North State Journal Vol. 10, Issue 3

Laying it all on the line

High Point guard Chana Paxixe celebrates after the Panthers won the Big South Tournament championship game over Longwood on Sunday in Johnson City, Tennessee. High Point’s men and women both earned NCAA bids with tournament wins in Johnson

helping kick off March Madness across the country. See more college basketball in Sports.

Trump increases planned tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum to 50%

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, escalating a trade war with the United States’ northern neighbor. Trump said on social media that the increase of the tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday is a response to the price increases that the provincial government of Ontario put on electricity sold to the United States. The U.S. president has given a variety of explanations for his antagonism of Canada, saying that his separate 25% tariffs are about fentanyl smuggling and voicing objections to Canada putting high taxes on dairy imports that penalize U.S. farmers.

U.S. job openings rose to 7.7M in January

U.S. job openings rose at the start of the year, with employers posting 7.7 million vacancies in January, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, up from 7.5 million. Layoffs fell slightly in January, and the number of Americans quitting their jobs rose. The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that openings rose in real estate, health care, manufacturing and construction firms. Federal government agencies posted 135,000 jobs, down from 138,000 in December. The fallout from purges of federal workers is not expected to show up in labor market data at least until the February numbers come out.

State auditor issues memo on NIH policy change compliance

Dave Boliek’s guidance went out to all CFOs and finance leaders of UNC System schools

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek has issued a memorandum to UNC System school chief financial officers and

finance leaders regarding changes in the National Institutes of Health’s research grant policies.

“Our financial statement audits stick to the numbers, and that’s exactly what our universities need to be doing,” Boliek said in a statement.

“The last thing we want to report are findings that could have been avoided.”

Senate bill seeks to eliminate DEI from K-12 public schools

“We can teach history without forcing … ideologies inconsistent with equality.”

Senate Leader Phil Berger

Senate Leader Phil Berger filed Senate Bill 227

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A bill filed by Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) seeks to eliminate the programs and offices using diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI in the state’s K-12 public schools.

Senate Bill 227 was filed on March 3 and has already picked up over a dozen additional sponsors.

“We cannot teach our nation’s history without ac-

Goodwin says he’s departing NCDMV post

The longtime Democrat, who has faced criticism from Republicans, had said he would like to remain in the job

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles Chief Wayne Goodwin confirmed to lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee last week that he would not reapply for his post despite making statements earlier this month that he would seek to keep his job.

Goodwin, a former N.C. Commissioner of Insurance and chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, has been head of the state DMV since 2022. Former Gov. Roy Cooper appointed him to turn the agency around after the pandemic. Goodwin is required to reapply for his post, which pays $163,000 annually.

knowledging our past,” Berger said in a press release. “But we can teach history without forcing our educators and students to embrace and adopt ideologies inconsistent with equality.”

The bill asserts that DEI programs force people to judge others based on race, sex or other factors and stifle diversity of thought. It references President Donald Trump’s January 2025 executive order and emphasizes the importance of maintaining federal funding compliance.

The legislation would prohibit public schools in the

The departure comes amid legislative scrutiny of the job Goodwin has done as well as a sweeping audit of his agency’s spending announced earlier this month by N.C. Auditor Dave Boliek.

When appointed, Goodwin promised more efficiency with appointment scheduling, greater transparency and shorter wait times. Over the course of multiple legislative oversight hearings, he has pointed to some progress in wait times and appointment availability being made by certain offices operating on Saturdays and putting self-service kiosks inside a handful of grocery stores. Goodwin has, however, faced criticism, including for state ID delays that led to sixweek waits versus the typical 15 days. Goodwin blamed a vendor for those problems during a June 2024 oversight hearing.

The June hearing was

City,

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

the word | God and our adversities

Note: This week begins a four-part series on adversity. Charles Naylor is peculiarly qualified to discuss adversity. Naylor was injured in an accident as a young evangelist. He was an invalid for fortyone years under constant suffering. In 1930 he wrote: “Long ago I determined to be happy. I determined to be happy no matter what happened, and no matter what condition I might be in, nor what my circumstances might be. For twentyone years I have kept my bed a constant sufferer, but I am happy. I am happy every day. I will not be any other way. I have had my troubles, many of them. I shall probably have more. I have learned that troubles do not make unhappiness. It is only a wrong attitude toward trouble that does so.”

David believed that God was interested in his adversities. He says, “I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.” (Psalm 31:7)

The writer of Psalm 94 says, “Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law.” (Psalm 94:12) Here is recognition of the fact that God is not indifferent to the things that trouble His children. These writers turned to God as to one from whom help might be expected. They believed God would understand their situation and that they could count on Him to assist them in their adversities. They felt that they could depend upon Him in their time of trouble and not be disappointed. Did they have reason to believe these things? And if so, have we not equal reason to believe them and to act as though we believe? God has ever been the help of those who put their trust in Him. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) Just to quote His promises to help,

“Job Mocked by his Wife” by Georges de La Tour (c. 1625) is a painting in the collection of the Musée départemental d’Art ancien et contemporain in Epinal, France.

sustain, comfort, and bless in adversity; and His exhortations to be strong, of good courage, to be unafraid, and to be hopeful — would make a long chapter. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

(Deuteronomy 31:6)

Moreover, none of these things was put into the Bible just to fill up space; neither are they just goody-goody makebelieves. God means every one of them and stands ready to fulfill His promises and to make it possible for us to put His exhortations into effect. “Cast all your

anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

It is a wonderful thing to have God as a friend in the pleasant and desirable things of life. He can add greatly to all our natural blessings by His gracious fellowship and love and the sense of His abiding presence.

In our darker hours, when it seems we need Him more — we can confidently count on His unfailing help. Talking about having God as our helper is not a mere platitude. It can be realized. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)

God should be our confidant. We should take Him into the depths of all our troubles and pour out to Him all the tribulations of our hearts, all our sorrows, cares, anxieties, pains — everything that troubles us.

It always helps us when we share our troubles with a friend, especially if the friend is sympathetic and understanding. God is the most sympathetic and understanding of friends. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

So in our times of tribulation, let us run straight to Him and open wide our hearts and minds, and lay out before Him all those things that bring us anguish.

We should not only confide in Him our every heartache and pain — we should also rely upon Him to be a present help in every time of trouble. We should have that trusting confidence that assures us of His help to the full measure of our needs. “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8)

Trump administration exits NC lawsuit barring gender transition care for minors

Victor Voe v. Thomas Manfield was filed in 2023

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Trump administration has withdrawn the federal government’s Statement of Interest from a lawsuit over a 2023 North Carolina law barring gender transition surgery and hormone blockers for minors.

A Feb. 27 filing withdrew the October 2023 Statement of Interest (SOI) in the case of Victor Voe v. Thomas Manfield, et al. The filing was signed by acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Randall Galyon, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice Mac Warner and other Department of Justice officials.

“H.B. 808 prohibits the care and coverage of medically necessary care for transgender minors, while leaving non-transgender minors free to receive the same procedures and treatments and have them paid for with state funds,” stated the 2023 Biden administration filing. “H.B. 808 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their equal protection claim.”

Former Biden administration’s Assistant Attorney General Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke and U.S. Attorney for North Carolina’s Middle District Sandra Hairston were the primary filers of the 2023 SOI. The initial complaint was filed Oct. 11, 2023, by the family of a then-9-year-old Durham transgender boy. Due to the child’s minor status, they are described in the lawsuit as “Victor Voe.” In addition to Voe, Ri-

ley Smith, a local physician, and two LGBTQ rights advocacy organizations are included in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit involves North Carolina Session Law 2023-111 (House Bill 808), which prohibits gender transition procedures for minors, including the use of hormone blockers. Despite the suit directly involving a legislature enacted law, it does not list the General Assembly as a defendant.

House Bill 808 was vetoed by then-Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on July 5, 2023.

“A doctor’s office is no place for politicians, and North Carolina should continue to let parents and medical professionals make decisions about the best way to offer gender care for their children,” Cooper wrote in his veto message. “Ordering doctors to stop following approved medical protocols sets a troubling precedent and is dangerous for vulnerable youth and their mental health. The government should not make itself both the parent and the doctor.”

The veto was overridden Aug. 16 with no Democratic support in the Senate and two Democrats voting to override in the House.

just one held by lawmakers last year that focused on the DMV’s operations. A hearing last March focused on appointment scheduling and long customer wait times.

Erin Paré (R-Wake) visited a short-staffed DMV location in Fuquay-Varina last July and was unimpressed, calling the operations “completely unacceptable.”

The most recent House Oversight Committee meeting at which Goodwin appeared was on Feb. 27. The heads of multiple state agencies were called on to testify before the committee that day, including Secretary of Revenue McKinley Wooten, Jr. Controller Nels Roseland, Budget Director Kristin Walker, Treasurer Brad Briner and Secretary of Transportation Joey Hopkins.

The committee’s co-chair, Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus), asked Goodwin about his recent resignation decision.

“The position of DMV commissioner does not have a term. It is hired,” Goodwin said. “It serves (at the) pleasure of the secretary and the governor. And

I indicated that I would not reapply for the position given that there are various positions being posted with the new administration of the new governor.” Goodwin — under pressure from Jones, who called the DMV a “failure” and “one of the most dysfunctional agencies in state government” — indicated

he will stay on in the role until a replacement is installed and pushed back on Jones’ assertion that he was poised to “bail on” the division.

“Well, first of all, I didn’t bail. I decided not to reapply,” said Goodwin. “There’s no guarantee that I would be selected. So I didn’t bail on something.”

State DMV chief Wayne Goodwin, pictured in 2020, says he will not reapply for the position.

Jones countered, saying, “I feel like you would have been selected again” and asked Goodwin if he thought his performance “would have the merits of being selected again?” Goodwin replied, “Yes, that’s my opinion.” Other lawmakers on the committee spent time grilling

“There’s no guarantee that I would be selected. So I didn’t bail on something.”

Wayne Goodwin, North Carolina DMV chief

Goodwin about his agency’s struggles.

Rep. Eric Ager (D-Buncombe) said that while DMV staff had helped him and his staff resolve some constituent issues, there are still problems.

“(My brother) spent six hours in the DMV, and that was, you know, frustrating to them,” said Ager.

Goodwin said the appointment system was helping with wait times.

“It is working better in terms of the appointments,” Goodwin said. “The appointments are very popular and there’s only so many 20-minute time blocks in the given day. The Insurance commissioner does not have the power or the authority to add more minutes to a day. Only God Almighty can do that.”

PUBLIC DOMAIN

GERRY BROOME / AP PHOTO

Municipal finance concerns, state health plan focus for Briner

The new state treasurer says municipality finances are distressed after ARPA funds dried up

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Now settled into his role, North Carolina State Treasurer Brad Briner told North State Journal he has encountered “no big surprises” but has concerns about the finances of the state’s local municipalities.

“It’s the little things that sneak up on you,” said Briner. “I kind of knew this, but now I very much know this. We have a lot of local finance issues in this state. And there are 1,100 municipalities that the (Local Government Commission) oversees and that we’re trying to help through Hurricane Helene and other things like that. That has snuck up on me, just in the magnitude of what that is and how important it is.”

As chair of the Local Government Commission (LGC), Briner said he and State Auditor Dave Boliek, an LGC board member, are aware of the issues, particularly the cessation of American Rescue Plan Act funds.

“We’ve been working very closely together on some of these distressed local communities, and the hangover from ARPA funds running out is only just beginning,” said Briner. “You had towns getting seven-digit and larger payments one time that, somehow, they convinced themselves were going to be perpetual.

BOLIEK from page A1

The memo states, “Given the NIH’s new guidance for its research grant policy, which states that there will be a standard rate of 15% across all federally funded NIH grants for indirect costs, OSA recommends universities that receive NIH funding take extreme care in reporting upcoming financing statements.”

The National Institute of Health (NIH) policy changes directed by the Trump administration involve grant funding for medical and scientific research at institutions such as universities, medical schools and research hospitals.

Part of the proposed policy changes mentioned by Boliek involve the scaling back NIH’s “indirect costs” related to research funding to 15% of grants issued. NIH has a budget of around $47 billion, and, per reports, agency officials have indicated that NIH spent more than $35 billion in fiscal year 2023 on grants, which included $9 billion in “indirect costs.” Per NIH, nearly 50,000 grants were issued to 2,500 universities and research institutions nationwide in the same fiscal year.

The administration also

Briner also said the creation of viable utility reserve was recently discussed related to depleted ARPA funds.

“So there was half a billion dollars of ARPA money at the state level that was set aside just to help distressed utilities, wastewater and drinking water in rural communities. They’ve spent all that now,” said Briner. “There’s a $35 billion water infrastructure problem in this state that we haven’t begun to touch, but at least they got a small down payment on it.”

Last month, Briner discussed a proposal for the State Health Plan (SHP) that would change the cost of premiums through a “progressive” banded structure based on a percentage of plan enrollee salaries.

“So, honestly, we’re looking at what Medicare does and thinking about what we can learn

from them, at least on the revenue side,” Briner said of the banded premium idea. “But then you collide with state information technology and infrastructure to implement something like that. It turns out that’s very challenging to do.”

Briner said the plan they are considering was the only way to achieve this in the short term by 2026.

“We would have to rewrite a whole section of the basic code of payroll for the state to do it any other way,” he said. “In the end, we have a number of state employees in the median state wages; $55,000 or thereabouts.

“And it goes well down from there in certain professions, who are paying $25.00 a month for individual coverage, and we’re going to ask more of them. And that’s a really hard ask,

“It’s the little things that sneak up on you.”

Brad Briner, state treasurer

particularly at the very lowest end of the spectrum.”

While initial action has been taken to move discussions forward on the banned plan, Briner said the final actions won’t be taken until August.

The banned premium proposal comes as Briner has estimated the SHP will face a $1.4 billion deficit by 2027. Briner said the most expensive portion of the SHP’s enrolled population are those under the retirement age of 65, while retirees cost the least since Medicare Advantage largely covers them.

Briner said the legislature is being asked to address the deficit.

“They’ve been averaging increasing their funding level by about 3.5% each year, going back many, many years. We’re asking for more than that,” said Briner. “We’re asking for them to step up to 5% this year. That would be roughly $100 million more. As you know, the budget is very tight this year. We’re hopeful to get that, but that is not at all guaranteed.”

Briner said the state pension offered the fewest surprises as he came into office.

“The big, pleasant surprise has been the number of people who want to come work here at a salary structure which is not particularly competitive with other pension plans,” Bri-

froze NIH hiring, issued a travel ban, canceled review panels and paused the agency’s public communications in January. The communication directives were listed

in an NIH memo dated Jan. 21. Boliek’s memo urges schools in the UNC System to begin preparations related to the policy update.

“While the policy is cur -

rently in the judicial process, implementation of the new standard indirect rate will result in varying changes to operating revenues at affected public universities in North

ner said of the pension plan. He added there will be a few new hires in that division in the near future.

“This tends to be late career people who want to come work here,” said Briner. “And wages is absolutely not the reason. So that’s been a really pleasant surprise, and we’re kind of sorting through all that.”

In terms of the state pension, a bill has been filed by House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) that would allow the plan to invest in digital currencies and assets. Briner said he’s in favor of it, and it is “part of what we want to achieve here.”

“The way that we govern pension plans is overly prescriptive,” Briner said regarding changing what the pension can invest in. “We have a statute that says you can buy this, but not that, and this percent of that, and those percentages are, honestly, probably pulled out of thin air or the product of a compromise 15 or 20 years ago. They don’t really change the risk profile of a pension plan in the way that I think the legislature should have a voice to make sure that we are not taking inappropriate risks.”

And what we’d like to do is change this to a board governance structure where the legislature continues to have oversight of aggregate risk, aggregate cost and the big-picture items that they should absolutely be concerned about. But the little picture items, which is where we are at statute right now —and that would include digital assets — those are kind of evolved so fast that it’s not really a statutory concern, in my opinion.”

Briner said he hears the call not to take undue risks “loud and clear” but said what’s appropriate today will likely change. He added he’d like to put a governance structure in place that make it “perpetual rather than episodic.”

Carolina,” the memo reads.

More than 20 states filed a lawsuit following the Trump administration’s directives to NIH, and a federal judge has issued at least one temporary restraining order in the matter.

At the same time NIH paused its activities, a bill filed in the North Carolina legislature would claw back a $500 million endowment to a nonprofit funding research acceleration grants to colleges and universities in the state.

The group involved, NCInnovation, invested the funding and accumulated $20 million in interest. The organization has not touched the principal and used only $5.2 million of the interest gained for its first round of grants.

House Bill 154, filed by Rep. Harry Warren (R-Rowan), would take back the $500 million and the remaining $15 million in interest. In a statement to North State Journal, Warren said the money was needed elsewhere and cited “unforeseen challenges.”

Deanna Ballard, an NCInnovation board member and former state senator, told North State Journal she’d like to see NCI be given more time to work.

BILL from page A1

state from promoting “divisive concepts,” engaging in discriminatory practices or maintaining DEI offices. The provision means that districts like Wake County, which operates an “Office of Equity Affairs (OEA),” will have to dismantle such offices and positions. According to documents obtained by North State Journal, Wake’s OEA has spent at least $12.135 million on or by itself since its 2014-15 inception. In 2023-24, OEA spent more than $1.8 million on salaries, travel, workshops and other expenses.

Additionally, Berger’s bill would block developing, purchasing or providing professional development with DEI or divisive concepts laid out in the bill, as well as contracting with entities for professional development on those topics.

As with its OEA, Wake County Public Schools’ training offerings that include DEI

and Critical Race Theory would have to be terminated to comply with the bill. North State Journal has investigated these trainings over the past four years, noting that the district

has employed multiple outside vendors for such training, including state Sen. Graig Meyer’s (D-Orange) DEI outfit The Equity Collaborative. To date, Wake County Schools has paid

Meyer’s group $440,500 for CRT and DEI-related training.

Language in the bill requires annual certification of compliance from all public school units, with initial implementation reports due Sept. 1 detailing reductions in force, spending changes and how savings have been redirected.

Items prohibited by the bill include:

• Engaging in or advocating for discriminatory practices

• Compelling students, teachers, administrators or other school employees to affirm divisive concepts

• Providing instruction to students on divisive concepts

• Approving, recommending or requiring professional development that includes divisive concepts

• Providing entities access for delivering professional development with divisive concepts

• Maintaining offices, divisions or units promoting divi-

sive concepts or named “diversity, equity, and inclusion”

• Employing or assigning staff whose duties include promoting divisive concepts

• Awarding continuing education credit for professional development prohibited by the bill

The filing of Senate Bill 227 follows the creation of an “End DEI” portal created by the U.S. Department of Education (USED) at the end of February. The portal, EndDEI.Ed.Gov, will allow “parents, students, teachers, and the broader community to submit reports of discrimination based on race or sex in publicly-funded K-12 schools.”

According to the USED press release, the portal lets parents submit the name of a school or district and details of DEI practices being used. USED says it will use parent submissions as a “guide to identify potential areas for investigation.”

A.P. DILLON / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

State Treasurer Brad Briner said the status of the state pension when he took office was “a really pleasant surprise.”

JOHN MCDONNELL / AP PHOTO

Medical researchers from universities and the National Institutes of Health rally near the Health and Human Services headquarters to protest federal budget cuts on Feb. 19 in Washington, D.C.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

State Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) has filed legislation that would further root out DEI in North Carolina’s public schools.

NATION & WORLD

US AG ends investigations into parent protests

Pamela Bondi’s predecessor, Merrick Garland, drew national backlash

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi rescinded a memo by her predecessor, Merrick Garland, that directed the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice to investigate parents who protested at school board meetings following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bondi’s memo, issued the day after her Feb. 4 confirmation by the Senate, outlines the creation of a Weaponization Working Group tasked with reviewing “the activities of all departments and agencies exercising civil or criminal enforcement authority of the United States over the last four years.”

The working group’s task list includes, “Prior Justice Department guidance, policy memoranda, and practices con-

cerning the investigation of parents of school children who expressed sincere, good-faith concerns at local government meetings, including the October 4, 2021 memorandum of former Attorney General Merrick Gar-

land regarding these issues.”

That task line item includes a footnote: “For the avoidance of doubt, former Attorney General Garland’s October 4, 2021, Memorandum is hereby rescinded.”

Garland parent memo timeline

September 2021

Near the end of the month, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sends a letter to President Joe Biden claiming parent protests could be the equivalent of “domestic terrorism and hate crimes” and suggests the Patriot Act could be deployed. Internal emails uncovered by Parents Defending Education later revealed NSBA officials had been consulting with the Biden administration about their letter for “several weeks” before it was made public.

October 2021

Attorney General Merrick Garland issues a memo on Oct. 4 directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI to investigate alleged threats against school officials while casting parents protesting at school board meetings as domestic terrorists.

A DOJ press release mentions forming a task force including the National Security Division, Criminal Division, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and FBI. The DOJ later issues a follow-up directive pressuring U.S. District Attorneys Offices to convene meetings with local law enforcement and the FBI to coordinate investigations into parents.

On Oct. 7, North Carolina Republican congressional members, along with some 30 other House Republicans, issued a letter to Garland and the DOJ demanding answers about law enforcement activities and the alleged threats referred to by Garland.

After national backlash, the NSBA disavowed its letter, stating, “We regret and apologize for the letter.” The NSBA then withdrew its letter to Biden, which subsequently disappears from the group’s website.

Following the NSBA’s reversal, Garland testifies in front of Congress that the NSBA’s apology letter did not change his position on his parent memo, but he did admit that the NSBA’s letter to Biden was the premise for the parent memo. It was later revealed that the NSBA was aware of Garland’s memo before its release.

November 2021

State affiliates of the NSBA, including North Carolina, begin withdrawing their membership in the organization. Surry County Commissioners go a step further, issuing a resolution condemning Garland’s parent memo.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan reveals whistleblower evidence suggesting FBI counterterrorism assets were involved in investigating parents using a threat tag called “EDUOFFICIALS.”

May 2022

A Republican House Judiciary letter to Garland questioned his past testimony. The letter reveals whistleblower claims of at least dozens of investigations into parents using the threat tag actively used by the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division to

“For the avoidance of doubt, former Attorney General Garland’s October 4, 2021, Memorandum is hereby rescinded.”

Memo by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi

In addition to the Garland parent memo, items to be reviewed in Bondi’s memo include Special Counsel Jack Smith and law enforcement who performed the raid on President Donald Trump’s home, as well as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York Attorney General Letitia James and their respective staffs, and the “pursuit of improper investigative tactics and unethical prosecutions” relating to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Additionally, Bondi’s memo directs a review of a January 2023 FBI memo suggesting Catholic religious practices were affiliated with domestic terrorism, criminal prosecutions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and the targeting and persecution of whistleblowers.

track investigations related to parents.

June 2022

The NSBA publishes a report on its own letter to Biden that prompted Garland’s parent memo. The report confirms that the Biden administration was directly involved in drafting the NSBA letter. The report also says Biden personally called NSBA Board of Directors President Viola Garcia after the letter became public knowledge. By that time, Garcia had been appointed to the national board, which oversees the Nation’s Report Card — commonly referred to as “NAEP” — by Biden’s Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. Her appointment was announced Oct. 13, 2021.

April 2023

A U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee report finds ”no legitimate law-enforcement basis” for Garland’s parent memo. The report details stonewalling by the DOJ and FBI on the matter while detailing the Biden administration and NSBA “extensively colluded” before Garland issuing the memo in October 2021.

September 2023

Garland insists during a congressional hearing that the NSBA’s apology letter didn’t change his mind, telling lawmakers “there’s nothing to rescind” regarding his parent memo.

Flight attendant pleads guilty to filming teen

Charlotte’s Estes Carter Thompson III had also recorded four other girls in airplane bathrooms

By Michael Casey The Associated Press

BOSTON — A former American Airlines flight attendant has pleaded guilty to secretly recording video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom and having recordings of four other girls using the lavatories. Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of images of child sexual abuse depicting a prepubescent minor.

According to investigators, the girl got up to use the main cabin lavatory nearest to her seat during a Sept. 2, 2023, flight from Charlotte to Boston but found it was occupied.

Thompson told her the firstclass lavatory was unoccupied and escorted her there, investigators said. She told investigators that before she en-

tered the bathroom, Thompson told her he needed to wash his hands and that the toilet seat was broken.

After he left, the teen entered the bathroom and saw red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid, which was in the open position, officials said, with the words written in black ink and all caps, “inoperative catering equipment,” “remove from service,” and “seat broken.” Beneath the stickers, Thompson had concealed his iPhone to record a video, investigators said. The girl used her phone to take a picture of the stickers and concealed iPhone before leaving.

“We are pleased to hear that the American Airlines flight attendant who preyed on at least five young girls as they used the airplane bathroom has pled guilty for his depraved crimes,” Paul Llewellyn, whose law firm Lewis & Llewellyn has represented the 14-year-old girl and another victim in lawsuits stemming from the case, said in a statement. “We commend the US Attorney’s Office for its work on the criminal case in bringing this felon to justice.”

Llewellyn said the firm set-

N.Y. fires 2,000 striking prison guards

Albany, N.Y.

New York fired more than 2,000 prison guards Monday for failing to return to work after a weekslong wildcat strike that crippled the state’s correctional system but said enough officers had come back on the job to declare the illegal work stoppage over. The state and the guards’ union struck a new deal to end the strike this weekend, but it was contingent on at least 85% of staff returning to work by Monday morning. Although the number returning fell short of the 85% goal, Martuscello said the state would honor the deal’s overtime and some other provisions.

Miss. medical helicopter crash kills 3

Madison County, Miss.

A medical transport helicopter crashed in Mississippi on Monday, killing a pilot and two hospital workers on board, officials said. The helicopter was returning to Columbus from a patient transport when it crashed in Madison County at around 12:30 p.m., killing everyone on board, the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s vice chancellor for health affairs, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, said at a press conference. This was the first crash in the 29 years that the AirCare emergency services have been operational, according to a statement from the university.

Swiss politician fined for buying pink water pistols online Zurich

A Swiss politician was fined for buying pink water pistols online because authorities say the toys violated the country’s weapons law, a local newspaper reported. Newspaper Aargauer Zeitung on Friday reported that Marc Jaisli — a member of the local council in Buchs, a town west of Zurich — ordered the water pistols in August through ultra low-cost online retailer Temu for his godchildren as a gift. Prosecutors ordered him to pay a fine totaling 6,500 francs ($7,390) for a violation of weapons law, arguing that it applied even though the pistols were imitations “because they could be confused for real firearms due to their appearance” — despite the pink color.

tled the 14-year-old’s lawsuit with American Airlines and is set to go to trial in July in the other lawsuit, which was brought on behalf of a 9-yearold girl from Texas. Prosecutors also allege that their investigation turned up hundreds of images in Thompson’s iCloud account of child sexual abuse generated through artificial intelligence, as well as the images of the other four girls captured on earlier flights using the aircraft lavatories. They were ages 7, 9, 11 and 14. American Airlines said following his arrest that Thompson was “immediately withheld from service” and hadn’t worked for the airline since the phone was discovered. Attempted sexual exploitation of children carries a sentence of 15-30 years in prison, while possessing images of sexual abuse of a prepubescent minor carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. Both charges also provide for at least five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution.

Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced June 17.

Environmental damage feared after ships collide in North Sea

London

U.K. officials were concerned about possible environmental damage Tuesday and looking for answers a day after a cargo ship hit a tanker transporting jet fuel for the U.S. military off eastern England, setting both vessels ablaze. Jet fuel from a ruptured tank poured into the North Sea after the Portugal-registered container ship Solong broadsided the U.S.-flagged tanker MV Stena Immaculate on Monday. The collision sparked explosions and fires that burned for more than 24 hours. Footage filmed from a helicopter on Tuesday morning showed the fire appeared to largely be out on the tanker, which had a large gash on its port side.

GREG NASH / AP PHOTO

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) questions Attorney General Merrick Garland during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the Department of Justice on Oct. 21, 2021 on Capitol Hill.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

About those reciprocal tariffs

Alexander Hamilton was the original perfect DOGE employee.

The best tariffs are no tariffs anywhere in the world.

Milton Friedman and any other freemarket economist who ever lived would say the same thing. In a perfect world, raw materials, manufactured goods, and services of all types would be exchanged on a mutually beneficial basis based on quality, service, and price without any interference from pesky, economically illiterate politicians.

We don’t live in a perfect world. People whose livelihoods and families depend on their jobs ― which is everyone short of coupon-clippers and trust fund babies ― don’t see the world through the pristine lenses of theoretical economics. They fight tooth and nail to protect their incomes, and international macroeconomics and free market philosophy can be damned.

Tariffs on foreign goods funded the U.S. government from 1789 until the 16th amendment, which allowed income taxes, was ratified in 1913. After the Revolution, Alexander Hamilton, our first Treasury secretary and de facto first Commerce secretary, not only advocated for an aggressive tariff regimen to produce needed revenue to retire debt and operate the new government, he instigated the first American industrial policy. He received funds from the new government to pay for spies to go to British manufacturing companies, steal their secrets and come back to set up a new industrial base so America could develop its own manufacturing sector for domestic consumption and national defense purposes.

China may be the worst perpetrator of unethical and “illegal” trade practices for the past 40 years, but America was no slouch at protectionist trade policies for much of our early history.

The first industry Hamilton targeted was textiles. People needed clothes and

undergarments to wear, and the technology was relatively simple and inexpensive to set up in New England, which then migrated to North Carolina later.

Hamilton was the original perfect DOGE employee. In 1791, he wrote the copious “Report on the Subject of Manufactures” to present to President George Washington and the first Cabinet by himself without thousands of federal workers helping him.

Every country has used tariffs to protect its nascent economy. The hope is when those economies mature, tariffs will cease to be necessary and will be dropped in the noble name of free trade.

That almost never happens. Nations don’t drop tariffs unless they are forced to do so through treaties and forceful action by trading partners. Domestic business owners and farmers who benefit from restriction of competition through high tariffs exert political pressure on elected officials to continue protectionist policies simply because they don’t want to lose market share and money.

President Donald Trump’s threat to enact reciprocal tariffs on trading partners may yield the results he wants. I remember speaking with a foreign diplomat in Washington who casually mentioned that the day the U.S. started matching tariffs dollar for dollar with its trading partners who wanted to keep protecting their industry, worldwide tariffs would fall immediately to zero.

There is no appetite to risk losing access to the largest consumer market in the world because a country wants to keep protecting its clotted cream industry.

The one thing America should do is strictly enforce existing trade agreements. During my time as chief of staff to Sen. Elizabeth Dole in 2003, we reported a total of 52,000 lost textile

jobs in North Carolina on a weekly basis to the Bush 43 White House and begged them to invoke countervailing tariffs to halt the wave of textile imports under the “surge” protections of the textile trade agreement. It fell on deaf ears for a full seven months, most likely due to State Department interference because of their desire to help foreign countries, not American workers, first. And then Pillowtex, formerly Cannon Mills, in Kannapolis laid off 7,000 textile workers in one fell swoop on July 30, 2003. Staffers from the Bush White House and Vice President Dick Cheney started calling frantically to ask: “What the heck is going on with the textile industry did you say?” After a flurry of meetings, a rather lame decision was made to raise tariffs on three categories of textile apparel ― women’s bras, panties and lingerie ― hardly any of which were made in North Carolina.

Trump’s tariff strategy is different because he is using the levers of commerce to force trading partners and allies to do things outside of pure commerce: enforce border security (Mexico, Canada); increase expenditures for their national security and defense purposes (EU); and stop selling fentanyl and engaging in every illegal trade practice known to man (China). It may work out as when the Venezuelan president caved immediately to Trump’s demand to take back Venezuelan criminals who were in America illegally. Time will tell.

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

On the death of Gene Hackman

If they don’t hear from us in a 24-hour period, they should stop by to check to make sure everything is OK.

On Feb. 26, the world was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of legendary actor Gene Hackman. Hackman, along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home after a worried maintenance worker saw them through a window and contacted security to check on them.

Hackman was 95 years old. Arakawa was 65. It was apparent they had been dead for quite some time. When people read stories about bodies being found in the manner Hackman’s (in a mudroom alongside his cane) and Arakawa’s (in a bathroom next to scattered pills) were, it sparks speculation as to what could have happened.

Though police indicated almost right away that they had ruled out foul play, some still wondered if it was a murder-suicide. Others wondered if maybe it was carbon monoxide poisoning, but that was also ruled out early on.

A week and a half after their bodies were discovered, the medical examiner’s office revealed the causes of death.

Arakawa died from hantavirus, a rare disease that can mimic flu-like symptoms early on and causes breathing problems as it progresses. It is primarily contracted through contact with droppings from infected rodents. The estimated date of her death was Feb. 11.

Hackman, who had heart disease and Alzheimer’s, is believed to have died a week later

from natural causes. The autopsy indicated he hadn’t eaten in a while.

One of their three dogs, an Australian Kelpie mix named Zinna, spent their last days in a closed kennel and possibly had not eaten or had anything to drink after Arakawa’s death.

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, it appears that after Arakawa, who was Hackman’s caregiver, passed away, it was likely that Hackman either didn’t know or didn’t understand what had happened and may have been unable to care for himself or Zinna.

From a caregiver’s perspective, what happened especially hit home for me and made me wonder why so much time went by before anyone noticed something was amiss.

Though every family is different, in my family, my mom, sisters and I communicate with each other every day, usually by at least one phone call, text or email. My sisters know that if they don’t hear from us in a 24-hour period, they should stop by to check to make sure everything is OK.

My mom knows that if something happens to me, she needs to contact 911 and then let my sisters know so she can be taken care of in my absence.

I don’t know much about their situation, but I can’t help but wonder if the family had been more communicative with Hackman and Arakawa, maybe Hackman could have been found alive.

One of the daughters was quoted as saying she hadn’t talked to Hackman in months. Just my personal opinion, but even in situations where family members live far away from each other and have busy lives, communicating at least once a week would be a good idea if for no other reason than to let each other know you still care about them and what’s going on in each other’s lives.

We’ll never know the full story about what happened, and we can only speculate as to what might have been had it been discovered sooner that Arakawa had passed away.

But one thing we can all agree on is that it was an absolutely heartbreaking and tragic end for the couple and their dog, who by local accounts lived quiet and fulfilling lives until their health problems began taking their respective tolls.

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.

UNC Chapel Hill has a DEI radical running faculty hiring and promotion

Corbie has pushed for illegal, race-based rationing of medical care.

IS UNC CHAPEL HILL serious about civil rights?

This is an open question considering who the university has in charge of faculty hiring, tenure and promotion decisions. Since 2022, Giselle Corbie has served as vice provost for faculty affairs at Carolina — a hugely influential role that shapes the direction of the university. Yet Corbie’s record should worry every North Carolinian who cares about equal treatment, ending racial discrimination and upholding civil rights laws.

So long as Corbie remains vice provost, UNC’s efforts to dismantle “diversity, equity and inclusion” aren’t just incomplete. They’re unreliable.

Here are the facts that North Carolinians need to know about Corbie. These facts should have led UNC leaders not to hire or promote her in the first place.

Since 2013, Corbie has run UNC’s Center for Health Equity Research. The center promotes “equity-centered” policies and race-based resources for “BIPOC wellness.” It harps on “medicine’s roots in colonialism” and promotes a language policing guide that forbids terms like “white paper” because of “white privilege.”

Shockingly, Corbie has pushed for illegal, race-based rationing of medical care. In a 2021 interview, she argued against treating all patients equally as individuals. She calls that the “fallacy of equality.” Instead, because the medical profession is a “white supremacist culture,” she favors “race-targeted interventions” in medical care. That means treating patients differently based on their race.

In her 2021 article in the JAMA Health Forum, she again pushed for racially discriminatory medical care. She wrote that “equality does not equal equity” and chided doctors who “prioritize equality over equity.” Due to “structural racism,” she claimed, “we need to use strategies that ensure those who are most in need in historically marginalized communities are given preference.”

Though dressed in academic jargon, the upshot of Corbie’s argument is clear: health care providers should distribute lifesaving medical interventions (like pandemic vaccines) on the basis of skin color, not individual medical need. That’s not just immoral and un-American, it’s also plainly illegal under civil rights laws. That’s why other states ditched race-based policies at the first sign of lawsuits.

In another 2021 commentary published in the North Carolina Medical Journal, Corbie doubled down on discrimination. She pushed North Carolina to “center equity” and prioritize “antiracism” in its pandemic response. That’s academic-speak for doling out medicines and treatments to preferred racial groups based on race.

EDITORIAL | VICTOR JOECKS

Her rejection of equal treatment under the law clearly parallels her understanding of how the university should hire faculty.

Corbie has laid out a racist vision of university hiring — making race the determining factor in virtually everything. She explicitly rejects the idea of individual merit, calling it the “fallacy of meritocracy.”

In 2022, just months before UNC Chapel Hill promoted her, she wrote that universities must “align their own demographics with those of the communities they serve. In many places, especially academic training centers, that will mean aggressively recruiting and promoting diverse researchers.”

In other words, universities like UNC Chapel Hill should hire and promote based on race. She and her coauthors even declared that “institutions should place as much value on work to improve the health and health equity of diverse communities as they place on advancing fundamental biologic discoveries.” In Corbie’s vision, contributions to DEI should matter as much as contributions to curing cancer.

As vice provost for faculty affairs at Carolina, Corbie plays a decisive role in whom to hire and promote and who gets tenure. If she is willing to ration life-saving medical care on the basis of race and rejects the idea of meritocracy, it’s reasonable to ask whether Corbie is hiring and promoting people based on skin color, not merit. Why wouldn’t she?

Corbie’s record is worrisome. But what’s even more concerning is that UNC leaders saw no problem with her support for racial discrimination and her rejection of science as a researcher’s first priority. When he hired Corbie, UNC Chapel Hill Provost Chris Clemens praised her efforts to deliver “an integrated curriculum in leadership, equity, diversity and inclusion.” In other words, he knew. She got the job not in spite of her promotion of racialist policies but because of it.

North Carolinians deserve answers. To start, the UNC Board of Trustees should audit all hiring, promotion and tenure decisions in which Corbie participated. If she put her discriminatory worldview into practice, remediation should follow. The state legislature should also investigate. How genuine is UNC’s purported turn away from DEI?

