots pretty well, and that kept them o balance.”

Outside of Hill, who went 2 for 3 at the plate and recorded three strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs in four innings pitched, South Wake has three other players from Seaforth’s 2025 team.

Brinkley went 1 for 2 with one RBI. Alyssa Harris (1 for 4, one RBI) and Annika Johansson also took the eld for Post 116.

Post 292 moved players around often defensively Monday night, given this was their rst time playing together since tryouts.

“People showed they could play multiple positions, so that’s very promising,” Felder said.

O to a solid start, Chatham Post 292 will continue to put things together against North Wake at home on June 17.

two

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Calissa Clendenin

North Moore, softball

Calissa Clendenin is a senior on the North Moore softball team. She also played basketball and volleyball for the Mustangs.

Clendenin got her summer sports season o to a good start. She’s a member of the Chatham County Post 292 18-19U team. In the opening game, she went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.

Clendenin led North Moore in hits, RBIs, steals and doubles last season and was second in batting and on-base percentage. She will continue her softball career in college at Pfei er.

Di erent paths, same destination for the Thunder, Pacers

Oklahoma City had a dominant regular season, while Indiana got hot at the right time

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY spent most of the regular season alone atop the Western Conference standings and just kept adding to its lead. Indiana didn’t spend a single day atop the Eastern Conference standings and was still under the .500 mark in early January. Di erent paths, the same destination.

It will be the Thunder and the Pacers squaring o when the NBA Finals start in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, a matchup of two clubs that weren’t exactly on similar paths this season.

“When you get to this point of the season, it’s two teams and it’s one goal, and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long — with capital letters in the word ‘dominant.’ Defensively, they’re historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It’s two

“We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”

Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder center

teams that have similar structures, slightly di erent styles.”

The deep dives into the other side were beginning in earnest on Sunday, a day after the Pacers nished o their Eastern Conference title by ousting New York in six games. Indiana was taking a day o before getting set to return to work on Monday; the Thunder were practicing in Oklahoma City.

“We always talk about human nature in our locker room, and the human nature way of thinking about it is ‘four wins away, four wins away.’

You kind of lose sight of the fact that you’ve got to win one to get to four,” Thunder guard Jalen Williams said Sunday.

“You’ve got to stack wins. So, that’s how we’re looking at it.

Let’s get prepared for Game 1 now and just go from there. And I think that does make it a little easier now that we know who we’re playing.” The Pacers lost their 14th

game of the regular season in early December; the Thunder lost 14 regular-season games this season, total. That would make it seem like this was an unlikely nals matchup.

But since Dec. 13, including regular-season and playo games, the Thunder have the NBA’s best record at 61-13. The team with the second-most wins in the league over those last 51⁄2 months? That would be Indiana, going 52-21 over that span.

“We had expectations to be

here, and this isn’t a surprise to any of us because of what we wanted to do,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “And I think obviously there’s a turning point there in December or January or whatever the case may be. But I just thought we did a great job of just being as present as possible, not living in the past, not worrying about what’s next, just worrying about what’s now.”

What’s now is the NBA Finals. The Pacers were a middle-of-the-pack pick to start

the season, with 50-1 preseason odds to win the title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Thunder were only 9-1 entering the season, behind Boston and New York out of the East — and Denver and Minnesota, two teams that the Thunder eliminated in this season’s West playo s.

“We’ve learned a lot,” Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “We’ve had to learn how to handle a lot of situations. I think that’s going to help us now.”

ASHEEBO ROJAS / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Calissa Clendenin makes contact with the ball in Chatham County’s Heroes League opener on June 2. She went 2 for 3 at the plate and recorded

RBIs in the win.

NATE BILLINGS / AP PHOTO Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, left, and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrate after winning the Western Conference nal.

Morris Virgil Brookhart

Sept. 12, 1939 – May 24, 2025

Morris Virgil Brookhart, 85, of Whispering Pines, NC, passed away peacefully on May 24 while at Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, surrounded by his loving family.

Morris was born on September 12, 1939, to the late Virgil and Elsie Mae Brookhart in Searcy, Arkansas.

