North State Journal Vol. 10, Issue 17

No Kings across North Carolina

Protestors rallied across the state and country, holding “No Kings” protests Saturday in response to the policies of Donald Trump on the same day the president oversaw a parade celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. Left: In Southern Pines, protestors march while one calls out using a megaphone. Center: In Cary, people assemble on the side of the road as an American ag hangs in the foreground. Right: In Fayetteville, a woman holds a sign adorned with peace signs.

N.C. redistricting trial begins

Winston-Salem North Carolina congressional and legislative districts drawn by Republicans in 2023 that helped them retain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are in court. A trial began Monday in two federal lawsuits led by voters and advocacy groups that accuse mapmakers of illegally eroding black voting power while enacting lines that aided GOP electoral prospects. The lawsuits claim that lines are so skewed that many black voters lack the ability to elect their preferred candidates. Republicans counter that they used no race-based data in developing the plans. The trial won’t end until next month.

Judges side with GOP in highway commander appointment case

Raleigh

A panel of North Carolina trial judges dismissed Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s case against GOP legislative leaders over the issue of who gets to appoint and remove the State Highway Patrol commander. The Superior Court panel’s Monday decision means the case doesn’t go to trial, but it can be appealed. The lawsuit focuses on part of a power-shifting law passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly last year. The provision outlines that Col. Freddy Johnson would remain in his role as the State Highway Patrol commander until 2030. Former Gov. Roy Cooper, also a Democrat, originally appointed Johnson in 2021.

Suspect in Minnesota shootings arrested the BRIEF this week

Democrat criticized over image depicting beheaded Trump

The NCGOP called for Wake County Rep. Julie von Haefen to resign

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Rep. Julie von Haefen (D-Wake) drew criticism for a post she made to social media that included a photo showing a depiction of a beheaded President Don-

“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

ald Trump with imagery of a guillotine.

The Wake County Democrat had posted the image in a video on her Instagram account, taken from the “No Kings” protest in Raleigh on June 14.

The image gained attention, and she later admitted to editing it out of the video. Additionally, von Haefen also

See VON HAEFEN, page A3

Vance Boelter was detained and charged in the shootings of two legislators and their spouses

The Associated Press

BELLE PLAINE, Minn. —

The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to o cers in surrender Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge.

Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder. He is accused of

The governor signed his rst legislation outside of those for hurricane recovery

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein signed his rst round of non-hurricane recovery bills of the current legislative long session last week.

Stein signed six bills into law during a signing ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on June 13, including House Bill 506, legislation the governor said “modernizes our state’s investment system.”

“This bill puts North Carolina in line with the rest of the nation and allows us to make responsible decisions investing our state employees’

posing as a police o cer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.

Authorities say he also shot Sen. John Ho man, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about 9 miles away.

“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference after Boelter’s arrest.

The search for Boelter was the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. It began when Brooklyn Park

See STEIN, page A2

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

IZZY LAVALETTE FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WALT UNKS / WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP

Gov. Josh Stein, pictured last Thursday in Greensboro, signed six bills into law last week.

the word | Brace up

When a person has su ered a loss, an accident, or a bereavement, friends often say, “Brace up — be a man.” By this they mean: “Summon your courage and will to endure. Gather your inner strength to support and sustain you in this time of need.”

There are times when we must call on all our spiritual powers to resist opposition. Trouble is inevitable, and we need courage and strength. But the God who watches over us is wise and loving. He will not allow more than we can bear. He makes no mistakes in judging our ability to face life’s circumstances.

Many try to avoid di culties, but evasion only weakens them. If they miss the con ict, they also miss the strength gained through victory. As the poet A. H. Newton says: “I must ght, if I would win,” and instead of eeing, he prays, “Increase my courage, Lord.”

He means, “Help me to brace up and win — help me ght like a man, not a coward.”

We have within us many unrealized powers. There is often hidden strength that only appears when we move forward with con dence. Still, sometimes natural strength is not enough, and we need reinforcement.

I once saw the frame of a building erected without braces. A strong wind came, and the whole structure collapsed. The frame was well-built — but lacked support. Our Christian life may be the same: sound in structure, but in need of extra braces at times. God, in his great storehouse, has an ample supply—each one tted for the place where it’s needed. He invites us to take all we need. Let us nd a few and lay them up for future use. Are you lonely or forsaken? Try these braces:

“I will never leave you nor forsake you!” (Hebrews 13:5)

“Surely, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world!” (Matthew 28:20)

“The Good Samaritan (after Delacroix)” by Vincent van Gogh (1890) is a painting in the collection of The Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands.

Are you tempted?

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The escape is already provided—this promise is your brace. And if this one isn’t enough, many others are available.

Are you in distress? Use these:

“From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you.” (Job 5:19)

“Many are the a ictions of the righteous — but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19)

“He gives power to the faint; and to those who have no might, he increases strength. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:29, 31)

Here are braces for fear: “Fear not, I

will help you!” and “The angel of the Lord encamps round about those who fear him, and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)

Do you have enemies? Are they like an army against you? Take refuge in Psalm 27:5: “In the time of trouble, he shall hide me in his pavilion.”

God’s promises are not his only braces. His warnings can serve the same purpose. For example: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.” (Luke 12:15)

Or, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” (Mark 14:38)

We also nd braces in the examples recorded in Scripture. Over and over, God sustained his people, gave them victory, and turned defeat into triumph. Even examples of failure can brace us — if we heed them.

Have you ever needed braces and lacked them? That alone shows the need to be prepared. It’s wise to go through the Bible and mark texts that will help you. Write the word “brace” in the margin beside helpful verses. Then, when you need one and nothing comes to mind, read those marked passages. You’ll be surprised how much help they give. You might begin with Isaiah 41:13–14: “I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you!’ declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”

Add as many others as you wish, and soon you’ll be braced up for any emergency.

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.

Undercover videos show more pushback of UNC System DEI ban

Sta ers recorded are no longer employed by UNC Asheville and Western Carolina

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Two more undercover videos of UNC System employees claiming to be avoiding the systemwide ban on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Accuracy in Media (AIM) posted two more videos over the past two weeks: one of UNC Asheville (UNCA) Dean of Students Megan Pugh and another of Karen Price, the director of assessments at Western Carolina University (WCU).

In the UNCA video, Pugh claimed she “loves to break the rules” and will continue to break rules “until they get mad at us.”

Similarly, Price boasted of trying to “embed DEI across every area” and that the work is “very much still occurring” at WCU.

Statements from both schools issued after the videos were published indicate the women are no longer employed at the school.

“UNC Asheville is aware of a video in which an employee makes comments implying that the University does not comply with UNC System policies or legal requirements and supports employees disregarding such obligations,” the school said in a post regarding Pugh.

“These remarks do not repre-

“This bill puts North Carolina in line with the rest of the nation and allows us to make responsible decisions investing our state employees’ hard-earned pensions.”

Gov. Josh Stein on House Bill 506

UNC

works at the university after a secret recording by Accuracy in Media was released.

sent the practices of UNC Asheville. The University remains rmly committed to upholding all UNC System policies as well as federal and state laws, both in principle and in practice.

“UNC Asheville takes these comments seriously. Following a prompt review of the matter, the individual is no longer employed by the University.”

WCU also issued a statement regarding Price.

“Western Carolina University complies fully with the spirit and letter of all state and federal laws and UNC System policies on equality and institutional neutrality,” the school said.

“The director of institutional assessment, featured in the video, has no role in policy or compliance decisions and was not authorized to speak on behalf of the university.

hard-earned pensions,” said Stein. Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) led the legislation, which was a top priority for State Treasurer Brad Briner.

“North Carolinians deserve to know that their pension fund is working as hard for them as they worked for their state,” said Briner in a statement. “The reforms signed into law today will put us on a path to maximizing returns and I am honored this was not only a top priority of mine — but that leaders on both sides of the aisle share our vision of strengthening the pension fund.”

“As of mid-April, Dr. Price is no longer employed at WCU. Further, in 2024, WCU dissolved its diversity, equity, and inclusion o ce in compliance with UNC Policy directives.”

The school added that it would reinforce state regulations and policies with sta .

In a separate statement, WCU Chancellor Kelli Brown announced that the O ce of Intercultural A airs (ICA) would be closed, e ective immediately. Her statement said all funding for ICA will be “reinvested in campus priorities” supporting UNC performance metrics and that three existing vacant positions in the o ce will be eliminated.

“This decision has been made to provide clarity and consistency in how WCU o ers student support services in compliance

Stein also signed House Bill 50, which will alter retirement bene ts for law enforcement. Supporters — including Stein going back to his time as attorney general — hope the legislation will keep experienced ocers on the job longer.

“Our law enforcement work day and night to keep us safe, and we need more public spirited people serving to address our law enforcement sta ng challenges,” said Stein. “This law enables veteran law enforcement o cers to continue serving our communities and supporting their families without su ering a nancial penalty.”

“WCU is committed to providing equal opportunities for our students.”

Kelli Brown, Western Carolina chancellor

with the UNC System Policy on Equality Within the University of North Carolina,” Brown said. “WCU is committed to providing equal opportunities for our students, and I am con dent that this change will not result in any loss of a robust framework for student support at WCU.”

The rst video published by AIM featured Janique Sanders, assistant director of leadership and community engagement at UNC Charlotte. Sanders said in the video that despite the ban, DEI is still in place, stating, “We’ve renamed, we’ve reorganized, we’ve recalibrated, so to speak.” Sanders, like Pugh and Price, is no longer employed at the school, according to a UNC Charlotte press statement.

All three videos can be viewed on AIM’s website and YouTube Channel.

School choice activist Corey DeAngelis has highlighted the videos in threads on his X account. DeAngelis is a senior adviser to AIM and a fellow of multiple education and policy organizations.

House Bill 231 “will expand access to care to more people by allowing social workers from certain other states to more easily transfer their licenses to North Carolina,” Stein said in signing the bill.

Stein also signed three other bills. House Bill 477 changes death bene ts in state retirement plans. Senate Bill 248 aligns birth certi cates of adopted persons with those not adopted. Senate Bill 477 modi es the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

Four bills sent to Stein remain unsigned.

House Bill 126 would require

UNC Board of Governors member Woody White commented on a post by school choice activist Corey DeAngelis — a senior adviser to AIM — about the WCU video, calling it “the worst one yet” but “not unexpected.”

“Many have made serious money on the race/gender hussle, and pitting groups against each other based on immutable characteristics, and it’s nally being exposed,” White wrote. “Those who pushed for this divisive ideology, for years and without resistance, are true believers in their attempts to fundamentally alter our society and laws, and no one should have expected them just to disappear. I surely didn’t.

“That’s why a ‘cost reduction’ report was to be included in the sept ’24 report date from each system chancellor. Some schools did more than others but it’s starting to appear as if they all still have serious work to do to ensure system wide compliance with the neutrality policy.”

WCU is already facing a Title IX investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. The investigation is looking at reports that the school has refused to ensure sex-separated intimate spaces in federally funded institutions of higher education, in violation of Title IX.

AIM’s President Adam Guillette told North State Journal there would be “plenty more (videos) to come.”

A report by The College Fix alleges that at least two other UNC System schools, NC State and NC Central, may be dodging the ban by renaming or rebranding their DEI o ces. The College Fix list also included the University of North Carolina College of the Arts.

government agencies to hold a public hearing before condemning or rezoning property located within a voluntary agricultural district. Senate Bill 50 would establish a permitless concealed carry policy in the state. House Bill 318 and Senate Bill 153 address illegal immigration and cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The rst two bills were sent to Stein on June 13, three days after the latter two.

The governor has 10 business days to either sign a bill, let the bill become law without his signature or issue a veto.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

COURTESY ACCURACY IN MEDIA

Asheville Dean of Students Megan Pugh no longer

Top elected o cials tout wins at NCGOP Convention

Several of North Carolina’s Republican leaders primed the crowd ahead of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s speech

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Three of the top Republican elected ocials in the state spoke ahead of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin at the 2025 NCGOP Convention earlier this month in Greensboro.

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden), Labor Commissioner Luke Farley and State Auditor Dave Boliek each gave remarks touting their various wins and activities this year. Berger and Farley spoke for around 10 minutes each, while Boliek’s remarks ran for about 25 minutes.

Berger emphasized a conservative agenda aligned with President Donald Trump’s America First policies, focusing on actions taken since Republicans gained control of the legislature in 2010.

“We cut taxes for every single family in this state. We’ve provided school choices for every single family and every child in this state,” said Berger, outlining actions aligning with the Republican North Carolina First Agenda. “We supported the police, honored our veterans, cracked down on criminals, and prohibited sanctuary cities and jurisdictions.”

Berger also underscored examples of Republicans defending “commonsense” values.

“We’ve defended values rooted in good North Carolina common sense,” said Berger. “Values

deleted her X account, which may be a violation of state records and social media retention laws for elected o cials.

House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) issued a statement on X.

“On the same weekend that a gunman in Minnesota targeted state lawmakers in an act of political violence, and after two attempted assassinations of President Trump within the past year, Representative von Haefen (D-Wake) shared an image of a “protest sign” that glori es violence against her political opponents-including President Donald Trump,” wrote Hall.

“Her disgraceful behavior fails to meet the standards expected from House members and sets a dangerous precedent in an already volatile political climate,” Hall wrote. “I am examining next steps with our legislative attorneys to ensure this behavior does not continue.”

Attempts to reach von Haefen for comment were unsuccessful.

Around 3 p.m. on Sunday, von Haefen issued a statement on her o cial Facebook page, which did not include an apology but instead addressed the deletion of the “inappropriate” image.

“Yesterday, I posted a video on social media containing crowd photos from the No Kings protest in Raleigh. One of the images of a protestor holding a sign was inappropriate, and I later edited the video to remove the photo,” von Haefen wrote.

“Let me be clear: I condemn political violence in all forms,” wrote von Haefen. “My focus remains on bringing people together and ghting for the values that matter to North Carolinians. Like so many, I was horri ed by the violence in Minnesota. There is no place for that kind of extremism in our democracy, no matter the target, no matter the party.”

North State Journal sent

like keeping boys out of girls’ sports. Values like the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. Values like protecting the unborn. And values like securing the vote and ballot box with photo ID.”

The Senate leader discussed more recent actions, including the passage of the DAVE Act, a state version of the Save Act, which aims to address corruption and waste. He also spoke about supporting Trump’s energy policies and enacting the North Carolina Border Protection Act to align with federal immigration crackdowns.

Berger emphasized that the Senate’s work over the last decade has prioritized ordinary citizens over elites or political insiders, aiming to improve the business climate, lower taxes and empower parents.

Farley, a political newcomer and the youngest Labor commissioner elected in the state in more than a century, credited his victory to “grassroots support” and expressed gratitude to the Republican Party’s base.

“I was a grassroots candidate when I ran,” Farley said. “It was the grassroots that powered my victory, and I remained a grassroots Labor commissioner,” Farley said.

Farley highlighted his resistance to the political establishment, particularly Gov. Josh Stein’s attempts to limit the number of Council of State meetings, positioning himself as an outsider ghting for accountability.

“I’m the guy who stood up to Josh Stein when he tried to cut our Council state meetings in half,” said Farley, adding he is still ghting Stein’s “power grabs.” “I will tell you

government o cial saying no to more of your tax dollars, that we are going to run the key bureaus of this department using our user fees that we generate.”

those stances aren’t really earning me any friends in Raleigh establishment.”

Farley mentioned the reality of a “deep state” in government bureaucracies and outlined efforts to reform his o ce by prioritizing merit, bringing in outside perspectives and rejecting additional tax funding.

“The deep state is a real thing. It exists in every government bureaucracy,” said Farley, adding his agency “got rid of DEI and made merit the gold standard.”

Farley’s remarks included running the Department of Labor e ciently by leveraging user fees instead of tax dollars.

“We are running our agency like a small business so that the small businesses we regulate and the agency are in the same boat,” said Farley. “I’m a

Boliek’s comments centered on holding government accountable, as well as keeping a focus on e ciency and wise spending. He also promised to scrutinize every agency and dollar.

“The job of the state auditor is actually pretty simple: You gotta hold state government accountable, make it work smarter, spend money wiser and be held to the high standards of people of North Carolina expect and deserve,” said Boliek. “It’s about making sure every single agency, every department and every o cial is doing the job the right way.”

Since he took o ce in January, Boliek’s agency has seen several signi cant changes, which he said transformed his o ce from an inward-facing entity to an outward-facing one.

“We’re not a rubber stamp, and I’m not there just to hold the seat and sit around and watch things happen,” said

Boliek of the expanded duties. Boliek highlighted recent audit results, such as uncovering $83 million in errors at NC Central University and addressing ine ciencies at the DMV, stating, “We’re going to get it xed.”

The auditor also mentioned reviews of hurricane recovery spending, enhancing cybersecurity audits and having a “beefed up” investigations team to tackle fraud.

Boliek garnered applause for a surprise announcement of initiating a push for election integrity inspired by Florida’s practices. He also praised the Republican-led General Assembly and Board of Elections for their e orts to ensure fair and secure elections.

“I will make a little bit of news that I am calling for a 100% audit of voting results prior to canvassing in the state of North Carolina,” said Boliek. “I know it can be done because I just got back from Florida, and they do it in Florida. ... Fair, free elections are sacred to each of us and to all Americans. Quite frankly, (it) needs to be easy to vote and hard to cheat.”

“Her disgraceful behavior fails to meet the standards expected from House members and sets a dangerous precedent in an already volatile political climate.”

NC

Falls)

a request for comment to the North Carolina Democratic Party Caucus (NCDPC), which responded by providing von Haefen’s written statement.

When prompted for a comment speci cally from the NC -

DPC, the reply received was, “We have no further comment on the matter.”

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton posted a statement to X which did not address or mention von Haefen directly but instead called attention to the past rhetoric of former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and former state superintendent candidate Michele Morrow.

“This manufactured outrage over a photo in a reel to take advantage of the recent tragedy in Minnesota rings incredibly hollow and is a desperate attempt to change the narrative after tens of thousands of North Carolinians who took to the streets this weekend to denounce their agenda,” Clayton wrote.

Republicans had strong

reactions to von Haefen’s post, including the NCGOP, which wrote on X that von Haefen should resign her seat.

“After sharing an image calling for the execution of the Democratically elected President of the United States, Rep. Von Haefen has quietly deactivated her Twitter account,” said Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) in an X post.

Jones added, “Deleting your public pro le isn’t accountability — it’s hiding. North Carolinians deserve better.”

“I cannot fathom the thought of a state legislator glorifying political violence *hours* after two state legislators and their spouses were shot in their own homes,” wrote Rep. Mike Schietzelt (R-Wake) on X. “Unconscionable.

State Rep. Julie von

in 2022, has faced criticism for an Instagram post of protestors at a “No Kings” protest Saturday in

Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake) also responded on X, writing, “This is why reasonable people are leaving the Democrat Party in NC.”

“This is a sitting state legislator who is publicly applauding the beheading of President Trump just hours after a state legislator in our country and her spouse were murdered in cold blood. Horrible,” wrote Paré.

Freshman lawmaker Rep. Wyatt Gable (R- Onslow) called von Haefen’s post “absolutely disgusting” and said, “there is no place for things like this anywhere.”

“Remember this come Election Day — are these really the people you want making decisions for NC?” Gable asked.

VON HAEFEN from page A1

“We’ve defended values rooted in good North Carolina common sense.”

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden)

House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite

COURTESY NCGOP

State Auditor Dave Boliek was among the speakers at the NCGOP Convention earlier this month in Greensboro.

HANNAH SCHOENBAUM / AP PHOTO

Haefen (D-Wake), pictured

Raleigh.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

The logical fallacy of WUNC’s attack on Opportunity Scholarships

Opportunity Scholarships are a great way for the state to ensure that each student has the opportunity to excel in their education for life.

ON JUNE 5, WUNC published an article with this headline: Report shows most NC voucher recipients already attended private school — here’s why that matters. The N.C. Public Radio station then linked to the article on Facebook, saying, “A new report nds about 90% of Opportunity Scholarship recipients this school year already attended a private school before the program was expanded so even wealthy families could apply.”

These statements invoke the logical fallacy post hoc ergo propter hoc, or correlation without causation. The increase in the number of Opportunity Scholarships (OS) granted for 2024-25 had nothing to do with “so even wealthy families could apply.” The overriding reason was that funding was provided so late in the school year that poor or middle-income families did not have the nancial means to take advantage of it. They couldn’t gamble on the chance the funding would come through late in the school year. Families who had students in private schools for years without the bene t of OS could nally qualify.

Other errors of fact and faulty reasoning abound. Let me count the ways. The report notes that 8.3% of all OS recipients left a public school for a private school in 2024-25. From that, it concluded that more than 90% did not attend a public school in the prior school year, implying they must have already been in private schools. Not true.

Large numbers of children who obtain OS for private schools start with kindergarten or rst grade, having never attended either public or private schools. A majority of those would have signed up for public school because their parents could not a ord private

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

school without OS. This would include poor and middle-class families.

The report found the state saved about $10 million on those students (Tier 4 wealthy families) and then notes that in 2024-25, $382 million was spent on 80,470 students. The report leaps to the conclusion, “If the state’s saving $10 million on students who left a public school but spending $382 million for the tuition of students who previously attended a private school, then I don’t see how that could result in net savings.”

What about the child who switched, because of OS, from public to private 10 years ago? The savings to the state were counted once, but the real savings have continued for a decade.

The $10 million savings, from Tier 4 wealthy parents, are not even a tithe of the real savings to the taxpayer. Other savings come, as stated above, from K-1 students who get OS to attend private schools, a majority of whom would otherwise have gone to public schools and lower- and middle-income parents who stayed in private schools when their ability to pay was marginal. Maybe they had just lost a second income for the family.

WUNC does not count the savings to counties that don’t have to provide supplemental money for children they no longer educate. County taxpayers and state taxpayers are the same people.

After failing to recognize these much larger additional savings, WUNC again refers to “the roughly $10 million in state savings.” In my informed opinion, the yearly savings to the state and counties are several hundred million of dollars, almost — but not 100% — covering

On the Alex Padilla-DHS incident

There was a better way for Padilla to go about doing this, but he chose not to.

LAST THURSDAY, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference in Los Angeles to provide updates on the Trump administration’s immigration sweeps that were being conducted in the area, as well as how they were handling the Los Angeles riots.

Just a few minutes into the presser, a man could be seen trying to push his way closer to Noem in the brie ng room, despite her security detail, which included the Secret Service and the FBI, trying to get him to back o . A scu e ensued as the man continued talking over everyone else, trying to get Noem’s attention. At one point, as the grappling continued, the man announced, “I’m Sen. Alex Padilla, and I have questions for the secretary.”

The agents continued to wrestle with the man, eventually maneuvering him out into a hallway, where he was taken to the ground and handcu ed.

As it turns out, the man was indeed Padilla, a California Democrat. But according to DHS o cials, Padilla was not only acting erratically; he was also not wearing the security pin that members of Congress are required to wear to con rm they are who they say they are.

“This man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice, and was stopped, did not identify himself, and was removed

from the room,” Noem told Fox News in the aftermath of the incident.

“The way that he acted was completely inappropriate.”

While video does show Padilla behaving aggressively, it also shows him saying he’s Sen. Alex Padilla.

But in light of the threats members of Congress as well as members of federal law enforcement routinely receive and which reportedly have escalated since the sweeps started, simply saying “I’m so and so” doesn’t su ce.

While Republicans are accusing Padilla of deliberately staging a stunt, the incident sparked outrage among Democrats, who are now demanding an investigation into why a United States senator was “manhandled” and handcu ed for merely “asking questions” of Noem.

But in an interview last Thursday on CNN, Josh Campbell, the network’s security correspondent, explained why Padilla’s actions were so problematic.

“First, you have the DHS secretary who is addressing the press. This was not a Q&A period, and she’s interrupted. She’s interrupted by someone who was speaking very loudly,” Campbell explained.

“And so her security detail confronts what we obviously now know to be the senator. And at that point, he is now going to be escorted out. You can’t interrupt something like that

the cost of the scholarships to the taxpayers.

WUNC concludes with the irrelevant observation that “The most typical OS recipient is a white student in Wake attending a Christian school who had never received a voucher before the income cap was lifted.”

There is so much to unpack here. The post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is used once again. It was not the lifting of the income limit that caused more parents to apply for OS. Since Wake is the most populous county, it is no surprise that it has the greatest number of OS students. Wake is not typical. Counties like Cumberland have much higher OS numbers per capita. Yes, a majority of Wake OS goes to white students. But black students in Wake and statewide receive disproportionately more OS. Yes, a majority of OS is awarded to parents at Christian schools because a majority of private school students attend Christian schools. But parents are free to choose secular schools, classical schools, Islamic schools, Catholic schools and an in nite variety of Protestant or nondenominational schools. When opponents like to stir up prejudice against OS, they usually name a couple of the very largest recipients of OS because they are Islamic.

Opportunity Scholarships are a great way for the state to ensure that each student has the opportunity to excel in their education for life. Thankfully, almost all demographic groups in North Carolina support the program.

Paul “Skip” Stam spent 16 years in the State House, the last 10 years as Republican leader and then speaker pro tem.

that’s already in progress without having those consequences.”

He went on to explain that “the second incident, in my view, happens the moment, as o cers are trying to lead him out — he then turns and walks back towards, kind of into those agents. At that point, from a security detail perspective, we’re taking this person out against their will. We’ve asked the person, and again, this is all happening very quickly, but the moment he then turns into them, they realize this is not someone who is going to comply.”

Campbell, I should point out, was a special assistant to former FBI Director James Comey and, like Comey, is not a big fan of President Donald Trump. So for him to be countering the various narratives Democrats were trying to push is signi cant, in my opinion.

Based on all the available video evidence we have so far, I’d have to concur with Campbell’s assessment.

There was a better way for Padilla to go about doing this, but he chose not to. That’s not the fault of the agents who brie y detained him. That’s the fault of Sen. Alex Padilla himself.

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.

COLUMN | PAUL STAM

Los Angeles riots may encourage illegal immigrants to self-deport

Most voters give Trump high marks and “believe that Democrats don’t have a clue on the issue of immigration.”

“HOW’M I DOIN’?” the late New York Mayor Ed Koch used to ask constituents on his travels through the city. President Donald Trump, in the opinion of most Americans, is doin’ pretty well.

His job approval, which jutted downward after he announced his “Liberation Day” tari s on April 2, has recovered and hovers just below 50%. That’s just about the level of Barack Obama’s and George W. Bush’s approval at this point in their second terms and above his own approval at any point in his rst term.

Many continue to regard some top appointments as eccentric. His style of discourse, OFTEN IN ALL CAPS, is eccentric by any past presidential standard. But in a political system that remains democratic and is increasingly demotic, that which sounds coarse to you (and me) is apparently acceptable to most people.

As for his, um, unusual appointments, they may make sense for a president who is less interested in ne-tuning organizations than in a ecting the behaviors of mass publics.

Candidate Trump in 2024 promised to eliminate shortfalls in military recruitment, which he attributed to the Biden Pentagon’s “woke” policies. He pointed out accurately that the Army and Navy fell short of recruitment goals by as much as 25% in scal years 2022 and 2023.

He named Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth as Defense secretary, saying he’d promote a war ghting ethos that would attract unwoke young men and women to join up. The Army raised its recruiting goal from 55,000 to 61,000 and reached it in May, four months early.

Maybe that’s a coincidence or a response to other factors. But it looks like Trump’s rhetoric made a big di erence.

Or look at trade. Trump has made no secret of his love for tari s and his desire to reduce trade with China. This week, The Wall Street Journal reported that China’s exports to the U.S. in May were the lowest since COVID-19wracked February 2020. It looks like thousands of American and Chinese market participants

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

have made new decisions in response to Trump’s rhetoric.

Meanwhile, the May job numbers in the U.S. increased by a more-than-expected 139,000, despite a 60,000 reduction in federal jobs since January and a drop of foreign-born workers in the labor market estimated between 773,000 and 1 million since March.

Three-quarters of a million to a million — those numbers dwarf the number of annual deportations from the interior of the U.S. as compiled by my Washington Examiner colleague Conn Carroll.

Those range from 65,000 in the last year of the Obama administration and from 28,000 to 47,000 in the four Biden years. They were higher — 81,000 to 95,000 — in the rst three years of Trump’s rst term and then fell to 62,000 in COVID-19 year 2020.

These numbers put into perspective the drama that has been playing out in Los Angeles this past week. The Trump administration cannot expect to, logistically, remove all the untold millions of illegal immigrants that whoever was running the Biden administration (no one, including the authors of “Original Sin,” has disclosed just who that was) allowed into the U.S. But splashy raids and deportations can get hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of illegal immigrants thinking about what Mitt Romney in 2012 called “self-deportation.”

Which is probably happening thanks to what has been going on in Los recently. Demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation activity resulted in the arrest of the head of the Service Employees International Union. When “sanctuary city” Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) let the rioting go on, Trump nationalized the California National Guard and dispatched Marines.

He plainly had the authority to do so when federal law enforcement is blocked, as my Washington Examiner colleague Byron York recounts. In 2012, the Supreme Court made it clear that federal immigration law prevails over any countervailing state law.

There’s no question whose side the public is

Who governs America?

The founders wanted a stable system that would preserve freedom and establish an orderly rule of law.

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

on. A preriot CBS poll showed 54% approving of Trump’s deportation program, and two polls taken this week showed approval: Insider Advantage by 59% to 39% and the Napolitan News poll by 58% to 36%.

After eight years of stark contrast between Trump and Democrats’ policies, as CNN poll analyst Harry Enten points out, most voters give Trump high marks and “believe that Democrats don’t have a clue on the issue of immigration.”

Similarly, voters who remember Democrats’ insistence and journalists’ assurances that Joe Biden was fully functional are skeptical that the L.A. rioters were “overwhelmingly peaceful” (Kamala Harris) or “largely peaceful” (The New York Times).

There’s ample historical precedent for Trump’s action as well. Dwight Eisenhower in 1957 and Lyndon Johnson in 1965 sent in federal troops to uphold federal law over the opposition of Democratic governors in Arkansas and Alabama.

Those governors were defying federal law for a cause — preservation of racial segregation — that the vast majority of voters, after a decade of re ection, were determined to reject. Today’s California Democrats are defying federal law for a cause — permanent amnesty for illegal immigrants — which it appears that voters, after a decade of re ection, are bent on rejecting as well.

As for the illegal immigrants themselves,

I’m not aware that anyone has conducted a poll of them, or could, since people in their situation are wary of being interviewed. But as the workforce numbers suggest, for many, self-deportation, together perhaps with the Department of Homeland Security’s $1,000 travel stipend, is looking like a good option. One that may be taken up by many more than are legally deported.

So how’s Trump doin’? Better, perhaps, than his critics think.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime coauthor of “The Almanac of American Politics.”

RIOTS IN DEFENSE of illegal immigration in Los Angeles are nally being quelled by President Donald J. Trump’s decision to send in federal forces. But there are signs that Chicago, Atlanta and other major cities may start hosting similar anti-government outbreaks. There were reportedly 1,500 demonstrations planned across the nation last Saturday.

Once again, Americans are being forced to ask: “Who governs the country — and by what legitimate source of power?”

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the left rebelled like this with massive demonstrations.

A million people gathered around the Pentagon. There were more than 2,500 domestic bombings in that period. The Berkeley free speech movement took over much of the campus and part of the city.

Then the American people responded decisively by giving President Richard Nixon one of the largest landslide electoral victories in American history. He earned 60.7% of the vote and won every state except Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

It is easy to forget that the friendly, smiling President Ronald Reagan had earlier been the tough-minded opponent of the Berkeley radicals who fought with police and the California National Guard. In a speech to the California Council of Growers on April 7, 1970, Reagan asserted: “If it takes a bloodbath, let’s get it over with. No more appeasement.” Seven months later, Californians reelected Reagan as governor with a 7.7% margin over his Democrat opponent.

Throughout our history, the American people have a rmed that elected representatives operating within the Constitution — not angry mobs — are the legitimate o cials authorized to govern.

This rejection of mob rule goes back to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which was in part a response to a rebellion in western Massachusetts. The founding fathers were all successful, rational people. They feared mobs that could violently attack people and property. The founders wanted a stable system that would preserve freedom and establish an orderly rule of law.

The rst hard test of this came in 1794 when farmers in western Pennsylvania attacked a federal law that taxed small whiskey producers more than large whiskey makers. The farmers shot at government tax collectors and mobilized militia to chase out the federal agents trying to enforce the law. Nearly 5,000 farmers rose in rebellion and threatened to capture the city of Pittsburgh. President George Washington reacted with a proclamation on Aug. 17, 1794. He asserted that the farmers were engaging in treasonous acts and were, in e ect, waging war against the United States. Washington called up 13,000 militia and personally led forces as far west as Bedford. The so-called Whiskey Rebellion collapsed. The parallels with the Los Angeles rioters attacking federal law enforcement

would have been instantly understood by Washington and the other founding fathers.

When South Carolina attempted to nullify federal tari s in the 1830s, President Andrew Jackson, himself a Southerner, got the Force Bill passed to authorize military force if South Carolina did not accept federal law. As the most famous general of his generation, Jackson’s threat to use force was real and e ective. South Carolina obeyed the Constitution, and the crisis ended.

Of course, President Abraham Lincoln faced the largest, most violent e ort to change the government by force. He successfully convinced the North to sustain a four-year civil war (the bloodiest in American history) to enforce the Constitution and secure the Union in every state.

In more recent history, President Dwight Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 when the state’s segregationist governor attempted to block nine African American students from going to public school. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson similarly sent federal troops to enforce civil rights laws in Alabama. Then, of course, President George H.W. Bush deployed military units to Los Angeles during the 1992 riots.

With this background, remember that the supposed “no kings” protests are a coalition of illegal immigrants, well-funded radical groups and Democrats so overwhelmed by Trump Derangement Syndrome that they have lost

all sense of representative democracy. Also remember that none of them was elected to unilaterally overturn our immigration laws.

This strange coalition has no moral authority — and is following the tradition of every other radical group that has threatened to break up America and undermine the Constitution. By contrast, calling out the National Guard and sending the armed forces to Los Angeles is in a tradition of Washington, Lincoln, Eisenhower, Kennedy and others.

The contrast between Saturday’s parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army and radicals attempting to undermine the law will be a stunning moment of choosing for millions of Americans.

If the 2026 and 2028 elections come down to Republican e orts to uphold the Constitution and Democratic e orts to sow chaos, we may well see landslides in the tradition of Nixon and Reagan.

As of now, a new Quinnipiac poll found: “Twenty-one percent of voters approve of the way Democrats in Congress are handling their job, while 70 percent disapprove.”

History tells us that being identi ed with violence and radicalism can drive this 21% gure even lower. If the Democratic Party continues its current path, it’s going to spend a long time in the wilderness rediscovering a patriotic, constitutional ideology.

AP PHOTO

A demonstrator argues with National Guards troops who moved in to help California Highway patrolmen break up an unauthorized rally on the University of California Campus in Berkeley, California on May 16, 1969. The guard was called by Gov. Ronald Reagan after a bloody riot over the fencing of People’s Park, which had been built on school property.

Murphy to Manteo

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Blount

Cooper issues 96th veto on

‘Raise

the Age’ modi cations bill

By A.P Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Roy Cooper issued the 96th veto of his two terms as governor on a bill modifying the state’s “Raise the Age” law. House Bill 834 modi ed the law by altering the de nition of juvenile delinquent and requiring 16-and 17-year-olds who commit certain serious felonies to be sent automatically to Superior Court instead of juvenile court.

“Most violent crimes, even when committed by teenagers, should be handled in adult court. However, there are cases where sentences would be more e ective and appropriate to the severity of the crime for teenagers if they were handled in juvenile court, making communities safer,” Cooper wrote in his

EAST

PIEDMONT

NC Zoo named best in U.S. for second straight year

on the juvenile justice system. I look forward to voting to override his veto.” An override attempt is likely to succeed given Republican supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly along with the bill having received bipartisan support for passage in both the House and Senate.

On May 15, the measure passed the Senate 41-4. The only members voting against passage were Democrats; Mary Wills Bode (Wake), Lisa Grafstein (Wake), Natalie Murdock (Durham) and Gladys Robinson (Guilford).

The bill passed the House on June 5 by a vote of 70-34, again with bipartisan support. Seven Democrats voted to pass the measure; Ashton Clemmons (Guilford), Brandon Lofton (Mecklenburg), Carolyn Logan (Mecklenburg), Nasif Majeed (Mecklenburg), Caleb Rudow (Buncombe), Charles Smith (Cumberland) and Shelly Willingham (Edgecombe).

Randolph County The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro has o cially been named America’s “Best Zoo,” according to Newsweek’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. The zoo also won the nationwide contest in 2024. As the world’s largest natural habitat zoo, the North Carolina Zoo spans more than 2,800 acres in the heart of North Carolina and provides care for over 1,700 animals. The zoo received accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 1984 and is one of only two state-supported zoos in the nation.

Boom Supersonic facility to begin production of jets Guilford County A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday morning to mark the opening of the new Boom Supersonic Overture Superfactory. Attendees at the longawaited facility opening included North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, other lawmakers and Piedmont Airport Authority leadership. The Overture Superfactory is the rst supersonic airliner factory in the U.S. The factory houses the production of a new generation of supersonic passenger jets and is poised to make a signi cant impact on the Triad economy in the coming years. NSJ

NSJ

Red Lion Hotel for sale in downtown High Point

Guilford County

Stando ends with convicted felon in custody Alamance County

A long-vacant property in downtown High Point may soon have a new future. The former Red Lion Hotel is back on the market after sitting empty for years. The property sits at 135 S. Main

Three ENC rivers test positive for fecal bacteria

Child drowns at coastal campground

Carteret County

Woman shot while helping crash victim Cumberland County A woman was shot last week after attempting to render aid in a car crash, according to the Cumberland County Sheri ’s O ce. Deputies received a 911 call about a vehicle collision and a person being shot south of Fayetteville. Deputies said once on scene they found a woman who had a gunshot wound to her face. She was transported to a medical facility for treatment and was in stable condition. According to deputies, it was determined the victim saw the vehicle collision and slowed down to render aid at the scene when she was struck by gun re by a woman ring several shots into her vehicle. Visha Franklin, 41, of Fayetteville, was arrested and charged with attempted rst-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill in icting serious injury and four counts of discharging a weapon into occupied property. WNCN Local o cials arrest international fugitive Gaston

in Ashe County. The Ashe County Sheri ’s O ce said in a news release that 54-year-old David Kuklentz was last seen around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Northwest Trading Post, near the Glendale Springs Fire Department. He was reported missing

in Caldwell County A man accused of human tra cking in Caldwell County turned himself in last week. David Kevin Hamilton was charged with human tra cking a juvenile and promoting prostitution of a juvenile. The North Carolina Bureau of Investigation said more charges could be brought against Hamilton, who was being held on a $2 million bond. He was still in jail last Thursday afternoon. O cials did not say how old the juvenile victim was.

WBTV

O cials say mass shooting was planned on social media Catawba County Investigators believe a deadly mass shooting at a house party in Catawba County was not random, and newly unsealed search warrants reveal how social media and cell phones played a role in planning the violence. The shooting happened on June 1 at a large house party on Walnut Acres Drive, where nearly 100 people attended. According to the search warrants, suspects used Snapchat to talk about the attack both before and after it happened. One of the suspects, Garon Killian, allegedly told others ahead of time that he planned to “air it out,” a phrase witnesses said meant he intended to “open re.” Investigators now believe this shooting was tied to a criminal gang network. During interviews with authorities, Killian said he, along with Toland Hu Jr., Ke’Andre Mack, Zachary Bates and Izaiah Mitchell, were all involved in gang activity. More than 80 shots were red, killing one person and injuring at least 11 others. WGHP

Flight instructor, student identi ed as victims of plane crash

Local man accused of sex crimes by Homeland Security

Chatham County

Rockingham County A Mayodan man is in custody after being accused of child sex crimes, according to the Rockingham County Sheri ’s O ce. Last week, the sheri ’s o ce and the Department of Homeland Security conducted a search warrant after getting a tip from a hotline. The search, which was conducted on the 600 block of Means Creek Road in Mayodan, led to Dylan Alexander Cox, 23, of Mayodan, being taken into custody and charged with ve counts of seconddegree sexual exploitation of a minor.

The two victims in a single-engine plane crash near Siler City Municipal Airport have been identi ed. State troopers say ight instructor McMillan Abernethy, of Beech Mountain, and student Justin Strauss, of Raleigh, were on board the plane. Investigators say the pair were traveling from Raleigh Executive Airport in Sanford to the Siler City Municipal Airport in Chatham County when the plane crashed in a wooded area near the Siler City Airport. WGHP

WXII

St. in downtown High Point, where the hotel has been vacant for ve years. The building’s owner is once again looking for a buyer. City o cials said it is a positive sign for downtown High Point.

A developer abandoned a project for the site in 2024. Recently, HDDA purchased the land beneath the property. Now owning both the land and the building, the company has a showroom space on the rst oor and plans to market the showroom and hotel separately. City o cials said economic development incentives could be considered, depending on the proposal.

A man is in custody after a lengthy stando according to deputies with the Alamance County Sheri ’s O ce. On Sunday, deputies responded to a home in Gibsonville to serve warrants on a resident identi ed as Allen Lewis. Lewis was wanted for two counts of communicating threats and an order for arrest for absconding from felony probation. Deputies made numerous attempts to contact Lewis, who was inside the home. Lewis repeatedly told the deputies he would shoot them if they did not get o the property. Deputies requested additional resources, including the Criminal Investigation Division, Special Response Team and a crisis negotiator. After the Special Response Team arrived, law enforcement went into the home, and Lewis was taken into custody. A search warrant for the home was executed, and investigators found ve guns as well as several types of ammunition. Lewis was subsequently charged with multiple felonies. WXII

WGHP

Beaufort County Sound Rivers, which issues a weekly report called the Swim Guide, checks recreational sites for clean water throughout the summer in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico watersheds. Along the Neuse River, Slocum Creek southeast of New Bern has failed the test for a fourth week in a row, and o cials blame failing septic systems. Sound Rivers reported two sites further east failed on the Pamlico River area last week: the Washington waterfront and Blounts Creek at Cotton Patch Landing, east of Washington. NSJ

A 4-year-old child drowned in a pond at a Carteret County campground over the weekend. The Carteret County Sheri ’s O ce responded to Goose Creek Campground shortly after 9 p.m. last Saturday for a report of a child who had drowned in a pond located on the campground. O cials say that bystanders performed life-saving e orts, but the child was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The child was with their parents at the campground and visiting from Garner, according to o cials.

WCTI

Two die in Tabor City plane crash

Wild re burns 500-plus acres on state’s eastern tip

Local lm production to cause late-night reworks

Pitt County

Carteret County The wild re that forced evacuations in Atlantic, east of Beaufort, burned more than 500 acres according to the North Carolina Forest Service. Philip Jackson from the North Carolina Forest Service told local outlets Monday that crews were working to reinforce containment lines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had been using tractor plows, drones and marsh masters to assist the e ort. O cials say saving homes closest to the origin of the re was a priority and done successfully. WCTI

The Pitt County Emergency Management team is notifying residents about the upcoming presence of scheduled reworks. A lm production will cause reworks and other blasts to happen this week. Residents near the U.S. 264 and Highway 30 intersection, east of Pactolus, will be able to hear and see the pyrotechnics. The anticipated display time is from 9 p.m. to midnight for three consecutive days, weather permitting. There is no need to call emergency management if smoke or reworks are seen, o cials said.

WNCT

Columbus County Two people died after a plane crash Saturday, according to Chief Je Fowler with the Tabor City Fire Department. Fowler said the plane started in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and attempted to land at Grand Strand Airport. He said the pilot took o again and diverted toward Tabor City, where the plane crashed. Data from the track log shows the rst tracking of the ight at 11:29 a.m. and the last tracking at 12:44 p.m., and the Tabor City Fire Department was dispatched at 1:08 p.m. The plane reached its highest altitude of 6,850 feet at 11:40 a.m. Robert Katz, a commercial pilot and ight instructor, told reporters he believes “sky conditions” hindered the approach to landing, as a recording from the pilot indicated he saw smoke in trees below. Katz said conditions improved shortly after. FAA data shows that the plane is registered under Majesty Air Inc. and that the aircraft was built in 1972.

WITN

available to help prevent crimes and appropriately deal with children who break the law. Therefore, I veto the bill.”

One of the bill’s primary sponsors, Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Randolph), reacted to the veto and signaled a veto override would be coming.

“I was disappointed to hear of Gov. Cooper’s veto, which sadly shows once again his disregard for the safety of the citizens of N.C.,” Jackson said in a statement to North State Journal. “This is good legislation that would have eased the strain

As previously reported by North State Journal, the most recent crime statistics from 2022 issued by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation show that among violent crimes committed by juveniles, murder arrests went from 46 in 2021 to 60 in 2022, a 30% increase. Adults arrested for murder during the same two years dropped 21%. North Carolina Department of Public Safety numbers for 2023 showed juveniles between the ages of 16 and 17 had been charged with murder in 66 cases, and there were 28 murder case charges for those aged 13 to 15 years old. Additionally, there have been at least 14 juveniles being charged or sought for murder or attempted murder between January and May of this year. Most of those charged were either 16 or 17 years old, however, several 15-year-olds and one 14-yearold have been charged.

Gamechangers Strategies launches in Charlotte

NATION & WORLD

Military parade rolls through DC; ‘No Kings’ protesters decry Trump

The celebration marked the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army

By Lolita C. Baldor and Michelle L. Price

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The grand military parade that President Donald Trump had wanted for years barreled down Constitution Avenue on Saturday with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute, playing out against a counterpoint of protests around the country by those who decried the U.S. leader as a dictator and would-be king.

The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat on a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early and moved swiftly as light rain fell and clouds shrouded the Washington Monument.

The procession, with more than 6,000 soldiers and 128 Army tanks, was one Trump tried to make happen in his rst term after seeing such an event in Paris in 2017, but the plans never came together until the parade was added to an event recognizing the Army’s 250th anniversary.

“Every other country celebrates their victories. It’s about time America did too,” Trump declared in brief remarks at the parade’s end.

The president praised the strength of the military’s ghting forces and said U.S. soldiers “ ght, ght, ght and they win, win, win” — putting a new twist on a line that Trump regularly delivered during his 2024 campaign rallies after he survived an assassination attempt.

Early in the evening’s pageantry, the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team descended from overcast skies toward the reviewing stand. The team had been scheduled to appear at the end of the parade but jumped earlier than planned in the drizzly skies above the National Mall.

At times, Trump stood and saluted as troops marched past the reviewing stand. But attendance appeared to fall far short of early predictions that as many as 200,000 people would attend the festival and parade. There

SHOOTING from page A1

o cers went to check on Hortman’s home and saw her husband gunned down before the shooter ed. Authorities on Sunday located a vehicle Boelter was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived, and a police o cer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, Bruley said. Police set up a large perimeter and called in 20 di erent tactical teams, divvying up the area and searching for him.

During the search, police said they received information con rming someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and ofcers on foot, until they found Boelter. He surrendered to police, crawling out to o cers in the woods before he was handcu ed and taken into custody in a eld, authorities said.

Jail records show Boelter was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at 1:02 a.m. Central Time on Monday and include two mug shots, one from the front and one from the side, of Boelter wearing an orange prison shirt.

Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the violence likely would have continued had Brooklyn Park o cers not checked on Hortman’s home, causing Boelter to ee.

The Ho mans were attacked rst at their home in Champlin early Saturday. A criminal complaint unsealed after

were large gaps between viewers near the Washington Monument on a day when steamy weather and the threat of thunderstorms could have dampened turnout.

Hours before the parade started, demonstrators turned out in streets and parks around the nation to sound o against the Republican president. They criticized Trump for using the military to respond to people protesting his deportation efforts and for the muscular military show in the U.S. capital.

As armored vehicles rolled down the street in front of the president, on the other side of the country, the Marines who Trump deployed to Los Angeles appeared at a demonstration for the rst time, standing guard outside a federal building. Dozens of Marines stood shoulder to shoulder in full combat gear beside the National Guard, Homeland Security o cers and other law enforcement. Hundreds of protesters facing them jeered in English and Spanish, telling the troops to go home.

A previously calm demonstration in downtown Los Angeles turned chaotic when police on horseback charged at the crowd, striking some with rods and batons as they cleared the street in front of the federal building and red tear gas and crowd control projectiles.

Boelter’s arrest indicated their adult daughter called 911 just after 2 a.m. to say a masked person had come to the door and shot her parents.

After police in nearby Brooklyn Park learned that a lawmaker had been shot, they sent patrol o cers to check on the Hortmans’ home.

Brooklyn Park police o cers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home, the complaint says. It says they exchanged gun re with Boelter, who ed inside the home before escaping the scene. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, the complaint said. Authorities said Boelter posed as a police o cer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car. Authorities did not give a motive as they announced Boelter’s arrest.

A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, said two law enforcement o cials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about health care facilities, according to the o cials.

Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce develop-

In the nation’s capital, hundreds protesting Trump carried signs with messages that included “Where’s the due process?” and “No to Trump’s fascist military parade” as they marched toward the White House.

A larger-than-life puppet of Trump was wheeled through the crowd, a caricature of the president wearing a crown and sitting on a golden toilet.

Other protesters waved pride ags and hoisted signs, some with pointed messages such as “I prefer crushed ICE,” referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

“No Kings” rallies unfolded in hundreds of cities, designed to counter what organizers said were Trump’s plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. Organizers said they picked the name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, on the National Mall, a display of armored vehicles, helicopters and military-grade equipment was set up to commemorate the Army’s birthday. Vendors outside the Army festival sold gear marking the military milestone. Others hawked Trump-themed merchandise.

The parade was added just two months ago to the long-

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Hayle Mayer, left, and Corp. Addison Merrell watch reworks at the Washington Monument while attending a military parade commemorating the Army’s 250th anniversary Saturday in Washington, D.C.

Report: Trump vetoed Israeli plan to kill Iran’s Khamenei

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump rejected a plan presented by Israel to the U.S. to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a U.S. o cial familiar with the matter. The Israelis informed the Trump administration in recent days that they had developed a credible plan to kill Khamenei. After being briefed on the plan, the White House made clear to Israeli o cials that Trump was opposed to the Israelis making the move, according to the o cial, who was not authorized to comment on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Flash ooding kills 5 in W.Va.

planned celebration of the Army’s birthday and has drawn criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates along the route.

The parade wound down Constitution Avenue, lined with security fencing and barriers. A yover of military aircraft included World War II-era planes, including a B-25 Mitchell bomber, and Army helicopters ew low over the crowd below the top of the Washington Monument.

Mounted soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division made an appearance — horses once played a crucial role in warfare, but today, they’re mostly used in ceremonial events like today’s parade.

Trump swore in 250 new recruits and returning soldiers into service, with soldiers repeating an oath after him.

“Welcome to the United States Army! And have a great life,” Trump said to them afterward.

Country music singer Warren Zeiders performed, as did “God Bless the U.S.A.” singer Lee Greenwood. The event was capped o by a reworks show.

It appeared that plans to have U.S. Air Force ghter jets y over were scrapped because of the weather.

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

People visit a makeshift memorial for Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at the state Capitol on Sunday in St. Paul. Vance Boelter, the suspect in their deaths and the shooting of a state senator and his wife, was apprehended later in the day.

ment board as Ho man, according to records, although it was unclear if or how well they knew each other.

Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Boelter texted friends to apologize for his actions, though he didn’t say what he had done.

“I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” he wrote in messages viewed by AP.

On Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Ho man expressing appreciation for the outpouring of public support.

“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,” Yvette Ho man said in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. “He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark.” Brightly colored owers and small American ags were placed Sunday on the gray marbled stone of the Minnesota State Capitol, along with a photo of the Hortmans. People scrawled messages on small notes, including, “You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power.”

Wheeling, W.Va. Flash ooding caused by torrential rains killed ve people in northern West Virginia, and rescue crews were searching for three other people who were missing Sunday as authorities assessed damage to roads, bridges, natural gas lines and other infrastructure. O cials said 2.5 to 4 inches of rain fell in parts of Wheeling and Ohio County within about a half hour on Saturday night. Authorities said vehicles were swept into swollen creeks, some people sought safety in trees and a mobile home caught re. The West Virginia rains followed heavy downpours in San Antonio last Thursday that killed 13 people.

MI6

Britain’s

spy agency gets rst female chief Ottawa, Ontario Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Sunday that Blaise Metreweli will be the next head of the U.K.’s foreign intelligence agency, the rst woman to hold the post since its founding in 1909. She is currently the MI6 director of technology and innovation. A career intelligence o cer, the 47-year-old Metreweli steps from the shadows into the light as the only MI6 employee whose name is made public. Metreweli takes over at MI6 as the agency faces growing challenges from states including China and Russia, whose use of cyber tools, espionage, and in uence operations threatens global stability and British interests, even as it remains on alert against terrorist threats.

French ex-president Sarkozy stripped of Legion of Honor

Paris France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of his Legion of Honor medal after being convicted last year of corruption and in uence peddling while he was the country’s head of state, it was announced on Sunday. The decision was made via a decree released in the Journal O ciel that publishes the government’s major legal information. It comes in line with the rules of the Legion of Honor. The conservative politician, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, has been at the center of a series of legal cases since leaving o ce.

STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

PGA Tour to hire

NFL’s Rolapp as CEO Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

The Associated Press reported the PGA Tour is hiring a top NFL executive as the CEO of its commercial PGA Tour Enterprises. Brian Rolapp has been with the NFL for the last 23 years. He’s the executive vice president and chief media and business o cer. Rolapp would be the rst CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises. It was created out of the agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf that was never nalized. Jay Monahan will remain PGA Tour commissioner.

O’Neal to pay

$1.8M in FTX lawsuit

Miami Former NBA player Shaquille

O’Neal will pay $1.8 million to settle a class action lawsuit related to the demise of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. O’Neal and other celebrities, such as Tom Brady and Stephen Curry, were named in the lawsuit in 2022. They had been accused of touting FTX as a reputable and trustworthy investment option via paid endorsements. The proposed settlement only pertains to O’Neal.

1M-plus Anker

power banks recalled

New York

More than 1.15 million power banks are under recall across the U.S. after some res and explosions were reported by consumers. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, electronics maker Anker Innovations is recalling certain “PowerCore 10000” power banks because the lithium-ion battery inside can overheat — posing re and burn risks. China-based Anker has received 19 reports of res and explosions involving the now-recalled portable chargers. That includes two minor burn injuries and 11 reports of property damage amounting to over $60,000.

Google o ers buyouts to more workers

Mountain View, Calif.

Google has o ered buyouts to another swath of its workforce across several key divisions in a fresh round of cost-cutting coming ahead of a court decision that could order a breakup of its internet empire. The company con rmed the streamlining that was reported by several news outlets. It’s not clear how many employees are a ected, but the o ers were made to sta in Google’s search, advertising, research and engineering units, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Disney, Universal sue AI rm Midjourney

New York

Disney and Universal sued image-generator Midjourney last week, marking the rst time Hollywood has taken legal action against a generative AI rm. The complaint claims the libraries of the two studios were pirated to generate and distribute “endless unauthorized copies” of their famous characters.

Trump clears path for signi cant Japanese investment in US Steel

Nippon Steel will have to sign o on a “national security agreement”

By Josh Boak and Marc Levy

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order paving the way for a Nippon Steel investment in U.S. Steel, so long as the Japanese company complies with a “national security agreement” submitted by the federal government.

Trump’s order didn’t detail the terms of the national security agreement.

But the iconic American steelmaker and Nippon Steel said in a joint statement that the agreement stipulates that approximately $11 billion in new investments will be made by 2028 and includes giving the U.S. government a “golden share” — essentially veto power to ensure the country’s national security interests are protected against cutbacks in steel production.

“We thank President Trump and his Administration for their bold leadership and strong support for our historic partnership,” the two companies said. “This partnership will bring a massive investment that will support our communities and families for generations to come. We look forward to putting our commitments into action to make American steelmaking and manufacturing great again.”

The companies have completed a U.S. Department of Justice review and received all necessary regulatory approvals, the statement said.

“The partnership is expected to be nalized promptly,” the statement said.

U.S. Steel rose $2.66, or 5%, to $54.85 in after-hours trading last Friday. Nippon Steel’s original bid to buy the Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in late

Nippon Steel will build in the U.S. after 2028.

Nippon Steel had pledged to maintain U.S. Steel’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, put U.S. Steel under a board with a majority of American citizens and keep plants operating.

It also said it would protect the interests of U.S. Steel in trade matters, and it wouldn’t import steel slabs that would compete with U.S. Steel’s blast furnaces in Pennsylvania and Indiana.

NCDOT CASH REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 13

Beginning Cash

$3,093,333,643

Receipts (income)

$95,853,859

Disbursements

$230,878,627 Cash Balance

$2,958,127,374

public, particularly by the government.

“We thank President Trump and his Administration for their bold leadership and strong support for our historic partnership.”

Nippon Steel and US Steel

2023 had been valued at $55 per share.

The companies o ered few details on how the golden share would work, what other provisions are in the national security agreement and how specifically the $11 billion would be spent.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said the order “ensures U.S. Steel will remain in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and be safeguarded as a critical element of America’s national and economic security.”

James Brower, a Morrison Foerster lawyer who represents clients in national security-related matters, said such agreements with the government typically are not disclosed to the

They can become public, but it’s almost always disclosed by a party in the transaction, such as a company — like U.S. Steel — that is publicly held, Brower said.

The mechanics of how a golden share would work will depend on the national security agreement, but in such agreements, it isn’t unusual to give the government approval rights over speci c activities, Brower said.

U.S. Steel made no ling with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last Friday.

Nippon Steel originally offered nearly $15 billion to purchase U.S. Steel in an acquisition that had been delayed on national security concerns starting during Joe Biden’s presidency.

As it sought to win over American o cials, Nippon Steel gradually increased the amount of money it was pledging to invest in U.S. Steel. American o cials now value the transaction at $28 billion, including the purchase bid and a new electric arc furnace — a more modern steel mill that melts down scrap — they say

Trump opposed the purchase while campaigning for the White House and using his authority Biden blocked the transaction on his way out of the White House. But Trump expressed openness to working out an arrangement once he returned to the White House in January.

Trump previously said he would, as president, have “total control” of what U.S. Steel did as part of the investment.

Trump said then that the deal would preserve “51% ownership by Americans,” although Nippon Steel has never backed o its stated intention of buying and controlling U.S. Steel as a wholly owned subsidiary.

“We have a golden share, which I control,” Trump said.

Trump added that he was “a little concerned” about what presidents other than him would do with their golden share, “but that gives you total control.”

The proposed merger had been under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) during the Trump and Biden administrations.

The order signed last Friday by Trump said the CFIUS review provided “credible evidence” that Nippon Steel “might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States,” but such risks might be “adequately mitigated” by approving the proposed national security agreement.

La. AG investigating CVS for sending mass text messages lobbying against legislation

The bill aimed to ban joint ownership of pharmacy bene t managers and drugstores

By Sara Cline and Jack Brook The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced last Thursday she is investigating whether pharmaceutical giant CVS improperly used customers’ personal information to send out text messages lobbying against a proposed state law.

Murrill also said she plans to issue a cease-and-desist letter to the company to stop the messages.

As lawmakers debated a now-failed bill last Wednesday, they held up screenshots of text messages sent by CVS.

“Last minute legislation in Louisiana threatens to close your CVS Pharmacy — your medication cost may go up and your pharmacist may lose their job,” one such text, obtained by The Associated Press, read.

The proposed legislation would have prohibited companies from owning both pharmacy bene t managers (PBMs) and drug stores.

The CVS Health Corporation owns retail pharmacies as well as CVS Caremark, one of the country’s top three PBMs with a market share of more than 100 million members. CVS Caremark and other managers serve as middlemen purchasing prescription drugs from manufacturers and setting the terms for how they are distributed to customers.

“These powerful middlemen may be pro ting by in ating drug costs and squeezing Main

Drug store giant CVS has been accused of using customer information to send texts lobbying against legislation that would hurt its interests.

Street pharmacies,” a 2024 Federal Trade Commission report warned.

CVS says on its website that it “negotiates lower costs for our customers and expands coverage to a ordable medications that people need to stay healthy.”

The company’s text messages to Louisiana residents included a link to a draft letter urging lawmakers to oppose the legislation that someone could sign with their email address and send to legislators.

“The proposed legislation would take away my and other Louisiana patients’ ability to get our medications shipped right to our homes,” the letter read. “They would also ban the pharmacies that serve patients su ering from complex diseases requiring specialty pharmacy care to manage their life-threatening conditions like organ transplants or cancer. These vulnerable patients cannot a ord any disruption to their care — the consequences would be dire.”

Rep. Dixon McMakin point-

ed to some of the messages from CVS, saying they were misleading and false. He speci cally pointed to ads that people reported seeing on social media alleging that lawmakers “may shut down every CVS pharmacy in the state.”

“No, we’re not, you liars. Quit being liars. Quit using scare tactics,” McMakin said.

Republican Rep. Bryan Fontenot held up his phone, showing that he, too, had received a text message from CVS.

“It’s in the same text thread (used) to notify when my prescription is lled,” he said. “They’ve now taken that to send me political texts.”

CVS sent messages to “large numbers” of state employees and their families to lobby against proposed legislation involving the company’s pharmaceutical bene ts manager, Murrill said in an X post.

Customers gave CVS their phone numbers to receive pharmaceutical information such as vaccine availability or prescription pick-ups, but the company is using this personal informa-

tion “for their own personal corporate interests against pending legislation,” Murrill told reporters. “That’s not why anybody gave them their phone number.” Amy Thibault, a spokesperson for CVS, said the texts were the result of a last-minute amendment to the bill last Wednesday without an opportunity for a public hearing.

The amendment was crafted behind closed doors by a conference committee — a regular practice utilized in the statehouse when the House and Senate cannot agree on nal versions of a bill.

“We believe we have a responsibility to inform our customers of misguided legislation that seeks to shutter their trusted pharmacy, and we acted accordingly,” Thibault said in an email. “Our communication with our customers, patients and members of our community is consistent with law.”

Republican Gov. Je Landry has continued to push the bill as the state’s legislature concluded last Thursday afternoon.

The bill, which proponents said would bolster independent pharmacies and reduce the cost of prescription medications, received overwhelming approval in the House, with a vote of 88-4.

Among those who voted against the measure was Rep. Mandie Landry. The Democrat said that while she wanted to vote in favor, she was receiving messages from people in her district urging her not to. She said CVS’s lobbying had reached them, and as a result, they feared that they wouldn’t be able to access their medications.

“CVS … you should be so ashamed of this. You are scaring people,” Landry said.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump talks to workers during a May tour of U.S. Steel Corporation’s Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant in West Mi in, Pennsylvania.

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

features

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ soars with $83.7M debut, beating ‘Lilo & Stitch’

“Sinners” dropped to 10th place, earning $1.4M

By Jonathan Landrum Jr. The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — “How to Train Your Dragon” took ight at the box o ce this weekend, proving that some remakes still have teeth.

The Universal live-action adaptation of the beloved animated franchise soared to a strong $83.7 million debut in North American theaters, according to Comscore estimates Sunday. The lm, directed by franchise veteran Dean DeBlois, follows the unlikely friendship between a young Viking named Hiccup (Mason Thames) and a dragon called Toothless.

The reboot easily outpaced 2019’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” which opened with $55 million. The latest lm earned more than $114.1 million internationally, bringing the global total to $197.8 million.

“This is yet another example of a live-action remake really delivering on the promise of the marketing,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “I think the longevity and playability of some of these lms, particularly in the summer, has been nothing short of miraculous.”

“How to Train” also claimed the No. 1 spot ahead of Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” which slipped to second place after topping the charts for three weekends. That hybrid live-action remake added another $15 million, pushing its domestic total past $386.3 million.

“Materialists,” a modern-day New York love story starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, rounded out the top three lms of the week with a $12 million debut. The romantic dramedy features Johnson as a savvy

matchmaker caught between two suitors: a broke, struggling actor who happens to be her ex and a wealthy “unicorn”

who seems too good to be true.

“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” slid to fourth place, taking in $10.3 million

and avoiding a dip into single-digit territory.

The John Wick spino “Ballerina” fell to fth place with $9.4 million despite strong reviews from both critics and audiences. Directed by Len Wiseman, the action lm stars Ana de Armas and features Keanu Reeves reprising his role in a supporting turn.

Dergarabedian said “Ballerina” could have a surge later down the line similar to 2014’s “John Wick.”

“It took a while for that franchise to really catch on,” he said. “You saw a huge outpouring of interest for the rst ‘John Wick’ when it hit home video or streaming, I should say, and I think the same will happen here.”

In sixth place, “Karate Kid: Legends” earned $5 million, followed by “Final Destination: Bloodlines” at seventh with $3.9 million. Wes Anderson’s latest “The Phoenician

“This is yet another example of a live-action remake really delivering on the promise of the marketing.”

Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore

Scheme” brought in $3 million in eighth place. “The Life of Chuck,” based on a Stephen King story, placed ninth with $2.1 million.

Rounding out the top 10 was “Sinners.” The Ryan Coogler lm starring Michael B. Jordan drew $1.4 million — which is impressive since the movie is available to watch at home through online and digital platforms after being released two months ago. Overall, the box o ce is up 23% from this point in 2024.

Dergarabedian said he’s looking forward to lms in the coming weeks that could have a positive presence at the box o ce, such as “Eilo,” “F1,” “Superman” and “28 Days Later.”

Top 10 movies by domestic box o ce

This list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore.

1. “How to Train Your Dragon,” $83.7 million

2. “Lilo and Stitch,” $15.5 million

3. “Materialists,” $12 million

4. “Mission: Impossible –The Final Reckoning,” $10.3 million

5. “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,” $9.4 million

6. “Karate Kid: Legends,” $5 million

7. “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” $3.9 million

8. “The Phoenician Scheme,” $3 million

9. “The Life of Chuck,” $2.1 million

10. “Sinners,” $1.4 million

Willie Nelson keeps living the life he loves at 92

Outlaw Music Festival comes to Raleigh on July 27

By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press

WILLIE NELSON’S 90th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl could have been mistaken for a retirement party.

But two years later at 92, he’s working as much as ever. Not that retirement would look much di erent. The life he loves is making music with his friends, even after outliving so many dear ones.

Nelson will be on the road again with Bob Dylan when the Outlaw Music Festival resumes for the second leg of its 10th year starting on June 20 in Clarkston, Michigan.

Asked if he’d ever like his life to get the feature lm treatment that Dylan did last year with “A Complete Unknown,” Nelson said, “I’ve heard some talk about it. But I’m not through with it yet.”

“Bob’s a good friend,” Nelson said. “And I’ll be glad to let him headline.”

The tour is one part of a loaded year. It’ll lead right up to the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid in September. This spring, Nelson released his 77th studio album. And he’s added a new THC tonic, Willie’s Remedy, to his wide world of weed products.

An all-Crowell album

Nelson has always loved singing the songs of his friends as

Musician Willie Nelson performs ahead of an event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in Houston last October.

“I’d rather play it o the top of my head because I can read the crowd pretty good. They jump in there.”

Nelson

Willie

much if not more than the ones he writes himself. In 1979, he released “Willie Nelson Sings Kristo erson,” a full album of the work of his friend Kris Kristo erson, who died last year. He has similar love for the songs of his friend Rodney Crowell. Nelson has long performed Crowell’s “Til I Gain Control Again,” which he called “one of the best country songs that I think I’ve ever heard.” Now he’s

released a whole album of Crowell tunes, “Oh What a Beautiful World.”

“So far he hasn’t written one that I don’t like,” Nelson said.

The album comes on the 50th anniversary of “Red Headed Stranger,” the album that many consider Nelson’s masterpiece. A breakthrough for him at age 42, it took him from respected journeyman to beloved superstar.

Willie’s Family band, old and new, still with no set list

As Nelson returns to the road, the only surviving member of the classic lineup of his Family band is Mickey Raphael, 73, whose harmonica has duetted for decades with the Willie warble.

Bassist Bee Spears died in 2011. Guitarist and backup

singer Jody Payne died in 2013. Drummer Paul English died in 2020. And Nelson’s sister Bobbie Nelson, his only sibling and his piano player, died in 2022. But the band he takes on the road now is just as familial in its own way. It often includes his sons Lukas and Micah. English’s brother Billy plays the drums.

The son of Payne and singer Sammi Smith, Waylon Payne, plays guitar.

They collectively keep up with Nelson’s wants and whims on stage. One thing the live show never includes is a set list. He refuses to use them. Band members — and the sound and lighting crew — have to stay on their toes and be ready for anything.

“I’d rather play it o the top of my head because I can read the crowd pretty good,” Nelson said. “They jump in there.”

The list-less set lately has included classics like “Whiskey River” (always the opener, no guessing to be done there) and “Bloody Mary Morning,” along with newer adoptees like Tom Waits’ “Last Leaf,” a song that perfectly expresses Nelson’s survivor status.

“I’m the last leaf on the tree,” Nelson sings in the song that leads his 2024 album of the same name. “The autumn took the rest, but it won’t take me.”

“My son Micah found that for me,” Nelson said. “I really love the song, and the audience likes it; it’s one of the real good ones.”

He’s also been performing songs written by Micah, who records and performs as Particle Boy.

One favorite, “Everything Is B------t,” seems to stand in contrast to the gospel standards like “I’ll Fly Away” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” that he often plays a few minutes later. Willie disagrees.

“It’s all gospel,” he says with a laugh.

Farm Aid turns 40

September will bring the 40th anniversary edition of Farm Aid, the annual festival to support family farmers, which Nelson founded with Neil Young and John Mellencamp. He performs there annually. It was inspired by one-o charity concerts like “Live Aid,” but it became an annual institution, rotating each year to a di erent farm-adjacent city. It’s in Minneapolis this year. Asked his favorite, he said, “They’ve all been good, for different reasons.”