The stakes are too high for state leaders — and federal civil rights investigators — to ignore. North Carolina’s flagship institution of higher education must uphold civil rights laws and fulfill its responsibilities to taxpayers, students, faculty and the future of the state. Adam Kissel is former deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs at the U.S. Department of Education.

Modern feminism makes women miserable

Married men and women are around twice as likely to be very happy as their single counterparts.

THE BEST THING modern feminists could do for women is tell them to reject feminism.

The Institute for Family Studies recently analyzed findings from the annual American Family Survey. It found 37% of conservative women ages 18-40 said they were completely satisfied with life, but only 12% of liberal women of the same age felt the same. That’s a shocking disparity, but it’s not an outlier finding.

In 2021, Columbia University professors put out a study on depression among 12th graders, looking at data from 2005 to 2018. They found “female liberals reported worse internalizing symptom scores over the study period than all other groups.”

A 2017 study by a Penn State University professor noted “politically conservative participants were significantly more optimistic and satisfied with life than their liberal counterparts.”

A 2008 study in Psychological Science asked, “Why are conservatives happier than liberals?”

It cited a 2006 Pew survey showing 47% of conservative Republicans called themselves “very happy” while only 28% of liberal Democrats did the same.

The researchers from Columbia speculated that political events might have contributed to liberal depression. Republicans made political gains in the 2010s, including the election of then-President Donald Trump. The researchers claimed issues like global warming, structural racism and pervasive sexism “became unavoidable features of political discourse.”

The implication is that liberals are depressed because they care so much about the world’s problems.

While that may sound noble, stressing out about something that you can’t control isn’t a virtue. It can lead to “learned helplessness.”

If people believe their choices won’t improve things, they often give up or make worse choices. Little wonder researchers often

connect learned helplessness to depression.

While this is a factor, there’s a deeper explanation.

Feminists originally argued for equal opportunity in voting, education and the workplace. That happened. But second-wave feminists went further.

They disparaged marriage and religion as tools of the patriarchy. They didn’t view children as a source of deep meaning and fulfillment but rather as an obstacle to career success.

Third- and fourth-wave feminists went beyond that. Many contend that different outcomes between men and women are solely the result of societal expectations. These ideas have gone so far that leftists now claim men can become women. Why some men would willingly give up the power of the patriarchy is never quite explained.

These ideas have gained tremendous cultural power, especially on the left.

As a result, liberals are less likely to be married, go to church or have kids.

But these choices haven’t brought joyous liberation. Just the opposite.

As Brad Wilcox lays out in his book “Get Married,” married men and women are around twice as likely to be very happy as their single counterparts. An obvious factor in that is loneliness. Single childless adults are more than twice as likely as married individuals to say they’re always or almost always lonely, Wilcox noted. Historically, single individuals found community and connection in a church or synagogue. But liberals are less likely to attend religious services.

If women want to be happy, they should embrace what modern feminists falsely claim is the patriarchy.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

How the Democrats became zombies

AFTER ATTENDING President

Donald J. Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress, it occurred to me that the House Democrats have become zombies.

Their members sat mute and motionless no matter what the president said or who he honored — including a young cancer survivor, a newly accepted West Point cadet and an American who had been held hostage in Russia. Not one House Democrat exhibited any trace of human compassion or interest.

It was a bit eerie.

As I thought more about this, a lot of other things began to make sense.

The House Democrats have evolved from being a relatively rough and tumble, argumentative and rebellious bunch in the 1960s and 1970s into a tame, passive, robotic group today.

Of course, historically, the Democratic Party has had a deep tradition of machine politics going back to the founding of Tammany Hall in New York City in 1786. Virtually every major city run by Democrats today operates this way. Over the long term, the Democratic system simply tends to breed conformity. But this zombie-ism is a new, more extreme phenomenon.

You can start to track it with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Recall when Pelosi held up the nearly 1,000-page Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and said, “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it.” At the time, I thought it was a foolish slip of the tongue. In hindsight, the Pelosi speakership often involved Democratic members voting blindly as instructed by their elected leadership.

As speaker in the first two years of Joe Biden’s presidency, Pelosi took full advantage of this blind loyalty to pass a slew of massive bills with no elected officials really knowing the details.

Democrat after Democrat voted for deeply unpopular policies which barred parents from knowing what their children were doing and learning in school, allowed men to play in women’s sports, opposed tax cuts, left the southern border open, etc.

For a long time, I could not figure out how House Democrats could so brazenly ignore the will of the American people. Now I get it. They were turning into zombies.

Of course, Pelosi didn’t do it alone. The teachers and public employee unions kept people in line by threatening to fund primary opponents. The leftwing billionaires and activist groups also policed House Democratic Party members.

The propaganda media also gladly reminded Democrats of the partymovement line. From “The View” and MSNBC to The New York Times and The Washington Post, the signals went out. This is who we are. This is what we believe. Those who broke rank became ostracized and isolated.

Just ask Sen. Joe Manchin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Finally, there was sheer social pressure from other Democrats. Walking to vote and getting on an elevator with five or six hard left-wing members could have a significant influence on whether someone voted against Democratic leadership. At a practical level, losing committee assignments and watching more obedient members get the better committees is a real lever of power. I encountered this in the 1980s when several Southern Democrats voted with President Ronald Reagan. They suddenly found their committee assignments and proposed legislation in jeopardy.

The ultimate example of zombie behavior in the Democratic Party was the replacement of Biden by Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden had won every primary. He had a virtually unanimous delegation which would have dominated the Democratic National Convention. Harris had received zero votes. Yet within a few hours, the zombies took down Biden and elevated Harris.

In a party that had spent four years lecturing about democracy, this instant switch would only have been possible in a party of zombies. They did as they were told. Applauded when they were told. And lied to themselves when they were told.

It will be interesting to see how House Democrats deal with the challenges of a dynamic, creative and aggressive Republican Party. I expect Trump will cheerfully run circles around the House Democrat zombies just as he did Tuesday night.

Newt Gingrich is a former GOP speaker of the House.

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

The Wearing O’ the Green around NC

By A.P

commit crimes in our state must go,” Hall said in a press release. “This new legislation delivers a decisive message: North Carolina will not be a sanctuary for criminal illegal aliens, and protecting our citizens rema ins our top pr iority.”

According to Hall’s press release, the bill aims to strengthen language enacted into law under House Bill 10, which directed state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with Immigration Customs

EAST

Raleigh Beer Garden ranked in U.S. top 5

Wake County

UPS driver charged in hit-and-run fatality

Henderson County A UPS employee faces a felony charge after a fatal hit-and-run in Henderson County on March 4. North Carolina State Highway Patrol Sgt. Brent Hipp said the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on Dana Road near the intersection with Katie Drive.

Troopers said a UPS truck driven by Blake Stewart Laughter, 24, was traveling east on Dana Road when it struck a man wearing dark clothing who was walking in the roadway. The old Armando Jose Gonzalez, was pronounced dead at the scene. Hipp said Laughter did not stop after the collision. Instead, troopers said he returned the truck to the UPS facility, went home and made several phone calls before returning to the crash scene in a personal vehicle with some family members. Laughter is charged with felony hit-and-run and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. WLOS

have been prevented and had a 1-in-1 million chance of happening. WBTV Teen sentenced in W-S shooting death Forsyth County A teen was sentenced to 14 to 17 years in prison after a fatal shooting in Winston-Salem, according to Forsyth County District Attorney James O’Neill. Saveonne Deshawn Gist, 18, pled guilty in Forsyth County Super ior Court to second-degree murder in the death of 27-year- old Cha rles Edward Anderson Jr. Evidence showed that three assailants tried to rob Anderson in 2021. Af ter Anderson tried to defend himself and his family by him.

forklift collision with train Guilford County for an alleged violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina, a ccording to the North Carolina Department of Labor. A document from the Department of Labor notes that a JLG 460SJ Telescopic Boom Lift was operated on a four-lane road over an active railroad crossing with two sets of tracks. The citation states that no procedures or control methods were established or implemented to prevent employees from being struck by a train while crossing the railroad tracks. The citation follows a fatal accident last September involving a train and the lift, owned and operated by the D.H. said Margarito Alfonzo-Cruz, who was operating the forklift east of Hilltop Road, was crossing the tracks when the crossing lights and stop arms were activated due to an approaching train. He died when the train collided with the forklift.

NSJ

WXII

A North Carolina beer garden has been chosen as one of the top beer gardens in the country USA Today’s 10Best recently released its 2025 Readers’ Choice list of the best beer gardens in the nation, and Raleigh Beer Garden came n at No. 4. The article noted the dedicated to N.C. beers, an additional and rooftop bar, and popular familyfriendly mini-golf course.

NSJ Lawsuit alleges bank allowed scammers to steal $560K Pitt County A North Carolina bank is accused of giving scammers a ccess to a real estate company’s a ccounts, allowing them to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. First Bank and real estate company Emerald City Associates are County. The lawsuit alleges that First Bank gave scammers a ccess to ECA accounts, allowing the theft of more than $560,000,

Falls) on March 5, proposes changes to state law regarding individuals in custody who are subject to immigration detainers.

“Let me be clear: Illegal aliens who

Firm to acquire Walgreens for nearly $10B

New York

Walgreens Boots Alliance says it has agreed to be acquired by the private equity firm Sycamore Partners as the struggling retailer looks to turn itself around after years of losing money. Walgreens said Sycamore will pay $11.45 per share, giving the deal an equity value just under $10 billion. Shareholders could eventually receive up to another $3 per share under certain conditions. A buyout to take the drugstore chain private would give it more flexibility to make changes to improve its business without worrying about Wall Street’s reaction. Walgreens has been a public company since 1927.

7-Eleven parent company names new CEO, plans IPO

The parent company of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain has named a new CEO and plans to sell billions in assets as it tries to fend off a takeover bid from a Canadian rival. Japan’s Seven & i Holdings named its board chairman, Stephen Dacus, as its new president and CEO last Thursday. Dacus is Seven & i’s first non-Japanese CEO. Seven & i plans to sell some non-convenience store assets to Bain Capital for $5.4 billion. It also plans an initial public offering of its North American 7-Eleven business. The restructuring follows Seven & i’s rejection of a takeover bid by Alimentation Couche-Tard, which owns Circle K and other convenience chains.

Siemens announces $285M investment in U.S. manufacturing Los Angeles Siemens plans to invest $285 million in manufacturing in the United States, the tech company said, including two new facilities in California and Texas. The U.S. is the largest market for the company. The recent investments in the company’s U.S. manufacturing footprint and the planned acquisition of Altair, a Michigan-based software company, mark a larger $10 billion investment in the U.S. by the company.

Rocket Cos. to acquire Redfin in $1.75B deal

Mortgage lender Rocket Cos. has agreed to acquire online real estate brokerage Redfin in an all-stock deal valued at $1.75 billion. The transaction, announced Monday, gives one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders an in-house network of more than 2,000 real estate agents across 42 states and Redfin’s popular home and rental housing listings platform. Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman is expected to remain at the helm of the real estate brokerage once the deal closes. The companies’ board of directors has already approved the transaction.

NCDOT CASH REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 7

Beginning Cash

$2,659,038,252

Receipts (income)

$209,571,629

Disbursements

$140,876,174 Cash Balance

$2,727,794,592

Duke doing ‘damage control’ as universities face research funding cuts

Duke’s research budget includes $863 million from the federal government

By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

DURHAM — Facing the potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, Duke University is preparing for the worst.

Like research universities around the United States, the private school in North Carolina’s Research Triangle would see a massive loss from Trump administration cuts to grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Duke would be among the hardest hit. In its previous fiscal year, Duke took in $580 million in NIH grants and contracts, 11th most among the country’s research institutions. The cuts are delayed temporarily by a court challenge, but universities nationwide have implemented hiring freezes, scaled back research and drawn up contingency plans in case the loss in funding takes effect.

Historically, the federal government has negotiated with colleges and universities on its contribution toward their operating costs. If a scientist wins a federal grant to fund their research, the government pays the school an additional amount as a percentage of the grant money. At Duke, the current rate for these “indirect costs” — expenses such as utilities and laboratory maintenance — is about 61%. Last month, President Donald Trump’s administration set the rate cap at 15%, significantly less than most universities receive. The cut in indirect costs is far

from the only concern. Funding for new grants also slowed to a trickle after the NIH halted grant application review meetings in January. At Duke, NIH grant and contract award notices plummeted, dropping from 166 in January and February of 2024 to 64 so far in 2025, according to the university.

Already, the uncertainty is causing reverberations at Duke’s School of Medicine, which receives over three-quarters of the university’s NIH funding. Expansion projects are being shelved. Fewer doctoral students are being admitted, and researchers are assessing whether their projects can continue.

The Trump administration has described indirect costs as “administrative bloat” and said the cuts would save more than $4 billion annually. The change would also free up more money for scientific research, officials said.

Through NIH funding, universities for decades have partnered with the federal government to support scientists’ academic pursuits.

Duke pharmacology and cancer biology professor Donald McDonnell estimates his laboratory has received up to $40 million in NIH funding over 30 years. His lab developed a drug approved in 2023 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat metastatic breast cancer.

Upkeep for lab equipment, including machines to grow cancer cells and massive freezers for enzymes and chemicals, would be difficult to afford if indirect cost rates dropped to 15%, McDonnell said. His laboratory will also likely be in the red due to the uncertainty surrounding NIH grants, which would lead to staff layoffs.

“The bottom line is, I can’t live, I can’t think in this chaos,” McDonnell said.

Duke’s total research budget last fiscal year was $1.33 billion, with $863 million coming from the federal government. Researchers said that without NIH funding, many scientists would have to turn to private organizations and philanthropies, which typically offer substantially less money.

“We have long-standing relationships with private funders and industry partners and value the contributions they make, but federal funds by far provide the largest single source of research dollars,” said Geeta Swamy, executive vice dean of the School of Medicine.

The cap on indirect costs also would hinder research for incoming neurosurgery and biomedical engineering professor Nanthia Suthana, who is relocating from the University of California, Los Angeles. To study brain activity and treat conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and Parkinson’s disease, Suthana requires a lab large enough for patients to walk around while headsets and monitors capture heart rate, eye tracking, perspiration and brainwaves. Along the walls, 40 to 50 cameras — each costing about $5,000 — record their movements.

The university had been planning to build a new research building on the site of an old, recently vacated building. Now those plans are on hold, School of Medicine Vice Dean Colin Duckett said.

Even smaller projects like renovating a building floor can’t start because of the budget uncertainty. Hundreds of people working in shuttered labs will consolidate in other buildings. If the indirect costs rate drops to 15%, there also would be widespread layoffs, Duckett said.

Duckett’s job previously focused on recruiting the brightest scientists and providing them with resources at Duke, he said. Now he has taken on a much different role.

“It’s damage control,” he said. “It’s how to survive as an institution.”

Fed chair says interest rates on hold with economic uncertainty widespread

Spending has slowed compared with healthy gains in the second half of last year

By Christopher Rugaber The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Federal Reserve is likely to keep its key interest rate unchanged in the coming months as it waits for widespread “uncertainty” stemming from President Donald Trump’s policies to resolve, Chair Jerome Powell said last Friday.

Powell said the Trump administration is making policy changes in several areas, including trade, taxes, government spending, immigration and regulation, and added that the “net effect” of those changes is what will matter for the economy and the Fed’s interest rate policies.

“While there have been recent developments in some of these areas, especially trade policy, uncertainty around the changes and their likely effects remains high,” Powell said.

“As we parse the incoming information, we are focused on separating the signal from the noise as the outlook evolves. We do not need to be in a hurry and are well positioned to wait for greater clarity.”

Most economists say that Trump’s plans to slap tariffs on a wide array of imports, including 25% duties on goods from Canada and Mexico that he partially delayed last Thursday, will push up prices and slow growth. But many also expect that tax cuts and deregulation could boost the economy.

Powell’s comments pushed some traders to pare back their forecasts for how many interest rate cuts the Fed may deliver this year. They had been banking on at least three following a stream of weaker-than-expect-

ed reports on the U.S. economy. But Powell reiterated the Fed is likely on hold for a while.

Rate reductions could help reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards,\ and business loans.

In a question-and-answer session, Powell acknowledged that typically tariffs would cause a “one-time” price increase, rather than persistent inflation, and the Fed could ignore such a temporary effect. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made a similar argument on Thursday: “We could get a one-time price adjustment,” Bessent said before adding, “I’m not worried about inflation.”

Yet Powell also said there were other considerations the Fed has to consider when deciding whether to keep its rate unchanged or even raise rates. For example, Powell suggested tariffs might have more than a one-time impact “if it turns into a series” of tariff hikes, or “if the increases are larger, that would matter.”

“What really does matter is what is happening with longterm inflation expectations,” Powell added. Powell noted that shorter-term expecta-

“While there have been recent developments in some of these areas, especially trade policy, uncertainty around the changes and their likely effects remains high.”

Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve chair

tions have risen, partly out of concern about tariffs, though longer-term expectations have been stable.

Expectations that prices will rise can worsen inflation if they cause consumers and businesses to change their behavior in anticipation. Some companies might charge more when they expect their own costs to increase. When Trump imposed tariffs in his last administration, Powell noted, the Fed ended up reducing its key rate “because growth weakened so much.”

Powell said the economy remains mostly healthy despite “elevated uncertainty.” He

characterized Friday’s jobs report, which showed employers added 151,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.1%, as in line with the “solid” gains of the past six months.

He also noted that there were signs consumer spending has slowed compared with the healthy gains in the second half of last year, and said surveys of consumers and businesses “point to heightened uncertainty about the economic outlook.” Further complicating matters, he acknowledged that measures of consumer sentiment “have not been a good predictor” of consumer spending in recent years.

The Fed’s beige book, a collection of anecdotes from hundreds of businesses, mentioned uncertainty 47 times in its latest edition released Wednesday, up from just 17 times in January.

President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff policy and rapid-fire layoffs of government workers have created a spike in uncertainty among businesses and caused a sharp drop in consumer confidence. Many economists have marked down their estimates for the economy’s growth to as low as 1% at an annual rate in the first three months of this year, down from 2.3% in last year’s final quarter.

Yet as Fed governor Christopher Waller noted last Thursday, there are “good news” cuts and “bad news” cuts. “Bad news” cuts occur if the Fed reduces rates out of concern that the economy is slowing, while “good news” reductions are those that reflect a sense by the Fed that inflation is returning to its target of 2%. Waller added that he still believes it will be possible for the Fed to engineer “good news” rate cuts later this year, though he dismissed the potential for a cut at the Fed’s next meeting this month.

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

A student performs tests in Duke University pharmacology and cancer biology professor Donald McDonnell’s lab in Durham.

RICHARD DREW / AP PHOTO

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during the annual U.S. Monetary Policy Forum, in New York last Friday.

US charges Chinese hackers, government officials in broad cybercrime campaign

Critics of the communist nation living in America were targeted by those charged

By Eric Tucker and Dake Kang

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

Twelve Chinese nationals — including mercenary hackers, law enforcement officers and employees of a private hacking company — have been charged in connection with global cybercrime campaigns targeting dissidents, news organizations, U.S. agencies and universities, the Justice Department says.

A set of criminal cases filed in New York and Washington, D.C., add new detail to what U.S. officials said last Wednesday is a booming hacking-for-hire ecosystem in China, in which private companies and contractors are paid by the Chinese government to target victims of particular interest to Beijing in an arrangement meant to provide Chinese state security forces cover and deniability.

The indictments come as the U.S. government has warned of an increasingly sophisticated cyber threat from China, such as a hack last year of telecom firms called Salt Typhoon that gave Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, including U.S. government officials and prominent public figures.

One indictment charges eight leaders and employees of a private hacking company known as I-Soon with conducting a sweeping array of computer breaches around the world meant to suppress speech, locate dissidents and steal data from victims. Among those charged is Wu Haibo, who founded I-Soon in Shanghai in 2010 and was a member of China’s first hacktivist group, Green Army. He is accused in the indictment of overseeing and directing hacking operations.

Earlier reporting by The As-

JOBS from page A9

mental Technology LLC, said he is bullish about the prospects for the environmental contamination mitigation and water treatment company despite the uncertain economy.

Revive, which currently has 34 full-time employees, plans to add a total of another 10 to

sociated Press on leaked documents from I-Soon mainly showed I-Soon was targeting a wide range of governments such as India, Taiwan or Mongolia, but little on the United States.

But the indictment contains new revelations about I-Soon’s activities targeting a wide range of Chinese dissidents, religious organizations and media outlets based in the U.S., including a newspaper identified as publishing news related to China and opposed to the Chinese Communist Party. Other targets included individual critics of China living in the U.S., the Defense Intelligence Agency and a research university.

The targets were in some cases directed by China’s Ministry of Public Security — two law enforcement officers were charged with tasking certain assignments — but in other instances the hackers acted at their own initiative and tried to sell the stolen information to the government afterward, the indictment says.

The company charged the Chinese government the equivalent of between approximate-

20 workers in Columbus and Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the next few months, Gillespie said. Revive has found a way to destroy a toxic chemical called PFAS found in everyday items like nonstick cookware, waterproof weather jackets and cell phones and can end up in landfills, drinking water and industrial wastewater.

“China firmly opposes the groundless accusation made by the US and urges the US to immediately stop abusing sanctions.”

Lin Jian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson

ly $10,000 and $75,000 for each email inbox it successfully hacked, officials said.

Phone numbers listed for I-Soon on a Chinese corporate registry rang unanswered, and I-Soon representatives did not immediately respond to an AP email requesting comment Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday denied the charges, calling the U.S. “hypocritical” and pointing to U.S. cyberattacks on China.

“China firmly opposes the groundless accusation made by the US and urges the US to immediately stop abusing sanctions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry

spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference in Beijing.

A separate indictment charges two other Chinese hackers, identified as Yin Kecheng and Zhou Shuai, in a for-profit hacking campaign that targeted victims including U.S. technology companies, think tanks, defense contractors and health care systems. Among the targets was the U.S. Treasury Department, which disclosed a breach by Chinese actors late last year in what it called a “major cybersecurity incident.”

The Treasury Department announced sanctions last Wednesday in connection with the hacking, and the State Department announced multimillion-dollar rewards for information about the defendants.

I-Soon is part of a sprawling industry in China, documented in an investigation last year, of private hacking contractors that steal data from other countries to sell to the Chinese authorities.

Over the past two decades, Chinese state security’s demand for overseas intelligence has soared, giving rise to a vast network of these private hackers-for-hire companies that

Twelve Chinese nationals have been charged with cybercrimes, including hacking into financial institutions and government agencies.

of Maps 2004, Page 1792, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Wake County, North Carolina. Being also known as 1239 Fairview Club Drive, Wake Forest, NC 27587. ALSO BEING that property described in that deed recorded at Deed Book 12973, Page 1445 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Wake County, North Carolina. Present Legal Owners: Russell W. Frazier, II and Spouse, if Any Property Address: 1239 Fairview Club Drive Wake Forest, NC 27587-4234 A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, or Seven Hundred Fifty and 00/100 Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered at the time of the sale. Any successful bidder shall be

Others are seeing a shakeout in the economy.

Sheela Mohan-Peterson, who owns a franchise of the Patrice & Associates recruiting firm, said she’s starting to get more resumes from top-level executives who worked at biotech and high-tech companies.

“We’re talking C Suite level’’ –chief financial officers, chief

required to tender the full balance of the purchase price so bid in cash or certified check at the time the Trustee tenders to him a deed for the property or attempts to tender such deed and should said successful bidder fail to pay the full balance purchase price so bid at that time, he shall remain liable on his bid. This sale will be held open ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. 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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee, in his sole discretion, if he believes the challenge to have merit, may request the Court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. The real estate will be sold subject to any and all superior liens, including taxes and special assessments, if any.

technology officers, even a couple of CEOs, she said. She used to get maybe one of those resumes a month. Since the end of last year, she’s seeing one or two a week. “It has definitely accelerated in the last month,’’ she said. Mohan-Peterson believes it’s fallout from the chaotic federal spending cuts.

Upon the conclusion of the sale an order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S.§45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of this Court. If you occupy the property pursuant to a rental agreement please note that any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving notice of said sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor (homeowner) has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental

have infiltrated hundreds of systems outside China.

China’s hacking industry rose in the early days of the internet, when Wu and other Chinese hackers declared themselves “red hackers” — patriots who offered their services to the Chinese Communist Party, in contrast to the antiestablishment ethos popular among many coders.

The indictment “proved the close ties and interaction among China’s first-generation patriotic hackers,” said Mei Danowski, a cybersecurity analyst who wrote about I-Soon on her blog, Natto Thoughts. They “all turned to entrepreneurs now — doing businesses with the governments and making profits through other means.”

Since I-Soon documents were leaked online last year, the company has been suffering but is still in operation, according to Chinese corporate records.

“Apparently i-SOON companies have been struggling to survive,” Danowski wrote on her blog. “To Chinese state agencies, a company like i-SOON is disposable.”

“The

Sarah House,

senior economist

KIICHIRO SATO / AP PHOTO

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, S&T BANK, having qualified as the Executor of the Estate of RALPH L. WINGROVE, Deceased, hereby notifies all persons, firms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said S&T BANK, at the address set out below, on or before June 11, 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 3rd day of March, 2025 S&T BANK Executor of the Estate of RALPH L. WINGROVE c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE

Estate of Mr. Gerald Howard Robertson, deceased, late of New Hanover County, Wilmington, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned within ninety days of this first publication. This notice will be published for four consecutive weeks, beginning on Thursday, March 13th 2025. Claims must be presented to the undersigned on or before June 13th, 2025. Aasim Robertson Administrator of the Estate of Mr. Gerald Howard Robertson 3839 Bronxwood Ave Bronx, NY 10469 (929) 285 – 0975

NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator/ Executor of the Estate of Gary Clifford Lundy, deceased, late of New Hanover County, hereby notifies all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claims to the undersigned on or before 6th of June (which is

Clifford Lundy, Deceased Please publish 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Probate #_24001580-670_____________ All persons, firm and corporations having claims against Lucy Yvonne Maness, late of Orange

This

Erin

Notice to Creditors

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Walter Jerry McClamb, late of Wake County, North Carolina (25E000534-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 23rd day of May 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 20th day of February 2025.

Stanley Hilton McClamb

Executor of the Estate of Walter Jerry McClamb

c/o Lisa M. Schreiner

Attorney at Law

P.O. Box 446

114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

(For publication: 02/20, 02/27, 03/06, 03/13/2025)

Notice to Creditors

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Linda Ann Wilson, late of Wake County, North Carolina

(25E000428-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 23rd day of May 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 20th day of February 2025.

Jenatus Derrick Wilson, II Administrator of the Estate of Linda Ann Wilson

c/o Lisa M. Schreiner

Attorney at Law

P.O. Box 446

114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

(For publication: 02/20, 02/27, 03/06, 03/13/2025)

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE WAKE COUNTY 24 CV 032228-910 MED

ACC Tournament preview, B3

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA BASKETBALL

Loucks returning to Florida State to take over as Seminoles coach

Tallahassee, Fla.

Luke Loucks is returning to Florida State to take over as coach. The 34-year-old is replacing Leonard Hamilton, who is stepping down at the end of this season. Loucks played at FSU from 2008-12. He was part of a Seminoles team that defeated Miami, Duke and North Carolina on consecutive days to win the ACC Tournament 2012. Loucks had been an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings since 2022.

MLS Allende scores to lead Miami past Charlotte 1-0 Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Tadeo Allende scored 17 seconds into the second half and Inter Miami won its third straight match without Lionel Messi, beating Charlotte FC 1-0. Messi has not played since Feb. 25 because of what coach Javier Mascherano has called fatigue. Charlotte lost its first league match of the season despite leading in time of possession, corner kicks — 13 to Inter Miami’s 2 — and total shots, 8 to 4.

NBA Curry reaches 25K career points

San Francisco Stephen Curry became the 26th player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points, reaching the milestone during the third quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ 115-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Curry, who turns 37 Friday, surpassed 25,000 on a 3-pointer with 8:32 left in the third and received a warm ovation during a timeout with 5:42 to go. Curry has 25,017 career points.

A year after Final Four, Keatts fired at NC State

Who will take over as Wolfpack coach?

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

ELEVEN MONTHS after Kevin Keatts took NC State to the Final Four, he is out of a job. The Wolfpack parted ways with the coach after eight seasons following a 12-19 season that saw State miss the ACC Tournament with a 5-15 conference record. Keatts finishes with the sixth-longest tenure and fifth-most wins in Wolfpack basketball history.

“The last eight years have been a dream come true, and I will always cherish my time being a part of the Raleigh community,” Keatts posted on social media. “I want to thank (former NC State athletic di-

rector) Debbie Yow for giving me this tremendous opportunity to lead the Wolfpack back to the top of the ACC. Her leadership and vision brought so many great coaches to NC State.” Keatts was reportedly on the verge of being fired last season after a 17-15 regular season and 10th-place ACC finish. The Wolfpack, however, won five games in five days to take the ACC Tournament crown, triggering an automatic two-year contract extension for Keatts. He went on to win four NCAA games, taking he NC State to the Final Four for the first time since 1983.

“I am extremely proud of what we accomplished during my time here,” Keatts said. “Prior to my first season, the NCAA informed us that we were being investigated due to the actions of the prior staff. We were able to guide the program through five years of investigations and penalties and came out on the other side with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, and for the first time in 37 and 40 years, an ACC Championship

See KEATTS, page B3

‘Dust settles’ for Hurricanes’ stretch run

Carolina dealt away Mikko Rantanen six weeks after pulling off a blockbuster trade for him

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — All the Carolina Hurricanes can do is move on.

The franchise went through one of its most bizarre sagas after making the shocking trade for star winger Mikko Rantanen, who they acquired from the Colorado Avalanche for Martin Necas, Jack Drury and draft picks in a three-team deal that also sent Taylor Hall from Chicago to Raleigh in late January. On Friday, Rantanen — along with his underwhelming two goals and six points in 13 games with Carolina — was gone, shipped to Dallas, where he signed an eight-year, $96 million extension that came in lower than the Hurricanes’ offer but was accepted nonetheless. Logan Stankoven, a 22-year-

old who had 15 goals and 43 points in 83 career games before the trade, was the lone player to come back to Carolina, which also got four draft picks — including a pair of first-rounders — in the trade.

“Moose” with hands as good as just about anyone in hockey.

His departure, however, sure feels like an addition by no distraction.

“I think it was just kind of a cloud around the team for a little bit there,” said defenseman Sean Walker, who called the drama “the elephant in the room.”

Carolina entered its first game after the trade deadline, a visit from the Western Conference-leading Jets, winners of three in a row, but it certainly didn’t feel like it.

One-goal wins over the Flames, Bruins and Jets achieved the desired result but lacked the “Hurricanes hockey” that observers have come to expect in the Rod Brind’Amour era. Then the weight of the Rantanen ordeal was lifted, and the team’s mentality returned.

It’s impossible to call losing Rantanen addition by subtraction — the 28-year-old Finn is a unique talent, a 6-foot-4

Never mind that Rantanen has two goals and three points in his first two games with the Stars or that Stankoven scored and journeyman Mark Jankowski, the Hurricanes’ only other deadline day acquisition, tallied twice in their red-and-black debuts Sunday.

“Moving forward, it doesn’t change our mindset — the expectation’s the same,” center Sebastian Aho said.

KARL DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO

Hurricanes center Mark Jankowski, center, celebrates with teammates after the first of his two goals in Carolina’s win Sunday over the Jets in Raleigh.

BRANDON WADE / AP PHOTO

Then-NC State head coach Kevin Keatts reacts after cutting the net following an Elite Eight victory over Duke that sent the Wolfpack to the Final Four. Less than a year later, Keatts is no longer NC State’s coach.

MATTHEW HINTON / AP PHOTO

McNeese State coach Will Wade watches his team play in a 2024 game. The former LSU coach has emerged as one of NC State’s top targets in its coaching search.

TRENDING

Jim Phillips:

The ACC commissioner said the league is “united in an 18-member conference” for the future after coming to a settlement with Clemson and Florida State that ends their deal changes the league’s revenuedistribution model to factor in viewership ratings It also revises and -term costs for a school to leave the conference.

Jai Lucas:

The Duke associate head coach left the Blue Devils following Saturday’s regular UNC to begin his new job as coach of Miami.

contract last week but he left the ACC regular season champions and top-ranked team in the nation prior to the postseason to start with the Hurricanes to prepare for the opening of the transfer portal on March 24.

Bam Adebayo:

The Miami Heat center and High Point Christian Academy alum was the NBA for making inappropriate contact with a referee Adebayo missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer. Minnesota’s Julius Randle leaped to contest the shot and Adebayo fell down after the shot. The NBA determined contact came after the ball had been released

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“The jeers from the crowd, but then also watching them a s they’re leaving.”

Duke’s Kon Knueppel on what he liked best about the game at UNC.

“I’m a Seminole today I’m a Seminole tomorrow. I’m a Seminole forever.”

FSU coach Leonard Hamilton after coaching

The Gastonia native is retiring after 37 years coaching college, the last 23 with the Noles.

PRIME NUMBER 27

Years since the UNC Greensboro women’s basketball team’s la st NCAA bid. The Spartans beat Chattanooga 64-57 to win the Southern Conference Tournament and advance to the NCAAs

1998, the school’s only other tournament bid.

NASCAR by 0.049 seconds to win the second-closest race in Phoeni x Raceway history Bell started 11th in the 312-mile race and took the lead out of the pits on a caution,

The Carolina Panthers are re-signing tight end Tommy Tremble a two-year deal and center Austin Corbett to a one-year contract. Tremble has played four seasons with the Panthers. Corbett played 17 games in 2022 before tearing his ACL. He’s missed 25 games the past two seasons.

Campbell is parting ways with head coach Kevin McGeehan after 12 years. The school made the decision to relieve the 2019 Big South coach of the year of his duties after a 15-17 season, the third straight losing campaign for the Camels. The 51-year-old McGeehan was 184-199 with three postseason appearances at Campbell.

Bobby Pettiford bench and High Point rallied from a 15-point to defeat Winthrop 81-69 in the Big South Championship title game, giving the trip to the NCAA Tournament Trae Benham’s three-point play broke a 52-all tie, and the Panthers led the rest of the way.

DANNY KARNIK / AP PHOTO

GERRY BROOME / AP PHOTO

FRANK FRANKLIN II / AP PHOTO

NICK WASS / AP PHOTO

DARRYL WEBB / AP PHOTO

NCA A BASKETBALL

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

ACC is down but not out as tournament tips in Charlotte

Only three league teams have NCAA bids locked up entering play

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

NORTH CAROLINIANS

love to reminisce about how their teachers used to bring the AV cart into the classroom so they could watch the ACC Tournament while they were at school.

The cart will likely stay put this year. The general consensus about the state of the ACC this season is that the kids might as well break out their No. 2 pencils and take a standardized test or two while the games are going on at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center.

The last few years, national perception was that the league was down. This season, the numbers back that up. Based on the RPI, the ACC is ranked fifth — last among the elite power conferences and closer to a mid-major than cracking the top four.

The ACC’s RPI is closer to the Atlantic 10 than the Big East, closer to the Missouri Valley than the Big 12, to the Ivy League than the Big Ten, and closer to the SoCon than the SEC.

Entering the conference tournament, the ACC is projected to

get three teams into the NCAA Tournament. That would be the fewest in a quarter century. There are two conference teams currently on the wrong side of the bubble. Even if both get in, five bids out of 18 teams would be the conference’s worst showing, from a percentage standpoint, since the tournament started seeding teams in 1979. There’s a chance the ACC only gets one team seeded No. 4 or better. The league had multiple teams with top-four seeds

in every tournament from 1979 to 2021. This would be the third time in the last four seasons that it was limited to one.

Of course, once the March spotlight is lit, no one can match the ACC. The league has produced one-third of all Final Four teams over the last three tournaments. Of course, two of those four teams — Miami (in 2023) and NC State (last year) — didn’t even qualify to participate in this year’s ACC Tournament.

Here’s what to watch for as the tournament tips off in Charlotte.

The best in the nation

While the ACC may be on the wane, Duke sits atop the national rankings. The Blue Devils open the week ranked No. 1 in the country and holding a nearly surefire No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. Duke has the likely national player of the year in Cooper Flagg, who led the team in every statistical category. Duke has also dominated the league, going 19-1 in the ACC and posting the best point differential of any team in any conference since Kentucky in 1954. The Blue Devils have size, including 7-footer Khaman Maluach. They have outside shooting, led by Kon Knueppel. And they have depth, withstanding injuries to Tyrese Proctor and Maliq Brown during their ACC run. Both are back at 100% for the postseason.

The one potential concern for Duke is an unsettled coaching staff. Assistant coach Jai Lucas left the team after Saturday’s game against UNC, to take over as head coach at Miami. That means roles and responsibilities will be shuffled just as the team embarks on the most important stretch of the season.

The other NCAA locks

What a difference a year makes. Louisville was 8-24 last season, 3-17 and dead last in the conference. The Cardinals just wrapped up a 25-6 regular season, won 18 of 20 ACC games and earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. Pat

Triangle teams hope to host NCAA games after women’s ACC tourney

UNCG and High Point punched their tickets to the Big Dance

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

COLLEGE BASKETBALL fans in the Triangle — maybe just the NC State and UNC faithful — have learned this season that if the men’s teams can’t get it done, the women’s teams will.

Although Duke, the least hurting fan base, took its first ACC Tournament crown since 2013 by beating NC State over the weekend, that sentiment will still hold true when the 2025 NCAA Tournament field is determined Sunday.

After a season in which they’ve all looked to be some of the best teams in the country, all three of the Triangle’s women’s basketball teams could host in the NCAA Tournament as top four seeds for the first time since 1998.

Duke, the No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament, just about solidified itself as a top four, if not top three, seed in the NCAA bracket with its performance last week. In the ACC Tournament championship game, junior Ashlon Jackson and sophomore Oluchi Okananwa combined for 44 points and six made 3s to down top-seeded NC State 76-62.

The Blue Devils could’ve easily folded after starting down

KEATTS from page B1

and a trip to the Final Four.”