Morris attended the University of Arkansas and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in civil engineering. He served in the United States Air Force for six years and worked in the civil engineering eld for the remainder of his career.Morris was a talented carpenter. He built many pieces of furniture in his home and passed down his knowledge to his son and grandson. He used these talents when designing their home to be fully accessible to accommodate his daughter Jodi’s needs.

Morris was a self-taught mechanic; long before the internet, he read books on how to work on cars and could x almost anything by following directions and manuals. He loved to rebuild cars and especially enjoyed riding with his wife in his 1953 MG TD with the top down through the streets of Whispering Pines.

Morris had an eye for beauty, whether it was his wife, hand-made furniture, unique architecture, a well-manicured landscape, a vista at the top of a mountain, or a beautiful sunset.

Morris loved to cook delicious food and drink ne wine - he was known to scour the newspaper and magazines for new recipes to try. These meals were most enjoyed when sharing them with immediate and extended family members.

Above all else, Morris loved his family. He was a wonderful husband, dad, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather. Morris is survived by his wife of 59 years, Harriette Lancaster Brookhart; his daughter, Marcy Cooper (Taylor) of Pinehurst; his son, Benjamin Brookhart (Julie) of Charlotte; grandchildren Casey Cooper (Ryan), Carly Cooper, Clay Cooper, Charlie Brookhart and greatgranddaughter, Eleanor Laton. He is also survived by sister in sisterin-law, E e Labrecque; nieces Arlene Morris (Kelly), Deanne Brooks (Greg), Robin Stotka (Chris), Joanna Fontaine (Alan) and a nephew, Trey Labrecque (Susan).

Morris was preceded in death by his parents, Virgil and Elsie Mae Brookhart; siblings, Artis Hughes, Veda Hughes and Arlin Hughes; and his youngest daughter, Jodi Erin Brookhart. A celebration of the life of Morris Brookhart will be held at a later date for family and close friends. In lieu of owers or memorial donations, the family asks you to take a moment and enjoy the next beautiful sunset you see with someone you love.

Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Judy Rose Hussey Craven

March 11, 1944 –May 31, 2025

Judy Rose Hussey Craven, 81, died Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Asheboro Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. Private Memorial Services are planned.

Judy was a native of Moore County, born March 11, 1944, to the late Clayton Allen and Cora Edith Lineberry Hussey. She was a graduate of Westmoore High School, a loving daughter, sister, mother and grandmother. Judy was a homemaker, she enjoyed caring for her home and family. She will be remembered as a wonderful cook: some of the favorites were fried chicken, country-style steak, and homemade biscuits.

Judy loved going shopping at the mall, family trips to the beach and trying out new restaurants. She loved the Lord and attended New Testament church for many years. Time spent with her family was very important. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister: Annette.

Judy is survived by her son, Brian Keith Craven; grandson, Andrew Craven; and many other family and friends.

Kennedy Funeral Home is assisting the Craven Family.

Daisy Lee Holder

Aug. 12, 1985 – May 25, 2025

Ms. Daisy Lee Holder, 39 of Sanford, North Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Monday, May 25, 2025. Please keep the family and friends of Ms. Daisy Lee Holder in your thoughts and prayers. Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Sanford, North Carolina.

Joe Drayton II

Dec. 8, 1945 – May 30, 2025

Joe Drayton II, 79, of Laurinburg, departed this life on May 30, 2025. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced at a later date. Services are entrusted to Purcell Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Orbia Louis Simon

June 3, 1946 – May 28, 2025

Orbia Louis Simon, age 78, of Pinehurst, NC, passed away on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at FirstHealth/Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst.

Please keep the family and friends of Mr. Orbia Louis Simon in your thoughts and prayers.

Per his request, no public viewing or service will be held.

Mr. Simon will be dearly missed by his loving family and many friends. A private interment will be held at a later date at Pinelawn Memorial Park, Southern Pines.

In lieu of oral arrangements, consider a donation to The Foundation of FirstHealth Hospice & Palliative Care, 150 Applecross Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374.

Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Southern Pines, North Carolina.

Patricia Jane Alliss

June 14, 1951 – May 31, 2025

Mrs. Patricia Jane Alliss, 73 of Cameron, North Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

Please keep the family and friends of Mrs. Patricia Jane Alliss in your thoughts and prayers.

Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Sanford, North Carolina.

William Isaac Martin

Oct. 2, 1970 – May 27, 2025

William Isaac Martin, 54, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at Moore Regional Hospital.