Mason Thames, as Hiccup, rides Night Fury dragon Toothless in a scene from “How to Train Your Dragon.”

A24 VIA AP

Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans star in the modern-day New York love story “Materialists.”

SUSAN WALSH / AP PHOTO

Brian Wilson, Beach Boys co-founder, dies at 82

The famed songwriter was diagnosed with dementia and placed under a conservatorship in May 2024

By Hillel Italie

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader who helped compose and arrange “Good Vibrations,” “California Girls” and dozens of other summertime anthems to become one of the world’s most in uential and admired musicians, died last Wednesday at 82.

Wilson’s family posted news of his death on his website. Since May 2024, Wilson had been under a court conservatorship to oversee his personal and medical a airs, with Wilson’s longtime representatives in charge.

The eldest and last surviving of three musical brothers — Brian played bass, Carl lead guitar and Dennis drums — he and his fellow Beach Boys rose from local act to national hitmakers to international ambassadors of the American dream. Wilson himself was celebrated for his beautiful music and pitied for his demons. He was one of rock’s great romantics, a tortured soul who, in his peak years, embarked on an ever-steeper quest for aural perfection.

The Beach Boys rank among the most popular acts of the rock era, with more than 30 singles in the Top 40 and worldwide sales of more than 100 million. “Pet Sounds,” released in 1966, was voted No. 2 in a 2003 Rolling Stone list of the best 500 albums, losing out,

as Wilson did from the start, to the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The Beach Boys, who also featured Wilson’s cousin Mike Love and family friend Al Jardine, were voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Fans ranged from Elton John and Bruce Springsteen to Katy Perry and Bob Dylan. The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon, fantasized about joining the Beach Boys. Paul McCartney cited “Pet Sounds” as a direct inspiration on the Beatles and said the ballad “God Only Knows” often moved him to tears.

Their music was like an ongoing party, with Wilson as mastermind and wall ower. He was a tall, shy man, partially deaf (allegedly because of beatings by his father, Murry Wilson), with a sweet, crooked grin, and he rarely touched a surfboard unless for publicity. But out of

the lifestyle that he observed and such musical in uences as Chuck Berry and the Four Freshmen, he devised a magical and durable soundscape — easy melodies, bright harmonies, vignettes of beaches, cars and girls that resonated worldwide.

Decades after its rst release, a Beach Boys song can still conjure up instant summer — the wake-up guitar ri that opens “Sur n’ USA”; the melting harmonies of “Don’t Worry Baby”; the chants of “fun, fun, fun” or “good, good, good, good vibrations”; the behind-the-wheel chorus “‘Round, ‘round, get around, I get around.” Beach Boys songs have cheered on generations from iPods and boom boxes, radios and 8-track players, and any device that could be placed on a beach towel.

The Beach Boys’ innocent appeal survived changing trends and times and the group’s in-

“Pet Sounds” was voted No. 2 in a 2003 Rolling Stone list of the best 500 albums

creasingly troubled backstory — Brian’s many personal trials; allegations of their father’s mismanagement and physical abuse; feuds and lawsuits; the alcoholism of Dennis Wilson, who drowned in 1983. Brian Wilson’s ambition took the Beach Boys into territory far beyond the simple pleasures of their early hits — transcendent, eccentric and destructive. They seemed to live out every fantasy, and every nightmare, of the California myth. Brian Wilson was born June 20, 1942, two days after McCartney. His musical gifts were obvious, and as a boy, he was playing piano and teaching his brothers to sing harmony. The Beach Boys started as a neighborhood act, rehearsing in Brian’s bedroom and the garage of their house in suburban Hawthorne, California. Surf music was catching on locally, and Dennis, the group’s only real surfer, suggested they cash in. Brian and Love hastily wrote up their rst single, “Sur n,’” a minor hit released in 1961. They wanted to call themselves the Pendletones, in honor of a popular shirt. But when they rst saw the pressings for “Sur n,’” they discovered the record label had tagged them “The Beach Boys.” Other decisions were handled by their father, a musician and apparent tyrant who hired himself as the manager. By mid-decade, Murry Wilson had been displaced, and Brian was in charge.

Their breakthrough came in early 1963 with “Sur n’ USA,” so closely modeled on Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” that Berry successfully sued to get a songwriting credit. It was their rst Top 10 hit and a boast to the nation: “If everybody had an ocean / across the USA / then everybody’d be surfin’, / like Cali-for-nye-ay.” From 1963-66, they were rarely o the charts, hitting No. 1 with “I Get Around” and “Help Me, Rhonda” and narrowly missing with “California Girls” and “Fun, Fun, Fun.” For their many television appearances, they wore candy-striped shirts and grinned as they mimed their latest hit, with a hot rod or surfboard nearby.

Wilson often contrasted his bright falsetto with Love’s nasal, deadpan tenor. The extroverted Love was out front on the fast songs, but when it was time for a slow one, Brian often took over. “The Warmth of the Sun” was a song of despair and consolation that Wilson alleged — to some skepticism — he wrote the morning after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. “Don’t Worry Baby,” a ballad equally intoxicating and heartbreaking, was a leading man’s confession of doubt and dependence, an early peek at Brian’s crippling insecurities. His rst marriage, to singer Marilyn Rovell, ended in divorce, and he became estranged from daughters Carnie and Wendy, who would help form the pop trio Wilson Phillips. His life stabilized in 1995 with his marriage to Melinda Ledbetter, with whom he had daughters Daria and Delanie. He also reconciled with Carnie and Wendy, and they sang together on the 1997 album “The Wilsons.” Melinda Ledbetter died in 2024.

Love celebrates Wilson, Clinton shines at 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame

Funk rockers Living Colour covered Funkadelic’s “Cosmic Slop”

By Maria Sherman The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Beach Boys’ Mike Love was inducted into the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame last week, just a day after it was announced that his inimitable bandmate Brian Wilson had died.

Actor — and lifelong Beach Boys fan — John Stamos introduced him. “There are songs that don’t just play on the radio,” Stamos said in his speech. “Mike Love is a songwriter’s songwriter.” Stamos recalled asking Love, “Which songs did you write again?” Love’s response: “I only wrote the hits.”

Love’s speech was lled with gratitude, with one of his greatest thanks reserved for “my cousin,

Brian Wilson,” he said. “My rst cousin by blood and my brother in music.”

Stamos then joined Love for a few Beach Boys’ classics: “California Girl,” “I Get Around,” “Kokomo” and “Good Vibrations.” It was a notable moment in an evening full of them. The funk rock group Living Colour opened the energetic gala with a cover of Funkadelic’s “Cosmic Slop” to honor new inductee George Clinton.

The annual event, held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City last Thursday night, also featured inductees spanning genre, an inspiring mix of funk, rock, R&B, country and beyond: Clinton, The Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and Tony Macaulay.

“What an incredible honor this is,” Clinton said in his speech. He talked about his early days in the legendary Brill Building song factory, which he described like go-

ing “into Oz.” Being a songwriter, to him, required “consistent e ort.” He then jumped into a performance of his own: The Parliaments’ “(I Wanna) Testify.”

Country legend Garth Brooks introduced the Doobie Brothers with a raucous rendition of “Long Train Runnin’” into “China Grove.” When it was time for the inducted members — Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons — to take the stage, they brought their rootsy rock ’n’ roll, kicking o with “Black Water.”

Teddy Riley introduced the groundbreaking producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, whose touch is heard across countless R&B and pop hits. His speech included an animated impression of Clive Davis and a story about Jerkins’ father borrowing $1,200 against his life insurance to get him an ’80s sampler, the MPC3000, so he could follow his dreams.

“I didn’t grow up chasing fame,” he said. “I grew up chasing feeling. ... Creativity has no limitations.”

His four children, R.J., Heavenly, Hannah Joy and Royal Jerkins, performed one of his bestknown hits, Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine.” It was a night for families: Country songwriter superstar Ashley Gorley’s daughter also performed one of her dad’s originals, Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This.” Dan + Shay also performed a medley of Gorley’s hits in his honor, including Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” Carrie Underwood’s “All-American Girl” and Post Malone and Wallen’s 2024 summertime smash “I Had Some Help.” When Gorley took the stage for his speech, he said he felt like he was in a “fever dream” or that he had “crashed a royal wedding.” Legendary English songwriter Tony Macaulay was also honored. He is best known for such classics

Mike Love of the Beach Boys performs during the 54th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and awards gala last Thursday at the

as The Foundations’ “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” and “Build Me Up Buttercup,” the latter of which was performed for Macaulay by a spirited Debbie Gibson. Musical theater composer Stephen Schwartz was the recipient of the esteemed Johnny Mercer Award; Kristin Chenoweth performed “For Good” from “Wicked” in his honor. Gracie Abrams received the eminent Hal David Starlight Award.

Last year’s inductees included Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford. At the induction ceremony last summer, R.E.M. stunned attendees by reuniting for an acoustic version of their alt-rock hit, “Losing My Religion.”

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs quali es for induction 20 years after the rst commercial release of a song. Some already in the hall include Gloria Estefan, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wil-

son, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins.

CASEY CURRY / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Musician Brian Wilson poses for a portrait in 2015. The Beach Boys co-founder died last Wednesday at 82.

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

The results from Big Rock, B3

Duke one-and-done freshman Khaman Maluach participates in an agility drill, while also

Combine. Maluach’s potential could have him selected early in next week’s draft.

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

MLB Red Sox trade

Devers to Giants in blockbuster deal

Boston The Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for right-hander Jordan Hicks, lefty Kyle Harrison, out elder James Tibbs III and righty Jose Bello. The 28-year-old three-time All-Star had bristled at his demotion from third base to DH this year. Devers is one of baseball’s most feared sluggers. He is batting .272 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs this year.

NFL

Ex-NFL receiver Brown facing attempted murder charges in Miami shooting

Miami Antonio Brown is facing an attempted murder charge stemming from a shooting during an altercation outside an amateur boxing event in Miami. Brown, 36, is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security sta er and ring two shots at a man he’d fought with earlier. The victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, said a bullet grazed his neck. Brown, an All-Pro wide receiver, played 12 years in the NFL.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Wisconsin receives year of probation, $25,000 ne over impermissible calls to recruits Madison, Wis. Wisconsin was placed on one year’s probation and ned $25,000 after an NCAA investigation showed nine coaches and sta ers made impermissible recruiting phone calls in 2023. Former assistant Greg Scruggs, now with the San Francisco 49ers, and former director of player personnel Max Stienecker, now at USC, received one-year show cause orders.

Duke should take center stage at NBA Draft

Cooper Flagg is projected to go No. 1 overall, and four other Blue Devils will likely be picked

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THE NBA DRAFT takes place next Wednesday in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, which is shaping up to be home away from home for Duke.

Up to ve Blue Devils could hear their names called during the draft, including three in the top 10 picks.

While Duke will be the big story early in the draft, other schools in the state could have representation in

Hornets will look to nd right pieces in draft to end postseason drought

Charlotte has three picks in the top 34

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

SINCE 2016, the Charlotte Hornets have drafted 24 players. That group has gone on to play in 90 games in the NBA playo s, including 10 games (and counting) in the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, none of that postseason experience has been with the Hornets.

Some of the players, like Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a 2018 rst-rounder with Charlotte, were traded on draft day without every suiting up for the Hornets. Others, like PJ Washington, a 2019 rst-rounder, played with the Hornets for awhile before reaching the playo s with another team after leaving Charlotte.

All of which adds up to a nine-year playo drought —

the longest in the NBA by three years and the longest in franchise history. Charlotte hasn’t won a playo series since 2002, tied for the longest drought in the NBA. In fact, the last team to win in the postseason

promptly packed up and left town for New Orleans following that season. Since returning to the league, Charlotte has never won a playo series and have only won three playo games.

the two -round draft as well.

The big prize is Cooper Flagg. The superstar freshman guided the Blue Devils to the Final Four and also led the team in every major statistical category — points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. He was the consensus national player of the year, and he’s the consensus top pick in the draft, which means he’ll be headed to Dallas. The Mavericks beat the odds to win the draft lottery and will be counting on Flagg to be the face of the franchise after the controversial trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers during the season.

In a league that puts a high value on potential, Flagg is See DUKE, page B3

But anyone can have a bad quarter century. The good news is that there appear to be building blocks in place for the Hornets in point guard LaMelo Ball and wing Brandon Miller. The team also has the No. 4 pick in the upcoming 2025 draft, as well as a pair of second-rounders, meaning the team could be on its way to snapping the drought.

All that’s known for sure as draft day approaches is that the Hornets will not get Cooper Flagg. The Duke star is the consensus top pick in the draft. However, there is no agreement at all over what happens next.

A few weeks ago, the Hornets seemed likely to get Baylor one-and-done VJ Edgecombe, an explosive scorer from the wing whose athleticism allows him to be a major factor on offense and defense. He has the potential to be one of the future stars to emerge from this draft class. However, as draft day has gotten closer, it has appeared less and less likely that Edgecombe will make it past Philadelphia at the third pick. Sports Illustrated’s latest mock still has Edgecombe going to Charlotte, but the consensus

page B4

JERRY LARSON / AP PHOTO

Baylor freshman VJ Edgecombe drives to the hoop during a game against Utah last season. Edgecombe is expected to be selected near the top of this year’s NBA Draft and could be bound for Charlotte.

showing o the largest wingspan in the draft during the NBA Draft

NAM Y. HUH / AP PHOTO

Duke’s Cooper Flagg tests his vertical leap at the NBA Draft Combine.

Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament wraps with winner on nal day

Big Trouble earned a $2.59 million payout

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

MOREHEAD CITY — On the sixth and nal day of the 67th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, one of 272 registered boats seeking an available total of $6.32 million came away with the event’s grand prize on Saturday at Big Rock Landing.

It was a 517.1-pound blue marlin that sealed a $2.59 million payday to the crew aboard Big Trouble, a Morehead City-based boat owned by Zeke Konkle and captained by Chris Daniels, crowning the winner of one of the most prestigious sport shing events in the United States.

Only four blue marlin were brought to the scales during the entirety of the contest.

“It’s like Christmas, Super Bowl, all of it. Very, very cool,” Daniels said afterward.

“It doesn’t feel real. Everything went perfectly. Perfect guy on the reel. It was a money performance, and I’m tickled to death to be here. Good people and a great boat owner — I’ve got the best boss in the world. I couldn’t work for anybody better, so I’m most happy for him.”

“Our goal was just to

A 517.1-pound blue marlin sealed a $2.59 million payday for Big Trouble at the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.

hold a check up,” Konkle added. As the only marlin of the week to exceed the 500-pound mark, the crew became eligible for both the $807,500 Fabulous Fisherman’s prize and the tournament’s grand prize for the heaviest haul, bestowing quite the valuable catch for angler Brandon Creech, who was responsible for reeling in the prized blue marlin at 12:25 p.m. along the coastline of the Morehead City port.

“It’s surreal,” said Creech.

“Been shing this for about 15 years, rst check I’ve ever pulled. It’s an amazing experience.”

In last year’s event, a West Palm Beach, Florida, boat won the overall grand prize of more than $1.8 million with a 516-pound blue marlin; a boat based at Hatteras won the Fabulous Fisherman’s prize worth more than $1.7 million with a 504-pound blue marlin.

While Big Trouble came away as the big winner in this year’s

USWNT legends, current UNC players amongst TST winners

The six-day tournament brought many big names to North Carolina

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

THE WAKEMED Soccer Park in Cary hosted the third annual The Soccer Tournament (TST) earlier this month, a seven-a-side association soccer tournament with $1 million cash prize on the line.

The tournament — which has brought in tons of big names such as Sergio Agüero, Nani and Pat McAfee — hosted more than 50,000 attendees across the six days and featured both a men’s (48 teams) and a women’s (16 teams) bracket with players from 34 di erent countries.

Many current and former professional players and athletes put together teams to compete for the large purse

In the end, Bumpy Pitch FC — a team made up of former USMNT captain Jonathan Bornstein, Major Arena Soccer League veterans as well as mini-football professionals — won on the men’s side, while US Women — a team highlighted by World Cup champions and Olympic Gold medalists

from page B1

NBA ready but also has a high ceiling, making him the best of both worlds for Dallas. He’s also the last sure thing in this year’s draft, as the various mock projections start to diverge with pick No. 2.

Teammate and fellow one-and-done freshman Kon Knueppel stands a very good chance of being the next area player selected. He came to Duke with the reputation of being a 3-point specialist, and ESPN has him graded as the top spot-up shooter in the draft class. He showed he had the size and athleticism to score o the pick and roll as well as contribute in the post, if necessary. The all-around o ensive package has him mocked as a lottery pick, as high as four (Yahoo) and a low as eight (Sports Illustrated).

One mock, from SI, actually

from the U.S. Women’s National Team — won for the second straight season.

TST matches are played on both a smaller eld (65-by- 45 yards) and with a smaller goal. Each game consists of two 20-minute halves, and after the rst half, a target score is set that will mark the end of the game.

The target score is one goal higher than the leading team’s total following 20 minutes, and if the score isn’t reached by a certain time, a player from each team is taken o the eld until ultimately only two are left on each team or the winning goal is scored.

Additional rules include no o sides, rolling substitutions, no slide tackling nor drop-kicks by goaltenders and all throw-ins being replaced by indirect free kicks.

The US Women team, which was made up of multiple former national team members including Carli Llyod, Heather O’Reilly, Ali Krieger and many others, were crowned champions for the second straight season.

“Obviously last year was special, but this is a new group, a new family,” said O’Reilly, who was both a player and GM for the US Women team. “It was a team victory from sta to players, family and friends that had

has Knueppel slipping below a third Blue Devil teammate. Center Khaman Maluach is a consensus top-10 pick, slotted as high as seventh and as low as ninth. His stat line wasn’t as impressive as those of Flagg or Knueppel at Duke, but the 7-footer had the biggest wingspan at the draft combine and the second-best standing reach. He didn’t start playing basketball until age 13, but he’s rising on draft boards due to his potential. He should be able to develop some o ensive moves to go with the lobs he perfected at Duke, and he’ll also be a shot-blocking force. After the early rush on Blue Devils, the next pick with local connections could have a tangential Duke link as well. Washington State wing Cedric Coward transferred to Duke in the portal following this past season, but after a strong performance

“Been shing this for about 15 years, rst check I’ve ever pulled.” angler Brandon Creech

tournament, it almost wasn’t the case.

On Friday night, a disqualication reset the leaderboard as a 653.7-pound blue marlin reeled in by Southern Grace appeared to lock in a $3.2 million payout for the team captained by Dustin Myers.

“This is our 13th year shing the Big Rock,” Myers said after the massive haul. “We’ve had a little success, but we nally punched our ticket today. It was nally our turn.”

Myers spoke too soon, as tournament o cials disquali ed the sh two hours later, citing visible and rule-violating bite marks. The Fabulous Fisherman’s prize was left unclaimed and the leaderboard unchanged until Big Trouble arrived at the scales at 2:40 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, just before the end of the tournament.

“After review and consultation with marine biologists, The Big Rock Tournament Rules Committee has disquali ed Southern Grace’s sh due to a violation of Rule #24 concern-

ing mutilation,” the tournament said in a Day 5 o cial statement on the situation. At the top of the leaderboard for three days until Big Trouble swooped in for the clutch victory, Bankwalker — captained by Bryant Montague — earned second-place honors worth $603,750 after his 23-year- old daughter, Lizzie Montague, reeled in a 449.7-pound blue marlin on June 11.

“It was the coolest experience of my life. I’ll never take that for granted,” she said of the memorable moment.

Sea Wish won $558,250 for the heaviest dolphin of the week with a 47.2-pound catch, while Bullpen’s 60.7-pound wahoo and Smoker’s 117.4-pound tuna each brought in $10,000.

Captained by Russell Sinclair of Port Canaveral, Florida, Wave Paver claimed the Level VIII weekly release division with four blue marlin, four white marlin and 10 sailsh, earning 3,350 points and $206,762.

In total, the Wave Paver team notched four Grand Slams, including their rst-ever domestic Grand Slam — an honor that is earned when a team releases three di erent species of bill sh — typically a blue marlin, white marlin and sail sh — all within the same 24-hour period.

“To end up with four Grand Slams was just incredible,” owner JR Davis said. “This is our favorite stop on the tournament circuit.” Because no team claimed the Level VI Super 20 Winner Take All prize worth $1.43 million, that particular prize is set to roll over to the 68th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in 2026.

“This has just been so fun all around.”

UNC mid elder Evelyn Shores, who scored the game-winning goal for the US Women

to listen to us talk about TST for 365 days since last year. But it was a real team win.

“Let’s do it again next year.”

Evelyn Shores, who was one of ve current UNC women’s soccer players invited to join the US Women team, scored the game-winner on an assist from O’Reilly.

“They’ve been great this entire week,” Shores said in a TV interview when asked about playing alongside U.S. legends.

“Just getting us in the team, making us feel comfortable. It’s amazing, their experience on the eld, and it makes us feel more relaxed and comfortable in these big moments because they’ve had experience.”

It’s been a good few months for Shores, who won a national championship with the Tar Heels earlier in the year and scored a game-winning goal for the U.S. Women’s U-23 Youth National Team just a month ago.

“I feel so surreal,” Shores said.

at the combine, he decided to stay in the draft instead. He had the biggest wingspan and reach among guards at the combine, along with the third-best vertical leap and three-quarter court sprint. He also nished third in the 3-point star drill and eighth in shooting o the dribble. His mocks have him going as high as the last lottery pick — 14th — to as low as 18th. Next up is a Tar Heel oneand-done. Like Coward, Drake Powell’s combine performance convinced him to stay in the draft. He had the best standing vertical leap — by a 4-inch margin — and the best max vertical of the combine participants. He was also in the top three among forwards in lane agility and three-quarter court sprint speed. ESPN also crowned him the top on-ball defender in the draft. He’s expected to go as high as 22 and as low as

“It was such a team e ort. This has just been so fun all around, and I’m just glad I could help us win it.”

Bella Devey was named the MVP for the tournament, and she, Lloyd, Mana Shim, Giana Riley, Maci Teater, Hope Solo and Katie Shea Collins were named to the women’s all-tournament team.

On the men’s side, Bumpy Pitch FC took home the $1 million prize, defeating Puma de Alabama 2-1 in the championship match.

Bumpy Pitch trailed 1-0 entering Target Score Time, but they rallied and eventually se-

the nal pick in the rst round. In the second round, the likely rst player with local connections to go will be Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis. The wing player hit 20 of 25 shots in the 3-point side drill at the combine to help improve his draft stock. His college production and potential as a shooter has him going as high as the fth pick in round two and as low as 11th. We then return to the Blue Devils to wrap up the second round. Tyrese Proctor is a veteran playmaker who could excel in a pick-and-roll heavy offense in the NBA. He’s mocked as high as No. 13 in round two and as low as No. 18. Teammate Sion James is a veteran wing who was a glue player and team leader for Duke. He showed he can also get after it on the court, winning the three-quarter sprint drill and nishing fourth in the

cured the win thanks to a goal by Charlie Gonzalez

“It just means a lot,” Gonzalez said. “All my family and my parents, my academy. Just to show them that you can do anything you want in life. It doesn’t just have to be in soccer. It can be anything you put yourself to. You just have to stay committed.”

Oumar Niasse was named MVP for the men’s bracket, and he, Sergio Agüero, Ricardinho, Drew Ruggles, Jose Antonio Medina Alvarado, Cristian Martinez Borja and Hugo Gomez were named to the all-tournament team.

vertical leap. That combine performance likely got him drafted. He’s projected anywhere from 16th in round two to 20th. Some other recognizable names are going to be available but aren’t expected to get a call during the draft. Tops on that list is UNC’s RJ Davis, who wasn’t invited to the combine and isn’t even listed on the NBA’s Draft Prospects web page. Former teammate Caleb Love, who nished his career in Arizona, also didn’t get a combine invite.

A third former Tar Heel, Dawson Garcia, who left the team midway through the 2021-22 season and nished his career at Minnesota, is also available, as are two other transfers from colleges in the state — Tennessee’s Igor Milicic Jr., who previously played at Charlotte, and Kentucky’s Andrew Carr, who spent time at Wake Forest.

@USWNT / X

Members of the US Women team pose with their winnings after taking rst place in The Soccer Tournament for the second year in a row.

DUKE

Spaun weathers worst of wet Oakmont to win US Open

Wake’s Cameron Young and UNC’s Benjamin Gri n placed in the top 10

By Doug Ferguson

The Associated Press

OAKMONT, Pa. — J.J.

Spaun turned a sloppy mess of a U.S. Open at wet and nasty Oakmont into a thing of beauty at the end, making two stunning shots that carried him to his rst major championship.

First came his driver on the 314-yard 17th hole onto the green for a birdie that gave him the lead. Needing two putts from 65 feet on the 18th to win, he nished his storybook Open by holing the longest putt all week at Oakmont for birdie and a 2-over 72.

That made him the only player to nish under par at 1-under 279. It gave him a two-shot victory over Robert MacIntyre of Scotland.

And it made Spaun, the 34-year-old Californian, a major champion in only his second U.S. Open.

“I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,” said Spaun, who nished last year at No. 119 in the world with only one PGA Tour title in his career.

“I always had aspirations and

dreams. I never knew what my ceiling was. I’m just trying to be the best golfer I can be.” It was calamity for so many others.

Sam Burns had a two-shot lead going to the 11th tee, made a double bogey from a divot in the rst cut and from a lie in the fairway so wet he thought he deserved relief. He shot 78.

Adam Scott, trying to become the rst player to go more than 11 years between major titles, was tied for the lead with ve holes to play. He played them in 5 over and shot 79.

Carlos Ortiz and Tyrrell Hatton also slashed away in slushy lies, making mistakes that cost them a chance to survive this beast of day.

The rain that put Oakmont on the edge of being unplayable might have saved Spaun.

One shot behind at the start of the day, he opened with ve bogeys in six holes with some horri c breaks, none worse than hitting the pin on the second hole and seeing it spin back to the fairway. And then came a rain delay of 1 hour, 37 minutes.

“The weather delay changed the whole vibe of the day,” Spaun said.

Remarkably, he made only one bogey the rest of the way. But oh, that nish.

Local youth soccer club unveils historic uniform collaboration

NCFC Youth is bringing the “pro team” experience to its players

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

PLAYERS AT A LOCAL youth soccer organization will look like professionals this fall.

Not for their play — but for what they’re wearing.

In a historic collaboration with Adidas and Soccer.com, North Carolina FC Youth, the largest youth soccer organization in the state, unveiled North America’s rst custom designed Adidas jersey created with and for a youth soccer club. The uniforms will be the new home kit worn by the club’s Classic and ECNL teams this fall, bringing the professional jersey experience to the youth level.

“We are extraordinarily proud to unveil this new home kit and be part of a groundbreaking collaboration,” Gary Buete, CEO of NCFC Youth, said. “The custom jersey design is incredible and the meaning behind it represents who we are as a club. To be the rst North American youth club to have the freedom to design a one-of-a-kind jersey and bring it to life speaks volumes about our culture and the people who make NCFC Youth special.”

NCFC Youth revealed the design and its meaning in a professionally produced video released on YouTube on June 10, giving a handful of players the opportunity to wear it for the rst time. The design features rows of pine trees, North Caro -

lina’s state tree, and their roots, serving as a symbol of identity and re ecting themes of strength, resilience and unity.

“The rows of pines on the jersey represent the individuals who make up the NCFC Youth community, the players, parents, coaches, volunteers, and the deep history of a club now in its 51st year,” NCFC Youth said in a statement. “When pine trees grow close together, their roots form interconnected networks that help them share nutrients and support one another against the elements. It’s a tting metaphor for the power of teamwork and for a club built on deep roots, collective strength, and growing stronger together.”

According to NCFC Youth Chief Marketing and Development O cer Katharine Eberhardt, conversations about the collaboration with Adidas and Soccer.com, the organization’s longtime partners, started around 16 months ago. The opportunity was presented as a test case for the process of scaling a custom youth jersey across planning, design, production, inventory and execution.

“It just started with dialogue,” Eberhardt said. “And then, they sort of turned the ball over to us to say, ‘We’re here for feedback, and we’re going to help you through this process,’ but really gave us as NCFC Youth the reins to really start thinking through what we wanted this uniform to tell.”

A few of the initial ideas by NCFC Youth for the design included nods to the organization’s championship history

“The weather delay changed the whole vibe of the day.”

J.J. Spaun

MacIntyre, the 28-year-old from Oban toughened by the Scottish game of Shinty, became the new target. He also struggled at the start and fell nine shots behind at one point. But he birdied the 17th and split the fairway on the 18th for a key par, a 68 and the clubhouse lead.

Three groups later, Spaun delivered what looked like the winner, a powerful fade that rolled onto the green like a putt and settled 18 feet behind the cup.

And then the nal putt — no one made a longer one all week. He was helped by Viktor Hovland being on the same line and going rst. Spaun rapped it through the soaked turf, walked to the left to watch it break right toward the hole and saw it drop as thousands of rain-soaked spectators erupted.

He raised both arms and tossed his putter, jumping into the arms of caddie Mark Carens.

The celebration carried

into those who lost the battle.

“Unbelievable. What a putt to win. That’s incredible,” Hatton said. “I’m sad about how I nished, but I’m very happy for J.J. To win a major in that fashion is amazing.”

Hovland, who shot 73 to nish third, saw it all — the putt at the end, the bogeys at the start.

“After his start, it just looked like he was out of it immediately,” Hovland said. “Everyone came back to the pack. I wasn’t expecting that really. I thought I had to shoot maybe 3-under par today to have a good chance, but obviously the conditions got really, really tough, and this golf course is just a beast.”

Hatton (72) and Ortiz (73), both part of LIV Golf and in serious contention at a major for

and soccer motifs, like hexagonal soccer balls and aspects of a eld.

“It didn’t hit home until the story that we wanted to tell,” Eberhardt said. “We started thinking more and go back to the drawing board. What do we mean as a club to this community, and what does this community mean to us?”

NCFC Youth drew on its evolution from the Raleigh Soccer League to the Capital Area Soccer League in 1974 and then its transition to its current form through a partnership with Tri-

HORNETS from page B1 has broken up, and the Hornets have other potential matches in the remaining mock drafts.

One intriguing pick is Duke’s Kon Knueppel, who Yahoo Sports has headed to Charlotte. The Hornets were one of three teams with a 14% chance to get the top pick — and the chance to pick Flagg. However, the team could get the consolation prize of one of the best pure shooters in the draft.

Knueppel isn’t just a 3-point guy, however. He also has the size and grit to drive to the hoop and score and surprised

many with his all-around game at Duke. He also had the 11th best vertical leap at the draft combine. He would give the Hornets a third scoring option that appears to t well with Ball and Miller. Perhaps the most likely draft scenario is that, after Flagg goes rst and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper second, Charlotte will get the best player Philly doesn’t take— which amounts to either Edgecombe or Ace Bailey. Harper’s teammate at Rutgers, Bailey is a tall, athletic wing who can shoot from outside and nish at the rim. He’s also a force on defense. He’s got many of the

Years since the Hornets have made the NBA postseason

same skills as Edgecombe, only he’s 4 inches taller and would give the Hornets an intimidating pair of wings in Bailey and Miller. USA Today has Bailey going to Charlotte in its latest mock.

Texas shooting guard Tre Johnson is another candi-

angle Futbol Club in 2017. Connections to Raleigh’s nickname as the “City of Oaks” and cardinals, North Carolina’s o cial state bird, were considered in the design, but the organization wanted to be more inclusive of its growth outside of the state capital and into other cities like Durham and Chapel Hill.

“We kind of just landed with the pine tree,” Eberhardt said. “We’d started thinking about and looking at and getting inspired by what we read about pine trees and their importance to our state, their strength, and

date for Charlotte at No. 4.

Like Knueppel, he’s a deadly outside shooter but far from one-dimensional. He had the best performance in the lane agility drill at the combine and had the fth-best wingspan and vertical among guards. The Hornets also have the third and fourth picks in the second round. That gives the team ammunition to trade up into the late rst round if there’s a prospect that looks appealing. Whether they stay put and take two or move up for the one they want, there’s plenty of potential contribu-

the rst time, tied for fourth along with former Wake Forest Demon Deacon Cameron Young (70). The consolation for Ortiz was getting into the Masters next year. Scottie Sche er, 10 shots behind early in the nal round, was somehow still part of the conversation on the back nine. But he missed far too many birdie chances, even three-putting from 12 feet on the 11th hole. The world’s No. 1 player nished with a 70 to tie for seventh with Jon Rahm (67) and Burns. Former UNC golfer Benjamin Gri n tied for 10th. Through it all, Spaun emerged as a U.S. Open champion hardly anyone saw coming — not at the start of the year, not at the start of the round.

“Our players can proudly wear something that symbolizes more than just a gray jersey.”

Katharine Eberhardt

their resilience and adaptability. And we started thinking, well, those are all things that we want our club to be and what we have been.”

NCFC Youth submitted the nal design pattern by summer 2024. Along with the jersey, the new home kit will include adidas navy shorts and gray socks. Eberhardt, who played for the NCFC Youth organization (CASL at the time) and coached, said it “means everything” for the organization to pioneer this opportunity in North America.

“Our players can proudly wear something that symbolizes more than just a gray jersey,” Eberhardt said. “It’s about us. It’s about our club. It’s about our history. It’s about their teammates. It’s about their team.” Said Eberhardt, “It’s really special that we were able to do something unique for a group of our players,” Eberhardt said.

“We knew that we couldn’t do everyone in the rst year. We needed to test it out. Down the road, I’m hopeful that we’ll have the opportunity to expand this experience to more kids within the club.”

This opportunity may spark more of the same collaborations with other youth clubs across the state and the country. Not only has the uniform been well received on social media, Adidas has already been hearing from other organizations about custom uniform since the NCFC Youth release, per Eberhardt.

“We’ve taken a meaningful step toward bringing the same opportunity to more youth clubs in the future,” Tor Southard, senior director for Adidas Soccer North America, said.

tors expected to be around in the late rst and early second round, including Danny Wolf, a near-7 footer who spent time at point guard at Michigan, Serbian center Bogoljub Markovic, UNC forward Drake Powell, Auburn big Johni Broome, French forward Noah Penda and Australian forward Alex Toohey.

The focus on bigs highlights another potential draft deal for the Hornets, who could ship out center Mark Williams. Charlotte already traded him once, at the deadline during the season, but the deal got wiped out due to medicals.

GENE J. PUSKAR / AP PHOTO

J.J. Spaun celebrates making a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the nal round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.

COURTESY NCFC YOUTH

NCFC Youth players sport the new uniforms before their o cial use next season.

TRENDING

Corey Coley Jr : A federal judge ruled against the cornerback s request for a year of eligibility to play football at NC State and earn NIL money Coley is suing the NCAA over its rule that college athletes may play only four seasons within a

District Judge

James C Dever III denied a request to allow him to play this fall

Cole Anthony:

The former Tar Heels point guard was part of a trade leaving Orlando, which drafted him 2020 for Memphis The Magic acquired Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Anthony and draft capital Part of the draft package going to Memphis includes three of Orlando s future including the 16th selection in this year s draft

Ian Seymour: The southpaw made his MLB debut with the Rays beating the Red Sox at Fenway Park Seymour was a second-round pick in 2020 and has posted an 11-4 record with the Durham Bulls since 2021 Jacob Misiorowski a 2022 second-rounder, also made his MLB debut The 2022 and 2023

Carolina Mudcat earned a win for the Brewers against the Cardinals

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

/

“ Ter r ible and unfair and unjust and stupid.”

Indiana Pacers’ coach Rick Carlisle on criticism of NBA referee Scott Foster after Game 4 of the Finals

“L ook at this dog and tr y not to smile He’s g reat. He’s goof y ”

Josh Snyder owner of Bruce, the golden retriever “called up” by the Washing ton Nationals to make his MLB debut after t wo years as bat dog with their Triple-A team in Rochester, New York

NUMBER

Players from la st sea son ’ s Baylor men ’ s ba sketball team returning this year

Of the 14 players on la st year ’ s roster, four exhausted their college elig ibilit y, nine lef t in the transfer por tal and one lef t early for the NBA This year ’ s team ha s eight transfers and four freshmen

NASCAR outside the United States of the modern era The New Zealander led 60 laps at since he won in his Cup debut at the inaug ural 2023 street course race in Chicago

Matchups for the ACC/SEC Challenge were announced last week The event takes place Dec 2-3 On the opening night, Duke w ill host national champion Florida (pictured), while Wake Forest hosts Ok lahoma U NC also travels to Kentucky On the second day, NC State plays at Auburn

Thompson to a one-year contract Thompson was not re-signed by 10 seasons w ith the Panthers He joins the Bills, coached by former Carolina defensive coordinator Sean McDermott He played just six games over the past t wo years due to injuries

Hall of Fame

broadca ster Dick Vitale is stick ing around college ba sketball w ith a new contract ex tension and a new event named in his honor Vitale signed a contract through the 2027-28 sea son In addition, ESPN Events is launching the Dick Vitale Inv itational The bet ween Duke and Texa s on Nov. 4 in Charlotte

and 06/19/2025 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

persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before September 12, 2025, or

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 12th day of June, 2025. Eula Barrett AKA Eula Dennis-Barrett, Executor of the Estate of Johnnie Frank Dennis NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR EXECUTOR

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Barbara Ann Joyner, deceased, 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 on or before the 12th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This is the 6th day of June, 2025.

Lashaunda Jackson, Administrator of the Estate 265 Fieldspar Lane, Clayton NC 27520 Publication Dates: 6/12, 6/19, 6/26, 7/3.

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, June 5, June 12 and June 19, 2025

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File No. 25E000820-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Kimberly Ann Howard, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th 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 persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This is the 12th day of June, 2025. Montanna Christine Howard 3125 Nontucket Lane Hope Mills, NC 28348 Administrator of the Estate of Kimberly Ann Howard, deceased Publish June 12, 19, 26 and July 3, 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

Notice to Creditors & A davit of Publication

Notice to Creditors NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Belinda Denise Eanes, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before September 19, 2025 (three months from the date of rst publication) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This the 1st day of June, 2025. Executor: Eric Matthew Eanes 1121 Odom Dr Fayetteville, NC 28304 Publish: June 19, 2025; June 26, 2025; July 3, 2025; July 10, 2025

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

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In the General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File #25E000885-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Wilbur Duke Johnson, 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 12th 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 requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 12th day of June, 2025. Marsha Denise Johnson 25173 Aleppo Way, Moreno Valley, CA 92553 Of the Estate of Wilbur Duke Johnson, Deceased.

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

CUMBERLAND NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 2024 E 001558 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Deborah Lynn Horne Deborah Lynn Locke, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does here y notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 5431 Marsh Road, Fayetteville, NC 28306 on or before September 12, 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 12th day of June, 2025. Donna Jackson, Executor of the Estate of Deborah Lynn Horne Deborah Lynn Locke 5431 Marsh Road Fayetteville, NC 28306

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NUMBER: 25E000857-250 In the Matter of the Estate of: APRIL MARIE MASSENGILL Deceased. ))))) ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of April Marie Massengill, 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. James Larry Massengill, Administrator of the Estate of April Marie Massengill, 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 TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF TOM KOSTAS POULOS CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E000523-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Tom Kostas Poulos, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Kostas T. Poulos, Administrator, at 1436 Pine Valley Loop, Fayetteville, NC 28305, 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 2nd day of June, 2025. Kostas T. Poulos Administrator of the Estate of

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. In The General Court of

Estate

County of

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Doris

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 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 requested to make immediate

NOTICE

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

State Of North Carolina County of Cumberland In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate le #24E002985-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Evelyn Fay Spicer, 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 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 22 day of May, 2025. Robert Oberton Spicer, Jr Administrator/Executor 115 N. Churchill Dr Fayetteville, NC 28303 Of the Estate of Evelyn Fay Spicer, deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Cumberland COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 25E000893-250 Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Robert Louis Robinson Sr., deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said Robert Louis Robinson Sr. to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of September, 2025 (this date being 3 months from the rst publication date of this notice) or same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 3rd day of June, 2025. Robert Louis Robinson Jr. 2943 High Plains Dr. Hope Mills, NC 28348 Executor of the Estate of Robert Louis Robinson Sr. NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 25E000856-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Giovanni R. Quevedo, 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 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before September 12, 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 12th day of June, 2025. Reyna Quevedo, Executor of the Estate of Giovanni R. Quevedo NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR EXECUTOR NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF PATRICIA ANN LEWIS CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E000594-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Patricia Ann Lewis, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at Hutchens Law Firm, LLP, 4317 Ramsey

DURHAM

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, DEBRA A. LOVE, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of CAROL A. GREGORY, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said DEBRA A. LOVE, at the address set out below, on or before September 8, 2025, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below. This the 2ndt day of June, 2025 DEBRA A. LOVE Executor of the Estate of CAROL A. GREGORY c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405 NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Lisa Kittrell, having quali ed on the 22nd day of April 2025, as Administrator of the Estate of Michael Grady Kittrell (2025-E-001578-640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must 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 persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 29th day of May 2025. Lisa Kittrell Administrator

MICHAEL GRADY KITTRELL David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: May 29, 2025 June 5, 2025 June 12, 2025 June 19, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Alisa Jan Morris Wright, deceased, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them, duly veri ed, to the undersigned, care of their attorney, on or before September 19, 2025 (which date is at least three (3) months from 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 settlement with the undersigned, care of their attorney. This the 19th day of June, 2025. Gordon William Wright, Administrator C.T.A. of the Estate of Alisa Jan Morris Wright, Deceased c/o Randall S. Hoose, Jr. Hoose Law, PLLC 705 Princess Street Wilmington, NC 28401-4146 Please publish 06/19, 06/26, 07/03, 07/10

RANDOLPH

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Elizabeth Harris Hinshaw, late of Randolph 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 19th day of September 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 19th day of June 2025. Scott Addison Hinshaw Executor of the Estate of Elizabeth Harris Hinshaw

Jonathan M. Parisi

Attorney at Law Spangler Estate Planning P.O. Box 5994 Greensboro, NC 27435

WAKE Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Co-Executors of the Estate of IRENE BALDWIN, late of Wake County, North Carolina (25E001871-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 8th day of September 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 5th day of June 2025. Ruby Baldwin and Faye Yvonne Spence

Co-Executors of the Estate of Irene Baldwin

c/o Lisa M. Schreiner

Attorney at Law

P.O. Box 446

114 Raleigh Street

Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

(For publication: 06/05, 06/12, 06/19, 06/26/2025)

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of

of September 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 29th day of May 2025. Eric Bryant Callahan Administrator of the Estate of Roger Jay Callahan

c/o Lisa M. Schreiner

Attorney at Law

P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

(For publication: 05/29, 06/05, 06/12, 06/19/2025)

Notice to Creditors Having quali ed as Public

of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of

LLC,

been substituted as Trustee in said

of

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 21 SP 519

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Arthur L. Ketcham, Jr. and Stacey Mayo-Ketcham (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Arthur L. Ketcham, Jr. and Stacey Mayo-Ketcham) to Echols, Purser & Glenn, PLLC, Trustee(s), dated February 8, 2008, and recorded in Book No. 08055, at Page 0001 in Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina. The Deed of Trust was modi ed by the following: A Loan Modi cation recorded on December 10, 2009, in Book No. 08992, at Page 0004, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cabarrus County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be

Being all of Lot 110, Farmington Ridge, Map 7 as the same is shown on map recorded in Map Book 46, Page 14, in the Cabarrus County, North Carolina Public Registry, reference being hereby made for a more particular description of said property.

Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 5067 Sunburst Lane, Charlotte, NC 28213.

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

and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on July 2, 2025 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, to wit:

foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Concord, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on June 23, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Concord in the County of Cabarrus, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot No. 6, of HEARTHWOOD SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1, MAP 1, as shown on map recorded in Plat Book 51, Page 28, Cabarrus County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1047 Hearth Lane Southwest, Concord, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours 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

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP000403-120 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Sharon Y. Wingler and Leonard Wingler (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Sharon Y. Wingler and Leonard Wingler) to Dale Fussell, Trustee(s), dated September 13, 2007, and recorded in Book No. 7795, at Page 259 in Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina. The Deed of Trust was modi ed by the following: A Loan Modi cation recorded on April 21, 2010, in Book No. 09130, at Page 0033, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cabarrus County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Concord, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on June 23, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Kannapolis in the County of Cabarrus, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The land referred to in this Commitment is described as follows: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in Cabarrus County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Being Lot No. 1 as shown on the map of Cardinal Court and more particularly described as follows: Beginning at a nail at the intersection of the northern edge of Mockingbird Lane and the center line of Hileman Road (S.R. 2114) and runs thence N. 9-36 W. 217. 8 feet with the center line of Hileman Road to a nail; thence N. 69-59 E. 137.68 feet to an iron stake, back corner of Lots Nos. 1 and 2 in the line of C.E. Furr; thence S. 14-27 E. 230.38 feet with the line of Lot No. 2 to an iron stake front corner of Lots Nos. 1 and 2 in the northern edge of Mockingbird Lane; thence S. 7533 W. 155.45 feet with the northern edge of Mockingbird Lane to the point of beginning, subject to the right-of-way of Hileman Road. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3095 Centergrove Road, Kannaoplis, North Carolina.

period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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

An Order for possession of the property may

be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for

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 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 trustee, in

TAX ID#: PARCEL ID #: 5-8-88.00

PROPERTY ADDRESS: 3095 CENTER GROVE RD KANNAPOLIS, NC, 20083

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours 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 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

of the sale and reinstatement of the

24 CVS 010160-250 Cumberland County and pursuant to the terms of the judgment, the undersigned Commissioner will o er for sale that certain property as described below. Said sale will be held in the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 23, 2025, at the Cumberland County Courthouse door and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being

#: 0456-10-2969 Also known as: 1229 Locks Creek Road, Fayetteville, NC 28312

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours 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

more particularly described as follows: CROSS CREEK TOWNSHIP, CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

PARCEL A: BEING ALL of Lot One Hundred (100) as shown on a plat entitled “SUMMERTIME, SECTION 4” duly recorded in Book of Plats 47, Page 11, Cumberland County, North Carolina Registry.

PARCEL B: By a deed dated June 30, 1978, recorded in Book 2662, Page 324, Cumberland County, North Carolina Registry, Broadwell Construction Company has conveyed to Summertime Pond Homeowners Association, Inc. (a notfor-pro t corporation organized under Chapter 55A of the General Statutes of North Carolina) the title to a 4.11 acre tract comprising of the Summertime Pond, with said conveyance being made to said corporation so long as the corporate charter of Summertime Pond Homeowners Association, Inc. continues in active existence and no longer.

Subject too all rights and estate of Summertime

situated in Hope Mills in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 2, in a subdivision known as Roslin Farms West, Phase 1, Section 1, Part 1, according to a plat of same duly recorded in Plat Book 126, Page 65,

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.

that is described by metes and bounds as follows: BEGINNING at the northeast corner of Lot 100, Summertime, Section 4, recorded in Plat Book 47, Page 11, Cumberland County, North Carolina Registry and running thence with the rear line of said Lot 100 the following courses and distances: North

lake; Thence in a southerly direction being the extension of the eastern property line of Lot 100 South 01 degrees 36 minutes West 58.55 feet, to the BEGINNING.

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 dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi

remaining amounts are immediately due and owing.

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,

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

and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Brittany Nawar.

Containing 0.11 acres, more or less

The Parcel B is described in accordance with a description furnished by Moorman, Little & Kizer, Inc. dated March 15, 1979.

Parcel A and Parcel B are a portion of the property conveyed to Broadwell Construction Company by Don B. Broadwell et al. By deed dated January 23, 1978, recorded in Book 2640, page 691, Cumberland County Registry.

Additional conveyance: Grantor hereby conveys to Grantee one voting membership of the total thirteen voting memberships in the Summertime Pond Homeowners Association, Inc., a not-for-pro t corporation organized under Chapter 55A of the General Statutes of North Carolina, the Articles of Incorporation of which are recorded in Corporation Book 36, page 269, Cumberland County Registry. And being a portion of the property conveyed to Robert H. McDonald by Broadwell Corporation Company and Brolanco Corporation by a deed dated March 5, 1981, recorded in Book 2811, page 29, Cumberland

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior

having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned

Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the Judicial Center in Monroe, Union County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on June 26, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Monroe in the County of Union, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of that 2.00 acre tract as shown on boundary survey “The Property of Barbara Helms Cook” recorded in Plat Cabinet P at File 589, Union County Registry, to which reference is hereby made and incorporated herein by this reference for a more particular metes and bounds description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5707 South Rocky River Road, Monroe, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours 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

sudoku solutions

LAST WEEK

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

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

Michole W. Council to CB Trustee, LLC, Trustee(s), which was dated August 27, 2010 and recorded on August 27, 2010 in Book 014052 at Page 00256, Wake County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed

that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on July 2, 2025 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 86, Rockbridge Subdivision, Phase 1, as shown on survey recorded in Book of Maps 2007, Pages 1492 through 1494, Wake County Registry. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 1400 Moores Creek Dr, Knightdale, NC 27545. 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

17SP003010-910 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Jason Amen Hetep and Pamela Amen Hetep to Burke & Associates, Trustee(s), which was dated February 1, 2006 and recorded on February 2, 2006 in Book 11803 at Page 00716, Wake County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on July 2, 2025 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING ALL OF LOT 192, LANDINGS AT NEUSE CROSSINGS SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1, AS SHOWN AND RECORDED IN BOOK OF MAPS 2004, PAGES 2155 THROUGH 2158, WAKE COUNTY REGISTRY. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 3245 Landing Falls Lane, Raleigh, NC 27616. A certi ed check only (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING

owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are PHILLIP W. COUNCIL AND WIFE, MICHOLE W. COUNCIL. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor

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 Jason Amen Hetep and Pamela Amen Hetep. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of

of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in

the 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

UNION

“A republic, if you can keep it”

The “No Kings” protest in Pittsboro on Saturday was one of many around the state and the country, criticizing President Donald Trump with creative signs, impassioned speeches and a good number of American ags. Trump, meanwhile, oversaw a parade in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday — one shared with Flag Day and the president himself. N.C. House Minority Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham) was one of a number of speakers who worked to inspire the crowd.

the

BRIEF

this week

A judge could advance Purdue Pharma’s $7B opioid settlement after all 50 states back it

A judge is being asked to clear the way for local governments and individual victims to vote on OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The deal would be among the largest in a wave of opioid settlements. It calls for members of the Sackler family, who own the company, to give up ownership and contribute up to $7 billion over time. Of that, about $890 million could go to people who were victims of the drug epidemic or their survivors. Most of the rest is to be used by state and local governments to ght the crisis.

Wake Forest alum named University of Alabama president

Tuscaloosa, Ala. Peter J. Mohler has been named the next president of the University of Alabama. Mohler comes to the role from Ohio State University, where he served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and as chief scienti c o cer of the university’s Wexner Medical Center. He will assume the role at the University of Alabama on July 21. Mohler has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

$2.00

Pittsboro commissioners approve developmental rezonings, plats

Residential development continues to grow in Chatham County

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners had a few land-use re -

lated items on the agenda for its June 9 meeting.

The board rst held a public hearing for a conditional rezoning request of approximately 21 acres of property located on Old Graham Road from Medium-Density Residential (R-12) to Multifamily Residential Conditional District.

“The intention following the rezoning is to create a 98-lot single-family, residential development with a potential for adding duplexes,” said Planning Director Randall Cahoon-Tingle. According to the applicant, the development aims to be an age-targeted community for retirees.

In addition, the plans call for the construction of a public greenway along the eastern border of the property.

Federal court weighs challenge to NC redistricting maps

A lawsuit alleges GOP lawmakers illegally weakened black voting power

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — North

Carolina congressional and legislative districts drawn by Republicans that helped them re-

tain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are in court, as federal lawsuits accuse mapmakers of illegally eroding black voting power in the process.

A three-judge panel convened Monday in Winston-Sa-

lem for a trial over allegations that GOP legislative leaders violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps in October 2023. Republican leaders counter that lawfully partisan — and not racial — considerations helped inform their decision-making. The lines were used in the

Justice Department targets voter registration compliance in battleground states

“They can request all the data they want, and it’s not going to prove anything.”

Jena Griswold, Colorado secretary of state

The DOJ is working to ensure states comply with election laws

By Christina A. Cassidy and Scott Bauer The Associated Press

ATLANTA — In North Carolina, it was a lawsuit over the state’s voter registration records. In Arizona and Wisconsin, it was a letter to state election o cials warning of potential administrative violations. And in Colorado, it was a demand for election records going back to 2020. The actions by the U.S. De -

partment of Justice’s voting section come amid signi cant personnel changes in the division, including the departures of career attorneys and decisions to drop various voting rights cases led under the previous administration.

The department’s focus on voter registration compliance and election record-keeping reects priorities that align with concerns raised by conservative activists following the 2020 election. The targeted states include several presidential battlegrounds and others controlled by Democratic o cials.

The board also held a public hearing for a rezoning request for nearly 30 acres of property located on Hillsboro Street from Highway Commercial and R-12 to a Mixed

See PITTSBORO, page A7

2024 elections, after which Republicans kept General Assembly majorities and ipped three U.S. House seats held by Democratic incumbents who didn’t seek reelection because they decided the recast district made winning impossible. Those seat ips, which turned a 7-7 delegation into one with a 10-4 Republican advantage, helped the GOP keep narrow control of the House, which has helped advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Favorable rulings for the plainti s could force Republi-

See MAPS, page A7

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

June 9

• Celia Gattis Scott, 53, of Sanford, was arrested for shoplifting.

June 11

• Jacob Benjamin Dowd, 26, of Bear Creek, was arrested for failing to pay child support.

June 13

• Jazlyn Delmetria Fox, 22, of Durham, was arrested for possessing a stolen rearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and driving with an expired registration.

• Michael Lee Reese, 44, of Pittsboro, was arrested for violating a domestic violence protective order.

June 14

• Gavin King Nall, 41, of Bear Creek, was arrested for assault causing serious injury.

June 15

• Brandon Dean Beal, 29, was arrested for simple assault, damaging personal property, and domestic violence.

Judges side with GOP lawmakers over highway patrol commander

Three Superior Court judges ruled unanimously

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A panel of North Carolina judges dismissed one of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s cases against Republican legislative leaders Monday, upholding part of a power-shifting law that prevents Stein from selecting the State Highway Patrol commander.

Three Superior Court judges made the decision unanimously. The judges’ decision means that the dispute won’t go to trial, but it can be appealed.

The lawsuit focuses on a portion of a more sweeping law passed by the GOP-dominated General Assembly that eroded the governor’s powers, as well as the abilities of other top Democrats that hold statewide o ces, last year. A day after its nal passage, Stein and former Gov. Roy Cooper led the legal challenge that the judges dismissed Monday.

The law says Stein cannot select his own commander to the State Highway Patrol and, instead, State High-

way Patrol Commander Col. Freddy Johnson will keep the job until 2030. Johnson was appointed by Cooper in 2021 and is a defendant in the lawsuit.

In the order that sided with legislative leaders and Johnson, the judges wrote there were “no genuine issues of material fact” and that the plainti — Stein — did not prove that the provision was unconstitutional.

An attorney for Stein, Eric Fletcher, had argued in Wake County court Monday that the provision guts the governor’s abilities and violates the separation of powers. The commander would not be “directly accountable” to the governor, Fletcher said, but rather “indirectly accountable” to the General Assembly.

Fletcher insisted the lawsuit was not a re ection of Johnson’s character and ability to do his job.

Lawyers representing Republican legislative leaders Destin Hall and Phil Berger argued the case should be thrown out because Stein hasn’t publicly contended that he wants to remove Johnson from his post and the gover

nor’s arguments were largely hypothetical.

Johnson’s lawyer, William Boyle, further a rmed there is “no crisis here” between the governor and the State Highway Patrol commander and that they aren’t “at odds with each other.” Granting the governor the ability to appoint a new commander as the suit makes its way through the courts would also cause “lasting detrimental harm,” Boyle said.

Stein is separately ghting another provision in the same state law passed last year that transferred the power to appoint State Board of Elections members from the governor to the state auditor, who is a Republican. Appointments have stayed in place as the provision’s constitutionality continues to be debated in courts. They shifted the state elections board from a Democratic to Republican majority.

Another three-judge panel scheduled a hearing for next week in a separate Stein lawsuit challenging in part new laws that limit his powers to choose appellate court vacancies and that would take from the governor the authority to ll a seat on the state Utilities Commission and give it to the state treasurer, who is a Republican.

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

June 20

Wren Paint Social 3:30-4:30 p.m.

A guided painting session where participants aged 18-plus are invited to join this workshop, where all materials will be provided for you to paint your own seasonal landscape. Contact the library at 919-742-2016 for more information.

Wren Memorial Library 500 North Second Ave. Siler City

Katherine Whalen’s Jazz Squad 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 21

Chatham Mills Farmers Market

8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

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 themselves.

Lawn of the historic Chatham Mills 480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro

Meet Greensboro

Author Eddie Hu man 2-4 p.m.

Eddie Hu man will be discussing his most recent book, “Doc Watson: A Life in Music.” This event is free and open to the public. Free copies of Hu man’s new book will be available on a limited basis, rst come, rst served. Chatham Community Library 197 N.C. Highway 87 North Pittsboro

8th Annual Juneteenth Black Arts Festival 12-4 p.m.

This free community festival and celebration of black artists from near and far will also o er live entertainment, a Black Business Expo, kids’ activities and an educational heritage walk. Food trucks will be onsite for concessions. Chatham County Fairgrounds 191 Fairgrounds Road Pittsboro

Chatham student creates device to save birds from noise pollution

Lillian Williams won a $3,000 national prize for MicroBirder technology

By Melinda Burris Chatham News & Record

LILLIAN WILLIAMS, a rising senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Morganton, was awarded rst place Grand Prize Winner in the OurEcho Challenge, a STEM competition sponsored by EarthEcho International. The global nonprofit encourages youth-led involvement in innovative explorations and practical applications to spearhead e orts to preserve, protect and restore biodiversity and local ecosystems.

There are three winners in the OurEcho Challenge each year. A team from Cary was analist in the 2024 competition, but Williams and Team MicroBirder are the rst Grand Prize Winners chosen from North Carolina. This year’s other winners included a oating wetland project from New York to address water pollution and a California team using “Genki Balls” to improve lake water quality.

The young student’s home school is Seaforth High School.

As the rst-place winner, she is the recipient of a $3,000 grant to implement her biodiversity project focusing on noise pollution and its adverse e ects on bird populations.

The MicroBirder device uses a microphone to record environmental sounds, noting the di erence between bird calls and human-made noise, measuring the levels of each.

“It was supposed to be a fusion of birding, the act of classifying, observing birds, and bird-watching,” explained Williams. “Then micro, the rst part of microcontroller. It’s a fusion of single board computing and bird classi cation.”

When asked what prompted her to explore the subject of noise pollution and speci cally its e ects on birds, Williams said she pursued the line of inquiry because her research online, “looking for ways that students could document sound pollution,” was disappointing.

“There was no way for people

to measure the e ects of sound pollution on animals in their area, at least in North Carolina. I could not nd any resources.”

Taking it a step further, the budding researcher said, “And then also, if you look at sound pollution research, the number of papers that are being written, and then compare it to climate change in relation to carbon emissions, and then plastic pollution, there’s just so much more being done for those subject areas, and there’s not enough being done in terms of grassroots movements for things like sound pollution. People just aren’t aware of it as much.”

Emphasizing the importance of this, she said, “You hear people talking about plastic pollution all the time. You hear people talking about carbon emissions, climate change, et cetera, but you don’t hear much about sound pollution. And when you’re out anywhere, you can’t really nd a place that’s silent.”

Williams pointed out how important silence is to “birds and animals that use things like echolocation and sound to communicate and socialize with each other.”

The MicroBirder project is designed to give people the a ordable resources and knowledge they need so they can detect and locate areas where sound pollution is heavily concentrated. Williams believes that by “giving people that voice and the resources ... it gives them the toolkit to advocate for their spaces and make the world quieter.”

According to Williams, les-

David Becker, a former department attorney who worked on voting rights cases and now leads the Center for Election Innovation & Research, criticized the Justice Department’s approach as misplaced priorities.

“This would be like the police department prioritizing jaywalking over murder investigations,” he said.

A Justice Department spokesperson responded with “no comment” to an emailed request for more information about the actions, including whether similar ones had been taken in any other states.

Actions come amid major changes at the DOJ

Conservatives for years have called for an overhaul at the Justice Department in both personnel and priorities. President Donald Trump also has criticized how elections are run, blaming his 2020 loss on widespread fraud. Earlier this year, he signed an executive order seeking a sweeping overhaul of election operations — an authority the Constitution grants to the states and Congress.

After his win last November, Trump installed key allies at the Justice Department, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has made similar claims about the 2020 election. Multiple reviews in the presidential battleground states afrmed Democrat Joe Biden’s win in 2020, Trump and his allies lost dozens of lawsuits, and even Trump’s attorney general at the time said there was no evidence of widespread fraud.

Justin Levitt, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the department’s civil rights division, said most of the DOJ’s

sons learned in the use of “speci c microcontrollers and single-board computers” through classes, including Research and Robotic Design for Agriculture and Engineering the Tools of Scienti c Discovery, taught at the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Morganton, were instrumental in teaching her how to use tools like Raspberry Pi, a small, affordable computer; Coral USB Accelerator; Tensor Processing Unit and CM16 condenser ultrasound microphone along with open source software.

She credits her teacher there, John Davis, as being a mentor to her in learning the value and accessibility of these tools and how useful they could be for innovative applications. Implementation of the MicroBirder initiative will begin this summer while Williams attends the Cornell Young Birders event. While at the university, she will have the opportunity to meet and get input on the project’s applications from experts at the Lisa K. Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She also plans to continue working with agricultural experts in North Carolina, including her former instructor, John Davis.

Her priority for this summer is to ne tune the assembly of the device and use the grant money to purchase the items needed to create the MicroBirder kits and working on what she describes as “programming, testing, all that stu , and then my plan going into the school year is to start distributing the MicroBirder kits to students in my area.”

The kits won’t just be handed out; Williams plans to use the opportunity to show kids how to assemble and use all the technology involved on a single-board computer so they can easily collect, read and process data, and then use the device to complete the bird classi cation process properly.

The project’s ultimate goal is to develop and implement a database where all this information can be uploaded so that hotspots where birds are being negatively impacted by sound pollution can be identi ed.

actions appeared reasonable and focused on issues that had already been raised by conservative activists in those states.

They also are the type that would be expected from a conservative administration, he said, with the exception of the Colorado request. He called that “well out of bounds.”

“This administration has prioritized grievance, even perceived grievance when there is no basis in fact,” said Levitt, who also served as a senior policy adviser in the Biden administration. “And it’s dismaying, but not surprising, that the civil rights division would do the same.”

Department wants records related to the 2020 election

The department’s request to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, asked for all records relating to last year’s presidential election. Federal law requires those to be kept for 22 months. In the request, the department stated it had received a

Church News

LOVES

CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH

Invites you to come to our YEE HAW VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

June 23-25 from 6-8:15 p.m. nightly. All kids/youth ages 4 years to 14 years are invited!

There will be snacks, Bible stories and crafts each night, and our closing night, June 25, there will be music, pizza, ice cream, fellowship and Bounce Houses!!! We are located at 1745 East 11th St. (Highway 64), Siler City, right across from Bojangles.

We’d love to see you there as we celebrate God’s greatest gift! Please come and bring a friend.

HINDSIGHT BLUEGRASS ROCKY RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH

June 22 – 6 p.m.

4436 Siler City-Snow Camp Road

Everyone Welcome!

A love o ering will be taken.

RIVES CHAPEL BAPTIST CHURCH

4338 Rives Chapel Church Road Siler City

Sunday, June 2d

The gospel group “Mercy On Us” will be performing during the 10 a.m. Worship service

Please Join Us At This Special Event!

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the civil rights division, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit that accurate voter rolls are critical to ensuring elections are conducted “fairly, accurately, and without fraud.”

The previous board had acknowledged the issue and updated the state’s voter registration form. The new board leadership has vowed to address it.

Skeptical of the motives

complaint alleging that Griswold’s o ce was not in compliance with federal law relating to voter registration. The request also directs Griswold to preserve any records of the 2020 election that might still be in the state’s possession.

Griswold, in an interview, called the request a “ shing expedition” and said her o ce responded by providing state voting les.

“I’m not even sure they know what they are looking for,” Griswold said. “They can request all the data they want, and it’s not going to prove anything.”

North Carolina elections have been a particular target for Republicans

In North Carolina, where Republican lawmakers recently wrested control of the state election board from the Democratic governor, Justice Department lawyers led a lawsuit accusing state election o cials of failing to ensure that all voter records include identifying information, such as a driver’s license.

In Wisconsin, which Trump won in 2016 and 2024 but lost in 2020, department lawyers recently sent a letter to the state election commission accusing it of not providing a complaint process for those raising concerns.

This comes as Republican state lawmakers are pushing legislation to expand the ability to appeal decisions made by the six-member commission, which is equally divided between Republicans and Democrats. Republican lawmakers have long complained about commission decisions they perceive as bene ting Democrats. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a law rm that frequently defends Republicans on election issues, supports both e orts, said Lucas Vebber, the rm’s deputy counsel.

“It’s ensuring that Wisconsinites are entitled to have their complaints heard and adjudicated,” he said. “As something as important as our elections, it’s vital to ensure that process is transparent and available to everyone.”

Rep. Lee Snodgrass, a Democrat on the Wisconsin Legislature’s elections committee, said state law needs some tightening around how election com-

plaints are handled, but she’s dubious about the motives of the Trump administration and conservative activists in the state.

They are looking for ways “to cast doubt on election integrity, so if they don’t get the results they want they can cry foul,” Snodgrass said.

Concerns about future actions

In Arizona, DOJ lawyers said the state was not clearly telling voter registration applicants to provide a driver’s license if they have one and asked the state to conduct a review to identify any noncitizens.

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded by saying Arizona requires those registering to vote in state and local elections to provide proof of citizenship and conducts checks using the state’s motor vehicle records.

In Oregon, Justice Department lawyers weighed in on an ongoing lawsuit led by the conservative group Judicial Watch. It alleges the state has failed to comply with federal laws on maintaining voter lists and making these records available for public inspection.

John Powers, a former Justice Department attorney who now serves as legal director for the Advancement Project, said he was concerned about the moves coupled with the Justice Department’s sta departures and its withdrawal from voting rights cases.

Powers said he hoped, with midterm elections next year, that the department would not pursue minor technical issues in a way that could undermine public con dence in elections.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about what the future might hold,” he said.

VOTER from page A1

MORRY GASH / AP PHOTO Election workers process ballots for the 2024 General Election last year in Milwaukee.

COURTESY OF LILLIAN ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

Prize and grant winner Lillian Williams.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

| ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

Our dangerous

The American ag is symbolic of subversion. The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies, which declared independence from British colonization.

ON FLAG DAY, I was stopped by a police o cer as I crossed the street. The young man told me that I was not allowed to carry the agpole into the demonstration in front of the Chatham County Justice Center in downtown Pittsboro.

“Of course,” the o cer added, “there’s nothing wrong with carrying the American ag.”

I wondered if there are more restrictions on agpoles than handguns in this country, but I complied with the o cer’s request. I draped the ag around my shoulders and headed into the demonstration.

Upon re ection, I do think that the ag itself is dangerous — not physically as a weapon. Yet the American ag is symbolic of subversion. The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies, which declared independence from British colonization. They were willing to die rather than submit to a monarchy that primarily served the interests of the wealthy elite. Furthermore, the 50 stars stand for the 50 states, each of which has its rights yet voluntarily chooses to be part of our union. The ag is dangerous to those who seek absolute power at the expense of our diversity that shines like stars. In the wrong hands, the stars and stripes might convey false authority, hollow bravado and even foment violence.

In America, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 to commemorate the Flag Resolution passed by the

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

Continental Congress in 1777. June 14 coincides with the founding of the United States Army. I recognize the sacri ce and bravery of people in our armed forces. I applaud their courage and genius. Many veterans are the rst to seek alternatives to violence, for war is hell. War is savage and sinful. War is a product of stunted imaginations, which might have been occupied in working for peace — the best impulse of all holy religions and faithful adherents around the world.

As I held my ag last Saturday, an older gentleman approached me. He was wearing an Army uniform. He asked if my arms grew tired from holding the stars and stripes aloft. Sheepishly, I admitted it was true. He pulled out a twist tie, probably from a loaf of bread, and after gently wrapping the ag around my shoulder, he fastened it like a cloak. He grinned and walked on.

A ag can foment dangerous ideas. Yet, as this veteran quietly showed me, we are also capable of kindness and compassion, small acts that would never be memorialized with a national symbol but are things that make for peace.

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.

Easy to get accustomed to many things

I have found myself turning into my fatherin-law, who, every time he came into our house, whether it was cold as whiz or hotter than a twodollar pistol, would say, “feels good in here.”

A FEW DAYS AGO, a longtime friend and I found ourselves standing outside for several moments in the ongoing visit of Mr. Hot Weather.

While I’m a little bigger than he is, neither one of us would qualify to shop in the petite side of the clothing store. And so, as we sweated in the heat and humidity — welcome to North Carolina in the summer — we began to reminisce about what it was like before air conditioners came along.

I mentioned how hard the heat is on a big ol’ boy like me; he agreed — and not just about me being a big ol’ boy — but, as he said, about himself, “Me, too; I guess we’re spoiled” or something like that. And then he went on to say before anyone had AC, we didn’t know any di erent.

And that simple statement found a home in my mind, and I’ve been thinking about how it applies to heat and humidity but also other parts of life.