“I want to thank Coach Keatts for his contributions to NC State and for always representing the university with class,” said State Atheltic Director Boo Corrigan in a statement. “He will always have a treasured place in Wolfpack history for the accomplishments of his 2023-24 squad and I appreciate the passion he brought to this role. We wish him and his family the best in the future.”

The extension meant a higher buyout amount to get rid of Keatts a year later. Reportedly, State will pay him just under $8 million.

NC State is reportedly already interviewing candi-

7-0 and facing a 24-10 deficit in the second quarter, but they stormed back in the second half, taking their first lead over the Wolfpack at 44-42 with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Duke outscored NC State 47-26 in the second half, closing out an impressive double-digit victory.

After beating No. 6 Louisville 61-48 in the quarterfinals, the Blue Devils once again proved their defense is championship-level in a 61-56 win over Notre Dame in the semifinals. Duke overcame a sloppy offensive performance with 21 turnovers by holding the Fighting Irish, a team that averages 84.7 points per game, to a 37.5%

dates to take over the program. The clear-cut favorite for the job is Will Wade. The former LSU coach and current coach at McNeese State was a finalist eight years ago when Keatts was hired. He comes with baggage, however. In 2019, wiretaps from an FBI investigation into basketball recruiting that recorded him arranging payments to potential LSU players were made public. A year later, a school investigation uncovered multiple recruiting violations, and he was fired. He took the job at McNeese while serving out a show-cause penalty from the NCAA that restricted his recruiting activities. That penalty expired at the end of this season. If State and Wade don’t come

shooting clip, including a seven-minute stretch in the fourth quarter during which Notre Dame scored only seven points.

As for NC State and UNC, neither team did anything to drastically affect the opportunity to host in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wolfpack survived a late-game scare in a 73-72 thriller against Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals, and against UNC in the semifinals, senior Aziaha James rose to the occasion with a team-high 19 points to avenge a regular season loss to the Tar Heels 66-55. No. 5 UNC weathered its rough ending to the regular season by surviving a comeback effort from Boston Col-

to an agreement, other leading candidates include VCU coach Ryan Odom and Tennessee assistant Justin Gainey. Odom is the son of former Wake Forest coach Dave Odom and a North Carolina resident who also worked on staffs at UNC Asheville, Charlotte and Lenoir Rhyne. He’s best known for his time at UMBC, where he engineered the first win by a No. 16 seed over a No. 1seed in NCAA history. State would likely have to beat out UVA, the team Odom’s UMBC team upset, to hire him. Gainey is a Greensboro native and a former Wolfpack point guard from 1996 to 2000. While he has no head coaching experience, Gainey has been at Tennessee since 2021 and is a

Kelsey is a lock for conference coach of the year and should get strong consideration for the national honor.

Clemson, at No. 3, is the only team with a win over Duke this season. A good run in Charlotte this week could earn the Tigers a spot in the top four seeds, along with the Blue Devils.

Bubble watch

UNC and Wake Forest have spent more than a month treading water on the “first four out” and “next four out” lists for most bracketologists. It’s yet another reminder of the current state of the ACC — there weren’t enough impressive wins available to allow the teams to move up in the rankings. That was very evident with the Tar Heels, who won six straight, all against Quad II, III and IV opponents, and didn’t help their case at all. The Heels are 1-11 in Quad I games and need a run this week to get over the hump.

Wake, which has never made the tourney — despite several near misses — under coach Steve Forbes, has lost three of five and is in worse shape than Carolina. They’ll probably need to make it to Saturday to make the NCAA field.

The rest

ACC newcomers SMU and Stanford are the next two highest seeds in the tournament. Cal, the last team to qualify for the conference tourney, will play Tuesday, as will Florida State, who is bidding farewell to Gastonia native Leonard Hamilton, retiring as coach following the season’s close.

lie Creme still has UNC hosting as a four seed in his NCAA Tournament prediction following the conference championships. Creme has Duke as a three seed and NC State as a two seed, with all three teams in different regions.

Duke players celebrate after defeating NC State to win the ACC Tournament last week in Greensboro.

lege 78-71 in the second round without star guard Reniya Kelly. The Tar Heels responded well with Kelly in the lineup in a 60 -56 revenge win over a dangerous Florida State team in the quarterfinals.

Tied at 54 with two minutes remaining, Kelly hit the final two buckets for the Tar Heels to send them to the next round.

With the way NC State has played as of late, a win in the semifinals would have helped a lot in ensuring the Tar Heels secure a top four seed, but after losing three of its last five games, they are definitely the Triangle team in the most danger of slipping.

ESPN bracketologist Char-

key component in the Volunteers’ suffocating defense. He’s also coached on staffs at Elon and App State, and he worked in NC State administration from 2006 to 2009. The next tier of candidates includes mid-major coaches Alan Huss (High Point), Tony Skinn (George Mason), Ben McCollum (Drake) and Richard Pitino Jr. (New Mexico). The new coach will inherit a roster that was going to be in transition even without factoring in any attrition due to the coaching change. Bowling Green transfer Marcus Hill, State’s leading scorer, announced plans to return next season for a fifth year of eligibility, but the next six leading scorers on the team have all expired their eligibility. Con-

But from looking at the entire field, the Triangle won’t be the only local participants in the tournament.

UNC Greensboro defeated Chattanooga 64-57 in overtime Sunday to claim the Southern Conference title and its first tournament bid since 1998. Graduate Khalis Cain led the Spartans with a career-high 20 points and 12 rebounds, notching her 10th double-double of the season. Tied at 52 apiece after regulation, UNCG outscored Chattanooga 12-5 in overtime to close out the win.

High Point will also go dancing for the first time since 2021 after beating Longwood in the Big South Tournament championship 59-53. The Panthers had four players score in double digits, with junior forward Nevaeh Zavala leading the way with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Down 47-42 entering the fourth quarter, High Point went on a 7-1 run to take the lead with five minutes left, and it never gave it back.

Although it hasn’t punched its ticket yet, North Carolina A&T has a good chance of making the March Madness field as it is the top seed in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament with a 15-3 conference record. The Aggies will begin their run to the dance Friday in the quarterfinals, awaiting the winner of Thursday’s second round matchup between No. 8 Hofstra and No. 9 William and Mary. NC A&T last made the NCAA Tournament in 2021.

vincing freshmen Trey Parker and Paul McNeil to return will likely be an early priority for the new staff.

The Wolfpack will likely need to address its NIL budget in order to provide the new coach with the means to compete in the ACC. Neighboring rivals UNC and Duke have reportedly significantly higher budgets, and both have added general managers in recent years to help recruit and construct a roster.

“As we enter this new era of college sports, I wholeheartedly believe that I am leaving the program in better position to succeed than when I started — and that the basketball program will continue to thrive when supported to the level necessary to compete,” Keatts said.

SCOTT KINSER / AP PHOTO

Clemson guard Chase Hunter passes the ball away against Duke guard Cooper Flagg during the Tigers’ February win over the Blue Devils.

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

Women’s hockey comes to Raleigh

The Minnesota Frost scored three first-period goals and rolled to a 5-0 win over the Ottawa Charge during the PWHL’s Takeover Tour event at Lenovo Center. More than 10,700 fans watched the seventh game of the nine-game neutral site series showcasing the women’s professional hockey league around the country.

Wolfpack’s reign ends in ACC wrestling

Only one wrestler from an in-state team claimed an individual title in the tournament

By Bob Sutton North State Journal

DURHAM — NC State lost its grip on Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling after a six-year stretch of tournament championships.

Virginia Tech had four individual champions and cruised to its first team title in the ACC Tournament since 2018 on Sunday at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Wolfpack slid to third place with a series of misfortunes and missed opportunities. Matty Singleton’s victory at 174 pounds marked the only title for the Wolfpack — or for any of the three North Carolina-based schools competing.

Virginia Tech’s title was no surprise, even though the Hokies tied with NC State and UNC during the dual team portion of the season. The Hokies had 91½ points with Pittsburgh at 63½, NC State at 62½ and followed by UNC 45½, Stanford 45, Virginia 38½ and Duke 1½.

Singleton said the Wolfpack

CANES from page B1

Carolina got out to a threegoal lead — all by the two newcomers, including a pair for Jankowski — and smothered Winnipeg, with goalie Frederik Andersen outplaying nearly crowned 2025 Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck despite a pair of late-game gaffes that would have been more concerning in a closer game.

And the power play — which scored just five times since the calendar flipped to 2025 and slid to the bottom quarter of the league after a red-shot

will be poised for better results ahead based on the foundation in place.

“They set the standard in different ways,” he said of past NC State wrestlers. “It’s a standard. It really is a real culture.”

Singleton, the fourth seed, defeated Luca Augustine of Pitt 5-2 in the final. A four-point nearfall made the difference.

Singleton, a redshirt sophomore, didn’t compete in last year’s collegiate season as he redshirted to focus on internation-

start to the season — looked revitalized and scored on a redirection of a Shayne Gostisbehere shot by Stankoven. “Not a pretty goal at all, but I think we need more of that, right?” Brind’Amour said. “The pretty ones will come, but you gotta get to get the gritty ones too.” It seemed like light years from two days earlier when everyone — players, coaches, fans and media — seemed unsure how the Hurricanes’ roster would look for the rest of the season, though Brind’Amour seemed to know

“It’s a standard. It really is a real culture.”

al competition. He remembered frustrations from the 2023 ACC Tournament.

“It was heartbreaking two years ago leaving with two broken hands and no bid to

where everything was headed.

“I think the player came and had it in his head where he needed to be,” Brind’Amour said after the trade of Rantanen. “I think he only had a couple cities, and that’s what happened. … It’s been kind of a weird couple months, you know? What’s going to transpire? But I think once the dust settles here, we’ve got a real good team, and I feel good about it.”

For all the criticism, the uneven performances and the dismal-after-dismal power plays, the Hurricanes have a pretty

NCAAs,” he said. “I’m glad I got that experience two years ago to be able to put me in that spot now.”

Singleton said he was inspired by NC State supporters who showed up in big numbers.

“The Wolfpack really packs it out,” he said. “You can hear it all the time how much support we have.”

Singleton said the NC State team can still do more later this month.

“We’re still here, man,” he said. “I did my part. Hopefully, by NCAAs, we can all do our part.”

The Wolfpack’s disappointments surfaced in the semifinals when top-seeded Isaac Trumble, who has been a standout on the international circuit, fell in a 4-1 decision to Pitt’s Dayton Pitzer in the 285-pound division.

Trumble didn’t wrestle again, opting out with injury defaults.

Pitzer, the fourth seed who weighed in at 229 pounds. was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler after defeating Virginia Tech’s Jimmy Mullen 4-1 in overtime in the title bout.

Aside from Singleton, three of NC State’s four finalists lost in overtime.

Pitt’s Reece Heller scored a

good idea of what will happen the rest of the regular season. The Capitals have built a huge cushion and are well on their way to winning the Metropolitan Division, but Carolina has done some pulling away of its own. Entering Tuesday’s home game against the Lightning, the Hurricanes were six points ahead of the injury-ravaged New Jersey for second in the Metro with a game in hand remaining. Upstart Columbus was 10 back, though with 19 games remaining to Carolina’s 18.

4-1 overtime decision against NC State’s Dylan Fishback at 184, while 125-pounder Vince Robinson lost by the same overtime score to Virginia Tech’s Eddie Ventresca in a matchup of wrestlers rated in the top five nationally in the weight class.

Kai Orine, a two-time defending champ for the Wolfpack, fell 5-2 in overtime to Virginia Tech’s Connor McGonagle at 133. That bout included several late scrambles, including a couple in which Orine appeared in position to collect the winning points.

Orine was seeded fourth, toppling top-seeded Ethan Oakley of UNC 6-2 in the semifinals.

NC State’s Ed Scott, a two-time ACC champion, dropped a 7-3 decision to Virginia Tech’s Rafael Hipolito in the 157 final.

UNC’s lone finalist was Lachlan McNeil, who endured a 4-1 overtime setback to 2024 national champion Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech at 149 pounds. There was a piece of history with ACC newcomer Stanford producing a champion with Hunter Gavin winning at 165 pounds.

ACC wrestlers filled 38 automatic spots for the NCAA championships, which will be held March 20-22 in Philadelphia. Duke heavyweight Connor Barket will be the lone Blue Devil going to the NCAAs. He placed fifth Sunday.

If it holds, the Hurricanes would host an opening round series — probably against either the Devils or Blue Jackets — with a likely conference semifinal date with Washington going to the winner.

That’s a long way — more than a month — away, but it will come quickly. And the Carolina locker room now knows who will be running with them the rest of the way.

“This is the group,” Walker said. “This is the family that we’re going to be going forward with. So, yeah, just get down to it, and everyone dig in.”

NC STATE ATHLETICS

NC State’s Matty Singleton took the top spot on the podium at 174 pounds in the ACC wrestling championships.

Matty Singleton, NC State wrestler

Top left, Ottawa’s Brianne Jenner (19) and Minnesota’s Taylor Heise (27) stare each other down before a faceoff. Bottom left, Danielle Serdachny (92) of the Ottawa Charge takes a shot on goal. Right, Minnesota’s Brooke McQuigge (3) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Ottawa Charge during the PWHL Takeover Tour on March 7 at Raleigh’s Lenovo Center.

PHOTOS BY ASHLEY WHITE FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Left, the Minnesota Frost celebrate with goalie Maddie Rooney (35) after her shutout win. Right, Ottawa’s Shiann Darkangelo (27) looks to get free from Minnesota defender Mae Batherson (9).

CUMBERLAND

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Cumberland County THE ESTATE OF Yamil Velazquez Fraticelli, Deceased Case No. 2024 E 001199 NOTICE is hereby given that Christopher Velazquez of the Estate of Yamil Velazquez Fraticelli, has been appointed to administer the estate.

All persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate are hereby notified to present their claims, duly verified, to the undersigned at the address provided below 2249 n winchell st Portland,OR on or before June 14,2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned . Christopher Velazquez administrator to the estate of Yamil Velazquez Fraticelli 2249 n winchell st Portland,OR 97217

NOTICE

In The General Court Of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File #24E001016-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE The Undersigned having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Wilmer Berrio, deceased late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 6th day of June, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 the 6th day of March, 2025. Juan Camilo Berrio 3726 West Malory Court Cocoa FL. 32926

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO.

25SP000133-250 FOR THE ADOPTION OF A FEMALE MINOR

TO: the biological father of Baby Girl Graham, a female child, born on February 7, 2025 in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to Ciara Shantal Graham. Take notice that a Petition for Adoption was filed with the Clerk of Superior Court for Cumberland County, North Carolina in the above entitled special proceeding. The Petition relates to Baby Girl Graham, a female child, born on February 7, 2025 in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to Ciara Shantal Graham. Ms. Graham reports that the biological father is Richard Baldwin of Fayetteville, NC and that conception occurred in Cumberland County, NC. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that you are required to file a response to such pleading not later than 40 days from the first day of publication of this notice, that date being March 6, 2025, and upon your failure to do so the Petitioner will apply to the Court for relief sought in the Petition. Any parental rights you may have will be terminated upon the entry of the decree of adoption.

Kelly T. Dempsey, Attorney for Petitioners, 101 S Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 2828

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E000218-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Sarah Ayako Callaghan, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 21st day of May, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 14th day of February, 2025 _Ted N Fujimoto Administrator/Executor _712 Roundtree Dr Address _Fayetteville, NC 28303 City,State, Zip Of the Estate of Sarah Ayako Callaghan, Deceased

Executor’s Notice IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 25-E-000216-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Albert Francis Finn, III, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 6138 Ackerman Drive, Hope Mills, North Carolina 28348 on or before May 27, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 27th day of February, 2025. Kristina Elizabeth Finn Executor of the Estate of Albert Francis Finn, III, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam,

having qualified as Administrator for the Estate of Frank W. Gaskill, III, Deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned, at the address indicated below, on or before May 21, 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms, and corporations indebted to said estate should please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 20th day of February, 2025. Elizabeth Ann McGeachy Administrator for the Frank W. Gaskill, III

NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified Joel Jones (administrator) of the Estate of Beulah Jane Jones, decreased, later of Cumberland County, hereby notified all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 6 day of June, 2025, 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 6 day of March 2025. Joel Jones at 5042 beargrass dr, Dallas, NC, 28304 of the estate of Beulah Jane Jones, Deceased

Executor’s Notice

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 25E000134-250

State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having qualified as the Executor of the Estate of Harlon Gregory, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, firms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 3601 Chesaning Place, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311, on or before June 6, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 6th day of March, 2025. William Lester Clagett Executor of the Estate of Harlon Gregory, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 03/06/2025, 03/13/2025, 03/20/2025 and 03/27/2025

NOTICE

State Of North Carolina Cumberland County Administrator Notice

The undersigned having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Carolyn J. Henderson deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on of before the 6th day of June, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 the 6th day of March, 2025. Administrator of the Estate of Carolyn J. Henderson Contact address: 3602 Village Dr, Fayetteville Nc 28304

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In The General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File #24E000846-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of James A. Howard deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims Against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 22 day Of May, 2025 , (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 20th day of Feb, 2025 . Akisha M. Howard Administrator/Executor 1802 Glenwick Dr. Fayetteville, NC, 28304 Of the Estate of James A. Howard, Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In the General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 24E001652-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Jacquetta Annette Kent, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 20th day of May, 2025, (which is three months after the day of the first 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 February 2025 SAUL T. KENT, JR. – Executor 425 Hallmark Road Fayetteville NC 28303 Of the Estate of Jacquetta Annette Kent, deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice

Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E000248-250 County of Cumberland Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as the Administrator of the estate of Charles Ernest Lilly deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 13th day of June, 2025 ( which date is three months after the day of the first 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 13th day of March, 2025. Charles Ernest Lilly II Administrator/Executor 215 N. Dakota St. Address Charlotte, NC. 28216 City, State, Zip Of the estate of Charles Ernest Lilly, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF VIRGINIA LLOYD

CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E000169-250 All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Jo Ellen Stewart, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Danielle Lafferty, 1906 Gables Lane, Vienna VA 22182; Jacqueline Tanenbaum, 17912 Bunker Hill Rd., Parkton, MD 21120; and Kristen Lloyd, 7709 Prospector Pl., Raleigh, NC 27615, Co-Executors, on or before the 14th day of June, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 Co-Executors named above. This the 4th day of February, 2025. Danielle Lafferty, Jacqueline Tanenbaum, Kristen Lloyd Co- Executors of the Estate of Virginia Lloyd Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: March 13, March 20, March 27 and April 3, 2025

NOTICE

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

ESTATE FILE 24 E 1212 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: KISAL GILCHRIST Executor’S NOTICE The undersigned, having qualifed as Executor of the estate of Lamarvion Tremayne Aviticus McKinnon, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 14 day of June, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first publication of this notice) 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 13 day of March, 2025. Kisal Gilchrist 373 Croft drive Fayetteville NC 28312 Executor of the estate of Lamarvion Tremayne Aviticus McKinnon, deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 24E002863-250

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Kathleen Sprague McLamb, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 6th day of June, 2025,(which date is three months after the day of the first 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. Dated this 3rd day of March, 2025. Mark W. McLamb, Executor of the Estate of Kathleen Sprague McLamb 2709 Lake Club Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina, 28304

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E000238-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the estate of Max Craven McClellan Sr., deceased, late of Cumberland County, herby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 28 day of May, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 19 day of February, 2025. David G. McClellan Administrator/Executor 315 Tolarsville Road Address Lumberton, NC 28358 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Max Craven McClellan Sr. Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In The General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 24E1195 The Undersigned, having qualified as Robin Glenn of the Estate of William Edward Peabody, deceased, late of Cumberland County, herby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 6th day of June, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 6th day of March, 2025 Robin Rae Glenn Administrator/Executor 190 Piney Lane Southern Pines, NC. 28387 Of the Estate of William Edward Peabody, Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 24E242 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having qualified as the Executor of the Estate of Denise Lynn Randall, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 13th day of June ,2025, (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 13th day of March 2025. Chantel Pittman_______ Administrator/Executor 6913 Tayberry Court Address Fayetteville NC 28306 City State Zip Of the Estate of Denise Lynn Randall, Deceased

Notice to Creditors

The undersigned, having qualified as Shirlene Robinson of the Estate of Suzette Law, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 27th day of May, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 24th day of February, 2025. AdministratorExecutor Shirlene Robinson Address: 6381 Lake Trail Drive, Fayetteville, N.C. 28304. Of the Estate of Ms. Suzette Law.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Administrator’s Executor Notice In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E000234-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the estate of Carmen Haydee Rosado, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to undersigned on or before 6th Day of June, 2025, (which is the three months after day of the first 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 6th Day of March, 2025. Evelyn L Smith Administrator/Executor 805 Houndschase Chase Ct Fayetteville, NC 28311 Of the Estate of Carmen Haydee Rosado, deceased. 3/6,13,20,27/2025

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NUMBER: 25E000046-250 In the Matter of the Estate of:

NANCY MCQUAGE SMITH Deceased

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Nancy McQuage Smith, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before June 6, 2025 (which is three (3) months after the day of the first publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. THIS the 3rd day of March, 2025. Karen Smith Roberts, Executor of the Estate of Nancy McQuage Smith, Deceased c/o J. Thomas Neville Yarborough, Winters & Neville, P.A. P.O. Box 705 Fayetteville, NC 28302-0705 Publish: 03/06/2025, 03/13/2025, 03/20/2025 and 03/27/2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E000282-250

The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Hubert Franklin Stephens, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 6th day of June, 2025. (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 6th day of March 2025 Wilma lee Stephens Administrator/Executor 3659 colonial cove Address Hope Mills , North Carolina 28348 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Hubert Franklin Stephens, Deceased

NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualified as executor of the estate of Joseph Daniel Stephenson, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby notifies all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 13 day of June, 2025 which will be 3 months after the day of the first publication of this notice or this notice will be placed in the bar of recovery. All debtors of the decadent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 13th day of March 2025 Daniel Glenn Stephenson 42 Deer Run Court Angier N.C 27501 Of the estate of Joseph Daniel Stephenson

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF Jo Ellen Stewart Cumberland County Estate File No. 25E000217-250 All persons, firms and corporations having claims against Jo Ellen Stewart, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are notified to present their claims to Kerri Stewart Hurley, Executor, at 3505 Turnberry Cir., Fayetteville, NC 28303, on or before the 7th day of June, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the first 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 28th day of February, 2025 Kerri Stewart Hurley Executor of the Estate of Jo Ellen Stewart Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: March 6, March 13, March 20 and March 27, 2025

NOTICE In The General Court of Justice / Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #25E000243250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Erna H. Tubbs, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this

All

of

and corporations

to

estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. THIS the 10th day of March, 2025. Sharon Kay Jacobs, Executor of the Estate of Garland Daniel Edge, Deceased c/o J. Thomas Neville Yarborough, Winters & Neville, P.A. P.O. Box 705 Fayetteville, NC 28302-0705 Publish: 03/13/2025, 03/20/2025, 03/27/2025 and 04/03/2025

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NUMBER: 25E000337-250 In the Matter of the Estate of: EVA B. YARBOROUGH Deceased. ))))) EXECUTOR’S NOTICE The undersigned, having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Eva B. Yarborough, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before June 13, 2025 (which is three (3) months after the day of the first publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. THIS the 10th day of March, 2025. Kenneth Creed, Jr., Executor of the Estate of Eva B. Yarborough, Deceased c/o J. Thomas Neville Yarborough, Winters & Neville, P.A. P.O. Box 705 Fayetteville, NC 28302-0705 Publish: 03/13/2025, 03/20/2025, 03/27/2025 and 04/03/2025

DURHAM

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DURHAM COUNTY IN THE GENERAL

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

24SP001568-120

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Pearline Annetta Samuel (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD

OWNER(S): Pearline Annetta Samuel) to Frances Jones, Trustee(s), dated October 26, 2020, and recorded in Book No. 14626, at Page 0195 in Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina, 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 Office 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 offer 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 March 19, 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. 17 of Wellington Chase Subdivision, Phase 1, Map 2, as shown on map recorded in Map Book 52, Page 105, Cabarrus County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2429 Bensalem Lane, Concord, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee

property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly

nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered 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 five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to

from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE

COUNTY PUBLIC

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE

SALE

and by virtue of the power and

in the above-referenced deed

of the

and because of default in

debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cumberland County courthouse at 11:00AM on March 27, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Richard Riveral Salinas and Marilyn Riivera, dated July 6, 2012 to secure the original principal amount of $82,200.00, and recorded in Book 8946 at Page 375 of the Cumberland County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 4512 Plainview Crt, Fayetteville, NC 28304 Tax Parcel ID:

0416-41-4575 Present Record Owners: Richard Rivera Salinas

The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Richard Rivera Salinas. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax

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

associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the

TENANTS

Deed of

by

A. Dean and Angela D. Dean, in the original amount of $136,600.00, payable to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., dated January 6, 2012 and recorded on January 11, 2012 in Book 08807, Page 0020, Cumberland County Registry. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Cumberland County, North Carolina, at 2:00PM on March 25, 2025, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit:

Being all of Lot Number 100 in a subdivision known as KINWOOD, SECTION 8 and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 57, at page 17, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Parcel ID: 0540-15-0709 Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 237 Lofton Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311. Tax ID: 0540-15-0709 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A308, in the amount of Forty-five Cents

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CUMBERLAND COUNTY 24SP001844-250 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY ARTHUR G. TOWNSEND AND DOROTHY A. TOWNSEND DATED MARCH 29, 2001 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 5434 AT PAGE 314 IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the abovereferenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cumberland County courthouse at 11:00AM on March 24, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Arthur G. Townsend and Dorothy A. Townsend, dated March 29, 2001 to secure the original principal amount of $80,100.00, and recorded in Book 5434 at Page 314 of the Cumberland County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 1417 A Townsend Road, Parkton, NC 28371 Tax Parcel ID: 0 421-30-7848 Present Record Owners:

(0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of five percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certified funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owners of the property are Gregory A. Dean and Angela D. Dean. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for

The Heirs of Arthur Geral Townsend The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are The Heirs of Arthur Geral Townsend.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure.

possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination (North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.16A(b)(2)). Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of termination. If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Substitute Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Anchor Trustee Services, LLC Substitute Trustee By: ______________________________ David W. Neill, Bar #23396 McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC Attorney for Anchor Trustee Services, LLC 3550 Engineering Drive, Suite 260 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 404-474-7149 (phone) 404-745-8121 (fax) dneill@mtglaw.com

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit

County Public Registry by Goddard & Peterson, PLLC, Substitute Trustee, default having been made in the terms of agreement set forth by the loan agreement secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Goddard & Peterson, PLLC, having been substituted as Successor Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Official Records of Cumberland County, North Carolina, in Book 11453, Page 704, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 11:00 am, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): 9488-20-8101 ADDRESS: 6721 PACIFIC AVE., FAYETTEVLLE, NC 28314 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): ANGELA GAFFNEY BEING ALL OF LOT 934, MIDDLE CREEK, SECTION TEN, ACCORDING TO A PLAT OF SAME DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF PLATS 78, PAGE 54, CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered 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 five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified 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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit,

§ 4521.29 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

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CUMBERLAND COUNTY 22sp000556-250 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY TROY D DAVIS AND LINDA DAVIS DATED FEBRUARY 28, 2005 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 6803 AT PAGE 833 AND MODIFIED BY AGREEMENT RECORDED JULY 16, 2018 IN BOOK 10342, PAGE 572 IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the abovereferenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cumberland County courthouse at 11:00AM on March 27, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Troy D Davis and Linda Davis, dated February 28, 2005 to secure the original principal amount of $132,692.00, and recorded in Book 6803 at Page 833 of the Cumberland County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 1452 Middlesbrough Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28306 Tax Parcel ID: 0 415-65-6127 Present Record Owners: Troy D. Davis and Linda Davis The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

23SP000954-250

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Erick S. Lamb and Cindy M. Lamb (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Erick S. Lamb) to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated January 20, 2017, and recorded in Book No. 10023, at Page 0541 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, 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 Office of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 17, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following

23 SP 798 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Patrick T Williams and Azizi J Hamilton to H. Terry Hutchens, Trustee(s), which was dated November 15, 2002 and recorded on November 18, 2002 in Book 5906 at Page 724, Cumberland 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 offer 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 March 28, 2025 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

22SP000992-250 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Max A. Ginorio De Jesus and Iris Ostolaza Mateo (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Max A. Ginorio De Jesus and Iris Ostolaza Mateo) to The Law Firm of Hutchens, Senter & Britton, P.A., Trustee(s), dated June 16, 2020, and recorded in Book No. 10798, at Page 512 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, 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 Office of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 17, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the

contained in a

Deed of Trust made by Mitchell J. Bratton (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Mitchell J. Bratton and

Bratton and Brandon Setzer and Frazier Delphine Setzer) to Randolph & MoirMark E. Randolph, Trustee(s), dated May 8, 2006, and recorded in Book No. 1697, at Page 1954 in Davidson County Registry, North Carolina, 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 Office of the Register of Deeds Davidson County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse

of Deeds, is/are Troy D. Davis and Linda Davis. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY

real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 267 in a Subdivision known as BEAVER RUN, SECTION FIVE according to a plat recorded in Plat Book 86, Page 133, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 520 Blackbird Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. 7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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

Lying and being in Eastover Township, Cumberland County, North Carolina, south of and adjoining paved Secondary Road 1828 (James Dail Road).

BEGINNING at an existing iron pipe on the right of way of Secondary Road 1828, the northwest corner of the original tract, and runs with said right of way North 71 degrees 27 minutes 00 seconds East 20.29 feet to a set iron rod; thence South 08 degrees 48 minutes 05 seconds East 130.63

ditch

or less.

This property is a portion of the lands described in Deed Book 2267, Page 431, and Deed Book 2762, Page 393, recorded in the Cumberland County Registry. See also Plat Book 45, Page 40.

Save and except any releases, deeds of

County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The land hereinafter referred to is situated in the City of FAYETTEVILLE, County of Cumberland, State of NC, and is described as follows:

Being all of Lot 166, in a subdivision known as Briarwood Hills Subdivision, Section Three, and the same being duly recorded in Plat Book 29, Page 51, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2600 Colgate Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Being the same property conveyed from Liza A. Soeryanto Wahid and spouse, Bee Martin Branham to Max A. Ginorio De Jesus and spouse, Iris Ostolaza Mateo by deed dated November 1, 2018 and recorded November 9, 2018 in Instrument Number 33227, of official records. APN: 0426-45-8490

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party

door in Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:30 AM on March 19, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Thomasville in the County of Davidson, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING Lot Number Ten (10), Block B, Bowerwood Acres, as recorded in Plat Book 12, Page 12, Office of the Register of Deeds of Davidson County, North Carolina reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 819 Mary James Avenue, Thomasville, North Carolina. Property Address: 819 Mary James Ave., Thomasville NC 27360 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered 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 five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified 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

release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 2716 James Dail Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28301. A certified check only (no personal checks) of five 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 COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. 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

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 offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered 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 five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered 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 five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole

to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the

owner(s) of the property is/are PATRICK T. WILLIAMS.

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 effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Up on termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole

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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family

remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988

File No.: 23-02345-FC01

remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the

DAVIDSON

or the usual and customary location at the

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, FORSYTH COUNTY 24 SP 428

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Susan Sebastian, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $51,000.00, to Bank of America, N.A, Mortgagee, dated April 26, 2007 and recorded on April 26, 2007 in Book RE 2748, Page 211, as instrument number 2007024051 00301, Forsyth County Registry. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Forsyth

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION FORSYTH COUNTY 24sp794 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY JAMES W. MAHAN, JR. DATED OCTOBER 11, 1993 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 1800 AT PAGE 3181 IN THE FORSYTH COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Forsyth County courthouse at 11:00AM on March 18, 2025,

county courthouse for conducting the sale on March 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit: ALL THAT CERTAIN PROPERTY SITUATED IN THE CITY OF WINSTON SALEM, IN THE COUNTY OF FORSYTH AND STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA AND BEING DESCRIBED IN A DEED DATED 10/01/1981 AND RECORDED 10/07/1981 IN BOOK 1346, PAGE 531 AMONG THE LAND RECORDS OF THE COUNTY AND STATE SET FORTH ABOVE AND REFERENCED AS FOLLOWS: LOT 45, BLOCK F, SUBDIVISION OF MORNINGSIDE MANOR, SECTION 2, PLAT BOOK 18, PLAT PAGE 103.

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

Said property is commonly known as 1201 Peachtree Street, Winston Salem, NC 27107.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be

County, North Carolina, at 2:00PM on March 18, 2025, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: BEING all of condominium Unit No. 2500B of Miller Park Circle Condominiums as designated and described in the Declaration of Condominium, which was filed pursuant to the North Carolina Unit Ownership Act in Book 1312, pages 23-65, and in Unit Ownership File No. 1, pages 55 and 56, of the Forsyth County Registry, which Declaration is incorporated herein in its entirety, together with 1.0416 undivided percentage interest in the Common areas and Facilities of said Condominium. 2500 Miller Park Circle, Unit B. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 2500 Miller Park Circle, Apt B, Winston Salem, NC 27103 Tax ID: 6825-13-0378.000 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00)

the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Forsyth County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed James W. Mahan, Jr., dated October 11, 1993 to secure the original principal amount of $64,000.00, and recorded in Book 1800 at Page 3181 of the Forsyth County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 4124 Kingsland Cir, Winston Salem, NC 27106 Tax Parcel ID: 6808-92-6481.00 Present Record Owners: James W. Mahan, Jr. The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are James W. Mahan, Jr. The property to be offered pursuant to

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 COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. 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 Blondell S. Hardin.

per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount of Forty-five Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of five percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certified funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record.

this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale

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 effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the

To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned,

July 27, 2004, and recorded in Book No. RE 2492, at Page 789 in Forsyth County Registry, North Carolina, 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 Office of the Register of Deeds Forsyth County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Winston Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location

OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24 SP 765 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Canaan Baptist Church (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Canaan Missionary Baptist Church) to SCBT, Inc., Trustee(s), dated the 11th day of April, 2007, and recorded

Substitute

designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:15 PM on March 26, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Kernersville in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain property situated in the City of Kernersville in the County of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, being described as follows: Lot 45, Timber Trails, Section 2, recorded in Plat Book 26, Page 197. Being more fully described in a Deed dated 12/01/1998 and recorded 12/ 01/1998, among the land records of the County and State set forth above in Deed Volume 2038 and Page 2991. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 6025 Timberwood Trail, Kernersville, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court

costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered 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 five percent (5%) of

will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified 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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute

BEING THE SAME AND IDENTICAL PROPERTY as described in Deed Book 1124 Page 0997 and recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina. Tax Block 315 Lot(s) 6B, 105C, 4C, and 5C.

been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:15 p.m. on March 26, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the City of Winston-Salem, in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at a point, the northwest corner of the intersection of North Liberty Street as relocated and 18th Street, running thence North 88 deg. 01 min. West 178.42 feet along the north line of 18th Street to a new iron in the right of way line of the N.C. State Highway Commission; thence running the following courses and distances along the said right of way as follows: North 01 deg. 58 min. East 80.83 feet to a concrete monument; North 58 deg. 44 min. 11 sec. East 41.82 feet to a concrete monument; North 29 deg. 10 min. 25 sec. East 99.02 feet to a concrete monument where the said right of way intersects the north property line of the Fairview Church Property; thence North 89 deg. 34 min. East 20.81 feet to a new iron in the new west right of way line of North Liberty Street as relocated; thence running along the new west line of North Liberty Street relocated, South 20 deg. 43 min. East 101.49 feet to a new iron; South 19 deg. 08 min. East 106.22 feet to the POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING, containing .495 acres, more or less, all according to survey prepared by Daniel W. Donathan L-1192 dated October 27, 2004.

Together with improvements thereon, said property located at 1800 North Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27105

Property address: 1800 North Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27105

Parcel ID: 6836-53-2613.000

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §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 NCGS §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of

Present Record Owners: Exemplar Holdings, LLC The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Exemplar Holdings, LLC. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any

or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are 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 five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified 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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee.

is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY

Court, Mooresville, NC 28115 Tax Parcel ID: 4667697531.000

24SP000507-500

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, JOHNSTON COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale

contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Aamira Dixon and Archie Dixon IV to WFG National Title Insurance, Trustee(s), which was dated April 11, 2023 and recorded on April 12, 2023 in Book 6454 at Page 261, Johnston 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 offer 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 March 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION JOHNSTON COUNTY 24SP000104-500

ID: 06D02030B Present Record Owners: Adair F. Williams The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Adair F. Williams. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances

described property situated in Johnston County, North Carolina, to wit: Lying and being in the Wilders Township, Johnston County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows:

All of Lot 16, in Whitley Corner, Phase 1-C, at Flowers Plantation as shown on the plat recorded in Plat Book 95, Pages 243-244, Johnston County Registry, reference to which plat is hereby made for a more particular description.

Property Address: 112 Still Hand Drive, Clayton, NC 27527

PIN/PARCEL NO .: 16K06017Q

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

Said property is commonly known as 112 Still Hand Dr, Clayton, NC 27527.

A Certified Check ONLY (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be

NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Johnston County courthouse at 11:00AM on March 20, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Johnston County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed David A Dunham and Stephanie A. Lavoie, dated October 31, 2007 to secure the original principal amount of $81,000.00, and recorded in Book 3446 at Page 572 of the Johnston County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 207 West Brocklyn St, Benson, NC 27504 Tax Parcel ID: 01039017 Present Record Owners: David A. Dunham and Stephanie A. Lavoie The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are David A. Dunham and Stephanie A. Lavoie. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the

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 COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. 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 AAMIRA DIXON AND ARCHIE DIXON, IV, A MARRIED COUPLE.

holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are

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 effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days,

dated December 19, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 5889, at Page 803 in Onslow County Registry, North Carolina, 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 Office of the Register of Deeds Onslow County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute

Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 26, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Jacksonville in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot No. 4, Block C, of the subdivision known and designated as Oak Grove Subdivision, as shown on a map of said subdivision as revised by Roscoe Sandlin, Registered Surveyor, January 7, 1955, and which is recorded in Map Book 4, Page 60, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 107 Dogwood Drive, Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court

IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days written notice to the landlord. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination. The date of this Notice is January 30, 2025.