Born to the late Arlen Franklin Martin and Mary Satterwhite Whitaker, Isaac was a kindhearted soul who never met a stranger. In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife and the love of his life, Bobbi Jean Lineberry Martin; his stepfather, Roy Whitaker; and a cherished father gure, Ralph McCaskill.

Isaac had a deep love for people and thrived in the company of friends and family, whether gathered around a table for a meal or simply enjoying conversation. He was a devoted member of Red Branch Baptist Church, where he generously volunteered his time and talents across various ministries. His passions included classic cars, Tonka toys, and the joy of giving—he especially delighted in surprising his friends with thoughtful gifts during the holidays. Isaac also had a soft spot for dogs and collected angels, symbols of the gentle and caring spirit that de ned his life. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Isaac is survived by his beloved mother, Mary Satterwhite Whitaker of Carthage; brother, Robert K. Martin and his wife, Abby of Vass; sister, Linda Martin-Hat eld of Carthage; mother-in-law, Judy Kelly; sisterin-law, Donna Marsh; brotherin-law, Scott Kelly; stepsister, Francesca Cameron of Carthage; nephews, Robert K. Jones, Casey L. Jones, and Wyatt Cameron; niece, Amanda Carter (Justin); great-nephew, Christian Carter and great-niece, Maci Carter. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Red Branch Baptist Church with Deacon Tim Coe o ciating. The burial will take place at the church cemetery following the service. The family will visit with friends from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Fry and Prickett Funeral Home.

In lieu of owers and in honor of Isaac and Bobbi Jean Lineberry Martin, donations may be made to Red Branch Baptist Church, 1748 Old River Road, Carthage, NC 28327. The care of Mr. Martin has been entrusted to Fry and Prickett Funeral Home.

Timothy Hinton

Dec. 16, 1959 – May 29, 2025

Timothy Hinton, 65 of Ho man, departed this life on May 27, 2025. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced at a later date. Services are entrusted to Purcell Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Daniel Easterling

Nov. 28, 1964 – May 29, 2025

Daniel Easterling, 60, of Laurinburg departed this life on May 29, 2025. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced at a later date. Services are entrusted to Purcell Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Jacquline

Alexander

Feb. 12, 1946 – June 2, 2025

Jaqueline Alexander, 79, departed this life on June 2, 2025. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced at a later date. Services are entrusted to Purcell Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Herbert “Bill” Van Boskerck Jr.

May 15, 1945 – May 29, 2025

Herbert “Bill” Van Boskerck Jr., age 80, passed away on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at St. Joseph’s of the Pines in Southern Pines.

Bill was born on May 15, 1945, to Herbert and Hazel Palmer Van Boskerck at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Southern Pines, NC.

On January 2, 1965, he married his childhood friend, Patricia Buchanan, in Pineblu , NC. He proudly and honorably served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Afterward, Bill owned and operated his own Marine Repair business. He was a member of the Moore County Marine Corps League and donated generously to the American Legion for many years.

He loved his family very much and will be dearly missed by all of them.

Bill is survived by his loving spouse of 60 years, Patricia; two sons, Rodney (Kathy) Van Boskerck of Aberdeen, NC, and Sean Van Boskerck of Aberdeen, NC; granddaughter, Hayley Van Boskerck of Aynor, SC; two grandsons, Zackery Van Boskerck of Marion, SC, and Trenton (Bethany) Van Boskerck of Loris, SC; ve greatgranddaughters, Brooklynn, Sadie, Peyton, Parker and Rylee.

He was preceded in death by both of his parents, sister, and her husband, Jeanette & Joel Vickers.

The family will be having a private memorial service at a later date.

Kenneth Coker Geddes

Jan. 23, 1936 – May 25, 2025

Kenneth Coker Geddes, 89, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 25, 2025.

Ken was born on January 23, 1936, in Kansas City, MO, to the late William Hodge and Jewel Coker Geddes. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his rst wife of 22 years, Barbara Jean Geddes, and a son, Philip Ridgeway Geddes, age 14; and his brothers, Wilburt Hale, Max Elwood, Roland Bruce and Philip Alexander Geddes.