For the rst several years I was around, we operated like most other folks — throw up the windows and hope for the best, especially at night. That wasn’t all that bad, partly because I didn’t know any di erent and partly because with the windows up, I could hear the frogs at Wallace Farrell’s pond just across our yard and into his pasture.

In time, my folks reasoned that one or two big box fans could be placed in the windows, turned to bring in air or pull hot out and clicked onto “high.” There was many a night I went to sleep to the hum of the fan accompanying WPTF’s “Our Best to You.”

It was somewhere around the 10th year of my little life that Mama and Daddy got our rst air conditioner. It was a big ol’ model about the size of a Volkswagen that they stuck in the dining room window, right behind the table.

That, of course, made that seat at the table a prime one when Mama put out the fried chicken and fried okra. Although my two brothers were pretty well gone from home, o at college and such, when they came home, they seemed to think they had some sort of right as older and oldest to claim what was usually and

normally my seat. Most of the time, I could whine and whimper enough to keep my accustomed place, but not always.

Anyway, later on my folks found a smaller model, which they put in a back-bedroom window so as to create a cross-cooling. It was at about that time I migrated to that bedroom, which previously had belonged to my brothers.

Today, our little abode is blessed with central air, and I have reached the point my friend mentioned earlier. I have found myself turning into my father-inlaw, who, every time he came into our house, whether it was cold as whiz or hotter than a two-dollar pistol, would say “feels good in here” about the time he got past the front door.

Part of this pondering I’ve been doing lately about all this does include the heat and our dependence on Mr. Carrier’s invention. But it also links up with our tendencies as human beans to get used to things over a period of time. Some of that is good. I’ve gotten used to at least three meals a day, although they may vary in time and content. My boyish gure bears that out.

But sometimes it can be a not-so-good thing, something we need to pay attention to and work on. A key one is found in the rst few words of the Psalms in the Book. It says folks are blessed who don’t “walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way (meaning ‘to be like’) of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”

I confess to you I had read those words many times through the years, but it wasn’t until so long ago that I realized there was a progression there. If we aren’t careful, we can start walking (living) a certain way and before long we’ll nd ourselves standing around it, and then pretty soon, we’ve taken a seat and are hip deep.

So here’s to opportunities to avoid the heat, both to the weather and to the lifestyle. Stay cool …

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

Chaos is just so cool!

Ever heard of the Butter y E ect? Oh, you must’ve heard of the Butter y E ect. A butter y aps its wings in Tokyo, eventually causing a tornado in Oklahoma? Come on!

CHAOS IS SO COOL!

Well, geez, that’s a wonderful way to begin, pushing all your readers away with the mention of chaos. I mean, who needs more chaos? Not me. Do you? Likely not.

Point made.

So why begin with chaos, having just dissed its very mention?

Because I just now realized there’s magic in chaos! I absolutely adore the idea of magic: “Apparently in uencing the course of events by using mysterious forces.”

I am totally lost.

This is how my speeding locomotive of thoughts began. For whatever reason (likely the most recent batch of unsettling news headlines), I was thinking about how often I say “Hey” to people. I mean, people everywhere: on the street, in stores, pick your place. I’m just a “Hey” kind of gal, a friendly greeter for everyone I meet. Anyone who crosses my path, generally, gets a “Hey.” Period. (Look, I’m a native Texan. “Hey” comes with the territory.)

Suddenly, it occurred to me that maybe my “Heys” are teeny-tiny vocalizations helping to nurture the world. (Ok, yes, I’m a bit grandiose at times.) Feeding a parched world, one “Hey” at a time. Oh, sure. Right. Next subject. No, no, seriously. (This is the point at which my sense of putative magic enters the picture.) Ever heard of the Butter y E ect? Oh, you must’ve heard of the Butter y E ect. A butter y aps its wings in Tokyo,

eventually causing a tornado in Oklahoma? Come on!

How ‘bout them apples? Here you go, my recently fallen-in-love-with chaos theory, clothed in the simple guise of a butter y, making waves way beyond its own sphere. “The interconnectedness of everything in the universe means … even the smallest action can have far-reaching and unpredictable consequences.”

Woo-wee!

Yep, there’s that dainty golden butter y twitching its wings in Tokyo and, unbelievably, whipping up a tornado in Oklahoma.

Oh, right.

Hello, it’s just an analogy.

And … friendly Ph.D physics folks seem to agree that “just a small change (butter y, butter y!) in initial conditions can drastically change the long-term behavior (tornado, tornado!) of a system.” Ta-dah!

Meaning, in my world of quasi-magical beliefs, the plethora of all my “Heys,” shared with just about anybody, could truly be world-impacting. Or what about the smile on my face when I’m looking out my living room window at all the trees? Could my smile be a putative butter y in uencing events way beyond my capacity to know?

Food for thought …

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

People watch reworks at the end of a military parade commemorating the Army’s 250th anniversary June 14 in Washington, D.C.

No kings

It is a fair criticism of Biden that he should have taken action earlier.

WHAT DOES IT SAY when Alex Padilla, a sitting member of the United States Senate, the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, is wrestled to the ground and handcu ed like a common criminal?

Not a rapist, not a murderer, but a member of the United States Senate.

It says no one with brown skin is safe from Kristi Noem’s goons.

Is that the message the Trump administration wants to send to Hispanics in this country?

Have we replaced the much hated by Trumpers “diversity, equity and inclusion” with old-fashioned racism? That is how it looks and feels.

President Donald Trump talks big about getting rid of the murderers and rapists who former President Joe Biden let across the border. They should have warrants with the names of those people on them instead of lining up all the men with brown skin at car washes across LA and taking them to unknown destinations, instead of showing up at Home Depot and Ralph’s, leaving law-abiding neighbors afraid to shop for groceries or attend their children’s school graduations.

And who do Trump and his acolytes blame for this reign of terror they are visiting on us? They blame Biden, of course. When things go right, it’s Trump who takes credit. When things go wrong, and they are going very wrong right now, they blame Biden.

On June 4, 2024, Biden took executive action to close the Southern border to asylum seekers; under the Biden policy, as explained by senior administration o cials at the time, “individuals who cross the southern border unlawfully or without authorization will generally be ineligible for asylum, absent exceptionally compelling circumstances.” Under the Biden policy, migrants who don’t meet the requirement of having a “credible fear” when they apply for asylum are immediately removable. The ood of immigrants across the border, if that’s what you choose to call it, is over.

It is a fair criticism of Biden that he should

have taken action earlier. It is not a fair criticism that his failings justify sending in the National Guard and the Marines — against the wishes of the governor of California, who is in charge of the Guard — to terrorize our community. These young men and women did not sign up so they could manhandle and arrest their nannies and gardeners.

“Fellow immigrants,” President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously began his address to the Daughters of the American Revolution at another time when antiimmigrant sentiment was a growing problem in this country. With the exception of Native Americans (hardly the model of who has been fairly treated), we are all immigrants, either directly or as the children, grandchildren or greatgrandchildren of immigrants. They came to this country to ee a king, to survive, to build a better life in a country that followed the rule of law.

In our country, due process is a fundamental right of all, not just of those who were born here. It is what we expect — often wrongly — when we travel abroad. It is what makes America di erent from other countries in the world, countries that hold Americans in prisons without the process that should be due when government deprives people of their liberty. We are aghast when that happens to us abroad. We should be just as appalled when it happens, as it is right now, in our own country.

Have we reached the point of a constitutional crisis yet? Do we already have a president who tries to rule like a king?

We do. The only thing that stands against the would-be monarch is not the Congress, which under Republicans has failed miserably to take a stand against the king’s excesses or to hold his unquali ed minions responsible, but the courts. Our democracy is in the hands of the brave men and women on the bench, who dare to say no to the man who would be king. We protest in support of them.

Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.

Why the CBO almost always gets it wrong

THESE DAYS it seems that a mysterious group called “the CBO” rules the world, or at least Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it’s not very good at predicting things, and its bad calls can lead to bad policy results.

The Congressional Budget O ce and the Joint Committee on Taxation predict what will happen with spending, tax revenues and de cits from new bills and congressional budgets. They have made headlines with their absurd warning that President Donald Trump’s tax bill to extend the 2017 tax cuts and other reforms like eliminating taxes on tips would add trillions to the debt over 10 years.

The 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

But we know this is wrong. The aw is that the models don’t take account of the improved economy from keeping tax rates low and providing tax relief for small businesses and workers. The White House estimates that this bill, combined with pro-America energy policies and deregulation, can raise the economic growth rate to nearly 3% — which would mean at least another $2 trillion in added revenues.

When I pointed this out in The Wall Street Journal two weeks ago, House Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated these defects in the CBO predictions.

Then Washington Post “fact checker” Glenn Kessler claimed the CBO is accurate and Johnson’s claim is “nonsense.”

Oh, really? It turns out that it’s the self-proclaimed fact checker who is getting the numbers all wrong.

The Post argued that the CBO really does dynamic scoring and adjusts for the changes in tax laws. Wrong. The CBO does not fully measure the economywide bene ts of lower tax rates and thus doesn’t adjust for higher employment and growth — which happens every time we cut tax rates.

We also know the 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

Yet Kessler notes that no one in 2017 could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns. That is absolutely true. But the pandemic actually reduced revenues from what they would have otherwise been by at least $1 trillion because commerce slowed to a crawl during the lockdowns. Yet even with the unexpected pandemic, the CBO still managed to underestimate the revenues generated from the tax cut.

Sounds like the speaker was right and the fact checkers struck out.

Everyone makes mistakes. But the CBO and JCT have a habit of overstating the bene ts of raising taxes and underestimating the bene ts to the economy from cutting tax rates. The CBO and JCT, for example, have almost always lowballed the economic e ects of cutting the capital gains tax.

My colleague Tomas Philipson, who served on the Council of Economic Advisers under Trump in his rst term, notes that the JCT never opens its books to show how it makes its “garbage in, garbage out” projections.

Maybe Johnson should demand they do that immediately. Or maybe it’s time for a new model based on real-world scoring. It’s time to put accuracy over ideology. Big decisions that have enormous trillion- dollar consequences for our economy are being made with a cracked crystal ball.

Stephen Moore is co-founder of Unleash Prosperity and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

obituaries

E. Ronald Evans

Oct.29th, 1942 –June 12th, 2025

E. Ronald Evans, 82, of Siler City, passed away at his home on Thursday, June 12th, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.

Ron was born in Gates County to the late Jesse R. and Fruzie E. Evans on October 29th, 1942. He is preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Leslie Carter Evans and Jesse R. Evans Jr.; his daughter, Charlene Evans Raven; and his great granddaughter, Sophie Elizabeth Fox.

Ron enjoyed to golf, hunt, or sh in his spare time. He also enjoyed working on and restoring cars and playing the guitar. He was a member of Brush Creek Baptist Church where he was a member of the Friendship Sunday school class and a former Sunday school teacher. He also was in the church choir and a deacon

of the church. Ron worked as a sales manager in food service at J.T. Davenport & Sons and at Lowes Food. Ron loved his dog, Charlie Brown. Left to cherish Ron’s memory is his wife of 35 years, Nanci Welch Evans; his daughters, Robin Evans Burkett and her husband Dale, of Su olk, VA, Amy Evans Hardy and her husband, John of Su olk, VA, Kelly Brooks Montgomery and her husband, Craig of Cornelius, NC, and Heather Brooks Peters and her husband, Robert of High Point, NC; his sisters, Gloria Evans Nichols and her husband, Joe of Ahoskie, and Juliett Evans Williams of Winton, NC; his brother, Clinton Evans and his wife, Marie of Murfreesboro; sixteen grandchildren; and 7 great grandchildren.

Funeral service will be Monday, June 16th, 2025, at Brush Creek Baptist Church, at 2 pm. Visitation will be at the church from 1-1:45 pm prior to the service, and burial will follow in the church cemetery. Services will be o ciated by Reverend Ed Lowder, Reverend Terry Pleasant, and Reverend Je Fletcher.

Memorials can be made to Brush Creek Baptist Church, 5345 Airport Rd., Bear Creek, NC 27207. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Evans family.

Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

Rickey Michael Riddle

June 10th, 2025

Rickey Michael Riddle, age 68, of Pittsboro, died Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at home. Rickey was born in Chatham County to the late Leton Riddle and Margaret Foushee Riddle. He was also preceded in death by one brother, Gilbert Riddle. Surviving relatives include two sons; Rickey Riddle and wife Jaime of Pittsboro, Nicholas Riddle and ancé Meagan of Pittsboro, four grandchildren Mara, Chase, Holden, Landon, one brother; L.D. Riddle of Pittsboro, and one sister Frona Morgan and husband Charles of Lancaster, South Carolina.

The family will receive friends Monday, June 16, 2025, from 5:00PM-7:00PM at Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory Gri n Chapel. A memorial service is not planned at this time. In lieu of owers the family asks for donations to be made in Rickey’s memory to Chatham Animal Rescue & Education (CARE) P.O. Box 610, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Condolences may be made at www.donaldsonfunerals. com Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Riddle family.

Blake Lindley Andrew Sr.

March 12th, 1931 –June 13th, 2025

Blake Lindley Andrew Sr., 94, of Snow Camp, passed away peacefully on June 13, 2025, at Chatham Hospital in Siler City. He was born in Chatham County on March 12, 1931, the son of the late James Harvey and Mary Blanche Lindley Andrew. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife, Rebecca (Becky) Andrew; daughters, Gayla Dawn Andrew and Janie Andrew Lindley; son, Kenneth Mark (Kenny) Andrew; and brothers, Murray Milton Andrew, Phillip Rader Andrew, and Donald Keith Andrew.

Blake was a 1949 graduate of Silk Hope High School. He spent his entire life on the farm, most of it devoted to raising poultry. He took pride in the hard work, the routine, and the quiet rewards of farm life. Though he also worked with dairy cattle, poultry was his passion and livelihood.

Blake had a deep loyalty to Ford—he swore by them—and owned just one Chevrolet in his lifetime, a concession to his daughter Janie who begged for a Monte Carlo.

In the evenings, Blake could most often be found at the kitchen table with a deck of Rook cards in his hand. A master of the game, he was known at every community Rook party as the player to beat. No one really wanted to be his partner—not because they didn’t admire him, but because he was so sharp and competitive, folks were afraid of playing the wrong card. His love of the game was really a love for the people he played it with.

One of Blake’s most remarkable

IN MEMORY

THELMA JEAN KIDD SPOON BREWER

JUNE 19, 1940 – JUNE 15, 2025

traits was his vast knowledge and impeccable memory. He could converse about any topic and recall birthdays, anniversaries, and phone numbers without ever needing to write them down. He could tell you what year the barn was built, what the price of feed was in ’62, and what card you played two games ago. His memory wasn’t just impressive— it was a living archive of family history, community stories, and practical wisdom.

In his later years, Blake found peace in quiet mornings spent watching the birds out his window. He enjoyed visits from neighbors and family, always ready with a story from the “good old days.” He was especially proud of his grandchildren, and anyone who stopped by would hear about their accomplishments.

A birthright member of South Fork Friends Meeting, Blake was a man of faith, family, and quiet strength. He will be remembered for his strong handshake, the breadth of his knowledge, unbeatable Rook game, and deep love for those around him.

He is survived by his son, Blake Lindley (Lin) Andrew Jr. and wife Angie; grandchildren Alyce Lindley Phillips (Mack), Mike Lindley (Ti any), Brandon Andrew, Mary Lindley Needham (Andrew), Lindley Andrew, Brady Andrew, and Carisa Andrew; greatgrandchildren Dakota Collet, Eli Rodriguez, Janie and Murphy Phillips, Bristol and Leah Lindley; sister Jane Andrew Lindley; sonin-law Mike Lindley; numerous nieces and nephews; special family friends Armando and Yaneli Cervantes; and devoted caregiver Carolyn Handley. A celebration of life will be held Wednesday, June 18, at 3 p.m. at South Fork Friends Meeting, with burial to follow. The family will greet friends following the burial in the church chapel. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to the Janie Lindley Music Fund or the Memorial Association at South Fork Friends Meeting, 359 South Fork Bethel Rd., Snow Camp, NC 27349. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is assisting the Andrew family. Online condolences may be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

It is with great sadness that the family of Thelma Jean Kidd Spoon Brewer announces her passing on Sunday, June 15, 2025, after a prolonged illness. She was 84 years old.

Thelma was born June 19,1940 to J.W. and Rachel Ritter Kidd of Coleridge. She grew up strong-willed and free-spirited with spunk and a love for life and her family. She married Frankie Spoon (deceased) of Bennett and spent her youth raising her four children, managing several chicken houses and working at Ramseur Interlock. Beyond her children, her greatest triumph was becoming a civil servant and working for the postal service in Randolph County.

Thelma encouraged her children to work hard and always believed in them and cherished their accomplishments. Just recently she commented on how important it was to her that all her family love each other.

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

Thelma is survived by two children, Ricky Spoon and his wife, Kay, of Pittsboro and Steven Spoon (Janey) of Savannah, Georgia. Her baby girl, Janet Darlene Foushee, and oldest son, Frankie Spoon Jr., preceded her and were missed daily by their mother. Coming from a large family, Thelma is survived by her sisters, Annie Hummrickhouse of Raleigh, Helen Patterson (Wrenn) of Cary, Edna Johnson of Spartanburg, South Carolina and Alene Jahn (George, deceased) of Massachusetts. She is also survived by her brother Harold Kidd and his wife Marian of Fayetteville. Brothers that preceded her are: Winfred Kidd (Nancy) of Coleridge, Cecil Kidd (Jenny) of Siler City, and Roy Kidd (Alice) of Pittsboro. Thelma is survived by one grandchild, Rachel Victoria Spoon Ward and her husband, Captain Chris Ward of DeRidder, Louisiana. She experienced the joy of nieces, nephews, extended family members and special neighbors. Her sister-in-law, Louise Brewer Motes (Tommy), of Bennett, were steadfast, dear friends and watched over her beloved Bernie with great care.

Thelma was preceded in death by her husband, Roy Brewer, of Bennett. Roy adored Thelma and always treated the children as his own. She honored his memory by remaining at the family farm until shortly before her death.

Kenneth Farrell

PITTSBORO from page A1

Use Planned Development.

The property is slated to include commercial, o ce, institutional, residential (apartments and townhomes) and mixed-use residential uses.

“This does not have tenants lined up to come in,” Cahoon-Tingle said. “This is a future plan with a great deal of marketing yet to happen.”

The board also approved the preliminary plat for Phase 1 of the Asteria Planned Development, a storyliving community by Disney.

Phase 1, which is located east of the intersection of Grant Drive and Chatham park, is approximately 175 acres and will be subdivided into 494 residential lots (343 single-family detached, 57

townhomes, 50 duplexes, 44 quadplexes).

According to the plans, all residential lots will have driveways and garages that will provide two vehicular parking spaces per dwelling unit.

The plat also calls for the construction of a 10-foot wide multiuse path on Aster Green Parkway as well as 5-foot sidewalks on both sides of all internal subdivision streets.

The next step of the process involves the submission of construction drawings related to streets, stormwater control, drainage and utilities.

“Preliminary plats are like the name, just preliminary,” said Assistant Planning Director Theresa Thompson. “We do look at all the applicable standards at this time such as sidewalks, landscaping, street

MAPS from page A1

cans to redraw maps for the 2026 elections, making it harder to retain their partisan advantage. Otherwise, the districts could be used through the 2030 elections.

The trial involves two lawsuits led in late 2023.

In one lawsuit, the North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause and several black residents originally sued over redrawn state House and Senate maps and U.S. House districts. The other lawsuit led by nearly 20 black and Latino voters focused on the new congressional districts, four of which they argue are illegal racial gerrymanders.

Pretrial rulings this spring and amended litigation dismissed challenges to the state House map and narrowed state Senate arguments to a handful of districts. Still, both lawsuits claim that lines are so skewed for GOP candidates that many black voters cannot elect their preferred candidates, violating the Voting Rights Act. They allege the mapmakers at times submerged or spread out black voting blocs, which historically have favored Democrats, into surrounding districts with white majorities — bene ting Republicans. They point to the Piedmont Triad region where the cities of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem are located. They said Republicans split the region’s concentrated black voting population within multiple U.S. House districts. Then-Rep. Kathy Manning, a Greensboro Democrat, decided not to run again because her district shifted to the right.

Court decision and an April 2023 state Supreme Court decision that neutered legal claims of illegal partisan gerrymandering.

“The General Assembly has striven to end racial politics through race-blind redistricting,” wrote Katherine McKnight and Phil Strach, two lawyers for the GOP legislators, adding that a Voting Rights Act violation “would only return the State to the race-based redistricting it has sought to end.”

Rodden testi ed Monday the “racial sorting” of voters within challenged congressional districts that he examined can’t be attributed fully to politics alone. On cross-examination, Rodden acknowledged that he didn’t know all of the partisan factors that GOP lawmakers considered in 2023.

The three judges were all nominated to the bench by Republican presidents: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Allison Rushing (Donald Trump) and District Judges Thomas Schroeder (George W. Bush) and Richard Myers (Trump).

The panel has set aside several days for a trial that won’t end until July 9. Other likely witnesses include individual plainti s, state legislators, historians and more mapping experts. No immediate decision is expected — the legal sides have until early August to le additional briefs.

The court’s ruling can be appealed. With candidate ling for the 2026 election starting Dec. 1, any required remapping would have to be completed by late fall to avoid election disruptions.

trees, things like that, but actual infrastructure plans come at the next step.”

Finally, the board also approved the expansion of the downtown social district to include West End Kitchen, Finders and Seekers Emporium and Marigold.

The expansion stretches down West Street and includes part of Rectory Street.

“I think the social district has gone really well,” said Mayor Kyle Shipp. “I think it’s a good thing.”

Shipp also stated that with the expansion, the town needs to look into improving pedestrian safety, speci cally with more crosswalks on West Street.

The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will next meet July 14.

“This was an e ort to spread those voters across districts,” said Jonathan Rodden, a Stanford University redistricting expert who testi ed Monday for some plainti s about congressional boundaries. Rodden said the results were less-compact districts that make it harder for voters within them to act collectively toward a common policy goal.

The plainti s also allege GOP lawmakers unlawfully packed black voting-age residents into a Charlotte-area congressional district.

The trial’s lawyers agreed not to give opening statements Monday. But in a pretrial brief, lawyers for Republican leaders said the lawmakers used mapmaking rules that prohibited using data identifying the race of voters, in keeping with rulings on previous North Carolina redistricting maps in which judges chided them for emphasizing race.

Instead, Republicans were able to lawfully use partisan data — like statewide election results — in drawing the new maps, the lawyers said. They cite a 2019 U.S. Supreme

Your Journey Starts Here...

Get your learner’s permit this summer! Teenagers at 14 ½ years old may enroll in our teen class which includes 30 hrs of in-class instruction, and 6 hrs of behind-the-wheel lessons, and vision/medical screening before getting the learner’s permit.

Contact & Operating Hours centralcarolinadrivingschool@gmail.com | 984-315-0430 M-F 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Weekends by appointment only. Visit our website www.centralcarolinadrivingschool.com

North Carolina has a long history of redistricting litigation in federal courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in landmark cases in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s involving racial bias and the extent to which racial considerations could be used in forming districts that favored the election of black candidates. The court’s 2019 decision on partisan gerrymandering stemmed from a North Carolina case.

The current maps were drawn after the state Supreme Court, with a Republican seat majority, essentially struck down rulings the court made in 2022 when it had a Democratic majority. Two other lawsuits challenging the 2023 district boundaries are pending.

Statewide races in North Carolina are close, and Democrats have held the governor’s mansion for most of the past 30 years. But Republicans have controlled the General Assembly — and thus redistricting — since 2011. Redistricting maps can’t be blocked by a governor’s veto.

HANNAH SCHOENBAUM / AP PHOTO

The North Carolina Senate reviews copies of a map proposal for the state’s congressional districts starting in 2024 during a committee hearing in October 2023.

CLASSIFIED ADS

REAL ESTATE

LEARN ABOUT LANDChatham Land Experts, www. learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999.

JY2,tfnc

FOR RENT

POWELL SPRINGS APTS.

Evergreen Construction introduces its newest independent living community for adults 55 years or older, 1 and 2 bedroom applications now being accepted. O ce hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 919-533-6319 for more information, TDD #1-800-7352962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible.

A2,tfnc

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

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON

AUCTIONEERS - Equipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-663-3556, rickyellingtonauctions@yahoo. com.

Jy6,tfnc

YARD SALE

INDOOR YARD SALE

Rain or shine

EVERYTHING MUST GO! Thursday June 19th from 9:00-2:00

Clothes, tools, furniture, kitchen items and more 1858 Lake Woods Falls Road Goldston, NC 27252 2tc

MULTI FAMILY YARD SALE

FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH AND SATURDAY, JUNE 21ST

8AM -4PM

312 W. 3RD ST., SILER CITY, NC

FOR SALE

Baby Muscovy Ducks for sale$7.00/each – 6 or more, $5.00/ each.

3766 Alston Bridge Rd., Siler City, NC – 919-742-5066. 2tp

SERVICES

RAINBOW WATER FILTERED

VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919-548-4314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available.

A26,tfnc

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

A2,tfnc

LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-258-3594.

N9,tfnc

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING

Subject: Town of Pittsboro Climate Action Plan

Community Meetings

Dates: June 24, 2025, 4 PM-7 PM June 26, 2025, 12 PM-3 PM

Location: Pittsboro Community House, 65 Thompson St, Pittsboro, NC

Details: Join us for a public information meeting to discuss the Climate Action Plan. Your input is valuable as we work together to create a stronger, more resilient community Contact: Town of Pittsboro at (919) 542-6421or jpeterson@pittsboronc.gov.

Website: https://pittsboronc.gov/587/ClimateAction-Plan

Why Attend? Learn about the Climate Action Plan, ask questions, and share your ideas to shape the future of our Town.

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 TO CREDITORS

All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Louise Barrett Derr, deceased, of Pittsboro, Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to present such claims to Diane Adkins, Executor/Personal Representative of the estate, at P.O. Box 2651, Taos, NM, 87571, on or before September 13, 2025. All claims not presented within this time will be forever barred.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Graham Camp Oldham, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before September 19, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This June 19, 2025. c/o Shea Maliszewski, Barringer Sasser, LLP, 111 Commonwealth Court, Suite 101, Cary, NC 27511.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Robert D. Shinney, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before September 12, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This June 12, 2025. c/o Shea Maliszewski, Barringer Sasser, LLP, 111 Commonwealth Court, Suite 101, Cary, NC 27511.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

25E000289-180 NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, Lori Delbridge, having quali ed as Limited Personal Representative of the Estate of Barbara Ann Headen, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of September 10, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 12th day of June, 2025.

Lori Delbridge Limited personal Representative Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Paul David Justice 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 18th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 12th day of June, 2025.

Vicky P. Justice, Executor of the Estate of Paul David Justice 1353 Siler City Glendon Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850

4tp NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Norva Marie Fisher late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said

having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Judith J. Milikofsky aka Judith June Milikofsky, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ces of Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC, 501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, on or before the 12th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment.

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

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE# 25E000303-180

The undersigned, CATHERINE A. HELMEKE, having quali ed on the 5th Day of JUNE, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of KERRY DEAN HELMEKE, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to her on or before the 12th Day of SEPTEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 12th DAY OF JUNE 2025.

CATHERINE A. HELMEKE, EXECUTOR 1302 Ventnor Pl Cary, NC 27519 Run dates: June 12, 19, 26, July 3p.

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.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Probate #25E000174-180_____

All persons, rm and corporations having claims against Earl S. Settlemire, late of Chatham County, North Carolina are hereby noti ed to present them to Kendall H. Page, as Executor of the decedent’s estate in care of Kendall H. Page, Attorney, 210 N Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 on or before the 19th day of September, 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 abovenamed Executor. Kendall H. Page 210 N Columbia Street Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Bar # 14261 Notice to Run: 6/19/2025,6/26/2025, 7/03/2025 & 7/10/2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA Chatham COUNTY

25E000296-180 All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against William Lambert Jernigan, deceased, late of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 13th day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 12th day of June 2025. Rachel Lee Jernigan, Executor c/o Hemphill Gelder, PC PO Box 97035 Raleigh, NC 27624-7035 Chatham News and Record June 12, 19, 26, 2025 and July 3, 2025

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

25E000315-180

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Loretta Bernice Chegash, also known as Loretta B. Chegash and Loretta Chegash, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Daniel E. Chegash Sr. as Executor of the Estate of Loretta Bernice Chegash on or before September 22, 2025, c/o Thomas J. Neagle, Attorney at Law, 605 W. Main Street, Suite 104, Carrboro, North Carolina 27510, or this notice will be pled in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor.

This the 19th day of June, 2025.

Daniel E. Chegash Sr., Executor c/o Thomas J. Neagle, Attorney 605 W. Main Street, Suite 104 Carrboro, North Carolina 27510

Attorney for Estate: Thomas J. Neagle Neagle Law Firm, PC 605 W. Main Street, Suite 104 Carrboro, North Carolina 27510 (919) 368-3536 For Publication: June 19, 26, July 3, 10, 2025

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

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

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Suzanne Simmons Daily All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Suzanne Simmons Daily, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Kathryn Daily as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before September 13th, 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 12th day of June, 2025. Kathryn Daily, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

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#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

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 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 above-named 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

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 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 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000291-180 The undersigned, MATTHEW JOHNSON AND BELINDA C. MURRAY, having quali ed on the 2ND Day of JUNE, 2025 as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of RANDY LYNN JOHNSON, 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 12TH 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 12TH DAY OF JUNE 2025. MATTHEW JOHNSON, CO-EXECUTOR 1104 BOWERS STORE RD. SILER CITY, NC 27344 BELINDA C. MURRAY, CO-EXECUTOR 95 NC HWY 22/42 BENNETT, NC 27208 Run dates: J12,19,26,Jy3p

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 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

Faraway places, strange-sounding names and Mile 23

Fried sh, Romanian moonshine and a speedboat dance party: just another day on the Danube

By Erika Ho man

For Chatham News & Record

FETEȘTI, HÂRȘOVA, Chiciu, Svištov, Nikopol, Tomis, Tsarevets, Mohács, Kalocsa, Pressburg, and Veliko Tarnovo — when Bing Crosby, Sam Cooke, Dean Martin, Margaret Whiting, Jo Sta ord, Tommy Emmanuel, Perry Como, Dinah Shore and even Willie Nelson crooned about “faraway places with strange-sounding names” that were callin’ them, they probably imagined China, Siam or castles in Spain — not Mile 23.

The world has changed since 1948, when that wistful song rst hit the airwaves. Today, if you’re up for an adventure, you can cruise 1,200 miles of the Danube — from the uninhabited Delta where it meets the Black Sea, all the way to Vienna, home of the waltz.

On Oct. 18, 2024, my husband and I traveled to Hârșova, Romania, to begin our adventure by speedboat through the canals of the Danube Delta. But rst, we spent a day touring Bucharest’s old city center, where stately old buildings stand in disrepair, adorned with AC units and tangled wires running wild across their facades.

In the historic district, we lunched at Caru’ cu Bere (the Beer Cart), dating to 1879, peeked into a centuries-old chapel and wandered through a gargantuan bookstore that also sold Starbucks mugs branded “Bucharest.” Every guide we met mentioned Communism — and how glad they were when it ended in 1989.

After our one-day tour, we set o on Friday for a wild ride in search of wildlife: swans, egrets, cormorants. According to the cruise brochure, we’d lunch in the picturesque town of Sfântu Gheorghe, near the Black Sea. But the birds had already migrated to Africa. And we weren’t allowed near Sfântu Gheorghe — Russian bombing in neighboring Ukraine had brought military restrictions to the area. Travel plans adapt. Ours did. Lunch would be in a small shing village on Mile 23.

Our motorboat captain, Titus, piloted a plastic-sided speedboat through the narrow, windy canals. It was colder than expected. My husband and I huddled in the back with little visibility. In front of us sat

Diane and Cheryl, cell phones at the ready to poke through a narrow slit in the plastic and snap bird pics. Vicki was across from them, doing the same. I spotted no Dalmatian pelicans — just generic ducks.

Freezing and miserable, we arrived for lunch, hoping to warm up. The restaurant’s dining area was outdoors. Our guide advised us to spread garlic-mayo on the sh soup “so it wouldn’t taste so bad” — her exact words.

She wasn’t kidding. It tasted like water sh had swum in — and peed in.

The entrée? Fried sh — heaps of it — that looked like inedible carp, full of bones. I passed. Polenta was served. I tried it. Still no good. I settled

for a liquid lunch of Romanian moonshine and skipped the cherry wine. Dessert was a mediocre brownie.

The saving grace was the company — three Canadian couples and one from the U.K., all friendly and good-humored.

On the ride back, Pam asked Titus if she could connect her phone to the boat’s sound system. He agreed. “Carolina Girl” blasted out. Titus began swerving the boat to the beat. We zoomed through the canals to “Brown-Eyed Girl” and “Mambo No. 5.” The women danced. The boat bounced. Romanian anglers along the banks looked stunned, unsure what to make of a party barge full of loud Americans being captained by a grinning local.

That quaint old song about “faraway places” could use a rap remix. These days, China and Spain aren’t that far or strange. But the places we visited — obscure towns along the Danube, swampy backwaters near the Black Sea — were de nitely out of the ordinary. In truth, they resembled Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp. Although, in fairness, our gators are scarier than their ducks. Then again, Romania sits uncomfortably close to a war zone. Bombs are falling just across its border. If you crave travel to di erent latitudes, be ready to adjust your attitude. If you can’t adapt your expectations, maybe don’t answer the call of the wild. Stay home.

MIHAI PETRE VIA WIKIPEDIA

Covaci Street in Bucharest, Hungary, pictured in 2013, is a busy tourist destination popular with American travelers.

CHATHAM SPORTS

White re ects on high school career, college future as she leaves for Virginia

The Seaforth standout has big goals going into her freshman year

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SEAFORTH GIRLS’ basketball star Gabby White is ofcially moving on to her next chapter.

White left for the University of Virginia on Sunday, beginning her transition from high school to the ACC, one of the best women’s basketball

Aidan Allred gets the out at second base while playing for the Sandhills Bogeys last year against the Sanford Spinners in the Old North State League. Allred plays for the Randolph Ropin’ Roosters this summer.

conferences in the country.

In a conversation with Chatham News & Record alongside her mom, Joanne Aluka-White, the associate head coach for the UNC women’s basketball team, and her dad, Fred White, the now Virginia Cavalier re ected on her high school career and her hopes for college.

As a keystone piece to the start of the Seaforth girls’ basketball program, White accomplished a lot in a Hawks uniform. Across four seasons, White averaged 16.9 points, 9.5 rebounds 3.2 assists and 3.3

“Gabby has a lot of di erent attributes that makes her special and ready for ACC ball.”

Joanne Aluka-White

steals per game. The four-star earned a plethora of postseason honors, including two North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association all-state selections, four NCBCA all-district

PJ WARD-BROWN / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Allred’s homecoming helps him regain love for baseball

selections (including District 4 Player of the Year in the winter), four Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference Player of the Year honors and the MVP of the 2025 Carolinas Classic All-Star Game.

“I just remember it like a fun experience, a very memorable experience,” White said of her time at Seaforth. “I got to meet a lot of people. I got the opportunity to play on a great program.” Seaforth found instant success in its rst year of existence, as White, Peyton Collins and

Hannah Ajayi led the Hawks to their rst playo win in 2022. The Hawks built on that and nished the 2023 season as state runner-up. White led them to two more regional nal appearances in 2024 and 2025.

“It means a lot to me, especially knowing that Coach (Charles) Byrd had so much faith and trust in me to help build this program up,” White said. “I feel like I’ve left it in good hands with Coach Byrd and the underclassmen that are

Post 292’s 16U team dominates North Wake in Heroes League series

Chatham County scored double-digit runs in all four games

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — Chatham

County Post 292’s 16U softball team outscored North Wake 28-6 in a doubleheader on June 12, completing a dominant sweep in the team’s four-game series last week.

After beating North Wake 11-0 and 12-2 on the road in the rst two games on June 10, Post 292 scored 10 runs in the bottom of the rst inning on the way to 16-4 win in Game 3. Third baseman Haley Havner went 2 for 2 from the plate and recorded two runs.

Shortstop Aubrey Covington also put on a solid batting performance, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs.

Down 2-0 after shaky start defensively in the top of the inning, six straight Chatham County batters reached a base to start its batting turn. Post 292 also took advantage of North Wake’s defensive mistakes as catcher Jasmine Sorto scored on a passed ball with pitcher Cici Delgado at the plate to tie the game at two runs apiece. In the next at-bat, Covington doubled, sending rst baseman Ella Parks and Delgado home for a 4-2 lead. Chatham County batters reached a base seven more times in the inning,

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record

at Brunswick Community College, the in elder lost his love for the game due to a struggle with his mental health and had to step away in the middle of the year — but it wasn’t a nal goodbye to the diamond. Allred just needed to turn to the things and people he knew. Doing that led him to a fresh, yet familiar, start with the William Peace University baseball team, which he will join next season.

my brother went there,” Allred said, referencing his brother Alec. “He’s actually the rst person to ever go play professional baseball out of there, so it already felt kind of like a home.”

In contrast to the hourlong drive to Raleigh where his college career will continue, Allred got his rst taste of college ball about 150 miles and three hours away from Siler City.

“I was a freshman, and I

See ALLRED, page B5

The former Chatham Charter standout will play at William Peace next spring

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS

Seaforth’s Gabby White (3) takes the oor before a game last season. White spoke to Chatham News & Record before leaving to start her college career at UVA.

ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Chatham County’s Ella Parks makes contact with the ball against North Wake on June 12.

Allison Lineberry

Allison Lineberry from Chatham County Post 292’s 16U Heroes League team earns athlete of the week honors for the week of June 9.

Lineberry, a pitcher, played a huge part in Post 292’s dominant sweep over North Wake. In six innings pitched between Games 3 and 4 last week, Lineberry recorded seven strikeouts, three walks and six hits.

In Game 3, Lineberry pitched two straight 1-2-3 innings to close out the mercy rule win. Lineberry is a rising freshman for the North Moore softball team.

Northwood boys give rst look against the 3A state champions

The Chargers started the road to March with an early test

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

WINSTON-SALEM — On the same court where last season’s convincing run fell short of a state title, the Northwood boys’ basketball team began the road back to March last week.

The Chargers tipped o their o season in a scrimmage against the defending North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A state champions Ben L. Smith at the Steve Forbes Basketball Camp in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum Friday, losing in overtime 50-49.

Senior guard Cam Fowler scored a team-high 18 points, and senior forward Chad Graves poured in 14 points. Smith senior standout Jyi Dawkins led all scorers with 27 points.

Northwood got an early taste of a close, down-to-the-wire battle. The Chargers led by double digits at one point and held a 32-23 advantage at halftime, but Smith rallied back in the third quarter behind an 11-point period from Dawkins. With less than four minutes left in the quarter, Smith took a 36-35 lead thanks to a transition layup by Dawkins, but the Chargers regained a ve-point lead going into fourth quarter.

Thanks to some costly Northwood turnovers and some stel-

lar o ensive rebounding by the Golden Eagles, Smith outscored Northwood 9-4 in the fourth quarter, ending regulation in a tie.

Both teams made just one eld goal in the overtime period, but Dawkins sent Smith over the top with a free throw. With four seconds left, Fowler got to the basket for a potential game-winning layup, but the ball bounced outside the rim.

“I thought we played hard,” Northwood coach Matt Brown said. “We did some good things o ensively. We’ve got to clean up some things on the defensive end, but overall, the e ort was really good, and we have lots to build on.”

After losing four seniors, including three starters from last year’s state runner-up squad, returning players will look to play bigger roles and contribute to the Chargers’ depth. Juniors Josiah Brown and Raje Torres — who scored nine and four points, respectively, and combined for ve assists Friday — started and helped facilitate the o ense after playing behind guards Isaiah Blair and Beau Harvey last year.

“It feels good having the ball in my hands, creating a lot of movement and a lot of plays for my team,” Josiah Brown said.

Senior forward Camden Miller also started and provided another big body down low next to Graves. After playing more of a reserve role last season, junior Finn Sullivan and sophomores Nivan Lauano and Grant Locklear also played

“They expect to win every game.”

Matt Brown

some minutes behind the starting guards.

Fowler, who blossomed into a leader for Northwood in his breakout junior season, said he wants to instill con dence in the younger guys looking to get signi cant varsity minutes for the rst time.

Brown also hopes some incoming freshmen, who aren’t yet with the team, can make an impact on the court next season.

“They just bring length and athleticism,” Brown said about the underclassmen. “Grant can shoot. Nivan can shoot. Holes that they can ll, we can ll what Cam and Chad and (Brown) can’t ll.”

Early this o season, returning to the state championship game and winning it all is already on the Chargers’ minds.

“They’re mad that they lost, and I’m mad that they lost,” Brown said. “We know what we need to do and x and move on from it, but they expect to win every game. And when they don’t, they take it personal.” Brown wants his squad to get back to the state nal with a fast-paced style of play.

As they look to continue being an elite defensive team, Brown wants to “score a lot of points” this coming winter.

Northwood’s Cam Fowler goes up for a layup in a summer scrimmage against Ben L. Smith on June 13.

COURTESY PHOTO

ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Walker’s long shot leads to go-ahead runs in Randolph County’s win over Chatham

Randolph County improved to 6-3 Monday

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

ASHEBORO — Down 6-5 with two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Braxton Walker’s three-run shot to right center eld gave Randolph County the lead, and it never looked back in a 9-6 American Legion home win over Chatham Post 305 Monday.

As Walker’s ball kept gaining distance, Chatham center elder Daniel White ran over and slid for the out, but the ball slipped out of his glove. Although it wasn’t recorded as a hit, Walker’s e ort gave Randolph County an 8-6 lead, and he nished the game 2 for 4 from the plate. He also had four strikeouts while giving up zero hits and runs in the nal two innings of the game. Clay Hill had the best hitting night for Randolph County, going 2 for 3 with an RBI. Elijah Prince earned the win

on the mound with four strikeouts, two walks, two hits and an earned run in 12⁄3 innings. Starter Drew Harmon also struck out four batters.

Randolph County started o hot, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the rst inning. After two singles from Jake Riddle and Zack Scruggs, an error in

the Chatham in eld on a Jackson Hill ground ball brought both runners around. Two at-bats later, Clay Hill scored Grat Dalton on a single after he walked.

Still scoreless going into the top of the third inning, Chatham notched four hits and four walks to score its only six runs of the night. Up 4-3, Colin Dorney’s single with two strikes and two outs knocked in two runs and put Chatham ahead by three.

The lead didn’t last for long though. Jackson Hill was hit by a pitch, and two straight singles by Brody Little and Clay Hill loaded the bases. Riddle walked in a run two at-bats later, prompting Nathan Rose to relieve Zach Cartrette on the mound. On the next at-bat, Little scored on a wild pitch, bringing the de cit to one. Randolph County improved to 6-3 on the season with its fourth win in its last ve games. After hosting Beverly-Lowell Ohio on Wednesday, Randolph County will play at Aberdeen on Thursday at 7 p.m. Chatham fell to 2-6, losing three of its last four. Post 305 will be back in action at Hamlet Post 49 Thursday at 7 p.m.

now going up to be juniors and seniors, so I’m excited for what’s to come.” White shined on both sides of the ball in her high school career, and she grew o ensively each season, going from 16.1 points per game as a freshman to 18.4 points per game as a senior. Her parents got to see that improvement on the court just like everyone else, but they got a more detailed view on how she grew behind the scenes.

“She really did the work over the last couple of years to improve her game at every level, and she tried her hardest every time when she got on the court to bring her very best,” Aluka-White said. “It’s been cool to watch just to see how she’s evolved as a young woman, even as she grew as a leader on the court, using her voice and just being a leader and having fun with her teammates.”

Said Fred White, “She’s improved at every single aspect, and I think that’s just a testament to not only Gabby’s work, but Coach Byrd, Coach (Antonio) Hayes and all the coaches who’ve been part of the program and the players who’ve consistently pushed and challenged her.”

Being a college basketball player herself at Middle Tennessee and a coach for two decades, Aluka-White knows what it takes to be successful at the next level, especially in the ACC.

“Gabby has a lot of di erent attributes that makes her special and ready for ACC ball,” Aluka-White said. “It’s a rare nd when you nd a freshman that has the strength and physicality, speed and agility right out the gate. She has all of those

things, and then, she’s a true two-way player.”

For White, the competition she’s about to jump into stays in mind in her training. In preparation for college, she’s been shooting almost every night in the gym, weight training two to three times a week and doing skill work three to four times a week. She also did track and eld as a senior, improving her explosiveness and quickness in the high jump and running events.

All this work goes into her rst-year goals, including making an immediate impact at Virginia.

“The rst one is just to be my best self every day,” White said. “Giving 110% in whatever I do. And I hope with that comes more playing time, hopefully a starting position, but that’s all in the coach’s hands. One thing I really want to achieve is being freshman of the year. I know that’s something that’s really possible for me.”

Of course, the family is looking forward to the UNC and Virginia matchup in which White will play against her mom.

It’s all love between the two, but like any competitors, they’re honest about it.

“I want her to always do well, but I do always want the victory at the end,” Aluka-White said.

Said White, “I’m going to get the opportunity to play against my mom, hopefully come back to the Chapel Hill area, get to see some old faces and hopefully beat them pretty good, so I can brag in their face a little bit.”

“Oh, gosh,” Aluka-White responded.

For dad, he’ll be wearing Virginia colors that day. And it’s “not even close.”

Teachers, are you looking for new opportunities to fund projects for your classroom? Central Electric is awarding up to $15,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to local educators in K-12 classrooms for the 2025-2026 school year.

e nal deadline for all grant applications is Sept. 15, but don’t wait to apply. Applications submitted prior to the early-bird deadline on Aug. 15 will be entered to win one of ve $100 Visa gi cards. Scan the QR code or visit NCBrightIdeas.com for more information or to apply!

ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD Randolph County shares high- ves after the win over Chatham Post 305 on Monday.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth’s Gabby White looks to make a move in her nal game in a Hawks uniform.

SIDELINE REPORT

NWSL

Substitute Pinto scores winner for Courage

Los Angeles

Brianna Pinto scored just seven minutes after coming o the bench for the North Carolina Courage in a 2-1 win against Angel City. The Courage had lost all three previous visits to Los Angeles. Cortnee Vine had made it 1-0 in the rst minute of the game when she slid the ball into the net from a cross by Manaka Matsukubo. After Angel City tied it, the winner came in the fth minute of stoppage time. Pinto scooped up a loose ball and red it in from ve yards out.

MLB

Contreras brothers homer in same inning as opponents; rst time since 1933

Milwaukee Willson and William Contreras became the second pair of brothers to homer in the same inning as opponents. Both went deep in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 8-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Willson Contreras’ ninth homer of the season, a solo shot to right-center, gave St. Louis an 8-4 lead in the top of the ninth. William Contreras led o the bottom half of the inning with his sixth homer. The Contreras brothers are the rst to homer in the same inning as opponents since Rick and Wes Ferrell on July 19, 1933.

LPGA

Ciganda wins Meijer LPGA Classic for rst LPGA Tour victory in more than 81⁄2 years

Belmont, Mich.

Carlota Ciganda birdied the nal two holes to win the Meijer LPGA Classic for her rst LPGA Tour victory in more than 81⁄2 years. Ciganda hit to a foot to set up her birdie on the par-4 17th, then made a 4-foot comebacker on the par-5 18th to avoid a playo with playing partner Hye-Jin Choi. Ciganda shot a 5-under 67 — her fourth straight round in the 60s — to nish at 16-under 272. The 35-year-old Spanish player won for the rst time since the 2016 Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

NBA Greenwood, former UCLA star and NBA champion, dies at 68 after cancer battle

Los Angeles

David Greenwood, who was one of coach John Wooden’s last recruits at UCLA and went on to win an NBA championship with Detroit during a 12-year pro career, died at 68 in Riverside, California, after battling cancer. Greenwood was a four-year starter at UCLA. He was the second overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft behind Magic Johnson. Greenwood went to the Chicago Bulls, where he played for six years. He later played for San Antonio, Denver and Detroit. He came o the bench to help the Pistons win the 1990 NBA championship.

Kicker Carlson, punter Cole put best feet forward for Raiders

The former NC State punter is a key part of Las Vegas’ special teams

By Mark Anderson The Associated Press

HENDERSON, Nev. — Neither took the easy path to get here.

But because Daniel Carlson and AJ Cole persevered, the Las Vegas Raiders have perhaps the best kicker-punter duo in the NFL.

Las Vegas showed its appreciation to Cole by signing him late last month to an extension that brie y made him the league’s highest-paid punter.

Now the question is whether the Raiders will show the same kind of appreciation toward Carlson, who enters the nal season of his four-year, $18.4 million deal.

For kickers with at least 85 attempts over the past three seasons, Carlson was fth in conversion rate at 89.3%.

His 24 made eld goals from 50 yards and beyond ranked fourth.

For those with at least 30 kicko s last season, Carlson was second in the league in allowing 23 yards per kicko return, just behind the 22.2 average of Greg Zuerlein of the New York Jets.

As a rookie in 2018 for Minnesota, he missed three eld goals — two in overtime — in a 29-29 tie with NFC North rival Green Bay. The Vikings waived him the following day.

Carlson caught on with the then-Oakland Raiders — he’s one of four players left who played for the team in the Bay Area — and soon began to establish himself as the one of the league’s best kickers. He was a second-team AP All-Pro in 2021 and a rst-teamer the next season.

Cole’s path was di erent, but like Carlson, he became one of the top players at his position when the early odds appeared against him. Cole, who played

How Prime Video’s

in college at NC State, also began his NFL career in Oakland, entered minicamp in 2019 hoping just to remain on the roster after those three days. He wound up beating out Johnny Townsend in training camp.

“I showed up to that minicamp and I really just felt like, ‘This could be it, and I’m going to go into every single one of these three days and I’m going to get all the juice I can,’” Cole said. “I’ve been trying to keep that same mentality, and I’m just on absolute borrowed time. I enjoy every single day. I don’t think there’s anybody that has more fun at work than I do. It’s just such a blessing.”

Cole has averaged at least 50 yards three of the past four seasons, a feat that only Ryan Stenhouse has matched in league history. He also is third in gross punting average (48.6 yards) and eighth in net average (42.1 yards) since his rst season.

Such production earned Cole rst-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2023. And a contract extension.

Cole was rewarded with a four-year, $15.8 million deal on May 26 that included $11 million in guaranteed money. That gave him the distinction of being the NFL’s highest-paid punter, but this week was passed by two other players.

Not that Cole is complaining.

When asked if he planned a major purchase, he said that already had been made before signing the contract.

“All of my plants died, so we just relandscaped our yard,” Cole said. “So I’m really excited that I get to stay here and watch those plants grow up. I don’t know if you guys have bought plants before, but they’re really, really expensive.

“So that was the big-ticket purchase — a couple of new queen palm trees in the backyard and a couple sweet Bay laurels on the side.”

‘Burn Bar’ changes how fans watch NASCAR races on TV

The new graphic uses AI technology to calculate fuel mileage during the race

By Joe Reedy The Associated Press

NASCAR FANS have grown accustomed to seeing speed, throttle and braking on broadcasts for years. There has been one measurement, though, that has eluded networks and viewers for years. Until now.

Viewers of the Prime Video races have been able to see fuel usage with the introduction of the Burn Bar. Race teams have measured burn rates and fuel levels down to the last ounce for years, but the methodology has been kept secret for competitive reasons.

Prime Video, though, developed an AI tool using car data available to broadcasters and teams that can measure miles per gallon. The Burn Bar made a brief appearance during Prime’s rst broadcast, the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25. It has been used more frequently the past three weeks, most recently during the race in Mexico City.

NASCAR on Prime analyst Steve Letarte, a former crew chief for Je Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., contributed to the development of the Burn

Bar and sees it as the rst step in taking race analysis to a new level.

“It’s the rst true tool that is taking information o the car, making calculations and then displaying to the fan a calculation or measurement that is being used in the garage. And it does a ect the team,” he said.

“There’s not a sensor on the car giving us miles per gallon. It’s a mathematical calculation of other cars’ performances.”

The AI model analyzes thousands of performance data per second, including a range of in-car telemetry signals, RPMs, throttle and optical tracking of each car’s position. The model then evaluates each driver’s fuel consumption and e ciency throughout the race.

Letarte worked with Prime Video “Thursday Night Football Prime Vision” analyst Sam Schwartzstein and Amazon Web Services during the process. They came up with four methodologies that were tested during the rst part of the season, which was broadcast by Fox. Schwartzstein and Letarte would then get the data from teams after races to see how close they were until they picked one that worked the best.

The Burn Bar received its toughest test during last week’s race at Michigan as the nal 48 laps were run without a caution ag. Most teams made theirnal pit stops with 50 laps to go,

The “Burn Bar,” lower left, is used to measure Denny Hamilin’s performance during a NASCAR on Prime broadcast of the Nashville race earlier this month. The AI tool was developed by Prime Video to measure a car’s burn rate and fuel levels.

meaning teams were going to be down to the end of their fuel runs at the checkered ag.

“We projected William Byron to run out, which he did, and then we were on the razor’s edge for Denny Hamlin. And then watching the truck push him back into Victory Lane at the end, knowing he was as close as we thought he was — what a cool way to see this feature come to life and elevate NASCAR broadcasts,” Schwartzstein said. Alex Strand, Prime Video’s senior coordinating producer for live sports, also sees the Burn Bar as the rst tool of

many that Amazon and Prime Video can develop for its coverage. Prime Video is in the rst year of a seven-year agreement to carry ve races per season.

“It’s really cool to live in a world where it shows us that anything is possible. We’re starting with something that we’re really excited about, but it’s setting us down a path that will open up new doors for us,” he said. “I think that’s what we’re really excited about is to say, ‘OK, we’ve had success in Year 1 on a feature that’s resonated with fans right out of the gate.’ It raises the table for our o season.”

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole participates during a minicamp practice last week.

Van Gisbergen’s emotional win in Mexico City locks him into Cup Series playo s

By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY— Very little went right for Shane Van Gisbergen in the buildup to NASCAR’s rst international Cup Series points-paying race of the modern era.

A mechanical issue on takeo forced his team charter to abort the initial journey to Mexico City. He arrived at the venue Friday, a day late, and after winning the pole Saturday, the New Zealander fell seriously ill.

He was sleeping on the oor of his hauler before Sunday’s race, unsure he’d be able to physically complete the 100-lap event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

But there’s something special about the Kiwi and new venues, especially in the rain, and he salvaged the weekend by winning on the road course to earn an automatic berth into NASCAR’s Cup Series playo s.

Van Gisbergen led 60 of 100 laps and beat Christopher Bell by 16.567 seconds.

“I tried to treat it like when I go to Asia, just drink bottled water and be careful in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water, but I just went downhill,” Van Gisbergen said. “Couldn’t keep anything

ALLRED from page B1

don’t know what’s it’s going to be like coming from a smaller high school,” Allred said. “It was just learning things that every freshman has to deal with.”

Allred made his rst collegiate appearance for Brunswick against USC Sumter on Feb. 14, going 0 for 1 and scoring a run. Against the same team the next day, he notched his rst career hit as he went 2 for 4 and recorded two putouts and six assists in the eld.

But from that point on, his production at the plate began to slow down. On top of that, the pressure of being recruited out of Brunswick weighed on him. New to the realities of college sports, Allred was still

in. Everything just went straight through me. I felt really queasy and my mind was there, but my body just had so much pressure in my stomach. Crazy weekend and everyone dug deep.” It was the second Cup Series victory of his career. He won in his Cup debut at the inaugural 2023 street course race in Chicago. Although he had success in the X nity Series — he won three races last year as Trackhouse Racing developed him for a Cup Series ride — Van Gisbergen has struggled this

learning how to be “level headed” with the ups and downs of his o ensive performances and the recruitment process. “I needed to take some time o and regroup,” Allred said.

Knowing that he wanted to return to baseball, Allred found a purpose for his time away. He went back to Chatham Charter where the game was fun — where he became a two-time Central Tar Heel 1A conference player of the year — and helped coach his former teammates through the end of the season.

“I had the most fun playing baseball I ever have there,” Allred said. “That was part of the reason why I came back was to nd the love of the game, and I did. They had a great season,

year at NASCAR’s top level.

He started the race ranked 33rd in the Cup standings with only one top-10 nish through the rst 15 races of the season. But his victory in Mexico City revived his season and gives him a shot to race for the Cup Series championship.

“It means everything to us; this is why I’m here,” Van Gisbergen said. “I am getting better and more competitive. We’re really making a lot of progress.”

Van Gisbergen celebrated in his traditional rugby-style way — he drop-kicked a signed

and it was fun coaching them.”

Allred said it felt like a “COVID” year, as he also worked out and practiced with his old high school squad. Along with having his family, his brother and his girlfriend as his support system, it was the friendships he still had at Chatham Charter that helped him nd joy in baseball once again and be a source of advice for those also wanting to have successful high school careers.

“It was good for both of us,” Allred said. “I feel like I helped them a lot in di erent ways. Maybe maturing some from what I’ve learned, but they helped me just as much.”

Said Allred, “They all said they loved having me there. I think it was the fact of being wanted. Knowing they want

football into the grandstands and then said he had recovered enough to enjoy “some Red Bulls mixed with adult beverages” later Sunday. Van Gisbergen bene tted from an early pop-up rain shower on the rst lap of the race because he’s an exceptionally skilled driver on a wet surface. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like conditions.

Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and Van Gisbergen — locked into the playo s. But it was a bit of a disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win in the X nity Series race on Saturday, as he failed to challenge his teammate for the win and nished 19th.

“I wish I was in the mix ghting for it a little more, but it just wasn’t in the cards,” Suarez said. “Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations: the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy.

Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in prerace ceremonies, desperately wanted the home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the rst time since 1958.

Bell nished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who hurt his back in a crash last week at Michigan, withstood the pain for a fourth-place nish in his Hendrick Chevrolet.

you there, they’re happy for you to be there and all of that.”

Other than the family connection and the countless weekends spent on the campus watching his brother play, the feeling of community and being welcomed is why Allred chose to continue his college career at William Peace.

He said Charlie Long, the William Peace baseball coach, “really cared about him” and that he and the rest of the coaching sta showed they’d love to have him in the recruiting process.

“You’ve got to go where you’re wanted,” Allred said.

In the meantime, Allred is back on the eld not too far from Siler City. He’s playing for the Randolph Ropin’ Roosters in the Old North State League.

including two hits, to take an eight-run advantage.

Allison Lineberry took over pitching duties for Delgado in the top of the third inning and made sure North Wake didn’t rally back into the game. She completed two straight 1-2-3 innings to close out the win, ending the game by mercy rule in the fourth inning and nishing with three strikeouts.

Minutes later, Chatham County scored seven runs in the bottom of the third inning to blow out North Wake again 12-4 in the fourth game of the series.

Havner once again led the Post 292 at the plate, going 3 for 3 with one RBI. Although it built a 3-1 lead through walks and defensive mistakes from North Wake, Havner’s rst-inning triple and second-inning single were Chatham County’s only hits prior to the third inning.

Following a pop-up out by Delgado to start Post 292’s third inning turn, Chatham County ripped o seven runs to pull away. Paisley Hutchinson set up the game-clinching run by reaching rst on a third dropped strike, and Cassie Stallone got it started with a bunt to score Hutchinson for a 4-1 lead.

The inning circled back to Delgado as she batted Sorto home with a single for the nal score of the batting turn. Post 292 led 10-1 going into the next inning.

As rain started to fall, North Wake used three singles and a walk to score three runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Chatham County responded on Rylee Welch’s next at-bat as Stallone and Covington, who singled and walked, respectively, scored on two more North Wake mistakes. With the rain beginning to pick up, the umpires ended the game after those runs.

Lineberry nished Game 4 with four strikeouts, three walks and six hits in the circle.

Post 292 is now 5-3 after a season-opening series against Alamance and four straight wins over North Wake. Following a four-game series against Randolph County early this week, Chatham County will be back in action July 8 at South Wake for a doubleheader. Here’s the rest of the Post 292 16U schedule ( ve-inning doubleheaders starting at 6:30 p.m.): July 8 at South Wake (Middle Creek High School); July 10 vs. South Wake; July 15 at Johnston (Campbell University); July 17 vs. Johnston; July 22 vs. Orange; July 24 at Orange (Cedar Falls Park); Aug. 4 — State tournament begins (Burlington Springwood Park)

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City.

Indiana Jones’ whip, Culkin’s ‘Home Alone’ snow cap going up for auction next month

The Rosebud sled from “Citizen Kane” and Star Wars props will also be up for bid

The Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Many of movies’ most sought-after props are going up for auction, including the Rosebud sled from “Citizen Kane,” Macaulay Culkin’s knit snow cap from “Home Alone” and a whip wielded by Harrison Ford during the Holy Grail trials of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

The Summer Entertainment Auction being held July 15-19 by Heritage Auctions also includes sci- gems from the “Star Wars” galaxy, like a lming miniature of Luke Skywalker’s X-wing star ghter used in Industrial Light & Magic’s e ects work for “The Empire Strikes Back,” and the lightsabers brandished by Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker in “Revenge of the Sith.”

The Rosebud sled from the title character’s childhood sits at the center of Orson Welles’ 1941

“Citizen Kane.” It’s the last word tycoon Charles Foster Kane speaks before his death at the opening of the lm that is regarded by many critics groups as the greatest ever made. Long thought lost, the sled is one of three of the prop known to have survived. It’s owned by “Gremlins” director Joe Dante, who stumbled on it when he was lming on the former RKO Pictures lot in 1984. Dan-

te wasn’t a collector, but knew the value of the sled and quietly preserved it for decades, putting it as an Easter egg into four of his own lms.

Ford gave the Indiana Jones whip going up for auction to then-Prince Charles at the 1989 U.K. premiere of “The Last Crusade.” It was given as a gift to Princess Diana, who gave it to the current owner.

“These aren’t just props. They’re mythic objects,” Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s executive vice president, said in a statement. “They tell the story of Hollywood’s greatest moments, one piece at a time.”

Also going up for sale are a blue velvet suit that Mike Myers wore as Austin Powers in “Goldmember” and a Citroën 2CV driven by Roger Moore as James Bond in “For Your Eyes Only,” one of the lms Myers was parodying.

The auction also includes essential artifacts from the collection of legendary director Cecil B. DeMille, including a promotional pair of the titular tablets from DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments,” which the director had cut from stone from Mount Sinai.

Jess Walter’s ‘So Far Gone’ sets redemption story in fractured, modern America

The book captures the anxiety and absurdity of 2025

By Rob Merrill The Associated Press

WHEN THE HISTORY of the United States in 2025 is written, perhaps one of the best things that will be said is: “Well, it made for some great art.”

Consider “So Far Gone,” the new novel by Jess Walter. Set in present-day America, it opens with two kids wearing backpacks knocking on a cabin door. “What are you ne young capitalists selling?” asks Rhys Kinnick, before realizing the kids are his grandchildren. They carry with them a note from Kinnick’s daughter, describing dad as a “recluse who cut o contact with our family and now lives in squalor in a cabin north of Spokane.”

HARPER VIA AP

Jess Walter’s new book is “So Far Gone.”

It’s a great hook that draws you in and doesn’t really let up for the next 256 pages. We learn why Kinnick pulled a Thoreau and went to the woods seven years ago (Hint: It has a lot to do with the intolerance exhibited by no small percentage of Americans and embodied by a certain occupant of the White House), as well as the whereabouts of Kinnick’s daughter, Bethany, and why her messy marriage to a guy named Shane led to Kinnick’s grandchildren being dropped o at his cabin.

In a neat narrative gimmick, the chapters are entitled “What Happened to ___” and ll in the main strokes of each character’s backstory, as well as what happens to them

in the present timeline. Told with an omniscient third-person sense of humor, the book’s themes are nonetheless serious. On the demise of journalism in the chapter “What Happened to Lucy,” one of Kinnick’s old ames and colleagues at the Spokesman-Review: She “hated that reporters were expected to constantly post on social media … before knowing what their stories even meant.” Or Kinnick’s thoughts as he holds a .22 Glock given to him just in case by a retired police ocer who is helping him get his grandkids back from the local militia: “The shiver that went through his arm! The power! … The weight of this gun was the exact weight of his anger and his fear and his sense of displacement. … That’s where its incredible balance lay.”

As Kinnick links up with various characters and drives across the Northwest in search of his daughter and grandchildren, the plot unfolds quickly. Most readers won’t need more than a day or two to reach the nal page, which satis es the Thoreau quote Walter uses in the story’s preface: “Not till we are lost… ‘till we have lost the world, do we begin to nd ourselves.”

HERITAGE AUCTIONS VIA AP

The knit hat worn By Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone” will be auctioned.

this week in history

War of 1812 begins, O.J. arrested after Bronco chase, Brits win at Bunker Hill, Queen Victoria crowned

JUNE 19

1865: Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over and that all remaining enslaved people in Texas were free — an event now celebrated nationwide as Juneteenth.

1910: The rst Father’s Day in the United States was celebrated in Spokane, Washington.

1953: Julius Rosenberg, 35, and his wife, Ethel, 37, convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, were executed.

JUNE 20

1782: The Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States, featuring the emblem of the bald eagle.

1837: Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

1893: A jury in New Bedford, Massachusetts, found Lizzie Borden not guilty of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.

1947: Gangster Benjamin

Judge

“Bugsy” Siegel was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, California, home of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill.

1967: Boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted and was sentenced to ve years in prison.

JUNE 21

1788: The United States Constitution went into e ect as New Hampshire became the required ninth state to ratify it.

1893: The rst Ferris wheel opened to the public as part of the Chicago World’s Fair.

1982: A jury in Washington, D.C., found John Hinckley Jr. not guilty by reason of insanity in the shootings of President Ronald Reagan and three others.

JUNE 22

1815: Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as emperor of the French.

1938: American Joe Louis knocked out German Max Schmeling in just two minutes and four seconds to retain his heavyweight boxing title.

1941: Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive and ultimately ill-fated invasion of the Soviet Union that would prove pivot-

On June 18, 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became the rst American woman in space, launching aboard the space shuttle Challenger for a six-day mission.

al to the Allied victory over the Axis powers.

JUNE 23

1931: Aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took o from Roosevelt Field in New York on a round-the-world ight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.

1972: President Richard Nixon signed into law the Education Amendments of 1972, including Title IX, which barred discrimination on the basis of sex for “any education program or activity receiving federalnancial assistance.”

2016: Britain voted to leave the European Union after a bitterly divisive referendum campaign, toppling Prime Minister David Cameron.

JUNE 24

1509: Henry VIII was crowned king of England; his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was crowned queen consort.

1939: The Southeast Asian country of Siam changed its name to Thailand. (It reverted to Siam in 1945, then became Thailand once again in 1949.)

1948: Communist forces cut o all land and water routes between West Germany and West Berlin, prompting the western allies to organize the Berlin Airlift.

JUNE 25

1876: The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, began in southeastern Montana Territory. As many as 100 Native Americans were killed in the battle, as were 268 people attached to the 7th Cavalry Regiment.

1947: “The Diary of a Young Girl,” the personal journal of Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish girl hiding with her family from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II, was rst published.

orders managers for late Johnny Winter to pay $226K in damages, alleging theft

The blues legend was ranked the 63rd-best guitar player of all time by

By Dave Collins The Associated Press

A CONNECTICUT judge has settled a bitter feud over the estate of the late legendary blues guitarist Johnny Winter, ordering his managers to pay $226,000 in damages for improper payments they received after his 2014 death and rejecting their claim to the rights to his music.

Relatives of Winter’s late wife, Susan, sued Winter’s manager, Paul Nelson, and his wife, Marion, in 2020, claiming the Nelsons swindled more than $1 million from Winter’s music business. The Nelsons denied the allegations and countersued. They accused the relatives of improperly having Paul Nelson ousted as the bene ciary of Winter’s estate, and they claimed ownership of his music rights.

After a seven-day trial before a judge in January 2024, Judge Trial Referee Charles Lee ruled Friday that the Nelsons received improper payments and made improper withdrawals from Winter’s accounts but rejected claims they committed fraud, mismanagement and breach of contract.

solutions

“The court nds that the conduct for which it has awarded the damages set forth above was negligent or at least arguably legitimate,” Lee wrote in a 54-page decision that also rejected the claims in the Nelsons’ countersuit.

The judge said the Nelsons’ most serious impropriety was

withdrawing $112,000 from Winter’s business account and depositing it into one of their own accounts in 2019 without listing Susan Winter as a signatory on their account. Susan Winter owned all of her husband’s assets — valued at about $3 million at the time of his death.

Paul Nelson, who managed Johnny Winter’s business from 2005 to 2019 and played guitar in his band, died in March 2024 from a heart attack during a music tour. Susan Winter died from lung cancer in October 2019. Months before her death, she removed Paul Nelson as her successor trustee to her family trust, which included all of her late husband’s assets. She named her sister and brother, Bonnie and Christopher Warford, from Charlotte, as her new successor trustees, and they sued the Nelsons.

The Nelsons claimed the Warfords took advantage of Susan Winter and had her sign legal documents while she was medicated near the end of her life. They also alleged the War-

fords soured their relationship with Susan Winter with false embezzlement claims. The Warfords denied those allegations. The judge ruled that the Warfords were entitled to damages because of improper payments the Nelsons received, including $68,000 in royalty payments from a 2016 auction of Winter’s assets, $69,000 in cash withdrawals, $18,000 in expense reimbursements and $15,000 in other royalty payments.

John Dawson Winter III was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He burst onto the world blues scene in the 1960s, dazzling crowds with his fast licks while his trademark long, white hair ew about from under his cowboy hat. He and his brother Edgar — both born with albinism — were both renowned musicians.

Rolling Stone magazine listed him as the No. 63 best guitar player of all time in 2015. He released more than two dozen albums and was nominated for several Grammy Awards, winning his rst one posthumously in 2015 for Best Blues Album for “Step Back.”