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 offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered 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 five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified 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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of

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 COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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

Said property is commonly known as 2506 Whirlwind Ln, Asheboro, NC 27203.

A certified check only (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the

evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer 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 March 28, 2025 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Randolph County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING ALL OF LOT 76, OF JACKSON’S RUN, PHASE 3, AS PER PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 163, PAGE 12, IN THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF RANDOLPH COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. 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 Quinten D. Hickman and spouse, Janel J. Hickman.

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 effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [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 effective date of the termination.

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

Trustee

March 6th, 2006 in Book RE1963, Page 246, as instrument number 20060306000050630, Randolph County Registry.

having been made in the payment of the note thereby

by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been

as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Randolph County, North Carolina, at 2:00 PM on March 20th, 2025, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Lot 41, of Sterling Ridge Subdivision, Phase II, as per plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 52, Page 62, in The Office of The Register of Deeds for Randolph County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 107 Hope Valley Drive, Archdale, NC 27263 Tax ID: 7728-08-2396 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount of Forty-five Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of five percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certified funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Mark Williams. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at

RANDOLPH

ONSLOW

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23SP000059-890

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Ned Moore (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Ned Moore) to Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Trustee(s), dated December 7, 2021, and recorded in Book No. 8339, at Page 0529 in Union County Registry, North Carolina, 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 Office of the Register of Deeds Union County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Judicial Center in Monroe, Union County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on March 20, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real

24SP001019-910

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 Christopher Miller-Williams to Allan B. Polunsky, Trustee(s), which was dated March 23, 2022 and recorded on March 28, 2022 in Book 018969 at Page 00883, Wake County Registry, North Carolina.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 517 East Park Drive, Monroe, North Carolina. County: Union Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

estate situated in Monroe in the County of Union, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The following described property located in the City of Monroe, County of Union, State of North Carolina, more particularly described as follows:

Being all of Lot 65 of Lexington Commons, Phase II, as shown on Map recorded in Plat Cabinet J, File 834-840, in the Union County, North Carolina, Register of Deeds. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2211 Kingstree Drive, Monroe, North Carolina.

Being the same property as conveyed to Ned Moore and Diane L. Moore (Deceased) from Essex Homes Southeast, Inc. by the Deed dated 07/18/2013 and Recorded 07/19/2013 in Book/Page/Instrument Number: 08055/0757/24989 in the Union County Records.

PARCEL ID(S): 09321582

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered 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

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 offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered 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.

and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

BEING ALL OF LOT 33, BATTLE RIDGE NORTH, PHASE 4 AS SHOWN ON THE PLAT RECORDED IN BOOK OF MAPS 2004, PAGE 988, WAKE COUNTY REGISTRY.

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

Said property is commonly known as 6120 Paducah Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610.

A certified check only (no personal checks) of five 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

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 offer 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 March 26, 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:

15 SP 1750 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain

and

of

Deed of

of

having directed

be foreclosed, the

Substitute Trustee will offer 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 March 26, 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 11, Block I of Greenwood Forest, Section 3, Part B, as recorded in Book of Maps 1962, Page 117, Wake County Registry, North Carolina.

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

Said property is commonly known as 531 East Cornwall Road, Cary, NC 27511.

A certified check only (no personal checks) of five 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 COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

of sale at the Wake County courthouse at 11:00AM on March 20, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Wake County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Pete N. Muhammad, dated August 16, 2007 to secure the original principal amount of $105,994.00, and recorded in Book 12710 at Page 2505 of the Wake County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modified by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 3204 Winfield Ct, Raleigh, NC 27610 Tax Parcel ID: 0032422 Present Record Owners: The Estate of Pete N. Muhammad The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register

Ahmed Hussein and Mona Kamal Mohamed Mohame Mattar (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Ahmed Hussein and Mona Kamal Mohamed Mohame Mattar) to Gwynn, Edwards & Getter, PA, Trustee(s), dated May 27, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 019040, at Page 02517 in Wake County Registry, North Carolina, 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 Office of the Register of Deeds Wake County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on March 17, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Wake Forest in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 577, The Willows at Traditions, Phase 2, as shown on that plat recorded in Book of Maps 2020, Pages 2111-2115, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 122 Daisy Meadow Lane, Wake Forest, North Carolina. Property Address: 122 Daisy Meadow Lane, Wake Forest, NC 27587 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. 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 Christopher Miller-Williams.

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

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. 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 Renee Porter and husband, Jacques Parker Baker and All Lawful Heirs of Eugene P. Porter.

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 Deeds, is/are The Estate of Pete N. Muhammad. The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the officers, 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 offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the

of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [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 effective date of the termination.

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

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

of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [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 effective date of the termination.

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

If the trustee is unable to convey title to

highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason,

this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 16-20121-FC01

N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered 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 officers, 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 offered 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 five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified 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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of

Springhas sprung

With the clocks springingahead over theweekend andtemperatures on the rise Bradfordpear trees indowntownRaeford areinfull bloom making winter feellikeadistant memory.

the BRIEF

thi s week

February, though trade war threatens to lift prices

time since September on steel and aluminum kicked in Wednesday that could send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The in nearly four years. The declines were larger than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet.

Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia

President Donald Trump is warning that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University come” as his administration cracks down on protests aga inst the war in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His lawyer says the agents claimed the government was revoking his green card. DHS has said the arrest was in response to Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.

$2.00

Expansion ofphone-free pilot program approved by Boardof Education

Thepilotwillbecomingtoboth Northwood and Chatham Central High Schools

By RyanHenkel ChathamNews & Record

PITTSBORO—Chatham CountySchools(CCS)willbe expandingitspilotprogram forphone-free classrooms.

AtitsMarch10meeting,the ChathamCountySchoolsBoard ofEducationapprovedtheexpansionoftheYondrPouchpilotprogramtobothNorthwood andChathamCentralHigh School.

YondrPouchisadevice schoolscanutilizetocreate “phone-free spaces.” Phonesareplaced insideof thepouches,whicharethen locked,preventingtheiruse. Students,however,stillmaintainpossessionoftheirphone at alltimesandcanuseanun-

See BOARD, page A3

Hudson saysvoterswill ‘rewardus’ forTrump-Musk DOGE cuts

TheNorth Carolinacongressman ischair ofthe NationalRepublicanCongressional Committee

By Lisa Mascaro TheAssociated Press

WASHINGTON,D.C.—Almostt wo monthsintoPresident DonaldTrump’ssecondterm,

Braggto

the chairmanoftheHouseRepublican campaigncommittee isalreadypredictinghispartywillpickupseatsinthemidtermelectionssome 20 months away.

Liberty and backagain

“It should have never been changed to start with. It was all political anyway.” CarlHelton, whoserved at FortBragg from1962 to1964

TheArmyheld a ceremony torechristentheN.C. base previouslynamed for aConfederategeneral

By Allen G Breed and MakiyaSeminera TheAssociatedPress

FORTBRAGG—The short-livedexistenceofFortLibertycametoanendFridaywhen thenation’slargestArmy instalformername:For t Bragg. Christenedacenturyagoin honorofConfederateGen.BraxtonBragg,thepostinNorthCarolinawasrenamedin2023amid adrivetoremovesymbolsofthe Confederacy frompublic spaces. Butlast month,DefenseSecretaryPeteHegsethsignedan

Rep.RichardHudson (R-N.C.)isin chargeofincreasingtheGOP’sslimmajorityin theHouse,or at leastdefending it. Af terRepublicansmetprivately thispastweek withElon Musk,Hudsonsaidthecuts pushedbytheDepartmentof

onatingwith voters.

orderreinstatingtheBragg name,only thistimeitwillhonorArmyPfc.Roland L .Bragg,a WorldWar II paratrooperand SilverStarrecipientfromMaine. Afewhundredpeople—made upofactiveservicemenand membersof thepublic—gatheredunderblackandyellow tentsinfrontofthebase’scommandcenterheadquartersto watchthe renaming ceremony.

“Today we honoraheroworthyofthenameBragg,”Lt.Gen. GregAndersonsaidduringthe ceremony.“Itissy nonymous with excellence.”

Amongtheattendeeswere severalmembersofBragg’sfamily,includinghisdaughter,DianeWatts,andhisgranddaughter,RebeccaAmirpour,who spokeonthefamily’sbehalf duringtheceremony.Amirpour describedhergrandfatherasa “strong,hardworkingandproud” manwhodidn’tdiscusshismilitaryserviceinWorldWar II very openly. Bragg,whoservedwiththe

85%

Percentage ofsurveyed CCS YondrPouch improvedstudent engagement,academicsand overall school climate.

Withdisruptions at GOP townhallsduringtherecent break,HudsonandHouse Spea kerMikeJohnson(R-La.) havetoldRepublicanlawmakerstoskiptheeventsfornow andmeetwithconstituents elsewhere.Nevertheless,Hud-denttheir budget-cuttingis“on the side of the angels.” Here’sthepoliticaloutlook fromthe chairmanoftheNationalRepublicanCongressionalCommitteeasheconfronts Democratstryingtowinback

HAL NUNN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

THURSDAY

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

March 3

• Kathryn Ariana Truitt, 32, of Bear Creek, was arrested for burglary, breaking and entering, theft, and damaging property.

• Pate Russell Scott, 35, of Bear Creek, was arrested for simple assault, assault with a deadly weapon, and assault by pointing a gun.

• Troy Thomas Blankenship II, 37, of Siler City, was arrested for communicating threats.

March 4

• Cassie Danielle Jordan, 37, of Ramseur, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana up to half an ounce, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Derek Rile Green, 48, of Staley, was arrested for misdemeanor stalking and manufacturing liquor without a permit.

March 5

• Larry Raymond Smith Jr, 39, of Bear Creek, was arrested for felony stalking, cyberstalking, and violating a domestic violence protection order.

March 6

• Marshall Sidney Gowings Jr, 48, of Pittsboro, was arrested for speeding and reckless driving with wanton disregard.

• Stacy Lawrence Currie, 52, of Siler City, was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

March 7

• Brandon Edward Scott, 41, of Siler City, was arrested for assault by strangulation, battery of an unborn child, and assault on a female.

the House in 2026. This Q&A has been edited for brevity and length.

What was your advice about holding town halls?

I just said that it’s very important that all of us are communicating with our constituents, are very visible in our districts, very accessible. And it’s a shame that Democrat organizations are paying people to disrupt in-person town halls. And so this normal dialogue that we want to have with our constituents isn’t possible at in-person town halls. So we need to use technology to reach our constituents.

Do you think the DOGE cuts will be a tough sell?

I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened since I’ve been in Congress.

My biggest frustration as a member of Congress is these massive bureaucracies that hide all their spending and when I ask questions or send letters, ignore it. And now it’s all mapped. You can see it all. There’s transparency for the American people. Now we can go in and decide, do we like the taxpayers’ dollars being spent on this program? Yes. Let’s keep it. This one? No, let’s cut it. I mean, we actually can do our job. It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating.

Do you feel any blowback back home from people losing their jobs, cuts to veterans?

(Musk) did say that the the the rings at the VA (Department of Veterans A airs) were a mistake done by that agency, by the VA. He said mistakes were made by bureaucrats.

What do you make of the 80,000 cuts at the VA?

I’m disturbed when I hear veterans are being red. I think we ought to give veterans priority. But, you know, I do acknowledge that there may need to be rings in all these agencies.

When it comes to the VA, for example, what I’m concerned about is giving world-class health care to our veterans in a timely manner. And so any waste, fraud and abuse that makes that di cult or messes that up, I’m interested in cutting.

What’s your message to the red federal workers, what do you say to them?

Hang tight.

What’s that mean?

I mean there may be some mistakes that are being corrected.

Do you think that will be an OK message for other GOP lawmakers to use?

The American people are sick of the swamp. They’re sick of waste, fraud and abuse. For the rst time ever, we nally have the tools to a ect it. So I think the voters are going to reward us.

Democrats envision a repeat of Trump’s rst term, when they won back the House?

I think they’re digging their own grave politically.

We’re on the side of the angels. We’re doing what the American people asked us to do, what 77 million people voted for Donald Trump to get.

We’re going to pick up seats.

CHATHAM happening

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

March 13

Anime, Ramen and Sake Watch Party 6-8 p.m.

Join Koshu Sake every Thursday, 6-8 p.m. for an Anime, Ramen and Sake Watch Party! Movie selections are announced a few days before each event on their Facebook page. You must be 21 with an ID to consume sake. Part of the Chatham County Craft Beverages & Country Inns Trail.

The Plant 220 Lorax Lane Pittsboro

Opinionation Trivia at House of Pops

6-8 p.m.

Join House of Hops every Thursday, 6-8 p.m. for Opinionation Trivia. This Family Feud-style trivia game is so much fun! Play at 6 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. for two chances to win $15 or $25 House of Hops gift cards. More events at House of Hops; part of Chatham County’s Craft Beverages and Country Inns Trail.

112 Russet Run Suite 110 Pittsboro

March 14

Vino!! Wine Shop Tasting 5-7 p.m.

Weekly free tastings at Vino!! Wine Shop are hosted every Friday. Experts share their picks of wines with varied pricing and from diverse locations. Tasting details, including which wines will be served, are shared on their Facebook page and in their newsletter.

March

15

Battle of the Chili Bowl Fundraisers

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

$20 entry fee per pot of homemade chili (2 gallons – approximate standard crock pot size). Chili must be cooked o -site and brought to the judging location listed below. Please bring a list of ingredients used for each pot. For those who want to eat chili and other items that will be served, please stop in to support the Chatham County American Legion Posts. Plates are $10 each. For additional information, contact 919-799-7583.

721 Alston Bridge Road Siler City

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) attends a meeting of the House GOP conference in November.

17th Airborne Division, received the Silver Star and a Purple Heart for exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured by Germans and commandeered an ambulance back to safety with a few wounded paratroopers, one of which survived, Anderson said.

“Rank doesn’t mean a thing when you’re in a tight spot,” said Amirpour, who was reading an excerpt from a letter her grandfather had written while recovering from an injury in an Army hospital.

Before his deployment, Bragg — of Nobleboro, Maine — trained at the North Carolina post, Watts said.

When the redesignation was announced Feb. 10, some critics saw it as a cynical sop to President Donald Trump, who criticized the removal of Confederate names as “woke” and made restoring them part of his reelection campaign.

Fort Bragg’s name being restored was like a “phoenix rising from the ashes,” said retired Maj. Al Woodall, who served at Fort Bragg at several points

during his service. Woodall, who is black, said he wasn’t bothered by the installation’s initial name origin. Instead, he felt connected to the name because it had been that way for more than 100 years.

Carl Helton, who served at Fort Bragg from 1962 to 1964, said he was “ecstatic” about the name change. The 80-year-old, who traveled about an hour to attend the ceremony, refused to call the installation Fort Liberty after it was initially renamed, he said.

“It should have never been changed to start with. It was all political anyway,” Helton said.

Hegseth signed the order during a ight to Europe and said in a video, “That’s right. Bragg is back.”

It took an act of Congress — overriding Trump’s 2020 veto — to remove Confederate names from military installations, including nine Army facilities. Although several lawmakers complained about the switch backto Bragg and its potential costs, it is unclear whether any lawmaker intends to challenge it.

The name changing continues.

Hegseth announced this

week that Georgia’s Fort Moore would revert back to Fort Benning. Originally named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, it will now honor Cpl. Fred G. Benning, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross who served in France during World War I.

The Liberty-to-Bragg reversion was made without rst consulting with Roland Bragg’s family, but his daughter was delighted by it.

The Army said in 2023 that changing the name to Fort Liberty would cost $8 million. North Carolina’s Department of Transportation said last month that it anticipated replacing dozens of roads signs at a cost of over $200,000.

Changing the name to Fort Liberty was a waste of money to begin with, said Mike D’Arcy, who served at Fort Bragg through the 1990s. He said a solution to having to pay more to revert Fort Bragg’s name should be cutting politician salaries instead.

To Woodall, the money spent on returning to Bragg is a well-spent investment.

“Just like coming back home again,” he said.

Church News

CENTER METHODIST CHURCH

9204 Center Church Road/Green Hill Road O 87 South | Snow Camp COUNTRY BREAKFAST

6:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. Saturday, March 22 Donations Accepted

Sausage/Bacon Country Ham Homemade Biscuits Country Gravy Grits/Eggs Stewed Apples Co ee And Drinks

Everyone Welcome And We Thank You For Your Support!

locking base, typically located outside of the classroom, to remove their phones from the pouches. The pilot was rst implemented at six schools: Chatham Middle, George Moses Horton Middle, Margaret Pollard Middle, One Academy, Jordan-Matthew High and Seaforth High.

“Chatham County Schools acknowledges the signi cant impact of cell phone distractions and the harmful e ects of social media on teenager’s learning and mental health,” said Chris Poston, senior director of excellence and opportunity. “To address these challenges, we are committed to exploring e ective solutions that enhance student focus, promote classroom engagement and promote a safe school environment.”

According to Poston, in a survey sent to sta , parents and students, 85% of sta members who commented felt like the Yondr Pouch improved student engagement, academics and overall school climate.

“Seaforth High School, they have tracked the number of students who had Ds and Fs each quarter and at this time last year, they had 241 Fs in classes and this year, it was 59,” said Tracy Fowler, senior executive director of student services and support programs.

“That is a huge success.”

Pilot schools also reported a 31% decrease in suspensions as a collective than in the prior year.

tance on projects of all sizes.”

According to Fowler, RTI will collaborate with CCS to analyze community challenges, existing interventions, available research and contextual factors to guide evidence-based strategies for adapting and implementing “What Works in Schools” aligned strategies, a CDC program focused on promoting adolescent physical and mental health and well-being

“Their goal will be to work with Chatham County Schools to identify speci c activities related to health education, health services and safe and supportive environments,” Fowler said. “They want to focus on families, schools and community engagement.”

The agreement will award $40,000 annually to CCS over the next ve years for things such as sta training and community events.

Finally, the board received multiple comments from members of the Chatham County Association of Educators (CCAE) — a branch of the North Carolina Association of Educators — during its public comment period calling for additional support and incentive pay for exceptional children (EC) teachers, instructional assistants and bilingual sta at CCS in the upcoming budget.

“We want to make sure that every single child — our EC students, our ML students — have all the support and safety that they need in order to thrive,” said Brandy Varner, a CCS elementary school teacher and member of the CCAE.

Central Electric awards two Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarships annually to local students in Chatham,

To be eligible to apply, the student must be in the sixth or seventh grade during the upcoming school year, have permission from a parent or guardian to attend the overnight camp and must provide their own transportation if selected to attend.

Scan the QR code or visit CEMCPower.com for more information or to apply. e deadline for applications to both camps is March 31.

“When we see the reduction in the number of disciplinary infractions, particularly, we’re not having issues around cell phones,” said Superintendent Anthony Jackson. “Very few. So that tells me we’re breaking through some walls. It might not be perfect, but we’re getting there with that.”

The board also approved a subaward agreement with RTI International, an independent, scienti c research institute “with structures to serve their partners with assis-

“We know in order to do this, you have to have highly qualied sta and competent sta and sta who will give their unwavering dedication to their kids every day like all the sta members here.”

Another item that CCAE wanted to see was the reinstatement of master’s pay and that is an item that the district has already included in its 2025-26 preliminary budget.

The Chatham County Board of Education will next meet April 14.

Share with your community! Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@ chathamnewsrecord.com

The weekly deadline is Monday at Noon.

BOARD from page A1

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

A color guard stands in front of the headquarters building as Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson speaks as Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base last Friday.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Integrity, like a tree

Integrity is often de ned as doing the right thing when no one is watching.

THERE IS A YOUNG RED maple that stands alone about 20 feet from a neighborhood trailhead. Acer rubrum is one of the most common in our state, but while this tree has the expected burning red leaves in autumn, it is distinguished by particular hangings in winter and early spring.

The tree is a living lost and found, displaying various items collected on the trail: hats, beanies, mittens, gloves, scarves and hooded sweatshirts. In addition to articles of clothing, there are walking sticks leaned against the trunk and even an occasional toy wedged in the low branches. Once, I saw a baseball tucked into the crook of a branch and was tempted to claim it, but I refrained out of respect for the unwritten code of honor — if it’s not yours, then leave it.

Integrity is often de ned as doing the right thing when no one is watching. A hiker could just as easily leave a discarded item along the trail. Another passerby might take an item from the tree that did not belong to him. But we hang the misplaced items from the tree, trusting that their original owners will collect them. Over this past weekend, a baseball cap bearing the American ag hung from a branch. Walking past, I re ected that this spirit symbolized the type of country that I am proud of, one in which neighbors and strangers look out for one another in a culture of integrity.

Of course, there are myriad examples of

dishonesty and deceit in the country, even here in my neighborhood. This includes my faults. Just as a red maple is readily identi ed by its leaves, so our character is displayed by the fruit of our actions, and we all fall short at some point.

Yet our understanding of what makes our country “great” impacts our behavior as well. New York Times columnist Damien Cave recently wrote about his grandfather’s habit of hiding one Easter egg containing a $100 bill. As a boy, Cave would search frantically for this prize, but a cousin always found it rst. “It’s just not fair,” he yelled. “Life’s unfair,” his grandfather replied. “You win or you lose.” Cave used this anecdote to illustrate zero-sum thinking — the belief that gains for one mean losses for someone else.

I understand that life is not fair in many ways, yet I am also trying to model a di erent ethic than zero-sum for my children. We respect the code of honor about the maple tree as well as treat our neighbors with the same kindness that we hope others will show us. I am by no means perfect. But they say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and I try to model integrity for my children that I believe marks great citizenship.

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

Lessons learned through the years are valuable as we move along

All that is said to point out that as I have more candles on the birthday cake, my perspective on life changes and grows.

THERE ARE ALL SORTS of universal human emotions and feelings — to love and to be loved, to know (or at least to believe) your life counts for something and a host of other emotions and beliefs.

At least I believe there are those beliefs, knowing all the while there are some folks who couldn’t care less about any of those things. And, to me, I also believe those folks who don’t care are somewhere between enjoying life and merely being alive. I get that di erent folks have had and still have di erent backgrounds — plenty and want, sickness and health, love and abuse. But I also fundamentally believe life is not so much which way the wind blows but how you set your sails.

All that is said to point out that as I have more candles on the birthday cake, my perspective on life changes and grows. And I’ll bet you can say the same thing. Life isn’t best measured in fame and fortune but in relationships. The rst and best of those is found in realizing life isn’t an accident or chance but that there is a Divine Reality. And from that then comes the ability and opportunity to have other relationships. This week marks the anniversary of the appearance of one of those important relationships in my life — the birthday of my rstborn. I won’t divulge her age — you never tell a lady’s age — but su ce it to say when either of us says it, it doesn’t roll of the tongue easily. Of course, I can say the same about my years and maybe you can yours, as well. If I imagine I am her age, then it really sounds more like I think things should be.

Anyway, as I look back on her years and the family photos, I marvel at how both of us and the people

around us and in the pictures have also changed. And I think that’s one of the big bene ts of relationship — to travel life with folks who mean something to you.

That means we — and they — have to take the good with the bad, the warts with the beauty marks. I still remember when years ago she came to me one day out of the blue and asked me, “Could I ever do anything to make you stop loving me?”

As she stood there, I realized she was waiting for an answer. I eyed her with curiosity and after a long pause before responding, said to her, “What have you got in mind?”

“Nothing,” she said. Then I realized what she was really asking me was is my love conditional. And the answer to both is “No.” I might not like some things she does at times, but I won’t stop loving her. I guess you could say the same about Al Capone’s mother, as well.

Today, she’s no longer the 6-month old I used to take outside in the middle of the night to walk around the yard so she would stop crying. Instead, she’s a mother of her own three-member brood and, I think, making a di erence where she is. I know she does for me.

Here’s hoping you have some of those relationships — from the ultimate Divine to the local practical. If you don’t, try it.

I believe you’ll like it.

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 | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

Appearances can be deceiving

For the sake of bucking up my felt independence, I created a bu er between me and the assumption I was just going to topple right over.

I WAS MEANDERING (a more genteel description for limping) toward the grocery store exit. A young woman, walking directly in front of me, hurried to open that door for this poor ol’ thing (AKA me.)

Oh, heavens, I might topple over!

Very thoughtful. I acceded to her door-opening generosity with a smile. Apparently, my much-resented sixth grade Southern cotillion lessons, on graciousness, paid o . (Somewhere, my mother is saying, “I told you so!” She’s entitled.)

Backtracking a bit. I’m limping through some errands because, well, my right leg appears to be experiencing a rebellious phase. On top of my recent right knee replacement, I’m now blessed with a case of tendinitis in my right foot. I don’t mean to be dim, but if the universe is sending me a speci c message regarding my ongoing lameness, I haven’t gotten it yet.

Still listening, however … Nonetheless, I continued to (bravely) plow forward with my errands. Purchase in hand, I headed toward the exit at my next stop, Walmart. The receipts checker saw me limping toward her and said, “No need to show me your receipt, dear, you’re ne. Just go right on out.” Oh, my, that was it for this ol’ limping lady! So well intended, but the concern by others had taken on a su ocating air for my remaining aliveness (of which there is a considerable amount.) Yeah, yeah, my personal sense of prideful autonomy was saying, “Let me breathe!”

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

For the sake of bucking up my felt independence, I created a bu er between me and the assumption I was just going to topple right over. (I wasn’t!) In response to the Walmart receipts checker kindness in giving me an easy bye, out popped, “I bet it’s my white hair and the limp, right?” followed by a smile. Couldn’t resist. Sharing this wink and nod to my physical challenge reasserted my independence. Reasserted my independence, mainly for me, let’s be truthful. Hey, that ol’ white-haired woman is sharp and funny, even if she looks like she might tilt over! I suddenly felt reinvigorated, saucy and still upright, to boot. So there. The receipts checker stared at me for a long moment, then burst out laughing. And continued laughing. Me, too. A moment of shared joy and aliveness. My locomotion challenges morphed into a door-opener for laughter. A shared merriment, that’s as essential to my spirit as, of course, Diet Dr Pepper. Hey, universe, if you’re sending me a speci c message regarding my right leg’s mobility issues, it is not yet received. In the interim, I’m relying on my sense of humor to oat my boat through this patch of unknowing. Making lemonade out of these damn physical lemons allows me to take some power back. Hoping folks on the other end of my, um, lame interactions can join me in laughter.

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

The American dream is alive again

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

THE BIDEN-HARRIS administration killed the American Dream.

As President Donald J. Trump made clear during his historic address last week, he is renewing it. Since Jan. 20, Trump has moved at an unprecedented pace to reverse the damage caused by the Democrats, delivering major wins for you, your family and our country. He has taken critical steps to make our borders and communities more secure, and illegal border crossings have hit record lows as a result. He has reversed every one of the Biden-Harris job-killing, in ationfueling energy regulations and terminated the radical “Green New Scam.” Trump has also worked to root out government waste, fraud and abuse, and better protect your hard-earned tax dollars. He has rolled back burdensome red tape, empowering American innovation and encouraging companies to invest in communities across our country, including in North Carolina. And he has restored peace through strength, putting terrorists on notice and making our country respected again around the world.

With every action, Trump is keeping the promises he made to you.

It’s no wonder that over 50% of Americans approve of the job Trump has done in just his rst couple weeks back in o ce. The American people gave Trump and Republicans in Congress a mandate to deliver on the full America First agenda — not just parts of it. I, alongside my House Republican colleagues, am taking steps to accomplish just that. Recently, our House Republican majority passed a bill to start charting the best path forward to enact this agenda. While there is still much more work to do, I am determined to send a billto Trump’s desk that secures our border, keeps taxes low, makes everydaythings a ordable and ensures the government works better for you. Under Trump’s leadership, the winning will not stop. This is just the beginning of America’s new Golden Age. Together with Trump and Republicans in Congress, I will continue working to get our country back on track and deliver results for you and your family.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in Congress.

Formidable president storms ahead

SOME THOUGHTS spring to mind after President Donald Trump’s 100-minute address to Congress.

The rst is that this 78-year-old man has amazing resilience and perseverance. Consider that in the past 12 months, he has had to spend hours listening to a kangaroo court proceeding before a hostile judge in New York, has maintained a campaign rally schedule that would daunt candidates half his age, has participated in planning sessions for a detailed set of executive orders he might never have an opportunity to issue, has faced the former president and vice president of the United States in televised debates with moderators he had reason to believe were biased against him, and su ered a bullet wound that came within 1inch of killing him.

Around minute 98, he made mention of the last. This inspired sympathizers in the House chamber to echo the cries of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” he made as he rose above his Secret Service protectors.

A second thing to say is that, long before minute 98, his speech was almost entirely about what he has been doing, saying, proposing and persuading others to do. Four paragraphs near the end gracefully evoked themes from history, but he otherwise spoke about his orders withdrawing from United Nations institutions, eliminating government censorship (while renaming the Gulf of Mexico), overturning racially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and his Department of Government E ciency’s identi cation of dubious U.S. Agency for International Development programs. Instead of an overarching vision of where the world stands in history, he quoted Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter apologizing for his comments the previous Friday and promising to sign the mineral rights deal he had criticized in the televised exchange that for once showed the public what leaders look and sound

like in what diplomats call “a full and frank exchange.”

My third observation is that, as the Zelenskyy letter suggests, Trump is mostly getting his way. It was surely no accident that the narrow and previously fractious Republican majority in the House elected a speaker and passed a budget resolution with just one dissenting vote. Similarly, Trump’s top-level appointees have all been con rmed by the Senate. Neither foreign leaders nor domestic partisans want to defy this aggressive man with three years, 10 months and two weeks left in his term.

Fourth, there was no return to norms of civil discourse. Trump called former President Joe Biden “the worst president in American history” and condemned “the open-border, insane policies that (Biden had) allowed to destroy the country.” Democrats have a point when they say Trump started this with his derogatory nicknames for 2016 opponents. Republicans have a point when they say Democrats escalated this with the Russia collusion hoax and baseless post-presidential prosecutions, unprecedented since former President Thomas Je erson’s treason prosecution of former Vice President Aaron Burr. But neither Trump’s speech nor the Democrats’ childish behavior (that Trump predicted) in the audience moved to de-escalation.

Fifth, Trump continues to disregard free-market economists’ (in my opinion, wise) advice. True, he is encouraging congressional Republicans to reup the tax-cut-for-all legislation they passed eight years ago, but with political payo add-ons such as no tax on tips. However, he also devoted multiple paragraphs extolling his imposition of tari s, notably on Mexico and Canada. Economists point out that the tari s will likely raise the U.S. prices of many products, not just eggs. Voters won’t welcome something that looks like the Biden in ation, which could overshadow

COLUMN

SUSAN ESTRICH

Next: The law schools

SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT be able to tell a private university what to teach and how to teach it?

Is there a libertarian left in the house?

This is the letter that former and current Trump lawyer (o cially the interim D.C. U.S. Attorney) Ed Martin sent to the dean of Georgetown Law School:

“It has come to my attention reliably that Georgetown Law School continues to teach and promote DEI. This is unacceptable. I have begun an inquiry into this and would welcome your response to the following questions: First, have you eliminated all DEI from your school and its curriculum? Second, if DEI is found in your courses or teaching in any way, will you move swiftly to remove it?”

And then he went on to threaten Georgetown students:

“At this time, you should know that no applicant for our fellows program, our summer internship, or employment in our o ce who is a student or a liated with a law school or university that continues to teach and utilize DEI will be considered.”

Martin and his boss want to tell law schools what they can teach and how to teach it. And he is willing to punish their students — and deprive his o ce of top talent from top universities — if they don’t comply.

The dean of Georgetown Law School responded strongly, as he should.

“Given the First Amendment’s protection of a university’s freedom to determine its own curriculum and how to deliver it, the constitutional violation behind this threat is clear, as is the attack on the University’s mission as a Jesuit and Catholic institution,” William Treanor wrote in his response to Martin.

I spent more than 30 years as a tenured law professor at Harvard Law School and USC Law School. During most of those years, I taught a course originally entitled “Sex Discrimination” and later called “Gender Discrimination.” The course covered the history of women’s rights, legal precedents under the 14th Amendment, and federal and state statutory law. We looked at various areas of law covered in other courses — like criminal law and property law and tort law — where issues of gender must be considered. I used to think, in the early days, that a time would come when issues of gender would be addressed in all these other classes, and we wouldn’t need a separate course. I believed that the law and society would one day produce gender justice; that there would literally be nothing left to teach except history. It never happened. The last class I taught before stepping down to practice law full time was a seminar on diversity in the legal profession. There was a great deal to teach, unfortunately, and much of it grew out of the absence of diversity, particularly at the highest levels of the profession. This was only a few years ago.

Would my course be banned by Martin? Presumably so. And so would my criminal law class, which I began teaching in 1981, which was the rst criminal law class in the country to incorporate rape as a major topic in criminal law, something I urged other law professors to try in an article I wrote for the Yale Law Journal in the 1980s. Maybe that should have been banned, too?

I told my students about my own experience as a rape victim, before I started law school, and how it shaped my view of the criminal justice system.

I taught them about the history of racism and sexism that had shaped the development of rape law. My students, some 40 years later, have told me how much they remembered those classes and how much they learned. Should such discussions also be banned? Shall we only look at the law from the perspective of a white man?

The law schools are ready to ght Martin. My Facebook feed is full of promises from law professors ready to challenge Martin’s right to dictate the subjects we teach. We will win this ght, but the idea that we need to have it, in 2025, is both shocking and frightening.

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

the Trump administration’s genuine successes.

This leads to my sixth observation: that he’s aware that the Constitution and calendar set limits on his time. Early in his speech, Trump noted that measures of illegal crossings on the southern border have immediately dwindled to almost nothing. Smugglers and potential illegals clearly got his message, even as Democrats and much of the press argued that only new legislation could stop the ow. His only problem is that solving a problem can deprive you of an issue. Former President George H.W. Bush’s deft handling of foreign policy problems left voters concluding they didn’t need him after the Cold War. Success can breed failure. But for a time, it can breed success. The rst words of Article II of the Constitution state, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” Those words, plus recent Supreme Court decisions, suggest that most decisions limiting Trump’s administrative powers will not stand. Current polls show that Trump’s disapproval is rising, but his approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration. What is Trump planning for years two, three and four? I’m not sure, and I suspect he’s not, either. Trump knows the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prevents him from running again. He must know that’s likely to reduce his clout with foreign leaders and American politicians. More importantly, he’s aware his time may be cut short. In the House chamber, as in his convention speech on July 19, he remembered how he had narrowly escaped death on July 13. “I believe my life was saved that day in Butler,” he said, “for a very good reason. I was saved by God to make America great again — I believe that. I really do.”

Like him or not, he is a formidable man.

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

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

obituaries

Clarice

Jeanette Driggers Cotton

April 11, 1931 –March 3, 2025

Clarice Jeanette Driggers Cotten, 93, of Siler City, formally of Durham, went to her Heavenly home on Monday, March 3rd, 2025, at home surrounded by family.

Clarice was born in Williamsburg County, SC, on April 11th, 1931, to the late Alexander and Mary Haddock Driggers. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Herbert Cotten; her stepmother, Marie Jones Driggers; her daughter, Cheryl Lamb; her sixteen siblings.

Clarice was a member of Bible Baptist Church and loved her church family. She worked as an Administrative Assistant in the medical insurance eld until she retired. Left to

Hubert O’Daniel

March 21, 1948 –Feb. 26, 2025

Hubert O’Daniel went home to the Good Lord on February 26, 2025 at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC. Hubert was born March 21,1948 in Chapel Hill, NC . He is survived by his wife, Barbara; two daughters Lisa Jacobs (Teddy II) and Morgan Moore (Titus); stepdaughter Jennifer Jahoo, step-son Steven Jones; Hubert’s siblings Mary, Steve, Ralph (Janet), John; seven grandsons, Teddy III (Areonia), Kobe, Hue, Dene, Dylan, Titus, Tequone; granddaughter, Lyla;

cherish her memory are her stepsons, Billy Cotten, Doug Cotten, Jimmy Cotten and his wife, Doris, and step daughter, Betty Cotten Dixon and her husband, Lee; her brothers, Billy Driggers and his wife, Sue, and Harry Driggers and his wife, Lucille; her sister-in-law, Shirley Cotten, her son-in-law, JC Justice; her grandchildren, Wyatt, Kim, Tim, Todd, Wendy, Amber, and Chris; fourteen great grandchildren; eight great great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews, her beloved church friends, and her Bible Baptist Church family.

Funeral services will be held at Hudson Funeral Home Chapel in Durham, NC on Monday, March 10th, 2025, at 1 pm. A burial will follow the services at Brier Creek Cemetery in Raleigh. The visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Services will be o ciated by Reverend Jimmy Hall.

In lieu of owers, memorials can be made to Liberty Hospice, 401 E. 3rdSt., Siler City, NC 27344 or Bible Baptist Church, 2047 Gate 2 Rd., Creedmoor, NC 27522. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home and Hudson Funeral Home will be assisting the Cotten family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com and https://www. hudsonfuneralhome.com/ obituaries

three step-grandchildren, Reese, Presley and Adalyn.

He is preceded in death by his parents Alfred Lamb O’Daniel and Edna Teer O’Daniel. He also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss him.

From 1969-1971 he was drafted in the Army and proudly served in the Vietnam War. Hubert loved his country. He showed unconditional love for his family as they were his pride and joy. He was always a person you could count on and didn’t hesitate to help anyone in need. “ A Man of Faith” He loved the outdoors and Fourth of July celebrations.

Funeral Services will be held Sunday, March 16,2025 at 1:00 pm at Orange Chapel Church, 1634 Orange Chapel Clover Garden Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Visitation with family will immediately follow in the Church Fellowship Building. In lieu of owers the family requests donations be made to Vietnam Veterans of America. Condolences may be made at www.donaldsonfunerals. com.

Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the O’Daniel’s family.

Nancy Cary Fullerton Peter

Dec. 6, 1931 – March 7, 2025

Nancy Cary Fullerton Peter, 93, of Bear Creek, went to her Heavenly home on Friday, March 7th, 2025, at home surrounded by family. Nancy was born in Brooklyn, NY on December 6th, 1931, to the late Alfred R. and Helen C.