He is survived by his loving second wife of 45 years, Nancy

Mildred Jean (Walden) Capel

July 2, 1934 – May 29, 2025

Mrs. Mildred Jean (Walden) Capel, 90, of Southern Pines, North Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

Please keep the family and friends of Mrs. Mildred Jean (Walden) Capel in your thoughts and prayers. In lieu of oral arrangements, the family requests you consider making charitable donations to Cardinal Recreation Park, PO Box 37, Pineblu , NC 28373, in remembrance of Jean Walden Capel’s love and life. Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Southern Pines, North Carolina.

Baromeo Geddes; sister Carol Jewel Geddes; and sons Bradley Coker Geddes, Bruce James Geddes, Gregory Stevens Horvath and Geo rey Richard Horvath.

Ken was born into a loving, extended family, received degrees in accounting and nance, and advanced through a successful career at General Motors. Not long after retirement, he and Nancy moved to Pinehurst to play golf on any day that ended in “Y” and lend his time and energy to the Tin Whistles, the Pinehurst Library Association, and playing tenor saxophone in the New Horizons Band in the Pines. He also enjoyed his wood shop, as well as restoring and driving a vintage ’65 Corvette Roadster.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of owers, a contribution can be made to the “Tin Whistles Scholarship Foundation” by mailing a check to Tin Whistles, 5 Dawn Road, Pinehurst NC, 28374, or a contribution can be made to “New Horizons Band in the Pines”, care of Miriam Ring, 400 Johnson Grove Road, Vass NC 28394.

Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Alf Clausen, composer for ‘The Simpsons’ for 27 years, dies at 84

He was nominated for 30 Emmy awards, winning twice

By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of “The Simpsons” for 27 years, died last Thursday.

His daughter Kaarin Clausen told The Associated Press that Alf Clausen died at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson’s disease for about a decade. He was 84. Clausen, who also scored TV series including “Moonlighting” and “Alf” (“no relation,” he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for “The Simpsons,” winning twice. Al Jean, an early “Simpsons” writer who was one of the key creative gures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X last Friday that “Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons.”

While Danny Elfman wrote the show’s theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at moorecommunity@ northstatejournal.com

His colleagues said his music was a key component of the show’s comedy, but Clausen believed the best way to back up the gags of Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa was by making the music as straight as possible.

“This is a dream job for a composer,” Clausen told Variety, which rst reported his death, in 1998. “Matt Groening said to me very early on, ‘We’re not a cartoon. We’re a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.’ I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to speci c action hits on the screen.”

Groening, in a 1996 interview, called him “one of the un-

‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch Phil Robertson dies

The family announced in December that he had Alzheimer’s disease

The Associated Press

WEST MONROE, La. — Phil Robertson, who turned his small duck calling interest in the sportsman’s paradise of northern Louisiana into a big business and conservative cultural phenomenon, died Sunday, according to his family. He was 79.

Robertson’s family announced in December on their Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast that the patriarch of the clan had Alzheimer’s disease. The statement on social media from Robertson’s daughter-in-law didn’t mention how he died.

“Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again,” Korie Robertson wrote.

Phil Robertson skyrocketed to fame in the early 2010s when the A&E network created a reality show, presented like a sitcom. It followed the adventures of Robertson, his three sons — including Willie, who runs the family’s Duck Commander company — their wives and a host of other relatives and friends.

Phil Robertson and his boys were immediately recognizable by their long beards and conservative, Christian and family-oriented beliefs.

That got Robertson into trouble, too. He told a magazine reporter in 2013 that gay people are sinners and African Americans were happy under Jim Crow laws.

A&E suspended him from “Duck Dynasty” but reversed course in a few weeks after a backlash that included Sarah Palin. At the time, Robertson’s family called his comments coarse but said his beliefs were grounded in the Bible and he “is a Godly man.” They also said that “as

a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm.”

Robertson was born in north Louisiana and spent his life in the woods and lakes that make up the region called Sportsman’s Paradise. Robertson played football at Louisiana Tech and taught school. He also loved to hunt and created a duck call in the early 1970s that he said replicated the exact sound of a duck. The calls were the centerpiece

“Matt Groening said to me very early on, ‘We’re not a cartoon. We’re a drama where the characters are drawn. I want you to score it like a drama.’ I score the emotions of the characters as opposed to speci c action hits on the screen.”