BOB DAUGHERTY / AP PHOTO

Rolling Stone magazine

JOHN DAVISSON / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Johnny Winter performs at the 2014 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Racecourse in 2014 in New Orleans.

*Must set up Auto Draft for 2nd Month.

2024.

famous birthdays this week

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JUNE 19

Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is 80. Author Salman Rushdie is 78. Actor Phylicia Rashad is 77. Rock singer Ann Wilson (Heart) is 75. Actor Kathleen Turner is 71. Paula Abdul is 63.

JUNE 20

Singer Anne Murray is 80. TV personality Bob Vila is 79. Lionel Richie is 76. John Goodman is 73. Rock bassist John Taylor (Duran Duran) is 65. Nicole Kidman is 58.

JUNE 21

Composer Lalo Schifrin is 93. Musician Ray Davies (The Kinks) is 81. Actor Michael Gross is 78. Author Ian McEwan is 77. Actor Juliette Lewis is 52. Britain’s Prince William is 43.

JUNE 22

Journalist Brit Hume is 82. Singer Singer Todd Rundgren is 77. Meryl Streep is 76. Actor Lindsay Wagner (“The Bionic Woman”) is 76. Actor Graham Greene (“Dances with Wolves”) is 73. Cyndi Lauper is 72. Actor Bruce Campbell (“Evil Dead”) is 67.

JUNE 23

Singer Diana Trask is 85. Former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson is 69. Actor Frances McDormand is 68. Drummer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth is 63.

JUNE 24

Singer Arthur Brown is 83. Actor Michele Lee is 82. Actor-director Georg Stanford Brown (“The Rookies”) is 82. Singer Colin Blunstone of The Zombies is 80. Drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac is 78.

JUNE 25

Actor June Lockhart is 100. Singer Eddie Floyd is 88. Actor Barbara Montgomery (“Amen,” “The Women of Brewster Place”) is 86. Singer Carly Simon is 82. Actor-comedian Ricky Gervais is 64.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Lionel Richie presents the award for song of the year during the 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in 2025. The iconic singer turns 76 on Friday.

DANIEL COLE / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Actor Meryl Streep, pictured at the 77th Cannes lm festival France in 2024, turns 76 on Sunday.

ROBB COHEN / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Mick Fleetwood with Fleetwood Mac performs at State Farm Arena in Atlanta in 2019. The legendary drummer turns 78 on Tuesday.

HAIM, ‘The Gilded Age,’ Benson Boone, astronaut Sally Ride, digital dinosaurs

Six Alfred Hitchcock lms land on Net ix

The Associated Press

LIFELIKE DIGITAL Triceratops and Spinosaurus lumbering through a reimagined “Walking with Dinosaurs” and Benson Boone’s sophomore album “American Heart” 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: A documentary on trailblazing NASA astronaut Sally Ride and the third season of “The Gilded Age.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Cristina Costantini’s documentary “Sally” (streaming on Disney+) richly details the story behind the headlines of the rst American woman to y in space. The portrait of Sally Ride, the trailblazing NASA astronaut, is narrated by her life partner of 27 years, Tam O’Shaughnessy. Her intimate perspective on Ride, along with archival footage and interviews with family and colleagues, captures a fuller backstory to an American icon.

“The Ballad of Wallis Island” (streaming on Peacock) was a standout in the rst half of 2025 but easy to miss. A funny and tender charmer set on the coast of Wales, it’s not a movie screaming for your attention. It stars Tim Key as an isolated widower who uses some of his lottery winnings to hire his favorite band, a folk duo named McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan) to play by his rural home. In her review, AP lm writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that the lm feels “like a much-needed balm. Modest in scope and made with the lightest of touch, not unlike the lovely folk songs that populate its soundtrack, it’s also deceptively powerful: A gentle ode to moving on, in quirky packaging.” Net ix tends to bury older lms in its algorithms, but the streamer is hosting a good batch of Alfred Hitchcock movies. This month, it added “Vertigo,” “Rear Window,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Frenzy,” “The Plot” and “The Birds” to its collection, along with the already-streaming “Psycho.” These are movies often available elsewhere, and there are many other great Hitchcock lms. But a solid sampler pack on Net ix could help bring Hitchcock to some new audiences, and there’s never a bad time to see “Vertigo” for the rst time.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Boone, the “Beautiful Things” singer, will release his sophomore album, “American Heart,” on Friday. Expect big pop -rock ltered through a kind of post-Harry Styles mimicry and 1970s worship. For fans of Queen, ELO and gymnastic pop stars with a penchant for doing back ips on stage. The Los Angeles sister trio HAIM have returned with “I Quit,” 15 tracks of danceable breakup bangers perfect for your summertime sadness. It’s soft rock-pop for the Miu Miu crowd and a sonic cure for seasonal depression. For the indie crowd, the New York-based Hotline TNT have been a fan favorite for their shoegaze-y power pop that appeals to both classic rockers and

those emo pop-punkers who miss the Vans’ Warped Tour. On Friday, the group, led by Will Anderson, will release “Raspberry Moon” via Jack White’s Third Man Records.

SHOWS TO STREAM

In 1999 a series called “Walking with Dinosaurs” premiered in the UK and captivated audiences. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, it was inspired by “Jurassic Park” and at the time was the most expensive documentary per-minute ever made. Special e ects like CGI and animatronics helped bring the dinosaurs to life. Twenty- ve years later, a reimagined “Walking with Dinosaurs” debuts on PBS in conjunction with the BBC using the latest technology to make the dinosaurs seem

even more lifelike. The six-episode series is now narrated by actor Bertie Carvel. It is available to stream on PBS platforms and its app.

It’s a great week for period pieces. First, Apple TV+’s Gilded Age, girl power series “The Buccaneers” is out for its second season. The soapy period piece features a cast that includes Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah and Christina Hendricks. It’s based on an unnished Edith Wharton novel about ve American women in London for debutante season. These women are a contrast to English high society because they’re extroverted and opinionated.

BritBox has the 1930s drama “Outrageous,” based on the true story of the Mitford sisters, six women born into an aristocratic family who made headlines for their personal lives and politics. Bessie Carter, who plays Penelope Featherington on “Bridgerton” plays one of the sisters, Nancy Mitford. “Outrageous” is inspired by a biography that was originally published in 2002. The TV adaptation of the popular YA novel “We Were Liars” is streaming on Prime Video. It follows the a uent Sinclair family who has enough secrets to ll one of their bank accounts. It follows Cadence, one of the granddaughters who pals around all summer with two cousins and a family friend, Gat, and their group of four is known as The Liars.

Another dysfunctional

family is introduced Thursday in Net ix’s “The Waterfront” about the Buckleys, a family of sherman and restaurateurs in North Carolina. Business has been dwindling, and questionable choices are made to stay a oat, keep their secrets and not get caught by authorities.

A third period piece out this week is the third season of “The Gilded Age” and there is a lot to catch up on. Cynthia Nixon’s Ada Forte, now a widower after a very short marriage, has just discovered her late husband left her a fortune. This makes Ada the new matriarch of her family, surpassing her sister Agnes (played by Christine Baranski.) Their niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson) seems to be in the early stages of a courtship with neighbor Larry Russell, whose family’s wealth comes from new money. Created by Julian Fellowes, the new season premieres Sunday on Max.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The in uence of Disney’s movie “Tron,” with its icy, neon vision of cyberspace, far outweighs the number of people who actually saw it when it came out in 1982. (I know I spent a lot more time playing the arcade game.) We are getting a third movie, “Tron: Ares,” in October — but rst we get a new game, Tron: Catalyst. You are Exo, an advanced computer program in a glitchy electronic world. Check it out on PlayStation 5,

and

“The Ballad of Wallis Island,” left, the documentary “Sally,” center, and the series

ALISTAIR HEAP / FOCUS FEATURES VIA AP

Carey Mulligan, left, and Tom Basden star in “The Ballad of Wallis Island.”

Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector appear in a scene from “The Gilded Age.”

Duplin Journal

Rose Hill man arrested in connection with domestic assault

Wallace Authorities arrested a man Sunday in connection with a violent domestic assault. Wallace Police responded to a domestic disturbance at an apartment in Wallace where they found signs of forced entry. O cers spoke with a victim, who had visible injuries. According to law enforcement, the victim told police her ex-boyfriend, 28-year- old Jamar Daeshawn, broke into her apartment, physically attacked her and injured her 11-year- old child by throwing a stroller while children were present. Newkirk was later located nearby, resisted arrest and caused damage to police property, authorities alleged. He is currently held without bond at Duplin County Jail, facing multiple charges including assault by strangulation and breaking and entering.

Mt. Olive Pickle to hold grand opening for new Pickle Parlor on June 26

Mount Olive

Mt. Olive Pickle is opening a new store in downtown Mount Olive. The grand opening and ribboncutting event will be on June 26 at 11 a.m. The new store, located at 109 N. Center St., will replace the long-standing gift shop at the Mt. Olive Pickle Company headquarters. The new store shares the story of the nearly 100-year-old company through video, images and artifacts. A standout feature of the store will be the pickle bar for daily tastings, a soda fountain and Pickle Soda produced by R&R Brewing of Mount Olive.

Duplin County Veterans Stand Down set for July

Rose Hill

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) mobile unit will be onsite at the Charity Mission Center, located at 1333 W. Charity Road in Rose Hill, on July 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Duplin County Veterans Stand Down event. Free meals will be provided for veterans. The Stand Down event is an opportunity for veterans to learn about important changes that may a ect them. Veterans in Duplin County who need transportation to the event can call 919-738 -2006 by June 30.

$2.00

Revenge Roughstock delivers thrills in Kenansville showdown

A powerful bull takes center stage, captured mid-buck as it launches a rider into the air during a dramatic moment at the Revenge Roughstock Pro Rodeo last Friday. Dust ies beneath the bull’s hooves in the outdoor arena at the Duplin Events Center in Kenansville, where the two-day event thrilled crowds with high-adrenaline action and top-tier rodeo performances.

Personnel is the largest expenditure of the total budget consuming nearly 43%

By Curt Simpson For Duplin Journal

WALLACE — It was a packed agenda, but members of the Wallace Town Council made short work of it in an hourlong meet-

ing Thursday, with the highlight being the adoption of a budget for the 2025-26 scal year.

The new budget commits the town to spending just over $11 million in the coming year, which begins July 1. The total

represents an almost 3% increase from the previous year, according to Town Manager Rob Taylor.

Compiling the yearly budget is no quick and easy process, with the state laying out a schedule that towns need to follow. The rst work begins on the budget in December, with department heads laying out their plans and needs for the coming year in bud-

Warsaw Police chief steps down

“I think he was with the Warsaw Police Department for about 10 years-plus.”

get requests. In March, those requests are reviewed during workshops with the town council and department heads, and in May a proposed budget is presented to the council and public for review and comment. The nal part of that process is a public hearing, which was held on Thursday

By Ena Sellers and Curt Simpson Duplin Journal

WARSAW — There has been a change in leadership at the Warsaw Police Department, though town o cials have been largely silent about it.

Police Chief Patrick Giddeons recently resigned from his position, but the town has not made a formal announce-

ment regarding his departure.

Last week at the June town board meeting, Town Manager Lea Turner introduced Steven Faircloth as the new interim police chief. When asked about Giddeons, Turner told Duplin Journal, “He resigned.” Mayor A.J. Connors shared that he resigned about a month ago.

“Mr. Giddeons decided to resign and to seek other employment,” said Connors on Friday.

Turner did not respond to voicemails or emails asking for clari cation. While details surrounding Giddeons’ resignation remain unclear, the decision came about a month after he acknowledged ongoing criticism of the police department. He expressed that some of this criticism was unfair, emphasizing the dedication and hard work of his o cers despite unseen efforts and sta ng shortages.

Magnolia thriving with uni ed vision for future

“It takes all of us, and I appreciate everyone’s e orts.”

Dawn Ward, Magnolia mayor

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

ONCE SEEN as a small town struggling to nd its footing, Magnolia is now condently stepping into a new chapter of growth, unity and community pride. During last week’s board meeting, town leaders re ected on a transformative journey — from a place Police Chief Jerry Wood described as “ a child left behind” to one that is now evolving and thriving.

“We are achieving great things,” said Wood. “Y’all are responsible for that. Y’all have the vision and the insight. You

want to see Magnolia improve. Years ago, I didn’t feel like there was a spirit here among some of the folks that were in your positions, that really wanted to see that improvement, that progress in Magnolia. But now, I see it. … We’re driving forward.”

A renewed spirit of teamwork and collaboration has emerged among the board, town o cials and the community. The shift is attributed to strong leadership, collaboration and community engagement.

“While you do have some naysayers out there, you’ve got a whole lot more of your citizens that are behind you, people throughout the county. I hear comments all the time

“These people are working really hard for all of you. You may not see it, but I want you to have some faith,” Giddeons said to the town board at its April meeting. “There ain’t a long line of y’all waiting to do this job. … If you want to take up arms with my brothers and sisters and do this dangerous job, I welcome it.”

According to state records, Giddeons has been in law enforcement since 2001 and joined the Warsaw Police Department in 2014. He could not be reached for comment. Faircloth was appointed interim chief on June 1. Faircloth began his law enforcement career in 2007 and has been with the Warsaw Police Department since 2018.

The board bid farewell to NC Lead Fellow Marco Barrientos

New Interim Police Chief Steven Faircloth takes over after Giddeons’ departure

Duplin

Neal Robbins Publisher

Jim Sills VP of Local Newspapers

Ena Sellers News Editor

Michael Jaenicke Sports Editor

Loretta Carey O ce Manager

CONTACT US

O ce Phone: 910 463-1240

To place a legal ad: 919 663-3232; Fax: 919 663-4042

CRIME LOG

June 9

• Jackie Sanders, 59, was arrested by Wallace PD for breaking into a motor vehicle with theft, felony larceny, possessing stolen goods, breaking into a motor vehicle, and possessing drug paraphernalia.

• Raven Sierra Frear, 28, was arrested by Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce for impeding tra c by sitting, standing, or lying.

June 10

• Christopher Lee Tharpe, 41, was arrested by DCSO for communicating threats, domestic criminal trespass, and assault on a female.

• Sherrill Scott Hargrove, 47, was arrested by DCSO for misdemeanor larceny.

June 11

• Erick Evelin Perez Deleon, 26, was arrested by NCHP for habitual impaired driving.

June 12

• Daniel Allan Porter, 36, was arrested by Warsaw PD for attempting to obtain property by false pretense, common law forgery, misdemeanor larceny, identity theft, and obtaining property by false pretense.

• Francisco Lizardi Vargas, 49, was arrested by Kenansville PD for misusing the 911 system, seconddegree trespass, and being intoxicated and disruptive.

June 13

• Missy L Navez, 47, was arrested by Warsaw PD for identity theft, obtaining property by false pretense, and forging a deed or will.

June 14

• Michael Brandon Bradshaw, 37, was arrested by DCSO for possessing a rearm as a felon, possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, felony possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possessing a weapon of mass destruction, simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, possessing marijuana paraphernalia, possessing drug paraphernalia, and interfering with an electronic monitoring device.

June 15

• Jamar Daeshawn Newkirk, 27, was arrested by DCSO for breaking or entering to terrorize or injure, assault by strangulation, assault on a female, assault causing serious injury with a minor present, assault on a child under 12, injury to personal property, resisting a public o cer, felony possession of cocaine, possessing a controlled substance on prison or jail premises, and possessing drug paraphernalia.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY JUNE

SATURDAY JUNE

Police: Watch for fake bills

Warsaw Police warn of counterfeit bills making the rounds

By Curt Simpson For Duplin Journal

WARSAW — There is some funny money making its way around the area, but Warsaw authorities warn that you will not be laughing if you end up with some of it in your hands.

Warsaw Interim Police Chief Stephen Faircloth said this week that his department has had reports of an increase in counterfeit cash being received at area businesses. He’s warning everyone to be mindful when they are receiving payment, or even change, from anyone. The fake stu often looks much like the real thing. In fact, the lm and television industry uses bills like these to portray cash transactions in movies and TV shows.

“It is very convincing if you just glance at it,” Faircloth said. “It is made to look real.”

Though no charges have been led yet, Faircloth said police believe they know where it is coming from and that criminal charges could be coming. Passing o fake money as real is a felony, and a conviction could come with prison sentences of four to 47 months, depending on the severity of the crime.

Passing fake money as real is a felony and could lead to a conviction anywhere from four to 47 months in prison, depending on the severity of the crime.

“It is very convincing if you just glance at it.”

Stephen

Faircloth, Warsaw interim police chief

DUPLIN happening

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

June 20

Juneteenth

7 p.m.

Celebrate Juneteenth at the Duplin Events Center on June 20 at 7 p.m. Special guest 803 Fresh and line dancers will take the stage with their performance of the viral song “Boots on the Ground,” blending music, line dancing and fan popping. 195 Fairgrounds Drive Kenansville

Bow Ties & Tiaras

“At the point someone possesses, transports or passes it in an attempt to injure or defraud any person, nancial institution or governmental unit, it then becomes counterfeit,” he said. The feel of the money is often a little di erent from the real thing, and he said that upon proper inspection, it’s easy to see that the money is not real. Some bills even have the words “Motion Picture Purposes” written across the top or bottom of the bill, but in the same colors, designs and fonts as real money.

from page A1

about the great improvements in Magnolia and where we’re headed to,” Wood commented on the support from the community. He encouraged everyone to take pride in their contributions.

He also commended the teamwork of the board and town leaders. The sentiment was echoed by nearly every speaker.

The board recognized not only the achievements of town leaders but also highlighted outgoing Lead for North Carolina fellow Marco Barrientos, along with the police, legal and administrative sta for their roles in Magnolia’s progress. In addition to infrastructure and nancial matters, there was a notable cultural shift toward pride and empowerment within the town.

“In the six months that I’ve been here, this town and the people involved here and all the citizens that I’ve come about have all kind of had the same vision, and I think we’re all moving in the right direction,” remarked Town Manager Charles Banks.

Financial stability was another focal point. The Capital Management Trust currently holds over half a million dollars, ensuring that daily operations are adequately funded.

“We are holding our own, and we’re making some really good progress,” Banks noted, indicating that the budget process is nearing completion, allowing for a focus on new projects. Magnolia is e ectively managing its resources and is on a steady path of progress.

Mayor Dawn Ward expressed gratitude to Barrientos, highlighting his contribu-

“Pay extra attention if a customer seems to be rushing

tions during his tenure. This meeting was Barrientos’ nal o cial board meeting before his departure on June 26.

“He has been a huge asset,” said Ward. “The work that you have seen is just a small, small snippet of what he has done. … We were very blessed whenever we got him as our NC Lead fellow, and he has truly become part of our Magnolia family.”

The meeting also addressed the importance of community engagement. Plans for a Community Resource Day are underway, along with the establishment of a Community Engagement Committee aimed at increasing resident involvement and awareness of local resources.

The Magnolia Community Engagement Committee will hold its rst meeting June 19 at 6 p.m. at town hall. Residents interested in serving on the committee are encouraged to attend or contact Mayor Pro Tem Jeanine Cavanaugh.

Attendees were also reminded that the Community Resource Day is scheduled for June 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Magnolia park. In closing, Ward emphasized the collective e ort required to maintain the day-to-day operations of the town, stating, “It takes all of us, and I appreciate everyone’s e orts.”

In other business

• A motion passed to o cially close the undeveloped portion of Dogwood Drive in Magnolia. The property will revert to adjoining landowners.

• The board unanimously approved a recommendation from Banks to select

through the transaction and take the time to closely look at any money exchanged,” Faircloth advised. He also suggested that all businesses use a counterfeit bill detector pen, which can be purchased for just a few dollars at any o ce supply store. Even customers could unknowingly receive one of the bills as change in a transaction, so everyone, not just cashiers, needs to be on the lookout. Unfortunately, if someone accepts one of these bills as payment or change, there is no way to get the money back.

McDavid & Associates as the lead engineering rm for several upcoming infrastructure projects based on quali cations and experience.

• A public hearing was scheduled for June 24 for the Land Use plan. A special meeting to vote on the plan will follow immediately after the hearing.

• The board held a public hearing to comply with North Carolina’s Chapter 160D updates. The updates were mostly technical and legal clari cations. No changes to zoning districts or land uses were implemented. The public had an opportunity to comment; no opposition was noted. A motion passed to approve the ordinance updates.

• Practical issues like overgrown grass near re hydrants and broken stop signs are being addressed to ensure public safety and improve the town’s appearance.

• Commissioner Eric Graham honored local gures who embody Magnolia’s spirit of generosity and service, reinforcing a sense of community pride.

• O cials encouraged residents to attend meetings, stay informed, and participate in upcoming public hearings on the budget and land use plan.

The meeting concluded with a reminder of collective responsibility and optimism about Magnolia’s future.

Daddy-Daughter Dance

6 to 9 p.m.

Dress to impress and make unforgettable memories at the Bow Ties & Tiaras Daddy-Daughter Dance on Saturday.

Wallace Woman’s Club 216 NE Railroad St. Wallace

June 21

Community Day

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The public is invited for a day of fun and connection on June 21 at the Thell B. Overman Football Field in Wallace. This Community Day celebration is a free, family-friendly event with Syara Kornegay serving as emcee and a special appearance by Javonte Williams of the Dallas Cowboys. The event will feature face painting, bouncy houses, balloon animals and more.

203 N. Teachey Road Wallace

June 21

Magnolia Community Day

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The town of Magnolia is inviting residents and neighbors to come together for a Community Day on June 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Magnolia Park. This event will feature community resource booths, food distribution, food trucks and plenty more to explore. For details, call 910-289-3205. 2830 S. U.S. 117 Highway, Magnolia.

Got a local event? Let us know and we’ll share it with the community here. Email our newsroom at community@duplinjournal.

SPONSORED BY

MAGNOLIA

COURTESY WARSAW POLICE DEPARTMENT

Community walk shines light on elder abuse

The event empowered seniors and caregivers promoting awareness and planning

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Duplin

County Senior Services held an elder abuse awareness event on June 11 to educate the community about issues a ecting older adults.

The day began at the Duplin County Senior and Veteran Services building with an Elder Abuse Walk. Sta and volunteers showed their support by wearing purple, the o cial color for elder abuse awareness. Participants walked around the Duplin Commons trails, which featured signs that highlighted important information about elder abuse.

Melisa Brown, Duplin County Senior Services director, told Duplin Journal that 20 people participated in the walk. “One of the 20 is 93 years young,” Brown noted.

Following the walk, seniors had the opportunity to hear from key speakers from Eastern Carolina Council Area Agency on Aging (ECC-AAA) and ECU Health, which presented an informative session on elder abuse. The speakers highlighted warning signs and prevention strategies. According to Brown, there

were 50 participants in the morning presentations.

“January Brown and Angelia Pridgen with ECC-AAA are great presenters, and the seniors enjoy the way they portray difcult topics with an easy application of how to avoid and endure whatever comes their way,” said Brown. She also praised Mary Lou In nito, community outreach coordinator with ECU Health, who discussed advance directives and the impor-

tance of advance care planning.

“She will be coming back at another time to provide the advance directives for seniors that have had time to review the packet and speak with their family members,” Brown told Duplin Journal.

Brown shared that the event served as a platform to bring attention to a critical issue while also sharing valuable information to empower both seniors and caregivers. It also emphasized the

importance of unity in the ght against elder abuse.

“The real-life examples provided by the presenters really provided the direct impact of the education to empower the community on how to recognize and report suspected abuse,” said Brown.

“The seniors were engaged in the conversations and shared how they have been targeted with phone scams, etc.”

In the afternoon, caregivers of family members with dementia,

“Seniors enjoy the way they portray di cult topics with an easy application of how to avoid and endure whatever comes their way.”

Melisa Brown, Duplin County Senior Services director

along with sta members who serve seniors at home, participated in Dementia Live empowerment sessions. These sessions aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals living with dementia. Brown reported that 11 participants attended the afternoon session.

“The Dementia Live empowerment allows all sta to have a great level of empathy to support and care for those with Alzheimer’s, dementia or memory impairment,” she explained, adding that for the caregivers in attendance, the sessions “helped them understand to some degree how the care recipient feels” and how they can be better able to assist or understand their behaviors.

“Knowledge is power, and it is our goal to love and support in the process,” said Brown.

PHOTOS COURTESY DUPLIN COUNTY SENIOR SERVICES

Participants in the Elder Abuse Walk raise their hands as they begin marching outside the Duplin County Senior and Veteran Services Center on June 11.

Left, Angelia Pridgen, Elouise McMahan, January Brown and Lauren Latshaw pose for a photo at the Duplin County Senior and Veteran Services Center on June 11. Center, a group of women walked along the trail outside the Duplin County Senior Services Center in Kenansville last week. Right, education met action at the Senior Services Center as seniors had the opportunity to engage in simulation sessions to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals living with dementia.

PHOTOS COURTESY DUPLIN COUNTY SENIOR SERVICES

Sta from Duplin County Senior Services and local seniors gather outside the center to raise awareness during the Elder Abuse Walk on June 11.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Without a doubt?

No matter how long we live, we will never have all the answers. In fact, we may have even more questions.

MY MOTHER LIVED to her late 90s and had a deep faith in God. Once, she said, “When I was younger, I thought if I lived to be this old, I would have all the answers. But I have more questions now than ever.” Yet she continued to trust God’s promises. In the Oscar-nominated movie “Conclave,” Cardinal Thomas Lawrence manages the election of the pope. He struggles with doubts about his ability to do the task and matters of faith. In his homily to his fellow cardinals, Cardinal Lawrence says, “Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt. If there was only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery — and therefore no need for faith.”

Some declare faith equals certainty and to think otherwise makes you unfaithful. However, certainty is not the same thing as assurance, such as Hebrews 11:1 describes, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In both the Old and New Testaments, faith is trust in the living God rather than a certitude of doctrine or knowing the answers to all of life’s questions. God’s people are called to have faith — to trust — when life circumstances seem to give them no reason to do so.

Ann Lamott writes in her book “Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith,” “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Certainty is missing the point entirely. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

there until some light returns.” In a similar way, in his book “Wishful Thinking,” writer Frederick Buechner portrays faith and doubt this way: “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.”

Two gospel scenes deal honestly with faith and our human doubts. At the end of Matthew’s gospel, the risen Jesus gathers 11 disciples on a mountain in Galilee. Matthew is transparent enough to tell us, “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted (28:17).” Another story tells of a man whose son su ered from a malicious spirit. When he asked Jesus for help, Jesus said, “All things can be done for the one who believes.” The distraught father cried, “I believe; help my unbelief.”

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Faith is taking the rst step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” This is what the apostle Paul meant by, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly. ... Now I know only in part (1 Corinthians 13:12).” No matter how long we live, we will never have all the answers. In fact, we may have even more questions. That’s OK, for as one writer has put it, “Faith is not about achieving a state of absolute certainty, but rather committing to a relationship with God.”

Philip Gladden is a retired minister who lives in Wallace.

Greta Thunberg, useful idiot for Hamas

The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

PROFESSIONAL LEFTIST Greta

Thunberg was brought to Israel this week after the “sel e yacht” she was traveling on attempted to break through a naval blockade of Gaza. Her boat, the “Madleen,” was part of a otilla pretending to deliver aid to alleviate an imaginary famine.

The 22-year-old was given food and shelter, and sent home by the Israeli government, which she accused of “kidnapping” her. All the usual suspects went along with this predictable framing.

If Thunberg really wanted to better understand the concept of an abduction, she might have asked Hamas to visit the Israelis still being tortured in a dank basement somewhere in Rafah. But the “human rights activist,” which is how the legacy media unironically describes her, has never once called for the release of the hostages taken by Islamists. Indeed, the otilla e ort was reportedly organized by a “Hamas operative.”

“(The Israelis) tried to make us watch all kinds of propaganda videos,” Thunberg told reporters after landing in Paris, “but I didn’t watch. This is nothing compared to what is happening in Gaza, which is in desperate need of humanitarian aid.” Referring to GoPro videos made by Palestinians that document the gleeful slaughter of women, children and the elderly as “propaganda” is a bold accusation

coming from a cosplay revolutionary whose biggest problem was getting a vegetarian meal from her hosts.

As this was all going on, incidentally, Israel has been sending hundreds of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. Hamas opposes this e ort, as it uses food and aid to control the Palestinian population. The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

The real question is: Why is she in the news at all?

Thunberg was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2019 after dropping out of high school and “raising awareness for climate change.” It was quite a historic accomplishment. No one was talking about global warming before Greta came around, apparently. Me? I tend to think the kid who stays in school and learns a thing or two about biology before lecturing me about science is the real hero. But we live in a time where emotionalism and vapidity are often confused with decency and wisdom. Thunberg is the embodiment of this trend.

Thunberg’s most infamous moment was a frivolous emotional outburst at the United Nations, where she screamed at those who had bequeathed her with unprecedented wealth, safety and freedom: “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with

your empty words,” she claimed. But really, her dream was to be famous. Or, maybe, it was rst the dream of exploitative parents who persuaded their child that the world was on the precipice of Armageddon.

Since her Time magazine cover, Thunberg has achieved nothing. Her native Sweden has turned back to fossil fuels. Europe, as well. The Earth, however, is still here.

Subsequently, Thunberg has moved on to champion other trendy leftist causes, such as Black Lives Matter and now “Free Palestine.” The only thing she understands less about than climate science seems to be the Middle East.

As far as I can tell, Thunberg has never once said anything remotely compelling, witty or smart. There are millions of young people far more worthy of attention. For years, youth shielded Thunberg from criticism. Even now, journalists fail to ask her a serious, in-depth question about the issues she champions. The chances she could answer one are incredibly slim. Well, Thunberg is now a young woman, and so we can freely point out that she’s always been an extraordinary imbecile. But now, she’s also a useful idiot for terrorists. For that, there is no excuse.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

COLUMN | PHILIP GLADDEN

Rose Hill nonpro t empowers children though generous donations

FLOCK helps send 64 military children to camp with $30,000 match

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

IN AN ANNOUNCEMENT made last week by House of Raeford Farms FLOCK, the Rose Hill nonpro t celebrated a record-breaking fundraising achievement by Camp Corral totaling $80,479. The amount raised was possible with the

evening, and then the council votes the budget up or down. In this case, no one spoke during the public hearing, and the council unanimously approved the plan, with some minor last-minute adjustments, in just a few short minutes.

A property revaluation that was performed by the Duplin County Tax O ce earlier this year made things a little easier, Taylor said.

“We have been waiting for the revaluation as it had been postponed for a couple of years,” he said. “We’ve been successfully juggling expenses to keep the town’s property tax rate unchanged for the last eight years, but it has been increasingly dicult to keep pulling a rabbit out of the hat. We’ve seen increases in operating costs over the years like most folks and, again, have done a good job absorbing those without touching the tax rate.”

The new tax rate adopted with the budget represents a decrease from 62 cents to 53 cents per $100 valuation, or about a 15%

help of a $30,000 matching gift donated by FLOCK.

The funds will enable 64 children of wounded and fallen service members to attend a weeklong summer camp in Raleigh designed to support their emotional and developmental needs.

“FLOCK’s partnership with Camp Corral is ful lling our mission of helping those who are called to do good, do more,” said Dave Witter, a member of FLOCK’s board of directors, in a news release.

rate decrease. However, the value of properties has increased signi cantly, with some residential properties growing 25% to 100% in value and commercial property values increasing by an average of 25%. The total assessed value of properties in Wallace stands at just over $336 million.

Still, property tax bills will be higher this coming year, Taylor said. To have kept the budget “revenue neutral,” the tax rate would have been set at 45.6 cents per $100 valuation.

“Even if the evaluation hadn’t happened this year, we were going to need to do something this year,” Taylor said. “While we did reduce the rate from the 62 cents to 53 cents — about a 1415% reduction — folks are still going to see an increase in their property taxes based on the new valuations.”

Taylor remains optimistic that the rate will be able to held at in the future due to increased residential and commercial development that is planned for the town. Hundreds of new homes and many new business plans

According to the organization, FLOCK has contributed more than $94,000 to the non-pro t since 2022. Camp Corral provides activities that foster growth, con dence and connection, helping military children form lasting friendships and giving them a safe space to heal, grow and thrive.

“House of Raeford Farms FLOCK has, once again, given America’s military children a week of summer camp and a lifetime of memories,” said Sheri Oberhelman, vice presi-

have been approved and are set to begin construction soon.

The largest source of revenue for the town is property taxes, with an expected revenue of almost $1.8 million, followed by different levels of sales taxes which combine for another $1.1 million.

The largest expenditure for the town is personnel, taking up about 43% of the budget, and the most expensive department for the town is the police department, which claims about 40% of the budget through personnel, training, vehicle and equipment costs.

“I extend my sincere thanks to the department heads, budget committee and town sta for their dedication and thoughtful input,” Taylor said in his budget message. “I also thank the mayor and town council for their continued leadership and commitment to the success and well-being of Wallace.”

Police Chief Jimmy Crayton said he appreciated the e orts to get his department as much funding as possible.

“While no department receives everything it requests, the bud-

Locations Pink Hill / Mt. Olive 252.568.3911 / 919.658.6027 www.kornegayinsurance.com

dent of development and outreach at Camp Corral. “Their support of Camp Corral’s mission has helped to change thousands of lives over the past several years.”

“House of Raeford Farms FLOCK has, once again, given America’s military children a week of summer camp and a lifetime of memories.” Sheri Oberhelman, Camp Corral

With over 3,000 campers registered for summer sessions this year, the ongoing support from donors like FLOCK gives kids a chance to nd renewed hope. The camp often serves as a transformative milestone, helping children discover their inner strength, develop social skills and connect with peers who face similar challenges.

geting process provides an opportunity for us to communicate our priorities,” he said. “As department heads, we are committed to being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and understand the importance of operating e ciently and transparently.”

The newly adopted budget is on the town website, wallacenc. gov, for review.

In other business, the council unanimously adopted several amendments to the town’s Code of Ordinances. The new amendments will give the town more ability to assess civil nes on property owners if they do not maintain their properties. Not only can the town ne an owner for failing to keep grass and weeds to a minimum, but it can also direct property owners to clean up trash and debris from their yards. Also, a new amendment was adopted making it a code violation to use a generator as a sole source of power when a natural disaster has not occurred. Residents have complained about the noise from generators that run 24 hours a day, and one home even burned sever-

“They are strengthening military families one child at a time by giving them a chance to build lifelong friendships, grow in their self-con dence, and realize their own strengths,” said Oberhelman. “On behalf of the entire Camp Corral team and the children we serve, thank you.”

al months ago when a generator that was left running on a front porch malfunctioned.

“I’d like to stress that this is not in regard to the general use of a generator,” Mayor Jason Wells said. “This is only in the case when it’s the sole source of power at a home.”

Taylor explained that in most cases, property owners will be given a warning rst, but if they do not clean things up, the town will have the ability to levy increasing civil nes, as well as hire contractors to clean up the mess and send owners the bill for the work.

The council also unanimously adopted a new ve-year Economic Development Strategic Plan that was presented to the council in May and approved a conditional zoning change to a portion of the Southpark Industrial Park on N.C. 11.

The change was approved to allow for the construction of a new 50,000-square-foot shell building, which economic development o cials hope will attract a new industry to town in the future.

Greenevers re chief honored with Governor’s Medallion Award

Gregory Carr (center) received the 2025 Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service at the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh on May 12. Carr is the re chief of the Greenevers Volunteer Fire Department. This award is presented to the top 20 volunteers in the state.

Pictured from left to right: S. Briles Johnson, Carr and Kenneth McLellan. Visit Duplin Journal for the story published on our May 8 edition.

TOWN OF WARSAW – JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Chief Of Police – Warsaw, pop. ~2,800, is seeking applications & resumes for the Chief of Police position. Town seeks chief who is both motivated & an innovative leader to perform admin., supervisory, mgmt., & leadership functions w/in the department. Must possess excellent communication skills & demonstrate ability to work e ectively w/ other depts. as part of the town’s management team & take pride in the position, as well as, lead by example. Must have the ability to make the department as e cient/e ective as possible when ful lling the commitment to serve & protect, develop & maintain budget, e ectively operate computer, possess exp. to seek grant-funding opportunities, as well as, establish & maintain e ective community & public relations. Quali ed candidate must also have skills in managing H.R. aspects of the job including the recruitment/hiring of promising o cers, as well as, carrying out disciplinary actions when necessary. Must be able to work varying shifts as needed which could include occasional nights & weekends. Desired education. & experience: Minimum of ten years

experience in law enforcement to include signi cant supervisory experience of a progressive responsible nature, completion of high school supplemented by extensive law enforcement training and course work, with an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice or related subject preferred, or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Must possess NC BLET certi cation, valid NC Drivers License; be able to pass thorough background investigation, psychological & medical evaluations. Salary range is DOQ. Town provides competitive salary along with excellent bene t package which includes NC local gov’t retirement system and 401(k) match, medical insurance, etc. Detailed resume, town application, salary history, and notarized CJTS Form F-3 must be submitted to: Lea Turner, Town Manager, PO Box 464, Warsaw, NC 28398. The position is open until lled. Required applications can be obtained at www.townofwarsawnc.com or by calling the Warsaw Town Hall at (910) 293-7814. EOE.

WALLACE from page A1

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

and

the

Local reading clinic initiative bene ts from $67K grant

The funding boost will fuel expansion and impact Duplin and Wayne counties

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

THE UNIVERSITY of Mount Olive recently announced that its reading clinic program received a grant of $67,725 from the Anonymous Trust for the 2025-26 academic year. This funding will support elementary students struggling with literacy while providing education majors with handson teaching experience.

“The UMO Reading Clinic is an innovative initiative that exempli es a win-win opportunity for both our students and the community,” said Aman-

da Bullard-Maxwell, assistant dean of education, in a press releasse. “Not only does it provide our future teachers with invaluable experience, but it directly re ects UMO’s commitment to community engagement and service.”

The program began as a pilot in 2023, working with 10 students from North Duplin Elementary. The clinic uses research-based resources like Flyleaf decodable texts and tailors instruction to each student’s reading level to provide personalized and e ective literacy development.

“The students are always eager to learn, and they arrive at the clinic excited and motivated,” said Ashley Johnson, associate professor of education and eldwork coordinator at UMO.

“One student even tells his

parents he’s ‘going to college’ when he comes for his tutoring sessions,” said Johnson. “It’s inspiring to see both the academic growth and the condence these young learners are developing.”

The new funding — almost three times the original grant amount — will support several major upgrades, including expanded small group tutoring, a new summer reading camp, stipends for lead teachers, a partnership with Carver Elementary School, and e orts to widen the clinic’s impact across Duplin and Wayne counties.

“The continued generosity of the Anonymous Trust allows us to expand our reach, deepen our services, and ultimately impact more students and future educators,” Johnson said.

PHOTOS COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT OLIVE

A UMO education major works with elementary students with literacy while getting hands-on teaching experience.

Left, the UMO Reading Clinic enhances reading comprehension for local elementary students

strengthens

practical training experiences for UMO’s education majors. Right, the clinic uses research-based resources like Flyleaf decodable texts and tailors instruction to each student’s reading level to provide personalized and e ective literacy development.

DUPLIN SPORTS

Addy Higginbotham was at least half of the heart of the North Duplin softball team the past four seasons as it compiled a 67-17

Rebels’ Higginbotham leaves big legacy as talented leader

There wasn’t much Addy Higginbotham didn’t do on a softball eld for ND, and her team-centric intangibles leave a legacy

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — Addy Higginbotham was a pitcher in title only as a freshman as North Duplin waited for its next star in the circle after the departure of Callie Thornton in 2021.

It would be another year until the Rebels pipeline pumped out is next hurler (Lilly Fulghum), and Higginbotham did as her mother ordered: She took the ball and did her best as a freshman hurler.

While her right arm struggled (1-3 with 26 strikeouts and 26 walks in 31 innings) her left-handed bat popped to the sound of success (.545 average, eight doubles, two triples and a home run).

Mom, the Rebels’ rst-year head coach, was also a misnomer back then being that she was the head coach at UMO for more than a decade.

Jaime Kylis Higginbotham watched her daughter go on to have one of the most productive seasons in school history.

“As her coach for many years, I couldn’t be prouder of the player she has developed into,” she said. “She has the highest game IQ of anyone I’ve ever coached, which is lacking in today’s game with younger players.

Ms. Softball’s career statistics are overwhelming, yet it was her leadership and positive vibes that put her in a class with former greats Rylee Pate, Haley Brodgen, Reece Outlaw, Courtney Brock and Rayanna and Mikayla Koch.

Yet none of these past Rebels greats have a four-year record as the inscription on Higginbotham’s prep monument: 67-17.

See SOFTBALL, page B2

2025: Addy Higginbotham, ND

2024: Reece Outlaw, ND

2023: Reece Outlaw, ND

2022: Rachel Blanchard, JK/Chandler Mobley, ED

2021: Callie Thorton, ND

2020: No season (Covid)

2019: Haven Williams, WRH

2018: Haven Williams, WRH

2017: Haley Brogden, ND

2016: Rylee Pate, ND

Higginbotham threepeats as area’s top coach

Jaime Kylis Higginbotham has built a family dynasty at North Duplin

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — North Duplin has become a softball power player the past decade.

But it’s not because every Rebels parent is motoring their daughters across the state playing to travel-ball tournaments on weekends in the spring, summer and/or fall.

To the contrary, the Rebels had only two players on their roster who play on travel teams.

“That’s not what everyone thinks,” said Jaime Kylis Higginbotham, who is Coach of the Year for the third straight season.

Higginbotham’s aggressive yet mellow and planned approach has molded the program into a perennial contender.

And that’s not been easy playing in the Carolina 1A Conference, a subpar league for softball.

COACH, page B4

Cleanup queen: Fulghum’s slugging fueled ND explosions

Rebels’ Lilly Fulghum led the county in four o ensive categories while hitting for power, a high average and driving in runs

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — North Duplin’s Lilly Fulghum has become a hitter with few weaknesses, and those shortcomings are almost often overshadowed by her strengths.

The toughest out in Duplin County led her competitors in average (.632), extra-base hits (18), on-base-percentage (.732) and

home runs (seven), and she was second in RBIs (18) and fourth in runs (24).

The Rebels junior, who verbally committed to play at UNC Charlotte in 2027, is the O ensive Player of the Year.

“Lilly is the most competitive player I’ve ever coached,” said ND head coach Jaime Kylis Higginbotham. “She is an absolute joy to be around and keeps us all on our toes in practice.

“She knows how to win.”

ND’s winning trail to a 14-4 mark and third-round 1A playo exit was rooted in Fulghum, who had eight doubles, three triples and 11 walks. She was held hitless in only

two games (mercy-rule wins over Hobbton and Lakewood) and didn’t strikeout until whi ng in the second round of the postseason against Vance Charter.

Fulghum, a three-sport athlete who knocked in four runs four times and was on base every Rebels game, was counted on heavily in the circle.

She was 5-2 with a 0.98 ERA in 50 innings, which included 55 strikeouts and 24 walks.

While pitching in one-third fewer innings than 2023, her ERA dropped a full run from her 12-1 campaign.

As a sophomore, Fulghum hit .617 with 11 doubles, eight triples, ve homers and 31 RBIs.

PHOTOS BY EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

mark.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Lilly Fulghum hit .632, had an on-base-percentage of .732 and homered

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Jaime Higginbotham loses two seniors from this year’s team after capturing her thirdstraight Coach of the Year awards. She’s 67-17 in four seasons.

Lon Teachey

Lon Teachey is still pounding a football through the uprights.

The former Wallace-Rose Hill placekicker is prepping for his senior season at Mars Hill after a junior campaign in which he hit on nine of 11 eld goals and 28 of 31 PATs.

The son of Tom and Melanie Teachey was the second-leading scorer for the 5-4 Lions.

Teachey was tied for third in overall percentage among Division II kickers.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound native of Rose Hill knocked down 31 of 33 FGs and 5 of 12 PATs as a sophomore.

He was limited to 10 kicks as a freshman, a eld goal and nine extra points.

He was one of four students o ered an inaugural Laurel Scholarship in 2022.

Students must have two of the following: a 3.8 gradepoint average in high school; be in top 5% of the class or score at least 1,300 on the SAT or 27 on the ACT.

The Blue and Gold open the season Sept. 6.

Hits leader Parker specialized as Panthers’ run manufacturer

Super-sophomore Karsyn Parker kickstarted ED’s o ense by scoring and driving in runs from the leado spot in the lineup.

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — Karsyn

Parker can do a lot of things on the softball eld, but the biggest two are scoring and driving in runs.

The East Duplin sophomore, who led the county with 29 runs and 31 hits and was third in RBIs with 16, did all of this from the leado spot in the Panthers’ lineup.

Parker led her team in six offensive categories as the Duplin Journal’s Heart of a Champion honoree.

“She’s a great kid, a silent leader, so leads by example,” said East Duplin coach Greg Jenkins. “She does things the right way and is easy to coach.”

Parker hit a sizzling .408 average with six doubles, two homers, eight walks and nine stolen bases as the spark plug of the o ense. She had an incredible .483 on-base-percentage.

She scored at least a run in 17 of 22 games and was held hitless three times, the last being to Midway during a 2-0 loss in the second round of the 2A playo s.

Parker’s play was key in making ED competitive and with a shot to capture the ECC title.

SOFTBALL from page B1

And the mark could have included more wins since games were lost during a national pandemic.

Thorton pitched ND to a one-loss season during the rst Covid season around a Rebels squad that was young, inexperienced and not as talented or as deep as those either before or after them.

Her most impressive outing might have been when she had two hits and scored the lone run when ED beat South Lenoir 1-0 in a key league win.

But a pair of losses to North Lenoir pushed the Panthers into third place. The losses had a new feel when the Hawks won the East Region title.

Parker played shortstop, but

State championship dreams were foreseeable in the minds of players, coaches and fans during the Higginbotham era.

“She’s not just skillful and super athletic, but smart, which is a key reason why she stands out. She knows what to do with the ball.”

Higginbotham edged out teammate Fulghum and East Duplin’s Karsyn Parker for her marquee award.

Jenkins has other ideas in 2026 because of her athletic ability and versatility.

“She’s convinced me she can play anywhere on the eld,” he said. “She will see time in the circle next year.”

Her play isn’t shocking since her statistics were close to those she had as a freshman (.434, .506 OBP, 32 runs, 16 RBIs).

She follows a two-year reign by former teammate Reece Outlaw. She’s the sixth Rebels player to win the honor since 2015. Higginbotham, who was an all-Duplin rst-team performer in both basketball and softball, was the Duplin Journal’s Female Athlete of the Year. She led the Rebels to the fourth round of the postseason en route to a 24-5 record.

TOWN OF WARSAW – JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Parks & Recreation Assistant - The Town of Warsaw, population ~ 2,800 seeks to hire a motivated, energetic, creative and detail-oriented individual to assist the Parks & Recreation Director with planning, organizing, and implementing a variety of programs and events for the residents of Warsaw and neighboring communities. Candidate will be responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of youth and adult sports. Assists with training of sta . Assists the director with department budget preparation. Manages social media marketing for the department and maintains

the department Facebook page. Ability to maintain con dentiality of sensitive information. Required exibility of night and weekend hours based on sports or gym rental. Experience and functional knowledge of Word, Excel and the ability to learn and implant new software programs. Ability to work with the general public in a respectful, tactful manner. Application Process: Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their quali

and experience to Lea, Turner, Town

464, Warsaw 28398; fax

lled.

Kicker, WRH ’22, Mars

COURTESY MARS HILL ATHLETICS

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Karsyn Parker hit .408, scoring 29 runs and driving in 16, while leading the Panthers o ense from the leado spot.

Rebels, Panthers keep tradition of stockpiling Duplin with stars

Four players from ND and ED were among the top-13 players on a rst-team all-star squad, which has only two seniors

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — Rising softball-playing seniors in Duplin County will make a splash next spring.

Eight juniors made waves as members of the 13-player All-Duplin softball team.

Three sophomores added to the underclassmen super-majority, but a pair of seniors — Addy Higginbotham and Morgan Brown — concluded banner four-year varsity careers.

North Duplin’s Higginbotham is Ms. Softball, teammate Lilly Fulghum is O ensive Player of the Year and East Duplin sophomore Karsyn Parker is the Champions Heart honoree.

Rebels coach Jaime Higginbotham repeats as Coach of the Year for the third straight time.

Coincidentally, the all-county squad in 2023 had only two seniors as well and nine players from that squad were repeat rst-team players. Another might have been included if ED’s Ava Noble didn’t miss the season with an ACL injury.

Here’s the best in Duplin where softball “diamonds” are some girls’ best friend in the spring.

FIRST TEAM

Addy Higginbotham, ND, Sr., SS

Ms. Softball: Hit .560, with seven doubles, eight triples, a home run, 32 runs and 13 RBIs. (See story on B1)

Lilly Fulghum, ND, Jr., P/3B

O ensive Player of the Year: Hit .632 with eight doubles, three triples, six home runs and 18 RBIs. (See story on B1)

Karsyn Parker, ED, So., SS

Whacked 31 hits to wind up at .408 with 29 runs and 16 RBIs

(See story on B1)

Ady Spence, ND, Jr., 1B

A second-team selection as season ago, but pumped up her average to .396 after being above .400 for the bulk of the season. She had ve. doubles, a triple and drove in 12 runs. In the circle, she was 9-1 with 0.91 ERA in 34 innings. Spence generally pitched half of a game with Fulghum nishing it o .

Kinsey Cave, ED, So., 2B

Got a slow start after guiding the basketball team into the fourth round of the playo s but made up for it in short order.

Cave hit .362 with six doubles and two fence-clearers and was a key part of the in eld at second base.

Jourdan Joe, JK, Jr., 3B/C

Can put make a softball feel abused and is the most feared Tigers hitter. She hit .531 with seven doubles, a triple, six homers and an on-base mark of .581.

Marissa Bernal, ND, Jr., 3B

Hit .447 with ve doubles, four triples and two dingers and scored 24 runs. Hit well against the best teams on the Rebels’ schedule to move up from her spot on the second team in 2024. She a player that can be count on to deliver.

Payton Tyndall, WRH, So., P

One of four sophomores on the rst team learned a lot about pitching at the top level this spring. She already knew how to hit.

The sophomore went 8-10 in 1022⁄3 innings, whi ng 101 and walking 66 as head coach Cory Lovelace painfully started letting her work through rough stretches.

Tyndall threw better and better late in the season and hit .312 with 12 RBIs.

Look for her to lower her 4.75 ERA next spring and amp up her hitting stroke.

Jansley Page, WRH, Jr., SS

One of the top athletes in the junior class wrote her name unto the rst team after a second-unit nod in 2024 and a rst-team ticket in volleyball last fall.

An injury forced her to miss a few early games, but bat was on re the nal 10 games. She hit .407 with four doubles and three triples and had a team-high 22 runs. She found ways to get on base and then ran the bases exceptionally well, often forcing the defense into a miscue.

Morgan Brown, ED, Sr., P

Used her southpaw touch to carve out a 43-25 career mark in four seasons, averaging just over 100 strikeouts per season in nearly 394.2 innings. She was 11-7 in the spring with a 2.56 ERA. Her best outing came when she limited South Lenior to one hit during a 1-0 win to give ED a chance to win the ECC title.

North Duplin’s Ady Spence went 9-1 in the circle and hit

but she isn’t far o her pace all things considered. She hit .378 with four doubles, two triples and a dinger and was a good bunter or hitter who would move runners to the next base in a key game. Norris is a defensive workhorse behind the plate and has a strong arm.

Kinzley Sloan, JK, So., C/OF

Hit .521 with 15 RBIs in her debut of what promises to be a all-star track.

Ta’Niya Powell, WRH, Sr., 1B

Most of her 19 hits were bullets en route to a .388 mark.

Kenadi Gideons, JK, So., IF/OF

Her 20 hits were the most by a Tigers player this season. She hit .488 as one of the most improved players in the county.

Callie Mewborn, ED, So.,OF

But the Panthers were beaten twice by North Lenoir, which went on to win the league ag and then advance to the 2A nals.

Sophie Sloan, WRH, Jr., OF/2B

Another second-team jumper, joining the top 13 by hitting .346 with ve doubles and a homer and 12 RBIs.

Rebecca Beach, ED, Jr. C

A coach’s dream, she can hit, throw our runnings, protect the plate, support a pitcher, lead the in eld and isn’t afraid to dive for a ball.

The junior hit .391 with ve doubles, four triples and 19 RBIs. Her 27 hits were second on the Panthers to leado hitter Parker.

Shylah Sloan, JK, Jr., SS/P

Threw a team-high 302⁄3 innings and hit .333 for her second visit to the rst-team.

SECOND TEAM

Abby Norris, ND, So., C

Blocked from the rst team by Panthers backstop Beach,

Hit .265 with seven doubles and a homer and drove in 20 runs.

Leighton Davis, ED, Fr., 3B

Poisded to be a xture in the Panthers lineup following a season in which the freshman lashed 17 hits and had 12 RBIs. She displayed cat-quick re exes at third base.

Chloe Straughn, WRH, Sr., IF

Finished her career with a .345 mark, stroking three doubles and eight RBI.

Mattie Gavin, WRH, Jr., C

Undervalued for her defensive skills, Gavin hit .264 and had a pair of homers.

Gabby Zamudio, ND, So, 2B

Found ways to get on base (14 hits, seven walks, four times reached on error) to score 21 times.

Zoe Turner, ED, Jr., OF

Upped her hitting average from .220 to .315 and had ve extra-base hits and nine RBI.

TOWN OF WARSAW – JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Town Planner/Code Enforcement O cer – Warsaw, pop. 2738.

The Town of Warsaw is located in western Duplin County. US Route 117 passes through the center of town and leads north 30 miles to Goldsboro and south 19 miles to Wallace. NC Highway 50 intersects US 117 at the north end of town and leads east 8 miles to Kenansville, the Duplin County seat. Interstate 40 passes to the south and west of Warsaw, with easy access to Wilmington or Raleigh. Warsaw is known for its designation for the Oldest Consecutive Veterans Day Parade: Job Responsibilities: Enforces and administers the Town’s local zoning ordinances, codes and regulations. Coordinate, attend and facilitate evening meetings of the Planning Board and Board of Adjustments. Oversee urban planning initiatives, including land use planning, environmental studies, and development proposals. Investigate and address complaints related to zoning violations, conducting site inspections when necessary. Issue notices of violation and citations and follow through with appropriate enforcement actions. Collaborate

with property owners, developers, and the community to ensure compliance with zoning regulations. Maintain detailed records of enforcement actions and urban planning activities. Prepare and present reports to the town board and other stakeholders. Stay updated on changes in local, state and federal laws a ecting municipal government and planning. Develop and implement strategies for e ective zoning enforcement and urban planning. Performs related special projects and activities as required; Minimum Quali cations: Bachelors degree in urban planning, public administration, or related eld; Signi cant experience in urban planning, code enforcement, or municipal government. Interested individual must also be in possession of, or have the ability to obtain, a valid North Carolina driver’s license. Salary: $60,000$75,000 DOE. Application Process: Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their quali cations and experience to Lea Turner, Town Manager, P.O. Box 464, Warsaw 28398; fax (910) 293-7701. Open until lled. EOE.

PHOTOS BY EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Left, ED’s Morgan Brown won 43 games in four years, striking out more than 100 per season in nearly 400 innings in the circle. Above, ED’s Kinsey Cave hit .362 as a rst-year starter.

.391.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Payton Tyndall hit .312 with 12 RBIs while going 8-10 and striking out 101 in 102 innings.

JK’s Jourdan Joe hit .531 and was second in Duplin in HRs with six.

Tar Heels embrace new world as part of coach Belichick’s rst college team

The 73-year-old coach is installing his system at UNC

By Aaron Beard

The Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL — Jordan Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was UNC’s new football coach.

“It was just like, ‘That’s the greatest coach of all time,’” the receiver recalled, “‘and he’s about to be coaching us.’”

Tar Heels players hadn’t spoken to reporters since last year’s team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season.

So last week marked the rst time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick’s arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport’s highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots.

Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to the curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer who is now giving college a try.

“There’s a lot of that, you get

Higginbotham is fed players with decent softball backgrounds, but the last ve seasons charter schools have become a fabric of the postseason, so much so that many coaches are calling for a separation.

Schools such as ND faced what must feel like a doubling of teams that could capture the East Region ag.

No. 6 ND made it to the quarter nals of the East Region before falling to No. 3 Bear Grass Charter. West champ Roxboro Community won the ag and fell to Union Academy in the 1A nal.

The Rebels fell to eventual East champ Northside-Pinetown in the 2024 postseason and to Union Academy in the 1A nal in 2023.

Higginbotham has kept the Rebels program among the frontrunners while not being able to “import” talent.

In today’s game, a softball team must have a dominate pitcher whose ERA is under two runs a game and at least ve .400 hitters. And only that’s only good enough for a league title and a trip to the third round.

Time and how the brackets are arranged also play into

a lot of ‘How is Coach Belichick? What’s new? What’s di erent?’” Hardy said. “So I’ve rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.”

The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football’s role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger.

He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level.

Belichick’s rst on- eld work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts.

“Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,” Belichick said. “We’ve had great buy-

in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they’re early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the eld. They spend time on their own, whether it’s doing extra training or coming over and watching lm and that type of thing.

“They’ve made a ton of improvement, and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it’s exciting to see where that’s going to take us.”

For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were

the postseason, which is talked about each season in Calypso, in part because of Higginbotham, who knows the game but more importantly knows how to connect with players she’s known since they had Tooth Fairy dreams.

Higginbotham, who is 67-17 in four seasons with the Rebels, beat out fellow three-time Coach of the Year Greg Jenkins to win the award. ND nicked ED 12-7 in the only meeting as rain canceled the rematch.

The Rebels lost two games to 1A schools this spring, falling to league foe Rosewood but winning two of three matchups with the Eagles and then Bear Grass Charter in the third round.

Higginbotham loses her all-state daughter and in elder Addy Higginbotham and M’chelle Jaco but returns every other starter and reserve next season. She’ll also add daughter Graice to the roster as a freshman.

She’s got “four more years”

UNC coach Bill Belichick watches his team during spring practice in March.

erybody with tremendous respect, and it’s been great.” Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick’s son Steve — now the Tar Heels’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

“I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long,” Dixon said.

Yet not every surprise has been about X’s and O’s. Sometimes it’s simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side.

“I feel like that’s the biggest curveball, you’re coming to the rst meeting and you’re expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in,” said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. “He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That’s the second thing he said.” Hardy pointed out that vibe, too.

growing up and watching on TV.

Intimidating much?

“I mean, maybe at rst when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he’s won,” said offensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick’s rst portal commitment.

“But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there’s no question why he has the success that he has.

“The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that’s what’s getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats ev-

SOFTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR

2025: Jaime Higginbotham, ND

2024 Jaime Higginbotham, ND

2023: Jaime Higginbotham, ND

2022: Greg Jenkins, ED

2021: Ricky Edwards, ND

2020: No season (Covid)

2019: Greg Jenkins, ED

2018: Greg Jenkins, ED

2017: Cory Lovelace, WRH

2016: Ricky Edwards, ND

2015: Ricky Edwards, ND

in her, and that should mean four more chances at returning the Rebels to the state nals, this time as a 2A school in an NCHSAA that will have eight classi cations. That’s not hyperbole talking in Calypso; it’s what the community has come to expect.

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Duplin County Board of Equalization and Review will hold its last meeting on Thursday, June 26, 2025 at 2:00 pm in the Commissioner’s Room, Duplin County Administrative Building, 224 Seminary Street, Kenansville, NC. This meeting is held for the purpose of review and hearing appeals of listings and valuations.

“There are times when he’ll just crack a joke out of nowhere,” he said. “And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.”

Still, Hardy noted it’s mingled amid the work, such as lm sessions when “there’s no hiding” when Belichick highlights a mistake.

“I’ve loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him,” Hardy said. “It’s cool to see and meet him personally because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he’s just a completely di erent coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It’s cool.”

The Board expects to adjourn on June 26, 2025. In the event of earlier or later adjournment, notice to that e ect will be published in this newspaper.

Gary M. Rose Clerk to the Board of E&R

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

COACH from page B1

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Jaime Kylis Higginbotham revived ND after a lull following the 2021 season. The Rebels will see three new schools and more competition when they play in the expanded Carolina Conference next spring.

obituaries

Clarence McKenly Herring Jr.

Sept. 28, 1941 – June 15, 2025

Mr. Clarence McKenly Herring Jr., age 83, of Rose Hill, NC passed away on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at home.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 23, 2025 at 12:00 noon at the Rose Hill Funeral Home Chapel in Rose Hill, NC.

Left to cherish his precious memories are three daughters: Cassandra Henderson of Wallace, NC, Michelle Wade (Portis) of Goldsboro, NC and Gloria Herring of Chicago, IL; two brothers: Linnell Herring (Thelma) and Willie Herring, both of Rose Hill, NC; one sister, Shelva Wilburn of Philadelphia, PA; eight grandchildren: one of which was raised in the home, Selena Herring Turner (Timothy) of Teachey, NC; sixteen greatgrandchildren and one great, great-grandchild; two aunts: Nicie Williams and Daisy Dixon; one uncle, Levi J. Batts (Deborah); numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will miss him dearly.

Billy Randall Hall

June 17, 1947 – June 14, 2025

Billy Randall Hall, age 77, died Saturday, June 14, 2025 at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville. He is preceded in death by his wife, Rebecca Sue Hall and sister Annie Mae Moore. Mr. Hall is survived by his daughter, April Blizzard and husband Samuel Ashley Blizzard III of Hampstead; grandsons, Brody Garrett Vance and wife Casey Corley Vance of Cincinnati, OH, Brandon Chase Vance and wife Marissa Vance of Charleston, SC; granddaughters, Alecia Cox and husband Andrew of Fuquay Varina; Paxton Blizzard and ancé Javari of Apex; Alex Britt and husband Jared of Albertson; great grandchildren, Evan Garrett Vance, Eva Rose Holshouser, Eliza McNair Cox, Drew Robeson Cox, Marsh Samuel Britt, baby girl Violet Vance due October; brother Julius Ray Hall and wife Glenda of Clayton; and numerous special nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews.

In lieu of owers, donations may be made to the Memorial or Building Fund at the Potters Hill Advent Christian Church, 984 Church Rd. Pink Hill, NC 28572 or to Serenity Funeral Home, PO Box 780, Beulaville, NC 28518.

Gina (Bivins) Matthews

May 22, 1961 – June 11, 2025

Gina Bivins Matthews, age 64 of Teachey, NC, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, surrounded by her family. A devoted wife, mama, Meme, and Gigi, Gina touched the lives of so many people with her kindness, warmth, and loving spirit.

Born in Jacksonville, NC on May 22, 1961, Gina was the daughter of the late Jackie and Mary Bivins of Wallace. Gina was the beloved wife of Bill for nearly 45 years. Together, they raised a family that Gina was so proud of: Brittany and husband David, Morgan and husband Eric, and Angel and husband Braxton. Being a Meme to Carrlee Jack, Skylar, and Fin, along with Gigi to Layton and Holden, was one of her greatest blessings. Gina was a loving sister-in-law to Kay and Delana Johnson. Along with many loving nieces and nephews, Gina found a sisterly love and best friend through Brenda Knight and Gail Ramsey. She was known as Ginka to a special boy, Lon Teachey.

Known for her generosity and caring ways, Gina always put the needs of others above her own.

Her love for Jesus and her family was the foundation of her life and something she held closest to her heart.

You would often nd Gina listening to praise and worship songs, baking treats for loved ones, reading her devotionals, and sending thoughtful messages — simply put, Gina nurtured the needs of others in all that she did. She led by example, o ered sound advice, and faithfully prayed for her family and loved ones every single day.

Gina’s greatest joys in life were being a devoted wife, a loving mama, and a proud Meme and Gigi. She took great pride in these roles. When her family was gathered together, Gina was at her happiest, her heart full.

She leaves behind a legacy of faith, kindness, and unwavering love that will continue to live on in all who knew her. Though she will be deeply missed, her spirit will remain with us always — in every prayer, every act of kindness, and every moment shared with family, Whenever the wind whispers and a hummingbird’s wings utter by, we will feel her with us, knowing she is “all good” and walking with Jesus in her Heavenly home.

The memorial service was held on June 16.

In lieu of owers, the family would appreciate donations made in her honor to Albertson Missionary Baptist Church, 3736 NC 903 Hwy, Albertson, NC 28508 or ECU Health, Service League of Greenville Inpatient Hospice House, c/o Vidant Health Foundation, 690 Medical Drive, Greenville, NC 27834.

The family would like to express our deepest gratitude to our dear friend and nurse, Amanda, as well as the sta at The Service League of Greenville Hospice House, whose love, devotion, and tireless care brought comfort and peace to Gina during her nal journey. Their emotional support, unwavering presence, and tender heart supported her and our family every step of the way. We are forever grateful for the deep love and dedication they showed to Gina and to all of us.

Linda Faye Wright

August 4, 1950 –June 12, 2025

Ms. Linda Faye Wright, age 74, of Wallace, NC passed away on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at UNC Health Duplin Hospital in Kenansville, NC.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 1:00 pm at the Rose Hill Funeral Home Chapel in Rose Hill, NC. Burial will follow at Duplin Memorial Gardens in Teachey, NC.

Left to cherish her precious memories, one sister, Angela Wright Coleman of FuquayVarina, NC; numerous cousins and friends that will miss her dearly.

Melissa Miller Chase

May 1, 1972 – June 12, 2025

Melissa Miller Chase, age 53, died Thursday, June 12, 2025 at home. She is preceded in death by her husband, Brian Chase and mother, Joyce Ann Miller. Mrs. Chase is survived by her daughters, Kristian Long and husband Wesley of Richlands, Kayleigh Chase of Chinquapin; son, Donovan Chase of Chinquapin; father Milton Sherwood Miller of Pink Hill; brother, Milton Sherwood Miller Jr. and wife Tania of Potters Hill; three grandchildren, Zane Chase, Anna Long, Alyson Long; nieces, Taylor Miller, Lillie Miller, and nephews, Shane Bryan, and Cameron Kennedy.

Edwin “Eddie” Spencer Jr.

Nov. 7, 1947 – June 12, 2025

Edwin “Eddie” Ferebee

Spencer Jr., age 77, died Thursday, June 12, 2025 at ECU Health Duplin Hospital in Kenansville, NC. He is preceded in death by his parents Edwin and Hazel Spencer and his former wife and rst love Twila Tucker.

Mr. Spencer is survived by his longtime companion and last love Debbie Martin of Chinquapin; daughter, Paige Spencer of Raleigh, step daughter, Ashley Holmes of OR; son, Hunter Spencer of Wilmington; brother, Wallace Spencer of Dover; and three grandchildren, Savannah Spencer, Walter Holmes, and Graham Holmes.

Eddie was born in Portsmouth, Virginia and his family moved to Kinston, North Carolina in 1961; he later moved to Dover, NC in 1964. He and his brother Wallace grew up amongst aunts, uncles, and cousins, and they enjoyed all the aspects of country living. His love for rock and roll started in the 1950s, listening to such greats as Elvis, Little Richard, Dion, and more. He started dancing at the old skating rink at the Kinston airport at the age of 12—little did he know shag dancing would become one of the most favorite things in his life. He graduated from South Lenoir High School and attended Lenoir Community College to become an electrician. Eddie proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. In 1971, he moved to Wilmington, NC where he met and married Twila in 1973. They started their family, and Eddie was a proud father, coaching softball for Paige and teaching Hunter how to play golf. One of the places Eddie was happiest was on the dance oor shagging to beach music. He danced in all the major clubs but the Pavilion at Atlantic Beach was one of his favorites. When

he moved to Wilmington, he got involved in the shag scene there. He started going to SOS in Myrtle Beach in 1982 and didn’t miss one for 31 years. In the shag world, he was known as “Crazy Eddie” and everybody understands why. Eddie served as the Cape Fear Shag Club President and Vice President in the early 2000’s. Eddie and Debbie met at SOS at Fat Harold’s and began their long-term relationship in August of 2002. They became engaged in December 2002, and they’ve been together ever since. Eddie was very romantic, bringing her owers every day when they were dating and even named a star after her. In their 23 years together, they shared many happy memories, most of them on the dance oor. He was inducted into the Atlantic Beach Shaggers Hall of Fame in 2015. Something Eddie always took great pride in was his career with General Electric in the nuclear division, which started in 1983 until he retired in 2008. He had a specialized job and was wellknown for his problem-solving skills in his position at GE.

Eddie had a strong faith and enjoyed being a member of Bethlehem Original Freewill Baptist Church in Fountaintown, where he and Debbie attended services regularly. After his GE retirement, he worked parttime in maintenance at Catalyst Church in Jacksonville, NC where he did just about everything except preach the sermon. Through his entire career, Eddie made lifelong friends with everybody he met in every job that he held.

Outside of the workplace, Eddie loved the game of golf and never gave up wanting to play another round. The hunting club was another big part of his life. Come October through January the 1st, Eddie was up at early dawn and didn’t come home until late in the day, deer hunting as often as possible. This is a re ection of his passion for hunting and his love for all of his hunting buddies.

To know Eddie was to love Eddie. He lived life in vivid color, unapologetically. He always said he would continue dancing until he couldn’t dance anymore, and he did just that. Eddie is already shadow shagging with his best friends of the past. We love you Eddie, and we know you’re throwing the ball to Rebel, our beloved dog.

Wallace PD visit teaches kids about safety

Wallace police Capt. David Morgan (left) and O cer Michael Murphy visited children at Awaken Daycare on June 11 for an educational safety presentation. During the visit, the o cers discussed gun safety, the dangers of talking to strangers, when and how to dial 911 and the importance of knowing one’s home address. The kids even got the opportunity to explore police patrol vehicles up close and ask questions.