Wilson Fullerton. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 72 years, Richard D. Peter; and her granddaughter, Leah Taylor. In Northport, NY, Nancy was the owner/operator of Ketcham Pony Farm where she boarded horses and help others with their horsemanship. Nancy loved anything having to do with horses. She would have horse/pony races with her children when they were younger. When she came to North Carolina, her and Richard started Horse Heaven Pony Farm in Siler City. Nancy was also an independent realtor in the area. She was one of the most patient women you could ever meet. She also had a love for big dogs, going fox hunting, and taking the kids riding on trails. She loved to play piano, dance, draw, and she loved being on the boat on the water. Everyone that knew Nancy, will always remember her for her full belly laughter. Left

to cherish Nancy’s memory are her daughters, Laura Dillinger and her partner, Clinton Myers of Siler City, and Linda Crabtree and her husband, David of Bear Creek; her grandchildren, Eric and Bryant Dillinger, and Marshall Crabtree and his wife, Kristina; and her great grandchildren, Shannon Thompson, Tyler and Kayla Crabtree, and Jordan and Jackson Taylor.

Celebration of Life ceremony will be held Friday, March 28th, 2025, at 2 pm, at Smith & Buckner Chapel. Services will be o ciated by Stacey Zanbrano. Memorials can be made to Gentiva Hospice, 1836 Doctor’s Dr., Sanford, NC 27330, or Council on Aging, 112 Village Lake Rd., Siler City, NC 27344. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Peter family.

Online condolences can be made at smithbucknerfh.com

Come join

EMMA GRACE PEOPLES

APRIL 18, 2005 – MARCH 8, 2025

Emma Grace Peoples “Gracie”, 19, of Carthage, passed away on Saturday, March 8th, 2025, at Duke University Hospital. The Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, March 11th at 2pm at Putnam Friends Church. There will be visitation prior to the service from 12-1:45. Family will receive friends after the memorial service in the fellowship hall. Gracie was born on April 18th, 2005, to Brandon and Stephanie Peoples. She is a graduate from North Moore high school. She attended Putnam Friends Church. She loved her animals, babies, crafting, shopping, the beach, and photographing sunsets. She was very shy, but she was known for her love and loyalty for Jesus. She was recently engaged at Christmas. She is survived by her Fiancé Casey Marley of Carthage, Parents, Brandon and Stephanie Peoples of the home, Grandparents, Je and Tonya Knight of Randleman, Robert and Vicky Akers of Carthage, Danny Powers of Carthage. Great Grandparents James and Patricia Sipe of Bear Creek, Sisters Mady Peoples and Kennedy Peoples both of the home, and a host of family and friends.

JAMES “DREX” DREXEL ROBERTS

MAY 11, 1962 – MARCH 3, 2025

James “Drex” Drexel Roberts, 62, of Siler City, passed away at his home Monday, March 3rd, 2025.

Drex was born in Chatham County on May 11th, 1962, to Eddie and Joan Poe Roberts. He was one of three children. He loved playing golf, watching sports, and taking his mother to Jordan Lake to go shing. Drex went to high school at Jordan Matthews High School where he played baseball and basketball and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. After graduating, he played baseball for the North Carolina Tarheels and the Toronto Blue Jays. He was a reman for Siler City, and he retired after almost 30 years as a surveyor for the NCDOT. A former President, now administrator, a faithful member for over 6 years at the Siler City Moose Lodge. Drex is survived by his parents, Joan Poe Roberts of Siler City, and Eddie Roberts and his wife, Molly of Siler City; his brother, Tony Roberts and his wife, Pam; his sister, Simone Wright and her husband, Darryl of Pleasant Garden; his nieces, Jaide Roberts (Dustin Martindale), Caroline Wright; his nephew, Cooper Wright; and his great niece, Paityn Roberts. There are no services at this time.

KENNETH RALPH SIMPSON

MARCH 8, 2025

Kenneth Ralph Simpson, age 83, of Sanford, passesd away on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at FirstHealth Hospice House. He was born in Lee County, the son of the late Floyd Welch Simpson and Maggie Ashworth Simpson. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by grandson John Garner. Prior to his retiring from GKN where he worked as a Lab Technician, he worked at Carnes Company, Wolverine and Eagle Electric. Kenneth was a faithful member of Kendale Acres Church, dedicating countless hours to various ministries throughout his life. He was a cherished Sunday School teacher, a beloved choir member, and served as the church secretary for many years, using his gifts to help guide and strengthen those around him. His love for the Lord and his unwavering commitment to his faith touched the lives of many. He found his greatest joy in spending time with his loved ones. He cherished every moment with his family and was a constant source of love, support, and encouragement.

DOROTHY MATTHEWS HOLDER

MARCH 9, 2025

Dorothy Matthews Holder, age 80 of Lillington, passed away on Sunday (3/9/2025) at her home with her family by her side. She was born in Lee County, daughter of the late Frank Carl Matthews and Evie Lee Holder Matthews. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her brothers, Stedman Holder, Edward Matthews, Floyd Matthews and Luther Holder. Dorothy was a member of Spring Hill United Methodist Church, worked for eighteen years as the cafeteria manager with Coca Cola and retired from Overhills Elementary School. She enjoyed cooking and spending time with her family, especially the times she shared with her granddaughter. Surviving is her husband of 63 years, Edgar L. Holder of the home; daughter, Renee Holder of Broadway, NC; Son, Anthony Holder and wife Crystal of Lillington, NC ; granddaughter, Carrianne Holder of Lillington, NC; brother and sister-in-law, Johnny and Linda Holder of Lillington, NC and several nieces and nephews.

LARRY GLENN MOODY

DEC. 10, 1949 – MARCH 8, 2025

Larry Glenn Moody, 75, of Carthage, passed away on Saturday, March 8th, 2025, at First Health Hospice Care. There will be a private memorial service at a later date.

Larry was born in Alamance County on December 10th, 1949, to Marley and Elizabeth Moody. He was retired from the poultry industry installing equipment. He served in the U.S. Army from February 25Th 1970 to October 6Th, 1971. He loved to sh, do everything outdoors, be at car shows and eat good food.

He was preceded in death by his father and two brothers.

Larry is survived by his wife, of 36 years, Kathy K. Moody, Mother, Evelyn Moody of Bonlee, Children; Ricky Moody of Siler City, Brad Moody of Pittsboro, Jerry W. Hopkins of Coleridge, brother Kenny Moody (Debra) of Bonlee, sister, Kathy Needham (Mark) of Asheboro. Three grandchildren Maisy Moody, Cecil R. Hopkins, Ezra Glenn Hopkins and a host of family and friends.

Trump says he’ll buy a Tesla to show support for Musk

The president will pay “full market price” for the vehicle

By Chris Megerian

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

With Elon Musk facing escalating political blowback and a drop in wealth, President Donald Trump said he would buy a Tesla vehicle from his company, an unusual show of support from the president to his most powerful adviser.

It was the latest example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year and has been a key gure in his second administration.

The Republican president announced early Tuesday that he was going to buy a new Tesla as “a show of con dence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the vehicle was on its way to the White House and Trump would view it Tuesday afternoon. She said it was a “very exciting moment” and Trump would pay the “full market price.”

Musk’s electric vehicle company has been battered by sagging sales and plunging stock prices. He continues to run the au-

tomaker — as well as the social media platform X and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX — while also serving as Trump’s adviser on overhauling and downsizing the federal government.

“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote on social media. “But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”

Others have also rallied to Musk’s defense. Alex Jones, a

prominent conspiracy theorist, said he bought a customized version of a Cybertruck that he’ll give away to a customer of his online store next month.

In addition to Tesla’s struggles, Musk has faced other challenges too. He said X was targeted by a “massive cyberattack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the last two test launches of his Starship rocket ended in explosions.

Tesla has faced sagging sales and declining stock prices as Musk devotes his time to overhauling and downsizing the federal government as an adviser to the president.

The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump’s plans for buying a Tesla, such as how the purchase would be handled or where the car would be kept.

Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show.

But regardless of the practicality of Trump’s purchase, his overnight announcement about buying a Tesla represented another step in how the president has blurred lines between private and public interests.

During his rst term, top adviser Kellyanne Conway urged people to show their support for Trump’s daughter Ivanka by purchasing her retail products.

“Go buy Ivanka’s stu ,” she said. “I’m going to give it a free commercial here.”

Trump’s wealth and business savvy is core to his political appeal. The president promoted his products while running for o ce last year, and he attached his name to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly before he took o ce.

However, it’s rare to see Trump use his own money to support an ally, no matter how important they are.

Musk is the world’s richest person, with billions of dollars in government contracts. He’s also exerting sweeping in uence over Trump’s administration through the Department of Government E ciency, or

DOGE, and traveling frequently with the president.

During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked Musk how he was running his other businesses while also advising Trump.

“With great di culty,” he said.

“But there’s no turning back, you say?” Kudlow responded.

“I’m just here trying to make government more e cient, eliminate waste and fraud,” Musk said.

Tesla has recently faced protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots red at a dealership in Oregon, and re o cials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle.

At times, the White House has needed to play cleanup for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that he’ll make mistakes along the way.

For example, Musk presented in ated estimates of fraud in government bene ts like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs.

“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk said in the interview. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”

The next morning, a White House account on X criticized news organizations as “lying hacks” and told Democrats to “spare us the fake outrage” about reducing bene ts.

“He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs,” the White House posted.

Pitcher Art Schallock, who replaced Mantle on Yankees’ roster, dead at 100

He had been the oldest living major league player

lyn’s Jackie Robinson during a two-inning outing in Game 4.

By Janie McCauley

The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Art Schallock, a left-handed pitcher who in 1951 replaced future Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle on the Yankees’ roster and had been the oldest living former major leaguer, has died.

He was 100, having celebrated with a big birthday party when he became a centenarian last spring. His assisted living home announced Saturday that Schallock died last Thursday, also providing con rmation from the family.

“He passed away peacefully in his loving care community in Sonoma, California, at the age of 100. He would have been 101 in April,” the family said.

“A beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, Art lived a remarkable life, from serving his country in World War II to achieving his dream of playing Major League Baseball. As a pitcher for the New York Yankees, he was part of a historic era in the sport, contributing to multiple World Series championships. Beyond baseball, Art was known for his kindness, humor, and deep appreciation for the people around him. He lived a life lled with cherished friendships, family, and a passion for the sport that de ned much of his journey.”

When New York optioned the then-19-year-old Mantle to Triple-A in 1951, Schallock got his shot in the major leagues at age 27. He and Yogi Berra were roommates, and Schallock was the one who picked up Berra’s daily delivery of “funnies” as they called them.

The Bay Area native went to Tamalpais High in Mill Valley then College of Marin before becoming the 10,823rd major league player when he debuted on July 16, 1951. He pitched 22⁄3 innings for the Yankees that day at Detroit. He earned his rst career win one month later at Washington.

The lefty won three World Series rings from 1951-53, although he only pitched in the ’53 Series, retiring Brook-

“That was quite a thrill, quite a thrill playing with those guys,” Schallock told The Associated Press last year in an interview ahead of his 100th birthday. “I roomed with Yogi Berra when I got up there, and he knew all the hitters. We went over all the hitters on each team. Besides that, I had to run down to the lobby and get his funny books. Every morning. Yogi knew all the hitters, how to pitch to them, whether it’s low, high or whatever, he knew how to pitch to them. And I had to learn from him.”

Serving for the U.S. Navy in the Paci c Ocean during World War II after enlisting in 1942, Schallock narrowly escaped harm when the neighboring aircraft carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese torpedo in November 1943 and 644 were killed — accounting for the majority of the casualties in the Battle of Makin.

“I never thought I would get back to the highest level. I wanted to play baseball, yes,” he said during the interview last year. “I did it in junior college. In those years, the Bay Area was full of baseball. When I say full of baseball, semi-pros. Every town had a team.”

Over a ve-year big league career primarily with the Yankees before nishing with Baltimore in 1955, Schallock went 6-7 with a 4.02 ERA over 58 games with 14 starts spanning 1701⁄3 innings. He struck out 77 batters.

Schallock was born on April 25, 1924, in Mill Valley outside San Francisco.

His age didn’t set a record: Negro Leagues pitcher Si Simmons of the 1926 New York Lincoln Giants lived to 111, while another ex-Yankees pitcher, Red Ho , reached 107.

“The community at Cogir of Sonoma Plaza is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved resident, Arthur ‘Art’ Schallock, on March 6, 2025,” the facility said in a statement. “At the age of 100, Art was a cherished member of our community, bringing warmth, humor, and an inspiring life story to all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

JOSE LUIS MAGANA / AP PHOTO

Elon Musk ashes his T-shirt that reads “DOGE” to the media as he walks on South Lawn of the White House on Sunday.

LEARN ABOUT LANDChatham Land Experts, www. learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999.

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POWELL SPRINGS APTS.

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ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS now for one-bedroom apartments, adults 55 years or older. Water included, appliances furnished, onsite laundry, elevator, keyless entry. Section 8 accepted. No security deposit. Application fee $25 per adult. Call Braxton Manor, 919-6631877. Handicap accessible. Equal Housing Opportunity. J14,tfnc

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERS

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FOR SALE: Dining Room Set w/ China Cabinet, several Curio Cabinets, Treadmill, Sofa and 2 end tables, 2 upright freezers, dishes, Bedroom Suite, 2 Recliners, etc. 919-799-8243.

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SERVICES

CASH PAID FOR JUNK CARS AND PICKUPS – Call Clifton Maness –336-581-3423 M13,20,27,A4p

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

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dishwasher are included in the rent. Rent starts at $630 and up. 400 Honeysuckle Dr., Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-5410 TDD 1-800-735-2962

Email: pittsborovillage@ECCMGT.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

TAKE NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

GOLDSTON, NC 27252 Run dates: M13,20,27,A3p

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001548-180

SARAH GOYEA, EXECUTOR 103 BLUERIDGE ROAD CARRBORO, NC 27510 Run dates: M13,20,27,A3p

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001267-180

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, JOE LEE WAGONER, JR., having quali ed on the 13TH Day of MAY, 2024 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of EMELDA PAYNE WAGONER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 11TH Day of JUNE 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 13TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025. JOE LEE WAGONER, JR. 111 TURTLE CREEK FARM RD. APEX, NC 27523 ADMINISTRATOR Run dates: M13,20,27,A3p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000020-180

The undersigned, DORIS P. HOLT, having quali ed on the 5TH Day of FEBRUARY, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of FLORA MAE CAMERON PETTIT, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 11TH Day of JUNE 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 13TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025.

DORIS P. HOLT, ADMINISTRATOR 740 GARNER ROAD SANFORD, NC 27330 Run dates: M13,20,27,A3p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000043-180 The undersigned, KAITLIN HOLDER, having quali ed on the 24TH Day of JANUARY, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of MICHAEL CLARK HOLDER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 11TH Day of JUNE 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 13TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025.

KAITLIN HOLDER, ADMINISTRATOR 122 STEEL SPRINGS LANE ANGIER, NC 27501 Run dates: M13,20,27,A3p

Public Notice

Chatham County Schools’ federal projects under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 are presently being developed. Projects included:

Title I (Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards)

Title II (High Quality Teachers and Principals)

Title III (Language Acquisition)

Title IV A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) Migrant Education Program (MEP) Career and Technical Education (CTE) High school students can enroll, without cost, in college credit classes through the Career and College Promise program. This includes Career and Technical Education pathways of study. IDEA (Students with Disabilities) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEAPart B, Public Law 108.446) Project is presently being amended. The Project describes the special education programs that Chatham County Schools proposes for Federal funding for the 2025-2026 School Year. Interested persons are encouraged to review amendments to the Project and make comments concerning the implementation of special education under this Federal Program. All comments will be considered prior to submission of the amended Project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, North Carolina These projects describe the programs that Chatham County Schools proposes for federal funding for the 2025-2026 school year. Non-pro t private schools and interested persons are encouraged to review these federal guidelines for the above listed projects and indicate their interest in participation in the projects if quali ed. These projects are being developed during April and May and are due to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction on June 30, 2025. The initial Equitable Services for Private Schools meeting will be held on March 25, 2025, at 2:00 PM, in person, at the address listed below. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the o ce of Carol Little, Executive Director Federal Programs and School Improvement, at Chatham County Board of Education, P.O. Box 128, 468 Renaissance Dr, Pittsboro, N.C. Spanish Version below: NOTICIA PUBLICA Los proyectos federales de las Escuelas del Condado Chatham bajo la Ley Cada Estudiante Triunfa (ESSA) de 2015 están en proceso de plani cación. Los proyectos incluidos son: Título I (Ayuda a los niños desfavorecidos a alcanzar altos estándares) Título II (Maestros y directores de alta calidad) Título III (Adquisición del Lenguaje) Título IV A (Apoyo al Estudiante y Enriquecimiento Académico) Programa de Educación para Familias Migrantes (MEP, por sus siglas en Inglés) Carreras y Educación Técnica (CTE, por sus siglas en Inglés) Los estudiantes de preparatoria pueden inscribirse, sin costo, en clases de créditos universitarios a través del programa Career and College Promise. Esto incluye vías de estudio de Educación Técnica y Profesional.

IDEA (Estudiantes con Discapacidades) Actualmente se encuentra en proceso de modi cación el Proyecto de Ley de Educación para Personas con Discapacidad (IDEA-Parte B, Ley Pública 108.446). El Proyecto describe los programas de educación especial que las Escuelas del Condado Chatham proponen para nanciamiento federal para el año escolar 20252026. Se anima a las personas interesadas a revisar las enmiendas al Proyecto y hacer comentarios sobre la implementación de la educación especial bajo este Programa Federal. Todos los comentarios serán considerados antes de la presentación del Proyecto modi cado al Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte en Raleigh, Carolina del Norte. Estos proyectos describen los programas que las Escuelas del Condado Chatham proponen para nanciamiento federal para el año escolar 20252026. Se anima a las escuelas privadas sin nes de lucro y a las personas interesadas a revisar estas pautas federales para los proyectos enumerados anteriormente e indicar su interés en participar en los proyectos si cali can. Estos proyectos se están desarrollando durante abril y mayo y deben entregarse al Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte el 30 de junio de 2025. La reunión inicial de Servicios Equitativos para Escuelas Privadas se llevará a cabo el 25 de marzo de 2025 a las 2:00 PM, en persona en la dirección listada abajo. Se anima a las partes interesadas a comunicarse con la o cina de Carol Little, Directora Ejecutiva de Programas Federales y Mejoramiento Escolar, en la Junta de Educación del Condado de Chatham, P. O. Box 128, 468 Renaissance Dr, Pittsboro, N.C.

Notice to Creditors

Estate of Steven Botha Chatham File No.: 25E000085-180 ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Steven Botha, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before June 2, 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 27th day of February 2025. Zelda Harlean Botha, Limited Personal Representative, in c/o Kellie M. Corbett, Attorney, at Carolina Family Estate Planning, 201 Commonwealth Court, Suite 100, Cary, NC 27511. Publication Dates: February 27, 2025 March 6, 2025 March 13, 2025 March 20, 2025

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed on the 28th day of February 2025, as Executor of the Estate of John B. Baer a/k/a John Balfour Baer, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 13th June, 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 13th day of March, 2025. Alison Baer Arter, Executor of the Estate of John B. Baer a/k/a John Balfour Baer c/o Candace B. Minjares, Kennon Craver, PLLC 4011 University Drive, Suite 300 Durham, North Carolina 27707

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA Chatham COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed on the 18th day of February , 2025, as Executor of the Estate of Eddie S. Williams aka Edward Silas Williams aka Edward S. Williams, deceased, of Chatham County does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before June 12, 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 6th day of March, 2025. Carol B. Williams Executor of the Estate of Eddie S. Williams aka Edward Silas Williams aka Edward S. Williams

c/o J Alan Campbell Law PO Box 850 Hillsborough, NC 27278

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

OF DEBORAH KALISH COPLIN

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against DEORAH KALISH COPLIN, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Laurie A. Coplin as Limited Personal Representative of the decedent’s estate on or before June 6, 2025, c/o Brittany N. Porter, 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 6th day of March, 2025. Laurie A. Coplin c/o Brittany N. Porter, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF IRIS SHIPP STOUTT CHATHAM COUNTY FILE NO. 25E000097-180

All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Iris Shipp Stoutt, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina are noti ed to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before June 8th, 2025 or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 6th day of March, 2025. Dawn Byrd Andrews, Executor c/o Attorney, Walter Brodie Burwell, Jr. Envisage Law 2601 Oberlin Road, Suite 100 Raleigh, NC 27608

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, March 17, 2025, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312. Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department o ce. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www.chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Input/Hearing Sign Up. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners. The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below: Testimony is required to be given under oath during the evidentiary hearing for the following item: Quasi-Judicial Request: A quasi-judicial public hearing for a Special Use Permit (SUP) requested by Chatham County Facilities and Construction for a new EMS station to be located on Parcel No. 62221 (2.3 acres) and 95753 (.66 acres), located at 9251 US 15-501 N, Baldwin Township. Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions. Notice to people with special needs: If you have an audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided. If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204 or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312. Please run in your paper: March 6th and 13th, 2025

NOTICE OF MEETING

FOR THE TOWN OF PITTSBORO BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Pittsboro

Board of Adjustment will conduct a meeting to be held on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Town of Pittsboro Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221, Pittsboro. The purpose of the meeting will be for the Board of Adjustment to participate in the following: Election of O cers Training For more information contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (984) 282-6647.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

25E000105-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, Karen Howard, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Ralph A. Howard Jr., 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 June 4, 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 6th of March, 2025. Karen Howard Administrator Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

25E000063-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, Marcus Crossman, having quali ed as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Daniel G. Crossman, 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 June 3, 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 27th of February, 2025. Marcus Crossman Executor Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Jannell Hanood quali ed before the Chatham County Clerk of Court on February 14, 2025, as the Executor of the Estate of JOHNNY DAVIS BUTLER, 140 Brookstone Lane, Room 317, Pittsboro, NC 27312. This is to notify all persons, rms and corporations, as required by N.C.G.S. 28A-14-1, having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the attorney designated below on or before the 27th of May, 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 payments to the undersigned. Payments and claims should be presented to Deirdre M. Stephenson, Attorney at Law, 1518 Elm Street, Sanford, NC 27330.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Charles Lee Moody, 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 22nd day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 11th day of February, 2025.

Cathy L. Moody, Executor of the Estate of Charles Lee Moody 2090 Silk Hope Liberty 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 Co-Executors of the Estate of James C. Brooks, 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 12th day of June, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 5th day of March, 2025.

Theresa B. Varner, Co-Executor of the Estate of James C. Brooks 7809 Ferguson Road Liberty, North Carolina 27208

James R. Brooks, Co-Executor of the Estate Of James C. Brooks 408 Eden Hills 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 TO CREDITORS

22E000720-180

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Joseph Stroud, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before June 13, 2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 13th day of March, 2025.

Daron D. Satter eld Attorney for Personal Representative, Annie C. Capers 307 Meadowlands Drive, Suite 101 Hillsborough, NC 27278

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Julie L. Schwab, deceased, of 804 Harsworth Drive, Cary, Chatham County, NC, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned c/o Brady Cobin Law Group, PLLC, 4141 Parklake Avenue, Suite 310, Raleigh, NC 27612, on or before the 10th day of June, 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 6th day of March, 2025. Kristin Pantiga, Executor Estate of Julie L. Schwab, Deceased c/o Brady Cobin Law Group, PLLC 4141 Parklake Avenue, Suite 310 Raleigh, NC 27612

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, Tina Victoria Darden, having duly quali ed as Executrix of the Estate of Miotzi

Eugenia Darden, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned in care of Ronald G. Coulter, Attorney for the Estate, 3400 Croasdaile Dr., Ste 205, Durham, NC 27705, within ninety (90) days of the rst publication of this Notice or it will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons and legal entities indebted to the Estate will please make immediate payment. This the 27th day of February, 2025. Tina Victoria Darden, Executrix C/O Ronald G. Coulter, Attorney 3400 Croasdaile Drive Ste 205 Durham, NC 27705 1-919-246-5775 Publication Dates: 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20/2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000082-180 The undersigned, SHERRIE HATFIELD, having quali ed on the 14TH Day of FEBRUARY, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of PATSY KING BLACK, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 4TH Day of JUNE 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 6TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025.

SHERRIE HATFIELD, EXECUTOR 2129 SANDY BRANCH CHURCH ROAD BEAR CREEK, NC 27207 MAIL AFFIDAVIT TO: THE LAW OFFICE OF LEWIS FADELY 119 N FIR AVE. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: FM6,13,20,27p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000065-180

The undersigned, KIMBERLY TERRELL TEUNIS, having quali ed on the 4TH Day of FEBRUARY, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of JOHN SYLVESTER TEUNIS, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 21ST Day of MAY 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 20TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2025. KIMBERLY TERRELL TEUNIS, ADMINISTRATOR 1157 SAINT CLOUD LOOP APEX, NC 27523 Run dates: F20,27,M6,13p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Wanda Alice Hudgins, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before June 17, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This March 13, 2025. c/o Shea Maliszewski, Barringer Sasser, LLP, Attorney for the Estate, 111 Commonwealth Court, Suite 101, Cary, NC 27511.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000100-180

The undersigned, PAMELA BARTH JACOBS, having quali ed on the 24TH Day of FEBRUARY, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of GEORGIA RUTH HUDSON BARTH, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 11TH Day of JUNE 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 13TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025. PAMELA BARTH JACOBS, EXECUTOR 7 AZALEA LANE SPRUCE PINE, NC 28777 *MAIL AFFIDAVIT TO: 13604 US HIGHWAY 64 W. SILER CITY, NC 27344-6445 Run dates: M13,20,27,A3p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA Chatham COUNTY 24E001587-180 All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Richard Henry Amlung, deceased, late of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of May, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 27th day of February 2025. Susan Rubin, Administrator CTA c/o Hemphill Gelder, PC PO Box 97035 Raleigh, NC 27624-7035 Publication Dates: 2/27, 3/6, 3/13 and 3/20/2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000095-180 The undersigned, RANDALL

RANDALL L. HOLT, EXECUTOR 175 EDWARDS HILL CHURCH RD. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: F27,M6,13,20p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000101-180 The undersigned, YVONNE M STEWART, having quali ed on the 24TH Day of FEBRUARY, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of THOMAS VINCENT MORLEY, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 4TH Day of JUNE 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 6TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025. YVONNE M STEWART, ADMINSTRATOR 793 ROSSWOOD RD. CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516 Run dates: FM6,13,20,27p

PUBLIC NOTICE

LEASE OF COUNTY PROPERTY The Board of Commissioners of Chatham County intends to enter into a lease agreement for the following County-owned property: CHATHAM ARTS COUNCIL, INC. intends to lease o ce space located in a building located at 118 West Street, Pittsboro, in Chatham County, North Carolina,

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

America’s butter ies disappearing at ‘catastrophic’ rate in 2000s

National analysis says the population falling by 1.3% per year

By Seth Borenstein

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — America’s butter ies are disappearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study nds.

The rst countrywide systematic analysis of butter y abundance found that the number of butter ies in the Lower 48 states has been falling on average 1.3% a year since the turn of the century, with 114 species showing signi cant declines and only nine increasing, according to a study in Thursday’s journal Science.

“Butter ies have been declining the last 20 years,” said study co-author Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University. “And we don’t see any sign that that’s going to end.”

A team of scientists combined 76,957 surveys from 35 monitoring programs and blended them for an apples-to-apples comparison and ended up counting 12.6 million butter ies over the decades. Last month, an annual survey that looked just at monarch butteries, which federal o cials plan to put on the threatened species list, counted a nearly all-time low of fewer than 10,000, down from 1.2 million in 1997.

Many of the species in decline fell by 40% or more.

‘Catastrophic and saddening’ loss over time

David Wagner, a University of Connecticut entomologist who wasn’t part of the study,

praised its scope. And he said while the annual rate of decline may not sound signi cant, it is “catastrophic and saddening” when compounded over time.

“In just 30 or 40 years we are talking about losing half the butter ies (and other insect life) over a continent!” Wagner said in an email. “The tree of life is being denuded at unprecedented rates.”

The United States has 650

butter y species, but 96 species were so sparse they didn’t show up in the data and another 212 species weren’t found in su cient number to calculate trends, said study lead author Collin Edwards, an ecologist and data scientist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“I’m probably most worried about the species that couldn’t even be included in the analy-

22%

ses” because they were so rare, said University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Karen Oberhauser, who wasn’t part of the research.

Haddad, who specializes in rare butter ies, said in recent years he has seen just two endangered St. Francis Satyr butter ies — which only live on a bomb range at Fort Bragg in North Carolina — “so it could be extinct.”

Some well-known species had large drops. The red admiral, which is so calm it lands on people, is down 44%. The American lady butter y, with two large eyespots on its back wings, decreased by 58%, Edwards said.

Even the invasive white cabbage butter y, “a species that is well adapted to invade the world,” according to Haddad, fell by 50%.

“How can that be?” Haddad wondered.

Butter y decline as a warning sign for humans

Cornell University butter y expert Anurag Agrawal said he worries most about the future of a di erent species: humans.

“The loss of butter ies, parrots and porpoises is undoubtedly a bad sign for us, the ecosystems we need and the nature we enjoy,” Agrawal, who wasn’t part of the study, said in an email. “They are telling us that our continent’s health is not doing so well. ... Butter ies are an ambassador for nature’s beauty, fragility and the interde-

pendence of species. They have something to teach us.”

Oberhauser said butter ies connect people with nature and that “calms us down, makes us healthier and happier and promotes learning.”

What’s happening to butter ies in the United States is probably happening to other, less-studied insects across the continent and world, Wagner said. He said not only is this the most comprehensive butter y study, but the most data-rich for any insect.

Butter ies are also pollinators, though not as prominent as bees, and are a major source of pollination of the Texas cotton crop, Haddad said.

Driest and warmest areas are worst for butter ies

The biggest decrease in butter ies was in the Southwest — Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma — where the number of butter ies dropped by more than half in the 20 years.

“It looks like the butter ies that are in dry and warm areas are doing particularly poorly,” Edwards said. “And that kind of captures a lot of the Southwest.” Edwards said when they looked at butter y species that lived both in the hotter South and cooler North, the ones that did better were in the cooler areas.

Climate change, habitat loss and insecticides tend to work together to weaken buttery populations, Edwards and Haddad said. Of the three, it seems that insecticides are the biggest cause, based on previous research from the U.S. Midwest, Haddad said.

“It makes sense because insecticide use has changed in dramatic ways in the time since our study started,” Haddad said. Habitats can be restored and so can butter ies, so there’s hope, Haddad said.

“You can make changes in your backyard and in your neighborhood and in your state,” Haddad said. “That could really improve the situation for a lot of species.”

MARCH

LAUREN ROSE / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A Monarch butter y inspects a sun ower at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh.

CHATHAM SPORTS

Seaforth girls, Northwood boys advance to Final Four

Seaforth will make its third straight regional final appearance

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

FOR THE FOURTH time in five seasons, Chatham County will have two teams in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association regional championship round.

The second-seeded Seaforth girls took down No. 3 East Duplin at home 53-32 in the fourth round of the 2A East bracket Friday, advancing to its third straight Final Four. On the same night over 100 miles away, No. 3 Northwood went on the road and knocked No. 3 Southwest Onslow out of the 2A East playoffs 59-44, appearing in its fourth Final Four in six years.

Both teams will play in their respective regional championships Thursday at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem.

Seaforth will play No. 12 Southeast Alamance for the fourth time this season (Seaforth leads the season series 2-1) for a spot in the 2A state final at 2 p.m.

Following that game, Northwood will tip off against No. 4 West Bladen at 4 p.m.

Here’s a more in-depth recap of Friday’s fourth round games.

“I knew shots would eventually fall.”

Katie Leonard

Girls: Seaforth 53, East Duplin 32

Seaforth knocked down nine 3ss (six in the first half) and got a huge lift from guards Gabby White and Katie Leonard to beat East Duplin on Friday.

White, who finished the night with 21 points, scored 14 of the Hawks’ 17 points in the first quarter. She found ways to score all over the court, pouring in multiple second chance buckets at the rim and starting the night 2-for-2 from 3 in the opening period.

“Just getting to the basket and getting my teammates involved,” White reasoned for her early success. “That kind of opened up the game for me. Usually, teams like to focus in on me, so having my teammates know to have my back and being able to knock down those shots, I think that helped a lot.”

Junior guard Mia Moore kept the 3-point party going with two more triples in the second quarter. Senior Peyton Collins and sophomore Abigail Morgan also each con-

tributed a 3 before the half, but thanks to some solid looks in the paint (including second chance points) and free throw opportunities, East Duplin hung around to trail 31-21 at the break.

“We wanted to pick up our intensity,” Seaforth coach Charles Byrd said. “We felt like they were a little more intense than us in the first half. The biggest thing for us was coming out in the second half, turn up the energy and turn up our defense as well.”

Seaforth did exactly that, holding East Duplin to just 11 second half points.

Yet, the knockout punch was the resurgence of Leonard. Leonard only scored three points in the first half and started the night 0-for-7 from beyond the arc, however, she hit three of her last four triples, finishing the night with 16 points.

“I just tried to focus on what I could control which was getting stops, getting rebounds and finding my teammates,” Leonard said. “I knew shots would eventually fall.”

Boys: Northwood 59, Southwest Onslow 44

Junior guard Cam Fowler scored a team-high 28 points and led the Chargers’ downhill

See BASKETBALL, page B2

Chatham Central baseball sweeps Jordan-Matthews

The Bears scored 23 runs in the two games

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE CHATHAM Central baseball team swept its in-county rival Jordan-Matthews to win its first two games of the season last week.

After starting the year 0-4, the Bears reached their highest run totals of the season with a 9-4 victory in the first game on March 6 and an 14-1 rout in the second game Friday.

Chatham Central wrapped up the game two victory in five innings thanks to a six-run explosion in the top of the fifth sparked by sophomore Carson Jackson sending sophomore Brett Phillips home for a 9-1 lead.

Seniors Ben Wilson and Carter King brought home three more runners (one for Wilson and two for King) with consecutive singles. During King’s final at-bat of the night, senior Brady Phillips scored

“I don’t think we’re even close to what this team can be.”

Brett Walden

on a wild pitch, contributing to the Bears’ first double digit run total of the year.

King had the best night at the plate for Chatham Central, going 3 for 3 and knocking in four RBIs in game two. His first hit in the top of the first inning, a single to center field, sent home Jackson and junior Brayden Brewer for a 3-0 lead.

Including a ground ball by Wilson that scored Brett Phillips for the Bears’ first run Friday, Chatham Central scored four more runs in the first inning, making it two innings with six runs on the night.

A triple from senior Reid Albright brought in two runs (Wilson and King), and junior

2 local seniors end basketball careers with significant milestones

Reid Albright leaves Chatham Central as the program’s second-leading scorer

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

WHAT COULD’VE happened, or been known, earlier came right on time for boys’ basketball seniors Reid Albright of Chatham Central and Brennan LaVelle of Chatham Charter. During Chatham Central’s third-round loss to Southern Wake Academy in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state playoffs on March 4, Albright scored his 2,000th career point, ending the night with 22 points and a career total of 2,009. He became the school’s second leading boys’ basketball

“I just trust God through it, and thankfully, He allowed me to play this season.”

Brennan LaVelle

scorer, finishing behind Jason Thompson’s 2,104 points.

“It means a lot,” Albright said. “I haven’t really processed it yet.”

Prior to this past playoff run, Albright wasn’t exactly sure how close he was to the 2,000 mark.

While recalculating Albright’s career points, Chatham Central coach Robert Burke realized he left out two games from his freshman year, putting

LEE MOODY FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Jordan-Matthews’ Jake Bowden (front) slides into third ahead of a tag from Chatham Central’s Benjamin Wilson during the Bears’ two-game sweep of the Jets.

ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth’s Gabby White takes a 3-pointer during a fourth-round game against East Duplin. The Hawks advanced to the regional championships with a win.

New conferences set for Chatham County schools

The NCHSAA finalized its new conferences for the 2025-29 school year

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE NORTH Carolina High School Athletic Association approved its 2025-29 realignment plan on March 3, ending a months-long process of reclassifying and reorganizing its member schools.

The finalized conferences and classifications were released in a document Thursday. Schools were classified based on their average daily membership numbers for the 2024-25 school year.

Chatham County’s schools were split into four separate conferences.

Chatham Charter and Woods Charter were placed in “1A Conference 3,” an all-1A conference including Ascend Leadership, Central Carolina Academy, Clover Garden, River Mill Academy and Southern Wake Academy. The conference isn’t too different from the current Central Tar Heel 1A conference, except Central Carolina replaced Triangle Math and Science (now in “1A/2A/3A Conference A”).

Chatham Central, also a 1A school, is the only Chatham County school in “1A/2A Conference E” alongside College Prep and Leadership (1A), North Stokes (1A), South Davidson (1A), Winston-Salem Prep (1A), Bishop McGuinness (2A) and South Stokes (2A).

Jordan-Matthews (4A) and Northwood (3A) were placed

BASKETBALL from page B1

attack in the win over Southwest Onslow Friday. Fowler had an efficient and consistent night, shooting 52% from the floor and scoring 14 points in each half.

Northwood made just one 3 the entire night as it constantly

Northwood and Seaforth (right) players hit the floor in pursuit of a loose ball during a February game. These two rivals will need to make room in their non-conference schedules to play each other going forward.

together in “3A/4A Conference B” alongside Eastern Randolph (3A), North Moore (3A), Southwestern Randolph (4A) and Uwharrie Charter (4A).

Seaforth (5A) is the lone Chatham County school in “4A/5A Conference A” with Cedar Ridge (5A), Durham School of the Arts (5A), Orange (5A), South Granville (5A), Webb (5A) and Carrboro (4A). None of the conferences involving Chatham County

attacked the basket and utilized cuts for open looks at the rim.

As a team, Northwood shot 53% from the field despite going 1-for10 from 3.

The Chargers took control of the game after going on a 9-0 run sparked by a late first quarter steal from senior Beau Harvey that led to an and-one for

schools were changed from the third draft released on Feb. 14 as none of the county’s schools made any last-minute requests in front of the NCHSAA Board of Directors last week.