Alf Clausen

acknowledged treasures of the show.”

Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music.

In the 1970s he was a musical director on several TV variety shows, including “Donny & Marie.”

Clausen worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s lms including “Splash” and “The Beastmaster.”

It was Holdridge who rst got the composing job on “Moonlighting,” the late-’80s ABC rom-com detective series starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd, but he handed the gig o to Clausen, who would get six Emmy nominations for his music on it.

Clausen won his Emmys for “The Simpsons” in 1997 and 1998, and he also won ve Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in lm and television. He was red from “The Simpsons” in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans. He sued over his dismissal.

Clausen is survived by his wife Sally, children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle, stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren.

“Saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson — a man of deep faith, bold conviction, and unwavering love for his family.”

Ben Carson

shortly after this death was announced, largely from conservative politicians.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X, “The great #PhilRobertson passed today. He loved Jesus & he was utterly fearless. One of my fondest memories was duck hunting with Phil — he was the best shot I ever met. And, in 2016, he recorded this amazing commercial for me. Rest in peace, my friend.”

of the Duck Commander business Robertson would grow into a multimillion-dollar enterprise before A&E came calling.

The family just didn’t sell outdoor and hunting gear; it sold a lifestyle.

“The Robertsons face everything from beavers to business deals in their own special way — with a twist of downhome practicality and a sharp sense of humor,” A&E wrote in its promotion for “Duck Dynasty.”

Appreciations for Robertson appeared on social media

“Saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson — a man of deep faith, bold conviction, and unwavering love for his family,” wrote Ben Carson, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary, also on X. “I’ll never forget the time I spent with Phil and his wonderful family at their homestead in West Monroe, LA. We rode through the swamp stopping at his favorite duck blinds before being welcomed by Miss Kay with a warm, home-cooked meal, surrounded by their extended family and close friends.”

A&E shared their own tribute to the “Duck Dynasty” X account, writing: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family. Our thoughts are with them during this di cult time. We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve.”

MATT ROURKE / AP PHOTO

Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty speaks at a campaign stop for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in South Carolina in 2016.

STATE & NATION

As states roll out red carpets for data centers, some lawmakers push back

Taxes, utilities and red tape are signi cant blocks to development

By Marc Levy The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America’s fast-rising demand for arti cial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it’s also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities.

Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Many states are o eringnancial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a ght or e orts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy e ciency standards.

Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy in ux of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the ghts revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want: large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water.

And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of

acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler.

While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments.

In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that’s landing in other states.

“Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,” said state Rep. Eric Nelson. “That’s the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won’t open its doors.”

It’s been a big year for data centers

Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while Kentucky and Arkansas expanded preexisting exemptions so that more projects will qualify.

Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water and clean energy, meet energy-e ciency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity.

Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three

dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete.

“It’s often a nonstarter if you don’t have them, for at least the hyperscalers,” said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. “It’s just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.”

Zoning, energy ghts often frustrate developers

In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create “microgrid” districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his “landmark policy proposal” for 2025 to put West Virginia “in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.”

Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data center developers to procure their own power supply with-

out going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility.

The nal bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to nance the cost of new power plants.

“I do not like that we’re making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,” South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during oor debate.

Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they re ect a society that is “addicted” to electricity and are “ lling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we’re all

Trump withdraws nomination of Isaacman to

The Elon Musk associate and astronaut was expected to get Senate approval within weeks

By Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations.”

It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,”

Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening

and, honestly, a bit thrilling.”

“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where lead-

“Leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

guilty of it. We’re all responsible for it.”

Some lawmakers are hesitant

In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back.

Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them.

Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill.

In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site’s noise pollution and water use.

In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state’s electric grid from fast-growing data center demand.

Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups.

Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such as data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency.

Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas.

“You’ve seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas,” Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. “I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.”

lead NASA

Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of space ights from SpaceX and conducted the rst private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon.

ers on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to ght for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency’s next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his rst chartered ight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of

Musk appeared to lament Trump’s decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to nd someone so competent and good-hearted.”

SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government E ciency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.

@POLARISPROGRAM / X

Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman climbs out of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the rst private spacewalk last year.

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center in August 2024 in Boardman, Oregon.

Jared Isaacman