COURTESY

Stanly NewS Journal

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Stanly Arts Council to host second Music Day

The Stanly County Arts Council released its nal schedule for the Music Day celebration this Saturday. Events will take place in Albemarle, Badin, Locust, Norwood and Oakboro from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Events will include an organ crawl through four downtown churches, ukulele lessons, voice classes and live performances. For a complete schedule: makemusicday.org/ stanlycounty.

Juneberry Ridge in Norwood coming to PBS

Starting Thursday, Juneberry Ridge will be featured on the PBS show “N.C. Weekend” as part of an episode highlighting relaxing weekend destinations. Juneberry will appear alongside The Spa at Pinehurst and The Grandover Spa Inn in Greensboro. The episode will air Thursday at 9 p.m., Friday at 5 p.m. and Junw 24 at 7:30 p.m. It will also be available at PBS.com and on the PBS app.

Wake Forest alum named University of Alabama president

Peter J. Mohler has been named the next president of the University of Alabama. Mohler comes to the role from Ohio State University and has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

‘No

Kings’ protest draws hundreds in Albemarle

Coordinated events took place across the country

By Jesse Deal and Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — A crowd of around 200 people took part in the “No Kings” protest held in Albemarle on Saturday morning.

Demonstrators protesting recentlyelected President Donald Trump stood on the sidewalk near the corner of Leonard Avenue and N.C. Highway 24-27, waving American ags and a variety of antiauthoritarian signs that signaled support for the protection of democracy, due process and immigrant rights.

National organizers claim that more than 5 million people took part in demonstrations in over 2,000 cities and towns across the country on Saturday. The gatherings were timed for the same day as a military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.

Former Stanly County Board of Commissioners member Peter Asciutto attended the No Kings protest in Albemarle and described it as an “interesting and positive event” with an “impressive line of people.”

“It was very positive — there was no violence, just people there trying to make a di erence,” said Asciutto, now a marketing instructor at Anson High School. “The feeling I got from the ground is that a lot of people

“It was very positive — there was no violence, just people there trying to make a di erence.”

Peter Asciutto

feel that the Trump administration has too much power in the executive branch. There were some people there who saw immigration as their main reason for coming and feel that it’s been overkill on immigration with the ICE raids.”

The No Kings theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement to support against what it calls the executive overreach of the Trump administration,

Albemarle promotes Rhodes to be next city manager

“Serving the city of Albemarle is one of the most rewarding opportunities in my career.”

Darren Rhodes

He will take over when City Manager Todd Clark retires in August

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The city of Albemarle announced Tuesday that its city council has appointed Assistant City Manager Darren Rhodes as the next city manager, e ective upon the retirement of current City Manager Todd Clark in August.

Clark is retiring after 35 years of service and a year as city manager. “Darren Rhodes has proven himself to be a skilled, caring and ethical leader for our organization,” Albemarle Mayor Ronnie Michael said in a media release. “Darren’s un-

derstanding of the city’s operations is a valuable asset as we move forward with critical projects. City council is condent that Darren’s vast experience at both the local and state levels of government will help us build an even better future for Albemarle.”

Rhodes has been assistant city manager for Albemarle since October 2022 and served as interim city manager last year.

“Serving the city of Albemarle is one of the most rewarding opportunities in my career,” Rhodes said. “I’m thankful for the trust city council has placed in me to lead the next phase of our city’s progress. I look forward to continuing to work with our

which has recently deployed National Guard members and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests against ICE immigration raids. The Albemarle protest was organized by Indivisible Uwharrie, a local chapter of a larger national organization.

Ariel Dennis, a social worker with Stanly County DSS, said the idea of 200 people coming out locally to support the protest was phenomenal.

“Our little town was able to show such support on the right side of history, and especially show the other side that there are more of us than there are of them and that we do not condone tyrants,” Dennis said. “As a social worker, I talk with these people daily, and I see what the community actually needs. They need actual leadership and support, and we are not nding that with our current president.”

“We need more hometown folks to support our democracy,” noted Jera Norwood, who

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

COURTESY PETER ASCIUTTO

Left, some of the “No Kings” protesters along the highway in Albemarle. Top right, “No Kings” participant Jay Beasley holds his protest sign. Bottom right, Kathy Johansen dressed up as a queen for Saturday’s rally.

CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

COURTESY PETER ASCIUTTO

Neal

NC Labor Commissioner Farley honors Stanly County businesses

Luke Farley handed out safety awards

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Businesses from Stanly and beyond were honored for their e orts to maintain safe workplaces last Wednesday afternoon at the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce Labor Lunch hosted by Atrium Stanly. North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Luke Farley was the keynote speaker for the event.

Farley opened his remarks by saying when introduced as the state’s Labor commissioner, most of the time people know him as “the elevator guy.”

“The No. 1 job of the Labor commissioner is to keep the working men and women safe and healthy, and to make sure everybody goes home safely at the end of the workday,” Farley said.

“Workplace safety is serious, and it’s an obligation I take very seriously. This is the only job in state government where success or failure is literally going to be measured in lives lost and limbs lost.”

Regarding Stanly and the surrounding area’s potential for economic development, Farley said it is “an area of

& Co. Hemp Company is dedicated to bringing wellness to the world by offering a variety of hemp goods.

Luke Farley,

the state that I think is set to explode.”

The labor commissioner added events like the Labor lunch are about coming together to recognize excellence and safety, not to debate or argue about regulations.

“There is a lot of competition out there for economic opportunity,” Farley said. “Nearby states would love to land the businesses and investment deals that come here. There’s erce competition, but it’s not just other states. It’s other countries (like) China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Turkey. Those are all countries looking to take the economic opportunities that we have in North Carolina and in the United States.”

At 39, Farley is the youngest commissioner to serve in North Carolina in 100 years, having worked for 14 years as

a workplace safety attorney.

“My commitment to you and everybody in the state is that those regulations are going to be enforced in a fair, evenhanded and consistent way,” he said.

“My experience in the private sector is businesses can handle tough regulation. They cannot handle inconsistent regulation, so that if you’re doing business in Murphy or Manteo, you’re going to get the same treatment from the Department of Labor.”

During the awards ceremony, companies received awards based on workplace safety criteria.

Saputo Cheese USA Inc. of Biscoe was honored with a million hour award, given to companies which accrue a million employee hours with no injuries or illnesses which require days away from work. Saputo accomplished this feat from Feb. 23, 2022, to May 2, 2024.

Silver awards, based on days away from work rates at least 50% below industry averages, were presented to rst-year winners Currituck County and NJR Group Inc. Stanly Manor received a silver award for the fourth straight year.

Gold awards, presented to businesses with DART rates (cases involving days away, restricted duty or job transfer) at least 50 percent below industry averages, went to companies listed below.

Gold Award Winners

First Year

• Atrium Health (Gastroenterology & Hepatology - Stanly)

• Atrium Health Anson

• H.W. Culp Lumber Company

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (Highway 64 Project)

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (Lexington Asphalt Plant)

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (N.C. Highway 3 –Mooresville Hwy Jobsite)

Second Consecutive Year

• Coastal AgroBusiness Inc. (Carthage)

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (Julian Road Project)

• Saputo Cheese USA Inc. (Biscoe)

Third Consecutive Year

• City of Albemarle

• United Protective Technologies LLC

Fifth Consecutive Year

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (Highway 24/27 Jobsite)

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (New London Asphalt Plant)

Sixth Consecutive Year

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (Salisbury Asphalt Plant)

Seventh Consecutive Year

• Cube Hydro Carolinas LLC (Yadkin Generation)

Eighth Consecutive Year

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (Clear Creek Asphalt Plant)

Ninth Consecutive Year

• Troy Medical Services

Tenth Consecutive Year

• J.T. Russell & Sons Inc. (Healing Springs)

Fourteenth Consecutive Year

• Stanley Engineered Fastening

Twenty-Seventh Consecutive Year

• Hildreth Wood Products Inc.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County:

June

19

Locust Farmers Market

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This producers-only market o ers fresh produce, homemade foods and crafts by local creators. Conveniently located across the street from Locust Elementary School. Open May through September.

Corner of 24/27 and Vella Drive Locust

June 21

Free Bucket Drumming Workshop

9-9:30 a.m.

This free workshop led by instructor Kurt Varney is part of the one-day Make Music Stanly County celebrations. Designed for students age 7-plus. Limited to 10 participants.

Courthouse Square Park 100 N. 2nd St. Albemarle

CAPTA Tractor Pull

2-8 p.m.

Featuring multiple classes of tractors for competition. Concessions and bleacher seating on-site. Admission ranges from $15 per person to $30-60, with parking and driver’s admission included. Children under 12 admitted for free. Contact 704-221-0281 to reserve limited trackside parking.

Stanly County Fairgrounds 24302 Business U.S. 52 Albemarle

June 28

Sprinkle & Splash

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Free water fun event! Children can play in sprinklers and participate in fun yard games. Be dressed to get wet and be sure to bring sunscreen, a chair/blanket and everything else you’ll need.

240 Lions Club Drive Locust

Summer Concert Series: Remington Cartee Music

7-10 p.m.

Along with live music, participants can enjoy goods from vendors o ering food, beverages, crafts and more. This family-friendly event provides multiple activities for children. Admission is free; bring your own chairs or blankets for seating.

Locust City Hall Backyard 186 Ray Kennedy Drive Locust

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| DAVID HARSANYI

Greta Thunberg, useful idiot for Hamas

The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

PROFESSIONAL LEFTIST Greta Thunberg was brought to Israel this week after the “sel e yacht” she was traveling on attempted to break through a naval blockade of Gaza. Her boat, the “Madleen,” was part of a otilla pretending to deliver aid to alleviate an imaginary famine. The 22-year-old was given food and shelter, and sent home by the Israeli government, which she accused of “kidnapping” her. All the usual suspects went along with this predictable framing.

If Thunberg really wanted to better understand the concept of an abduction, she might have asked Hamas to visit the Israelis still being tortured in a dank basement somewhere in Rafah. But the “human rights activist,” which is how the legacy media unironically describes her, has never once called for the release of the hostages taken by Islamists. Indeed, the otilla e ort was reportedly organized by a “Hamas operative.”

“(The Israelis) tried to make us watch all kinds of propaganda videos,” Thunberg told reporters after landing in Paris, “but I didn’t watch. This is nothing compared to what is happening in Gaza, which is in desperate need of humanitarian aid.” Referring to GoPro videos made by Palestinians that document the gleeful slaughter of women, children and the elderly as “propaganda” is a bold accusation coming from a cosplay revolutionary whose biggest problem was getting a vegetarian meal from her hosts.

As this was all going on, incidentally, Israel has been sending hundreds of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. Hamas opposes this e ort, as it uses food and aid to control the Palestinian population. The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

The real question is: Why is she in the news at all?

Thunberg was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2019 after dropping out of high school and “raising awareness for climate change.”

It was quite a historic accomplishment. No one was talking about global warming before Greta came around, apparently. Me? I tend to think the kid who stays in school and learns a thing or two about biology before lecturing me about science is the real hero. But we live in a time where emotionalism and vapidity are often confused with decency and wisdom. Thunberg is the embodiment of this trend.

Thunberg’s most infamous moment was a frivolous emotional outburst at the United Nations, where she screamed at those who had bequeathed her with unprecedented wealth, safety and freedom: “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she claimed. But really, her dream was to be famous. Or, maybe, it was rst the dream of exploitative parents who persuaded their child that the world was on the precipice of Armageddon.

Since her Time magazine cover, Thunberg has achieved nothing. Her native Sweden has turned back to fossil fuels. Europe,

Greta Thunberg, wearing a Palestinian ke yeh, meets with journalists in Catania, Italy, on June 1, ahead of their departure for the Mideast.

as well. The Earth, however, is still here.

Subsequently, Thunberg has moved on to champion other trendy leftist causes, such as Black Lives Matter and now “Free Palestine.” The only thing she understands less about than climate science seems to be the Middle East. As far as I can tell, Thunberg has never once said anything remotely compelling, witty or smart. There are millions of young people far more worthy of attention. For years, youth shielded Thunberg from criticism. Even now, journalists fail to ask her a serious, in-depth question about the issues she champions. The chances she could answer one are incredibly slim.

Well, Thunberg is now a young woman, and so we can freely point out that she’s always been an extraordinary imbecile. But now, she’s also a useful idiot for terrorists. For that, there is no excuse.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

Why the CBO almost always gets it wrong

The 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

THESE DAYS it seems that a mysterious group called “the CBO” rules the world, or at least Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it’s not very good at predicting things, and its bad calls can lead to bad policy results.

The Congressional Budget O ce and the Joint Committee on Taxation predict what will happen with spending, tax revenues and de cits from new bills and congressional budgets. They have made headlines with their absurd warning that President Donald Trump’s tax bill to extend the 2017 tax cuts and other reforms like eliminating taxes on tips would add trillions to the debt over 10 years.

But we know this is wrong. The aw is that the models don’t take account of the improved economy from keeping tax rates low and providing tax relief for small businesses and workers. The White House estimates that this bill, combined with pro-America energy policies and deregulation, can raise the economic growth rate to nearly 3% — which would mean at least another $2 trillion in added revenues.

When I pointed this out in The Wall Street Journal two weeks ago, House Speaker Mike

Johnson reiterated these defects in the CBO predictions.

Then Washington Post “fact checker” Glenn Kessler claimed the CBO is accurate and Johnson’s claim is “nonsense.”

Oh, really? It turns out that it’s the self-proclaimed fact checker who is getting the numbers all wrong.

The Post argued that the CBO really does dynamic scoring and adjusts for the changes in tax laws. Wrong. The CBO does not fully measure the economywide bene ts of lower tax rates and thus doesn’t adjust for higher employment and growth — which happens every time we cut tax rates.

We also know the 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

Yet Kessler notes that no one in 2017 could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns. That is absolutely true. But the pandemic actually reduced revenues from what they would have otherwise been by at least $1 trillion because commerce slowed to a crawl during the lockdowns. Yet even with the unexpected pandemic, the CBO still managed to

underestimate the revenues generated from the tax cut.

Sounds like the speaker was right and the fact checkers struck out.

Everyone makes mistakes. But the CBO and JCT have a habit of overstating the bene ts of raising taxes and underestimating the bene ts to the economy from cutting tax rates. The CBO and JCT, for example, have almost always lowballed the economic e ects of cutting the capital gains tax.

My colleague Tomas Philipson, who served on the Council of Economic Advisers under Trump in his rst term, notes that the JCT never opens its books to show how it makes its “garbage in, garbage out” projections.

Maybe Johnson should demand they do that immediately. Or maybe it’s time for a new model based on real-world scoring. It’s time to put accuracy over ideology.

Big decisions that have enormous trillion- dollar consequences for our economy are being made with a cracked crystal ball.

Stephen Moore is co-founder of Unleash Prosperity and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

COLUMN

SALVATORE CAVALLI / AP PHOTO

Swedish activist

June 10

• Robert Alvin Crisco, 33, was arrested for felony larceny and obtaining property by false pretense.

• Charles Andrew Phillips, 38, was arrested for property damage, disorderly conduct and probation violation.

• Wesley Maurice Speights, 57, was arrested for eeing arrest with a vehicle, reckless driving, property damage, violating local ordinances, driving left of center, littering, failing to heed police signals, speeding, expired registration, failing to yield at stop sign, failing to maintain lane, driving while impaired, resisting arrest and open container violation.

• Jackie Eugene Nowling, 53, was arrested for failure to appear, driving with revoked license and expired registration.

June 11

• Grayson Blake Brooks, 23, was arrested for driving while impaired.

• Kadeem Ali Smalls, 33, was arrested for indecent exposure.

• Rebecca Ann Verdi, 42, was arrested for assaulting a government o cial.

June 12

• Heather Rae Poplin, 43, was arrested for intent to sell Schedule II drugs, drug tra cking and possessing drug paraphernalia.

• Britney Nicole Gravitte, 33, was arrested for resisting arrest, misdemeanor larceny and property damage.

• Sarah Ashley Richardson, 37, was arrested for drug tra cking, intent to sell Schedule II drugs, felony drug possession and possessing drug paraphernalia.

June 13

• Brandon Kyle Pennington, 43, was arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest.

• Brittany Rose Smith, 32, was arrested for child abuse.

• Austin Lee Myers, 28, was arrested for driving while impaired, reckless driving, child abuse and driving with revoked license.

June 14

• Gregory David Tucker, 41, was arrested for communicating threats.

June 15

• Donny Lynn Gri n, 59, was arrested for driving while impaired.

After nearly 50 years, The Singing Americans keep their patriotic spirit alive

The choral group has been active for almost half a century

By Melinda Burris Stanly News Journal

BADIN — For nearly 50 years, The Singing Americans of Stanly County have been leading audiences in patriotic sing-alongs at churches and community events throughout the area.

The 20-member choral group, directed by Bob Remsburg, will present its nal concert of the summer on Sunday, July 27, at 4 p.m. at Twin Harbor on Lilly’s Bridge Road on Lake Tillery in Mount Gilead. The free performance is part of this year’s “Freedom!: Dedicated to all who have given their lives to keep us free!” concert series.

Founded for the bicentennial celebrations in 1976, the organization has been an active part of the Stanly County community ever since. In its heyday back in the ’80s, the group was larger and “even did some traveling road trips, like to Washington, D.C., and so on,” Remsburg says. Although the choir is smaller now and stays close to home, Remsburg describes its members as very committed.

This year’s abbreviated

PROTEST from page A1

lives in Oakboro. “The more we can get, the better.”

Kathy Johansen, who lives in Albemarle and owns an entertainment company along with being an impersonator and a stand-up comedian, went all out for the rally dressed in a full queen out t, crown included, with a sign saying, “This queen says no kings.”

“In everything I do, I have to put in a little avor. … It was a great turnout today for the people for democracy,” Johansen said.

Not everyone in Albemarle was on board with the message of the No Kings protest.

On the other side of the street, around 20 pro-Trump counter-protesters stood in opposition to the event, waving American ags and signs in support of the president and ICE.

Brian Talbert, who organized the Trump supporters, said those on the other side of the road “are claiming to be American, so why are they standing against our president, our nation and our law enforcement? They are standing with illegal immigrants. That’s an illegal invasion.

“We are standing up for our country, president and our law enforcement. Stu like this can not go unchallenged. Trump has done nothing unconstitutional.”

schedule — just three concerts instead of the typical summer series that begins around Independence Day — kicked o June 1 due to some traveling con icts.

“It’s choral music, and we tend to focus on patriotic, so part of it is a bit almost like sing-along because we try to make sure we do some songs that pretty much everybody would know, things like ‘My Country, ’Tis of Thee’ and ‘America the Beautiful,’” Remsburg explains.

The group’s repertoire includes crowd favorites like “This Land is Your Land” along with lesser-known patriotic pieces such as “Blades of Grass and Pure White Stones,” written by the late Sen. Orrin Hatch about two decades ago. The ti-

“It’s choral music, and we tend to focus on patriotic, so part of it is a bit almost like sing-along because we try to make sure we do some songs that pretty much everybody would know.”

Bob Remsberg, choral director

tle refers to a national cemetery. At its June 8 concert, the group performed “More Than a Name on a Wall” by The Statler Brothers, featuring choir member Rod Almond on acous-

tic guitar. Remsburg describes Almond as “a very good guitar player” who has “long been involved in the arts community in Stanly County.”

Grace Baptist Church in Albemarle, where Pastor Delane Burrus leads, provides the group with rehearsal space and hosts one of their annual performances. “They’re very supportive and a great place to do it,” Remsburg says.

The Stanly County Arts Council helps by advertising and promoting the choir’s events, though the group receives no nancial funding from the Arts Council or other public sources. With minimal expenses, the group accepts donations from attendees at their free concerts.

A four-legged protestor displays his American ag and rainbow leash.

While opponents of No Kings have criticized the nationwide rallies as being hyperbolic, claims of the current presidential administration’s fascination with monarchical imagery aren’t without reference.

On Feb. 19, the o cial White House social media accounts depicted Trump as a crowned king in a picture, posting an AI-generated Time magazine cover of the president alongside a cap-

tion that included the phrase “long live the king!”

Last week, ahead of the protests, Trump said, “I don’t feel like a king, I have to go through hell to get stu approved,” when asked about the protests at a White House event. “No, no. We’re not a king. We’re not a king at all, thank you very much.”

“The Republicans in Congress don’t realize that they’re

not giving executive power to Donald Trump,” Asciutto said. “They’re giving power to every single future president that comes along, every single one. That’s the point where we’re electing kings that don’t have to go through Congress.” With 145 executive orders signed since Jan. 20, Trump’s second term has begun with the fastest executive order pace of any president in over 80 years.

PHOTOS COURTESY EMELIA IRELAND PHOTOGRAPHY

The Singing Americans of Stanly County take direction from conductor Bob Remsburg.

Left, Rod Almond plays guitar during a performance earlier this month in Badin. Right, the crowd enjoys patriotic songs during the Freedom! choral concert earlier this month in Badin.

CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

Federal court weighs challenge to North Carolina’s redistricting maps

A lawsuit alleges GOP lawmakers illegally weakened black voting power

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM —

North Carolina congressional and legislative districts drawn by Republicans that helped them retain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are in court, as federal lawsuits accuse mapmakers of illegally eroding black voting power in the process.

A three-judge panel convened Monday in Winston-Salem for a trial over allegations that GOP legislative leaders violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps in October 2023. Republican leaders counter that lawfully partisan — and not racial — considerations helped inform their decision-making.

The lines were used in the 2024 elections, after which Republicans kept General Assembly majorities and ipped three U.S. House seats held by Democratic incumbents who didn’t seek reelection because they decided the recast district made winning impossible. Those seat ips, which turned a 7-7 delegation into one with a 10-4 Republican advantage, helped the GOP keep narrow control of the House, which has helped advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Favorable rulings for the plainti s could force Republicans to redraw maps for the 2026 elections, making it harder to retain their partisan advantage. Otherwise, the districts could be used through the 2030 elections.

The trial involves two lawsuits led in late 2023.

In one lawsuit, the North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause and several black residents originally sued over redrawn state House and Senate maps and U.S. House districts. The other lawsuit led by nearly 20 black and Latino voters focused on the new congressional districts, four of which they argue are illegal racial gerrymanders.

Pretrial rulings this spring and amended litigation dis-

RHODES from page A1

elected o cials, city sta and our community to provide a high quality of life in Albemarle.”

As city manager, Rhodes will oversee the city’s electric system, water and wastewater services, land ll facility, public housing department, parks and recreation department, police and re departments, and other municipal services.

Rhodes brings more than 30 years of experience at both the local and state levels of government. Prior to joining the City of Albemarle, he served as manager of the North Carolina Rural Planning Program, which focuses on econom-

race-based redistricting it has sought to end.”

Rodden testi ed Monday the “racial sorting” of voters within challenged congressional districts that he examined can’t be attributed fully to politics alone. On cross-examination, Rodden acknowledged that he didn’t know all of the partisan factors that GOP lawmakers considered in 2023.

The three judges were all nominated to the bench by Republican presidents: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Allison Rushing (Donald Trump) and District Judges Thomas Schroeder (George W. Bush) and Richard Myers (Trump).

their preferred candidates, violating the Voting Rights Act.

missed challenges to the state House map and narrowed state Senate arguments to a handful of districts.

Still, both lawsuits claim that lines are so skewed for GOP candidates that many black voters cannot elect their preferred candidates, violating the Voting Rights Act. They allege the mapmakers at times submerged or spread out black voting blocs, which historically have favored Democrats, into surrounding districts with white majorities — beneting Republicans. They point to the Piedmont Triad region where the cities of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem are located. They said Republicans split the region’s concentrated black voting population within multiple U.S. House districts.

Then-Rep. Kathy Manning, a Greensboro Democrat, decided not to run again because her district shifted to the right.

“This was an e ort to spread those voters across districts,”

ic development, planning services and support for cities and towns statewide.

Rhodes is a recipient of the Old North State Award, presented by the North Carolina governor to individuals who demonstrate “dedication and service beyond expectation and excellence to the Great State of North Carolina.”

He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s in public management, both from Appalachian State University, and he also has a certi cate in municipal government from the University of North Carolina School of Government.

At Monday’s Albemarle City Council meeting, council members made several unanimous

said Jonathan Rodden, a Stanford University redistricting expert who testi ed Monday for some plainti s about congressional boundaries. Rodden said the results were less-compact districts that make it harder for voters within them to act collectively toward a common policy goal.

The plainti s also allege GOP lawmakers unlawfully packed black voting-age residents into a Charlotte-area congressional district.

The trial’s lawyers agreed not to give opening statements Monday. But in a pretrial brief, lawyers for Republican leaders said the lawmakers used mapmaking rules that prohibited using data identifying the race of voters, in keeping with rulings on previous North Carolina redistricting maps in which judges chided them for emphasizing race.

Instead, Republicans were able to lawfully use partisan data — like statewide election results — in drawing the new maps, the lawyers said. They cite a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court decision and an April 2023 state Supreme Court decision that neutered legal claims of illegal partisan gerrymandering.

“The General Assembly has striven to end racial politics through race-blind redistricting,” wrote Katherine McKnight and Phil Strach, two lawyers for the GOP legislators, adding that a Voting Rights Act violation “would only return the State to the

membership decisions for ve city boards and commissions. Most are reappointments, with terms ending June 30, 2028 unless otherwise speci ed.

Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation

• Kristy N. Lee-Thao (new appointment)

• Megan King (new)

Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

• Chris D. Almond (new)

Walk of Fame Advisory Board

• Foster Parker

• Judy Holcomb

The panel has set aside several days for a trial that won’t end until July 9. Other likely witnesses include individual plainti s, state legislators, historians and more mapping experts. No immediate decision is expected — the legal sides have until early August to le additional briefs.

The court’s ruling can be appealed. With candidate ling for the 2026 election starting Dec. 1, any required remapping would have to be completed by late fall to avoid election disruptions.

North Carolina has a long history of redistricting litigation in federal courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in landmark cases in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s involving racial bias and the extent to which racial considerations could be used in forming districts that favored the election of black candidates. The court’s 2019 decision on partisan gerrymandering stemmed from an N.C. case.

The current maps were drawn after the state Supreme Court, with a Republican seat majority, essentially struck down rulings the court made in 2022 when it had a Democratic majority. Two other lawsuits challenging the 2023 district boundaries are pending.

Statewide races in North Carolina are close, and Democrats have held the governor’s mansion for most of the past 30 years. But Republicans have controlled the General Assembly — and thus redistricting — since 2011. Redistricting maps can’t be blocked by a governor’s veto.

Historic Resources Commission

• Lauren Wagoner

• John Williams

• Lori Baucom (new)

Planning and Zoning Board

• Tanner Denton

• Robert McIntyre

• Aaron Deese

• Leslie Phillips (new, expires June 30, 2026)

• Amber Farmer, alternate (new)

The next Albemarle City Council meeting is scheduled for July 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

HANNAH SCHOENBAUM / AP PHOTO

The North Carolina Senate reviews copies of a map proposal for the state’s congressional districts starting in 2024 during a committee hearing in October 2023.

The two lawsuits claim that lines are so skewed for GOP candidates that many black voters cannot elect

Patricia Roth

June 20, 1942 - June 12, 2025

June 20, 1942 –June 12, 2025

OBITUARIES

Patricia Greene

Patricia Ann Roth, 82, of Albemarle, passed away on June 12, 2025, surround-ed by her loving family.

Albemarle — Patricia Ann Roth, 82, of Albemarle, passed away on June 12, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on June 20, 1942, in Bu alo, New York, to Edward and Marion Fletcher, and was the second oldest of eight siblings. Patricia devoted her life to her family, which was always the center of her world.

She was born on June 20, 1942, in Bu alo, New York, to Edward and Marion Fletcher, and was the second oldest of eight siblings. Patricia devoted her life to her family, which was always the cen-ter of her world.

She had a lifelong passion for genealogy and spent decades re-searching, documenting, and preserving her family’s history. Her proudest accomplishment was writing and publishing three books chronicling generations of her family’s roots. Through her work, she united distant relatives, uncovered lost stories, and ensured the legacy of those who came before would never be forgotten.

She had a lifelong passion for genealogy and spent decades researching, documenting, and preserving her family’s history. Her proudest accomplishment was writing and publishing three books chronicling generations of her family’s roots. rough her work, she united distant relatives, uncovered lost stories, and ensured the legacy of those who came before would never be forgotten.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Roth, and her son, Michael Roth.

She is survived by her children, Jennifer Crawford and Timo-thy Roth; her grandchildren, Jonathan Roth, Laura Hamann, Mason Snyder, Brianna Luci-ni, and Alan Crawford; and her greatgrandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Roth, and her son, Michael Roth.

She is survived by her children, Jennifer Crawford and Timothy Roth; her grandchildren, Jonathan Roth, Laura Hamann, Mason Snyder, Brianna Lucini, and Alan Crawford; and her great-grandchildren.

Patricia was cremated on June 13. Her ashes will be interred in Bu alo, New York, at a later date.

A memorial service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at First Baptist Church in Oakboro, NC in the Old Sanctuary. Friends and fam-ily are invited to attend.

Patricia was cremated on June 13. Her ashes will be interred in Bu alo, New York, at a later date.

In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to the National Genealogical Society.

Patricia will be remembered for her strength, her warmth, and her unwavering devotion to her family—past, present, and future.

A memorial service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at First Baptist Church in Oakboro, NC in the Old Sanctuary. Friends and family are invited to attend.

In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to the National Genealogical Society.

Patricia will be remembered for her strength, her warmth, and her unwavering devotion to her family—past, present, and future.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ northstatejournal.com

Boone — Patricia Elaine Greene passed away at her home on Friday, June 6 surrounded by those she loved. She was 74 years old.

Jan. 21, 1951 – June 6, 2025

Patricia Elaine Greene passed away at her home on Friday, June 6 surrounded by those she loved. She was 74 years old.

Pat is survived by her loving husband, Stephen S. Greene, whom she married on November 12,1988; and his children, Jonathan Alexander Greene (Brooke), Richard Brian Greene (Alyson), Kristin Allison Utley (Garth). She was preceded in death by her son, Marshall Edward Drye, Jr., and her parents, Floyd Ray Rummage, Sr., and Isabelle Needham Rummage.

Pat is survived by her lov-ing husband, Stephen S. Greene, whom she married on November 12,1988; and his children, Jonathan Alexander Greene (Brooke), Richard Brian Greene (Alyson), Kristin Allison Utley (Garth). She was preceded in death by her son, Marshall Edward Drye, Jr., and her parents, Floyd Ray Rummage, Sr., and Isabelle Needham Rummage.

Pat’s memory will live on through the lives of her ve wonderful grandchildren; Douglas, Marshall, Alder, Finnegan, and Alexandria; and her nieces and nephews whom she loved so much. Pat’s child-like spirit and enthusiasm was contagious, and she could light up the world with her smile and her hugs. Her warmth and love will be missed by all.

Robert E. Dedmon Jr.

July 28, 1950 – June 14, 2025

Robert E. Dedmon Jr. known as Earl or Bob, was truly one of a kind who lived his life, or his 9 lives as the case may be, absolutely to the fullest. Earl passed away on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Albemarle, North Carolina at the age of 74.

Pat’s memory will live on through the lives of her ve wonderful grandchildren; Doug-las, Marshall, Alder, Finnegan, and Alexandria; and her nieces and nephews whom she loved so much. Pat’s child-like spirit and enthusiasm was contagious, and she could light up the world with her smile and her hugs. Her warmth and love will be missed by all. Pat was born in Albemarle, NC, on January 21, 1951 and was a 1969 graduate of North Stanly High School. After high school, Pat began her career in banking as an employee of North Carolina National Bank, later Nations Bank, and nally Bank of America. During her career at Bank of America, she held many positions, retiring as the Senior Vice President of International Division-Letters of Credit Department. She retired in December 2002. After moving to Boone, North Carolina, Pat continued to work as Financial Manager at Appalachian Ski Mountain, from 2002-2012.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, from 6 pm until 8 pm at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care, Albemarle. A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 11 am in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel.

Pat was born in Albemarle, NC, on January 21, 1951 and was a 1969 graduate of North Stanly High School. A er high school, Pat began her career in banking as an employee of North Carolina National Bank, later Nations Bank, and nally Bank of America. During her career at Bank of America, she held many positions, retiring as the Senior Vice President of International Division-Letters of Credit Department. She retired in December 2002. A er moving to Boone, North Carolina, Pat continued to work as Financial Manager at Appalachian Ski Mountain, from 2002-2012.

In her free time, Pat enjoyed gardening, tending to her owers, particularly her favorite Columbine in the spring and summer. Pat loved the ocean and the family took many vacations together at the beach. She and Steve also loved to travel taking their adventurous spirits to Europe and the United Kingdom. Pat and Steve also spent time basking in the Caribbean sun of St. Lucia and Barbados. ey also spent time in the northeast, as well as out west, taking adventures through the Rocky Mountains from Colorado to Canada.

In her free time, Pat enjoyed gardening, tending to her owers, particularly her favorite Columbine in the spring and summer. Pat loved the ocean and the family took many vacations together at the beach. She and Steve also loved to travel taking their adventurous spirits to Europe and the United Kingdom. Pat and Steve also spent time basking in the Caribbean sun of St. Lucia and Barbados. They also spent time in the northeast, as well as out west, taking adventures through the Rocky Mountains from Colorado to Canada.

Earl was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1950 to Robert (Bobby) E. Dedmon Sr. and Juanita Gevedon. He was a graduate of N.B. Forrest High School, attended the University of Florida where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity and graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in Construction Engineering. He worked for the Jacksonville Port Authority, owned and operated the Londonaire Lounge with his father and worked for Daytona International Airport. After moving to North Carolina, Earl worked with his father at Construction and Preventative Maintenance, Inc., owned RED Eagle Contracting, Inc. with his daughters and worked as a consultant for CERmet, Inc. For his nal hoorah, the family opened Armadillo Axe Throwing, Inc. and he was especially proud to be a part of the axe throwing community. Earl was passionate about community involvement and strived to always make sure he gave back in both Florida and in North Carolina. Earl was a lifelong bicyclist and collected armadillos. He loved camping with his family, grilling and the Florida Gators. Earl could build almost anything, x almost anything, and if he couldn’t, he gured out how and always made it happen, especially for his girls. His go to phrase for every milestone, celebration, win, birth and anniversary was “Go Gators!”

Leonard Lauder, philanthropist who globalized family cosmetic

dies at age 92

His Estee Lauder owns Clinique and Aveda, among other brands

By Anne D’Innocenzio

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Leonard Lauder, a renowned philanthropist who expanded the family cosmetics business into a worldwide empire, has died at the age of 92.

Estee Lauders Cos. announced the news in a release on Sunday and said he died on Saturday surrounded by family.

global headquarters in New York and at its stores around the world until the time of his death, the company said.

“Throughout his life, my father worked tirelessly to build and transform the beauty industry, pioneering many of the innovations, trends, and best practices that are foundational to the industry today,” said William P. Lauder, son and chair of the board at The Estée Lauder Companies in a statement. “He was the most charitable man I have ever known, believing that art and education belonged to everyone, and championing the ght against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. ”

Lauder was a longtime patron of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and, in 2013, pledged his 78-piece collection of Cubist art to the museum in the largest single philanthropic gift in the museum’s history. He later added ve major works to that pledged gift, the company said.

Pat loved spending time with her family. She is survived by her sisters, Barbara Mauldin (Phillip), Sandy Anderson (Michael), and her brothers, F. Ray Rummage, Jr. (Penny) and Scott Rummage (Lynn). Many weekends were spent at her mom’s home, lled with jigsaw puzzles, card games, cooking, love, laughter, and just being together.

Pat loved spending time with her family. She is survived by her sisters, Barbara Mauldin (Phil-lip), Sandy Anderson (Michael), and her brothers, F. Ray Rum-mage, Jr. (Penny) and Scott Rum-mage (Lynn). Many weekends were spent at her mom’s home, lled with jigsaw puzzles, card games, cooking, love, laughter, and just being together.

A Celebration of Life reception will be held at the Badin Inn, 107 Spruce St., Badin, North Carolina 28009, on Saturday, August 2 from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Friends and family are invited to drop by to visit and reminisce with others whom Pat loved so much. In lieu of owers, you are encouraged to make donations to Medi Home Health and Hospice, 400 Shadowline Drive, Suite 102, Boone, NC 28607 in Pat’s memory.

Online condolences may be shared with the Greene family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com

Austin and Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Greene family.

A Celebration of Life reception will be held at the Badin Inn, 107 Spruce St., Badin, North Carolina 28009, on Saturday, August 2 from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Friends and family are invited to drop by to visit and reminisce with others whom Pat loved so much. In lieu of owers, you are encouraged to make donations to Medi Home Health and Hospice, 400 Shadowline Drive, Suite 102, Boone, NC 28607 in Pat’s memory. Online condolences may be shared with the Greene family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com Austin and Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Greene family.

Earl is survived by his loving wife of almost 55 years, Mary E. (Edie) Rountree Dedmon. After meeting in 1969, they eloped to Beaufort, South Carolina in September of 1970, and started their family in the spring of 1971. Earl and Edie happily de ed all odds over the years to create an incredible family lled with love. Earl loved Edie and his daughters with all of his heart and was extremely proud of them. The legacy he and Edie started is evident in the families that their girls have built. Melissa and D.J., Carrie and Bryan, and Erin and Andy loved Earl as much as he loved them. Earl is also survived by six loving grandchildren; Abigail (Matt), Zachary, Bryce, Lillian (Reagan), Ellison, Annabelle; one great-grandchild, Rosemary and Sunny, his beloved cat. Earl was an incredibly proud father and grandfather who encouraged and supported them in following their dreams.

Earl is also survived by 5 siblings; Karen (Gary), Eric, Steve (Suzanne), Scott, Dena (Joey), his sister-in-law, Kathy (Charlie), brother-in-law Jimmy (Tammy) and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Earl will always be remembered for his love of a good time and would say to everyone he met “I’m lookin’ for a party, can you help me out?”

He was a great friend to so many people and we could not have asked for a better husband, father and grandfather and know that his memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him. Flowers are appreciated but if you would rather, donations may be made to the American Heart Association at heart. org or to Breakthrough T1D (American Diabetes Association) at diabetes.org .

Lauder, the oldest son of Estee and Joseph H. Lauder, who founded the company in 1946, formally joined the New York business in 1958. Over more than six decades, Lauder played a key role in transforming the business from a handful of products sold under a single brand in U.S. stores to a multi-brand global giant. He had held the title of chairman emeritus at the time of his death.

Estee Lauder’s products are sold in roughly 150 countries and territories under brand names including Clinique and Aveda, according to the company’s latest annual report. The company generated sales of nearly $16 billion in the scal year ended June 30, 2024, the ling said.

Estee Lauder went public in 1995, but members of Lauder family still have about 84% of the voting power of common stock, according to the latest annual ling.

Lauder served as president of The Estée Lauder Cos. from 1972 to 1995 and as CEO from 1982 through 1999. He was named chairman in 1995 and served in that role through June 2009.

Under his stewardship, Lauder created the company’s rst research and development laboratory, brought in professional management at every level, and was the impetus behind The Estée Lauder Cos.’ international expansion, helping to spearhead the company’s sales and pro ts exponentially, according to the company.

Lauder led the launch of many brands including Aramis, Clinique, and Lab Series, among others. Until his death, he remained deeply involved in the company’s acquisition strategy, including the acquisitions of such brands as Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone London and MAC, the company said. During his years as chairman emeritus, Lauder was closely involved in the business and day-to-day operations and was a constant xture at its

In concert with his Cubist collection donation, he helped establish the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art at the Met to support a program of fellowships, focused exhibitions, and public lectures. He also was the Whitney Museum of American Art’s chairman emeritus and a trustee from 1977 to 2011.

Lauder was married to Evelyn H. Lauder, who had been the senior corporate vice president at the cosmetic company and the founder of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, from 1959 until she passed away in 2011.

On Jan. 1, 2015, Lauder married Judy Glickman Lauder, a philanthropist and internationally recognized photographer.

Lauder was born in 1933 in New York City. He was a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and the O cer Candidate School of the United States Navy.

Lauder studied at Columbia University’s graduate school of business. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and as a Navy reservist, for which the U.S. Navy Supply Corps Foundation later recognized him with its Distinguished Alumni Award.

In addition to his wife and son William, Lauder is survived by his other son Gary M. Lauder and wife, Laura Lauder; ve grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, many stepchildren and step grandchildren, as well as his brother, Ronald S. Lauder, and wife, Jo Carole Lauder, and their daughters, Aerin Lauder and Jane Lauder.

Patricia Greene January 21, 1951 - June 6, 2025

STEPHEN CHERNIN / AP PHOTO

Leonard Lauder attends a gala launch party in New York in 2010.

STANLY SPORTS

Former Colt-turned-Cincinnati Bengals lineman celebrates 6th year of youth camp

B.J. Hill and 150 participants learned football skills and lessons in life from the 30-year-old NFL veteran

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

HE TURNED 30 in April, but there is much left to do for Stanly native B. J. Hill in his professional football career.

Hill returned this past weekend, as he has the past six years, to host his annual free football camp at West Stanly High School.. The former West Stanly and NC State standout signed a three-year, $33 million extension with Cincinnati in March. The upcoming season will be his

fth with the Bengals and eighth overall after being drafted in the third round by the New York Giants in 2018. Close to 150 children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade went through football drills coached by West high school football players. Hill said it was important for him to come back to town and visit with the kids, both in school and at the camp.

“I just love seeing the kids’ faces. You see their smile, and it puts a big smile on my face every time,” Hill said.

“It’s awesome just seeing these kids each and every year, and you can just see them grow up … seeing them just come through and sit here and we are just coaching football. We teach them more than some football; we talk about life.”

Stanly high schools announce basketball coaching changes

Both West Stanly and North Stanly have new coaches

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

STANLY COUNTY — Two

local high schools revealed they have made coaching changes for their boys’ teams for the upcoming 2025-26 basketball season.

In Oakboro, Brian Bean will be taking over head coaching duties from Dusty P ugner for the Colts varsity team.

Bean was West Stanly’s assistant varsity coach during the

“He’s a hard worker who is in this for the right reasons.”

previous season, as well as the school’s head coach for its junior varsity squad.

“From serving our country, to serving our students, to serving our athletes,” West Stanly said

See COACHES, page B3

Hill also talked about continuing to show the youth what happens when a person works hard for their goals.

“I believe if you put your mind to anything, you work really hard and be consistent, doing the little things, you can go a long ways in life, whether it be football or life in general,” he said. “We gave some of the high school coaches some words to preach to the kids while they were working, like hard work, being consistent. They’re not just learning about football; they’re learning about life.”

Hill said he was excited about his future in the NFL, saying, “I’ve still got a lot of juice in the tank. I’ve still got a while to play, and I’m excited about the future.”

Regarding his age, he said, “I know it comes to an end, but I’ve still got at least ve more years in the game.”

Former Bulldog Garrett nished second in hurdles event at NCAA Championships

Akala Garrett, a state champion at Albemarle, ran for Texas in the NCAA Track and Field championships

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

EUGENE, Oregon — One former Albemarle track and eld state champion competed for her university at the 2025 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon.

Akala Garrett, competing for the University of Texas Longhorns track squad, ran in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles this week.

In the 400-meter hurdles, Garrett quali ed for thenals by winning the third semi nal in a time of 55.07 seconds. Her qualifying time was second in the semis to Savannah Sutherland of Michigan, who won the rst semi nal quali er in 54.13.

See GARRETT, page B3

CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

Former West Stanly and NC State player B.J. Hill speaks to campers at the NFL player’s sixth annual youth camp.

CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

Former West Stanly basketball coach John Thompson on Brian Bean

COURTESY PHOTO

Former Albemarle women’s track coach LaSonya Collins, left, and Akala Garrett share a moment at this year’s NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Young camper Drake McCormick hits the tackling dummies during a drill at B.J. Hill’s youth football camp

COURTESY WEST STANLY HIGH SCHOOL

Brian Bean is West Stanly’s new varsity boys’ head coach.

The former North Stanly star is coming back from an oblique injury

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect and former North Stanly ace Rhett Lowder is restarting the rehabilitation process following his latest injury.

On June 11, Lowder (forearm/oblique) reported to the Reds’ complex in Goodyear, Arizona, to begin a rehab program for a left oblique strain that occurred a few weeks earlier during his fourth minor league rehab start of the season and his second start for Triple-A Louisville.

The 23-year-old Albemar-

le native was previously recovering from a strained right forearm injury when his rehab assignment was paused after throwing just one pitch in the second inning in a game against the Gwinnett Stripers on May 22. After an MRI later conrmed the oblique injury diagnosis, Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said Lowder — the Reds’ No. 2 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) and seventh overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft — had an injury that was “fairly signi cant” and that he would be out “for a while.”

The Reds then transferred Lowder from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 4, freeing up a spot on the 40-man roster for lefty Wade Miley.

It was originally reported

Feb. 15 that Lowder was being handled with caution in spring training due to a right elbow injury and that he might not be available for the Reds’ rotation by Opening Day — a delay that has continued to extend well into the 2025 season.

At this point, the former Wake Forest standout righthander might not be ready to return to big league action until sometime after the All-Star

break, if the Reds decide to bring him up at all and not hold him out until the 2026 season.

In his six starts on the mound for the Reds during his rookie season last year, he pitched his way to a 1.17 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 2-2 record, preventing opposing teams from hitting a home run o him in over 30 innings; Lowder did not allow a run in four of his six starts.

Heading into his most re -

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder throws during a 2024 start. His 2025 season has been curtailed due to injury.

cent rehab assignment start on May 22, he entered with a 0-3 record, 14.21 ERA and 13 hits allowed in 61⁄3 innings at three minor league levels, with opposing batters recording a .394 batting average against him. Lowder will now look to heal up during his current rehab program in Arizona as he prepares to get back into

North baseball pitcher named 2025 2A Player of the Year

Heath Klingensmith was named the 2025 North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association as the 2A Player of the Year.

By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal

Year honors from the state’s baseball coaching association.

Klingensmith said it was an honor to be named Player of the Year, but added, “This award is about way more than just me. The guys around me made big plays all year and this could not have happened without them.”

Two of Klingensmith’s teammates, senior catcher Zach Lowder and pitcher/in elder

Charlie Shaver, were named to the 2A All-State squad.

The Comets were 26-2 this season, setting a school record while going undefeated in the regular season and winning the Yadkin Valley Conference regular-season title.

“Our team had an unforgettable season,” Klingensmith said. “We had a great group of seniors that led us, and the coaches always put us in a position to succeed.”

North Stanly head coach

Scott Clemmons said Klingensmith “gave us a chance to get a W every time he took the mound. Heath surprised us this year with his bat as well, hitting over .400 for the year. Heath has all the tools to play at the next level and I look forward to seeing what his senior year brings.”

The junior also wanted to give “a huge thanks to everyone in the community that supported us. We are looking forward to doing big things next year.”

CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

Heath Klingensmith

Van Gisbergen’s emotional win in Mexico City locks him into Cup Series playo s

By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — Very little went right for Shane Van Gisbergen in the buildup to NASCAR’s rst international Cup Series points-paying race of the modern era.

A mechanical issue on takeo forced his team charter to abort the initial journey to Mexico City. He arrived at the venue Friday, a day late, and after winning the pole Saturday, the New Zealander fell seriously ill. He was sleeping on the oor of his hauler before Sunday’s race, unsure he’d be able to physically complete the 100-lap event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

But there’s something special about the Kiwi and new venues, especially in the rain, and he salvaged the weekend by winning on the road course to earn an automatic berth into NASCAR’s Cup Series playo s.

Van Gisbergen led 60 of 100

laps and beat Christopher Bell by 16.567 seconds. “I tried to treat it like when I go to Asia, just drink bot-

tled water and be careful in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water, but I just went downhill,” Van Gisbergen

said. “Couldn’t keep anything in. Everything just went straight through me. I felt really queasy and my mind was there, but my body just had so much pressure in my stomach. Crazy weekend and everyone dug deep.”

It was the second Cup Series victory of his career. He won in his Cup debut at the inaugural 2023 street course race in Chicago.

Although he had success in the X nity Series — he won three races last year as Trackhouse Racing developed him for a Cup Series ride — Van Gisbergen has struggled this year at NASCAR’s top level. He started the race ranked 33rd in the Cup standings with only one top-10 nish through the rst 15 races of the season. But his victory in Mexico City revived his season and gives him a shot to race for the Cup Series championship.

“It means everything to us; this is why I’m here,” Van Gisbergen said. “I am getting better and more competitive. We’re really making a lot of progress.”

Van Gisbergen celebrated in his traditional rugby-style way — he drop-kicked a signed football into the grandstands and then said he had recovered enough to enjoy “some Red Bulls mixed with adult beverages” later Sunday. Van Gisbergen bene tted from an early pop-up rain shower on the rst lap of the

Kicker Carlson, punter Cole put best feet forward for Las Vegas Raiders

By Mark Anderson

The Associated Press

HENDERSON, Nev. — Neither took the easy path to get here.

But because Daniel Carlson and AJ Cole persevered, the Las Vegas Raiders have perhaps the best kicker-punter duo in the NFL.

Las Vegas showed its appreciation to Cole by signing him late last month to an extension that brie y made him the league’s highest-paid punter.

Now the question is whether the Raiders will show the same kind of appreciation toward Carlson, who enters thenal season of his four-year, $18.4 million deal.

For kickers with at least 85 attempts over the past three seasons, Carlson was fth in conversion rate at 89.3%. His 24 made eld goals from 50 yards and beyond ranked fourth.

For those with at least 30 kicko s last season, Carlson was second in the league in allowing 23 yards per kicko return, just behind the 22.2 average of Greg Zuerlein of the New York Jets.

As a rookie in 2018 for Minnesota, he missed three eld goals — two in overtime — in a 29-29 tie with NFC North rival Green Bay. The Vikings waived him the following day.

Carlson caught on with the then-Oakland Raiders — he’s one of four players left who

played for the team in the Bay Area — and soon began to establish himself as the one of the league’s best kickers. He was a second-team AP All-Pro in 2021 and a rst-teamer the next season.

Cole’s path was di erent, but like Carlson, he became one of the top players at his position when the early odds appeared against him. Cole, who played in college at NC State, also began his NFL career in Oakland, entered minicamp in 2019 hoping just to remain on the roster after those three days.

He wound up beating out Johnny Townsend in training camp.

“I showed up to that minicamp and I really just felt like, ‘This could be it, and I’m going to go into every single one of

these three days and I’m going to get all the juice I can,’” Cole said. “I’ve been trying to keep that same mentality, and I’m just on absolute borrowed time. I enjoy every single day. I don’t think there’s anybody that has more fun at work than I do. It’s just such a blessing.”

Cole has averaged at least 50 yards three of the past four seasons, a feat that only Ryan Stenhouse has matched in league history. He also is third in gross punting average (48.6 yards) and eighth in net average (42.1 yards) since his rst season.

Such production earned Cole rst-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2023. And a contract extension.

Cole was rewarded with a four-year, $15.8 million deal on May 26 that included $11 mil-

Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole participates during a minicamp practice last week.

race because he’s an exceptionally skilled driver on a wet surface. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like conditions.

Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and Van Gisbergen — locked into the playo s. But it was a bit of a disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win in the X nity Series race on Saturday, as he failed to challenge his teammate for the win and nished 19th.

“I wish I was in the mix ghting for it a little more, but it just wasn’t in the cards,” Suarez said. “Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations: the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy.

Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in prerace ceremonies, desperately wanted the home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the rst time since 1958.

Bell nished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who hurt his back in a crash last week at Michigan, withstood the pain for a fourth-place nish in his Hendrick Chevrolet.

from page B1

Garrett then raced Saturday in the nals and nished second in a time of 54.66 seconds. Sutherland won thenals with a personal-best time of 52.46 seconds, setting a Canadian record in running just the second time ever recorded under 53 seconds.

Garrett also ran in the 100-meter hurdles, nishing second in the second semi nal with a time of 12.93 seconds. She quali ed for the nals, where she was disquali ed for pushing a hurdle with her hand, per the NCAA website. Garrett set four high school 1A state meet records in 2023 as a member of the Bulldogs, winning state titles in all four events. She set records in the 100-meter dash (13.52 seconds), 200-meter dash (24.25 seconds) and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles (40.26 seconds.) She was also the anchor of the 1A championship-winning 4x100 meter relay team with Amari Baldwin, Abigail Clayton and Mary Grace Krol.

lion in guaranteed money. That gave him the distinction of being the NFL’s highest-paid punter, but this week was passed by two other players.

Not that Cole is complaining.

When asked if he planned a major purchase, he said that already had been made before signing the contract.

“All of my plants died, so we just relandscaped our yard,” Cole said. “So I’m really excited that I get to stay here and watch those plants grow up. I don’t know if you guys have bought plants before, but they’re really, really expensive.

“So that was the big-ticket purchase — a couple of new queen palm trees in the backyard and a couple sweet Bay laurels on the side.”

COACHES from page B1

in a June 5 statement. “We are happy to announce that Brian Bean will be taking over as our new head men’s basketball coach! Go Colts!”

Last season, West’s varsity team put together a 10-15 record, while its JV team had a 11-9 record.

“I couldn’t be happier for this guy,” former West Stanly basketball coach John Thompson said of Bean. “He’s a hard worker who is in this for the right reasons. Great role model for those kids and he will do well. Congratulations coach Bean, and Go Colts!”

In New London, North Stanly has made two coaching updates for its Comets teams for the next basketball season.

“We welcome two new basketball coaches to Comet Country,” the North Stanly Booster Club announced on June 12. “Gary Ellington, one of the best in the state, will be an assistant varsity coach this season as well as in the classroom. Sean Moore will be our head junior varsity coach. Great additions to our teams, athletes and school!”

Ellington will coach under George Walker as an assistant for the varsity team; Moore will take over head coaching duties for the JV team, replacing Ethan Conner.

For the 2024-25 campaign, North’s varsity team put together a 22-7 record, while its JV squad had an 8-7 record.

The local high school basketball campaign is set to kick o in mid-November.

GARRETT

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City.

The former NC State punter is a key part of Las Vegas’ special teams

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

Let’s Work Together

Full-Time

Coordinator Clinical - LPN Program

Coordinator Fire/Rescue/Emergency Management

Training Programs

Director Campus Food Services

Director Nursing Program

Instructor Business Administration (9-month) - ACI

O cer Security

Program Head, Accounting

Program Head, Electrical Line Worker

Part-Time

Adjunct Instructor, Carolina Auction Academy

Adjunct Instructor Carpentry/Building Construction

Adjunct Instructor Electrical Systems Technology

Adjunct Instructor EMS (EMT Continuing Ed)

Adjunct Instructor EMS Clinical Practicum

Adjunct Instructor Nurse Aide I & II Programs

Adjunct Instructor Plumbing

Adjunct Instructor Real Estate

Specialist Allied Health Learning (Part-Time)

Sta , Food Service

Tutoring Specialist, Academic Support Center

Job descriptions are on our website.

Please complete an online application at www.stanly.e du/colle ge-information/ employment-opp ortunities.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 25CVSNOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

JOSEPH B. MCMANUS (Unmarried), Plainti ,

JAMES A. PHILLIPS, JR., Guardian, Ad Litem for All Persons, Firms and Corporations, As Well As For All Lien Creditors, Including But Not Limited To Any Defendants Herein Referenced (Male, Female or Fictitious Entity Such As A Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership And The Like) Who Or Which May Be Under A Disability At Law (Including Incompetency, Minority Or Corporate/Company Suspension), As Well As All Persons En Ventre Sa Mere And All Persons, Firms or Corporations Who Or Which May Have Any Contingent, Leasehold Or Future Ownership or Lien Encumbrance Interest, Defendant.

TO: ALL DEFENDANTS HEREINABOVE NAMED OR REFERENCED (EXCEPTING JAMES A. PHILLIPS, JR., GUARDIAN AD LITEM):

TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: To have the Court declare the owner of a “30’ Road and Surrounding Area” as described on Exhibit A hereto on to be the real property of Joseph B. McManus, the Plainti herein, on the basis of his ownership of said realty in accordance with the doctrine of “Adverse Possession” under “Color of Title” in order to “Quiet Title” thereto. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than July 16, 2025, and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the

Judge orders managers for late Johnny Winter to pay $226K in damages, alleging theft

The blues legend was ranked the 63rd-best guitar player of all time by Rolling Stone magazine

By Dave Collins The Associated Press

A CONNECTICUT judge has settled a bitter feud over the estate of the late legendary blues guitarist Johnny Winter, ordering his managers to pay $226,000 in damages for improper payments they received after his 2014 death and rejecting their claim to the rights to his music.

Relatives of Winter’s late wife, Susan, sued Winter’s manager, Paul Nelson, and his wife, Marion, in 2020, claiming the Nelsons swindled more than $1 million from Winter’s music business. The Nelsons denied the allegations and countersued. They accused the relatives of improperly having Paul Nelson ousted as the bene ciary of Winter’s estate, and they claimed ownership of his music rights.

After a seven-day trial before a judge in January 2024, Judge Trial Referee Charles Lee ruled Friday that the Nelsons received improper payments and made improper withdrawals from Winter’s accounts but rejected claims they committed fraud, mismanagement and breach of contract.

“The court nds that the conduct for which it has awarded the damages set forth above was negligent or at least arguably legitimate,” Lee wrote in a 54 -page decision that also rejected the claims in the Nelsons’ countersuit.

The judge said the Nelsons’ most serious impropriety was withdrawing $112,000 from Winter’s business account and depositing it into one of their own

LEGAL NOTICE

The Budget O cers of The Town of Norwood ABC Board has submitted the Proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 beginning July 1, 2026, to the Town of Norwood ABC Board on June 9th. The proposed budget is available for public review at the Norwood ABC Store at 317 North Main Street, Norwood, NC from 10:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday. A public hearing is scheduled for 6:00pm Thursday June 19th, 2025, to be conducted by the Town of Norwood ABC Board at the Norwood ABC Store, 317 North Main Street, to which the public is invited to o er written or oral comments at that time. Jan Myers Budget O cer

NOTICE

Notice of Meeting Change The New London Town Board Meeting has been changed from Tuesday, July 1st to Tuesday, July 8th at 7:00 pm at the Community Center located at 114 West Gold Street in New London.

Notice To Creditors

Having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Charlie B Richardson, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this notice is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of said Charlie B Richardson to present them to the undersigned on or before September 14, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This the 7th day of June 2025

Kathy G Richardson 4648 Gaddys Ferry Road Norwood, NC 28128

NOTICE

18 and 25, 2025.

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000361-830

Having quali ed as EXECUTOR of the estate of James Claude Melton deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said James Claude Melton to present them to the undersigned on or before Sept. 22, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This 16th day of June, 2025 Joyce Melton

Date: May 25, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of: Sheila Diane Kimrey Taylor aka Sheila Diane Taylor File#25E000301-830-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 are required to present their claims in writing to the undersigned within 90 Days after the date of the rst publication, (May 28, 2025) of this notice, or their claims may be forever barred. Claims should be mailed to: Michelle H. Leonard 6176 Old Shallotte Road Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469

Michelle H. Leonard, Executor of the Estate of Sheila Diane Kimrey Taylor aka Sheila Diane Taylor

accounts in 2019 without listing Susan Winter as a signatory on their account. Susan Winter owned all of her husband’s assets — valued at about $3 million at the time of his death.

Paul Nelson, who managed Johnny Winter’s business from 2005 to 2019 and played guitar in his band, died in March 2024 from a heart attack during a music tour.

Susan Winter died from lung cancer in October 2019. Months before her death, she removed Paul Nelson as her successor trustee to her family trust, which included all of her late husband’s assets. She named her sister and brother, Bonnie and Christopher Warford, from Charlotte, as her new successor trustees, and they sued the Nelsons.

The Nelsons claimed the Warfords took advantage of Susan Winter and had her sign legal documents while she was medicated near the end of her life.

They also alleged the Warfords soured their relationship with Susan Winter with false embez-

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

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000326-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Bobby Reid Rushing, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of said decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before August 12, 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 11th day of June, 2025. Executor:

Mary Rushing Stewart Rollirewood Ave. China Grove, NC 28023 (GS 28A-14-1)

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000317-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as EXECUTOR of the estate of IDA FAYE POPLIN POPE , deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina. This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said IDA FAYE POPLIN POPE to present them to the undersigned on or before September 4, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This 4th day of June , 2025 Lloyd L. Pope 8793 Eddins Poplin Road Norwood, North Carolina 28128 Executor

zlement claims. The Warfords denied those allegations.

The judge ruled that the Warfords were entitled to damages because of improper payments the Nelsons received, including $68,000 in royalty payments from a 2016 auction of Winter’s assets, $69,000 in cash withdrawals, $18,000 in expense reimbursements and $15,000 in other royalty payments. John Dawson Winter III was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He burst onto the world blues scene in the 1960s, dazzling crowds with his fast licks while his trademark long, white hair ew about from under his cowboy hat. He and his brother Edgar — both born with albinism — were both renowned musicians.

Rolling Stone magazine listed him as the No. 63 best guitar player of all time in 2015. He released more than two dozen albums and was nominated for several Grammy Awards, winning his rst one posthumously in 2015 for Best Blues Album for “Step Back.”

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000297-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as executor of the estate of Ervin Perry Mauldin, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Ervin Perry Mauldin to present them to the undersigned

INVISION

Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Racecourse in 2014 in New Orleans.

the stream

HAIM, ‘The Gilded Age,’ Benson Boone, astronaut Sally Ride, digital dinosaurs

Six Alfred Hitchcock lms land on Net ix

The Associated Press

LIFELIKE DIGITAL Triceratops and Spinosaurus lumbering through a reimagined “Walking with Dinosaurs” and Benson Boone’s sophomore album “American Heart” 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: A documentary on trailblazing NASA astronaut Sally Ride and the third season of “The Gilded Age.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Cristina Costantini’s documentary “Sally” (streaming on Disney+) richly details the story behind the headlines of the rst American woman to y in space. The portrait of Sally Ride, the trailblazing NASA astronaut, is narrated by her life partner of 27 years, Tam O’Shaughnessy. Her intimate perspective on Ride, along with archival footage and interviews with family and colleagues, captures a fuller backstory to an American icon.

“The Ballad of Wallis Island” (streaming on Peacock) was a standout in the rst half of 2025 but easy to miss. A funny and tender charmer set on the coast of Wales, it’s not a movie screaming for your attention. It stars Tim Key as an isolated widower who uses some of his lottery winnings to hire his favorite band, a folk duo named McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan) to play by his rural home. In her review, AP lm writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that the lm feels “like a much-needed balm. Modest in scope and made with the lightest of touch, not unlike the lovely folk songs that populate its soundtrack, it’s also deceptively powerful: A gentle ode to moving on, in quirky packaging.” Net ix tends to bury older lms in its algorithms, but the streamer is hosting a good batch of Alfred Hitchcock movies. This month, it added “Vertigo,” “Rear Window,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Frenzy,” “The Plot” and “The Birds” to its collection, along with the already-streaming “Psycho.” These are movies often available elsewhere, and there are many other great Hitchcock lms. But a solid sampler pack on Net ix could help bring Hitchcock to some new audiences, and there’s never a bad time to see “Vertigo” for the rst time.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Boone, the “Beautiful Things” singer, will release his sophomore album, “American Heart,” on Friday. Expect big pop -rock ltered through a kind of post-Harry Styles mimicry and 1970s worship. For fans of Queen, ELO and gymnastic pop stars with a penchant for doing back ips on stage. The Los Angeles sister trio HAIM have returned with “I Quit,” 15 tracks of danceable breakup bangers perfect for your summertime sadness. It’s soft rock-pop for the Miu Miu crowd and a sonic cure for seasonal depression. For the indie crowd, the New York-based Hotline TNT have been a fan favorite for their shoegaze-y power pop that appeals to both classic rockers and

those emo pop-punkers who miss the Vans’ Warped Tour. On Friday, the group, led by Will Anderson, will release “Raspberry Moon” via Jack White’s Third Man Records.

SHOWS TO STREAM

In 1999 a series called “Walking with Dinosaurs” premiered in the UK and captivated audiences. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, it was inspired by “Jurassic Park” and at the time was the most expensive documentary per-minute ever made. Special e ects like CGI and animatronics helped bring the dinosaurs to life. Twenty- ve years later, a reimagined “Walking with Dinosaurs” debuts on PBS in conjunction with the BBC using the latest technology to make the dinosaurs seem

even more lifelike. The six-episode series is now narrated by actor Bertie Carvel. It is available to stream on PBS platforms and its app.

It’s a great week for period pieces. First, Apple TV+’s Gilded Age, girl power series “The Buccaneers” is out for its second season. The soapy period piece features a cast that includes Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah and Christina Hendricks. It’s based on an unnished Edith Wharton novel about ve American women in London for debutante season. These women are a contrast to English high society because they’re extroverted and opinionated.

BritBox has the 1930s drama “Outrageous,” based on the true story of the Mitford sisters, six women born into an aristocratic family who made headlines for their personal lives and politics. Bessie Carter, who plays Penelope Featherington on “Bridgerton” plays one of the sisters, Nancy Mitford. “Outrageous” is inspired by a biography that was originally published in 2002. The TV adaptation of the popular YA novel “We Were Liars” is streaming on Prime Video. It follows the a uent Sinclair family who has enough secrets to ll one of their bank accounts. It follows Cadence, one of the granddaughters who pals around all summer with two cousins and a family friend, Gat, and their group of four is known as The Liars.

Another dysfunctional

family is introduced Thursday in Net ix’s “The Waterfront” about the Buckleys, a family of sherman and restaurateurs in North Carolina. Business has been dwindling, and questionable choices are made to stay a oat, keep their secrets and not get caught by authorities.

A third period piece out this week is the third season of “The Gilded Age” and there is a lot to catch up on. Cynthia Nixon’s Ada Forte, now a widower after a very short marriage, has just discovered her late husband left her a fortune. This makes Ada the new matriarch of her family, surpassing her sister Agnes (played by Christine Baranski.) Their niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson) seems to be in the early stages of a courtship with neighbor Larry Russell, whose family’s wealth comes from new money. Created by Julian Fellowes, the new season premieres Sunday on Max.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The in uence of Disney’s movie “Tron,” with its icy, neon vision of cyberspace, far outweighs the number of people who actually saw it when it came out in 1982. (I know I spent a lot more time playing the arcade game.) We are getting a third movie, “Tron: Ares,” in October — but rst we get a new game, Tron: Catalyst. You are Exo, an advanced computer program in a glitchy electronic world. Check it out on PlayStation 5,

and

“The Ballad of Wallis Island,” left, the documentary “Sally,” center, and the series

ALISTAIR HEAP / FOCUS FEATURES VIA AP

Carey Mulligan, left, and Tom Basden star in “The Ballad of Wallis Island.”

Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector appear in a scene from “The Gilded Age.”

Solution to last week’s puzzle

Solution to this week’s puzzles

“The Army Goes Rolling Along”

The U.S. Army kicked o America 250 celebrations with a bang on Saturday as the oldest military branch celebrated its founding 250 years ago, on June 14, 1775, with a grand parade in Washington, D.C. Above, soldiers from the “All American” 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, march past the Presidential viewing stand in Army uniforms from World War I.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

A judge could advance Purdue Pharma’s $7B opioid settlement after all 50 states back it

A judge is being asked to clear the way for local governments and individual victims to vote on OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The deal would be among the largest in a wave of opioid settlements. It calls for members of the Sackler family, who own the company, to give up ownership and contribute up to $7 billion over time. Of that, about $890 million could go to people who were victims of the drug epidemic or their survivors. Most of the rest is to be used by state and local governments to ght the crisis.

Wake Forest alum named University of Alabama president

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Peter J. Mohler has been named the next president of the University of Alabama. Mohler comes to the role from Ohio State University, where he served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and as chief scienti c o cer of the university’s Wexner Medical Center. He will assume the role at the University of Alabama on July 21. Mohler has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

$2.00

Interim superintendent lays out budgetary status, upcoming cuts

WSFCS is preparing to cut more than $40 million to balance its 2025-26 budget

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — Winston-Salem/Forsyth Coun-

ty Schools is taking steps to address its major de cit under new leadership At the WSFCS Board of Education’s June 10 meeting, new Interim Superintendent Catty Moore — who was a member of the North Carolina State Board of Education, previously worked as superintendent of both Durham and Wake County Public Schools and was sworn in on June 2 – discussed

the district’s current 2024 -25 budget shortfall, the steps they’re taking to address it and the upcoming 2025-26 budget plan.

“I just really want to apologize to this community for needing to spend so much time on this,” Moore said. “There is trust and faith that is placed in our educators and us every single day that we are doing our best for our students and sta , and when you run into a crisis like this, all of that upheaval calls that into question, and rebuilding it is much harder than when you had it.”

According to Moore, the 2024-25 budget shortfall was approximately $42 million.

Moore laid out multiple reasons for the shortfall, including overallocations for front o ce

sta , custodial costs and data manager costs, higher transportation costs due to the district’s e ciency rating, unbudgeted sub costs (which are around $12 million), underbudgeted in projected charter school payments, failure to reconcile the budget after the initial request to county wasn’t fully met and the fact that the district did not project for being fully sta ed yet lled 100 more positions than in the prior year.

“All of these funds did provide direct services to students,” Moore said. “It’s not like we were spending money in other places that didn’t need to be spent or that sort of thing, it’s just that there were miscalculations, errors and oversights with all of these pieces.”

Federal court weighs challenge to NC redistricting maps

A lawsuit alleges GOP lawmakers illegally weakened black voting power

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — North Carolina congressional and legislative districts drawn by Republicans that helped them retain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are in court, as federal lawsuits accuse mapmakers of illegally eroding black voting power in the process.