The next steps for the NCHSAA will be figuring out how the playoffs will work for each classification.

The new alignment will change matchups between the county’s schools for the next few years.

Fowler on the other end. The run ended the first quarter and carried over into the beginning of the second.

Up 27-21 at halftime, Northwood outscored the Stallions 18-7 in the third quarter and took a 17-point lead going into the final period. As they looked for easy shots

MILESTONES from page B1

him slightly over the mark in 105 career games.

“I was definitely surprised,” Albright said about when he found out. “I was definitely really happy about it, too.”

LaVelle knew his major accomplishment was on the way, though.

On a play called “Knights” during the fourth quarter of the Chatham Charter’s second-round loss to top-seeded Washington County in the NCHSAA state playoffs on Feb. 28, LaVelle caught a pass at the mid post from freshman Ryder Murphy and banked in a left hook for the last make of his high school career.

With his final bucket came his final milestone. After the make, LaVelle was subbed out of the game, ending his night with 26 points and his career with exactly 1,000.

“I don’t know why I was so emotional, but it was a very emotional moment for me,” LaVelle said.

For LaVelle, the count could’ve ended in his junior season at 576.

After not playing much on varsity as a freshman and sophomore, LaVelle had emerged as one of the Knights’ leading scorers as a junior, averaging 15 points per game and well in the range of becoming an 1,000-point scorer down the road.

But his playing days, let alone his scoring milestone, was all put in jeopardy on Feb. 9, 2024.

Early in a big home game against conference leader Southern Wake Academy that night, LaVelle went up for a layup on a fast break and suffered a broken tibia and fibula during the play. He missed out on two more regular season games, the conference tournament and a playoff run that could’ve added much more to his career point total.

After a successful surgery the next day, doctors told LaVelle that a return to action could take anywhere from three to 12 months.

With Northwood moving down to 2A and joining the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference last school year, all four of the Chatham County Schools system high schools were in the same conference for the first time ever. The past two seasons, rivalry matchups between Northwood and Jordan-Matthews, Northwood and Seaforth and Chatham Central and Jordan-Matthews were often played more than once a year

4

Separate conferences for Chatham County schools

and had conference and playoff implications. But now, some of the historic rivalry games will have to fit into the non-conference schedule.

There should be some interesting new conference matchups based on the recent histories of certain programs, though. Eastern Randolph, which has turned into a solid boys’ basketball program over the last three seasons, including a state title appearance in 2023, will likely get to battle Northwood more than once a year.

There will also be more of Carrboro and Seaforth in boys’ basketball too, which put on a thrilling game in November. In girls’ soccer, Carrboro may give Seaforth stiffer conference competition, considering the Jaguars haven’t lost more than three games since 2018 and beat 1A state runner up Woods Charter 7-0 in last year’s regular season.

In football, Eastern Randolph, North Moore and Northwood could make for some big Friday night matchups with the Mustangs and Chargers splitting their last two meetings in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference and the Wildcats being one of the top programs out of the 1A West classification over the past few years.

in the paint, the Chargers forced Southwest Onslow into tough shots on the defensive end. The Stallions shot 3-for-21 from beyond the arc (36% from the entire field) and committed numerous turnovers that led to Northwood points. Only the Chargers’ starters scored in the game. Senior guard Hayes Burleson went 7-for-7 from two-point range for 14 points, and senior Isaiah Blair poured in eight points. Junior forward Chad Graves, who was very active on the offensive boards, contributed seven points, and Harvey scored his only two points in the first quarter.

Dedicated to his frequent physical therapy sessions and necessary stretches, LaVelle hoped to be back on the court with his team for the summer, but he still wasn’t ready by that time.

“The hardest part of it was mentally,” LaVelle said. “Having to think, ‘Oh, I’m going to be able to do this.’ It’s also just hard dealing with it because you used to be able to do this, and now you can’t walk.”

But even with the injury keeping him away from the hardwood, LaVelle didn’t let his situation keep him still.

About two months after his surgery, LaVelle started his own landscaping and pressure washing business (named LaVelle Landscaping and Washing).

“I was just tired of sitting around at the house, and I was starting to be able to move around better,” LaVelle said.

“I had the materials, I had the

equipment here because we live on a farm, and I just started reaching out to people.”

Said LaVelle, “I extended it to a pressure washing business, and I actually made really good.”

The labor also did good for his recovery. Not only did landscaping keep LaVelle in shape, he felt it sped up his return to the court.

“Especially in those early months, if I had worked all day, I would come home and be in a lot of pain with my leg,” LaVelle said. “But, my PT person told me to keep doing it and doing it because it was good for it.”

LaVelle ended up beating the 12-month recovery time by a long shot and returned to action during the fall just before the official start of this past season.

“I just trust God through it, and thankfully, He allowed me to play this season,” LaVelle said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Chatham Charter’s Brennan LaVelle celebrates his 1,000th career point.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Jordan-Matthews softball extends win streak to 4

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record Baseball

After picking up its second win of the season over Eastern Alamance 2-1 on March 6, Seaforth fell to Chapel Hill in extra innings 4-3 Saturday. Tied at 3 runs apiece in the top of the ninth inning, Chapel Hill’s David Campos knocked in Austin Campos for the go-ahead run on a sac fly.

Northwood dropped two conference losses to Southeast Alamance, losing 5-3 on March 4 and 3-2 Friday.

Chatham Charter lost two in a row to Southern Alamance (10-0) on March 4 and Cornerstone Charter (8-3) Friday.

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings (as of Sunday) (overall, conference): 1. Southeast Alamance (4-0, 4-0); T2. Chatham Central (2-4, 2-2); T2. North Moore (2-2, 1-1); 4. Northwood (1-3, 1-3); 5. Jordan-Matthews (0-4, 0-2); T6. Bartlett Yancey (1-1, 0-0); T6. Cummings (0-0, 0-0); T6. Seaforth 2-3, 0-0) Central Tar Heel 1A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. River Mill (2-0, 0-2); 2. Triangle Math and Science (1-4, 0-2); T3. Chatham Charter (1-2, 0-0); T3. Clover Garden School (0-4, 0-0); T3. Southern Wake Academy (0-1, 0-0) Softball

Jordan-Matthews extended its win streak to four with a three straight wins over Northwood (11-4), Eastern Randolph (8-5) and North Moore (5-4) last week. Freshman Lily Zogopoulos and senior Marcy Clark both knocked in two scores apiece in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift the Jets ahead of North Moore.

Chatham Central pitcher Maddie Kaczmarczyk didn’t allow a hit in the three innings needed to beat Bartlett Yancey 15-0 on March 4. The Bears also achieved four straight wins with a 19-1 victory over Seaforth Friday.

Northwood senior Jasmine Wichowski went 3-for-3 from the plate and recorded five RBIs to lead the Chargers over Bartlett Yancey 16-0 for its first win of the season Friday. In that same game, she also allowed just one hit and struck

221.5

Points for Seaforth’s boys’ track in its win at the Southeast Alamance Tri-Meet

out four batters on the mound. Chatham Charter lost its first two games of the year to Providence Grove (4-3) on March 3 and Uwharrie Charter (15-8) on March 6.

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings (as of Sunday):

T1. Chatham Central (4 -0, 2-0); T1. Jordan-Matthews (4 -0, 2-0); T3. North Moore (4-1, 2-1); T3. Seaforth (2-2, 2-1); 5. Southeast Alamance (2-2, 1-1); 6. Northwood (1-4, 1-3); T7. Bartlett Yancey (0-2, 0-2); T7. Graham (0-3, 0-2) Central Tar Heel 1A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Clover Garden School (2-0, 2-0); T2. River Mill (1-1, 0-1); T2. Ascend Leadership (0-1, 0-1); 4. Chatham Charter (0-2, 0-0)

Girls’ soccer

Woods Charter got its season started with a 2-1 win over Eno River on March 3, but the Wolves dropped its next game to Thales Academy Apex 2-0 on March 5.

Jordan-Matthews freshman Amiyah Vargas recorded a hat trick in the Jets’ 9-0 win over Phoenix Academy on March 6. Northwood won its second game of the year with a 4-2 victory over Southern Alamance on March 6. The rest of the week didn’t go as well, though, as the Chargers also lost to Cedar Ridge 9-6 (March 3) and Eastern Alamance 3-0 (Friday).

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings (as of Sunday):

T1. Seaforth (1-0, 1-0); T1 (2-3, 1-0); T3. Cummings (0-2, 0-1); T3 Graham (0-2, 0-1); T5. Bartlett Yancey (0-2, 0-0); T5. Jordan-Matthews (2-2, 0-0); T5. North Moore (1-0, 0-0); T5. Southeast Alamance (1-3, 0-0)

Track and field

Northwood’s girls and Seaforth’s boys came out on top in the Southeast Alamance TriMeet on March 6 with scores of 191 and 221.5 respectively.

In the Central 3A meet on March 4, Woods Charter’s Ezra Roebuck finished first in the boys’ 400 with a time of 52.64 seconds, and Anna Peeler cruised to a win in the girls’ 1,600 with a time of 5:55.63.

Jordan-Matthews’ Rachael Woods won the girls’ triple jump at the Asheboro Non-Con meet on March 6 with a mark of 32 feet, 8 inches.

Boys’ lacrosse

Seaforth picked up two big wins over Southeast Alamance 20-2 (March 4) and Cedar Ridge 17-5 (March 6). Junior Ivan Grimes led the Hawks with five goals against Southeast Alamance and he tied with freshman Liam McCann and senior Cameron Exley for a team-high 4 goals against Cedar Ridge. Sophomore Anthony Karpf’s five goals led Northwood over Southeast Alamance Friday 16-0

Central/Mid-Carolina conference standings (as of Sunday): T1. Orange (5-0, 3-0); T1. Seaforth (2-1, 2-0); 3. Northwood (3-2, 3-1); T4. Southern Alamance (2-1, 1-1); T4. Williams (2-3, 1-1); T4. Eastern Alamance (2-1, 1-1); T7. Western Alamance (0-2, 0-1); T7. Cedar Ridge (0-3, 0-2); T7. Southeast Alamance (0-6, 0-4)

Boys’ tennis

Northwood extended its win streak to four with a 5-4 win over Jordan-Matthews on March 3, but Chatham Charter cooled the Chargers off after beating them 6-3 the next day. Mid-Carolina 1A/2A standings (as of Sunday): T1. Northwood (4-1, 4-0); T1. Seaforth (1-0, 1-0); 3. North Moore (3-2, 2-1); 4. Jordan-Matthews (0-3, 0-1)

Boys’ golf

Seaforth won the second Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference match of the season on March 3 with a score of 155. Seaforth junior Ty Willoughby finished first in the individual competition with a score of 35. Farrell Blackburn (Northwood), Gray Stewart (Seaforth, tied for second with Blackburn), Brady Preslar (Northwood) and Griffin Ching (Seaforth) filled out the rest of the top five finishers in order.

Chatham Central, softball

Chatham Central sophomore Maddie Kaczmarczyk earns athlete of the week honors for the week of March 3.

Kaczmarczyk, the Bears’ ace, allowed just one hit in the two wins over Bartlett Yancey on March 4 and Seaforth on Friday. In the 15-0 rout over Bartlett Yancey, Kaczmarczyk pitched a perfect three innings (the game only lasted three innings), striking out eight batters and not allowing a hit. Against Seaforth, Kaczmarczyk retired 11 batters and allowed just one hit.

Kaczmarczyk is off to a solid start to the season, allowing just six hits and three runs with an ERA of 1.00 through the Bears’ first four games.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Nebraska replacing spring game with skills competitions

Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska’s spring game will be replaced with skills competitions and 7-on-7 games at Memorial Stadium on April 26. Coach Matt Rhule had said five weeks ago he highly doubted a spring game would be played because of his concerns about other teams scouting players in the scrimmage and possibly poaching them through the transfer portal. The Nebraska spring game dates to the 1920s and has been played annually since 1950.

NFL Raiders acquire quarterback Smith from Seahawks for 3rd-round pick

Las Vegas

Geno Smith is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are sending the Seattle Seahawks a third-round pick for Smith. The 34-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback reunites with new Raiders coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will seek a new starter.

Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season.

WNBA Williams joins ownership group of Toronto Tempo, WNBA’s 1st Canadian franchise

Toronto Serena Williams is joining the Toronto Tempo ownership group. The team announced the move on Monday. She will partner with Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures for the Tempo, who will begin play in the 2026 season. Williams, one of the greatest tennis players in history, will also play an active role in future jersey designs. Williams is the latest former pro athlete to join a WNBA ownership group. Magic Johnson, Tom Brady, Dwyane Wade and Renee Montgomery already are owners.

SOCCER

NWSL opens Bay FC investigation following reports of “toxic” work environment

New York

An independent investigation has been opened into the coaching staff at Bay FC following publication of a report that described a “toxic” work environment at the club. National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed the probe. The San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation last Friday that said at least two formal complaints had been made about the team under coach Albertin Montoya. Two former players, who were not named in Chronicle’s report, described the team environment as toxic, and two former Bay FC employees agreed with the assessment.

NFL Chiefs WR Worthy released after Texas DA declines to pursue charges

Austin, Texas

Duke holds off desperate Heels

The Blue Devils overcame foul trouble and UNC’s hot shooting to sweep their rival

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

OFTEN after a rivalry game, Duke and Carolina players talk about heart, desire and wanting it more than the opponent. In a series that has been evenly matched for generations, the desperation is often what makes the difference.

On Saturday in Chapel Hill, there was no question that the more desperate team was the Tar Heels. UNC needed a win to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Duke, meanwhile, had spent the last several weeks on cruise control, blowing out ACC opponents at a record rate.

Throw in the fact that RJ Davis, a legendary Tar Heel, the program’s all-time 3-point shooting leader and second-leading scorer, was playing his last home game, and the intangibles were tilted heavily in favor of Carolina.

Now all the Heels needed was for a few things to fall their way. The combination of grit and luck would bring them victory. Fall, they did. Duke’s MVP and likely National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg picked up two early fouls then returned to the game later in the first half and committed his third.

On the other side, Davis was feeling it, capturing the magic that won him an ACC Player of the Year award. He scored 15 points in the first half, including seven in a 100-second stretch that saw a 15-point Duke lead cut to one at halftime.

“It’s like what you live for, right?” Davis said. “You prep for these type of moments, these type of games. For me to come out in the first half, shooting the basketball and hitting 3s, it

was something I envisioned in my head.”

UNC kept right on going after the half, building a seven-point lead over the reeling Blue Devils.

For Duke coach Jon Scheyer, however, it was just what the doctor ordered.

“I thought it was incredible to go through,” he said. “The first thing I said (to the team) at half is, ‘This is great.’ But I knew we needed it. It was the best thing for us. At the start of the second half, to go down seven and claw our way back? We test our trust in those moments.”

Admittedly, Scheyer has his eyes focused further down the March calendar than Saturday night, and he’d rather have Duke overwhelmed in a regular season game than a tournament contest where a loss ends the year.

Foul trouble will happen at

Super Bowl stars Sweat, Williams headline list of top NFL free agents

A look at the best non-quarterbacks on the open market

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press

NFL TEAMS can start reshaping their rosters by signing free agents this week.

There’s plenty of attention on the quarterbacks, including Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Agents can start negotiating with teams Monday, and players could sign new deals starting Wednesday. Here’s a look at 25 nonquarterbacks available.

Josh Sweat, edge rusher, Philadelphia Eagles: Sweat is set to cash in after an impressive performance in Philadelphia’s victory in the Super Bowl. He had 21/2 sacks. Sweat has averaged eight sacks per season since becoming a starter in 2021.

Davante Adams, wide receiver, New York Jets: Adams caught 85 passes for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns in a down year spent with the Raiders and Jets. He’s a three-time All-Pro.

Milton Williams, defensive tackle, Philadelphia Eagles: Williams had two sacks in the Super Bowl.

Charvarius Ward, cornerback, San Francisco 49ers: A second-team All-Pro in 2023.

Chris Godwin, wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Coming off a gruesome ankle injury that forced him to miss the final 10 games, the 29-year-old Godwin may not get the massive deal he was on pace for.

Drew Dalman, center, Atlanta Falcons: The best center on the open market.

D.J. Reed, cornerback, New York Jets: Reed allowed just two receiving touchdowns last season, and opposing quarterbacks completed just 46.3% of their passes against him.

Dre Greenlaw, linebacker, San Francisco 49ers: Greenlaw should be back to his old form after returning from an Achilles tendon injury last year.

Haason Reddick, edge rusher, New York Jets: Before a holdout ruined his 2024 season, Reddick had 27 sacks in two seasons in Philadelphia.

Byron Murphy, cornerback, Minnesota Vikings: Murphy had his best season last year with a career-high six interceptions and allowed a 62.0 passer rating.

Amari Cooper, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills: Cooper has had seven 1,000 -yard receiving seasons in 10 years.

“Once you get to March, it can’t be just about wanting it more. Because the team you play also wants it a lot.”

Jon Scheyer, Duke coach

some point in March. So will a hot-shooting opponent. And when it does, the long string of ACC blowouts won’t do Scheyer and the Blue Devils a bit of good. A game like Saturday at the Dean Dome, however, is something to build on.

Duke passed its test of trust.

Kon Knueppel, Sion James and Tyrese Proctor all stepped up in Flagg’s absence, combining for 30 of Duke’s 43 first-half points. Flagg also showed character, playing the entire second

half without picking up another foul.

“You worry about him being hesitant, not being himself,” Scheyer said. “I told him to be aggressive. … For him to get four blocks while having the three fouls was big time.”

The Blue Devils erased the Tar Heels’ lead and rebuilt their double-digit margin, cruising to an 82-69 win and wrapping up a 19-1 ACC season.

Not bad for a team that wasn’t as desperate as the other guys. “Once you get to March, it can’t be just about wanting it more,” Scheyer said. “Because the team you play also wants it a lot. Obviously, you’ve got to make sure your competitiveness is at a certain level, your fight is at a certain level, but it also comes down to having great focus and understanding the value of this game for both teams.”

Xavier Worthy was freed after a Texas district attorney declined to pursue charges against the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver following an arrest in which he had been accused of felony domestic violence. The Williamson County District Attorney said his office had spoken with witnesses and was not accepting the case. Worthy and his lawyers were fully cooperating with the investigation. 2

Carlton Davis, cornerback, Detroit Lions: The seven-year veteran stabilized Detroit’s secondary in his first year with the Lions after spending the first six in Tampa Bay.

Nick Bolton, linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs: He’s a third-down player and was a leader for Steve Spagnuolo’s stout defense.

Jevon Holland, safety, Miami Dolphins: Despite a down season in 2024, the top

Members of the Super Bowl champion Eagles’ defense in the top three available free agents

safety on the market. Will Fries, right guard, Indianapolis Colts: Played just five games due to a broken tibia.

Khalil Mack, edge rusher, Los Angeles Chargers: He’s 34 and his sack total dropped from 17 to six last season.

Justin Reid, safety, Kansas City Chiefs: A proven leader who’d be a big upgrade for a secondary.

18. Cam Robinson, left tackle, Minnesota Vikings: Several teams could use a solid anchor to protect their quarterback’s blind side.

19. Stefon Diggs, wide receiver, Houston Texans: Diggs is coming off an ACL

injury that limited him to eight games but the four-time Pro Bowl pick could transition well to a slot role.

20. Tre’von Moehrig, safety, Las Vegas Raiders: Recorded a career-high 104 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 2024.

Mekhi Becton, right guard, Philadelphia Eagles: Moved from tackle to guard and revived his career on one of the league’s best lines.

Tevin Jenkins, offensive guard, Chicago Bears: Solid starter who should quickly find a home in free agency.

Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback, Los Angeles Chargers: He’s a playmaker despite the criticism he receives for his tackling.

Jamien Sherwood, linebacker, New York Jets: He was the best player on a disappointing defense.

Josh Myers, center, Green Bay Packers: Myers allowed just one sack last year.

MATT SLOCUM / AP PHOTO

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat (19) reacts after sacking Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the first half of Super Bowl 59.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

Duke forward Cooper Flagg (2) tries to control the ball as he is defended by UNC guard

Drake Powell (9) during the first half of Saturday’s game.

Miguel Ramirez’s fly out immediately after allowed Albright to reach home and give Chatham Central a commanding 6-0 lead early in the game.

The first contest of the twogame series was much closer, though.

Down 4-3 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, Chatham Central scored four runs in that inning alone to flip the game back in its favor.

“I still didn’t think we were very good at the plate, but we had good enough at-bats,” Chatham Central coach Brett Walden said. “Sometimes you’ve got to win them that way and win your at-bats that way. Even though they’re not great at-bats, find a way to get on base. I thought they did that all night.”

After a single from Brady Phillips and two early outs, senior Zane Overman clutched up with a single to send Phillips in for the game-tying run. The bases were loaded with Jackson and Wilson being walked in the following at-bats, setting up King for his crucial single to left field that sent in two goahead scores.

“The other two pitches, I was kind of out in front of it, so I was in my head just thinking stay back, short to the ball and just try to slap it the other way,” King said. “I ended up pulling it, but it still got down for a hit.”

Sophomore Reid Caviness contributed to the decisive fourth inning with his own single immediately after King’s that knocked in freshman Iker Vicente for a 7-4 lead.

“Their pitchers were behind most of the night, so that was helpful for us,” Walden said. “We were opportunistic. When they were not really good on the mound at times, we were able to take advantage of that. So sometimes, you have to win them that way.”

Prior to the fourth inning, Jordan-Matthews responded to Chatham Central’s three -r un output in the second inning with its own three runs in the third.

Immediately after Jordan-Matthews sophomore Gavin Davis tied the game at three with a single in the third inning, junior Jacob Eubanks put the Jets ahead by one with a double to center field that brought Elvis Nina-Chay to home plate.

Even without a stellar pitching night from the Bears’ pitching staff, Chatham Central was able to shut out Jordan-Matthews for the next four innings.

Chatham Central’s Luke Gaines (12) takes a lead off second base during the Bears’ sweep of Jordan-Matthews.

“We started throwing more strikes,” Walden said. “That was the biggest thing. And working ahead. If you’re working ahead, you’re going to be successful a lot. Coach Staley does a really good job with our pitching analytics, and he’s tried to stress to them that

something like 80% of the time we get a first-pitch strike, we get the guy out.”

Chatham Central has had a rough start to the 2025 season, losing by more than six runs in the three consecutive losses leading up to game one against the Jets. The Bears hope to turn

things around after the rivalry wins and stack more victories in its next stretch of games.

“We lost a lot of production to graduation,” Walden said. “There’s some guys that have played and been here that are going to have to take on a much larger role, and I don’t think

we’re even close to what this team can be.” Jordan-Matthews has also struggled to score in its 0-4 start to the season, recording just one run in three of its first four losses. The Jets last started a season with four straight losses in 2017 when they started 0-6.

LEE MOODY FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Richards gets satisfaction from award honoring Connecticut residents

The Rolling Stones guitarist has kept a home in the state since 1985

By Dave Collins The Associated Press

APPEARING IN a building of books instead of a stadium with amps, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was honored last Wednesday with a new award that recognizes Connecticut residents for their creativity, passion and generosity.

Richards, 81, who is British, has kept a home in Connecticut since 1985. He became the first recipient of the Connecticut Governor’s Award of Excellence, receiving a custom-designed medallion and hearty applause from dozens attending the ceremony at the Westport Library.

Gov. Ned Lamont, a Stones fan, praised Richards for his music career and philanthropy to local organizations, and the state’s first lady, Annie Lamont, placed the medallion around his neck.

“Well, thank you very much. And thank you Connecticut,” Richards said before pausing briefly. “You kind of get lost for words with something like this around your neck. All I gotta say is, you know, I’ve been here for 40 years, and it’s been a great place for me.”

Richards said he moved from New York City to the leafy, wealthy suburb of Weston about 50 miles to the northeast so his children could get some fresh air.

“Keith Richards is an amazing member of our community, and we’r e so proud that he’s here. And I’m so proud for the opportunity to give him this award in excellence.”

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont

“The family’s had a great life,” he said. “The kids grew up great and incredibly happy about everything.”

Richards and his wife, model and actress Patti Hansen, have two adult children. He also has two children with ex-w ife Anita Pallenberg. Another child with Pallenberg, Tara, died from sudden infant death syndrome in 1976.

Lamont noted Richards’ support of local organizations that serve people with disabilities including SPHERE, an education, recreation and arts group, and The Prospector Theater, which operates a movie theater and online popcorn business.

“Keith Richards is an amazing member of our community, and we’re so proud that he’s here,” Lamont said. “And I’m so proud for the opportunity to give him this award in excellence.”

The Democratic governor also joked that Richards is one of his “top political advisers,” through his music. Lamont played snippets of Stones’ songs including “Start Me Up” — saying it was an inspiration for helping small businesses — and “You Can’t Always Get

What You Want” — his answer to state lawmakers’ requests to increase the budget, he said.

The award medallion was designed by a Connecticut state trooper, Danny Carvalho, to which Richards may have raised an eyebrow during his earlier, hard-partying days. A fashion designer from Enfield, Justin Haynes, designed the ribbon attached to the medallion.

The Westport Library’s executive director, William Harmer, had an extra gift he presented to Richards, one Harmer said was more prestigious than a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or a personal parking space in Times Square: a Westport Library card. Richards has an affinity for libraries, calling them a great and publicly owned equalizer in society.

“Without our books and without knowing things, and without their special meaning — this is not movies,” he said. “This is not somebody drawing you images or anything. This is a book, and you have the movie in your head. And it’s very important that we keep our books unburnt.”

SETH WENIG / AP PHOTO

Keith Richards and Connecticut

Gov. Ned Lamont smile during a ceremony for the presentation of the first Governor’s Award of Excellence in Westport, Connecticut, on March 5.

this week in history

Einstein born, Stephen Hawking died, Mussolini joined the Nazis, “The Godfather” premiered

The Associated Press

MARCH 13

1781: The seventh planet of the solar system, Uranus, was discovered by astronomer William Herschel.

2020: President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MARCH 14

1794: Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, an invention that revolutionized the American cotton industry.

1879: Albert Einstein, who would revolutionize physics and the human understanding of the universe, was born in Ulm, Germany.

1964: A jury in Dallas found Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and sentenced Ruby to death.

2018: Stephen Hawking, the best-known theoretical physicist of his time, died at the age of 76.

MARCH 15

44 B.C.: On the “ides of March,” Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by Roman senators, including Brutus and Cassius, who feared Caesar was working to establish a monarchy.

1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson called for new legislation to guarantee every American’s right to vote. The result was passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

1972: “The Godfather,” Francis Ford Coppola’s film based on the Mario Puzo novel and starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, premiered in New York.

MARCH 16

1802: President Thomas Jefferson signed a measure authorizing the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

1926: Rocket science pioneer Robert H. Goddard successfully tested the first liquid-fueled rocket at his Aunt Effie’s farm in Auburn, Massachusetts.

1968: The My Lai massacre took place during the Vietnam War as U.S. Army soldiers hunting for Viet Cong fighters and sympathizers killed unarmed

Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, who is best known for developing the theory of relativity, was born on March 14, 1879.

villagers in two hamlets of Son My village; estimates of the death toll vary from 347 to 504.

MARCH 17

1762: New York held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade.

1941: The National Gallery of Art opened in Washington, D.C.

1942: During World War II, Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived in Australia to become supreme commander of Allied forces in the southwest Pacific theater.

1969: Golda Meir took power in Israel, beginning a stint as prime minister that would last through five crucial years in the nation’s history.

MARCH 18

1766: Britain repealed the Stamp Act of 1765.

1922: Mohandas K. Gandhi was sentenced in India to six years’ imprisonment for civil disobedience.

1940: Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini met at the Brenner Pass, where the Italian dictator agreed to join Germany’s war against France and Britain.

2017: Chuck Berry, rock ’n’ roll’s founding guitar hero and storyteller behind such classics as “Johnny B. Goode,” “Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Roll Over Beethoven,” died at age 90.

MARCH 19

1859: The opera “Faust” by Charles Gounod premiered in Paris.

1931: Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure legalizing casino gambling.

1945: During World War II, 724 people were killed when a Japanese dive bomber attacked the carrier USS Franklin off Japan.

‘Eternal Flame’ recounts The Bangles’ turbulent run as all-female ’80s pop sensations

Ultimately, the band met its end in 1989

By Julie Carr Smyth

The Associated Press

FOR MEMBERS of The Bangles, the quintessential all-female band of the 1980s, “Walk Like An Egyptian” was an aberration — not just a departure from their rock-influenced roots, but running counter to it.

How the quirky single would help propel them to international fame and earn Susanna Hoffs’ flirtingly darting eyes a place in music history is laid out in a new book, “Eternal Flame: The Authorized Biography of The Bangles,” released last month.

Author and rock historian Jennifer Otter Bickerdike takes “the girls” from their origins as a teenage garage band in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley to international stardom, and on to their painful breakup in 1989.

For anyone who binged MTV or frequented the nightclubs of the ’80s, “Walk Like An Egyptian” was a staple of the era. Scenes of the band’s four members — Hoffs, sisters Vicki and

Debbi Peterson, and Michael Steele — strutting their way across the screen in flashy Egyptian costumes are interspersed with video from a live performance of the song and street scenes of random individuals performing the signature hieroglyphic lope.

Vicki Peterson, one of three band members to whom Bickerdike was granted “unprecedented access” for the book, loved the Beatles, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Mamas & the Papas. Her younger sister Debbi’s drumming heroes were Ringo Starr and Charlie Watts. Hoffs desired less to be “the Rock and Roll Audrey Hepburn,” as one music promoter described her, and more the punk-poetess Patti Smith.

With “Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Manic Monday,” “Eternal Flame” and two other tunes, The Bangles became the only all-female rock band to sing and play their own instruments on five Top 10 Billboard hits. Cutting their first studio album, “All Over the Place,” in 1984 was a grueling and somewhat demoralizing experience, band members recalled. “I re-

solutions

member coming home one night and being in tears,” Vicki said. “I just kept saying, ‘How does anyone ever make a second record? Does anyone do that again?’”

“The Authorized Biography of The Bangles” by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike details the ups and downs of one of the biggest all-female bands of the 1980s.

And the music press could be brutal, too — minimizing their musical talents while inventing rivalries with other all-female bands — particularly the

Go-Go’s — or nonexistent romantic sparks with Prince, who gave them his “Manic Monday” to record on their second album, 1986’s Different Light. But celebrity was also a rush of opportunities. Singer Cyndi Lauper took a liking to the band and tapped them to open for her 1984 Fun Tour, and Prince surprised audiences on occasion when he would appear unannounced on stage and play with the band. Hoffs calls those occasions “magical.” After “Different Light,” with “Walk Like an Egyptian,” was released, The Bangles opened for rock giants Queen at Slane Castle in Ireland. A year later, their music was part of a movie soundtrack. Ultimately, the band met its end in 1989 amid exhaustion, internal rivalries and artistic differences with their record company. The Petersons describe being summoned to a meeting at their manager’s house, where Hoffs and Steele dropped the bomb that they were unhappy. By the end of the conclave, the band was no more — though they did reform in 1998 to record a song for an “Austin Powers” movie.

AP PHOTO

DA CAPO PRESS / GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING VIA AP

*Must set up Auto Draft for 2nd Month.

valid through February 1st 2024.

famous birthdays this week

Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is 28, Judd Hirsh celebrates 90, Sly Stone hits 82

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week:

MARCH 13

Actor William H. Macy is 75. Rapper-actor Common is 53. Tennis star Coco Gauff is 21.

MARCH 14

Actor-comedian Billy Crystal is 77. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Simone Biles is 28.

MARCH 15

Actor Judd Hirsch is 90. Filmmaker David Cronenberg is 82. Musician Sly Stone is 82. Musician Ry Cooder is 78. Rock singer Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) is 70.

MARCH 16

Actor Erik Estrada is 76. Guitarist Nancy Wilson of Heart is 71. Rapper Flavor Flav of Public Enemy is 66.

MARCH 17

Actor Patrick Duffy is 76. Actor Kurt Russell is 74. Actor Gary Sinise is 70. Actor Rob Lowe is 61. Singer Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins is 58.

MARCH 18

Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell is 74. TV personality Mike Rowe (“Dirty Jobs”) is 63. Singer-actor Vanessa Williams (“Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty”) is 62. Rapper-actor Queen Latifah is 55. Singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 is 46.

MARCH 19

Actor Renee Taylor (“The Nanny”) is 91. Actor Ursula Andress (“Dr. No,” “Casino Royale”) is 89. Singer Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 79. Actor Glenn Close is 78. Actor Bruce Willis is 70.

ABBIE PARR / AP PHOTO Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is 28 on Friday.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO Award-winning actor Judd Hirsch turns 90 on Saturday.

BRAD BARKET / INVISION / AP PHOTO Action star Bruce Willis celebrates 70 on Wednesday.

the stream

‘Moana

2’ on Disney+, Mulaney on Netflix; ‘Confessions of Octomom,’ Seyfried

“Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” lands on Paramount+

The Associated Press

“MOANA 2,” the third-biggest movie box-office hit of 2024, and Amanda Seyfried playing a Philadelphia patrol officer fighting rampant opioid addiction in Peacock’s “Long Bright River” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time: A long-lost documentary resurfaces on Tom Petty, comedian John Mulaney launches a live weekly celebrity talk show on Netflix, and a six-part series called “Confessions of Octomom” looks back at the turbulent life of single mom Nadya Suleman.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Moana 2” was nearly a streaming series. Instead, it is now streaming on Disney+ after more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. The movie, the third-biggest box-office hit of 2024, is set three years after the 2016 original. Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) again sets sail from her home island, this time in search of a wider community of Pacific Islanders. Dwayne Johnson, as the voice of Maui, is also back.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo (“Avengers: Endgame”) are back on Netflix with their adaptation of Simon Stalenhag’s 2018 illustrated novel “The Electric State.” The Russos, who last released 2022’s “The Gray Man” on the streaming service, bring their big-budget flare to a retro-futuristic tale populated by cartoon-like robots. Millie Bobby Brown stars as a teenager in search of her long-lost brother, who travels the American southwest with Keats (Chris Pratt) and his robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).

Payal Kapadia’s luminous “All We Imagine as Light” begins streaming this week on the Criterion Channel. The film, one of the most acclaimed of 2024, is about three Mumbai hospital workers — played by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam — who are each grappling with different constrictions in modern Mumbai. When they travel to a seaside town, “All We Imagine as Light” transforms into a radiant, illusory imagination of the lives they could have. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote, “Like a dream, this is a film that washes over you.”

plays cop

MUSIC TO STREAM

In 2022, the K-pop girl group

LE SSERAFIM emerged fully formed: An ambitious Gen Z quintet whose hooks helped usher in a new wave of such groups. It was their single “Antifragile” that seemed to suggest a new sound was being popularized: They pulled from reggaetón filtered through Rosalía as much as they did the tentpoles of much K-pop: stacked melodies, R&B, hip-hop, EDM. On Friday, they will release a new EP, “HOT,” its title-track promising further combinations of “rock and disco elements, revolving around love,” their agency Source Music said in a statement. It’s enough to get excited about.

In February 1983, “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” aired just once on MTV — a long-lost documentary that

doubles as Cameron Crowe’s true directorial debut. It follows Petty and his Heartbreakers around their 1982 “Long After Dark” album. The film has been found and remastered, and you can watch it now on Paramount+.

SHOWS TO STREAM

In 2009, the world was introduced to Nadya Suleman, a single mom of six who gave birth to eight living children at one time via in vitro fertilization. The public fascination into this woman dubbed Octomom quickly became vicious and judgmental. Suleman had no job and relied on government assistance, so she was declared irresponsible and unfit to raise 14 kids. She did capitalize on the attention with a book deal, tabloid deals and paid TV appearances, but within a few

“We will never be relevant. We will never be your source of news. We will always be reckless.” John Mulaney

years, she’d declared bankruptcy, turned to pornography to earn money and was accused of welfare fraud by the state of California. A new six-part series called “Confessions of Octomom” looks back at that turbulent time and how Suleman and her 14 kids made it through. It is on Lifetime and streams on Hulu live.

Comedian John Mulaney launched a live weekly celebrity talk show on Netflix called “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.” It’s a follow-up to “John Mulaney Presents: “Everybody’s in LA” a live nightly show during last year’s Netflix is a Joke comedy festival. Richard Kind returns as the sidekick. At a press event earlier this year to promote Netflix’s 2025 programming, Maloney promised, “We will never be relevant. We will never be your source of news. We will always be reckless.” Amanda Seyfried, who won an Emmy Award in 2022 for portraying former Silicon Valley It Girl Elizabeth Holmes, stars in a new thriller series for Peacock. In “Long Bright River,” Seyfried plays Mickey, a Philadelphia patrol officer in a neighborhood plagued by rampant

opioid addiction. Mickey becomes determined to solve a series of murders when her sister, who is also an addict, goes missing. It’s based on a novel by Liz Moore. The eight-episode series launches Thursday.

A different limited series for Apple TV+ called “Dope Thief” is also set in Philadelphia against the world of drugs. Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura star as two longtime friends who pose as DEA agents and conduct fake raids to take possession of other people’s drugs and money. It’s a series of easy scores until the two men target the wrong people. “Dope Thief,” produced by Ridley Scott, begins streaming Friday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Video games love to make you feel like a hero, but what happens to warriors who fail? Alta, the protagonist of Wanderstop, takes a job managing a quiet tea shop in a magical forest. That sounds like the setup for a relaxing, “cozy” game like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley — but be warned, one of its creators is Davey Wreden, the mastermind behind 2013’s The Stanley Parable. That cult classic is one of the most devious brain-twisters ever, so who knows what Wreden and his colleagues at Ivy Road have up their sleeves for their indie studio’s debut release? Judging from the trailer, Alta may have more on her mind than creating the perfect cup. Find out what’s

on

OWEN SWEENEY / INVISION / AP PHOTO

recently remastered

documentary “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” is streaming on Paramount+.

AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Live with John Mulaney” is bringing the laughs on Netflix.

Duplin Journal

the BRIEF this

week

95K gallons of animal waste impact Carltons Mill Run Creek

Duplin County

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality reported an animal waste spill last Friday affecting Carltons Mill Run Creek in Duplin County. The spill, which originated from C&J Finishers on Carrolls Road near Warsaw, involved approximately 95,000 gallons of waste released due to a broken irrigation hydrant. The incident occurred from March 4 to March 5. Upon notification, C&J Finishers turned off the pump and took action to contain the waste. Water samples were collected, and the Division of Water Resources confirmed that there are no public drinking water system intakes in the affected area.

Fake registration plate leads to arrest

Beulaville

Beulaville Police arrested Kari Taylor last Saturday after allegedly stopping her for driving a vehicle with fake registration plates and suspicious activity at a Speedway store. According to law enforcement, the officer found 60 Oxycodone pills during during a search of the vehicle. Taylor was charged with multiple drug offenses and taken to the Duplin County Jail. She received a $60,000 bond.

3 arrested in drug, weapons bust

Wallace Deputies with the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office seized more than 340 grams of marijuana, marijuana shatter, an Anderson AM-15 rifle, a FNS 9mm handgun, numerous rounds of ammunition and various drug paraphernalia after conducting a traffic stop at Teachey Park in Wallace on March 2. Rashawn M. Lemon, 19, Omari J. Kenan, 18, and Wuilfredo N. Perez, 19, were arrested and face multiple felony charges.

Fight captured on video leads to charges

Beulaville

The Beulaville Police Department confirmed last week that Austin Batts, 25, and Russell Guagliardi, 27, have been charged with affray in connection with a public altercation. The incident occurred Feb. 28 and gained attention after a video surfaced on Facebook. The footage shows the two men fighting in the middle of the road near the Speedmart, which caused a traffic disruption until a third person intervened and separated them.

$2.00

Students raise vaping dangers awareness

East Duplin High School students Alondra Morales, Zoe Thigpen, Madison Kornegay, Harley Lanier and Gavin Jarman stand alongside guest speaker Charlene Zorn and instructor Richard Goldsby at James Kenan High School last Thursday. The students organized the guest speaker’s visit to various schools in Duplin County to raise awareness about the dangers of vaping. Find out more on page A6.

Faison Town Board considers budget, renovations ahead of Farmers’ Parade

“I don’t think our machine is going to last that long.”

Billy Ward, Faison mayor

The board approved the purchase of a new backhoe

By K.D. Beard Duplin Journal

FAISON — The town of Faison weighed proposed renovations against budgetary responsibilities at their monthly meeting Wednesday evening as they continue working closely with the Faison Improvement Group (FIG) to prepare the town for its annual Farmer’s Parade and Street Festival on March 15.

Following a presentation from Faison native Ron Oates and George Carr of FIG, the board unanimously approved the town’s cooperation with FIG in sourcing and installing signs at sites of historic significance, as identified by Oates and Carr.

Mayor Billy Ward advised that the town had obtained a quote from Bradley White of White’s Tree Service for the removal of nine dead trees,

shrubs and stumps along Main Street, in addition to a large tree limb hanging over the road near Faison Garage.

“It’s been a trying time over the last several years on those trees,” said Jimmy Tyndall, the town’s executive administrator.

“I do want to state for the record that we have no obligation to trim that limb,” said Tyndall. Ward explained that they received a reasonable quote for the required work and mentioned that White had agreed to remove the problematic trees ahead of the parade. After reaching a consensus, the board moved to approve the contract.

The Faison Christmas tree will also meet its end at the hands of White’s Tree Service. Standing nearly 30 -feet tall, the once charming tree has grown into a nuisance that’s become difficult to manage. “We can’t get around it,” said Tyndall, adding that they’ve had an

See FAISON, page A6

Former Duplin County superintendent dies at 86

L.S. Guy Jr., an educator and public servant, was remembered for his lifelong contributions

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

BORN AND RAISED in Calypso, Leonard Steele Guy Jr. had a remarkable life dedicated to education and public service.

He attended the former Calypso grade school and graduated from North Duplin High School.

In 1961, he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from East Carolina University, and in 1971, he obtained a master’s degree in educational administration.

Guy began his career in education at NDHS as a science

teacher and coach, serving for seven years. His contributions to the school were highly valued, and in 1965, his students dedicated the school yearbook to him, expressing their deep appreciation for his guidance, belief in them and hard work in helping them succeed.

In 1968, he became the principal of NDHS, working his way up within the education system.

He emphasized careful planning and staff development, prioritizing the creation of a supportive environment for each student. His leadership was centered on establishing clear, planned educational objectives to maximize opportunities for student success.

In 1973, Guy was named

Mount

Olive discusses infrastructure, finances

Planning board members were reappointed to two-year terms

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — Last week, Mayor Jerome Newton opened the Mount Olive town council meeting by establishing rules for acceptable behavior among attendees. He cautioned that commissioners who attack one another would receive warnings, and their speaking time would be limited. Following public comments, the board reappointed Julie Beck, Sondra Russell, Steve Martin and Nydia Lopez to the Planning Board for another two-year term, expiring on Jan. 1, 2027. The board also approved an upset bid of $3,200 for selling two lots at the intersection of Gordon and Oliver streets, directly across from the town’s water plant. The highest bidder was Bobby Denning Properties, LLC. Additionally, the board designated Police Chief Jason Hughes as a secondary check signer. Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland reported that new street signs have been ordered for Breazeale Avenue and Church Street. The town will evaluate its remaining budget to select a couple of additional streets, likely to include Main Street and

See MOUNT OLIVE, page A2

K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL

L.S. Guy Jr.

3.13.25 #65

K.D.

“Join the conversation”

SPONSORED BY DUPLIN CALENDAR

March 14

James Sprunt Community College will host its Spartan Sprint 5K and Fun Run on Friday, March 14. Registration begins at 5 p.m., and the race starts at 6 p.m. at James Sprunt Community College. All proceeds will benefit the Presidential Scholarship Fund.

March 15

Office Phone: 910 463 1240 To place a legal ad: 919 663 3232; Fax: 919 663 4042

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community @duplinjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

• The Faison Farmers’ Parade is back and will take place on March 15 at 11 a.m. Sponsored by the Faison Improvement Group, this year’s parade will include a street festival in downtown Faison featuring food trucks, children’s activities, vendors, static displays, vintage tractors and live music. The parade route will begin on West Main Street and conclude at the old Piggly Wiggly parking lot.

• Visit the Country Squire Restaurant for an evening of belly dance benefitting Sarah’s Refuge on March 15. Entertainment begins at 7 p.m. Call 910‑296 1727 for reservations, tickets are $15 per person.

The Duplin County Alumnae Chapter will host their 25th anniversary celebration with Pamela Murphy Lewis as the featured guest on March 15 at 6 p.m. at 165 Agriculture Drive in Kenansville.

March 18

James Sprunt Community College WestPark Campus will host a blood drive on March 18 from 2:30 5 p.m. Everyone who donates will receive $40 toward an e gift card. WestPark campus is located at 946 Penny Branch Road in Warsaw.

March 21

The Duplin County GOP annual County Convention will be held on Friday, March 21 at the Ed Emory Auditorium in Kenansville. Doors open at 5 p.m. Gavel drop at 6:15 p.m. Guest speakers are Immanuel Jarvis and Emily Stack.

March 22

Cowan Museum of History and Science is hosting Climate Extravaganza, on Saturday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring the whole family for an exciting day full of activities for all ages and explore how you can help protect the planet. Enjoy hands on activities, interactive demonstrations, games focused on climate resilience, informational displays and delicious food from food trucks. Don’t miss out on this fun and educational day for all ages.

March 28

As a Kindness Month initiative, MCEC Duplin Teen Court youth are sponsoring a donation drive for the Duplin County Animal Shelter through March 28. For information on how and where to donate items, call C 910 214 5117. Visit mceconline.org for more details.

• Join Pet Friends of Duplin County for a fun filled evening supporting a great cause at the Bingo Night Fundraiser on March 28. Enjoy an exciting game of bingo while helping animals in need.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the games begin promptly at 6:45 p.m. at Poston Baptist Church, Coley Hall at 4121 N.C. 11, in Wallace. Tickets are available at the door for $10 and include one bingo card, chips and a bottle of water. Additional cards are available for $5 each or three for $10. Pizza and baked goods will be available for purchase.

April 5

Beulaville’s annual Hog Wild Cook‑off will take place on Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of Highway 241 and Highway 41, with parking available beside the Realo store. The event is free and will feature performances by Lily White and the Band of Oz starting at noon. Enjoy a variety of vendors, live local entertainment, a cake walk, children’s games, a 50/50 raffle and more! BBQ plates are available for $10.

The Town of Teachey will host an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 5, 1 3 p.m. at the Teachey Town Park on Boney Street. Call 910 285 7564 for more information.

Happening Monthly

• The Board of County Commissioners meets the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at 224 Seminary St. in Kenansville. For information, call 910‑296 2100.

The Beulaville town board meets the first

Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at 508 East Main St. in Beulaville. For more information, call 910 298 4 647.

• The Town of Calypso meets at the council chambers the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at 103 W. Trade St. For information, call 919 6 58 9221.

• The Faison town board meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at 110 NE Center St. in Faison. For more information, call 910 267 2721.

The Economic Development Board meets the first Friday of the month at 7 a.m. at the Duplin County Airport Conference Room.

• The Duplin County NAACP holds its monthly meetings on the first Sunday of each month at 4 p.m. at First Missionary Baptist Church at 336 West Hill St. in Warsaw.

The Greenevers town board meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m., at 314 E. Charity Rd. For information, call 910 289 3078.

• The Teachey town board meets the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at 116 East 2nd St. For information, call 910 28 5 7564.

The Warsaw town board meets the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m., at 121 S. Front St. For information, call 910 293 7814.

• The Magnolia town board meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at 108 Taylor St. in Magnolia. For information, call 910 289 3205.

The Rose Hill town board meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at 103 Southeast Railroad St. For more information, call 910 289 3159.

• The Duplin County Health Department is offering Diabetes Self Management Classes from 1 5 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 340 Seminary St. in Kenansville. For information, call 910 372 9178.

The Wallace town council meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at 316 East Murray St. in Wallace. For more information, call 910 285 4136.

• Duplin County Beekeepers meet the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Duplin Extension Center.

• Friends of Horticulture meet the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Duplin Extension Center.

The Duplin County Airport Commission Board meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Duplin County Airport.

another extending toward the southern end of town. Holland explained that the idea is to establish a grid throughout the entire town and use it to identify streets.

The town is considering whether to set up a sign-making machine for in-house production or to outsource the task.

“I’m trying to get a couple of different sign companies to give me a quote for them to come in and help us look at what it’s going to take,” said Holland, adding that this will help them decide whether to proceed with the machine or if it should be surplus. “I can order signs for $45 a piece.”

Quotes are being collected for paving projects across several locations, including the 200 Block of Hillsboro, Dora Lane, Jefferson Street, Patton Street, SW Center Street (from West Kornegay to West Kelly Street), the 100 Block of East College Street, Robert Street, Michael Martin Road and Meredith/Hillcrest. The actual work will depend on available funding. “We’re going to work on them based on the money that we have available and how it’s going to serve the community,” said Holland. Holland also reported that

a comprehensive list of street lighting needs has been compiled, with priority areas identified. A quote is being prepared for upgrades at the 400 Block of South Church Street, Connor Street, Kornegay Street, Elmore Street (between James and Main Streets), Gordon Street at the Water Plant, and Pollock Street (between Elmore and Beems Street). He noted that attempting to improve South Church Street may not be feasible as it’s a Department of Transportation street and much paperwork is needed.

“We may bump that one and bring in another that’s actually in the town,” he said.

Some residents in Mount Olive have experienced discolored water due to the cleaning and flushing of the Boling Water Tank. Holland stated that this issue should be resolved within a few days and encouraged affected residents to call the office.

He reported that the water tower at the Boling Plant was taken offline for maintenance, but some rust entered the system, which caused the discoloration. Holland urged residents to notify the water department about any issues to create a work order.

“If you don’t get an answer at

the water department, call the town hall number, and we will get you to the right place where we can get the information and get a work order created,” said Holland, explaining that they are trying to implement a work order program.

He stressed the importance of obtaining the name of the person who takes the call when reporting an issue.

The town is reviewing its water billing practices, including meter readings, billing adjustments and cutoff procedures. Changes are expected to be implemented within 30 to 60 days.

Holland provided an update on the materials needed for upgrading the water plant, stating they should arrive by the end of March, with the project expected to commence in late April or early May.

He reported that the town is working to reduce wastewater flows to under 800,000 gallons per day at the wastewater treatment plant to address the moratorium. “This past month, our flows have gotten down to 900,000 gallons a day. If we can get down to 800,000 gallons a day to maintain that, that’s going to go a long way,” said Holland. Additionally, Holland reported that two security cameras are

currently operational, with plans to add six total. He explained that progress was delayed due to inclement weather, but Spectrum is working on internet connections for the poles.

Various commissioners praised Holland for his expertise and leadership in addressing the town’s issues, urging patience as progress unfolds.

Commissioner Delreese Simmons spoke about the town’s financial mismanagement, holding up a newspaper for everyone to see. “People say I’m just blowing smoke. But when the representative that we keep begging money for said it, is it a joke now? It’s not a joke,” said Simmons, adding that when he said it, some people dismissed it, but when Rep. John Bell criticized the town’s management, it’s no longer taken as an exaggeration.

Simmons raised concerns about the local airport, stating that it has not turned a profit in over a decade. He criticized the town for continuing to allocate resources to the airport without seeing a return on investment, noting that this situation is affecting the town’s ability to fund other essential services.

“That airport hasn’t made any money, not one penny. But we’re constantly pushing money

out there — money that can be spent in this town… That airport is draining this town,” Simmons said, visibly frustrated. He questioned whether the town intends to operate in this manner for another decade.

“Things got to get better. So what are we going to do? Continue for another 10 years? A decade with the airport not making money? We have the lowest prices of fuel around here. The CPA guy said it. He said, ‘y’all need to up the rates,’” Simmons added.

The meeting concluded with remarks from Newton, who expressed support and optimism regarding Holland’s leadership.

“In spite of all the things that have happened in this town prior, I think the one thing so far that’s been good is bringing him in as the interim town manager. I often say to him, ‘You may be the interim town manager, but don’t think like an interim town manager. Think like a town manager. Make decisions as a town manager.’ And I think he’s doing that,” said Newton.

“We are, to some degree, on the right track. Be patient and see what happens. And as far as funds are concerned, we do plan to ensure that these funds are monitored the way they should be monitored.”

Duplin leads NC with global STEM certification

The school board celebrated STEAMA success at its monthly meeting

By K.D. Beard Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — In an update on Duplin County Schools’ STEAMA learning initiative at the Board of Education’s monthly meeting Tuesday night, Kevin Smith, assistant superintendent for educational innovation and accountability, shared exciting news: Duplin County is the first and currently only North Carolina school district to achieve Cognia’s globally-recognized STEM Certification, illustrating the county’s commitment to ensuring the career-readiness and academic success of every student from grade school to graduation and beyond.

Smith, along with Nicole Murray, chief academic officer for STEAMA curriculum and instruction/professional development, and Lindsay Skidmore, director of 6-8 curriculum/digital innovation, gave a presentation highlighting the initiative’s success following its implementation nearly seven years ago as part of the board’s regular meeting on March 4.

The achievement places Duplin County Schools in the company of just one other district in the entire eight-state mid-Atlantic region, consisting of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, in attaining STEM certification through the Atlanta-based nonprofit’s international accreditation program.

In recognition of the accomplishment, Cognia has provided a flag and certificate commemorating the district’s certification, both now on display in the O.P. Johnson Building boardroom in Kenansville, as well as certificates

for each school in the county.

“Duplin County was recognized last week at the Cognia Impact Conference along with just two other North Carolina and South Carolina districts with the Cognia Circle of Excellence Award for 2024,” Smith said. “We thank Dr. (Austin) Obasohan for the STEAMA vision and for leading this work, and our board for supporting our mission to graduate every student ready for careers, college and life.”

The STEAMA (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math and Agriculture) initiative launched in July 2018 through a rebranding committee led by Obasohan, the superintendent.

“The STEAMA model connects student interest with local, well-paying careers, particularly in agricultural and related industries, which are

NC 111 in Duplin to experience intermittent closures this spring

NCDOT crews will replace aging drain pipes at 14 locations

Duplin Journal staff

BEULAVILLE — The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced last week that a 10-mile section of N.C. 111 between N.C. 241 in Beulaville and N.C. 11 in Duplin County will experience intermittent closures as crews replace aging drain pipes.

Work will take place Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is expected to wrap up by June, weather permitting. According to the announcement, each section of the road will be closed during construction but will be patched and reopened

to traffic once the work is done.

Work will begin near N.C. 241 and progress north along N.C. 111.

The closures are necessary to replace pipes that are nearing the end of their lifespan at 14 locations. The new, larger pipes will improve storm drainage in the area.

During construction, residents and businesses will still have access to their properties, although work areas will be barricaded for safety.

Through-traffic will be rerouted via N.C. 241 and N.C. 11.

The detour will take drivers along N.C. 241 to Pink Hill, and N.C. 11 to access N.C. 111. Drivers are advised to expect longer travel times and to be cautious around the work zones.

NCDOT plans to resurface N.C. 111 later in the year.

the largest employers and economic drivers in Duplin County,” said Skidmore. “By increasing awareness of these opportunities before graduation, we encourage students to build their futures close to home.”

Part of the program’s success is owed to partnerships with local businesses, colleges and universities that provide students opportunities to explore higher learning and professional careers early on through hands-on, real-world experience.

The county has seen a surge in college enrollment through the Career and College Promise Program at James Sprunt Community College, with over 27,000 semester hours of college credit earned by students in the past five years, explained Smith during the presentation.

The program has saved fam-

ilies nearly $2 million in tuition, according to Smith, and has resulted in $11.2 million worth of scholarship funds being awarded to students in Duplin County who now have access to expanded vocational pathways through the JSCC sponsorship.

“Last year alone, we had 962 students complete a CTE (Career and Technical Education) pathway, and those students had a proficiency rate of 75% on their state and local assessments.” said Murray, indicating that Duplin County is ranked among the top 10 in North Carolina for their rate of credential attainment. “Our students earned 3,651 industry-recognized credentials last year,” continued Murray, adding that the number is expected to grow this year as students continue to earn credentials in areas like ServSafe, the health sciences,

“I think we’ve come a long way since 2017.”

Pam Edwards, Board of Education member

automotive service, Adobe and many others.

“I think we’ve come a long way since 2017,” said board member Pam Edwards in her comments post-presentation, expressing gratitude for the program. “The only thing we need to do now is get the message out to the public. They need to know what good things we’re doing.”

Chairman Brent Davis thanked everyone for their hard work and Obasohan for his vision.

“I don’t know another school system that really pulls agriculture in like we did,” said Davis.“The fact that we highlight it here, I think is really a testament to our program and our staff,” he continued.

Other highlights from the March 4 meeting included the presentation of the Clean School Award to Wallace-Rose Hill High School by Sandra Ganus, a Saffelle representative and Ronald Moore, Duplin County Schools maintenance director. Accepting the award on behalf of the school were Carolyn Pollock, Michael Brinson, James Linen and Carol Newkirk.

“I talk to you about teams, and boy, is this a team that won this time!” said Ganus as she presented the Wallace-Rose Hill custodial staff with their award. “High schools are tough to win!” she added.

The meeting also included the unanimous approval of a robust consent agenda by the board, as well as an executive session regarding the prevention of disclosure of confidential student information following incidents of school violence.

4 arrested in possession of handguns, drugs

Authorities seized several weapons, ammunition and marijuana

Duplin Journal staff

BEULAVILLE — Anthony James McCoy, 35, Trinity Alexis Smith, Prince Thompson and Nykia Shanice Hodges were arrested March 4 during a traffic stop on N.C. 111 Highway near Beulaville.

Duplin County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call about individuals potentially carrying guns in the area of Quinn Estates Loop Drive. Authorities identified a vehicle matching the suspect’s car at the intersection of N.C. 111 Highway and Turkey Branch Road, which led to the arrests of McCoy, Thompson, Smith and Hodges. During the incident, law enforcement seized marijuana, handguns, multiple rounds of ammunition and drug paraphernalia.

McCoy was charged with two counts of possession of a

firearm by a felon and put on a secured bond set at $30,000.

Smith was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of marijuana. Thomson faces charges for

communicating threats and resisting a public officer, and Hodges is facing charges for carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia.

K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Ronald Moore, Duplin County Schools maintenance director, presents Wallace-Rose Hill custodial staff with the Clean School Award in recognition of their hard work and dedication at the Board of Education’s monthly meeting March 4. From left to right are Carolyn Pollock, James Linen, Michael Brinson, Carol Newkirk and Ronald Moore.

Nykla Hodges

Prince Thompson

Anthony McCoy

Trinity Alexis

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

A formidable president storms ahead

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

SOME THOUGHTS spring to mind after President Donald Trump’s 100-minute address to Congress.

The first is that this 78-year-old man has amazing resilience and perseverance. Consider that in the past 12 months, he has had to spend hours listening to a kangaroo court proceeding before a hostile judge in New York, has maintained a campaign rally schedule that would daunt candidates half his age, has participated in planning sessions for a detailed set of executive orders he might never have an opportunity to issue, has faced the former president and vice president of the United States in televised debates with moderators he had reason to believe were biased against him, and suffered a bullet wound that came within 1 inch of killing him.

Around minute 98, he made mention of the last. This inspired sympathizers in the House chamber to echo the cries of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” he made as he rose above his Secret Service protectors.

A second thing to say is that, long before minute 98, his speech was almost entirely about what he has been doing, saying, proposing and persuading others to do. Four paragraphs near the end gracefully evoked themes from history, but he otherwise spoke about his orders withdrawing from United Nations institutions, eliminating government censorship (while renaming the Gulf of Mexico), overturning racially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and his Department of Government Efficiency’s identification of dubious U.S. Agency for International Development programs.

Instead of an overarching vision of where the world stands in history, he quoted Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter apologizing for his comments the previous Friday and promising to sign the mineral rights deal he had criticized in the televised exchange that for once showed the public what leaders look and sound like in what

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

diplomats call “a full and frank exchange.”

My third observation is that, as the Zelenskyy letter suggests, Trump is mostly getting his way. It was surely no accident that the narrow and previously fractious Republican majority in the House elected a speaker and passed a budget resolution with just one dissenting vote. Similarly, Trump’s top-level appointees have all been confirmed by the Senate. Neither foreign leaders nor domestic partisans want to defy this aggressive man with three years, 10 months and two weeks left in his term.

Fourth, there was no return to norms of civil discourse. Trump called former President Joe Biden “the worst president in American history” and condemned “the open-border, insane policies that (Biden had) allowed to destroy the country.” Democrats have a point when they say Trump started this with his derogatory nicknames for 2016 opponents. Republicans have a point when they say Democrats escalated this with the Russia collusion hoax and baseless post-presidential prosecutions, unprecedented since former President Thomas Jefferson’s treason prosecution of former Vice President Aaron Burr. But neither Trump’s speech nor the Democrats’ childish behavior (that Trump predicted) in the audience moved to de-escalation.

Fifth, Trump continues to disregard freemarket economists’ (in my opinion, wise) advice. True, he is encouraging congressional Republicans to reup the tax-cut-for-all legislation they passed eight years ago, but with political payoff add-ons such as no tax on tips. However, he also devoted multiple paragraphs extolling his imposition of tariffs, notably on Mexico and Canada. Economists point out that the tariffs will likely raise the U.S. prices of many products, not just eggs. Voters won’t welcome something that looks like the Biden inflation, which could overshadow the Trump administration’s genuine successes.

This leads to my sixth observation: that he’s

Next: The law schools

I believed that the law and society would one day produce gender justice.

SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT be able to tell a private university what to teach and how to teach it?

Is there a libertarian left in the house?

This is the letter that former and current Trump lawyer (officially the interim D.C. U.S. Attorney) Ed Martin sent to the dean of Georgetown Law School:

“It has come to my attention reliably that Georgetown Law School continues to teach and promote DEI. This is unacceptable. I have begun an inquiry into this and would welcome your response to the following questions: First, have you eliminated all DEI from your school and its curriculum? Second, if DEI is found in your courses or teaching in any way, will you move swiftly to remove it?”

And then he went on to threaten Georgetown students:

“At this time, you should know that no applicant for our fellows program, our summer internship, or employment in our office who is a student or affiliated with a law school or university that continues to teach and utilize DEI will be considered.” Martin and his boss want to tell law schools what they can teach and how to teach it. And he is willing to punish their students — and deprive his office of top talent from top universities — if they don’t comply.

The dean of Georgetown Law School responded strongly, as he should.

“Given the First Amendment’s protection of a university’s freedom to determine its own curriculum and how to deliver it, the constitutional violation behind this threat is clear, as is the attack on the University’s mission as a Jesuit and Catholic institution,” William Treanor wrote in his response to Martin.

I spent more than 30 years as a tenured law professor at Harvard Law School and USC Law School. During most of those years, I taught a course originally entitled “Sex Discrimination” and later called “Gender Discrimination.” The course covered the history of women’s rights, legal precedents under the 14th Amendment, and federal and state statutory law. We looked at various areas of law covered in other courses — like criminal law and property law and tort law — where issues of gender must be considered.

I used to think, in the early days, that a time would come when issues of gender would be addressed in all these other classes, and we wouldn’t need a separate course. I believed that the law and society would one day produce gender justice; that there would literally be nothing left to teach except history.

It never happened. The last class I taught before stepping down to practice law full time was a seminar on diversity in the legal profession. There was a great deal to teach, unfortunately, and much of it grew out of the absence of diversity, particularly at the highest

aware that the Constitution and calendar set limits on his time. Early in his speech, Trump noted that measures of illegal crossings on the southern border have immediately dwindled to almost nothing. Smugglers and potential illegals clearly got his message, even as Democrats and much of the press argued that only new legislation could stop the flow. His only problem is that solving a problem can deprive you of an issue. Former President George H.W. Bush’s deft handling of foreign policy problems left voters concluding they didn’t need him after the Cold War. Success can breed failure.

But for a time, it can breed success. The first words of Article II of the Constitution state, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” Those words, plus recent Supreme Court decisions, suggest that most decisions limiting Trump’s administrative powers will not stand. Current polls show that Trump’s disapproval is rising, but his approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

What is Trump planning for years two, three and four? I’m not sure, and I suspect he’s not, either. Trump knows the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prevents him from running again. He must know that’s likely to reduce his clout with foreign leaders and American politicians. More importantly, he’s aware his time may be cut short. In the House chamber, as in his convention speech on July 19, he remembered how he had narrowly escaped death on July 13.

“I believe my life was saved that day in Butler,” he said, “for a very good reason. I was saved by God to make America great again — I believe that. I really do.” Like him or not, he is a formidable man.

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.”

levels of the profession. This was only a few years ago.

Would my course be banned by Martin?

Presumably so.

And so would my criminal law class, which I began teaching in 1981, which was the first criminal law class in the country to incorporate rape as a major topic in criminal law, something I urged other law professors to try in an article I wrote for the Yale Law Journal in the 1980s. Maybe that should have been banned, too?

I told my students about my own experience as a rape victim, before I started law school, and how it shaped my view of the criminal justice system.

I taught them about the history of racism and sexism that had shaped the development of rape law. My students, some 40 years later, have told me how much they remembered those classes and how much they learned.

Should such discussions also be banned? Shall we only look at the law from the perspective of a white man?

The law schools are ready to fight Martin. My Facebook feed is full of promises from law professors ready to challenge Martin’s right to dictate the subjects we teach. We will win this fight, but the idea that we need to have it, in 2025, is both shocking and frightening.

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

Kenansville man wins $1M prize in new scratch-off game

After taxes, the winner will receive a payout of more than $400K

Duplin Journal staff

KENANSVILLE — The North Carolina Education Lottery announced last week that

Mount Olive license plate agency reopens

Mount Olive

Edward Bass Jr. from Kenansville is the first winner of the $1 million top prize for their new lottery game — Lucky Loteria, which launched last week with four top prizes of $1 million. Bass purchased his $10 scratch-off ticket at Kenansville Food Mart on Mallard

Street and cashed in his winnings after visiting the lottery headquarters, where he had to decide between two payout options. He could either receive the $1 million prize as an annuity, where he’d get $50,000 per year for 20 years, or take a lump sum of $600,000. Bass decided to go with the lump sum option, which, after taxes, resulted in a payout of $430,503.

The North Carolina Education Lottery provides tips on understanding lottery odds and how to enter bonus drawings through its Play Smart program. Visit morethanagame. nc.gov for more information.

Beulaville Elementary students celebrate Read Across America with special visit

As part of Read Across America, a nationwide celebration of reading, Miss Sandhills 2025 Carly Peeters visited Beulaville Elementary last week. The students were filled with excitement as Peeters entered the classroom wearing her sparkling tiara and read to the children.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Anita Marie Savage, Duplin County Register of Deeds issued 28 marriage licenses for the month ending on Feb. 28, 2025.

Sara Vasquez Gordillo, Magnolia, and Luis Angel Lopez Rojas, Magnolia;

• Maria Sandoval De La Rosa, Rose Hill, and Domingo Shilon Mendez, Rose Hill; Brooklyn Taylor Groll, Mount Olive, and William Alicea Jr., Mount Olive; Jerry Singletary, Clinton, and Michelle Denise Howard, Clinton;

• Matthew Ryan Pope, Wallace, and Miriane Prudencia Chaves, South Carolina; Kayla Dixon Bradshaw, Wallace, and Jeremy Dewayne Smith, Beulaville;

assistant superintendent of Duplin County Schools, where he also served as director of personnel and in-service training and instruction for four years before being promoted to assistant superintendent. His leadership and dedication earned him a reputation as an enthusiastic and energetic young principal, as noted in a 1973 article in the Progress Sentinel.

Guy was appointed superintendent of the Duplin County School System in 1981, where he served for 18 years until his retirement in July 1999.

After retiring as superintendent, Guy continued his commitment to public service. In 2000, he was elected to the Duplin County Board of Commissioners, serving two terms.

Guy died unexpectedly on March 3 at his home in Faison at the age of 86.

Guy made a significant impact throughout his life by actively contributing to his community in various ways. He served on the Faison Fire Department and was a town commissioner for the town of Faison. Additionally, he was involved with the Faison Improvement Group and the N.C.

• Madison Brilee Keel, Magnolia, and Jason Caleb Sholar, Magnolia; Tabitha Karen Rivenbark, Castle Hayne, and Anthony Roney Espinoza, Rose Hill;

• Mayra Gabriela Lopez Diaz, Dudley, and Abinadab Salas Velazquez, Dudley;

• Oscar Efrain De La Cruz, Mount Olive, and Graciela Luz Alvarado Garcia, Mount Olive; Emelin Stefani Maldonado, Teachey, and Brayan Yovany Aviles Fuentes, Teachey;

• Clifton Dushune Outlaw, Wallace, and Lee Shontele Mcdowell, Elizabethtown; Thomas Dean Thigpen, Beulaville, and Ella Heath Evelyn, Beulaville;

• Lester Harold Foreman Jr, Mount Olive, and Shelbia

Carlton Robinson, Mount Olive; Tanisha Octavia Renee Johnson, Teachey, and Kesharia Breona Wadsworth, Teachey;

• Ilmer Roberto Ortez Coreas, Mount Olive, and Sindy Elena Garcia, Mount Olive; Jenny Venegas Rodarte, Chinquapin, and Juan Carlos Bravo Reyes, Seven Springs; Romel Leonardo Gamez Hernandez, Magnolia, and Rosa Aminta Gomez Diaz, Magnolia;

• Leia Rosita Rodriguez, Warsaw, and Brayan Guardado, Warsaw; Robert William Gibbons, Wallace, and Sandra Renee Cole, Beulaville;

• Ian Parker Schwartz,

Beulaville, and Colleen Victoria Hazel, Beulaville; Alexis Lynn Faircloth, Burgaw, and Tyler Bailey Hart, Wallace;

• Beverly Lechez Newberne, Magnolia, and Dean Sylvester Vann, Magnolia;

• Justina Casey Johnson, Rose Hill, and Kyle Thomas Murphy, Rose Hill; Samuel Reynoso, Rose Hill, and Valeria Nicoll Castillo Torres, Rose Hill;

• Victoria Denise O’neal, Rose Hill, and Timothy Ray Waters, Rose Hill; Flonel Jeune, Warsaw, and Raymonde Dieudinon Pierre, Warsaw; Christian David Figueroa Roman, Faison, and Leydi Zamira Arita Chinchilla, Faison.

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles reopened the license plate agency located at 225 N.W. Center St. in Mount Olive on Tuesday. The office will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Services such as vehicle registration, title transactions, license plate renewals and more can be sought at the agency.

Support the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department

Magnolia

The Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department will host its annual barbecue and chicken plate sale fundraiser on Saturday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will take place at 238 N. Monk St. Enjoy a delicious barbecue and chicken combo with all the fixings for $12 per plate, or choose one meat with all the fixings for $10. The MVFD will also deliver orders of more than 10 plates. Don’t miss out — grab a plate while they last! Proceeds from the event will benefit the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department.

UMO plans Giving Day for April 1

Mount Olive

The University of Mount Olive is preparing for its annual Giving Day on April 1, themed “Thrive in ’25.” This event aims to raise $600,000 for innovation, academic programs and campus improvements. Creative giving options include an Early Bird Match for the first 50 donors who will have their gifts doubled and a Final Countdown Challenge where last-minute donations will be matched 2-for-1 A 30 - day countdown campaign will culminate in a final five-day push leading up to the event. Visit the Giving Day website at umo.edu/giving-day for more details.

Give your child the gift of reading Kenansville Duplin County Partnership for Children is still enrolling Duplin children in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Call 910-296-2000 for more information on how to register your child.

Rural Internet Access Commission, and he served as chairman of the board of directors at Liberty Hall, among other roles. His legacy includes not only

his many years of service as an educator and administrator but also his dedication to positively influencing the lives of those around him.

PHOTO COURTESY CARLY PEETERS

PHOTOS COURTESY DUPLIN COUNTY SCHOOLS Above, Leonard Steele Guy Jr. is pictured in North Duplin High School’s 1965 yearbook with a special dedication expressing the students’ appreciation for his hard work and guidance. Guy began his career in education at NDHS, where he served as a teacher for seven years.

Duplin Journal for Thursday, March 13, 2025

JKHS guest speaker warns of vaping dangers

Five East Duplin freshmen played a key role bringing Charlene Zorn to talk about the state’s first vaping-induced death

By K.D. Beard Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Five East Duplin High School students were instrumental in coordinating with Duplin County’s Health Department, Sheriff’s Office and the Board of Education to arrange for guest speaker Charlene Zorn to visit James Kenan High School Thursday morning and share her step-son’s tragic story in an effort to raise awareness about the dangers posed by vaping, drug use and addiction.

James Kenan is the second school in Duplin County where students Zoe Thigpen, Madison Kornegay, Alondra Morales, Harley Lanier and Gavin Jarman arranged for Zorn to speak. This follows her initial appearance at East Duplin High School in 2024. After speaking at James Kenan, Zorn will also address students at North Duplin Jr./Sr. High School and at Wallace-Rose Hill High School later in the year.

The campaign arose as the unintended though auspicious result of an Honors Chemistry assignment at East Duplin High in December of 2024, in which students were placed into groups of five and tasked with working together to develop a project that would make a change in the Beulaville high school.

After days of discussion and debate amongst themselves about what change their group could pursue, the enterprising students came to a decision: the group would center their project around the prevalence

of vapes among their peers and the impact those implements have had on the community.

“One day Maddie came home and said “OK Mom, we’re going to do vaping,” recalled Madison’s mother, Tracey Simmons-Kornegay.

As Duplin County’s Health Director, Simmons-Kornegay had a few months prior attended the county’s annual Opioid Town Hall, where Zorn was a speaker, and shared with her daughter the story of Solomon Wynn, a 15-year-old New Hanover High School football player, who became the first person in the state to die as a result of vaping. Madison had an idea: what if they could arrange for Zorn to speak to the class for their project?

Part of Simmons-Kornegay’s duties include oversight of the Opioid Response Team. Composed largely of retired teachers, the Opioid Response Team utilizes the recently implemented Too Good

for Drugs curriculum to educate first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth grade students on the dangers of drug use and addiction as part of the county’s early intervention strategy to combat the opioid crisis. Richard Goldsby, a retired teacher and former United States Marine responsible for the administration of the curriculum over a nine-week period at high schools across Duplin County, was teaching the Too Good for Drugs program to freshmen at East Duplin High while the five students were working on their project.

“Here I am, both of them are running parallel, and I just happen to intersect,” said Simmons-Kornegay. She encouraged her daughter to reach out to Goldsby, as Madison and Thigpen had both been members of his flag detail team in elementary school.

“They were my captains, and they ran a tight ship,” recalled Goldsby. Once the group had found a mentor in Goldsby, the

Seniors boost their health with cardio drumming

Last week, a group of seniors gathered at the Senior Center in Kenansville for a fun and safe cardio drumming workout. This low impact workout combines rhythmic drumming with aerobic movement, providing seniors with an enjoyable way to exercise. The class lasts about 30 minutes and is designed to boost both physical and emotional well being. It improves cardiovascular health, enhances coordination, reduces stress and increases overall stamina.

project picked up momentum. Goldsby helped the group get permission for Zorn to come speak to ninth-graders currently enrolled in his Too Good for Drugs program by contacting the principal and working with the Board of Education to approve her visit.

On Dec. 12, 2024, Zorn joined Thigpen, Kornegay, Morales, Lanier, and Jarman at East Duplin High School and shared with the freshmen class the heart-breaking consequences of vaping addiction. The presentation was a great success and made an impact at the school.

After the presentation at East Duplin, the students coordinated with Sheriff Stratton Stokes, local principals, Health Department officials and the Board of Education to bring Solomon Wynn’s story to high schools across the county.

Though she’d previously spoken to adults about the dangers of vaping, the presentation was the first time Zorn had the op -

FAISON from page A1

issue with bagworms in the tree. “I’m surprised they haven’t killed the tree, actually,” Mayor Pro-Tem Susan McCarty mused. The town will replace the giant with a cluster of three trees with LED bulbs that will circumvent the hassles currently faced.

The town’s distressed backhoe was also a topic of discussion.