A three-judge panel convened Monday in Winston-Salem for a trial over allegations that GOP legislative leaders vi-

“The entire community, as well as this board, would just really like to get down to the nitty gritty and nd out exactly what happened,” said board member Robert Barr.

According to Moore, the district is now taking steps to address the shortfall, including utilizing checking account funds, Downtown School reimbursement and Money Market account funds to pay vendors. From those, WSFCS has paid about $2.8 million to vendors between June 5 and June 11.

The three biggest outstanding contracts are with ESS (substitute teachers), SSC (custodial) and the county for SROs, totaling approximately $16.1 million. Because of the

See BUDGET, page A2

olated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps in October 2023. Republican leaders counter that lawfully partisan — and not racial — considerations helped inform their decision-making. The lines were used in the 2024 elections, after which Republicans kept General Assembly majorities and ipped three U.S. House seats held by Democratic incumbents who didn’t seek reelection because they decided the recast district made winning impossible. Those seat ips, which turned a 7-7 delegation into one with a 10-4 Republican advantage, helped the GOP keep narrow control of the House, which has helped advance President Donald Trump’s agenda. Favorable rulings for the plainti s could force Republicans to redraw maps for the 2026 elections, making it harder to retain their partisan advantage. Otherwise, the dis-

See MAPS, page A2

HANNAH SCHOENBAUM / AP PHOTO

The North Carolina Senate reviews copies of a map proposal for the state’s congressional districts starting in 2024 during a committee hearing in October 2023.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

North State Journal (USPS 20451) (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

Ryan Henkel, Reporter

P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer BUSINESS

David Guy, Advertising Manager

Published each Thursday as part of North State Journal

1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607

TO SUBSCRIBE: 919-663-3232

NSJONLINE.COM

Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, NC and at additional mailing o ces

POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to: North State Journal

1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607 “Join the conversation”

Judges side with GOP lawmakers over highway patrol commander

Three Superior Court judges ruled unanimously

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A panel of North Carolina judges dismissed one of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s cases against Republican legislative leaders Monday, upholding part of a power-shifting law that prevents Stein from selecting the State Highway Patrol commander.

Annual Subscription Price: $100.00

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: forsythcommunity@ northstatejournal.com

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

Three Superior Court judges made the decision unanimously. The judges’ decision means that the dispute won’t go to trial, but it can be appealed. The lawsuit focuses on a portion of a more sweeping law passed by the GOP-dominated General Assembly that eroded the governor’s powers, as well as the abilities of other top Democrats that hold statewide o ces, last year. A day after its nal passage, Stein and former Gov. Roy Cooper led the legal challenge that the judges dismissed Monday.

MAPS from page A1

tricts could be used through the 2030 elections.

The trial involves two lawsuits led in late 2023.

In one lawsuit, the North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause and several black residents originally sued over redrawn state House and Senate maps and U.S. House districts. The other lawsuit led by nearly 20 black and Latino voters focused on the new congressional districts, four of which they argue are illegal racial gerrymanders.

Pretrial rulings this spring and amended litigation dismissed challenges to the state House map and narrowed state Senate arguments to a handful of districts.

Still, both lawsuits claim that lines are so skewed for GOP candidates that many black voters cannot elect their preferred candidates, violating the Voting Rights Act. They allege the mapmakers at times submerged or spread out black voting blocs, which historically have favored Democrats, into surrounding districts with white majorities — bene ting Republicans.

They point to the Piedmont Triad region where the cities of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem are located. They said Republicans split the region’s concentrated

BUDGET from page A1

sheer cost from these, the district is working on negotiating a payment plan for them.

Outside of those three, approximately $3 million is still owed to vendors, but the expectation is to have all of those outstanding payments paid out by June 30.

According to Moore, the district is also still anticipating between $4.5 to $5 million in additional revenues from remaining account balances, grant, Medicaid and unemployment reimbursements, and indirect costs.

The district is also looking to borrow up to $6 million from the child nutrition fund balance to pay down the de cit following board approval.

“Our child nutrition services is an enterprise, which means

The law says Stein cannot select his own commander to the State Highway Patrol and, instead, State Highway Patrol Commander Col. Freddy Johnson will keep the job until 2030. Johnson was appointed by Cooper in 2021 and is a defendant in the lawsuit.

In the order that sided with legislative leaders and Johnson, the judges wrote there were “no genuine issues of material fact” and that the plainti — Stein — did not prove that the provision was unconstitutional.

An attorney for Stein, Eric

black voting population within multiple U.S. House districts. Then-Rep. Kathy Manning, a Greensboro Democrat, decided not to run again because her district shifted to the right.

“This was an e ort to spread those voters across districts,” said Jonathan Rodden, a Stanford University redistricting expert who testi ed Monday for some plainti s about congressional boundaries. Rodden said the results were less-compact districts that make it harder for voters within them to act collectively toward a common policy goal.

The plainti s also allege GOP lawmakers unlawfully packed black voting-age residents into a Charlotte-area congressional district.

The trial’s lawyers agreed not to give opening statements Monday. But in a pretrial brief, lawyers for Republican leaders said the lawmakers used mapmaking rules that prohibited using data identifying the race of voters, in keeping with rulings on previous North Carolina redistricting maps in which judges chided them for emphasizing race.

Instead, Republicans were able to lawfully use partisan data — like statewide election results — in drawing the new maps, the lawyers said. They cite a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court decision and an April

they have to make the money that they pay for salaries and so forth and so on,” Moore said. “When they generate savings, it goes into the fund balance. There is a process whereby we can request to use that fund balance along with having an agreement for how we pay that money back.”

“This isn’t going to take anything from our students,” said board member Sabrina Coone. “We are going to continue to be able to serve our students. This is essentially just a surplus.”

While the board did ask the county for assistance in the tune of a one-time, $32.1 million payment that would be paid back to the county, the request was denied, and so it seems like there will be no outside help for the district.

“The State Board of Education has very limited authori-

Fletcher, argued in Wake County court Monday that the provision guts the governor’s abilities and violates the separation of powers. The commander would not be “directly accountable” to the governor, Fletcher said, but rather “indirectly accountable” to the General Assembly. Fletcher insisted the lawsuit was not a re ection of Johnson’s character and ability to do his job.

Lawyers representing Republican legislative leaders Destin Hall and Phil Berger argued the case should be thrown out

2023 state Supreme Court decision that neutered legal claims of illegal partisan gerrymandering.

“The General Assembly has striven to end racial politics through race-blind redistricting,” wrote Katherine McKnight and Phil Strach, two lawyers for the GOP legislators, adding that a Voting Rights Act violation “would only return the State to the race-based redistricting it has sought to end.”

Rodden testi ed Monday the “racial sorting” of voters within challenged congressional districts that he examined can’t be attributed fully to politics alone. On cross-examination, Rodden acknowledged that he didn’t know all of the partisan factors that GOP lawmakers considered in 2023.

The three judges were all nominated to the bench by Republican presidents: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Allison Rushing (Donald Trump) and District Judges Thomas Schroeder (George W. Bush) and Richard Myers (Trump).

The panel has set aside several days for a trial that won’t end until July 9. Other likely witnesses include individual plainti s, state legislators, historians and more mapping experts. No immediate decision is expected — the legal sides have until early Au-

ty and no funds, quite frankly, that they can actually support our needs with,” Moore said.

“The commissioners would probably need to go to fund balance in order to support us, and they have concerns with doing that in terms of how they manage their funds, their AAA bond rating and those kinds of things that are important to the future of the community. So they declined to look at that as an option.”

In terms of the 2025-26 budget, Moore and district sta have located approximately $39.3 million in savings planned that will ensure a balanced budget for that upcoming school year.

Some of those things include eliminating building-based subs and the ESS contract, eliminating supplemental programs such as iReady, Way-

because Stein hasn’t publicly contended that he wants to remove Johnson from his post and the governor’s arguments were largely hypothetical. Johnson’s lawyer, William Boyle, further a rmed there is “no crisis here” between the governor and the State Highway Patrol commander and that they aren’t “at odds with each other.” Granting the governor the ability to appoint a new commander as the suit makes its way through the courts would also cause “lasting detrimental harm,” Boyle said.

Stein is separately ghting another provision in the same state law passed last year that transferred the power to appoint State Board of Elections members from the governor to the state auditor, who is a Republican. Appointments have stayed in place as the provision’s constitutionality continues through the courts. They shifted the state elections board from a Democratic to Republican majority. Another three-judge panel scheduled a hearing for next week in a separate Stein lawsuit challenging in part new laws that limit his powers to choose appellate court vacancies and that would take from the governor the authority to ll a seat on the state Utilities Commission and give it to the state treasurer, who is a Republican.

gust to le additional briefs.

The court’s ruling can be appealed. With candidate ling for the 2026 election starting Dec. 1, any required remapping would have to be completed by late fall to avoid election disruptions.

North Carolina has a long history of redistricting litigation in federal courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in landmark cases in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s involving racial bias and the extent to which racial considerations could be used in forming districts that favored the election of black candidates. The court’s 2019 decision on partisan gerrymandering stemmed from a North Carolina case.

The current maps were drawn after the state Supreme Court, with a Republican seat majority, essentially struck down rulings the court made in 2022 when it had a Democratic majority.

Two other lawsuits challenging the 2023 district boundaries are pending.

Statewide races in North Carolina are close, and Democrats have held the governor’s mansion for most of the past 30 years. But Republicans have controlled the General Assembly — and thus redistricting — since 2011. Redistricting maps can’t be blocked by a governor’s veto.

nder, Discovery Ed and Panorama, transporting students to only residential and magnet schools (such as eliminating transportation for choice students), eliminating 81 positions from central services, reducing number of employees by 148 during allotment process and decreasing schoolbased allotment to better align to the state.

“We may determine after the reductions that the juice was not worth the squeeze,” Moore said, “But we have to do what we have to to balance the budget. You can do whatever you want when you have the money. When you don’t have the money, you have to make decisions and choices and they’re going to be hard and they’re going to hurt.”

The WSFCS Board of Education will next meet June 24.

GERRY BROOME / AP PHOTO

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| DAVID HARSANYI

Greta Thunberg, useful idiot for Hamas

The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

PROFESSIONAL LEFTIST Greta

Thunberg was brought to Israel this week after the “sel e yacht” she was traveling on attempted to break through a naval blockade of Gaza. Her boat, the “Madleen,” was part of a otilla pretending to deliver aid to alleviate an imaginary famine. The 22-year-old was given food and shelter, and sent home by the Israeli government, which she accused of “kidnapping” her. All the usual suspects went along with this predictable framing.

If Thunberg really wanted to better understand the concept of an abduction, she might have asked Hamas to visit the Israelis still being tortured in a dank basement somewhere in Rafah. But the “human rights activist,” which is how the legacy media unironically describes her, has never once called for the release of the hostages taken by Islamists. Indeed, the otilla e ort was reportedly organized by a “Hamas operative.”

“(The Israelis) tried to make us watch all kinds of propaganda videos,” Thunberg told reporters after landing in Paris, “but I didn’t watch. This is nothing compared to what is happening in Gaza, which is in desperate need of humanitarian aid.” Referring to GoPro videos made by Palestinians that document the gleeful slaughter of women, children and the elderly as “propaganda” is a bold accusation coming from a cosplay revolutionary whose biggest problem was getting a vegetarian meal from her hosts.

As this was all going on, incidentally, Israel has been sending hundreds of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. Hamas opposes this e ort, as it uses food and aid to control the Palestinian population. The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

The real question is: Why is she in the news at all?

Thunberg was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2019 after dropping out of high school and “raising awareness for climate change.”

It was quite a historic accomplishment. No one was talking about global warming before Greta came around, apparently. Me? I tend to think the kid who stays in school and learns a thing or two about biology before lecturing me about science is the real hero. But we live in a time where emotionalism and vapidity are often confused with decency and wisdom. Thunberg is the embodiment of this trend.

Thunberg’s most infamous moment was a frivolous emotional outburst at the United Nations, where she screamed at those who had bequeathed her with unprecedented wealth, safety and freedom: “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she claimed. But really, her dream was to be famous. Or, maybe, it was rst the dream of exploitative parents who persuaded their child that the world was on the precipice of Armageddon.

Since her Time magazine cover, Thunberg has achieved nothing. Her native Sweden has turned back to fossil fuels. Europe,

a Palestinian

yeh, meets with journalists in Catania, Italy, on June 1, ahead of their departure for the

as well. The Earth, however, is still here.

Subsequently, Thunberg has moved on to champion other trendy leftist causes, such as Black Lives Matter and now “Free Palestine.” The only thing she understands less about than climate science seems to be the Middle East. As far as I can tell, Thunberg has never once said anything remotely compelling, witty or smart. There are millions of young people far more worthy of attention. For years, youth shielded Thunberg from criticism. Even now, journalists fail to ask her a serious, in-depth question about the issues she champions. The chances she could answer one are incredibly slim.

Well, Thunberg is now a young woman, and so we can freely point out that she’s always been an extraordinary imbecile. But now, she’s also a useful idiot for terrorists. For that, there is no excuse.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

Why the CBO almost always gets it wrong

The 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

THESE DAYS it seems that a mysterious group called “the CBO” rules the world, or at least Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it’s not very good at predicting things, and its bad calls can lead to bad policy results.

The Congressional Budget O ce and the Joint Committee on Taxation predict what will happen with spending, tax revenues and de cits from new bills and congressional budgets. They have made headlines with their absurd warning that President Donald Trump’s tax bill to extend the 2017 tax cuts and other reforms like eliminating taxes on tips would add trillions to the debt over 10 years.

But we know this is wrong. The aw is that the models don’t take account of the improved economy from keeping tax rates low and providing tax relief for small businesses and workers. The White House estimates that this bill, combined with pro-America energy policies and deregulation, can raise the economic growth rate to nearly 3% — which would mean at least another $2 trillion in added revenues.

When I pointed this out in The Wall Street Journal two weeks ago, House Speaker Mike

Johnson reiterated these defects in the CBO predictions.

Then Washington Post “fact checker” Glenn Kessler claimed the CBO is accurate and Johnson’s claim is “nonsense.”

Oh, really? It turns out that it’s the self-proclaimed fact checker who is getting the numbers all wrong.

The Post argued that the CBO really does dynamic scoring and adjusts for the changes in tax laws. Wrong. The CBO does not fully measure the economywide bene ts of lower tax rates and thus doesn’t adjust for higher employment and growth — which happens every time we cut tax rates.

We also know the 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

Yet Kessler notes that no one in 2017 could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns. That is absolutely true. But the pandemic actually reduced revenues from what they would have otherwise been by at least $1 trillion because commerce slowed to a crawl during the lockdowns. Yet even with the unexpected pandemic, the CBO still managed to

underestimate the revenues generated from the tax cut.

Sounds like the speaker was right and the fact checkers struck out.

Everyone makes mistakes. But the CBO and JCT have a habit of overstating the bene ts of raising taxes and underestimating the bene ts to the economy from cutting tax rates. The CBO and JCT, for example, have almost always lowballed the economic e ects of cutting the capital gains tax.

My colleague Tomas Philipson, who served on the Council of Economic Advisers under Trump in his rst term, notes that the JCT never opens its books to show how it makes its “garbage in, garbage out” projections.

Maybe Johnson should demand they do that immediately. Or maybe it’s time for a new model based on real-world scoring. It’s time to put accuracy over ideology.

Big decisions that have enormous trillion- dollar consequences for our economy are being made with a cracked crystal ball.

Stephen Moore is co-founder of Unleash Prosperity and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

COLUMN

SALVATORE CAVALLI / AP PHOTO

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, wearing

ke

Mideast.

Should you let pets sleep next to you?

Does it even matter what the experts say?

By Albert Stumm The Associated Press

IT TURNS OUT, our furry best friend might be our sleep enemy.

Lots of pet owners let their animals sleep on the bed with them, which usually disrupts sleep. But many would say it’s worth it.

And researchers don’t necessarily disagree.

Melissa Milanak, a professor at Medical University of South Carolina specializing in sleep health, said most people at her clinic say their pets disturb them often at night.

“You can’t say that, hands down, it’s bad for every single person, but there is a lot out there saying it negatively impacts your sleep,” she said.

Generally speaking, having a pet is good for many people’s health. Pets have been shown to lower their humans’ stress levels, get them to exercise and more.

Many pet owners also say they feel an immeasurable amount of comfort by having their pets close as they sleep.

But dogs’ and cats’ natural sleep cycles aren’t the same as those of humans.

Dogs tend to be light sleepers and wake up multiple times at night. Some display instinctual behavior like scratching at bedding, which can prevent deeper phases of sleep even if it doesn’t wake you up.

Thomas, a golden retriever mix, lies on a bed in

As many cat owners know, “the zoomies” often happen before they are ready to get out of bed. Cats evolved to hunt in low light, meaning they are particularly active at dusk and dawn.

Milanak also said allergens such as pet dander and microbes brought into the house can a ect owners’ breathing, preventing them from getting enough deep sleep.

Brian Chin, a professor of social and health psychology at

Trinity College in Connecticut, said his research has found sleeping with pets was associated with poor sleep, “particularly those dimensions of sleep quality and insomnia symptoms.” That’s even accounting for the fact that pet owners may be less inclined to report problems in a survey because they don’t believe their beloved pets cause problems.

“I hate to even admit that my cat disrupts my sleep at all,” said Chin, who has one cat that keeps him awake and another that leaves him alone.

Moreover, a higher number of pets was associated with higher sleep disruption, he said.

It’s not as simple as telling pet owners that they shouldn’t share the bed, Milanak said. For a lot of people, it becomes part of their sleep routine, which makes it difcult to sleep without it because they have come to associate pets with sleep.

Because the topic is sensitive, Milanak asks new patients several questions before getting to whether they sleep with a pet. If they’re waking up multiple times a night, for example, they may

not realize why. Once the association is made, she then asks whether they are open to not sleeping together.

“It’s like if I said to somebody, you need to stop smoking,” she said. “They’re going to give me all the reasons why they want to continue smoking.”

The rst, most obvious solution is putting a dog bed on the oor in the bedroom or locking the cat out of the room at night. For those who insist on having the pet in bed with them, she advises washing the sheets more frequently and perhaps adjusting their sleep schedule to match their pet’s routine.

“Maybe you need to go to bed earlier so you can get up earlier to accommodate the pet,” she said. Despite any problems, many pet owners feel that the bonding and emotional bene ts outweigh minor sleep disruption.

Angela Wilson, who lives in Cobb County, Georgia, said she has bought a series of ever-more plush beds for her golden retriever, Sadie. But Sadie jumps into her bed anyway.

Then they usually sleep peacefully back to back.

“People complain about their dogs waking them up, but she doesn’t wake me up,” Wilson said. “She’s very gentle.”

Inside the eye of a hailstorm with storm-chasing scientists

Research aims to better predict dangerous and damaging ice storms

By Seth Borenstein, Brittany Peterson and Carolyn Kaster

The Associated Press

INSIDE A TEXAS HAILSTORM — Wind roared against the SUV’s windows as its tires sloshed through water dumped onto the road by the downpour. A horizon-wide funnel cloud loomed out the window, several miles away. Then came the loud metallic pings on the roof. First one, then another. Then it was too fast to count and too loud to hear much of anything else.

Hailstones were pelting down, and the car was driving toward them.

“How big are they?” meteorology professor Kelly Lombardo asked from the passenger seat.

“Probably no more than a nickel or dime, but they’re just owing at 50 mph,” said fellow researcher Matthew Kumjian as he steered through the ooded road.

Lombardo and Kumjian are part of a team of about 60 researchers chasing hail across the Great Plains to better forecast an underappreciated hazard that causes about $10 billion a year in damage in the U.S. The researchers brought along three Associated Press journalists to observe the rst-of-its kind project called ICECHIP, including trips into the heart of the storms in fortied vehicles like the one driven by Kumjian.

The payo is data that could improve hail forecasts. Knowing what’s going on inside a storm is crucial to knowing what’s going to happen to people in its path, meteorologists said.

“We have a really tough time forecasting hail size,” said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini, one of the project leaders. “All scienti c experiments start with data gathering, and without that data we don’t know what we’re missing. And so that’s what this project is all about.”

Inside a hail storm

On this afternoon, Lombardo and Kumjian, Penn State University professors who are married to each other, were negotiating rapid weather changes while collecting their data.

Minutes before the hail started, the couple were launching 3-foot-wide weather balloons designed to give scientists a glimpse of what’s happening in the leading edge of the storm. A tornado in the distance was slowly getting closer.

Soon cell phones blared tornado alarms, and a nearby town’s storm sirens roared to life. The couple jumped in the car and drove into a part of the storm where they could collect hail after it fell, the same stretch of ooded road where they encountered the 50-mph winds. A wind meter protruding from the black SUV’s

front captured data that was displayed on Lombardo’s laptop.

“This is up there in terms of severity of winds and intensity of precipitation,” Kumjian told an AP reporter after nding a safe place to pull over.

Elsewhere in the storm, Joshua Soderholm of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology launched weather balloons carrying devices built to mimic golf ball-sized hail and out tted with microphones and special sensors. One ew up 8.9 miles at 163 mph.

“It’s free oating. It does whatever the storm wants it to do,” Soderholm said. “This is the only way you could actually get a measurement of what a hail storm might be doing.’’

Researchers also deploy special funnels that capture pristine hail, crushers that measure how strong the ice balls are and other high-tech machinery, including radar and drones.

Keeping storm chasers safe

The teams also use a variety of gear and practices to stay coordinated and safe. At morning brie ngs, they review forecasts to plan the safest way to reach the storms producing the most hail. At their destination, teams set up at varying distances to the

“All scienti c experiments start with data gathering, and without that data we don’t know what we’re missing. And so that’s what this project is all about.”

Victor Gensini, Meteorology professor

storms, with three forti ed vehicles driving into the heart of the weather. Each vehicle has radar screens in the front seats showing brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of the storm they chase. Gensini is in a command vehicle that tracks and deploys the teams based on weather in real time. At times he has to rein in some enthusiastic chasers. So Northern Illinois meteorology student Katie Wargowsky radios a team deep inside a storm to nd safety. Twice. The 21-year-old Wargowsky described how becoming a storm chaser began as an e ort to overcome weather anxiety so intense she would dry heave while taking shelter in her family’s basement. But confronting her fear helped

her develop a deep curiosity that led her to chase tornadoes with her father.

“You get a rush of adrenaline,” she said. “You really start to notice the little things around you, and your head just feels kind of light. Your natural survival instincts tell you, you need to take shelter, and you need hide from it. But you just know that it’s about to be some good research, and you are changing the world one storm at a time.”

The three forti ed vehicles are equipped with special metal mesh to protect their windshields. But it’s not foolproof. The SUV driven by the Penn State researchers lost its windshield in May to sideways-blowing hail that ew under the mesh just 15 minutes into their rst storm chase. Another one of the fortied vehicles, called the Husky Hail Hunter, was pelted by 31⁄2-inch hail during a trip into a storm with an AP photographer aboard.

“We’re getting some new dents,” said Tony Illenden, the Northern Illinois student at the wheel. “This is insane.”

When he stepped out to collect a hailstone — wearing a helmet to protect his head — one slammed into his right hand,

causing it to swell in what Gensini called the rst hail injury of the season. A few days later Illenden, said his hand felt ne. Natural beauty and better roo ng

For the storm chasers, the payo isn’t just the data. It’s also the natural beauty. Illenden’s team, for example, collected a 3-inch hailstone that looked like a rose. That same night a double rainbow emerged.

After the storm passed, several vans descended on a Walmart parking lot to crush hailstones with special machines that measured how much force was needed to shatter them.

“In hailstones we have layers. So we start o with an embryo, and then you’ve got di erent growth layers,” said Central Michigan University scientist John Allen.

Since May 18, while logging more than 5,700 miles, the team has collected, measured, crushed, weighed and sliced hailstones as big as 5.5 inches, about the size of a DVD.

The study funded in part by $11 million from the National Science Foundation, which took eight years to plan, is already paying o even before researchers have had a chance to thoroughly review the data, scientists said. Gensini said one early data trend he’s noticing is that “the largest hail that we found is not where we thought it would be in terms of the Doppler radar.” And that’s an issue because Doppler radar is the only tool forecasters have been using across the country to say where the big dangerous stones should be falling, he said.

Given the federal cuts to science, particularly related to the climate, Gensini said this is likely the rst and last time a hail project like this can be done, at least for several years.

Scientists from the insurance industry, which is helping fund the study, are testing new types of roof shingles that so far seem to resist hail better, said Ian Giammanco, a meteorologist at the Insurance Institute For Business and Home Safety.

“One of our goals is to replicate all of this back at our lab so we can really understand how durable our roo ng materials are to all the di erent avors of

he said.

hail,”

LLOYD GREEN VIA AP

PHOTOS BY CAROLYN KASTER / AP PHOTO

Left, a latex weather balloon with an attached instrument called a windsond is released into a storm to collect data. Right, Victor Gensini, lead scientist of Project ICECHIP, works on a laptop in the command vehicle at a Valero gas station in Brown eld, Texas, earlier this month.

Tony Illenden crouches in a helmet and gloves outside Northern Illinois University’s Husky Hail Hunter vehicle to collect hail during a storm in Levelland, Texas, earlier this month.

Westchester County, New York, in July 2024.

Forsyth SPORTS

Van Gisbergen’s emotional win in Mexico City locks him into Cup Series playo s

By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — Very little went right for Shane Van Gisbergen in the buildup to NASCAR’s rst international Cup Series points-paying race of the modern era.

A mechanical issue on takeo forced his team charter to abort the initial journey to Mexico City. He arrived at the venue Friday, a day late, and after winning the pole Saturday, the New Zealander fell seriously ill.

He was sleeping on the oor of his hauler before Sunday’s race, unsure he’d be able to physically complete the 100-lap event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

But there’s something special about the Kiwi and new venues, especially in the rain, and he salvaged the weekend by winning on the road course to earn an automatic berth into NASCAR’s Cup Series playo s.

Van Gisbergen led 60 of 100 laps and beat Christopher Bell by 16.567 seconds.

“I tried to treat it like when I go to Asia, just drink bottled water and be careful in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water, but I just went downhill,” Van Gisbergen said. “Couldn’t keep anything in. Everything just went straight through me. I felt really queasy and my mind was there, but my body just had so much pressure in my stomach. Crazy weekend and everyone dug deep.”

It was the second Cup Series victory of his career. He won in his Cup debut at the inaugural 2023 street course race in Chicago.

Although he had success in the X nity Series — he won

three races last year as Trackhouse Racing developed him for a Cup Series ride — Van Gisbergen has struggled this year at NASCAR’s top level.

He started the race ranked 33rd in the Cup standings with only one top-10 nish through the rst 15 races of the season.

But his victory in Mexico City revived his season and gives him a shot to race for the Cup Series championship.

“It means everything to us; this is why I’m here,” Van Gisbergen said. “I am getting better and more competitive. We’re really making a lot of progress.”

Van Gisbergen celebrated in his traditional rugby-style way — he drop-kicked a signed football into the grandstands and then said he had recovered enough to enjoy “some Red Bulls mixed with adult beverages” later Sunday.

Van Gisbergen bene tted from an early pop-up rain shower on the rst lap of the race because he’s an exceptionally skilled driver on a wet surface. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like conditions.

Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and Van Gisbergen — locked into

Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track

the playo s. But it was a bit of a disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win in the X nity Series race on Saturday, as he failed to challenge his teammate for the win and nished 19th.

“I wish I was in the mix ghting for it a little more, but it just wasn’t in the cards,” Suarez said. “Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations: the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy.

Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in prerace ceremonies, desperately wanted the home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the rst time since 1958.

Bell nished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who hurt his back in a crash last week at Michigan, withstood the pain for a fourth-place nish in his Hendrick Chevrolet.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jace Strahan

Jace Strahan is a 22-year-old Winston-Salem resident and a member of the Forsyth County team that competed in the 2025 North Carolina Special Olympics Summer Games in Raleigh.

Strahan competed in several athletics and track and eld events and won medals in each of them. He won gold in the softball throw with a toss of 19.4 meters. He also won silver in the 50-meter dash with a time of 11.79 seconds, missing a second gold medal by a margin of just 0.01 seconds. The standing long jump brought him a bronze, with a leap of 1.4 meters.

Tar Heels embrace new world as part of coach Belichick’s rst college team

The 73-year-old coach is installing his system at UNC

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL — Jordan Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was UNC’s new football coach.

“It was just like, ‘That’s the greatest coach of all time,’” the receiver recalled, “‘and he’s about to be coaching us.’”

Tar Heels players hadn’t spoken to reporters since last year’s team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season.

So last week marked the rst time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick’s arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport’s highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots.

Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to the curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer who is now giving college a try.

“There’s a lot of that, you get a lot of ‘How is Coach Belichick? What’s new? What’s di erent?’” Hardy said. “So I’ve rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.”

The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football’s role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger. He and general manager Mi-

chael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level.

Belichick’s rst on- eld work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts. “Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,” Belichick said. “We’ve had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they’re early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the eld. They spend time on their own, whether it’s doing extra

training or coming over and watching lm and that type of thing.

“They’ve made a ton of improvement, and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it’s exciting to see where that’s going to take us.”

For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV.

Intimidating much?

“I mean, maybe at rst when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he’s won,” said o ensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick’s rst portal commitment. “But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there’s no question why he has the success that he has.

“The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals and really just kind of creating com-

“That’s the greatest coach of all time, and he’s about to be coaching us.”

Jordan Shipp, UNC receiver

petition for the guys, that’s what’s getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect, and it’s been great.”

Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick’s son Steve — now the Tar Heels’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

“I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long,” Dixon said.

Yet not every surprise has been about X’s and O’s. Sometimes it’s simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side.

“I feel like that’s the biggest curveball, you’re coming to the rst meeting and you’re expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in,” said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. “He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That’s the second thing he said.” Hardy pointed out that vibe, too.

“There are times when he’ll just crack a joke out of nowhere,” he said. “And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.”

Still, Hardy noted it’s mingled amid the work, such as lm sessions when “there’s no hiding” when Belichick highlights a mistake.

“I’ve loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him,” Hardy said. “It’s cool to see and meet him personally because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he’s just a completely di erent coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It’s cool.”

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO UNC coach Bill Belichick watches his team during spring practice in March.

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

in Mexico City.

SIDELINE REPORT

NWSL

Substitute Pinto scores winner for Courage

Los Angeles Brianna Pinto scored just seven minutes after coming o the bench for the North Carolina Courage in a 2-1 win against Angel City. The Courage had lost all three previous visits to Los Angeles. Cortnee Vine had made it 1-0 in the rst minute of the game when she slid the ball into the net from a cross by Manaka Matsukubo. After Angel City tied it, the winner came in the fth minute of stoppage time. Pinto scooped up a loose ball and red it in from ve yards out.

MLB Contreras brothers homer in same inning as opponents; rst time since 1933

Milwaukee Willson and William Contreras became the second pair of brothers to homer in the same inning as opponents. Both went deep in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 8-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Willson Contreras’ ninth homer of the season, a solo shot to right-center, gave St. Louis an 8-4 lead in the top of the ninth. William Contreras led o the bottom half of the inning with his sixth homer. The Contreras brothers are the rst to homer in the same inning as opponents since Rick and Wes Ferrell on July 19, 1933.

LPGA

Ciganda wins Meijer LPGA Classic for rst LPGA Tour victory in more than 81⁄2 years Belmont, Mich.

Carlota Ciganda birdied the nal two holes to win the Meijer LPGA Classic for her rst LPGA Tour victory in more than 81⁄2 years. Ciganda hit to a foot to set up her birdie on the par-4 17th, then made a 4-foot comebacker on the par-5 18th to avoid a playo with playing partner Hye-Jin Choi. Ciganda shot a 5-under 67 — her fourth straight round in the 60s — to nish at 16-under 272. The 35-year-old Spanish player won for the rst time since the 2016 Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

NBA Greenwood, former UCLA star and NBA champion, dies at 68 after cancer battle

Los Angeles

David Greenwood, who was one of coach John Wooden’s last recruits at UCLA and went on to win an NBA championship with Detroit during a 12-year pro career, died at 68 in Riverside, California, after battling cancer. Greenwood was a four-year starter at UCLA. He was the second overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft behind Magic Johnson. Greenwood went to the Chicago Bulls, where he played for six years. He later played for San Antonio, Denver and Detroit. He came o the bench to help the Pistons win the 1990 NBA championship.

Kicker Carlson, punter Cole put best feet forward for Raiders

The former NC State punter is a key part of Las Vegas’ special teams

By Mark Anderson The Associated Press

HENDERSON, Nev. — Neither took the easy path to get here.

But because Daniel Carlson and AJ Cole persevered, the Las Vegas Raiders have perhaps the best kicker-punter duo in the NFL.

Las Vegas showed its appreciation to Cole by signing him late last month to an extension that brie y made him the league’s highest-paid punter.

Now the question is whether the Raiders will show the same kind of appreciation toward Carlson, who enters the nal season of his four-year, $18.4 million deal.

For kickers with at least 85 attempts over the past three seasons, Carlson was fth in conversion rate at 89.3%.

His 24 made eld goals from 50 yards and beyond ranked fourth.

For those with at least 30 kicko s last season, Carlson was second in the league in allowing 23 yards per kicko return, just behind the 22.2 average of Greg Zuerlein of the New York Jets.

As a rookie in 2018 for Minnesota, he missed three eld goals — two in overtime — in a 29-29 tie with NFC North rival Green Bay. The Vikings waived him the following day.

Carlson caught on with the then-Oakland Raiders — he’s one of four players left who played for the team in the Bay Area — and soon began to establish himself as the one of the league’s best kickers. He was a second-team AP All-Pro in 2021 and a rst-teamer the next season.

Cole’s path was di erent, but like Carlson, he became one of the top players at his position when the early odds appeared against him. Cole, who played

in college at NC State, also began his NFL career in Oakland, entered minicamp in 2019 hoping just to remain on the roster after those three days. He wound up beating out Johnny Townsend in training camp. “I showed up to that minicamp and I really just felt like, ‘This could be it, and I’m going to go into every single one of these three days and I’m going to get all the juice I can,’” Cole said. “I’ve been trying to keep that same mentality, and I’m just on absolute borrowed time. I enjoy every single day. I don’t think there’s anybody that has more fun at work than I do. It’s just such a blessing.” Cole has averaged at least 50 yards three of the past four seasons, a feat that only Ryan Stenhouse has matched in league history. He also is third in gross punting average (48.6 yards) and eighth in net average (42.1 yards) since his rst season.

How Prime Video’s ‘Burn

Such production earned Cole rst-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2023. And a contract extension.

Cole was rewarded with a four-year, $15.8 million deal on May 26 that included $11 million in guaranteed money. That gave him the distinction of being the NFL’s highest-paid punter, but this week was passed by two other players.

Not that Cole is complaining.

When asked if he planned a major purchase, he said that already had been made before signing the contract.

“All of my plants died, so we just relandscaped our yard,” Cole said. “So I’m really excited that I get to stay here and watch those plants grow up. I don’t know if you guys have bought plants before, but they’re really, really expensive.

“So that was the big-ticket purchase — a couple of new queen palm trees in the backyard and a couple sweet Bay laurels on the side.”

Bar’ changes how fans watch NASCAR races on TV

The new graphic uses AI technology to calculate fuel mileage during the race

By Joe Reedy The Associated Press

NASCAR fans have grown accustomed to seeing speed, throttle and braking on broadcasts for years. There has been one measurement, though, that has eluded networks and viewers for years. Until now.

Viewers of the Prime Video races have been able to see fuel usage with the introduction of the Burn Bar. Race teams have measured burn rates and fuel levels down to the last ounce for years, but the methodology has been kept secret for competitive reasons.

Prime Video, though, developed an AI tool using car data available to broadcasters and teams that can measure miles per gallon. The Burn Bar made a brief appearance during Prime’s rst broadcast, the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25. It has been used more frequently the past three weeks, most recently during the race in Mexico City.

NASCAR on Prime analyst Steve Letarte, a former crew chief for Je Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., contributed to the development of the Burn

Bar and sees it as the rst step in taking race analysis to a new level.

“It’s the rst true tool that is taking information o the car, making calculations and then displaying to the fan a calculation or measurement that is being used in the garage. And it does a ect the team,” he said. “There’s not a sensor on the car giving us miles per gallon. It’s a mathematical calculation of other cars’ performances.”

The AI model analyzes thousands of performance data per second, including a range of in-car telemetry signals, RPMs, throttle and optical tracking of each car’s position. The model then evaluates each driver’s fuel consumption and e ciency throughout the race.

Letarte worked with Prime Video “Thursday Night Football Prime Vision” analyst Sam Schwartzstein and Amazon Web Services during the process. They came up with four methodologies that were tested during the rst part of the season, which was broadcast by Fox. Schwartzstein and Letarte would then get the data from teams after races to see how close they were until they picked one that worked the best.

The Burn Bar received its toughest test during last week’s race at Michigan as the nal 48 laps were run without a caution ag. Most teams made theirnal pit stops with 50 laps to go,

The “Burn Bar,” lower left, is used to measure Denny Hamilin’s performance during a NASCAR on Prime broadcast of the Nashville race earlier this month. The AI tool was developed by Prime Video to measure a car’s burn rate and fuel levels.

meaning teams were going to be down to the end of their fuel runs at the checkered ag.

“We projected William Byron to run out, which he did, and then we were on the razor’s edge for Denny Hamlin. And then watching the truck push him back into Victory Lane at the end, knowing he was as close as we thought he was — what a cool way to see this feature come to life and elevate NASCAR broadcasts,” Schwartzstein said. Alex Strand, Prime Video’s senior coordinating producer for live sports, also sees the Burn Bar as the rst tool of

many that Amazon and Prime Video can develop for its coverage. Prime Video is in the rst year of a seven-year agreement to carry ve races per season.

“It’s really cool to live in a world where it shows us that anything is possible. We’re starting with something that we’re really excited about, but it’s setting us down a path that will open up new doors for us,” he said. “I think that’s what we’re really excited about is to say, ‘OK, we’ve had success in Year 1 on a feature that’s resonated with fans right out of the gate.’ It raises the table for our o season.”

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole participates during a minicamp practice last week.

the stream

HAIM, ‘The Gilded Age,’ Benson Boone, astronaut Sally Ride, digital dinosaurs

Six Alfred Hitchcock lms land on Net ix

The Associated Press

LIFELIKE DIGITAL Triceratops and Spinosaurus lumbering through a reimagined “Walking with Dinosaurs” and Benson Boone’s sophomore album “American Heart” 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: A documentary on trailblazing NASA astronaut Sally Ride and the third season of “The Gilded Age.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Cristina Costantini’s documentary “Sally” (streaming on Disney+) richly details the story behind the headlines of the rst American woman to y in space. The portrait of Sally Ride, the trailblazing NASA astronaut, is narrated by her life partner of 27 years, Tam O’Shaughnessy. Her intimate perspective on Ride, along with archival footage and interviews with family and colleagues, captures a fuller backstory to an American icon.

“The Ballad of Wallis Island” (streaming on Peacock) was a standout in the rst half of 2025 but easy to miss. A funny and tender charmer set on the coast of Wales, it’s not a movie screaming for your attention. It stars Tim Key as an isolated widower who uses some of his lottery winnings to hire his favorite band, a folk duo named McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan) to play by his rural home. In her review, AP lm writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that the lm feels “like a much-needed balm. Modest in scope and made with the lightest of touch, not unlike the lovely folk songs that populate its soundtrack, it’s also deceptively powerful: A gentle ode to moving on, in quirky packaging.” Net ix tends to bury older lms in its algorithms, but the streamer is hosting a good batch of Alfred Hitchcock movies. This month, it added “Vertigo,” “Rear Window,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Frenzy,” “The Plot” and “The Birds” to its collection, along with the already-streaming “Psycho.” These are movies often available elsewhere, and there are many other great Hitchcock lms. But a solid sampler pack on Net ix could help bring Hitchcock to some new audiences, and there’s never a bad time to see “Vertigo” for the rst time.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Boone, the “Beautiful Things” singer, will release his sophomore album, “American Heart,” on Friday. Expect big pop -rock ltered through a kind of post-Harry Styles mimicry and 1970s worship. For fans of Queen, ELO and gymnastic pop stars with a penchant for doing back ips on stage. The Los Angeles sister trio HAIM have returned with “I Quit,” 15 tracks of danceable breakup bangers perfect for your summertime sadness. It’s soft rock-pop for the Miu Miu crowd and a sonic cure for seasonal depression. For the indie crowd, the New York-based Hotline TNT have been a fan favorite for their shoegaze-y power pop that appeals to both classic rockers and

those emo pop-punkers who miss the Vans’ Warped Tour. On Friday, the group, led by Will Anderson, will release “Raspberry Moon” via Jack White’s Third Man Records.

SHOWS TO STREAM

In 1999 a series called “Walking with Dinosaurs” premiered in the UK and captivated audiences. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, it was inspired by “Jurassic Park” and at the time was the most expensive documentary per-minute ever made. Special e ects like CGI and animatronics helped bring the dinosaurs to life. Twenty- ve years later, a reimagined “Walking with Dinosaurs” debuts on PBS in conjunction with the BBC using the latest technology to make the dinosaurs seem

even more lifelike. The six-episode series is now narrated by actor Bertie Carvel. It is available to stream on PBS platforms and its app.

It’s a great week for period pieces. First, Apple TV+’s Gilded Age, girl power series “The Buccaneers” is out for its second season. The soapy period piece features a cast that includes Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah and Christina Hendricks. It’s based on an unnished Edith Wharton novel about ve American women in London for debutante season. These women are a contrast to English high society because they’re extroverted and opinionated.

BritBox has the 1930s drama “Outrageous,” based on the true story of the Mitford sisters, six women born into an aristocratic family who made headlines for their personal lives and politics. Bessie Carter, who plays Penelope Featherington on “Bridgerton” plays one of the sisters, Nancy Mitford. “Outrageous” is inspired by a biography that was originally published in 2002.

The TV adaptation of the popular YA novel “We Were Liars” is streaming on Prime Video. It follows the a uent Sinclair family who has enough secrets to ll one of their bank accounts. It follows Cadence, one of the granddaughters who pals around all summer with two cousins and a family friend, Gat, and their group of four is known as The Liars.

Another dysfunctional

family is introduced Thursday in Net ix’s “The Waterfront” about the Buckleys, a family of sherman and restaurateurs in North Carolina. Business has been dwindling, and questionable choices are made to stay a oat, keep their secrets and not get caught by authorities.

A third period piece out this week is the third season of “The Gilded Age” and there is a lot to catch up on. Cynthia Nixon’s Ada Forte, now a widower after a very short marriage, has just discovered her late husband left her a fortune. This makes Ada the new matriarch of her family, surpassing her sister Agnes (played by Christine Baranski.) Their niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson) seems to be in the early stages of a courtship with neighbor Larry Russell, whose family’s wealth comes from new money. Created by Julian Fellowes, the new season premieres Sunday on Max.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The in uence of Disney’s movie “Tron,” with its icy, neon vision of cyberspace, far outweighs the number of people who actually saw it when it came out in 1982. (I know I spent a lot more time playing the arcade game.) We are getting a third movie, “Tron: Ares,” in October — but rst we get a new game, Tron: Catalyst. You are Exo, an advanced computer program in a glitchy electronic world. Check it out on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S,

and

“The Ballad of Wallis Island,” left, the documentary “Sally,” center, and the series

ALISTAIR HEAP / FOCUS FEATURES VIA AP

Carey Mulligan, left, and Tom Basden star in “The Ballad of Wallis Island.”

Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector appear in a scene from “The Gilded Age.”

STATE & NATION

A grassland bird eavesdrops on prairie dog calls to keep itself safe from predators

Prairie dogs bark at each other to warn of predators

By Christina Larson The Associated Press

PRAIRIE DOGS are the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains: They bark to alert neighbors to the presence of predators, with separate calls for dangers coming by land or by air.

“Prairie dogs are on the menu for just about every predator you can think of”— golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, foxes, badgers, even large snakes — said Andy Boyce, a research ecologist in Montana at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Those predators will also snack on grassland nesting birds like the long-billed curlew.

To protect themselves, the curlews eavesdrop on the alarms coming from prairie dog colonies, according to research published last Thursday in the journal Animal Behavior.

Previous research has shown

A long-billed curlew ies over the American Prairie reserve in

birds frequently eavesdrop on other bird species to glean information about potential food sources or approaching danger, said Georgetown University ornithologist Emily Williams, who was not involved in the study. But, so far, scientists

have documented only a few instances of birds eavesdropping on mammals.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s rare in the wild,” she said, “it just means we haven’t studied it yet.”

Prairie dogs live in large col-

onies with a series of burrows that may stretch for miles underground. When they hear each other’s barks, they either stand alert watching or dive into their burrows to avoid approaching talons and claws.

“Those little barks are very loud — they can carry quite a long way,” said co-author Andrew Dreelin, who also works for the Smithsonian.

The long-billed curlew nests in short-grass prairie and incubates eggs on a ground nest. When one hears the prairie dog alarm, she responds by pressing her head, beak and belly close to the ground.

In this crouched position, the birds “rely on the incredible camou age of their feathers to become essentially invisible on the Plains,” Dreelin said.

To test just how alert the birds were to prairie dog chatter, researchers created a fake predator by strapping a taxidermied badger onto a small remote-controlled vehicle. They sent this badger rolling over the prairie of north-central Mon-

tana toward curlew nests — sometimes in silence and sometimes while playing recorded prairie dog barks.

When the barks were played, curlews ducked into the grass quickly, hiding when the badger was around 160 feet away. Without the barks, the remote-controlled badger got within about 52 feet of the nests before the curlews appeared to sense danger.

“You have a much higher chance of avoiding predation if you go into that cryptic posture sooner — and the birds do when they hear prairie dogs barking,” said co-author Holly Jones, a conservation biologist at Northern Illinois University. Prairie dogs are often thought of as “environmental engineers,” she said, because they construct extensive burrows and nibble down prairie grass, keeping short-grass ecosystems intact.

“But now we are realizing they are also shaping the ecosystems by producing and spreading information,” she said.

Libraries open historic book collections to AI researchers

Centuries-old texts provide training data while avoiding copyright battles

By Matt O’Brien The Associated Press

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Everything ever said on the internet was just the start of teaching arti cial intelligence about humanity. Tech companies are now tapping into an older repository of knowledge: the library stacks.

Nearly 1 million books published as early as the 15th century — and in 254 languages — are part of a Harvard University collection released to AI researchers last Thursday. Also coming soon are troves of old newspapers and government documents held by Boston’s public library.

Cracking open the vaults to centuries-old tomes could be a data bonanza for tech companies battling lawsuits from living novelists, visual artists and others whose creative works have been scooped up without their consent to train AI chatbots.

“It is a prudent decision to start with public domain data because that’s less controversial right now than content that’s still under copyright,” said Burton Davis, a deputy general counsel at Microsoft.

Davis said libraries also hold “signi cant amounts of interesting cultural, historical and language data” that’s missing from the past few decades of online commentary that AI chatbots

have mostly learned from. Fears of running out of data have also led AI developers to turn to “synthetic” data, made by the chatbots themselves and of a lower quality.

Supported by “unrestricted gifts” from Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the Harvard-based Institutional Data Initiative is working with libraries and museums around the world on how to make their historic collections AI-ready in a way that also bene ts the communities they serve.

“We’re trying to move some of the power from this current AI moment back to these institutions,” said Aristana Scourtas, who manages research at Harvard Law School’s Library Innovation Lab. “Librarians have always been the stewards of data and the stewards of information.”

Harvard’s newly released dataset, Institutional Books 1.0, contains more than 394 million scanned pages of paper.

One of the earlier works is from the 1400s — a Korean painter’s handwritten thoughts about cultivating owers and trees.

The largest concentration of works is from the 19th century, on subjects such as literature, philosophy, law and agriculture, all of it meticulously preserved and organized by generations of librarians.

It promises to be a boon for AI developers trying to improve the accuracy and reliability of their systems.

“A lot of the data that’s been used in AI training has not

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

Greg Leppert, executive director at the Institutional Data Initiative, poses at Langdell Hall, which houses the Harvard Law School library in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

come from original sources,” said the data initiative’s executive director, Greg Leppert, who is also chief technologist at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. This book collection goes “all the way back to the physical copy that was scanned by the institutions that actually collected those items,” he said.

Before ChatGPT sparked a commercial AI frenzy, most AI researchers didn’t think much about the provenance of the passages of text they pulled from Wikipedia, from social media forums like Reddit and sometimes from deep repositories of pirated books. They just needed lots of what computer scientists call tokens — units of data, each of which can represent a piece of a word.

Harvard’s new AI training collection has an estimated 242 billion tokens, an amount that’s hard for humans to fathom but it’s still just a drop of what’s being fed into the most advanced AI systems. Facebook parent company Meta, for instance, has said the latest version of its AI large language model was trained on more than 30 trillion tokens pulled from text, images and videos.

Meta is also battling a lawsuit from comedian Sarah Silverman and other published authors who accuse the company of stealing their books from “shadow libraries” of pirated works.

Now, with some reservations, the real libraries are standing up.

OpenAI, which is also ghting a string of copyright lawsuits, donated $50 million this year to a group of research institutions including Oxford University’s 400-year-old Bodleian Library, which is digitizing rare texts and using AI to help transcribe them.

When the company rst reached out to the Boston Public Library, one of the biggest in the U.S., the library made clear that any information it digitized would be for everyone, said Jessica Chapel, its chief of digital and online services.

“OpenAI had this interest in massive amounts of training data. We have an interest in massive amounts of digital objects. So this is kind of just a case that things are aligning,” Chapel said.

Digitization is expensive. It’s been painstaking work, for instance, for Boston’s library to scan and curate dozens of New England’s French-language newspapers that were widely read in the late 19th and early 20th century by Canadian immigrant communities from Quebec. Now that such text is of use as training data, it helps bankroll projects that librarians want to do anyway.

Harvard’s collection was already digitized starting in 2006 for another tech giant, Google, in its controversial project to create a searchable online library of more than 20 million books.

How useful all of this will be for the next generation of AI tools remains to be seen.

PHOTOS VIA SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE VIA AP

Montana.

Randolph record

“The Army Goes Rolling Along”

The U.S. Army kicked o America 250 celebrations with a bang on Saturday as the oldest military branch celebrated its founding 250 years ago, on June 14, 1775, with a grand parade in Washington, D.C. Above, soldiers from the “All American” 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, march past the Presidential viewing stand in Army uniforms from World War I.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

A judge could advance Purdue Pharma’s $7B opioid settlement after all 50 states back it

A judge is being asked to clear the way for local governments and individual victims to vote on OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The deal would be among the largest in a wave of opioid settlements. It calls for members of the Sackler family, who own the company, to give up ownership and contribute up to $7 billion over time. Of that, about $890 million could go to people who were victims of the drug epidemic or their survivors. Most of the rest is to be used by state and local governments to ght the crisis.

Wake Forest alum named University of Alabama president Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Peter J. Mohler has been named the next president of the University of Alabama. Mohler comes to the role from Ohio State University, where he served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and as chief scienti c o cer of the university’s Wexner Medical Center. He will assume the role at the University of Alabama on July 21. Mohler has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Asheboro approves 2025-26 budget

Half of the budget is dedicated to public safety

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council approved its 2025-26 operating budget at its June 5 meeting, which is balanced at around $75.7 million.

Of that, the general fund is balanced at approximately $50.5 million, which is around a $2 million increase from the prior year, mostly due to personnel expenses, according to City Manager Donald Duncan.

“We’re going to do a base pay increase for every full-time employee of $2,000, except for re and police, who are getting a $3,000 increase because that is where our biggest de cit is in trying to recruit and keep good talent,” Duncan said.

Essentially half of the total budget is going toward public safety (police, re and inspections).

“Developing talented police

o cers and ensuring public safety is very important,” Duncan said.

The city is also committing $7.35 million to culture and recreational services, including more than $3 million for facility maintenance.

“The City of Asheboro prides itself on its culture and recreation services, but most important is facilities maintenance,” Duncan said. “You have over half a million square feet to maintain. There’s a lot to do and we do a very good job with it.”

Other budget highlights include $1.3 million for debt services, $500,000 for 4.85 miles of street resurfacing, $700,000 for street lighting, $160,000 for sidewalk construction and $250,000 for local community agency support.

In addition, the city will maintain its current property tax rate of $0.71 per $100 valuation.

The council also held a public hearing for a rezoning request for approximately 0.7 acres of property located 619 Albe -

“Developing talented police o cers and ensuring public safety is very important.”

Donald Duncan, city manager

marle Road from a split zoning with Medium-Density Residential to only General Commercial for the purpose of constructing a commercial activities center.

Following the hearing, the council approved the request.

The council also approved an agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company in relation to the Pineview Street Project.

“The agreement is for the proposed installation of an 8-inch DIP sanitary sewer line encased in a 16-inch casing on Pineview Street,” said City Engineer Michael Leonard.

Finally, the council approved two water resource projects: accepting the funding

for the Lake Lucas Dam intake replacement project and an amendment to the design-build contract for the Wolfspeed water main extension project.

“The state allocated to the City of Asheboro $4,170,500, and that was to be used for water or wastewater infrastructure projects,” said Water Resources Director Michael Rhoney. “We’ve been working on this for a while and nally received a letter of intent to fund from the Division of Water Infrastructure on May 13 of this year.”

The amendment establishes the new GMP for a total contract value for the Wolfspeed contract is now just under $51.75 million.

“GMP4 is the nal design for everything and engineering services during construction for section 2 and project reconciliation, which is basically the risk register for the contingency,” Rhoney said. “Once again, it’s state money and we’re not on the dime for it.”

The Asheboro City Council will next meet July 10.

Graduating classes grow around county

Asheboro and Uwharrie Charter Academy reported big numbers of diplomas handed out

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

BIG GRADUATING classes were among the themes for high school commencements this spring in Randolph County.

The largest class was at Asheboro High School with 352 graduates. That marks the school’s biggest class in 25 years. Most high school commencements in the county were held last week, though there were a couple earlier.

Within the Randolph County School System, there were

1,075 graduates across eight high schools.

RCSS, citing a transition from one student information system to another, was unable to provide a school-by-school breakdown of graduates.

The schools in RCSS include six traditional high schools (Eastern Randolph, Providence Grove, Randleman, Southwestern Randolph, Trinity, Wheatmore) plus Uwharrie Ridge 6-12 and Randolph Early College.

RCSS reported a special moment at Wheatmore, where graduate Hannah Brooks was surprised by her brother, Cameron Brooks, a Wheatmore alum and Marine who’s stationed in Hawaii.

“His surprise attendance was de nitely one of the most precious things I have witnessed in

my 28 years in education,” said Amanda Tuggle, assistant principal at Wheatmore.

Among the RCSS graduates was the son of district Superintendent Stephen Gainey. Jake Gainey graduated from Southwestern Randolph, where his father handed him his diploma. Meanwhile, Asheboro’s senior class included 55 honor graduates and 61 distinguished graduates. Special awardees or speakers included Emma Julian, JaNila Hobdy, Liberty Adams and Dolly Gladden. That ceremony was moved indoors because of weather concerns June 10.

RCSS ceremonies also were conducted indoors because of weather threats on the same night.

• Uwharrie Charter Academy had its largest graduating class

in school history with 197 diplomas distributed. This was the school’s 11th graduating class.

“Our upcoming classes are even larger,” said Jennifer Hogue, data manager for the school.

The main commencement took place for the rst time at Novant Health Fieldhouse at the Greensboro Coliseum complex.

“We’re growing, so we (moved the location),” high school principal Beth Kearns said. “Everyone got a ticket who wanted one. In the past, we had to cut our guest list.”

There turned out to be two commencement ceremonies a few days apart. That’s because seven baseball players weren’t available for the scheduled

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

Agricultural center construction moves closer to completion

County o cials are anticipating a fall opening for the facility in Asheboro

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The open-

ing of the Randolph County Agricultural Center is a few months away.

Construction work is in the late stages on the 104 acres purchased by Randolph County in 2016.

“Folks are de nitely getting more curious about what’s out there,” Taylor Wright, the agricultural center’s coordinator, said last week.

Wright said a fall completion should be in the works af-

ter initial projections had targeted an opening for this past January. The site is o U.S. 64 near East Salisbury Street.

“We don’t have anything more solidi ed than that,” Wright said of the timing.

The main facilities will be an education and resource center and, in the rear of the property, an events center and open-air arena.

The main building will house the Randolph County Cooperative Extension and the Randolph County Soil and Water o ces. There’s also a conference room, two commercial kitchens and a food hub for local producers.

Wright said the events center encompasses 18,000 square feet. There’s space for seating tting 540 chairs. There’s

also a learning greenhouse.

Parking includes three paved lots in addition to a gravel area behind the open-air arena.

Wright said partnership opportunities are available, with naming rights for certain areas and advertising space. Donations are also sought.

“This facility is so unique and versatile,” Wright said. “It’s just not for agricultural purposes.”

Since a formal process began in 2016 and an agricultural center became part of the county’s strategic plan, it has been an on-and-o endeavor in modifying the vision and securing funding for the project. Construction began in 2023.

“It has been a very long time coming,” Wright said.

Randolph Guide

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

June 20

Pop-up Picnic in the Park Date Night 1-5 p.m.

Each pop-up picnic sunset date night for couples is self-guided, allowing you to attend at the time of your choice. All you need is a mobile device and an internet connection to access your Digital Date Nite Box. Guided activities included are Quality Time with a discount code for food delivery to the park; Acts of Service with custom couple-coupons; Gifts featuring a “Digital Love Jar,” a Couple Games App and more.

N. Asheboro Park 1939 Canoy Drive Asheboro

Friday Night Sunset Series: Held every Friday, May to August 5:30-8:30 p.m.

event May 30 when they were competing in Game 1 of the Class 1A state nals in Holly Springs.

THURSDAY JUNE 19

FRIDAY

CRIME LOG

June 4

• Anthony Wayne Carter, 35, was arrested by RCSO for larceny and possession of stolen goods.

June 9

• Brittney Danielle Hohn, 32, was arrested by RCSO for negligent child abuse causing serious physical injury.

June 10

• Malena Danielle Church, 30, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine.

UCA won the state championship May 31. Then two days later, there was a gathering at the school’s baseball eld where school o cials conducted a commencement cer -

emony for the seven baseball players. Among the UCA graduates, at least 110 have are set to attend two- or four-year colleges, Kearns said.

• Mitchell Leon Cannon, 40, was arrested by RCSO for possession of cocaine, carrying a concealed gun, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving with a revoked license.

June 12

• Sir Olan Shane Byers, 43, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Sean Michael Collins, 38, was arrested by RCSO for assault

in icting serious injury, assault by strangulation, and child abuse causing serious bodily injury.

• Joe Allen Woods, 54, was arrested by RCSO for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

• Jasmine Dene Phillips, 25, was arrested by RCSO for ve counts of obtaining property by false pretense.

• Alexander Reann Hasberry, 25, was arrested by RCSO for ve counts of obtaining property by false pretense. Share with your community!

Admission for 21-plus is $8 per 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

The Hatley Family in Concert

7 p.m.

The Hatley Family Band has local roots, originating from Stan eld. Specializing in four-part harmony, Bluegrass gospel and popular standards, the group is celebrating ve generations of performers and nearly 45 years of performing together. Tickets are $10.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Avenue Asheboro

June 21, 24 & 26

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 23 & 25

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

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

The main sign is up as work continues in advance of the opening of the Randolph County Agricultural Center.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| DAVID HARSANYI

Greta Thunberg, useful idiot for Hamas

The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

PROFESSIONAL LEFTIST Greta

Thunberg was brought to Israel this week after the “sel e yacht” she was traveling on attempted to break through a naval blockade of Gaza. Her boat, the “Madleen,” was part of a otilla pretending to deliver aid to alleviate an imaginary famine. The 22-year-old was given food and shelter, and sent home by the Israeli government, which she accused of “kidnapping” her. All the usual suspects went along with this predictable framing.

If Thunberg really wanted to better understand the concept of an abduction, she might have asked Hamas to visit the Israelis still being tortured in a dank basement somewhere in Rafah. But the “human rights activist,” which is how the legacy media unironically describes her, has never once called for the release of the hostages taken by Islamists. Indeed, the otilla e ort was reportedly organized by a “Hamas operative.”

“(The Israelis) tried to make us watch all kinds of propaganda videos,” Thunberg told reporters after landing in Paris, “but I didn’t watch. This is nothing compared to what is happening in Gaza, which is in desperate need of humanitarian aid.” Referring to GoPro videos made by Palestinians that document the gleeful slaughter of women, children and the elderly as “propaganda” is a bold accusation coming from a cosplay revolutionary whose biggest problem was getting a vegetarian meal from her hosts.

As this was all going on, incidentally, Israel has been sending hundreds of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. Hamas opposes this e ort, as it uses food and aid to control the Palestinian population. The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

The real question is: Why is she in the news at all?

Thunberg was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2019 after dropping out of high school and “raising awareness for climate change.”

It was quite a historic accomplishment. No one was talking about global warming before Greta came around, apparently. Me? I tend to think the kid who stays in school and learns a thing or two about biology before lecturing me about science is the real hero. But we live in a time where emotionalism and vapidity are often confused with decency and wisdom. Thunberg is the embodiment of this trend.

Thunberg’s most infamous moment was a frivolous emotional outburst at the United Nations, where she screamed at those who had bequeathed her with unprecedented wealth, safety and freedom: “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she claimed. But really, her dream was to be famous. Or, maybe, it was rst the dream of exploitative parents who persuaded their child that the world was on the precipice of Armageddon.

Since her Time magazine cover, Thunberg has achieved nothing. Her native Sweden has turned back to fossil fuels. Europe,

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, wearing a Palestinian ke yeh, meets with journalists in Catania, Italy, on June 1, ahead of their departure for the Mideast.

as well. The Earth, however, is still here.

Subsequently, Thunberg has moved on to champion other trendy leftist causes, such as Black Lives Matter and now “Free Palestine.” The only thing she understands less about than climate science seems to be the Middle East. As far as I can tell, Thunberg has never once said anything remotely compelling, witty or smart. There are millions of young people far more worthy of attention. For years, youth shielded Thunberg from criticism. Even now, journalists fail to ask her a serious, in-depth question about the issues she champions. The chances she could answer one are incredibly slim.

Well, Thunberg is now a young woman, and so we can freely point out that she’s always been an extraordinary imbecile. But now, she’s also a useful idiot for terrorists. For that, there is no excuse.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

Why the CBO almost always gets it wrong

The 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

THESE DAYS it seems that a mysterious group called “the CBO” rules the world, or at least Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it’s not very good at predicting things, and its bad calls can lead to bad policy results.

The Congressional Budget O ce and the Joint Committee on Taxation predict what will happen with spending, tax revenues and de cits from new bills and congressional budgets. They have made headlines with their absurd warning that President Donald Trump’s tax bill to extend the 2017 tax cuts and other reforms like eliminating taxes on tips would add trillions to the debt over 10 years.

But we know this is wrong. The aw is that the models don’t take account of the improved economy from keeping tax rates low and providing tax relief for small businesses and workers. The White House estimates that this bill, combined with pro-America energy policies and deregulation, can raise the economic growth rate to nearly 3% — which would mean at least another $2 trillion in added revenues.

When I pointed this out in The Wall Street Journal two weeks ago, House Speaker Mike

Johnson reiterated these defects in the CBO predictions.

Then Washington Post “fact checker” Glenn Kessler claimed the CBO is accurate and Johnson’s claim is “nonsense.”

Oh, really? It turns out that it’s the self-proclaimed fact checker who is getting the numbers all wrong.

The Post argued that the CBO really does dynamic scoring and adjusts for the changes in tax laws. Wrong. The CBO does not fully measure the economywide bene ts of lower tax rates and thus doesn’t adjust for higher employment and growth — which happens every time we cut tax rates.

We also know the 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

Yet Kessler notes that no one in 2017 could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns. That is absolutely true. But the pandemic actually reduced revenues from what they would have otherwise been by at least $1 trillion because commerce slowed to a crawl during the lockdowns. Yet even with the unexpected pandemic, the CBO still managed to

underestimate the revenues generated from the tax cut.

Sounds like the speaker was right and the fact checkers struck out.

Everyone makes mistakes. But the CBO and JCT have a habit of overstating the bene ts of raising taxes and underestimating the bene ts to the economy from cutting tax rates. The CBO and JCT, for example, have almost always lowballed the economic e ects of cutting the capital gains tax.

My colleague Tomas Philipson, who served on the Council of Economic Advisers under Trump in his rst term, notes that the JCT never opens its books to show how it makes its “garbage in, garbage out” projections.

Maybe Johnson should demand they do that immediately. Or maybe it’s time for a new model based on real-world scoring. It’s time to put accuracy over ideology.

Big decisions that have enormous trillion- dollar consequences for our economy are being made with a cracked crystal ball.

Stephen Moore is co-founder of Unleash Prosperity and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

COLUMN

SALVATORE CAVALLI / AP PHOTO

Research aims to better predict dangerous and damaging ice storms

By Seth Borenstein, Brittany Peterson and Carolyn Kaster

The Associated Press

INSIDE A TEXAS HAILSTORM — Wind roared against the SUV’s windows as its tires sloshed through water dumped onto the road by the downpour.

A horizon-wide funnel cloud loomed out the window, several miles away. Then came the loud metallic pings on the roof. First one, then another. Then it was too fast to count and too loud to hear much of anything else.

Hailstones were pelting down, and the car was driving toward them.

“How big are they?” meteorology professor Kelly Lombardo asked from the passenger seat.

“Probably no more than a nickel or dime, but they’re just owing at 50 mph,” said fellow researcher Matthew Kumjian as he steered through the ooded road.

Lombardo and Kumjian are part of a team of about 60 researchers chasing hail across the Great Plains to better forecast an underappreciated hazard that causes about $10 billion a year in damage in the U.S. The researchers brought along three Associated Press journalists to observe the rst-of-its kind project called ICECHIP, including trips into the heart of the storms in fortied vehicles like the one driven by Kumjian.

The payo is data that could improve hail forecasts. Knowing what’s going on inside a storm is crucial to knowing what’s going to happen to people in its path, meteorologists said.

“We have a really tough time forecasting hail size,” said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini, one of the project leaders. “All scienti c experiments start with data gathering, and without that data we don’t know what we’re missing. And so that’s what this project is all about.”

Inside a hail storm

On this afternoon, Lombardo and Kumjian, Penn State University professors who are married to each other, were negotiating rapid weather changes while collecting their data.

Minutes before the hail started, the couple were launching 3-foot-wide weather balloons designed to give scientists a glimpse of what’s happening in the leading edge of the storm. A tornado in the distance was slowly getting closer.

Soon cell phones blared tornado alarms, and a nearby town’s storm sirens roared to life. The couple jumped in the car and drove into a part of the storm where they could collect hail after it fell, the same stretch of ood-

ed road where they encountered the 50-mph winds. A wind meter protruding from the black SUV’s front captured data that was displayed on Lombardo’s laptop.

“This is up there in terms of severity of winds and intensity of precipitation,” Kumjian told an AP reporter after nding a safe place to pull over.

Elsewhere in the storm, Joshua Soderholm of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology launched weather balloons carrying devices built to mimic golf ball-sized hail and out tted with microphones and special sensors. One ew up 8.9 miles at 163 mph.

“It’s free oating. It does whatever the storm wants it to do,” Soderholm said. “This is the only way you could actually get a measurement of what a hail storm might be doing.’’

Researchers also deploy special funnels that capture pristine hail, crushers that measure how strong the ice balls are and other high-tech machinery, including radar and drones.

Keeping storm chasers safe

The teams also use a variety of gear and practices to stay co-

ordinated and safe. At morning brie ngs, they review forecasts to plan the safest way to reach the storms producing the most hail. At their destination, teams set up at varying distances to the storms, with three forti ed vehicles driving into the heart of the weather. Each vehicle has radar screens in the front seats showing brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of the storm they chase.

Gensini is in a command vehicle that tracks and deploys the teams based on weather in real time. At times he has to rein in some enthusiastic chasers. So Northern Illinois meteorology student Katie Wargowsky radios a team deep inside a storm to nd safety. Twice.

The 21-year-old Wargowsky described how becoming a storm chaser began as an e ort to overcome weather anxiety so intense she would dry heave while taking shelter in her family’s basement. But confronting her fear helped her develop a deep curiosity that led her to chase tornadoes with her father.

“You get a rush of adrenaline,” she said. “You really start to notice the little things around you, and your head just feels kind of

light. Your natural survival instincts tell you, you need to take shelter, and you need hide from it. But you just know that it’s about to be some good research, and you are changing the world one storm at a time.”

The three forti ed vehicles are equipped with special metal mesh to protect their windshields. But it’s not foolproof. The SUV driven by the Penn State researchers lost its windshield in May to sideways-blowing hail that ew under the mesh just 15 minutes into their rst storm chase.

Another one of the fortied vehicles, called the Husky Hail Hunter, was pelted by 31⁄2-inch hail during a trip into a storm with an AP photographer aboard.

“We’re getting some new dents,” said Tony Illenden, the Northern Illinois student at the wheel. “This is insane.”

When he stepped out to collect a hailstone — wearing a helmet to protect his head — one slammed into his right hand, causing it to swell in what Gensini called the rst hail injury of the season. A few days later Illenden, said his hand felt ne.

Natural beauty and better roo ng

For the storm chasers, the payo isn’t just the data. It’s also the natural beauty. Illenden’s team, for example, collected a 3-inch hailstone that looked like a rose. That same night a double rainbow emerged.

After the storm passed, several vans descended on a Walmart parking lot to crush hailstones with special machines that measured how much force was needed to shatter them.

“In hailstones we have layers. So we start o with an embryo, and then you’ve got di erent growth layers,” said Central Michigan University scientist John Allen.

Since May 18, while logging more than 5,700 miles, the team has collected, measured, crushed, weighed and sliced hailstones as big as 5.5 inches, about the size of a DVD.

The study funded in part by $11 million from the National Science Foundation, which took eight years to plan, is already paying o even before researchers have had a chance to thoroughly review the data, scientists said. Gensini said one early data trend he’s noticing is that “the largest hail that we found is not where we thought it would be in terms of the Doppler radar.” And that’s an issue because Doppler radar is the only tool forecasters have been using across the country to say where the big dangerous stones should be falling, he said.

Given the federal cuts to science, particularly related to the climate, Gensini said this is likely the rst and last time a hail project like this can be done, at least for several years.

Scientists from the insurance industry, which is helping fund the study, are testing new types of roof shingles that so far seem to resist hail better, said Ian Giammanco, a meteorologist at the Insurance Institute For Business and Home Safety.

“One of our goals is to replicate all of this back at our lab so we can really understand how durable our roo ng materials are to all the di erent avors of hail,” he said.

PHOTOS BY CAROLYN KASTER / AP PHOTO

Left, a latex weather balloon with an attached instrument called a windsond is released into a storm to collect data.

Right, Victor Gensini, lead scientist of Project ICECHIP, works on a laptop in the command vehicle at

Valero gas station in Brown eld, Texas, earlier this month.

Tony Illenden crouches in a helmet and gloves outside Northern Illinois University’s Husky Hail Hunter vehicle to collect hail during a storm in Levelland, Texas, earlier this month.

Jimmy Cline Snider

Jan. 8, 1947 – June 11, 2025

Jimmy Cline Snider, a beloved father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully on June 11, 2025, at Randolph Hospice House. Born on January 8, 1947, in Randolph County, North Carolina, he was 78 years old at the time of his passing.

Jimmy was a graduate of Farmer High School, Class of 1965. After high school, he proudly served his country as a member of the United States Coast Guard. Following his service, he embarked on a long and ful lling career as a truck driver, a profession in which he dedicated many years of hard work. Later, Jimmy transitioned into construction, where his skill and craftsmanship earned him respect and admiration from colleagues and clients alike.

Outside of his professional life, Jimmy had a passion for NASCAR racing and a fondness for old cars and trucks. A talented guitarist, he also found joy in playing music and sharing moments with his cherished grandchildren.

He is predeceased by his son, Jason Andrew Snider, and his parents, Howard and Margaret Parker Snider. Jimmy leaves behind his devoted son, Frank Snider, and wife, Maria, of Denton; his treasured grandchildren, Ben Snider and Courtney Snider of Asheboro, and Katie Collins of Winston Salem; and his beloved greatgranddaughter, Kelsey Cooke. He is also survived by his dear sisters: Bonnie Cagle of Ramseur, Peggy Averette of High Point, Betty Tilley and husband Larry of Kernersville, and Anneita Minor and husband Steve of Greensboro, along with numerous nieces and nephews who held a special place in his heart.

A graveside service to honor Jimmy’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at Back Creek Friends Meeting Cemetery in Asheboro. His family and friends will gather to celebrate the lasting impact of a man whose legacy of love, dedication, and kindness will forever be remembered.

Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service in Asheboro is honored to assist the family of Mr. Jimmy Snider.

obituaries

Ronald Gene “Ron” Hicks

July 4, 1947 – June 14, 2025

Ronald Gene “Ron” Hicks, age 77 of Seagrove, peacefully met his Lord and Savior in the comfort of his home on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

Born July 4, 1947 in Staley, NC, Ron attended Ramseur School where he graduated in 1965 before attending Elon University where he received a Masters degree in Engineering, after many years of study. He married the love of his life, Helen Beane in 1975 and started a beautiful family.

Ronald’s Career started at Eveready Battery Company as a project engineer, later culminating into lead engineer at Lorilard Tobacco Company. He later was promoted to Research and Development when Lorilard became R.J. Reynolds. During his career, he also taught advanced math classes at RCC and the G.E.D. night program. In his free time Ron used his skills in drafting, creating many oorplans for families and business’ across North Carolina.

To know Ron was to know his unparalleled sense of style and design. His favorite pastimes were planting in the ower beds at his home in Seagrove or out by the ocean at his home in Myrtle Beach, surrounded by his family. Above all he was a dedicated family man, beloved by all whom he cared for. His legacy of love and devotion will live on the hearts of his beloved family and be a testament to the character of the greatest of men.

Ron is preceded in death by his son, Tommy Keith Davis, Parents Eugene and Lister Langley Hicks and his in-laws, Paul and Bonnie McNeill Beane.

He leaves behind a loving wife of 50 years, Helen Beane Hicks, of the home, granddaughter, Ashley Davis Stewart and husband James of Robbins and grandson, Nathan Keith Davis and wife Page of Asheboro. Ron is also survived by 8 great-grandchildren; MaKayla, Braxton, Bently, Austin (Madison), Cassie, Evelyn, Aiden and Easton as well as two greatgreat-grandchildren; Ridge and Asher. Additionally, Ron leaves special extended family members, Chad and Michelle White of Lillington NC and their children Trystan and Mattie.

The family will conduct a private service of remembrance at a later date, but invite friends and family to visit at the home on Upper Road on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Ashley would like to extend a very grateful thank you to Phillip McNeill for being her right hand and helpmate through all the di cult times. Also, the family wishes to convey special thanks to Liberty Hospice for their loving care throughout Ron’s last days.

The family requests that donations be made to Union Grove Baptist Church in Seagrove in Ron’s memory; 7912 Union Grove Church Rd, Seagrove, NC 27341. Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service in Asheboro is honored to assist the family of Mr. Ronald Gene Hicks.

Rev. John Bernard Davis

Sept. 18, 1947 – June 10, 2025

Rev. John Bernard Davis, born on September 18, 1947, in Winthrop, Massachusetts, peacefully passed away on June 10, 2025, at Randolph Hospice House, leaving a lasting legacy of faith and love at the age of 77.

Rev. Davis dedicated his life to the service of God and his community, spreading the message of hope and redemption through his devout ministry. He served as pastor for 35 years, rst at Mt. Bethel Baptist Church in Clark Summit, Pennsylvania, from 1978 to 1986, and then at

Aug. 12, 1950 – June 9, 2025

Dr. Stephen Russell Headlee OD, 74, of Asheboro, died Monday, June 9, 2025 at his home.

A memorial service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Asheboro, with Pastor David Millikan o ciating. The family will receive friends following the service at Ridge Funeral Home. Stephen was born on August 12, 1950, in Joplin, MO, the son of the late Russell Emery Headlee and Mary Connely Headlee. He graduated from Joplin High School in 1968. Stephen went to Missouri Southern State University for three years, and later went to Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. Rotary was a major part of his life. He was a Charter Member since October 13, 1982, and achieved perfect attendance since 1983. He was the club president between 1988 till 1989. He was a benefactor, major donor, Paul Harris fellow, Paul Harris society, polio plus promise and a sustaining member. Stephen’s legacy in Rotary will always be remembered. Stephen was also on the local Hospice Board; serving two consecutive terms, totaling six years, and countless hours of volunteering. He had a huge interest in photography and captured many moments during his time in Rotary and in his life.

Stephen is survived by his daughter, Heather Headlee of Spring eld, MO; brother, Bob Headlee and wife Judy of Joplin, MO; and nephew, Adam Headlee of Severance, CO. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to the Rotary Foundation, 14280 Collections Center Drive, Chicago IL, 60693.

Indian Creek Baptist Church in Mill Run, Pennsylvania, from 1986 to 2013. His commitment to leading people to Christ was evident in every sermon he preached and every life he touched.

A man of diverse interests and talents, Rev. Davis found joy in sharing his love for Jesus, spending precious time with his grandchildren, and engaging in an array of hobbies. An avid reader, he also delighted in playing the guitar, telling jokes to his family, and coloring Bible verse pictures to uplift others. A true entertainer at heart, he was an accomplished illusionist who brought smiles and wonder to many. Western movies and shows lled his leisure hours, as did the comforting sounds of hymns and classical music.

Rev. Davis earned his Master’s degree in Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, equipping him with the knowledge and wisdom he imparted throughout his pastoral career. In Asheboro, he attended North Ridge Church, where his presence was a beacon of inspiration and faith. He is preceded in death by his beloved son, Matthew Davis; his

Doryn Joy Nortell Morton

Jan. 28, 1949 – June 10, 2025

Doryn Joy Nortell Morton, 76, of Asheboro, died Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at her home.

A memorial service will be conducted at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Asheboro, with Rev. Dr. Keith Less o ciating.

Born in Cook County, IL, on January 28, 1949, Doryn was the daughter of the late Dr. Joseph Lawrence Nortell and Dorothy Kathryn Schroder. She graduated from Mary Washington University and received a Master’s degree from Old Dominion University. She retired from Asheboro City Schools.

Doryn loved being outdoors, particularly when it was hot and sunny. She worked at the NC Zoo until 2024, and it quickly became her favorite place. She believed every day was a holiday and should be celebrated accordingly. She loved her family ercely.

In addition to her parents, Doryn was preceded in death by her brothers, Dr. Joseph H. Nortell, Daniel Nortell, Judd L. Nortell, Malcolm “Skip” Nortell; and sister, Sharon Nortell. Surviving are her husband, Charles I. Morton Jr. of the home; daughter, Meredith Arbaiza (Alex) of Asheboro; sons, Charles “Trey” Morton III (Adrienne) of Liberty Township, OH, Joseph Morton (Abby) of Randleman; grandchildren, Charles “Chase” Morton IV, Caroline Morton, Madeline Arbaiza, Dorothy Arbaiza, Isaac Morton; brother, Bruce Q. Nortell; and sister, Denise N. Johnson.

The family will receive friends from 1:45 until 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to NC Zoo Society, 4403 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205.

father, Harry Davis; his mother, Marion Jackson; and his sister, Peggy Smith. He leaves behind his cherished wife, Kathy Davis of Asheboro, NC; his son, Andrew Davis, and wife Jessica Davis (Hoover) of Indian Head, PA; and his daughter, Pam Jean Hyatt (Davis), and husband Jeremy Hyatt of Asheboro, NC. He is also survived by his treasured grandchildren, Katherine and Alexander Hyatt of Asheboro, NC; and nieces Sheri Lubas and husband Thomas, and Debbi Girard.

The family will hold a service of remembrance at a later date to celebrate Rev. Davis’s life and legacy. Donations in memory of Rev. John B. Davis may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, The Dream Center of Randolph County, or Hospice House of Randolph County, Asheboro. Rev. Davis’s unwavering faith, compassionate heart, and joyful spirit will be forever remembered by those who knew and loved him. May he rest in eternal peace in the presence of our creator. Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service in Asheboro is honored to assist the family of Rev. John B. Davis.

Sept. 28, 1935 –June 14, 2025

Betty Lou Millikan Hunt, 89, of Trinity, died Saturday, June 14, 2025 at her residence.

Graveside services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 19, 2025, at Randolph Memorial Park, Asheboro, with Pastor Rodney Kirby o ciating.

Born September 28, 1935, in Randolph Co., NC, Mrs. Hunt was the daughter of the late Fletcher Orlando Millikan and Etta McDowell Millikan. She was a very loving wife, mother and mamaw. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren held a special place in her heart. She loved to work with her hands and was an expert at sewing and was able to sew anything.

Mrs. Hunt, in addition to her parents, was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Raymond Hunt, and her siblings, Mary Chilton, Connie Millikan, Donnie Millikan, and Peggy Louise Millikan.

She is survived by her daughters, Robin White, Wanda Wade, both of Trinity; grandchildren, Joy Smith, Shannon White (Hayley), Julie White, Kyle Wade; great grandchildren, Logan Routh, Ayden Routh, Parker Koon, Layla White, and Keegan White.

Mrs. Hunt will lie in repose from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Randolph Record at obits@randolphrecord.com

Dr. Stephen Headlee

Betty Lou Millikan Hunt

STATE & NATION

A grassland bird eavesdrops on prairie dog calls to keep itself safe from predators

Prairie dogs bark at each other to warn of predators

By Christina Larson The Associated Press

PRAIRIE DOGS are the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains: They bark to alert neighbors to the presence of predators, with separate calls for dangers coming by land or by air.

“Prairie dogs are on the menu for just about every predator you can think of”— golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, foxes, badgers, even large snakes — said Andy Boyce, a research ecologist in Montana at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Those predators will also snack on grassland nesting birds like the long-billed curlew.

To protect themselves, the curlews eavesdrop on the alarms coming from prairie dog colonies, according to research published last Thursday in the journal Animal Behavior.

Previous research has shown

Libraries

birds frequently eavesdrop on other bird species to glean information about potential food sources or approaching danger, said Georgetown University ornithologist Emily Williams, who was not involved in the study. But, so far, scientists

have documented only a few instances of birds eavesdropping on mammals.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s rare in the wild,” she said, “it just means we haven’t studied it yet.”

Prairie dogs live in large col-

onies with a series of burrows that may stretch for miles underground. When they hear each other’s barks, they either stand alert watching or dive into their burrows to avoid approaching talons and claws.

“Those little barks are very loud — they can carry quite a long way,” said co-author Andrew Dreelin, who also works for the Smithsonian.

The long-billed curlew nests in short-grass prairie and incubates eggs on a ground nest. When one hears the prairie dog alarm, she responds by pressing her head, beak and belly close to the ground.

In this crouched position, the birds “rely on the incredible camou age of their feathers to become essentially invisible on the Plains,” Dreelin said.

To test just how alert the birds were to prairie dog chatter, researchers created a fake predator by strapping a taxidermied badger onto a small remote-controlled vehicle. They sent this badger rolling over the prairie of north-central Mon-

tana toward curlew nests — sometimes in silence and sometimes while playing recorded prairie dog barks.

When the barks were played, curlews ducked into the grass quickly, hiding when the badger was around 160 feet away. Without the barks, the remote-controlled badger got within about 52 feet of the nests before the curlews appeared to sense danger.

“You have a much higher chance of avoiding predation if you go into that cryptic posture sooner — and the birds do when they hear prairie dogs barking,” said co-author Holly Jones, a conservation biologist at Northern Illinois University. Prairie dogs are often thought of as “environmental engineers,” she said, because they construct extensive burrows and nibble down prairie grass, keeping short-grass ecosystems intact.

“But now we are realizing they are also shaping the ecosystems by producing and spreading information,” she said.

open historic book collections to AI researchers

Centuries-old texts provide training data while avoiding copyright battles

By Matt O’Brien The Associated Press

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Everything ever said on the internet was just the start of teaching arti cial intelligence about humanity. Tech companies are now tapping into an older repository of knowledge: the library stacks.

Nearly 1 million books published as early as the 15th century — and in 254 languages — are part of a Harvard University collection released to AI researchers last Thursday. Also coming soon are troves of old newspapers and government documents held by Boston’s public library.

Cracking open the vaults to centuries-old tomes could be a data bonanza for tech companies battling lawsuits from living novelists, visual artists and others whose creative works have been scooped up without their consent to train AI chatbots.

“It is a prudent decision to start with public domain data because that’s less controversial right now than content that’s still under copyright,” said Burton Davis, a deputy general counsel at Microsoft.

Davis said libraries also hold “signi cant amounts of interesting cultural, historical and language data” that’s missing from the past few decades of online commentary that AI chatbots

have mostly learned from. Fears of running out of data have also led AI developers to turn to “synthetic” data, made by the chatbots themselves and of a lower quality.

Supported by “unrestricted gifts” from Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the Harvard-based Institutional Data Initiative is working with libraries and museums around the world on how to make their historic collections AI-ready in a way that also bene ts the communities they serve.

“We’re trying to move some of the power from this current AI moment back to these institutions,” said Aristana Scourtas, who manages research at Harvard Law School’s Library Innovation Lab. “Librarians have always been the stewards of data and the stewards of information.”

Harvard’s newly released dataset, Institutional Books 1.0, contains more than 394 million scanned pages of paper.

One of the earlier works is from the 1400s — a Korean painter’s handwritten thoughts about cultivating owers and trees.

The largest concentration of works is from the 19th century, on subjects such as literature, philosophy, law and agriculture, all of it meticulously preserved and organized by generations of librarians.

It promises to be a boon for AI developers trying to improve the accuracy and reliability of their systems.

“A lot of the data that’s been used in AI training has not

come from original sources,” said the data initiative’s executive director, Greg Leppert, who is also chief technologist at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. This book collection goes “all the way back to the physical copy that was scanned by the institutions that actually collected those items,” he said.

Before ChatGPT sparked a commercial AI frenzy, most AI researchers didn’t think much about the provenance of the passages of text they pulled from Wikipedia, from social media forums like Reddit and sometimes from deep repositories of pirated books. They just needed lots of what computer scientists call tokens — units of data, each of which can represent a piece of a word.

Harvard’s new AI training collection has an estimated 242 billion tokens, an amount that’s hard for humans to fathom but it’s still just a drop of what’s being fed into the most advanced AI systems. Facebook parent company Meta, for instance, has said the latest version of its AI large language model was trained on more than 30 trillion tokens pulled from text, images and videos.

Meta is also battling a lawsuit from comedian Sarah Silverman and other published authors who accuse the company of stealing their books from “shadow libraries” of pirated works.

Now, with some reservations, the real libraries are standing up.

OpenAI, which is also ghting a string of copyright lawsuits, donated $50 million this year to a group of research institutions including Oxford University’s 400-year-old Bodleian Library, which is digitizing rare texts and using AI to help transcribe them.

When the company rst reached out to the Boston Public Library, one of the biggest in the U.S., the library made clear that any information it digitized would be for everyone, said Jessica Chapel, its chief of digital and online services.

“OpenAI had this interest in massive amounts of training data. We have an interest in massive amounts of digital objects. So this is kind of just a case that things are aligning,” Chapel said.

Digitization is expensive. It’s been painstaking work, for instance, for Boston’s library to scan and curate dozens of New England’s French-language newspapers that were widely read in the late 19th and early 20th century by Canadian immigrant communities from Quebec. Now that such text is of use as training data, it helps bankroll projects that librarians want to do anyway.

Harvard’s collection was already digitized starting in 2006 for another tech giant, Google, in its controversial project to create a searchable online library of more than 20 million books.

How useful all of this will be for the next generation of AI tools remains to be seen.

PHOTOS VIA SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE VIA AP

A long-billed curlew ies over the American Prairie reserve in Montana.

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

Greg Leppert, executive director at the Institutional Data Initiative, poses at Langdell Hall, which houses the Harvard Law School library in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

RandolpH SPORTS

Post 45 seeks good blend with returners, newcomers

The Randolph County team is trying to develop with players from around the region

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO

— There might be good pieces to the puzzle for Randolph County Post 45’s baseball team.

It’s largely a new roster from a year ago, so manager Ronnie Pugh will see how it all comes together after seeing encouraging results during the rst stretch of the season.

There are players representing numerous high schools in the area, and that’s the blend Post 45 will be counting on this summer.

“We played against or with each other for four years now,” out elder Caleb Coggins said of his summer teammates.

The high school days are in the past for many of the players. Coggins played for Wheatmore, and he’ll be going to Guilford College later this fall.

Out elder Jackson Hill of Randleman is a rising junior, and he said he joined the Post 45 team with the intent of building on his high school season.

Some ZooKeepers go through period of transition in summer

Some college baseball players spending the summer in Asheboro are changing colleges along the way

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — When Rylen Stockton signed up to play this summer for the Asheboro ZooKeepers, he was a member of UNC Asheville’s baseball team.

Yet a couple of weeks ago when it was his turn to go to the plate for the ZooKeepers, the introduction said he plays for Maryland.

That’s part of the evolving nature of collegiate summer baseball.

“I just committed to Maryland a few days ago,” Stockton said June 3. So after one season with UNC Asheville, the catcher from Sarasota, Florida, will be heading elsewhere in August when he reports for his second year of college.

The summer circuit is for additional development and more baseball opportunities following the regular college season.

It’s also a showcase opportunity for some players.

“You kind of use the summer as like a recruiting tool because coaches are all around recruiting,” Stockton said.

It can be tricky territory for the coaching sta s of the summer teams. Those coaches want

to be supportive, but the decisions rest with the players.

“We try not to get too wrapped up in that,” ZooKeepers coach Korey Dunbar said. “We’re here to help guys. That’s their choice, and it’s up to them.” Stockton’s situation was different from many because of Scott Friedholm’s departure as UNC Asheville’s coach after 11 seasons. As a result, more than a dozen of the Bulldogs entered the transfer portal.

“If your coach leaves, you can go into the portal right away,” Stockton said. “So I was able to get in the portal early and be able to talk to the schools before other people did. I got a jump-start on the recruiting process, so that was my little competitive advantage with that.

“I think that helped me a lot. Maryland jumped on me and I really enjoyed what they had to o er.”

“We’ve got to do some things in certain situations and hit better.”

Ronnie Pugh, Post 45 manager

After a few weeks, he said there have been good trends developing.

“Just being around the guys every day,” Hill said of the best part.

Post 45 began this week with a 5-3 record.

Coggins and Sean Jennison are on board from Wheatmore

Stockton, who batted a team-best .343 with UNC Asheville, made a visit to College Park, Maryland, while waiting for Asheboro’s Coastal Plain League season to begin.

He was pretty much locked into taking the Maryland spot before the transfer portal opened for other players earlier this month.

Stockton had seven home runs and 12 doubles for UNC Asheville. He was named to the All-Big South Conference second team and the all-freshman team. He threw out 19 runners attempting to steal for the second-highest total among Big South catchers.

Stockton will go from a Big South team to a Big Ten Conference school. That means he leaves behind his brother Jaden Stockton, a pitcher for Big South member Gardner-Webb.

Other ZooKeepers are checking on potential transfers.

Matt Goldenbaum pitched for South Florida this year, but he committed last week to transfer to Creighton. A coaching change at Barton has 2025 players from that school in the portal.

“They have to nd a home for the fall,” Dunbar said.

Dunbar is involved in recruiting players to compete for the ZooKeepers. That means creating relationships with college coaches so they’ll want to send players to the ZooKeepers for the summer. It often leads to players from the same colleges coming to Asheboro each year.

So he doesn’t want to fracture those relationships if players decide to switch colleges in June and July. That’s why he said it’s important to remain neutral in terms of the transfer process and concentrate on ways he and his sta can help the ZooKeepers players with on- eld development.

along with returning pitcher Parker Kines, while Trinity players Ethan Willard, Brody Little and Lincoln Coble have provided boosts.

“We’ve seen them play a lot through the years,” Pugh said.

“It will be good to have them down here (on our club).”

Other players from Asheboro, Randleman, Southwestern Randolph and Uwharrie Charter Academy often form a core for Post 45.

Coggins said everyone wants to contribute.

“There’s a chance coming in (to make impacts),” he said.

“Right now, it’s working out.”

Little, a catcher, has been dealing with a shoulder injury that prevented him from being behind the plate early in the American Legion season.

Randolph County will begin playing Area 3 divisional games this week.

“We’ve got to do some things

in certain situations and hit better,” Pugh said.

Prior to a weeklong layo , Post 45 dropped a 5- 4 decision at Rowan County Post 342 on June 9. Willard had three hits and scored twice, and Little had an RBI and scored a run. Tate Andrews took the pitching loss. Post 81 notches rst win

Chance Holdaway and Chase Collins combined on a ve-hitter as Liberty Post 81 got in the win column with a 5- 0 victory against visiting Moore County Post 12.

The next night, Liberty led visiting Hamlet Post 49 by 4 -2 before the game was suspended in the fth inning. It will be completed when the teams meet again for a scheduled game.

The week ended with Liberty forfeiting a road game to Union County Post 535 because of a lack of available players.

Trinity hires alums as new coaches

Three teams at the school will have graduates in coaching roles at their alma mater

Randolph Record sta

TRINITY — Molly Welch will be the new girls’ basketball coach at Trinity following the tenure of coach Michael Sink.

Welch, a 2008 Trinity graduate, is a former assistant coach for the program from 2009 -11 under her mother, Renee Croker Hayes.

The Bulldogs are coming o an 8 -17 season under coach Michael Sink. The team’s last winning season came in 2016 -17. Welch has been back at Trinity since 2023 in various positions, including girls’ golf coach. She coached girls’ basketball at the middle school level.

The appointment of Welch was one of several announced for Trinity teams. Each of the three teams that Sink coached will have new leadership.

• Longtime boys’ soccer assistant coach and former player Nathan Sink becomes the head coach of the team. Sink, the former head coach’s son, has been an assistant coach since 2008. He graduated from Trinity in 2002.

The team went 15 - 6 -3 last year.

• Zack Brown will be the girls’ soccer coach, moving up from assistant coach. This year, Bulldogs had a 9 -11-1 record, including a loss on the record for a forfeit in a game they won on the eld.

Brown, a former Southwestern Randolph coach, has been on the Trinity coach sta for the past three seasons.

Brown also is girls’ tennis coach at Trinity, where he graduated from in 2005. He previously coached junior varsity soccer at Trinity.

There’s a di erent mix in the Randolph County Post 45 dugout this year for American Legion baseball.

ZOOKEEPERS PHOTO

Rylen Stockton

COURTESY PHOTO

Molly Welch

Brady Collins

Providence Grove, football, basketball, golf

Collins excelled throughout the school year, capped by his All-Piedmont Athletic Conference status in boys’ golf as a senior.

Collins had big impacts during his career in football and basketball as well. He also had been a member of the baseball program.

A linebacker, Collins was among the state’s leading tacklers during the 2024 regular season in football.

Collins was the PAC runner-up in golf.

He was a multitime all-conference selection in football and golf. He was picked for all-conference in basketball for 2023-24.

Ropin’ Roosters set up coop at Ramseur site

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

RAMSEUR — The Randolph Ropin’ Roosters are a new summer collegiate baseball team making their home in Ramseur.

There’s a local element with the rosters along with coach Shane Worth, who coaches the high school team at Providence Grove.

“They called in November,” Worth said. “I’ve coached JUCO before and this level before. It’s a learning process.”

The Old North State League team is comprised mostly of junior college players or Division III players.

“It don’t seem any di erent. It’s college baseball,” Worth said. “Over the years of coaching, I’ve been familiar with the Old North (State) League for years.”

Players with area ties include pitcher/in elder Canaan Sheppard, who played for Worth at Providence Grove and is going to Guilford Tech; pitcher Jake Little, formerly of Trinity and most recently with Florence-Darlington Tech; catcher Caleb Dunn, a former Randleman player who most recently has been with Brunswick Community College; pitcher Carter Catlett, formerly of Randleman and now with Greensboro College; and inelder Trey Kennedy, a former player for Uwharrie Charter Academy.

Worth, a former associate head coach and pitching coach for Surry Community College, was charged with putting together the roster, so that’s a recruiting endeavor. He’s also boys’ basketball coach at Providence Grove.

“I haven’t had a breather since October,” he said. “I had to recruit and get these guys. It kind of brought back memories from Surry.”

Most of the players live within reasonable driving distance of Ramseur. Five out- of-area players require housing, Worth said.

“We’re hoping in the future to have more come in,” he said.”

Numerous players had three or four weeks o since their regular seasons ended, so it has taken time to get pitchers in a groove.

“Arms are starting to get back a little,” Worth said.

Worth is a former coach at South Stokes. Former players under Worth at South Stokes playing for the Ropin’ Roosters are pitcher Maddox Nelson and catcher Nolan Coe.

Nelson threw a gem when the Ropin’ Roosters won 4 - 0 against the Hendersonville Honeycrisps. The new team’s rst home run was hit by Kevin Rodriguez. Ex-UCA out elder Walker Wilkins, who has been at Brunswick Community College, and former UCA in elder Alex Carver had been on early roster editions but they’re not with the team.

Worth said improvements have been evident at Craven Stadium, which was home to a previous summer collegiate team when the Old North State League launched in 2019. The stadium is located behind Ramseur Elementary School. “A new team has to get all the bugs worked out,” he said. Jamieson Thomas is the general manager for the Ropin’ Roosters.

Old North State League is a summer collegiate wooden bat league that has grown to 24 teams. The Ropin’ Roosters’ schedule goes through July 19, though the nal home game is listed for July 15.

Walters captures 2 Chargers victories

Tito Clapp and Brandon

were among other winners during Caraway Speedway’s racing card

Randolph Record sta

SOPHIA — Mason Walters won both Chargers races during Saturday night’s action at Caraway Speedway. Walters edged points lead-

er Matthew Smith in the rst of the two 20 -lap races. In the second race, Walters passed Cory Wilson with two laps remaining for the victory. Wilson was the runner-up after a third-place nish in the rst race. • In UCARs, Tito Clapp held o fast quali er Jeremy Kidd in the

The new summer collegiate baseball team has several players from the area on the roster

Mock

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD Craven Stadium in Ramseur is where the Randolph Ropin’ Roosters play home games.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Former Providence Grove pitcher Canaan Sheppard delivers a pitch for the Randolph Ropin’ Roosters.

Catcher Collin Born makes a play for the Randolph Ropin’ Roosters.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

War of 1812 begins, O.J. arrested after Bronco chase, Brits win at Bunker Hill, Queen Victoria crowned

JUNE 19

1865: Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over and that all remaining enslaved people in Texas were free — an event now celebrated nationwide as Juneteenth.

1910: The rst Father’s Day in the United States was celebrated in Spokane, Washington.

1953: Julius Rosenberg, 35, and his wife, Ethel, 37, convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, were executed.

JUNE 20

1782: The Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States, featuring the emblem of the bald eagle.

1837: Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

1893: A jury in New Bedford, Massachusetts, found Lizzie Borden not guilty of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.

1947: Gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, California, home of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill.

1967: Boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted and was sentenced to ve years in prison.

JUNE 21

1788: The United States Constitution went into e ect as New Hampshire became the required ninth state to ratify it.

1893: The rst Ferris wheel opened to the public as part of the Chicago World’s Fair.

1964: Civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi.

1982: A jury in Washington, D.C., found John Hinckley Jr. not guilty by reason of insanity in the shootings of President Ronald Reagan and three others.

JUNE 22

1815: Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as emperor of the French.

1938: American Joe Louis knocked out German Max Schmeling in just two minutes and four seconds to retain his heavyweight boxing title in front of 70,000 spectators at New York’s Yankee Stadium.

1941: Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive and ultimately ill-fated invasion of the Soviet Union that would prove pivotal to the Allied victory over the Axis powers.

JUNE 23

1931: Aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took o from Roosevelt Field in New York on a round-the -world ight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.

1972: President Richard Nixon signed into law the Education Amendments of 1972, including Title IX, which barred discrimination on the basis of sex for “any education program or activity receiving federalnancial assistance.”

2016: Britain voted to leave the European Union after a bitterly divisive referendum campaign, toppling Prime Minister David Cameron.

JUNE 24

1509: Henry VIII was

crowned king of England; his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was crowned queen consort.

1939: The Southeast Asian country of Siam changed its name to Thailand. (It reverted to Siam in 1945, then became Thailand once again in 1949.)

1948: Communist forces cut o all land and water routes between West Germany and West Berlin, prompting the western allies to organize the Berlin Airlift.

JUNE 25

1876: The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, began in southeastern Montana Territory. As many as 100 Native Americans were killed in the battle, as were 268 people attached to the 7th Cavalry Regiment.

1947: “The Diary of a Young Girl,” the personal journal of Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish girl hiding with her family from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II, was rst published.

1950: War broke out in Korea as forces from the communist North invaded the South.

BOB DAUGHERTY/ AP PHOTO

On June 18, 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became the rst American woman in space, launching aboard the space shuttle Challenger for a six-day mission.

JIM BUELL / AP PHOTO

On June 18, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo when British and Prussian forces routed the French army in Belgium.

Indiana Jones’ whip, Culkin’s ‘Home Alone’ snow cap going up for auction next month

The Rosebud sled from “Citizen Kane” and Star Wars props will also be up for bid

The Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Many of movies’ most sought-after props are going up for auction, including the Rosebud sled from “Citizen Kane,” Macaulay Culkin’s knit snow cap from “Home Alone” and a whip wielded by Harrison Ford during the Holy Grail trials of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

The Summer Entertainment Auction being held July 15-19 by Heritage Auctions also includes sci- gems from the “Star Wars” galaxy, like a lming miniature of Luke Skywalker’s X-wing star ghter used in Industrial Light & Magic’s effects work for “The Empire Strikes Back,” and the lightsabers brandished by Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker in “Revenge of the Sith.”

The Rosebud sled from the title character’s childhood sits at the center of Orson Welles’ 1941 “Citizen Kane.” It’s the last word tycoon Charles Foster Kane speaks before his

death at the opening of the lm that is regarded by many critics groups as the greatest ever made.

Long thought lost, the sled is one of three of the prop known to have survived. It’s owned by “Gremlins” director Joe Dante, who stumbled on it when he was lming on the former RKO Pictures lot in 1984. Dante wasn’t a collector, but knew the value of the sled and quietly preserved it for decades, putting it as an Easter egg into four of his own lms.

“These aren’t just props. They’re mythic objects.”

Joe Maddalena, Heritage executive vice president

Ford gave the Indiana Jones whip going up for auction to then-Prince Charles at the 1989 U.K. premiere of “The Last Crusade.” It was given as a gift to Princess Diana, who gave it to the current owner.

“These aren’t just props. They’re mythic objects,” Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s executive vice president, said in a statement. “They tell the story of Hollywood’s greatest moments, one piece at a time.”

Also going up for sale are a blue velvet suit that Mike Myers wore as Austin Powers in “Goldmember” and a Citroën 2CV driven by Roger Moore as James Bond in “For Your Eyes Only,” one of the lms Myers was parodying.

The auction also includes essential artifacts from the collection of legendary director Cecil B. DeMille, including a promotional pair of the titular tablets from DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments,” which the director had cut from stone from Mount Sinai.

Jess Walter’s ‘So Far Gone’ sets redemption story in fractured, modern America

The book captures the anxiety and absurdity of 2025

By Rob Merrill The Associated Press

WHEN THE HISTORY of the United States in 2025 is written, perhaps one of the best things that will be said is: “Well, it made for some great art.”

Consider “So Far Gone,” the new novel by Jess Walter. Set in present- day America, it opens with two kids wearing backpacks knocking on a cabin door. “What are you ne young capitalists selling?” asks Rhys Kinnick, before realizing the kids are his grandchildren. They carry with them a note from Kinnick’s daughter, describing dad as a “recluse who cut o contact with our family and now lives in squalor in a cabin north of Spokane.”

It’s a great hook that draws you in and doesn’t really let up for the next 256 pages. We learn why Kinnick pulled a Thoreau and went to the woods seven years ago (Hint: It has a lot to do with the intolerance exhibited by no small percentage of Americans and embodied by a certain occupant of the White House), as well as the whereabouts of Kinnick’s daughter, Bethany, and why

her messy marriage to a guy named Shane led to Kinnick’s grandchildren being dropped o at his cabin. In a neat narrative gimmick, the chapters are entitled “What Happened to ___” and ll in the main strokes of each character’s backstory, as well as what happens to them in the present timeline. Told with an omniscient third-person sense of humor, the book’s themes are nonetheless serious. On the demise of journalism in the chapter “What Happened to Lucy,” one of Kinnick’s old

SOLUTIONS FOR THIS WEEK

“Not till we are lost… ‘till we have lost the world, do we begin to nd ourselves.”

Henry David Thoreau

ames and colleagues at the Spokesman-Review: She “hated that reporters were expected to constantly post on social media … before knowing what their stories even meant.” Or Kinnick’s thoughts as he holds a .22 Glock given to him just in case by a retired police ocer who is helping him get his grandkids back from the local militia: “The shiver that went through his arm! The power! … The weight of this gun was the exact weight of his anger and his fear and his sense of displacement. … That’s where its incredible balance lay.”

As Kinnick links up with various characters and drives across the Northwest in search of his daughter and grandchildren, the plot unfolds quickly. Most readers won’t need more than a day or two to reach the nal page, which satis es the Thoreau quote Walter uses in the story’s preface: “Not till we are lost… ‘till we have lost the world, do we begin to nd ourselves.”

HARPER VIA AP

Jess Walter’s new book is “So Far Gone.”

PHOTOS BY HERITAGE AUCTIONS VIA AP

The Rosebud sled from the lm “Citizen Kane,” left, and a whip wielded by Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” are both being auctioned next month.

HERITAGE AUCTIONS VIA AP

The knit hat worn By Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone” will be auctioned.

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JUNE 19

Hall of Fame auto racer Shirley Muldowney is 85. Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is 80. Author Salman Rushdie is 78. Actor Phylicia Rashad is 77. Rock singer Ann Wilson (Heart) is 75. Actor Kathleen Turner is 71. Singer- choreographer-TV personality Paula Abdul is 63.

JUNE 20

Singer Anne Murray is 80. TV personality Bob Vila is 79. Musician Lionel Richie is 76. Actor John Goodman is 73. Rock bassist John Taylor (Duran Duran) is 65. Actor Nicole Kidman is 58.

JUNE 21

Composer Lalo Schifrin is 93. Musician Ray Davies (The Kinks) is 81. Actor Meredith Baxter is 78. Nobel peace prize laureate Shirin Ebadi is 78. Actor Michael Gross is 78. Author Ian McEwan is 77. Actor Juliette Lewis is 52. Britain’s Prince William is 43.

JUNE 22

Journalist Brit Hume is 82. Singer Howard “Eddie” Kaylan of The Turtles is 78. Singer Todd Rundgren is 77. Actor Meryl Streep is 76. Actor Lindsay Wagner (“The Bionic Woman”) is 76. Singer Cyndi Lauper is 72. Actor Bruce Campbell (“Evil Dead”) is 67.

JUNE 23

Singer Diana Trask is 85. Actor Ted Shackelford (“Knots Landing”) is 79. Former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson is 69. Actor Frances McDormand is 68. Drummer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth is 63.

JUNE 24

Singer Arthur Brown is 83. Actor Michele Lee is 82. Actor- director Georg Stanford

JUNE

the stream

HAIM, ‘The Gilded Age,’ Benson Boone, astronaut Sally Ride, digital dinosaurs

Six Alfred Hitchcock lms land on Net ix

The Associated Press

LIFELIKE DIGITAL Triceratops and Spinosaurus lumbering through a reimagined “Walking with Dinosaurs” and Benson Boone’s sophomore album “American Heart” 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: A documentary on trailblazing NASA astronaut Sally Ride and the third season of “The Gilded Age.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Cristina Costantini’s documentary “Sally” (streaming on Disney+) richly details the story behind the headlines of the rst American woman to y in space. The portrait of Sally Ride, the trailblazing NASA astronaut, is narrated by her life partner of 27 years, Tam O’Shaughnessy. Her intimate perspective on Ride, along with archival footage and interviews with family and colleagues, captures a fuller backstory to an American icon.

“The Ballad of Wallis Island” (streaming on Peacock) was a standout in the rst half of 2025 but easy to miss. A funny and tender charmer set on the coast of Wales, it’s not a movie screaming for your attention. It stars Tim Key as an isolated widower who uses some of his lottery winnings to hire his favorite band, a folk duo named McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan) to play by his rural home. In her review, AP lm writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that the lm feels “like a much-needed balm. Modest in scope and made with the lightest of touch, not unlike the lovely folk songs that populate its soundtrack, it’s also deceptively powerful: A gentle ode to moving on, in quirky packaging.” Net ix tends to bury older lms in its algorithms, but the streamer is hosting a good batch of Alfred Hitchcock movies. This month, it added “Vertigo,” “Rear Window,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Frenzy,” “The Plot” and “The Birds” to its collection, along with the already-streaming “Psycho.” These are movies often available elsewhere, and there are many other great Hitchcock lms. But a solid sampler pack on Net ix could help bring Hitchcock to some new audiences, and there’s never a bad time to see “Vertigo” for the rst time.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Boone, the “Beautiful Things” singer, will release his sophomore album, “American Heart,” on Friday. Expect big pop-rock ltered through a kind of post-Harry Styles mimicry and 1970s worship. For fans of Queen, ELO and gymnastic pop stars with a penchant for doing back ips on stage. The Los Angeles sister trio HAIM have returned with “I Quit,” 15 tracks of danceable breakup bangers perfect for your summertime sadness. It’s soft rock-pop for the Miu Miu crowd and a sonic cure for seasonal depression. For the indie crowd, the New York-based Hotline TNT have been a fan favorite for their shoegaze-y power pop that appeals to both classic rockers and

those emo pop -punkers who miss the Vans’ Warped Tour. On Friday, the group, led by Will Anderson, will release “Raspberry Moon” via Jack White’s Third Man Records.

SHOWS TO STREAM

In 1999 a series called “Walking with Dinosaurs” premiered in the UK and captivated audiences. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, it was inspired by “Jurassic Park” and at the time was the most expensive documentary per-minute ever made. Special e ects like CGI and animatronics helped bring the dinosaurs to life. Twenty- ve years later, a reimagined “Walking with Dinosaurs” debuts on PBS in conjunction with the BBC using the latest technology to make the dinosaurs seem

even more lifelike. The six-episode series is now narrated by actor Bertie Carvel. It is available to stream on PBS platforms and its app.

It’s a great week for period pieces. First, Apple TV+’s Gilded Age, girl power series “The Buccaneers” is out for its second season. The soapy period piece features a cast that includes Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah and Christina Hendricks. It’s based on an unnished Edith Wharton novel about ve American women in London for debutante season. These women are a contrast to English high society because they’re extroverted and opinionated.

BritBox has the 1930s drama “Outrageous,” based on the true story of the Mitford sisters, six women born into an aristocratic family who made headlines for their personal lives and politics. Bessie Carter, who plays Penelope Featherington on “Bridgerton” plays one of the sisters, Nancy Mitford. “Outrageous” is inspired by a biography that was originally published in 2002.

The TV adaptation of the popular YA novel “We Were Liars” is streaming on Prime Video. It follows the a uent Sinclair family who has enough secrets to ll one of their bank accounts. It follows Cadence, one of the granddaughters who pals around all summer with two cousins and a family friend, Gat, and their group of four is known as The Liars.

Another dysfunctional

family is introduced Thursday in Net ix’s “The Waterfront” about the Buckleys, a family of sherman and restaurateurs in North Carolina. Business has been dwindling, and questionable choices are made to stay a oat, keep their secrets and not get caught by authorities.

A third period piece out this week is the third season of “The Gilded Age” and there is a lot to catch up on. Cynthia Nixon’s Ada Forte, now a widower after a very short marriage, has just discovered her late husband left her a fortune. This makes Ada the new matriarch of her family, surpassing her sister Agnes (played by Christine Baranski.) Their niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson) seems to be in the early stages of a courtship with neighbor Larry Russell, whose family’s wealth comes from new money. Created by Julian Fellowes, the new season premieres Sunday on Max.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The in uence of Disney’s movie “Tron,” with its icy, neon vision of cyberspace, far outweighs the number of people who actually saw it when it came out in 1982. (I know I spent a lot more time playing the arcade game.) We are getting a third movie, “Tron: Ares,” in October — but rst we get a new game, Tron: Catalyst. You are Exo, an advanced computer program in a glitchy electronic world. Check it out on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S,

and PC.

“The Ballad of Wallis Island,” left, the documentary “Sally,” center, and the series

ALISTAIR HEAP / FOCUS FEATURES VIA AP

Carey Mulligan, left, and Tom Basden star in “The Ballad of Wallis Island.”

Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector appear in a scene from “The Gilded Age.”

HOKE COUNTY

“A

republic, if you can keep it”

The “No Kings” protest in Fayetteville on Saturday was one of many around the state and the country, criticizing President Donald Trump with creative signs, impassioned speeches and a good number of American ags. Trump, meanwhile, oversaw a parade in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday — one shared with Flag Day and the president himself.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

A judge could advance Purdue Pharma’s $7B opioid settlement after all 50 states back it

A judge is being asked to clear the way for local governments and individual victims to vote on OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The deal would be among the largest in a wave of opioid settlements. It calls for members of the Sackler family, who own the company, to give up ownership and contribute up to $7 billion over time. Of that, about $890 million could go to people who were victims of the drug epidemic or their survivors. Most of the rest is to be used by state and local governments to ght the crisis.

Wake Forest alum named University of Alabama president Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Peter J. Mohler has been named the next president of the University of Alabama. Mohler comes to the role from Ohio State University, where he served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and as chief scienti c o cer of the university’s Wexner Medical Center. He will assume the role at the University of Alabama on July 21. Mohler has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Commissioners push o decision on nal major subdivision plan

The plan calls for a 35-lot maximum development

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Commissioners met June 16 for its regular business meeting with two reasoning requests for the major items on the agenda.

The board rst held a public hearing for a rezoning of nearly 15 acres of property on Townsend Road from Residential-Agricultural (RA-20) to High-Density Residential (R-8).

According to the developer, the plan is to construct a 35-lot maximum, gated community with an entrance o of Rock sh Road and homes ranging in price from $500,000 to $700,000 and between 2,500 and 3,000 square feet.

The developer also stated it would be open to keeping

the bu er between the existing properties and the development.

Concerns from the public centered around preserving local property values, tting into the aesthetics of the area, current capacity of local utilities and whether or not the developers would keep their word as conditions can not be placed on a rezoning.

“This is a conceptual plan that is just seeking rezoning,” said Commissioner Tony Hunt. “When they get all the engineering work done, they’ll have to come back to us with their preliminary plat to be approved. If we approve the rezoning, it doesn’t mean that we’re going to approve the plat that they bring back if it’s not what we want it to be or what the community is looking for it to be.”

Despite that, the board voted to table the request for a second time following the hearing to allow for the applicants and

“They’ll have to come back to us with their preliminary plat to be approved.”

Commissioner Tony Hunt

neighbors to further discuss potential compromises.

According to county sta , this development is also the last remaining major subdivision that will come before the board since they voted to pause all major subdivision development.

“People who are concerned about growth, we’ve solved that problem,” said Commissioner Allen Thomas. “It’s going to take years to really see it because you’re going to see subdivisions still going up over the next year or so, but we have

Federal court weighs challenge to NC redistricting maps

A lawsuit alleges GOP lawmakers illegally weakened black voting power

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — North Carolina congressional and legislative districts drawn by Republicans that helped them retain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are in court, as federal lawsuits accuse mapmakers of illegally eroding black voting power in the process.

A three-judge panel convened Monday in Winston-Salem for a trial over allegations

stopped major subdivisions from coming to Hoke County as we continue to do what you all have asked, which is get our infrastructure together.”

The board then held another hearing for a rezoning request for a half-acre of property located at 3230 Highway 401 Business from Residential Manufactured District to Highway Commercial.

“I was able to meet with the applicants at this site,” said Vice Chair Harry Southerland. “There’s a double-wide that’s going to be turned into an ofce, a single-wide that they’re going to remove completely, and there’s an old, dilapidated building. They’re also going to remove and clean up the place. In that area, it would t the purpose with which they’re trying to use it for (used car lot).”

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet July 7.

that GOP legislative leaders violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps in October 2023. Republican leaders counter that lawfully partisan — and not racial — considerations helped inform their decision-making.

The lines were used in the 2024 elections, after which Republicans kept General Assembly majorities and ipped three U.S. House seats held by Democratic incumbents who didn’t seek reelection because they decided the recast district made winning impossible. Those seat ips, which turned a 7-7 delegation into one with a 10-4 Republican advantage, helped the GOP keep narrow control of the House, which has helped advance President Donald Trump’s agenda. Favorable rulings for the plainti s could force Republicans to redraw maps for the 2026 elections, making it

HANNAH SCHOENBAUM

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

6.19.25

WEEKLY FORECAST

THURSDAY JUNE 19

20

MAPS from page A1

harder to retain their partisan advantage. Otherwise, the districts could be used through the 2030 elections.

The trial involves two lawsuits led in late 2023.

In one lawsuit, the North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause and several black residents originally sued over redrawn state House and Senate maps and U.S. House districts. The other lawsuit led by nearly 20 black and Latino voters focused on the new congressional districts, four of which they argue are illegal racial gerrymanders.

Pretrial rulings this spring and amended litigation dismissed challenges to the state House map and narrowed state Senate arguments to a handful of districts.

Still, both lawsuits claim that lines are so skewed for GOP candidates that many black voters cannot elect their preferred candidates, violating the Voting Rights Act. They allege the mapmakers at times submerged or spread out black voting blocs, which historically have favored Democrats, into surrounding districts with white majorities — bene ting Republicans. They point to the Piedmont Triad region where the cities of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem are located. They said Republicans

split the region’s concentrated black voting population within multiple U.S. House districts. Then-Rep. Kathy Manning, a Greensboro Democrat, decided not to run again be

cause her district shifted to the right.

“This was an e ort to spread those voters across districts,” said Jonathan Rodden, a Stanford University redistricting expert who testi ed Monday for some plainti s about congressional boundaries. Rodden said the results were less-compact districts that make it harder for voters within them to act collectively toward a common policy goal.

The plainti s also allege GOP lawmakers unlawfully packed black voting-age residents into a Charlotte-area congressional district.

The trial’s lawyers agreed not to give opening state

ments Monday. But in a pretrial brief, lawyers for Republican leaders said the lawmakers used mapmaking rules that prohibited using data identifying the race of voters, in keeping with rulings on previous North Carolina redistricting maps in which judges chided them for emphasizing race.

Instead, Republicans were able to lawfully use partisan data — like statewide election results — in drawing the new maps, the lawyers said. They cite a 2019 U.S. Supreme

Court decision and an April 2023 state Supreme Court decision that neutered legal claims of illegal partisan gerrymandering.

“The General Assembly has striven to end racial politics through race-blind redistricting,” wrote Katherine McKnight and Phil Strach, two lawyers for the GOP legislators, adding that a Voting Rights Act violation “would only return the State to the race-based redistricting it has sought to end.”

Rodden testi ed Monday the “racial sorting” of voters within challenged congressional districts that he examined can’t be attributed fully to politics alone. On cross-examination, Rodden acknowledged that he didn’t know all of the partisan factors that GOP lawmakers considered in 2023.

The three judges were all nominated to the bench by Republican presidents: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Allison Rushing (Donald Trump) and District Judges Thomas Schroeder (George W. Bush) and Richard Myers (Trump).

The panel has set aside several days for a trial that won’t end until July 9. Other likely witnesses include individual plainti s, state legislators, historians and more mapping experts. No immediate decision is expected — the legal

sides have until early August to le additional briefs.

The court’s ruling can be appealed. With candidate ling for the 2026 election starting Dec. 1, any required remapping would have to be completed by late fall to avoid election disruptions.

North Carolina has a long history of redistricting litigation in federal courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in landmark cases in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s involving racial bias and the extent to which racial considerations could be used in forming districts that favored the election of black candidates. The court’s 2019 decision on partisan gerrymandering stemmed from a North Carolina case.

The current maps were drawn after the state Supreme Court, with a Republican seat majority, essentially struck down rulings the court made in 2022 when it had a Democratic majority. Two other lawsuits challenging the 2023 district boundaries are pending.

Statewide races in North Carolina are close, and Democrats have held the governor’s mansion for most of the past 30 years. But Republicans have controlled the General Assembly — and thus redistricting — since 2011. Redistricting maps can’t be blocked by a governor’s veto.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| DAVID HARSANYI

Greta Thunberg, useful idiot for Hamas

The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

PROFESSIONAL LEFTIST Greta

Thunberg was brought to Israel this week after the “sel e yacht” she was traveling on attempted to break through a naval blockade of Gaza. Her boat, the “Madleen,” was part of a otilla pretending to deliver aid to alleviate an imaginary famine. The 22-year-old was given food and shelter, and sent home by the Israeli government, which she accused of “kidnapping” her. All the usual suspects went along with this predictable framing.

If Thunberg really wanted to better understand the concept of an abduction, she might have asked Hamas to visit the Israelis still being tortured in a dank basement somewhere in Rafah. But the “human rights activist,” which is how the legacy media unironically describes her, has never once called for the release of the hostages taken by Islamists. Indeed, the otilla e ort was reportedly organized by a “Hamas operative.”

“(The Israelis) tried to make us watch all kinds of propaganda videos,” Thunberg told reporters after landing in Paris, “but I didn’t watch. This is nothing compared to what is happening in Gaza, which is in desperate need of humanitarian aid.” Referring to GoPro videos made by Palestinians that document the gleeful slaughter of women, children and the elderly as “propaganda” is a bold accusation coming from a cosplay revolutionary whose biggest problem was getting a vegetarian meal from her hosts.

As this was all going on, incidentally, Israel has been sending hundreds of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. Hamas opposes this e ort, as it uses food and aid to control the Palestinian population. The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

The real question is: Why is she in the news at all?

Thunberg was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2019 after dropping out of high school and “raising awareness for climate change.”

It was quite a historic accomplishment. No one was talking about global warming before Greta came around, apparently. Me? I tend to think the kid who stays in school and learns a thing or two about biology before lecturing me about science is the real hero. But we live in a time where emotionalism and vapidity are often confused with decency and wisdom. Thunberg is the embodiment of this trend.

Thunberg’s most infamous moment was a frivolous emotional outburst at the United Nations, where she screamed at those who had bequeathed her with unprecedented wealth, safety and freedom: “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she claimed. But really, her dream was to be famous. Or, maybe, it was rst the dream of exploitative parents who persuaded their child that the world was on the precipice of Armageddon.

Since her Time magazine cover, Thunberg has achieved nothing. Her native Sweden has turned back to fossil fuels. Europe,

a Palestinian

yeh, meets with journalists in Catania, Italy, on June 1, ahead of their departure for the

as well. The Earth, however, is still here.

Subsequently, Thunberg has moved on to champion other trendy leftist causes, such as Black Lives Matter and now “Free Palestine.” The only thing she understands less about than climate science seems to be the Middle East. As far as I can tell, Thunberg has never once said anything remotely compelling, witty or smart. There are millions of young people far more worthy of attention. For years, youth shielded Thunberg from criticism. Even now, journalists fail to ask her a serious, in-depth question about the issues she champions. The chances she could answer one are incredibly slim.

Well, Thunberg is now a young woman, and so we can freely point out that she’s always been an extraordinary imbecile. But now, she’s also a useful idiot for terrorists. For that, there is no excuse.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

Why the CBO almost always gets it wrong

The 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

THESE DAYS it seems that a mysterious group called “the CBO” rules the world, or at least Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it’s not very good at predicting things, and its bad calls can lead to bad policy results.

The Congressional Budget O ce and the Joint Committee on Taxation predict what will happen with spending, tax revenues and de cits from new bills and congressional budgets. They have made headlines with their absurd warning that President Donald Trump’s tax bill to extend the 2017 tax cuts and other reforms like eliminating taxes on tips would add trillions to the debt over 10 years.

But we know this is wrong. The aw is that the models don’t take account of the improved economy from keeping tax rates low and providing tax relief for small businesses and workers. The White House estimates that this bill, combined with pro-America energy policies and deregulation, can raise the economic growth rate to nearly 3% — which would mean at least another $2 trillion in added revenues.

When I pointed this out in The Wall Street Journal two weeks ago, House Speaker Mike

Johnson reiterated these defects in the CBO predictions.

Then Washington Post “fact checker” Glenn Kessler claimed the CBO is accurate and Johnson’s claim is “nonsense.”

Oh, really? It turns out that it’s the self-proclaimed fact checker who is getting the numbers all wrong.

The Post argued that the CBO really does dynamic scoring and adjusts for the changes in tax laws. Wrong. The CBO does not fully measure the economywide bene ts of lower tax rates and thus doesn’t adjust for higher employment and growth — which happens every time we cut tax rates.

We also know the 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

Yet Kessler notes that no one in 2017 could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns. That is absolutely true. But the pandemic actually reduced revenues from what they would have otherwise been by at least $1 trillion because commerce slowed to a crawl during the lockdowns. Yet even with the unexpected pandemic, the CBO still managed to

underestimate the revenues generated from the tax cut.

Sounds like the speaker was right and the fact checkers struck out.

Everyone makes mistakes. But the CBO and JCT have a habit of overstating the bene ts of raising taxes and underestimating the bene ts to the economy from cutting tax rates. The CBO and JCT, for example, have almost always lowballed the economic e ects of cutting the capital gains tax.

My colleague Tomas Philipson, who served on the Council of Economic Advisers under Trump in his rst term, notes that the JCT never opens its books to show how it makes its “garbage in, garbage out” projections.

Maybe Johnson should demand they do that immediately. Or maybe it’s time for a new model based on real-world scoring. It’s time to put accuracy over ideology.

Big decisions that have enormous trillion- dollar consequences for our economy are being made with a cracked crystal ball.

Stephen Moore is co-founder of Unleash Prosperity and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

COLUMN

SALVATORE CAVALLI / AP PHOTO

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, wearing

ke

Mideast.

Inside the eye of a hailstorm with storm-chasing scientists

Research aims to better predict dangerous and damaging ice storms

By Seth Borenstein, Brittany Peterson and Carolyn Kaster

The Associated Press

INSIDE A TEXAS HAIL-

STORM — Wind roared against the SUV’s windows as its tires sloshed through water dumped onto the road by the downpour. A horizon-wide funnel cloud loomed out the window, several miles away. Then came the loud metallic pings on the roof. First one, then another. Then it was too fast to count and too loud to hear much of anything else.

Hailstones were pelting down, and the car was driving toward them.

“How big are they?” meteorology professor Kelly Lombardo asked from the passenger seat.

“Probably no more than a nickel or dime, but they’re just owing at 50 mph,” said fellow researcher Matthew Kumjian as he steered through the ooded road.

Lombardo and Kumjian are part of a team of about 60 researchers chasing hail across the Great Plains to better forecast an underappreciated hazard that causes about $10 billion a year in damage in the U.S. The researchers brought along three Associated Press journalists to observe the rst-of-its kind project called ICECHIP, including trips into the heart of the storms in fortied vehicles like the one driven by Kumjian.

The payo is data that could improve hail forecasts. Knowing what’s going on inside a storm is crucial to knowing what’s going to happen to people in its path, meteorologists said.

“We have a really tough time forecasting hail size,” said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini, one of the project leaders. “All scienti c experiments start with data gathering, and without that data we don’t know what we’re missing. And so that’s what this project is all about.”

Inside a hail storm

On this afternoon, Lombardo and Kumjian, Penn State University professors who are married to each other, were negotiating rapid weather changes while collecting their data.

Minutes before the hail started, the couple were launching 3-foot-wide weather balloons designed to give scientists a glimpse

of what’s happening in the leading edge of the storm. A tornado in the distance was slowly getting closer.

Soon cell phones blared tornado alarms, and a nearby town’s storm sirens roared to life. The couple jumped in the car and drove into a part of the storm where they could collect hail after it fell, the same stretch of ooded road where they encountered the 50-mph winds. A wind meter protruding from the black SUV’s front captured data that was displayed on Lombardo’s laptop.

“This is up there in terms of severity of winds and intensity of precipitation,” Kumjian told an AP reporter after nding a safe place to pull over.

Elsewhere in the storm, Joshua Soderholm of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology launched weather balloons carrying devices built to mimic golf ball-sized hail and out tted with microphones and special sensors. One ew up 8.9 miles at 163 mph.

“It’s free oating. It does whatever the storm wants it to do,” Soderholm said. “This is the only way you could actually get a measurement of what a hail storm might be doing.’’

Researchers also deploy special funnels that capture pristine hail, crushers that measure how strong the ice balls are and other high-tech machinery, including radar and drones.

“All scienti c experiments start with data gathering, and without that data we don’t know what we’re missing. And so that’s what this project is all about.”

Victor Gensini, Meteorology professor

Keeping storm chasers safe

The teams also use a variety of gear and practices to stay coordinated and safe. At morning briefings, they review forecasts to plan the safest way to reach the storms producing the most hail. At their destination, teams set up at varying distances to the storms, with three forti ed vehicles driving into the heart of the weather. Each vehicle has radar screens in the front seats showing brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of the storm they chase.

Gensini is in a command vehicle that tracks and deploys the teams based on weather in real time. At times he has to rein in some enthusiastic chasers. So Northern Illinois meteorology student Katie Wargowsky radios a team deep inside

a storm to nd safety. Twice.

The 21-year-old Wargowsky described how becoming a storm chaser began as an e ort to overcome weather anxiety so intense she would dry heave while taking shelter in her family’s basement. But confronting her fear helped her develop a deep curiosity that led her to chase tornadoes with her father.

“You get a rush of adrenaline,” she said. “You really start to notice the little things around you, and your head just feels kind of light. Your natural survival instincts tell you, you need to take shelter, and you need hide from it. But you just know that it’s about to be some good research, and you are changing the world one storm at a time.”

The three forti ed vehicles are equipped with special metal mesh to protect their windshields. But it’s not foolproof. The SUV driven by the Penn State researchers lost its windshield in May to sideways-blowing hail that ew under the mesh just 15 minutes into their rst storm chase.

Another one of the forti ed vehicles, called the Husky Hail Hunter, was pelted by 31⁄2-inch hail during a trip into a storm with an AP photographer aboard.

“We’re getting some new dents,” said Tony Illenden, the Northern Illinois student at the wheel. “This is insane.”

When he stepped out to col-

lect a hailstone — wearing a helmet to protect his head — one slammed into his right hand, causing it to swell in what Gensini called the rst hail injury of the season. A few days later Illenden, said his hand felt ne. Natural beauty and better roo ng

For the storm chasers, the payo isn’t just the data. It’s also the natural beauty. Illenden’s team, for example, collected a 3-inch hailstone that looked like a rose. That same night a double rainbow emerged. After the storm passed, several vans descended on a Walmart parking lot to crush hailstones with special machines that measured how much force was needed to shatter them.

“In hailstones we have layers. So we start o with an embryo, and then you’ve got di erent growth layers,” said Central Michigan University scientist John Allen.

Since May 18, while logging more than 5,700 miles, the team has collected, measured, crushed, weighed and sliced hailstones as big as 5.5 inches, about the size of a DVD.

The study funded in part by $11 million from the National Science Foundation, which took eight years to plan, is already paying o even before researchers have had a chance to thoroughly review the data, scientists said. Gensini said one early data trend he’s noticing is that “the largest hail that we found is not where we thought it would be in terms of the Doppler radar.” And that’s an issue because Doppler radar is the only tool forecasters have been using across the country to say where the big dangerous stones should be falling, he said.

Given the federal cuts to science, particularly related to the climate, Gensini said this is likely the rst and last time a hail project like this can be done, at least for several years.

Scientists from the insurance industry, which is helping fund the study, are testing new types of roof shingles that so far seem to resist hail better, said Ian Giammanco, a meteorologist at the Insurance Institute For Business and Home Safety.

“One of our goals is to replicate all of this back at our lab so we can really understand how durable our roo ng materials are to all the di erent avors of hail,” he said.

Integrity Open 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

Joyce Stryder

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.

happy to discuss your needs or

are happy to discuss your needs or questions. W here to help!

Left, a latex weather balloon with an attached instrument called a windsond is released into a storm to collect data. Right, Victor Gensini, lead scientist of Project ICECHIP, works on a laptop in the command vehicle at a Valero gas station in Brown eld, Texas, earlier this month.

PHOTOS BY CAROLYN KASTER / AP PHOTO

Tony Illenden crouches in a helmet and gloves outside Northern Illinois University’s Husky Hail Hunter vehicle to collect hail during a storm in Levelland, Texas, earlier this month.

HOKE SPORTS

A look at Hoke County’s fall prep football schedule

The Bucks will have a mix of new and familiar opponents after reclassi cation

North State Journal sta

WE’RE STILL in the early days of summer, but it’s never too early to look ahead to football season. The Bucks are coming o of a 2-8 season that extended their streak of losing campaigns to ve in a row.

It’s a season of new beginnings, though, as the Bucks will compete in the brand new Mid-South 7A/8A conference, following a realignment of the football division and conference system across the state. The Bucks part with four former Sandhills rivals — Union Pines, Scotland, Lee County and Southern Lee — and add three new conference foes — Jack Britt, Overhills and Pine Forest. Familiar Sandhills foes Pinecrest and Richmond made the jump to the new league along with Hoke.

Here’s a look at Hoke’s 2025 schedule.

• Aug. 22 vs. Monroe: The Bucks add a new nonconference foe to the schedule for the home opener. The Redhawks went undefeated last year and won a state title, their second in 10 years.

• Aug. 29: vs. South View: The Tigers are a familiar face. They’ve been on Hoke’s nonconference slate each of the last four years, with the Bucks winning once over that span.

The two former Sandhills Conference rivals will continue their long annual series this season.

• Sept. 12 at Seventy-First: One of three teams on the 2025 schedule who have played Hoke annually for at least the last two decades. Hoke’s last win came ve years ago.

• Sept. 19 at Forest Hills: Another new addition to the nonconference slate. The Yellow Jackets went 10-4 last year, nishing second to Monroe in the 2A/3A Rocky River. Both teams have been reclassi ed as 5A, three levels below Hoke.

• Sept. 26 vs. Middle Creek: The nal nonconference game comes against yet another brand-new opponent. The Mustangs went 6-5 last season.

• Oct. 3 at Overhills: The Bucks open conference play with another unfamiliar opponent. The Jaguars went 6-5 last season.

• Oct. 10 vs. Pine Forest:

Another new conference foe comes to Hoke for the league home opener. The Trojans are coming o a 5-6 year.

• Oct. 17 vs. Richmond: The second team with at least a 20-year annual series with the Bucks, Richmond has dominated the recent history. Hoke’s last win came in 2011.

• Oct. 24 at Pinecrest: For the rst time in three years, the Patriots aren’t the regularseason nale for Hoke. The two teams have played annually for at least the last two decades. Hoke will look to snap a ve-year losing streak.

• Oct. 31 at Jack Britt: The teams meet as conference foes for the rst time since 2020-21. Britt has stayed on the schedule as a semi-regular nonconference opponent however, including the last two Hoke season openers.

Van Gisbergen’s emotional win in Mexico City locks him into Cup Series playo s

By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY— Very little went right for Shane Van Gisbergen in the buildup to NASCAR’s rst international Cup Series points-paying race of the modern era.

A mechanical issue on takeo forced his team charter to abort the initial journey to Mexico City. He arrived at the venue Friday, a day late, and after winning the pole Saturday, the New Zealander fell seriously ill. He was sleeping on the oor of his hauler before Sunday’s race, unsure he’d be able to physically complete the 100-lap event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

But there’s something special about the Kiwi and new venues, especially in the rain, and he salvaged the weekend by winning on the road course to earn an automatic berth into NASCAR’s Cup Series playo s. Van Gisbergen led 60 of 100 laps and beat Christopher Bell by 16.567 seconds.

“I tried to treat it like when I go to Asia, just drink bottled water and be careful in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water, but I just went downhill,” Van Gisbergen said. “Couldn’t keep anything in. Everything just went straight through me. I felt really queasy and my mind was there, but my body just had so much pressure in my stomach. Crazy weekend and everyone dug deep.”

“It means everything to us; this is why I’m here. I am getting better and more competitive.”

Shane Van Gisbergen

It was the second Cup Series victory of his career. He won in his Cup debut at the inaugural 2023 street course race in Chicago.

Although he had success in the X nity Series — he won three races last year as Trackhouse Racing developed him

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Hoke County girls’ basketball

The Lady Bucks got their summer basketball schedule o and running with four games in the NCBCA’s NC Live Team Basketball Camp. With 70 college coaches representing 42 schools looking on, Hoke opened with a 45-40 win over Cleveland. They immediately took to the court again and swept their back-to-back doubleheader, beating Phoenix Academy 44-41. Things went a little tougher the next day, as the Lady Bucks fell to Ballantyne Ridge, 42-41, and Grimsley, 44-37.

for a Cup Series ride — Van Gisbergen has struggled this year at NASCAR’s top level.

He started the race ranked 33rd in the Cup standings with only one top-10 nish through the rst 15 races of the season.

But his victory in Mexico City revived his season and gives him a shot to race for the Cup Series championship.

“It means everything to us; this is why I’m here,” Van Gisbergen said. “I am getting better and more competitive. We’re really making a lot of progress.”

Van Gisbergen celebrated in his traditional rugby-style way — he drop-kicked a signed football into the grandstands and then said he had recovered enough to enjoy “some Red Bulls mixed with adult beverages” later Sunday.

Van Gisbergen bene tted from an early pop-up rain shower on the rst lap of the race because he’s an exceptionally skilled driver on a wet surface. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like conditions.

Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and Van Gisbergen — locked into the playo s. But it was a bit of a

disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win in the X nity Series race on Saturday, as he failed to challenge his teammate for the win and nished 19th.

“I wish I was in the mix ghting for it a little more, but it just wasn’t in the cards,” Suarez said. “Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations: the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy.

Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in prerace ceremonies, desperately wanted the home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the rst time since 1958. Bell nished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who hurt his back in a crash last week at Michigan, withstood the pain for a fourth-place nish in his Hendrick Chevrolet.

Hoke senior Karmen Campbell

Hoke County (right) lines up for the snap during last season’s game against Pinecrest.

Tar Heels embrace new world as

of coach Belichick’s rst college team

The 73-year-old coach is installing his system at UNC

By Aaron Beard

The Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL — Jordan

Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was UNC’s new football coach.

“It was just like, ‘That’s the greatest coach of all time,’” the receiver recalled, “‘and he’s about to be coaching us.’”

Tar Heels players hadn’t spoken to reporters since last year’s team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season.

So last week marked the rst time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick’s arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport’s highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots.

Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to the curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer who is now giving college a try.

“There’s a lot of that, you get a lot of ‘How is Coach Belichick? What’s new? What’s different?’” Hardy said. “So I’ve rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.”

The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football’s role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger.

He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a prostyle model at the college level.

SIDELINE REPORT

NWSL

Substitute Pinto scores winner for Courage

Los Angeles

Brianna Pinto scored just seven minutes after coming o the bench for the North Carolina Courage in a 2-1 win against Angel City. The Courage had lost all three previous visits to Los Angeles. Cortnee Vine had made it 1-0 in the rst minute of the game when she slid the ball into the net from a cross by Manaka Matsukubo. After Angel City tied it, the winner came in the fth minute of stoppage time. Pinto scooped up a loose ball and red it in from ve yards out.

MLB Contreras brothers homer in same inning as opponents; rst time since 1933

Milwaukee Willson and William Contreras became the second pair of brothers to homer in the same inning as opponents. Both went deep in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 8-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Willson Contreras’ ninth homer of the season, a solo shot to right-center, gave St. Louis an 8-4 lead in the top of the ninth. William Contreras led o the bottom half of the inning with his sixth homer. The Contreras brothers are the rst to homer in the same inning as opponents since Rick and Wes Ferrell on July 19, 1933.

Belichick’s rst on- eld work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts.

“Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,” Belichick said. “We’ve had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they’re early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the eld. They spend time on their own, whether it’s doing extra training or coming over and watching

LPGA

Ciganda wins Meijer LPGA Classic for rst LPGA Tour victory in more than 81⁄2 years

Belmont, Mich.

Carlota Ciganda birdied the nal two holes to win the Meijer LPGA Classic for her rst LPGA Tour victory in more than 81⁄2 years. Ciganda hit to a foot to set up her birdie on the par-4 17th, then made a 4-foot comebacker on the par-5 18th to avoid a playo with playing partner Hye-Jin Choi. Ciganda shot a 5-under 67 — her fourth straight round in the 60s — to nish at 16-under 272. The 35-year-old Spanish player won for the rst time since the 2016 Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

NBA

Greenwood, former UCLA star and NBA champion, dies at 68 after cancer battle

Los Angeles

David Greenwood, who was one of coach John Wooden’s last recruits at UCLA and went on to win an NBA championship with Detroit during a 12-year pro career, died at 68 in Riverside, California, after battling cancer. Greenwood was a four-year starter at UCLA. He was the second overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft behind Magic Johnson. Greenwood went to the Chicago Bulls, where he played for six years. He later played for San Antonio, Denver and Detroit. He came o the bench to help the Pistons win the 1990 NBA championship.

lm and that type of thing.

“They’ve made a ton of improvement, and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it’s exciting to see where that’s going to take us.”

For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV.

Intimidating much?

“I mean, maybe at rst when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he’s won,” said o ensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick’s rst portal commitment. “But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there’s no question why he has the success that he has.

“The attention to detail, the

“That’s the greatest coach of all time, and he’s about to be coaching us.”

Jordan Shipp, UNC receiver

emphasis on fundamentals and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that’s what’s getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect, and it’s been great.”

Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick’s son Steve — now the Tar Heels’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

“I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long,” Dixon said.

Yet not every surprise has been about X’s and O’s. Sometimes it’s simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side.

“I feel like that’s the biggest curveball, you’re coming to the rst meeting and you’re expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in,” said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. “He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That’s the second thing he said.” Hardy pointed out that vibe, too.

“There are times when he’ll just crack a joke out of nowhere,” he said. “And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.”

Still, Hardy noted it’s mingled amid the work, such as lm sessions when “there’s no hiding” when Belichick highlights a mistake.

“I’ve loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him,” Hardy said. “It’s cool to see and meet him personally because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he’s just a completely di erent coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It’s cool.”

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

UNC coach Bill Belichick watches his team during spring practice in March.

obituaries

Thomas

Richard Walsh

April 8, 1973 – June 9, 2025

Thomas Richard Walsh, age 52, of Shannon, North Carolina, was born on April 8, 1973, to the late Raymond Walsh and the late Mary Elizabeth Jacobs Walsh in Scotland County, North Carolina. He departed this life on June 9, 2025, at UNC Health Southeastern, Lumberton, North Carolina.

Thomas leaves to cherish his memories his wife: Melissa Lambert Walsh, of the home, two daughters: Tashana Lambert and Courtney Walsh both of Shannon, North Carolina, one brother: Raymond Walsh of Red Springs, North Carolina, four grandchildren: Jerry Thomas, John Thomas Jr, Xzavior Thomas, Alyssa So a Lowery, special nieces: Sothia Lambert, Chesny Lambert, Annie Lambert, special nephews: Brandon Lambert, Derrick Lambert, Clinton Lambert Jr., Michael Lambert, along with a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral Arrangements are incomplete.

James Locklear

Sept. 1, 1947 – June 11, 2025

Mr. James Locklear, age 77 of Maxton, North Carolina, was born on September 1, 1947, to the late Gar eld Locklear and the late Odessa Bullard Locklear in Robeson County, North Carolina. He departed this life on June 11, 2025, at UNC Health Southeastern, Lumberton, North Carolina. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Helen Jones, Gar eld Locklear Jr., and Helon Locklear. Mr. James loved his animals, especially horses.

Mr. James leaves to cherish his memories his wife: Patricia Ann Locklear of the home, one son: Kevin Locklear (Kisha) of Maxton, North Carolina, three daughters: Samantha Locklear, Patrice Carol Hilbourn (David) all of Maxton, North Carolina, Jackie Locklear Bell (Ernest) of Lumberton, North Carolina, three brothers: Don Locklear, Sherman Locklear both of Maxton, North Carolina, Herman Locklear of McColl, South Carolina, thirteen grandchildren: Justin Strong, Sabrina Strong, Emily Locklear, James Locklear, Prince Phillips, Wayne Phillips, Michael Locklear, Emma Locklear, Noah Locklear, Caslon Locklear, Jaylee Bell, Deandre Patterson, Ellana Patterson, two great grandchildren: Noah McMillan and Joshua McMillan, along with a host of other relatives and friends.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at obits@northstatejournal.com

Sly

Stone,

His in uence endured for decades after he rst hit the charts

By Hillel Italie The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Sly Stone, the revolutionary musician and dynamic showman whose Sly and the Family Stone transformed popular music in the 1960s and ’70s and beyond with such hits as “Everyday People,” “Stand!” and “Family A air,” died last week at age 82. Stone, born Sylvester Stewart, had been in poor health in recent years. His publicist Carleen Donovan said Stone died in Los Angeles surrounded by family after contending with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other ailments.

Formed in 1966-67, Sly and the Family Stone was the rst major group to include black and white men and women, and well embodied a time when anything seemed possible — riots and assassinations, communes and love-ins. The sing-

Leonard Lauder, philanthropist who

globalized family

cosmetic business, dies at age 92

His Estee Lauder owns Clinique and Aveda, among other brands

By Anne D’Innocenzio

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Leonard Lauder, a renowned philanthropist who expanded the family cosmetics business into a worldwide empire, has died at the age of 92.

Estee Lauders Cos. announced the news in a release on Sunday and said he died on Saturday surrounded by family.

Lauder, the oldest son of Estee and Joseph H. Lauder, who founded the company in 1946, formally joined the New York business in 1958. Over more than six decades, Lauder played a key role in transforming the business from a handful of products sold under a single brand in U.S. stores to a multi-brand global giant. He had held the title of chairman emeritus at the time of his death.

Estee Lauder’s products are sold in roughly 150 countries and territories under brand names including Clinique and Aveda, according to the company’s latest annual report. The company generated sales of nearly $16 billion in the scal year ended June 30, 2024, the ling said.

Estee Lauder went public in 1995, but members of Lauder family still have about 84% of the voting power of common stock, according to the latest annual ling.

Lauder served as president of The Estée Lauder Cos. from 1972 to 1995 and as CEO from 1982 through 1999. He was named chairman in 1995 and served in that role through June 2009.

Under his stewardship, Lauder created the company’s rst research and development laboratory, brought in professional management at every level, and was the impetus behind The Estée Lauder Cos.’ international expansion, helping to spearhead the company’s sales and pro ts exponentially, according to the company.

Lauder led the launch of many brands including Aramis, Clinique, and Lab Series, among others. Until his death, he remained deeply involved

revolutionary

ers screeched, chanted, crooned and hollered. The music was a blowout of frantic horns, rapid- re guitar and locomotive rhythms, a melting pot of jazz, psychedelic rock, doo-wop, soul and the early grooves of funk.

Stone’s group began as a Bay Area sextet featuring Sly on keyboards, Larry Graham on bass; Sly’s brother, Freddie, on guitar; sister Rose on vocals; Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini on horns and Greg Errico on drums. They debuted with the album “A Whole New Thing” and earned the title with their breakthrough single, “Dance to the Music.” It hit the top 10 in April 1968, the week the Rev. Martin Luther King was murdered, and helped launch an era when the polish of Motown and the understatement of Stax suddenly seemed of another time.

Led by Stone, with his leather jumpsuits and goggle shades, mile-wide grin and mile-high Afro, the band dazzled in 1969 at the Woodstock festival and set a new pace on the radio. “Everyday People,” “I Wanna Take You Higher” and oth-

in the company’s acquisition strategy, including the acquisitions of such brands as Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone London and MAC, the company said.

During his years as chairman emeritus, Lauder was closely involved in the business and day-to-day operations and was a constant xture at its global headquarters in New York and at its stores around the world until the time of his death, the company said.

“Throughout his life, my father worked tirelessly to build and transform the beauty industry, pioneering many of the innovations, trends, and best practices that are foundational to the industry today,” said William P. Lauder, son and chair of the board at The Estée Lauder Companies in a statement. “He was the most charitable man I have ever known, believing that art and education belonged to everyone, and championing the ght against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. ”

Lauder was a longtime patron of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and, in 2013, pledged his 78-piece collection of Cubist art to the museum in the largest single philanthropic gift in the museum’s history. He later added ve major works to that pledged gift, the company said.

In concert with his Cubist collection donation, he helped establish the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art at the Met to support

a program of fellowships, focused exhibitions, and public lectures. He also was the Whitney Museum of American Art’s chairman emeritus and a trustee from 1977 to 2011. Lauder was married to Evelyn H. Lauder, who had been the senior corporate vice president at the cosmetic company and the founder of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, from 1959 until she passed away in 2011.

On Jan. 1, 2015, Lauder married Judy Glickman Lauder, a philanthropist and internationally recognized photographer.

Lauder was born in 1933 in New York City. He was a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and the O cer Candidate School of the United States Navy.

Lauder studied at Columbia University’s graduate school of business. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and as a Navy reservist, for which the U.S. Navy Supply Corps Foundation later recognized him with its Distinguished Alumni Award.

In addition to his wife and son William, Lauder is survived by his other son Gary M. Lauder and wife, Laura Lauder; ve grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, many stepchildren and step grandchildren, as well as his brother, Ronald S. Lauder, and wife, Jo Carole Lauder, and their daughters, Aerin Lauder and Jane Lauder.

funk rock musician, dead at 82

er songs were anthems of community, nonconformity and a brash and hopeful spirit, built around such catchphrases as “di erent strokes for di erent folks.” The group released ve top 10 singles, three of them hitting No. 1, and three million-selling albums: “Stand!”, “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” and “Greatest Hits.”

The band’s in uence has endured for decades. The top funk artist of the 1970s, Parliament Funkadelic creator George Clinton, was a Stone disciple. Prince, Rick James and the Black-Eyed Peas were among the many performers from the 1980s and after in uenced by Stone, and countless rap artists have sampled his ri s, from the Beastie Boys to Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. A 2005 tribute record included Maroon 5, John Legend and the Roots.

By the early ’70s, Stone himself was beginning a descent from which he never recovered, driven by the pressures of fame and the added burden of black fame. His record company was anxious for more hits, while the

Black Panthers were pressing him to drop the white members from his group. After moving from the Bay Area to Los Angeles in 1970, he became increasingly hooked on cocaine and erratic in his behavior.

By the end of the decade, Sly and the Family Stone had broken up and Stone was releasing solo records with such unmet promises as “Heard You Missed Me, Well I’m Back” and “Back On the Right Track.” Most of the news he made over the following decades was of drug busts, nancial troubles and mishaps on stage. Sly and the Family Stone was inducted into the Rock & Roll of Fame in 1993 and honored in 2006 at the Grammy Awards, but Stone released just one album after the early ’80s, “I’m Back! Family & Friends,” much of it updated recordings of his old hits. He was born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas, and raised in Vallejo, California, the second of ve children in a close, religious family. Sylvester became “Sly” by accident, when a teacher mistaken-

ly spelled his name “Slyvester.” He loved performing so much that his mother alleged he would cry if the congregation in church didn’t respond when he sang before it. He was so gifted and ambitious that by age 4 he had sung on stage at a Sam Cooke show and by 11 had mastered several instruments and recorded a gospel song with his siblings. He was so committed to the races working together that in his teens and early 20s he was playing in local bands that included black and white members and was becoming known around the Bay Area as a DJ equally willing to play the Beatles and rhythm and blues acts. “A Whole New Thing” came out in 1967, soon followed by the single “Dance to the Music,” in which each member was granted a moment of introduction as the song rightly proclaimed a “brand new beat.” In December 1968, the group appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and performed a medley that included “Dance to the Music” and “Everyday People.”

STEPHEN CHERNIN / AP PHOTO

Leonard Lauder attends a gala launch party in New York in 2010.

STATE & NATION

A grassland bird eavesdrops on prairie dog calls to keep itself safe from predators

Prairie dogs bark at each other to warn of predators

By Christina Larson

The Associated Press

PRAIRIE DOGS are the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains: They bark to alert neighbors to the presence of predators, with separate calls for dangers coming by land or by air.

“Prairie dogs are on the menu for just about every predator you can think of”— golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, foxes, badgers, even large snakes — said Andy Boyce, a research ecologist in Montana at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Those predators will also snack on grassland nesting birds like the long-billed curlew.

To protect themselves, the curlews eavesdrop on the alarms coming from prairie dog colonies, according to research published last Thursday in the journal Animal Behavior.

Previous research has shown

birds frequently eavesdrop on other bird species to glean information about potential food sources or approaching danger, said Georgetown University ornithologist Emily Williams, who was not involved in the study. But, so far, scientists

have documented only a few instances of birds eavesdropping on mammals.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s rare in the wild,” she said, “it just means we haven’t studied it yet.”

Prairie dogs live in large col-

onies with a series of burrows that may stretch for miles underground. When they hear each other’s barks, they either stand alert watching or dive into their burrows to avoid approaching talons and claws.

“Those little barks are very loud — they can carry quite a long way,” said co-author Andrew Dreelin, who also works for the Smithsonian.

The long-billed curlew nests in short-grass prairie and incubates eggs on a ground nest. When one hears the prairie dog alarm, she responds by pressing her head, beak and belly close to the ground.

In this crouched position, the birds “rely on the incredible camou age of their feathers to become essentially invisible on the Plains,” Dreelin said.

To test just how alert the birds were to prairie dog chatter, researchers created a fake predator by strapping a taxidermied badger onto a small remote-controlled vehicle. They sent this badger rolling over the prairie of north-central Mon-

tana toward curlew nests — sometimes in silence and sometimes while playing recorded prairie dog barks.

When the barks were played, curlews ducked into the grass quickly, hiding when the badger was around 160 feet away. Without the barks, the remote-controlled badger got within about 52 feet of the nests before the curlews appeared to sense danger.

“You have a much higher chance of avoiding predation if you go into that cryptic posture sooner — and the birds do when they hear prairie dogs barking,” said co-author Holly Jones, a conservation biologist at Northern Illinois University. Prairie dogs are often thought of as “environmental engineers,” she said, because they construct extensive burrows and nibble down prairie grass, keeping short-grass ecosystems intact.

“But now we are realizing they are also shaping the ecosystems by producing and spreading information,” she said.

Libraries open historic book collections to AI researchers

Centuries-old texts provide training data while avoiding copyright battles

By Matt O’Brien The Associated Press

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Everything ever said on the internet was just the start of teaching arti cial intelligence about humanity. Tech companies are now tapping into an older repository of knowledge: the library stacks.

Nearly 1 million books published as early as the 15th century — and in 254 languages — are part of a Harvard University collection released to AI researchers last Thursday. Also coming soon are troves of old newspapers and government documents held by Boston’s public library.

Cracking open the vaults to centuries-old tomes could be a data bonanza for tech companies battling lawsuits from living novelists, visual artists and others whose creative works have been scooped up without their consent to train AI chatbots.

“It is a prudent decision to start with public domain data because that’s less controversial right now than content that’s still under copyright,” said Burton Davis, a deputy general counsel at Microsoft.

Davis said libraries also hold “signi cant amounts of interesting cultural, historical and language data” that’s missing from the past few decades of online commentary that AI chatbots

have mostly learned from. Fears of running out of data have also led AI developers to turn to “synthetic” data, made by the chatbots themselves and of a lower quality.

Supported by “unrestricted gifts” from Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the Harvard-based Institutional Data Initiative is working with libraries and museums around the world on how to make their historic collections AI-ready in a way that also bene ts the communities they serve.

“We’re trying to move some of the power from this current AI moment back to these institutions,” said Aristana Scourtas, who manages research at Harvard Law School’s Library Innovation Lab. “Librarians have always been the stewards of data and the stewards of information.”

Harvard’s newly released dataset, Institutional Books 1.0, contains more than 394 million scanned pages of paper.

One of the earlier works is from the 1400s — a Korean painter’s handwritten thoughts about cultivating owers and trees. The largest concentration of works is from the 19th century, on subjects such as literature, philosophy, law and agriculture, all of it meticulously preserved and organized by generations of librarians.

It promises to be a boon for AI developers trying to improve the accuracy and reliability of their systems.

“A lot of the data that’s been used in AI training has not

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

Greg Leppert, executive director at the Institutional Data Initiative, poses at Langdell Hall, which houses the Harvard Law School library in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

come from original sources,” said the data initiative’s executive director, Greg Leppert, who is also chief technologist at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. This book collection goes “all the way back to the physical copy that was scanned by the institutions that actually collected those items,” he said.

Before ChatGPT sparked a commercial AI frenzy, most AI researchers didn’t think much about the provenance of the passages of text they pulled from Wikipedia, from social media forums like Reddit and sometimes from deep repositories of pirated books. They just needed lots of what computer scientists call tokens — units of data, each of which can represent a piece of a word.

Harvard’s new AI training collection has an estimated 242 billion tokens, an amount that’s hard for humans to fathom but it’s still just a drop of what’s being fed into the most advanced AI systems. Facebook parent company Meta, for instance, has said the latest version of its AI large language model was trained on more than 30 trillion tokens pulled from text, images and videos.

Meta is also battling a lawsuit from comedian Sarah Silverman and other published authors who accuse the company of stealing their books from “shadow libraries” of pirated works.

Now, with some reservations, the real libraries are standing up.

OpenAI, which is also ghting a string of copyright lawsuits, donated $50 million this year to a group of research institutions including Oxford University’s 400-year-old Bodleian Library, which is digitizing rare texts and using AI to help transcribe them.

When the company rst reached out to the Boston Public Library, one of the biggest in the U.S., the library made clear that any information it digitized would be for everyone, said Jessica Chapel, its chief of digital and online services.

“OpenAI had this interest in massive amounts of training data. We have an interest in massive amounts of digital objects. So this is kind of just a case that things are aligning,” Chapel said.

Digitization is expensive. It’s been painstaking work, for instance, for Boston’s library to scan and curate dozens of New England’s French-language newspapers that were widely read in the late 19th and early 20th century by Canadian immigrant communities from Quebec. Now that such text is of use as training data, it helps bankroll projects that librarians want to do anyway.

Harvard’s collection was already digitized starting in 2006 for another tech giant, Google, in its controversial project to create a searchable online library of more than 20 million books.

How useful all of this will be for the next generation of AI tools remains to be seen.

PHOTOS VIA SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE VIA AP

A long-billed curlew ies over the American Prairie reserve in Montana.

MOORE COUNTY

“A republic, if you can keep it”

The “No Kings” protest in Southern Pines on Saturday was one of many around the state and the country, criticizing President Donald Trump with creative signs, impassioned speeches and a good number of American ags. Trump, meanwhile, oversaw a parade in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday — one shared with Flag Day and the president himself.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

A judge could advance Purdue Pharma’s $7B opioid settlement after all 50 states back it

A judge is being asked to clear the way for local governments and individual victims to vote on OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The deal would be among the largest in a wave of opioid settlements. It calls for members of the Sackler family, who own the company, to give up ownership and contribute up to $7 billion over time. Of that, about $890 million could go to people who were victims of the drug epidemic or their survivors. Most of the rest is to be used by state and local governments to ght the crisis.

Wake Forest alum named University of Alabama president

Tuscaloosa, Ala. Peter J. Mohler has been named the next president of the University of Alabama. Mohler comes to the role from Ohio State University, where he served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and as chief scienti c o cer of the university’s Wexner Medical Center. He will assume the role at the University of Alabama on July 21. Mohler has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Commissioners approve opioid fund expenditures, various contracts

The Moore County Commissioners approved over $300,000 in opioid funding

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

CARTHAGE — The Moore County Board of Commissioners approved a multitude of contracts at its June 17 meeting.

Most notably, the board approved the disbursement of roughly $321,000 in Opioid Settlement Funds to various community partners. Those partners include FirstHealth of the Carolinas ($67K), Adult and Teen Challenge of Sandhills ($105K), Samaritan Colony ($120K) and Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills ($29K).

According to County Manager Wayne Vest, the FY 2026 funding is half of the amount awarded in FY 2025 and covers just the rst six months of the scal year.

“The reason why we asked for a six-month extension here rather than the full year funding is because the requirements that we have to look at are signi cant, and we want to be certain that when we get to the end of our funding from the opioid settlement that we have positive results to show,” said Commissioner Tom Adams.

The county has received nearly $3.5 million in opioid settlement funds since 2022 and are expected to continue receiving money — up to $11.7 million — through 2039.

The board also approved multiple contracts for capi-

“We want to be certain that when we get to the end of our funding from the opioid settlement, that we have positive results to show.”

Commissioner Tom Adams

tal purchases, starting with a $205,000 purchase contract with TranSource for a 2026 Mack HD GR64 truck with a Galbreath 60,000-pound roll- o hoist.

“SolidWaste annually evaluates the eet to ensure vehicles are safe and functional, and maintaining the eet is highly important in that,” said Assistant Property Management

Federal court weighs challenge to NC redistricting maps

A lawsuit alleges GOP lawmakers illegally weakened black voting power

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — North Carolina congressional and legislative districts drawn by Republicans that helped them retain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are in court, as federal lawsuits accuse mapmakers of illegally eroding black voting power in the process.

A three-judge panel convened Monday in Winston-Salem for a trial over allegations that GOP

Director Steven Perkins. “A replacement is needed because it has met its mileage criteria for replacement.”

According to Perkins, each roll-o truck in normal use regularly travels more than 4,000 miles per month from the county’s collection sites as well as additional partners to the Moore County land ll.

The board also approved an approximate $250,000 contract with Ilderton Dodge to purchase six 2025 Dodge Durango AWD pursuit patrol vehicles for the sheri ’s o ce and a $220,000 contract with Simmons Heating Cooling Electrical to replace HVAC equipment at the Health and Agricultural facilities.

According to Property Management Director Gene Boles,

legislative leaders violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps in October 2023. Republican leaders counter that lawfully partisan — and not racial — considerations helped inform their decision-making.

The lines were used in the 2024 elections, after which Republicans kept General Assembly majorities and ipped three U.S. House seats held by Democratic incumbents who didn’t seek reelection because they decided the recast district made winning impossible. Those seat ips, which turned a 7-7 delegation into one with a 10-4 Republican advantage, helped the GOP keep narrow control of the House, which has helped advance President Donald Trump’s agenda. Favorable rulings for the plainti s could force Republicans to redraw maps for the 2026 elections, making it harder to retain their partisan ad-

See MAPS, page A2

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

HANNAH SCHOENBAUM / AP PHOTO

The North Carolina Senate reviews copies of a map proposal for the state’s congressional districts starting in 2024 during a committee hearing in October 2023.

“Join the conversation”

North State Journal (USPS 20451) (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

Ryan Henkel, Reporter

P.J. Ward-Brown, Photographer

BUSINESS

David Guy, Advertising Manager

Published

POSTMASTER:

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

June 9

• Zaahidah Aakifah Coley, 18, was arrested by Moore County Sheri ’s O ce (MCSO) for felony child abuse causing serious injury.

• Arnold Travis Clark, 60, was arrested by MCSO for indecent liberties with child.

June 10

• Jayden Skyler Needham, 21, was arrested by MCSO for statutory rape of a child by an adult.

June 12

• Marcus Lamon Harris, 54, was arrested by MCSO for possession of a schedule II controlled substance.

• Sean Jamel Moultrie, 52, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for felony larceny.

June 13

• Terry Lamont Walker, 31, was arrested by MCSO for possession of a schedule I controlled substance.

June 15

• Christopher Andrew Sharpe, 37, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for simple assault.

BOARD from page A1

vantage. Otherwise, the districts could be used through the 2030 elections.

The trial involves two lawsuits led in late 2023.

In one lawsuit, the North Carolina NAACP, Common Cause and several black residents originally sued over redrawn state House and Senate maps and U.S. House districts. The other lawsuit led by nearly 20 black and Latino voters focused on the new congressional districts, four of which they argue are illegal racial gerrymanders.

Pretrial rulings this spring and amended litigation dismissed challenges to the state House map and narrowed state Senate arguments to a handful of districts.

Still, both lawsuits claim that lines are so skewed for GOP candidates that many black voters cannot elect their preferred candidates, violating the Voting Rights Act. They allege the mapmakers at times submerged or spread out black voting blocs, which historically have favored Democrats, into surrounding districts with white majorities — bene ting Republicans.

They point to the Piedmont Triad region where the cities of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem are located. They said Republicans split the region’s concentrated black voting population within multiple U.S. House districts. Then-Rep. Kathy Manning, a Greensboro Democrat, decided not to run again because her district shifted to the right.

“This was an e ort to spread those voters across districts,” said Jonathan Rodden, a Stanford University redistricting expert who testi ed Monday for some plainti s about congressional boundaries. Rodden said the results were less-compact districts that make it harder for voters within them to act collectively toward a common policy goal.

BOARD from page A1

the equipment at both facilities is more than 10 years old and due for replacements.

The nal capital purchase was with Premier Water for the purchase of a Atlas-Copco Aeration Blower ($200K) needed to support critical operations at the Water Pollution Control Plant.

This is the second aeration blower the county has had to replace at the plant this year, as most blowers are reportedly approaching the end of their useful life

“We do have a temporary blower, which is hooked up and working as a backup,” said Public Works Director Brian Patnode.

“This is extremely import-

The two lawsuits claim that lines are so skewed for GOP candidates that many Black voters cannot elect their preferred candidates, violating the Voting Rights Act.

The plainti s also allege GOP lawmakers unlawfully packed black voting-age residents into a Charlotte-area congressional district.

The trial’s lawyers agreed not to give opening statements Monday. But in a pretrial brief, lawyers for Republican leaders said the lawmakers used mapmaking rules that prohibited using data identifying the race of voters, in keeping with rulings on previous North Carolina redistricting maps in which judges chided them for emphasizing race.

Instead, Republicans were able to lawfully use partisan data — like statewide election results — in drawing the new maps, the lawyers said. They cite a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court decision and an April 2023 state Supreme Court decision that neutered legal claims of illegal partisan gerrymandering.

“The General Assembly has striven to end racial politics through race-blind redistricting,” wrote Katherine McKnight and Phil Strach, two lawyers for the GOP legislators, adding that a Voting Rights Act violation “would only return the State to the race-based redistricting it has sought to end.”

Rodden testi ed Monday the “racial sorting” of voters within challenged congressional districts that he examined can’t be attributed fully to politics alone. On cross-examination, Rodden acknowledged that he didn’t know all of the partisan

ant, as without this, we’re in for a world of hurt,” Adams said. “Thank you for bringing this in a timely manner so we don’t wake up one morning with an inability to use our facilities.”

The board then approved an amendment to its contract with Tyler Technologies for support and maintenance of the on-premise enterprise resource planning solution to add three additional years of service.

“The solution was implemented in 2009 to supportnancials, human resources, payroll, tax, permitting and inventory services,” said IT Director Kay Ingram.

The contract is for approximately $190K.

However, according to In-

factors that GOP lawmakers considered in 2023.

The three judges were all nominated to the bench by Republican presidents: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Allison Rushing (Donald Trump) and District Judges Thomas Schroeder (George W. Bush) and Richard Myers (Trump).

The panel has set aside several days for a trial that won’t end until July 9. Other likely witnesses include individual plainti s, state legislators, historians and more mapping experts. No immediate decision is expected — the legal sides have until early August to le additional briefs.

The court’s ruling can be appealed. With candidate ling for the 2026 election starting Dec. 1, any required remapping would have to be completed by late fall to avoid election disruptions.

North Carolina has a long history of redistricting litigation in federal courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in landmark cases in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s involving racial bias and the extent to which racial considerations could be used in forming districts that favored the election of black candidates. The court’s 2019 decision on partisan gerrymandering stemmed from a North Carolina case.

The current maps were drawn after the state Supreme Court, with a Republican seat majority, essentially struck down rulings the court made in 2022 when it had a Democratic majority.

Two other lawsuits challenging the 2023 district boundaries are pending.

Statewide races in North Carolina are close, and Democrats have held the governor’s mansion for most of the past 30 years. But Republicans have controlled the General Assembly — and thus redistricting — since 2011. Redistricting maps can’t be blocked by a governor’s veto.

gram, departmental reviews and migrations in the last year have resulted in no longer needing various components of the contract with Tyler Technologies, thereby reducing the cost by over $100K.

The board also approved an amendment to the contract with Southern Health Partners to provide up to an additional $96K to cover overages in inmate medical costs at the Moore County Detention Center from the prior scal year.

“I just want to thank the sta for a lot of the mundane work that gets done. We saw a lot of that tonight,” Adams said in his closing comments.

The Moore County Board of Commissioners will meet next month on July 15 at the Historic Courthouse in Carthage.

MOORE COUNTY

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

June 19, 20 & 21

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 21

Moore County Farmers Market

8 a.m. to noon

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

Paris Ballet: Sleeping Beauty 2-6 p.m.

A classic ballet created by Rudolf Nureyev set to music by Tchaikovsky. Tickets are $27 each and can be purchased through the theatre.

Sunrise Theatre 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines

June 25

Cocktail Classes: Mixology 7-8 p.m.

Learn the history of classic cocktails, complete with a demonstration of how they are made. Participants will receive a printout of the drink preparation instructions to take with them so they can practice mixing their favorite cocktails at home. Admission is free, adults only.

The Je erson Inn

1901 Lounge 150 W New Hampshire Ave. Southern Pines

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| DAVID HARSANYI

Greta Thunberg, useful idiot for Hamas

The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

PROFESSIONAL LEFTIST Greta

Thunberg was brought to Israel this week after the “sel e yacht” she was traveling on attempted to break through a naval blockade of Gaza. Her boat, the “Madleen,” was part of a otilla pretending to deliver aid to alleviate an imaginary famine. The 22-year-old was given food and shelter, and sent home by the Israeli government, which she accused of “kidnapping” her. All the usual suspects went along with this predictable framing.

If Thunberg really wanted to better understand the concept of an abduction, she might have asked Hamas to visit the Israelis still being tortured in a dank basement somewhere in Rafah. But the “human rights activist,” which is how the legacy media unironically describes her, has never once called for the release of the hostages taken by Islamists. Indeed, the otilla e ort was reportedly organized by a “Hamas operative.”

“(The Israelis) tried to make us watch all kinds of propaganda videos,” Thunberg told reporters after landing in Paris, “but I didn’t watch. This is nothing compared to what is happening in Gaza, which is in desperate need of humanitarian aid.” Referring to GoPro videos made by Palestinians that document the gleeful slaughter of women, children and the elderly as “propaganda” is a bold accusation coming from a cosplay revolutionary whose biggest problem was getting a vegetarian meal from her hosts.

As this was all going on, incidentally, Israel has been sending hundreds of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. Hamas opposes this e ort, as it uses food and aid to control the Palestinian population. The day after Thunberg whined to reporters in Europe, at least eight aid workers were murdered by Hamas trying to bring food to the population.

The real question is: Why is she in the news at all?

Thunberg was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2019 after dropping out of high school and “raising awareness for climate change.”

It was quite a historic accomplishment. No one was talking about global warming before Greta came around, apparently. Me? I tend to think the kid who stays in school and learns a thing or two about biology before lecturing me about science is the real hero. But we live in a time where emotionalism and vapidity are often confused with decency and wisdom. Thunberg is the embodiment of this trend.

Thunberg’s most infamous moment was a frivolous emotional outburst at the United Nations, where she screamed at those who had bequeathed her with unprecedented wealth, safety and freedom: “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she claimed. But really, her dream was to be famous. Or, maybe, it was rst the dream of exploitative parents who persuaded their child that the world was on the precipice of Armageddon.

Since her Time magazine cover, Thunberg has achieved nothing. Her native Sweden has turned back to fossil fuels. Europe,

a Palestinian

yeh, meets with journalists in Catania, Italy, on June 1, ahead of their departure for the

as well. The Earth, however, is still here.

Subsequently, Thunberg has moved on to champion other trendy leftist causes, such as Black Lives Matter and now “Free Palestine.” The only thing she understands less about than climate science seems to be the Middle East. As far as I can tell, Thunberg has never once said anything remotely compelling, witty or smart. There are millions of young people far more worthy of attention. For years, youth shielded Thunberg from criticism. Even now, journalists fail to ask her a serious, in-depth question about the issues she champions. The chances she could answer one are incredibly slim.

Well, Thunberg is now a young woman, and so we can freely point out that she’s always been an extraordinary imbecile. But now, she’s also a useful idiot for terrorists. For that, there is no excuse.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

Why the CBO almost always gets it wrong

The 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

THESE DAYS it seems that a mysterious group called “the CBO” rules the world, or at least Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it’s not very good at predicting things, and its bad calls can lead to bad policy results.

The Congressional Budget O ce and the Joint Committee on Taxation predict what will happen with spending, tax revenues and de cits from new bills and congressional budgets. They have made headlines with their absurd warning that President Donald Trump’s tax bill to extend the 2017 tax cuts and other reforms like eliminating taxes on tips would add trillions to the debt over 10 years.

But we know this is wrong. The aw is that the models don’t take account of the improved economy from keeping tax rates low and providing tax relief for small businesses and workers. The White House estimates that this bill, combined with pro-America energy policies and deregulation, can raise the economic growth rate to nearly 3% — which would mean at least another $2 trillion in added revenues.

When I pointed this out in The Wall Street Journal two weeks ago, House Speaker Mike

Johnson reiterated these defects in the CBO predictions.

Then Washington Post “fact checker” Glenn Kessler claimed the CBO is accurate and Johnson’s claim is “nonsense.”

Oh, really? It turns out that it’s the self-proclaimed fact checker who is getting the numbers all wrong.

The Post argued that the CBO really does dynamic scoring and adjusts for the changes in tax laws. Wrong. The CBO does not fully measure the economywide bene ts of lower tax rates and thus doesn’t adjust for higher employment and growth — which happens every time we cut tax rates.

We also know the 2017 scoring of the Trump tax cut has already underestimated the revenues from the rst six years of the law by a massive $1 trillion or more.

Yet Kessler notes that no one in 2017 could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns. That is absolutely true. But the pandemic actually reduced revenues from what they would have otherwise been by at least $1 trillion because commerce slowed to a crawl during the lockdowns. Yet even with the unexpected pandemic, the CBO still managed to

underestimate the revenues generated from the tax cut.

Sounds like the speaker was right and the fact checkers struck out.

Everyone makes mistakes. But the CBO and JCT have a habit of overstating the bene ts of raising taxes and underestimating the bene ts to the economy from cutting tax rates. The CBO and JCT, for example, have almost always lowballed the economic e ects of cutting the capital gains tax.

My colleague Tomas Philipson, who served on the Council of Economic Advisers under Trump in his rst term, notes that the JCT never opens its books to show how it makes its “garbage in, garbage out” projections.

Maybe Johnson should demand they do that immediately. Or maybe it’s time for a new model based on real-world scoring. It’s time to put accuracy over ideology.

Big decisions that have enormous trillion- dollar consequences for our economy are being made with a cracked crystal ball.

Stephen Moore is co-founder of Unleash Prosperity and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

COLUMN

SALVATORE CAVALLI / AP PHOTO

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, wearing

ke

Mideast.

Research aims to better predict dangerous and damaging ice storms

By Seth Borenstein, Brittany Peterson and Carolyn Kaster

The Associated Press

INSIDE A TEXAS HAIL -

STORM — Wind roared against the SUV’s windows as its tires sloshed through water dumped onto the road by the downpour.

A horizon-wide funnel cloud loomed out the window, several miles away. Then came the loud metallic pings on the roof. First one, then another. Then it was too fast to count and too loud to hear much of anything else.

Hailstones were pelting down, and the car was driving toward them.

“How big are they?” meteorology professor Kelly Lombardo asked from the passenger seat.

“Probably no more than a nickel or dime, but they’re just owing at 50 mph,” said fellow researcher Matthew Kumjian as he steered through the ooded road.

Lombardo and Kumjian are part of a team of about 60 researchers chasing hail across the Great Plains to better forecast an underappreciated hazard that causes about $10 billion a year in damage in the U.S. The researchers brought along three Associated Press journalists to observe the rst-of-its kind project called ICECHIP, including trips into the heart of the storms in forti ed vehicles like the one driven by Kumjian.

The payo is data that could improve hail forecasts. Knowing what’s going on inside a storm is crucial to knowing what’s going to happen to people in its path, meteorologists said.

“We have a really tough time forecasting hail size,” said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini, one of the project leaders. “All scienti c experiments start with data gathering, and without that data we don’t know what we’re missing. And so that’s what this project is all about.”

Inside a hail storm

On this afternoon, Lombardo and Kumjian, Penn State University professors who are married to each other, were negotiating rapid weather changes while collecting their data.

Minutes before the hail started, the couple were launching 3-foot-wide weather balloons designed to give scientists a glimpse of what’s happening in the leading edge of the storm. A tornado in the distance was slowly getting closer.

Soon cell phones blared tornado alarms, and a nearby town’s storm sirens roared to life. The couple jumped in the car and drove into a part of the storm where they could collect hail after it fell, the same stretch of ooded road where they en-

countered the 50-mph winds. A wind meter protruding from the black SUV’s front captured data that was displayed on Lombardo’s laptop.

“This is up there in terms of severity of winds and intensity of precipitation,” Kumjian told an AP reporter after nding a safe place to pull over.

Elsewhere in the storm, Joshua Soderholm of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology launched weather balloons carrying devices built to mimic golf ball-sized hail and out tted with microphones and special sensors. One ew up 8.9 miles at 163 mph.

“It’s free oating. It does whatever the storm wants it to do,” Soderholm said. “This is the only way you could actually get a measurement of what a hail storm might be doing.’’

Researchers also deploy special funnels that capture pristine hail, crushers that measure how strong the ice balls are and other high-tech machinery, including radar and drones.

Keeping storm chasers safe

The teams also use a variety of gear and practices to stay coordinated and safe. At morning brie ngs, they review forecasts to plan the safest way to reach the storms producing the most

hail. At their destination, teams set up at varying distances to the storms, with three forti ed vehicles driving into the heart of the weather. Each vehicle has radar screens in the front seats showing brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of the storm they chase.

Gensini is in a command vehicle that tracks and deploys the teams based on weather in real time. At times he has to rein in some enthusiastic chasers. So Northern Illinois meteorology student Katie Wargowsky radios a team deep inside a storm to nd safety. Twice.

The 21-year-old Wargowsky described how becoming a storm chaser began as an e ort to overcome weather anxiety so intense she would dry heave while taking shelter in her family’s basement. But confronting her fear helped her develop a deep curiosity that led her to chase tornadoes with her father.

“You get a rush of adrenaline,” she said. “You really start to notice the little things around you, and your head just feels kind of light. Your natural survival instincts tell you, you need to take shelter, and you need hide from it. But you just know that it’s about to be some good research, and you are changing the world one storm at a time.”

The three forti ed vehicles are equipped with special met-

al mesh to protect their windshields. But it’s not foolproof.

The SUV driven by the Penn State researchers lost its windshield in May to sideways-blowing hail that ew under the mesh just 15 minutes into their rst storm chase.

Another one of the fortied vehicles, called the Husky Hail Hunter, was pelted by 31⁄2-inch hail during a trip into a storm with an AP photographer aboard.

“We’re getting some new dents,” said Tony Illenden, the Northern Illinois student at the wheel. “This is insane.”

When he stepped out to collect a hailstone — wearing a helmet to protect his head — one slammed into his right hand, causing it to swell in what Gensini called the rst hail injury of the season. A few days later Illenden, said his hand felt ne.

Natural beauty and better roo ng

For the storm chasers, the payo isn’t just the data. It’s also the natural beauty. Illenden’s team, for example, collected a 3-inch hailstone that looked like a rose. That same night a double rainbow emerged.

After the storm passed, several vans descended on a Walmart parking lot to crush hailstones

“All scienti c experiments start with data gathering, and without that data we don’t know what we’re missing. And so that’s what this project is all about.”

Victor Gensini, Meteorology professor

with special machines that measured how much force was needed to shatter them.

“In hailstones we have layers. So we start o with an embryo, and then you’ve got di erent growth layers,” said Central Michigan University scientist John Allen.

Since May 18, while logging more than 5,700 miles, the team has collected, measured, crushed, weighed and sliced hailstones as big as 5.5 inches, about the size of a DVD.

The study funded in part by $11 million from the National Science Foundation, which took eight years to plan, is already paying o even before researchers have had a chance to thoroughly review the data, scientists said. Gensini said one early data trend he’s noticing is that “the largest hail that we found is not where we thought it would be in terms of the Doppler radar.” And that’s an issue because Doppler radar is the only tool forecasters have been using across the country to say where the big dangerous stones should be falling, he said.

Given the federal cuts to science, particularly related to the climate, Gensini said this is likely the rst and last time a hail project like this can be done, at least for several years.

Scientists from the insurance industry, which is helping fund the study, are testing new types of roof shingles that so far seem to resist hail better, said Ian Giammanco, a meteorologist at the Insurance Institute For Business and Home Safety.

“One of our goals is to replicate all of this back at our lab so we can really understand how durable our roo ng materials are to all the di erent avors of hail,” he said.

PHOTOS BY CAROLYN KASTER / AP PHOTO

Left, a latex weather balloon with an attached instrument called a windsond is released into a storm to collect data.

Right, Victor Gensini, lead scientist of Project ICECHIP, works on a laptop in the command vehicle at a Valero gas station in Brown eld, Texas, earlier this month.

Tony Illenden crouches in a helmet and gloves outside Northern Illinois University’s Husky Hail Hunter vehicle to collect hail during a storm in Levelland, Texas, earlier this month.

MOORE SPORTS

Sandhills Community College wins fth straight national title

The men’s golf team has a record-setting tournament run

North State Journal sta

SANDHILLS Community College won its fth straight national championship in men’s golf. The Flyers led wire-to-wire at the NJCAA Division III national championship tournament at Chautauqua Golf Club in upstate New York.

Sandhills came out of the gate with a 14-stroke led following the rst day of play, and the Flyers never looked back. All ve players were in the top 15 following day one, with Wyatt Beaver top-

ping the individual leaderboard, one shot ahead of Vegas Melen. Melen overtook Beaver on day two, while teammate Landon Cabingas was in fourth place. The Flyers increased their lead on the team scoring title to 18 strokes.

The third day of the fourday tournament ended any remaining drama concerning the result. Sandhills CC set a new NJCAA Championship record by shooting a team 276 for the day. That broke the previous record for best round, set last year by Sandhills Community College on their way to a fourth national title, by four strokes. That extended the team lead to an eye-popping 39 strokes.

Cabingas shot a 67, which was the second-lowest round ever carded in the NJCAA Championships. That gave the Flyers the top three players on the leaderboard—Melen at -7, Beaver at -3 and Cabingas at -2, with William Mitchell in sixth place.

Sandhills continued adding to the lead on day four, nishing with a 50-stroke margin of victory. The Flyers’ four-day stroke total of 1,136 was another record, breaking their own mark by four. Melen took home the individual title, with Beavers taking second and Cabingas third. They were the only three golfers to shoot under par for the tournament. Mitchell tied for fth.

Van Gisbergen’s emotional win in Mexico City locks him into Cup Series playo s

By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — Very little went right for Shane Van Gisbergen in the buildup to NASCAR’s rst international Cup Series points-paying race of the modern era.

A mechanical issue on takeo forced his team charter to abort the initial journey to Mexico City. He arrived at the venue Friday, a day late, and after winning the pole Saturday, the New Zealander fell seriously ill.

He was sleeping on the oor of his hauler before Sunday’s race, unsure he’d be able to physically complete the 100-lap event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

But there’s something special about the Kiwi and new venues, especially in the rain, and he salvaged the weekend by winning on the road course to earn an automatic berth into NASCAR’s Cup Series playo s. Van Gisbergen led 60 of 100 laps and beat Christopher Bell by 16.567 seconds.

“I tried to treat it like when I go to Asia, just drink bottled water and be careful in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water, but I just went downhill,” Van Gisbergen said. “Couldn’t keep anything in. Everything just went straight through me. I felt really queasy and my mind was there, but my body just had so much pressure in my stomach. Crazy weekend and everyone dug deep.” It was the second Cup Series victory of his career. He won in

his Cup debut at the inaugural 2023 street course race in Chicago.

Although he had success in the X nity Series — he won three races last year as Trackhouse Racing developed him for a Cup Series ride — Van Gisbergen has struggled this year at NASCAR’s top level.

He started the race ranked 33rd in the Cup standings with only one top-10 nish through the rst 15 races of the season. But his victory in Mexico City revived his season and gives him a shot to race for the Cup Series championship.

“It means everything to us; this is why I’m here,” Van Gisbergen said. “I am getting better and more competitive. We’re really making a lot of progress.”

Van Gisbergen celebrated in his traditional rugby-style way — he drop-kicked a signed football into the grandstands and then said he had recovered enough to enjoy “some Red Bulls mixed with adult beverages” later Sunday.

Van Gisbergen bene tted from an early pop-up rain shower on the rst lap of the race because he’s an exceptionally skilled driver on a wet surface. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like conditions.

Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and Van Gisbergen — locked into the playo s. But it was a bit of a disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win in the X nity Series race on Saturday, as he failed to

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Allison Lineberry

Allison Lineberry from Chatham County Post 292’s 16U Heroes League team earns athlete of the week honors for the week of June 9.

Lineberry, a pitcher, played a huge part in Post 292’s dominant sweep over North Wake. In six innings pitched between Games 3 and 4 last week, Lineberry recorded seven strikeouts, three walks and six hits. In Game 3, Lineberry pitched two straight 1-2-3 innings to close out the mercy rule win. Lineberry is a rising freshman for the North Moore softball team.

challenge his teammate for the win and nished 19th.

“I wish I was in the mix ghting for it a little more, but it just wasn’t in the cards,” Suarez said. “Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations: the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy. Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in prerace ceremonies, desperately wanted the

home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the rst time since 1958. Bell nished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who hurt his back in a crash last week at Michigan, withstood the pain for a fourth-place nish in his Hendrick Chevrolet.

“It means everything to us; this is why I’m here. I am getting better and more competitive.”

Shane Van Gisbergen

SANDHILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATHLETICS

The Sandhills Flyers pose with the national title after their record-setting ve-peat.

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City.

COURTESY PHOTO

SIDELINE REPORT

NWSL

Substitute Pinto scores winner for Courage

Los Angeles

Brianna Pinto scored just seven minutes after coming o the bench for the North Carolina Courage in a 2-1 win against Angel City. The Courage had lost all three previous visits to Los Angeles. Cortnee Vine had made it 1-0 in the rst minute of the game when she slid the ball into the net from a cross by Manaka Matsukubo. After Angel City tied it, the winner came in the fth minute of stoppage time. Pinto scooped up a loose ball and red it in from ve yards out.

MLB Contreras brothers homer in same inning as opponents; rst time since 1933

Milwaukee Willson and William Contreras became the second pair of brothers to homer in the same inning as opponents. Both went deep in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 8-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Willson Contreras’ ninth homer of the season, a solo shot to right-center, gave St. Louis an 8-4 lead in the top of the ninth. William Contreras led o the bottom half of the inning with his sixth homer. The Contreras brothers are the rst to homer in the same inning as opponents since Rick and Wes Ferrell on July 19, 1933.

LPGA

Ciganda wins Meijer LPGA Classic for rst LPGA Tour victory in more than 81⁄2 years Belmont, Mich.

Carlota Ciganda birdied the nal two holes to win the Meijer LPGA Classic for her rst LPGA Tour victory in more than 81⁄2 years. Ciganda hit to a foot to set up her birdie on the par-4 17th, then made a 4-foot comebacker on the par-5 18th to avoid a playo with playing partner Hye-Jin Choi. Ciganda shot a 5-under 67 — her fourth straight round in the 60s — to nish at 16-under 272. The 35-year-old Spanish player won for the rst time since the 2016 Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

NBA Greenwood, former UCLA star and NBA champion, dies at 68 after cancer battle

Los Angeles

David Greenwood, who was one of coach John Wooden’s last recruits at UCLA and went on to win an NBA championship with Detroit during a 12-year pro career, died at 68 in Riverside, California, after battling cancer. Greenwood was a four-year starter at UCLA. He was the second overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft behind Magic Johnson. Greenwood went to the Chicago Bulls, where he played for six years. He later played for San Antonio, Denver and Detroit. He came o the bench to help the Pistons win the 1990 NBA championship.

Kicker Carlson, punter Cole put best feet forward for Raiders

The former NC State punter is a key part of Las Vegas’ special teams

By Mark Anderson The Associated Press

HENDERSON, Nev. — Neither took the easy path to get here.

But because Daniel Carlson and AJ Cole persevered, the Las Vegas Raiders have perhaps the best kicker-punter duo in the NFL.

Las Vegas showed its appreciation to Cole by signing him late last month to an extension that brie y made him the league’s highest-paid punter.

Now the question is whether the Raiders will show the same kind of appreciation toward Carlson, who enters the nal season of his four-year, $18.4 million deal.

For kickers with at least 85 attempts over the past three seasons, Carlson was fth in conversion rate at 89.3%.

His 24 made eld goals from 50 yards and beyond ranked fourth.

For those with at least 30 kicko s last season, Carlson was second in the league in allowing 23 yards per kicko return, just behind the 22.2 average of Greg Zuerlein of the New York Jets.

As a rookie in 2018 for Minnesota, he missed three eld goals — two in overtime — in a 29-29 tie with NFC North rival Green Bay. The Vikings waived him the following day.

Carlson caught on with the then-Oakland Raiders — he’s one of four players left who played for the team in the Bay Area — and soon began to establish himself as the one of the league’s best kickers. He was a second-team AP All-Pro in 2021 and a rst-teamer the next season.

Cole’s path was di erent, but like Carlson, he became one of the top players at his position when the early odds appeared against him. Cole, who played

in college at NC State, also began his NFL career in Oakland, entered minicamp in 2019 hoping just to remain on the roster after those three days. He wound up beating out Johnny Townsend in training camp. “I showed up to that minicamp and I really just felt like, ‘This could be it, and I’m going to go into every single one of these three days and I’m going to get all the juice I can,’” Cole said. “I’ve been trying to keep that same mentality, and I’m just on absolute borrowed time. I enjoy every single day. I don’t think there’s anybody that has more fun at work than I do. It’s just such a blessing.” Cole has averaged at least 50 yards three of the past four seasons, a feat that only Ryan Stenhouse has matched in league history. He also is third in gross punting average (48.6 yards) and eighth in net average (42.1 yards) since his rst season.

How Prime Video’s ‘Burn

Such production earned Cole rst-team All-Pro in 2021 and 2023. And a contract extension.

Cole was rewarded with a four-year, $15.8 million deal on May 26 that included $11 million in guaranteed money. That gave him the distinction of being the NFL’s highest-paid punter, but this week was passed by two other players.

Not that Cole is complaining.

When asked if he planned a major purchase, he said that already had been made before signing the contract.

“All of my plants died, so we just relandscaped our yard,” Cole said. “So I’m really excited that I get to stay here and watch those plants grow up. I don’t know if you guys have bought plants before, but they’re really, really expensive.

“So that was the big-ticket purchase — a couple of new queen palm trees in the backyard and a couple sweet Bay laurels on the side.”

Bar’ changes how fans watch NASCAR races on TV

The new graphic uses AI technology to calculate fuel mileage during the race

By Joe Reedy The Associated Press

NASCAR fans have grown accustomed to seeing speed, throttle and braking on broadcasts for years. There has been one measurement, though, that has eluded networks and viewers for years. Until now.

Viewers of the Prime Video races have been able to see fuel usage with the introduction of the Burn Bar. Race teams have measured burn rates and fuel levels down to the last ounce for years, but the methodology has been kept secret for competitive reasons.

Prime Video, though, developed an AI tool using car data available to broadcasters and teams that can measure miles per gallon. The Burn Bar made a brief appearance during Prime’s rst broadcast, the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25. It has been used more frequently the past three weeks, most recently during the race in Mexico City.

NASCAR on Prime analyst Steve Letarte, a former crew chief for Je Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., contributed to the development of the Burn

Bar and sees it as the rst step in taking race analysis to a new level.

“It’s the rst true tool that is taking information o the car, making calculations and then displaying to the fan a calculation or measurement that is being used in the garage. And it does a ect the team,” he said. “There’s not a sensor on the car giving us miles per gallon. It’s a mathematical calculation of other cars’ performances.”

The AI model analyzes thousands of performance data per second, including a range of in-car telemetry signals, RPMs, throttle and optical tracking of each car’s position. The model then evaluates each driver’s fuel consumption and e ciency throughout the race.

Letarte worked with Prime Video “Thursday Night Football Prime Vision” analyst Sam Schwartzstein and Amazon Web Services during the process. They came up with four methodologies that were tested during the rst part of the season, which was broadcast by Fox. Schwartzstein and Letarte would then get the data from teams after races to see how close they were until they picked one that worked the best.

The Burn Bar received its toughest test during last week’s race at Michigan as the nal 48 laps were run without a caution ag. Most teams made theirnal pit stops with 50 laps to go,

The “Burn Bar,” lower left, is used to measure Denny Hamilin’s performance during a NASCAR on Prime broadcast of the Nashville race earlier this month. The AI tool was developed by Prime Video to measure a car’s burn rate and fuel levels.

meaning teams were going to be down to the end of their fuel runs at the checkered ag.

“We projected William Byron to run out, which he did, and then we were on the razor’s edge for Denny Hamlin. And then watching the truck push him back into Victory Lane at the end, knowing he was as close as we thought he was — what a cool way to see this feature come to life and elevate NASCAR broadcasts,” Schwartzstein said. Alex Strand, Prime Video’s senior coordinating producer for live sports, also sees the Burn Bar as the rst tool of

many that Amazon and Prime Video can develop for its coverage. Prime Video is in the rst year of a seven-year agreement to carry ve races per season.

“It’s really cool to live in a world where it shows us that anything is possible. We’re starting with something that we’re really excited about, but it’s setting us down a path that will open up new doors for us,” he said. “I think that’s what we’re really excited about is to say, ‘OK, we’ve had success in Year 1 on a feature that’s resonated with fans right out of the gate.’ It raises the table for our o season.”

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole participates during a minicamp practice last week.

William “Bill”

Joseph Hanna

Feb. 24, 1937 – June 15, 2025

William Joseph Hanna “Bill”, 88 of Southern Pines, passed on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held from 3 to 5pm on Thursday, June 19th 2025 at Pine Needles Lodge in Southern Pines.

Mr. Hanna was born on February 24, 1937 in Brooklyn, NY to the late Eli Joseph and Lillian (Rabon) Hanna. He grew up in Greensboro and graduated from then Greensboro High School now known as Grimsley High School. He enlisted and served in the US Navy. After serving, he returned and attended UNC Greensboro, which had been an all-women’s school. The school integrated men and women, and he became the rst male graduate of the school. He also attended UNC Chapel Hill and played on Dean Smith’s UNC Basketball Practice Squad. He worked in Human Resources in the textile, fast food, and the health care industries. He was an avid golfer and a lover of Tarheel sports.

He is survived by his wife of 67years, Delos Ann “D.Ann” Hanna; a daughter, Mendy Kearns and husband John; a son, Mark Hanna; grandchildren Maggie and Liza Kearns; and a sister, Elaine Hall.

In lieu of owers memorial donations can be made in memory of Bill Hanna to First Tee of the Sandhill’s at 135 West Vermont Ave Southern Pines, NC 28387 or to a charity of choice. Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Ralph Edwin Tate Jr.

June 8, 1956 – June 14, 2025

Ralph Edwin Tate Jr., 69 of Aberdeen, passed away on June 14, 2025 at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital. Born on June 8, 1956 in Winston Salem, North Carolina to the late Ralph and Catherine Tate. Ralph was a charismatic man that was loved by everyone that met him. Ralph enjoyed anything and everything to do with electronics. He was often working multiple projects making things like his electric bike work just a little better with his improvements. He enjoyed his shortwave radio which allowed him to be able to connect with buddies all around the world. Ralph was a loving and devoted husband and friend that will be missed greatly.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by step-son, Christopher McInnis.

He is survived by his loving wife of 27 years, Patricia “Trisha” Tate; step-daughter, Lori Blake Riley of Portland, OR; sister-in-law, Marie Nelson of Greensboro; two brotherin-laws, Rickey Staley and Ronnie Staley, both of Eagle Springs; grandchildren, Jordan Blake (Emily) of Clarksville, TN, Cody Riley of Albemarle, Christopher “Trey” Riley of Candor, Brittney Strawn (Josh) of Troy, and Andrea McInnis of Albemarle; great granddaughter, Haylen Blake of Clarksville, TN; four nieces, Angela Burgios, Felicia Hall, Lindsay Morton, and Brenda Morgan; and six nephews, George Bullard Jr., Johnny Lassiter, Daniel Owens, Christopher Staley, Darrell Staley Jr. and Brandon Staley.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2025 from 6:00-8:00PM at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines. A funeral service will be held on Friday, June 20, 2025 at 2:00PM at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines.

In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to the Family or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

William John Dowd

April 12, 1946 – June 14, 2025

William John Dowd, of West End, NC. Born 12 April 1946 Stoneham, Massachusetts, passed away 14 June 2025 Pinehurst, North Carolina at age 79. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Bill Dowd at the age of 79. For anyone that knew Bill he was a erce friend, loving husband, father, grandfather and brother. His family extended beyond blood and his loyalty knew no bounds. While blunt and short tempered at times, for those he loved, he would extend himself to ensure they were taken care of, often putting himself second revealing immense kindness below his rough exterior. His love and dedication for his wife, Tracy, was immense. He would often tell his son, Will, “All that matters is that your mother is happy.” Bill centered his life on making sure that his wife was and would always be taken care of and want for nothing. He loved his little brother, Michael, as brothers do. He wanted to be strong for him and tried his best to make sure he didn’t make the same mistakes that he did. But he always loved his brother no matter what and was proud of him for how he lived his life, served his country and raised his family.

As a father he wasn’t perfect, but he bent over backwards for his children and was the best dad you could hope for, because he never stopped trying and always tried his best. He was proud of the people they turned into and how they are handling life and building their families. His children knew that he loved them unconditionally. He made sacri ces to try and give them the best life possible, even in their adult years. He loved his grandchildren who called him “Grumpy” and they loved going over to Nana and Grumpy’s house, because he always made sure there was something for the kids so they could have fun. He taught all of them the importance of being a good person, never giving up, and to always grow.

Bill fought until his last breath, and passed surrounded by his family that came from across the country to be with him. He was preceded in death by his Mother, Natalie Dowd, Father, William H. Dowd, and is survived by his wife of 40 years, Tracy Dowd; children, Leslie, Michael and Will; brother, Michael; grandchildren, Aiden, Skylar, and Riley. Services will be announced as the family is able to coordinate travel for those who wish to come pay their respects.

William Patrick Mulvaney

Dec. 28, 1935 – June 14, 2025

William Patrick Mulvaney, 89 of Southern Pines, after a 10-year struggle with Alzheimers Disease passed on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at Belle Meade in Southern Pines. A Funeral Mass will be held 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 21st at Belle Meade Chapel in Southern Pines with the Rev. John Gillespie o ciating. Rite of Committal will be in the St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church Cemetery in Southern Pines.

Bill was born December 28, 1935 in Bayonne, NJ to the late Patrick and Kathleen (Lynch) Mulvaney. He was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and Army veteran. He and his wife Betty retired to Pinehurst in 2001 after a distinguished career as a mechanical engineer in Connecticut. He was an innovator and inventor and held many patents. The hardworking son of Irish immigrants, he was the rst of his line to attend college. He put himself through college with part-time jobs and an Army ROTC scholarship. He commuted every day from Bayonne to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn by bus, ferry and train, and often relied on sympathetic conductors to wake this exhausted student up for his transfers. One of his jobs was at a bowling alley setting up the pins (yes, preautomation), and had minor renown for his ability to memorize everyone’s score that was bowling.

Bill’s hobbies included gardening, woodworking, archeology, and carving. His curiosity, work ethic, and engineering background meant that repairmen were a rarity at the Mulvaney house: he would successfully repair automobiles, small engines, appliances, furniture, and take on major carpentry projects with enthusiasm and con dence. In his retirement years he enjoyed traveling, golf, painting, reading books, and socializing with friends old and new. He was endlessly curious about how the world works. His nest attribute was his unfailing kindness. His children always felt loved, secure and encouraged. When asked late in his life if he could have any power, real or imagined, what would he want? His sage reply was, “I only want to make Betty happy”. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Elizabeth (Holzworth) Mulvaney; a daughter, Maribeth Flaherty of Wilmington, NC; two sons, Sean Mulvaney and wife Lara of Davidsonville, MD and Patrick Mulvaney and wife Laura of Richmond, VA; a grandson, Hunter Mulvaney and wife Mary Cate of California; granddaughters, Hannah Mulvaney of California and Sarah Mulvaney of New York; a sister, Muriel Gmitro of DeLand, FL. In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made in memory of William Mulvaney to the National Alzheimer’s Association online at alz.org or to a charity of choice.

Jessica Dell McAndrew

Jan. 14, 1948 – June 12, 2025

Jessica Dell McAndrew, age 77, of Pineblu passed away on June 12, 2025. Jessica was born in Tioga County, PA on January 14, 1948 to Charles and Rachel Rees.

Jessica brought energy, compassion, and a bit of feistiness to every chapter of her life. She was known for her love of gardening, her beautiful quilting, her competitive spirit around the mahjong table, and her deep commitment to her church community. Jessica was lovingly referred to as Aunty Taz for her whirlwind energy and spirited nature. She took great pride in her family heritage and even traveled to Whales to better understand her roots. She always referred to life as an adventure even when times were tough.

She leaves behind a legacy of love and strength, survived by her children Brooke Foley, Garrison McAndrew, Elie McAndrew, and step children Julie McAndrew, Daniel McAndrew, and Michael McAndrew. She is also survived by her sister Kristin Mueller, her beloved niece Brittany Stokes, and nephew Michael Wilson, and grandchildren Maggie Foley, Lilybelle Foley and Logan McAndrew. Jessica was preceded in death by her husband, Robert McAndrew, and her son Stephen Foster lll. A celebration of Jessica’s life was held at Aberdeen First Baptist Church on June 18, 2025. Friends and family gathered to honor a woman whose joyful spirit, generous heart, and wisdom will be deeply missed by all who knew her. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home, Southern Pines.

STATE & NATION

A grassland bird eavesdrops on prairie dog calls to keep itself safe from predators

Prairie dogs bark at each other to warn of predators

By Christina Larson

The Associated Press

PRAIRIE DOGS are the Paul Reveres of the Great Plains: They bark to alert neighbors to the presence of predators, with separate calls for dangers coming by land or by air.

“Prairie dogs are on the menu for just about every predator you can think of”— golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, foxes, badgers, even large snakes — said Andy Boyce, a research ecologist in Montana at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Those predators will also snack on grassland nesting birds like the long-billed curlew.

To protect themselves, the curlews eavesdrop on the alarms coming from prairie dog colonies, according to research published last Thursday in the journal Animal Behavior.

Previous research has shown

birds frequently eavesdrop on other bird species to glean information about potential food sources or approaching danger, said Georgetown University ornithologist Emily Williams, who was not involved in the study. But, so far, scientists

have documented only a few instances of birds eavesdropping on mammals.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s rare in the wild,” she said, “it just means we haven’t studied it yet.”

Prairie dogs live in large col-

onies with a series of burrows that may stretch for miles underground. When they hear each other’s barks, they either stand alert watching or dive into their burrows to avoid approaching talons and claws.

“Those little barks are very loud — they can carry quite a long way,” said co-author Andrew Dreelin, who also works for the Smithsonian.

The long-billed curlew nests in short-grass prairie and incubates eggs on a ground nest. When one hears the prairie dog alarm, she responds by pressing her head, beak and belly close to the ground.

In this crouched position, the birds “rely on the incredible camou age of their feathers to become essentially invisible on the Plains,” Dreelin said.

To test just how alert the birds were to prairie dog chatter, researchers created a fake predator by strapping a taxidermied badger onto a small remote-controlled vehicle. They sent this badger rolling over the prairie of north-central Mon-

tana toward curlew nests — sometimes in silence and sometimes while playing recorded prairie dog barks.

When the barks were played, curlews ducked into the grass quickly, hiding when the badger was around 160 feet away. Without the barks, the remote-controlled badger got within about 52 feet of the nests before the curlews appeared to sense danger.

“You have a much higher chance of avoiding predation if you go into that cryptic posture sooner — and the birds do when they hear prairie dogs barking,” said co-author Holly Jones, a conservation biologist at Northern Illinois University. Prairie dogs are often thought of as “environmental engineers,” she said, because they construct extensive burrows and nibble down prairie grass, keeping short-grass ecosystems intact.

“But now we are realizing they are also shaping the ecosystems by producing and spreading information,” she said.

Libraries open historic book collections to AI researchers

Centuries-old texts provide training data while avoiding copyright battles

By Matt O’Brien The Associated Press

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Everything ever said on the internet was just the start of teaching arti cial intelligence about humanity. Tech companies are now tapping into an older repository of knowledge: the library stacks.

Nearly 1 million books published as early as the 15th century — and in 254 languages — are part of a Harvard University collection released to AI researchers last Thursday. Also coming soon are troves of old newspapers and government documents held by Boston’s public library.

Cracking open the vaults to centuries-old tomes could be a data bonanza for tech companies battling lawsuits from living novelists, visual artists and others whose creative works have been scooped up without their consent to train AI chatbots.

“It is a prudent decision to start with public domain data because that’s less controversial right now than content that’s still under copyright,” said Burton Davis, a deputy general counsel at Microsoft.

Davis said libraries also hold “signi cant amounts of interesting cultural, historical and language data” that’s missing from the past few decades of online commentary that AI chatbots

have mostly learned from. Fears of running out of data have also led AI developers to turn to “synthetic” data, made by the chatbots themselves and of a lower quality.

Supported by “unrestricted gifts” from Microsoft and ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the Harvard-based Institutional Data Initiative is working with libraries and museums around the world on how to make their historic collections AI-ready in a way that also bene ts the communities they serve.

“We’re trying to move some of the power from this current AI moment back to these institutions,” said Aristana Scourtas, who manages research at Harvard Law School’s Library Innovation Lab. “Librarians have always been the stewards of data and the stewards of information.”

Harvard’s newly released dataset, Institutional Books 1.0, contains more than 394 million scanned pages of paper.

One of the earlier works is from the 1400s — a Korean painter’s handwritten thoughts about cultivating owers and trees. The largest concentration of works is from the 19th century, on subjects such as literature, philosophy, law and agriculture, all of it meticulously preserved and organized by generations of librarians.

It promises to be a boon for AI developers trying to improve the accuracy and reliability of their systems.

“A lot of the data that’s been used in AI training has not

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

Greg Leppert, executive director at the Institutional Data Initiative, poses at Langdell Hall, which houses the Harvard Law School library in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

come from original sources,” said the data initiative’s executive director, Greg Leppert, who is also chief technologist at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. This book collection goes “all the way back to the physical copy that was scanned by the institutions that actually collected those items,” he said.

Before ChatGPT sparked a commercial AI frenzy, most AI researchers didn’t think much about the provenance of the passages of text they pulled from Wikipedia, from social media forums like Reddit and sometimes from deep repositories of pirated books. They just needed lots of what computer scientists call tokens — units of data, each of which can represent a piece of a word.

Harvard’s new AI training collection has an estimated 242 billion tokens, an amount that’s hard for humans to fathom but it’s still just a drop of what’s being fed into the most advanced AI systems. Facebook parent company Meta, for instance, has said the latest version of its AI large language model was trained on more than 30 trillion tokens pulled from text, images and videos.

Meta is also battling a lawsuit from comedian Sarah Silverman and other published authors who accuse the company of stealing their books from “shadow libraries” of pirated works.

Now, with some reservations, the real libraries are standing up.

OpenAI, which is also ghting a string of copyright lawsuits, donated $50 million this year to a group of research institutions including Oxford University’s 400-year-old Bodleian Library, which is digitizing rare texts and using AI to help transcribe them.

When the company rst reached out to the Boston Public Library, one of the biggest in the U.S., the library made clear that any information it digitized would be for everyone, said Jessica Chapel, its chief of digital and online services.

“OpenAI had this interest in massive amounts of training data. We have an interest in massive amounts of digital objects. So this is kind of just a case that things are aligning,” Chapel said.

Digitization is expensive. It’s been painstaking work, for instance, for Boston’s library to scan and curate dozens of New England’s French-language newspapers that were widely read in the late 19th and early 20th century by Canadian immigrant communities from Quebec. Now that such text is of use as training data, it helps bankroll projects that librarians want to do anyway.

Harvard’s collection was already digitized starting in 2006 for another tech giant, Google, in its controversial project to create a searchable online library of more than 20 million books.

How useful all of this will be for the next generation of AI tools remains to be seen.

PHOTOS VIA SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE VIA AP

A long-billed curlew ies over the American Prairie reserve in Montana.