“If we order a backhoe from pretty much any one of these companies, it’s going to be three to four months out,” explained Ward. “Even if we budgeted into the next year, it would be Christmas before we could get it, and I don’t think our machine is going to last that long,” he continued.

“That one we’ve got, when I say it’s bleeding… it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” added Tyndall. Motions were approved to allocate funds and purchase a new John Deere backhoe from James River Equipment for $134,298.30, minus $8,000 for a trade-in of the current backhoe.

In other business, Faison Recreation and Wellness Center Director Matthew Scott advised the Board that con-

“I want to save your life.”

Charlene Zorn, guest speaker

portunity to speak with children who were the same age as her stepson when his life was cut tragically short. “When I’m looking at these kids, I’m looking at Solomon,” said Zorn. Thursday morning, Zorn recounted the events leading up to her stepson’s death on June 17, 2023, and the impact the loss has had on her and her family for a gymnasium of ninth grade James Kenan High School students and implored them to seek help if they’d engaged in risky behavior like vaping or drug use that could mean dire consequences for their health. “The most important thing is to have an honest conversation with your parents,” said Zorn. “I want to save your life,” she continued. What began as a class project has developed into a county-wide initiative to raise awareness of the dangers that vaping, drug use and addiction present to the community thanks to the resourcefulness of Thigpen, Kornegay, Morales, Lanier and Jarman, as well as the mentorship of Goldsby and the collaborative efforts of local educators, law enforcement and health officials throughout Duplin County. As Zorn continues to share Solomon’s story at the local high schools, she hopes students find a way to speak to their loved ones about the killer that’s found its way into the hands of children across the country — before it’s too late. In her closing remarks, Zorn left the freshmen of James Kenan with a final plea. “You have a future ahead of you. Don’t let something stupid take it away from you.”

struction had begun on a shelter in Faison Park and should be completed in time for the town’s Easter Egg Hunt in collaboration with FIG.

”We’re going to have it in the next week,” said Scott. “We did tweak the location a bit,” added Tyndall. “The original, we had wanted to put it alongside the concession stand,” continued Scott, who indicated that he had worked with Tyndall to ensure the shelter’s new location would allow for a walking trail to be accessible to mothers with strollers and those with disabilities. According to the Ward, the shelter will now be located between the walking trail and the playground. Scott also updated the board on the Recreation and Wellness Center’s after-school program, which is still growing. “It seems every two weeks somebody’s calling and they want to add a child, which is a great thing,” said Scott. Citing the program’s growth and scheduling conflicts among current instructors, Scott requested the board begin the process of hiring two new teachers for the 2025-26 school year. A motion was brought and unanimously accepted to begin recruitment efforts.

K.D. BEARD / DUPLIN JOURNAL

From left to right, Sheriff Stratton Stokes, Tracey Simmons-Kornegay, Kirsten Hall, Zoe Thigpen, Madison Kornegay, Charlene Zorn, Alondra Morales, Harley Lanier, Gavin Jarman, Cindy Zuniga Nolasco, Taylor Bowels and Richard Goldsby pose for a photo.

COURTESY DUPLIN COUNTY SENIOR SERVICES

DUPLIN SPORTS

Higginbotham,

Faison

end four-year run in fourth round

North Duplin got better as the season progressed, leading to its first visit to the fourth round of the 1A playoffs

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — The North Duplin girls’ basketball team had some amazing moments the previous three seasons, campaigns that the Rebels charted their way to a 64-12 mark and a pair of ECC titles and three conference tourney crowns.

Yet during that span the Rebels were as good in late-December as they were in tournament time.

This winter, the Rebels improved a little each week, as new, younger players worked to become comfortable with four-year starters Addy Higginbotham and Tateyawna Faison.

Sophomore shooting guard Abby Rose grew up immensely, as did freshman forward Maggie Brown.

And second-year starter Lilly Fulghum found several ways to contribute.

Higginbotham and Faison played their final game for the No. 6 Green and Gold last Friday during a 68-45 fourthround 2A playoff loss to No. 7 East Bladen (25-3).

It was the first time the Rebels advanced to the fourth round of the playoffs.

The Eagles face No. 1 Perquimans (28-2) in the East Region final this week, with the survivor taking on the West Region winner between No. 1 Bishop McGuiness (27-2 ) and No. 2 Cherokee (26-2) in Final Four action this week at Winston-Salem’s Joel Lawrence Memorial Coliseum.

North Duplin (24-5)

whipped No. 3 Northside-Pinetown (27-2) last Tuesday 58-45 to snap the Panthers’ 18-game winning streak.

“We didn’t play our best, but we played better basketball at the end of the season,” said first-year coach Jon Kornegay. “Our girls played hard and didn’t quit.

“It’s been a joy to coach them and see the individual and team growth. We had a great season. But as I said at the beginning of the season, this is about having a good program next year and the seasons that follow.”

While ND is 88-17 in the past four seasons, winning hasn’t been the norm before the arrival of Higginbotham and Faison, two 1,000-point performers who graduate in June.

In the previous 13 seasons, ND went 20-197 for a 9.85 winning percentage. That included: four seasons with zero wins, three seasons with one win, four with two victories and two in which the Rebels suffered 20 losses. Its best

Evers’ Eagles ‘White’-out Panthers in fourth round

Gabrielle White scored 21 points as the catalyst for Seaforth’s 53-32 win over East Duplin, which finishes its year with 25-3 mark

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

PITTSBORO — On land, terrestrial carnivores, such as a panther, can make a quick meal after an eagle makes silky touch down.

The East Duplin Panthers’ girls’ basketball team easily digested a Northeastern Eagle team in the third round of the 2A playoffs last Tuesday in Beulaville.

But three days later, Eagle guard Gabrielle White never touched the ground long enough for the Panthers to trap her.

White, who scored 21 points, was the catalyst when No. 2 Seaforth dismantled No. 3 East Duplin 53-32 on Friday to advance to the East Region finals opposite No. 12 Southeast Alamance, which has knocked down No. 1 Fairmont and No. 4 Goldsboro. That survivor awaits the winner in the West Region,

where No. 1 North Wilkes (29 -1) faces No. 2 East Burke (30-1).

The loss ends a 16-game winning streak for the Panthers, who finished 25-3. That mark ties the Panthers club from 2018 as the second-most wins during head coach Mark Lane’s 17-year tenure. Lane (310-114) guided East Duplin to its ninth 20-win season since taking over in 2009.

White shines strong light, inspires teammates

White, a senior combo guard who is averaging 18 points and nearly 10 rebounds, was on target driving and from behind the 3-point arch. She canned a pair of bombs during a 14-point opening quarter, which saw Seaforth (28-2) jump to a 17-10 lead.

Her teammates joined the shooting party as the Eagles nailed 10 3-pointers the the Panthers’ four.

Kathleen Leonard (16 points) sank four 3-pointers, Mia Moore (six points) two, with Abigail Moore and Peyton Collins each zipping in a missile.

James Kenan head coach

Lee Sutton returns eight of nine starters from a season ago with hopes of moving up

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WARSAW — Lee Sutton’s second season as the head coach has a familiar theme.

While not new, the James Kenan lineup from top to bottom will be improved, since eight of nine starters from last season return to the diamond.

And future stock in the Tigers is on the rise.

“Getting all nine back next year, knowing it’s going to be our year,” said Sutton, the second-year coach and former Tiger athlete. “But we will be much better this year and there’s no telling what we can do if we get some things together this season.

Sutton, whose club went 5-13 overall and struggled to a 2-10 mark in the ECC last spring, says the tide is turning.

“I’m very optimistic,” he said.

“Our pitching has improved, and I don’t think we’ll have walk issues like we did last sea-

son, though we have to improve defensively. That’s a maturity thing. I’m good with us 1 to 6. Our biggest issue at the plate is striking out too much.”

Sophomore Hansley McGee is the ace of the pitching staff, with juniors Cal Avent and Brody Batchelor, juniors Eli Avent and Paxton Smith and frosh Trip Phipps in the rotation.

“I think we’ll play the field well around our pitchers and our outfield is good at tracking the ball down,” Sutton said.

Cal Avent (.318, 12 RBIs) will play third base when he’s not

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ND’s Addy Higginbotham was the undisputed leader of the Rebels.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

JK’s Cal Avent, who hit .318 with 12 RBIs, will play third base and pitch.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ED coach Mark Lane and his Panthers were unable to figure out how to stop East Bladen’s offense.

Pate, Warren, Holmes, Quintanilla lead Rebels’ charge

New coach Cody Langston will have a mixture of veterans and youth on his first Rebel baseball team

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — First-year head coach Cody Langston is most concerned about how North Duplin bounces back from setbacks, which will come along the way with a club that has a mix of veterans and youth.

Langston, who took over for Colton Chrisman, got to know some of his players as an assistant for the North Duplin football team last fall.

Before that he was a coach and teacher at West Johnston High School.

The Rebels all but gave away their first game to South Lenoir by issuing 16 walks and committing four errors.

The Blue Devils scored just one earn run during their 15-8 win, which featured a six-run third and nine-run fourth.

ND outhit its 2A foe 8-4.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty with only one game in the books,” Langston said. “The biggest question I have is about the

SOFTBALL PREVIEW

resiliency of this team. How are we going to react now and again later when adversity hits?

North Duplin lost all-Duplin catcher Ashton Duff (.476, 32 RBIs), who transferred to Goldsboro’s East Carolina Academy

Top half of Tigers’ lineup is nightmare for pitchers

JK hit the softball hard last season and returns players who can find the gaps and clear the fences

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WARSAW — Craig Armstrong will be smiling when the Tigers hit this spring.

“We’ve got six or seven players that can really smack the ball,” said the James Kenan softball coach. I’m confident that our hitting will be fine with those girls, because when one or two gets hot they all seem to hit.”

James Kenan, 9-12 overall and 4-8 in ECC play last season, will need to shore up its defense and pitching rotation after losing Armstrong’s daughter and four-year starting pitcher Morgan Anna Morgan Armstrong, who is playing softball at Meredith College.

“It’s a tough position to fill because she was our pitcher and third-leading hitter,” said Armstrong, who watch his daughter hit .505 with eight doubles, seven home runs and hurl 95 of 110.1 innings last season for the Tigers.

Juniors Shylah Sloan and Ava Jones will step into the circle, though both are key two-way players when not pitching.

“You’ve got to have pitching, and we have to be consistent in that department and with our defense behind the pitcher,” Armstrong said.

Sloan, who hit .533 with six doubles, three triples, two homers and knocked in 12 runs, will play shortstop.

So could Jourdan Joe, who also has a sizzling stick -- .627 with 16 doubles, four homers and 23 RBIs.

Look for Jones, a junior, who was hurt last season and missed the bulk of the season, to be in the outfield or at third base.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

JK will look to Slylah Sloan for pitching and hitting. With a .533 average, Sloan had one of the best bats in Duplin County last season.

She hit .295 as a freshman and should be charting much higher this spring. Joe could also catch or Armstrong could use sophomore Kinzelyn Sloan behind the plate.

The Tiger skipper also feels freshman Landyn Boone will see extended playing time in the infield.

First base has been a battle between sophomore Scarlett DeLuca (.265) and freshman Carmen Mahoney.

Second base belongs to Kenadi Gideons (.367, five doubles). Look for outfield returnees Brenda Serrano and Kierra Wiliams, along with freshmen Kinzely Sloan and Ariana Jones to be lineup regulars.

“I think we’ll be a little better than we were last year,” Armstrong said. “It all hinges on pitching, because I feel we’re going to hit the ball well.”

James Kenan (1-2) dropped a pair of games to Pender and beat Clinton.

of Baseball, centerfielder Tanner Kornegay (.349, eight doubles, two triples), who graduated in June after starting for four seasons and Holden Williams (.389), who is playing golf this spring.

Yet there’s plenty left on the shelf for North Duplin, 12-9 overall and 7-2 in Carolina 1A Conference play a season ago.

Four-year starter Hunt Pate returns to play second base. Pate hit .352 with 19 RBIs last season.

“He brings talent at many levels and knowledge of baseball,” Langston said. “A lot of guys look up to him. He’s an all-around player that brings so much to our team.”

Veteran Garris Warren returns to the hot corner after hitting .317.

“He’s another all-around plyers and guy you want in the locker room,” Langston said. “Seniors to freshmen look up to him. He’s a solid infielder with a strong arm.”

Freshman Noah Price, who made his debut in basketball this winter, is ready for prime time.

“He’s one of the most talented kids we’ve had in a long while,” Langston said. “He’s young and experienced beyond his age. He’s only going to keep getting better.”

The same might be said of sophomore first baseman Noa Quintanilla, who made his presence known last season by hitting .333, with five

doubles, a triple and home run.

“He’s a very, very tough kid and one of our leaders,” Langston said. “He’s a player with potential to be much better.”

First base looks to be the spot for newcomer Kayden Bowden, a junior.

“He’s come around a lot from previous years,” Langston said.

Seniors Wesley Holmes (.322) and Branson Martin and sophomore Keiz will play in the outfield. Holmes is coming off knee surgery he suffered in football and an ankle injury from basketball.

Warren starts the campaign as ND’s No. 1 hurler. Price is second and Hunt third. But Kayden Bowden, Hayden Miller, and southpaws Ben Kelly and Keiz Brock make up the arms Langston and pitching coach Thomas Brickman can turn to for innings.

“We have a lot of players who can pitch, and we’ll use many if not all of them,” Langston said. “We’re a young team overall that needs to fix small mistakes to be a competitive team this year.

“Our goal is to win the conference, though I know Hobbton has a good team and Rosewood always puts a solid lineup on the field.”

Jenkins sees Panthers, Hawks,

Blue Devils as ECC front-runners

ED coach Greg Jenkins wants to reverse three close losses against SL and NL, who edged out the Panthers for supremacy In the ECC

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — Last spring, the East Duplin lost three ECC softball games and a first-round tournament game by a total of five runs.

The three league losses put more than a fender-bender on the Panthers’ otherwise spotless 9-3 loop mark.

The Panthers, one of the top 2A programs in the East Region, will be looking for revenge against North Lenoir after 1615 and 13-11 losses to South Lenoir after a 2-1 heartbreaker.

The setback set the tone for a 1-0 loss to West Craven in the first round of the postseason, as East Duplin finished an uncharacteristic 12-10.

Head coach Greg Jenkins, who last season was inducted into the NC Softball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame, sees an image in more than his rearview mirror.

“It’s probably going to come down to the three of us,” said Jenkins, who has more than 300 wins in Beulaville. “South has its pitching back (Callie Tyndall and Ashley Sasnett, who combined to go 13-2) and North some good hitting (such as Maddie Rouse .680, Kailey Birdwell .536 and Lakyn Whitley .522).”

But don’t count out the Panthers, who each spring face quality softball programs at North Duplin, Richlands, and Midway.

“We’re real young besides our two starting seniors and learn-

ing to be competitive, so we’ll be in the mix,” he said.

And the Panthers have what few other teams have in the form of a 4-year starter in the circle.

Last season, Morgan Brown was 10-7, with 88 strikeouts, 28 walks and a 4.36 ERA in 101 innings of work.

She will be the staff of the ace and also a key offensive player, who hit .391 with eight doubles and drove in 13 runs.

Second-year starter Rebecca Beach (.222) returns to her backstop spot to catch Brown or her day-off replacements Zoe Turner, a junior, or Sophie Jones, a freshman.

“Morgan’s been real effective and throwing as well as she

DUPLIN COUNTY – REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR GRANT ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

4 housing units to be rehabilitated/ reconstructed. These houses are scattered throughout the county. The project will take place over the next 36 months. The County Board of Commissioners are soliciting proposals for grant administration services to assist the County in the administration and management of this project in compliance with all applicable requirements under the North Carolina CDBG-NR Program. The fee for grant administration services will be paid with CDBG-NR funds. Copies of the detailed request for proposals (RFP), including a description of the services to be provided by respondents, the minimum content of responses, and the factors to be used to evaluate the responses, can be obtained by contacting Chris Hatcher 910-296-2102 or by visiting the County Administration Office located at 209 Seminary Street, Kenansville, NC 28349. The above information should be submitted no later than March 28, 2025, 2:00 p.m. to Chris Hatcher, Duplin County, 209 Seminary Street, Kenansville, NC 28349. For more information, contact Chris Hatcher at 910-296-2102. Duplin County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and

has in four years,” Jenkins said. “Her and Rebecca are the only starters who are returning to their positions from a year ago.”

Jenkins’ applecart lineup was shaken a two months ago when sophomore shortstop Ava Noble (.538, eight doubles, seen triples, two homers, 36 RBIs) suffered an knee injury and will miss the season with an ACL tear in her knee.

It allows Karsyn Parker (.438, seven doubles, 16 RBIs) to slide from second to short, with either Emory Raynor (.286, 10 RBI) or Kinsey Cave taking over second.

Freshman Leighton Davis, a sophomore, will play at third base and classmate Jones opposite her on the other corner position.

Cave is coming off playing basketball, which finished last Friday with ED falling in the fourth round of the playoffs.

Look for Raynor to DH or play in the outfield when Cave is up to speed. Or Cave might wind up in the grasslands.

Mainstays in the outfield will be Rayno, a senior, junior returnee Zoe Turner, along with sophomores Callie Newborn and Bella Kornegay.

Kennedy Jones, Sharla Stroud and Olivia Diffendorfer will also be seeking playing time in the outfield.

East Duplin lost Carly Grace Jenkins (.344), Kinsley Bond (.394, 33 RBIs) and Addison Tuck (.375, 17 RBIs) to graduation.

The Panthers (1-1) beat Clinton (17-0) to open the season and lost a 2-0 decision to Richlands, which returns two quality hurlers and starts eight seniors. They open up ECC play on Friday with a trip to Deep Run to face South Lenoir.

First-pitch is slated for 6 p.m.

invites the submission of proposals from minority and women-owned firms. Duplin County invites the submission of proposals from certified Section 3 business concerns. This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Chris Hatcher at 910-296-2102 or at 209 Seminary Street, Kenansville, NC 28349 for accommodations for this request. Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Chris Hatcher al 910-296-2102 o en 209 Seminary Street, Kenansville, NC 28349 de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

Date: February 21, 2025

MICHAEL JAENICKE / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ND second baseman Hunt Pate hit .383 with 18 doubles, three triples and 62 stolen bases in 67 attempts during the previous three seasons.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Morgan Brown’s left arm and her batting stroke will be key for ED this spring.

ATHLETE

Wildcat hurlers Goin, Andrews combine to no-hit Panthers

Richlands beat rival ED 2-0 in an early-season test for both schools

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

RICHLANDS — Mackenzie

Goin has been a premier softball pitcher for Richlands the past three seasons.

She’s got help this spring from sophomore Addi Andrews.

The two hurlers combined to no-hit East Duplin during a 2-0 win last Friday.

The duo struck out 12 and Cameron Cubas and LaNayah Jackson scored the lone two runs in the fourth inning off Panther ace Morgan Brown.

Cubas reached on an error and scored via Jackson’s triple.

Richlands (4-2) fell to 3A DH Conley 4-1on Wednesday following a 3-1 setback to South Lenoir two days earlier.

Andrews has laced seven hits in first 20 at-bats for a team-leading .350 average. Her four RBIs are two less to Jackson, a senior off to a .316 start.

Goin is 3-2 with an ERA of 1.58 and has whiffed 58 in 31 innings. She was 31-14 with a 1.03 ERA the past three seasons, striking out 570 and allowing just 30 walks in more than 300 innings of work. The Wildcats have gone 54-19 during that stretch.

Andrews, also a senior, is 4-0 the past two seasons and is a .323 career hitter.

The two school meet again next Wednesday in Beulaville.

ED (1-1) clobber Clinton 17-1 to open its season.

Patriots handle Tigers and Bulldogs

Jourdan Joe and Kinzely Sloan each bashed a pair of hits and drove in a run, but it was not enough as James Kenan fell to Pender 18-6 last Friday in Warsaw.

Shylah Sloan, Carmen Mahoney, Kenadik Gideons and Landyn Boone each drove in a run for the Tigers (1-2).

Jayda Tozour, Haley Gantt and Kenyatta Jacobs each knocked in two runs for Pender (4-0), which beat Wallace-Rose Hill 17-7 two days later.

Bulldog Jansley Page returned from an injury to rip a single, double and drive in a run.

Classmate Chloe Straughn went 2-for-3, while freshman Keyonna Thomas was 1-for-3.

The Bulldogs scored seven times in the third to go in front 7-5. But the Patriots onslaught continued with four runs in the third, three in the fourth, six in the fifth and three in the sixth.

Two days earlier, Mattie Gavin hit a three-run homer and Ta’Nyiua Powell poked two hits and drove in a pair of runs WRH beat Hobbton 11-3 for the Bulldogs’ first win.

Sophie Sloan and Maggie Boone came through with a pair of hits.

WRH (1-3) scored three times in the third and seventh frames and dropped a five-spot on the Wildcats in the fifth inning.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

MacKenzie Goin is 31-14 with a 1.03 ERA the past three season, striking out 570 and allowing just 30 walks in more than 300 innings of work.

BASEBALL

Panthers-Bulldogs collide on Thursday

Today (Thursday) is an earlier-than-normal meeting between East Duplin and Wallace-Rose Hill, but expect fireworks nonetheless.

The Bulldogs broke a long losing streak to the Panthers last spring and that’s always a good indication of revenge slipping into the rivalry.

ED (1-2) fell to Richlands 7-5 and Clinton 4-3 last week after topping West Columbus 5-5 in its season opener.

Gavin Holmes (.400) and Austin Rouse (.333) have emerged as the top Panther hitters through three games.

Kyle Kern is 1-0 on the hill, with 10 strikeouts in each of his first two outings.

The Panther bats need to get going as the team is hitting .214.

JK (2-1) slipped by Pender 5-4 and Jones Senior 6-2 following its 14-4 opening-day setback to Clinton.

Eli Avent whacked three hits against the Trojans. Twin brother Cal added two RBIs and Paxton Smith knocked i n a r un with his two -h it performance.

Hansley McGee and Trip Phipps worked the mound for the Tigers, allowing two earned runs.

SOCCER

Tigers-’Dawgs finding success on the pitch

James Kenan and Wallace-Rose Hill were both 3-1 when the rivals met on the soccer pitch last Tuesday.

While the match was too late for this newspaper’s deadline, the winner was sure to come away from the confron-

tation with an added boost of confidence.

The Tigers have a pair of wins over Pender and one against Union, with its setback coming 5-1 via Swansboro.

Katherine Chirinos drilled in all seven goals during a 7-0 victory against Pender in the season opener. Karla Diaz dished out two assist and Yaneidi Cruiz and Anareli Avila each delivered a scoring pass.

Chirinos netted seven and Diaz had two goals and three assists two days later during a 10-1 zapping of the Spartans.

JK beat Union 2-1 last spring

“We challenged our team and they responded,” said JK head coach Kenny Williams. “Katherine and Karla are really locked in mentally and it sets a great example for the rest of our team.”

A team that dropped out of the Battle at the Beach allowed the Tigers to face 3A Swansboro.

Chirinos cut the lead to 4-1 and when it was over the Tigers felt they competed well against the Pirates (2-3-1).

“Our ladies gave me some weird looks when I added this game, but I feel they got a new level of belief in themselves,” Williams said.

Bri Maradiaga scored twice last Thursday when WRH stumped West Bladen 2-1. Gabby Debman picked up her fourth score of the season.

Two days earlier, Debman and Bayleen Flores provided first-half goals during a 2-1 triumph over Hobbton.

The Bulldogs swept the regular season series with the Tigers last spring, winning 2-1 in Teachey and 2-0 in Warsaw.

Both school made the 2A playoffs and were eliminated in the first round.

Gabby Debman

Wallace-Rose Hill, girls’ soccer

Gabby Debman has Wallace-Rose Hill on a victory cycle.

The sophomore has scored four goals in four matches as the Bulldogs soccer team has captured three wins.

She scored twice in a 7-0 win over East Columbus, a goal in a 2-1 win over Hobbton and another during a 3-0 conquest of West Bladen.

WRH, 3-1, lost its home opener to Trask 2-1.

Debman is on a pace to exceed her freshman tally of 10 goals in 18 games.

WRH went 10-8 last spring under head coach

Jordan Boser. It was the most wins by a Bulldogs team since the soccer program started 14 years ago.

from page B1

on the bump. Batchelor (.167) is the man at second base and McGee (.333) his double-play partner at second base.

Paxton (.234) will catch. Eli Avent (.394) will pitch and take the infield position of the pitcher when he’s not on the hill.

Sutton is also high on Phipps, who will play in right field, with junior speedster Jeremiah Hall in center and classmate Shane Braswell in left.

Seniors Daniel Grady and Josh Mitchell will be outfielders and also DH.

Look for Tyquise Wilson, a senior, to be on the field as well, and running the bases when he gets aboard.

“We’ve got to get the bottom of the order moving and we’re also going to bunt and move

runners around,” Sutton said.

James Kenan’s lone conference wins last season came against Kinston, though the Tigers should be more competitive against Duplin foes Wallace-Rose Hill and East Duplin and JK will have to step it up against North Lenoir, Southwest Onslow and South Lenoir, the top three in the league a season ago. James Kenan (2-1) opened the season with of wins over Pender and Jones Sr. and a loss to Clinton.

The Tigers were to host East Duplin on Tuesday and finish off the week on Friday trip to WRH to face another second-year head coach and former ’Dawg Logan Kissner.

First pitch in Teachey is slated for 6 p.m.

The two schools meet again in Warsaw on April 18.

MICHAEL JAENICKE / DUPLIN JOURNAL

BASEBALL

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Paxton Smith’s defense behind the plate could be more important than his offense for JK.

White provided for herself and her teammates, while being a mismatch for anyone on the Panthers’ roster.

“She either got her shot or created for someone else,” Lane said. “We played hard, but that was not our best effort. It came down to us not making enough plays against a really good team.” Lane said scoring droughts were spears to the heart of the offense.

“We talked about how to slow them down and how we would have to score to put pressure on them,” he said. “Maybe we went to the manto-man too early, I don’t know. But turnovers and their transition game hurt us.”

Seaforth took two backcourt players out of the game, clamping down on point guard Kinsey Cave and shooting guard Makya Kornegay.

Cave was limited to five first-quarter points, while also keeping her off her game. Kornegay failed to score.

East Duplin’s biggest weapon was post Ja’Myah Pickett. The senior scored 12 points and probably four of her best baskets in the paint this season.

Staying close, falling off the pace

Merely hanging with talented and experienced Seaforth was a challenge.

Cave was able to generate offense for the Panthers early, but ED missed several good

shots in the second quarter. A bomb by Ra’Ziaha Hall and power move by Pickett trimmed the lead to 22-16, but Morgan and White made backto-back 3. Pickett had another score down low and a pair of free throws to keep ND close at halftime at 31-21. Down 38-28 after Pickett dipped under a pair of defenders for a basket, a 3-pointer by Leonard and put-back by White left Seaforth in control 43-30 entering the fourth quarter.

Seaforth put on a layup clinic in the fourth, as missed Pan-

Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. 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 Hope M. Harding.

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 effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [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 effective date of the termination.

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

as recorded in Book 573, Page 547 of the Duplin County Registry.

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

Said property is commonly known as 605 Forrest Rd, Warsaw, NC 28398.

A certified check only (no personal checks) of five 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 COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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 filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC

Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC

Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403

PHONE: (910) 392-4988

File No.: 23-32293-FC01

the final home game on Jerry

Hunter Court. Carr got six of her 13 markers as ED built a 15-5 lead. Cave had four assists and an end-to-end layup to end the first half scoring with ED on top 23-12.

Up 39-13 after Northeastern’s head coach, assistant coach and a player were ejected following a series of outbursts, which included several flagrant fouls, ED put this one away quickly.

Pickett, who threw down for 15, punched in a hoop via a Carr assist and then had a rebound score a minute later.

Carr came up with a conventional 3-point play and then a crowd-pleasing block that led to a 3-point play by Pickett as the lead ballooned to 51-15.

Northeastern even struggled against the Panthers’ reserves in the final quarter, despite scoring the final seven points of the game.

A note to remember

ther shots turned into easy baskets on the other end of the floor.

The Eagles held the Panthers to nine points in the second half, frustrating Cave, who was Ms. Basketball in Duplin County a season ago and a second-team District 2 selection, and her teammates.

Panthers devour

Northeastern Eagles

Pickett and Carrie Carr dominated the third quarter of ED’s 53-28 triumph over No. 6 Northeastern last Tuesday in

from page B1

mark during the dark period was a 5-15 mark in 2011. Perspective is everything.

Yet the Rebels lost to a legendary coach. East Bladen’s Patty Evers has a career mark of 630-138 in 27 seasons, with 10 trips to the region finals and four visits to the 1A finals.

Southwest Edgecombe’s Shelia Lang has 842 wins in 49 years. ND’s 10-game winning steak was snapped. The Rebels, which conquered Weldon and Gates County in the first two rounds, were 9-0 in January.

Ward, Smith shoot down Rebels

NeNe Ward scored 25 points and Leila Smith 18 as the Eagles stormed to leads of 22-10 and 40-21 at the first two breaks.

Playing closer to even-basketball in the second half did nothing to trim the margin significantly.

Brown and Rose hit buckets late in the second quarter to trim it to 31-20, but East Bladen scored nine of the next 10 points to lead 40-21 at halftime.

Yet the Rebels kept battling.

Higginbotham scooped in a pair of hoops and then drew a charge, but four consecutive layups off transition paced an 10-0 run to run the tally to 56 -31 with 32 seconds to play in the third quarter.

Brown had two straight hoops to start the fourth and Fulghum scored off an assist from Higginbotham. But North Duplin had stepped into quicksand and was losing battles all over the court.

Faison’s 17 markers and 11 boards paced the attack. Brown and Rose each hit for eight, as did East Bladen’s Ariel Cromartie and Niyah Wooten.

Higginbotham was limited to two points but had 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Fulghum, who had four points and four assist, got all

Farrior and Noble

East Duplin’s run to the fourth round and ECC titles came without the services of starters Zakoya Farrior and Ava Noble, who both suffered knee injuries in the second week of January and were forced to the sidelines.

Farrior, a junior, is the Panthers’ best outside shooter. Noble, a sophomore forward, is a heady player who can dribble, shoot, rebound and

Wondering how the fullstrength Panthers would have

fared against Seaforth will remain a mystery.

While both are solid players, the Eagles starting five are capable offensively and on the defensive side of the ball.

Where it might have made a difference is in the mental framework of the Panthers.

Yet Carr, a sixth man, played exceptionally, and guards Zoe Cavanaugh, a junior, and Hall, a senior, upped their respective games, while Andraia Scarborough and Anamarie Rodriguez showed potential as contributing reserves.

“This team will be remembered for playing through the loss of two girls and that resiliency is a testament to their will and fight,” Lane said. “What we did after losing those two girls was beat Southwest Onslow for the second and third time and Kinston to take the conference title.

“There are a lot of memories.”

Pickett, Kornegay and Carr graduate in June, but East Duplin will return a solid cast next season with Cave, Farrior, Noble, Cavanaugh as projected starters. The immediate need appears to be in the post area.

Nearly the same cast of players helped ED go 24-5 in 2024, a season that saw the Panthers fall to SWO three times. The Panthers’ ECC crown was the first since winning the league from 2018 to 2021.

ED had just one senior on its roster in 2022 (3-18) and in 2023 (11-14), the only two seasons under .500 during Lane’s tenure.

over her markers in the first quarter. But a trio of 3-pointers put East Bladen on top 20-10.

One final win on their home court

Faison had one of the better games of her career during the triumph over Northside, with 27 points and 21 rebounds during the road win in the third round.

Higginbotham had 12 points, six boards, eight assists and five steals.

Brown added eight and Abigeal Norris and Rose combined for eight more.

“That was the first road win we’ve had during this run,” Kornegay said. “It’s a nice feeling to overcome and win, especially against good competition. And I think this year our conference was as good as it’s been and among the leaders in the East.

“I don’t feel we’ve had a subpar performance since we played Neuse Charter (a 48-37 loss on Jan. 31). We were beaten by a really good team on Friday (Northside) and we had too many turnovers. You can’t do that this deep into the playoffs.”

Faison (16.1) led ND in scor-

ing behind Higginbotham (10.5), Fulghum (6.9), Rose (6.1) and Brown (4.2) Higginbotham, who will play softball next year at Wingate University, averaged 5.0 assists, 4.4 steals and made 30 3-pointers.

Faison, who crafted out 20 double-doubles, had 96 blocks (3.3 per game) and 405 rebounds (14.0). Higginbotham and Fulghum shift to softball attire. Ironically, it was No. 9 Northside-Pinetown that eliminated No. 1 North Duplin in the fourth round of the playoffs last spring before whipping Roxbury Community in the East Region finals. The Panthers fell to East Wilkes in the three-game 1A final series.

North Duplin and 2A rival East Duplin both reached the fourth round of the playoffs. The last time that happened was in 1999 when Wallace-Rose Hill boys 2A and the East Duplin girls captured the school’s first state crown. That Panther club was coached by the late Jerry Hunter, who will be inducted into the NCHSAA Hall of Fame on Aug. 16 in Chapel Hill.

ND

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Ja’Myah Pickett played to a high level in the final two playoff games of her career at ED.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL Tateyawna Faison lead ND in points, rebounds and blocked shots.

obituaries

Leonard Steele Guy Jr.

Oct. 5, 1938 – March 3, 2025

Leonard Steele Guy Jr., better known as L. S. Guy Jr., passed away quite unexpectedly Monday night, March 3, at his home in Faison. He was 86. Guy was born and raised in Calypso; he attended the Calypso Baptist Church as a child and young adult. He graduated from North Duplin High School and went to East Carolina University for further education. He devoted his working career to education, beginning as a teacher and coach, followed by principalship, and lastly, as the superintendent of the Duplin County School System.

He had been a member of Faison Methodist Church for more than 65 years, had been a member of the Faison Improvement Group, had served on the Duplin County Agricultural Committee, and at Liberty Hall he was chairman of the board of directors.

Mr. Guy is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara Ann Ellis Guy; three children, Nicki Nicole Guy Newman and husband, Randy, of Atlantic Beach, Ellis Steele Guy of Morehead City, and Candace Guy Outlaw and husband, Bill, of Mount Olive; grandchildren, Reece Outlaw, Gage Outlaw, Hunter Newman, Garrett Newman, Dalton Newman, and Cutler Newman; a brother, Harry Douglas Guy and wife, Charlotte, of Georgia; a sister, Doris Guy Avery of Gastonia; several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard S. Guy and Mattie Barwick Guy; two brothers, Jack Guy and Don Guy; and a brother in law, Paul Avery.

The life of L. S. Guy Jr. was remembered in a service on Friday, March 7, at Faison Methodist Church and was officiated by the Rev. David Helbig. Following the service, the family received friends in the fellowship hall. Memorial gifts may be made to Faison Methodist Church, the L. S. Guy, Jr. Endowment Fund at Duplin County Board of Education, or the Outlaw Foundation.

Anna Sue Brown

Jan. 30, 1964 – March 3, 2025

Anna Sue Brown, age 61, died Monday, March 3, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. She is survived by her husband, Dennis Ray Brown of Rose Hill; daughters, Georgiana Whaley of Richlands, Ashley Holmes and husband Josh of Potters Hill; grandchildren, Hannah and Hallie Whaley (father Brad), Taylor and Tyler Holmes, and many special friends and adopted babies. Memorial service was held Wednesday, March 5, followed by visitation at the Serenity Funeral Home in Beulaville.

Errol Morton Blanchard

Nov. 1, 1951 – March 2, 2025

Born in 1951, Errol Morton Blanchard was the son of OC Blanchard, JR and Jean Morton Blanchard, youngest brother of Charlie and Susan. He grew up working in the family business, B&R Wholesale, and attended Wallace Rose Hill High School, where he played football. His family would frequently spend time at Topsail Beach, where OC passed on his love of boating to Morton.

Growing up in Wallace, he met the love of his life, Patty, who he married for 52 years. He also met lifelong friend David Wells, who remained very close friends even though he lives in California.

After high school, Morton attended Holden Tech to learn the refrigeration trade. He quickly realized his talent for refrigeration and it would become his career.

After moving back to Rose Hill, he founded Blanchard Refrigeration Contractors, Inc. in 1976 and would go on to work with some of the biggest brands in grocery stores. Morton was widely known and respected in the refrigeration industry and was proud to serve a term on the North Carolina Refrigeration Board.

He and Patty had two sons, Joseph (Joe) and Benjamin (Ben). Joe now operates Blanchard Refrigeration and lives in Wallace with his wife, Lindsey, and three daughters, Emma, Britton, and Taylor. Ben works with trade software company ServiceTitan, and lives in Raleigh with his wife Lauren and daughter Elizabeth (Eliza).

While in Rose Hill, Morton was an active member of Rose Hill United Methodist church. You could find him singing in the choir, working on the church bells, keeping the oil fired furnace tuned up, and always checking on the building after a storm. He also served the Town Of Rose Hill as a town commissioner and a member of the chamber of commerce.

After retiring from the refrigeration business, Morton moved to Topsail Beach full time. He served over 10 years as a town commissioner and a short term as Mayor. He loved summers at Topsail as friends and family would come to visit and he could entertain and show them the best of Topsail Island. Morton will be deeply missed by his family and friends. His celebration of life will be 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, at the Historic Assembly Building on Topsail Island. Until we meet again ARRGGH!!

Melvin Coleman Middleton Sr.

June 23, 1943 –March 2, 2025

Melvin Coleman Middleton, Sr., 81, of Kenansville, passed away at his residence on March 2. The funeral service was held on March 10 at First Baptist Church of Kenansville, with public viewing one hour before the service. Interment at Middleton Cemetery in Kenansville.

Nellie Jo Guy

June 23, 1936 –March 6, 2025

Nellie Jo Outlaw Guy, a resident of the Calypso area, passed away Thursday evening, March 6, at the home of her daughter and son in law, at which she had been living for the last nine years. She was 88 years of age.

Guy had been employed in the bookkeeping department at Southern Bank and Trust Company in Mount Olive. She was a member of the Calypso Baptist Church. She was known for her cooking abilities and excellence in homemaking skills. She enjoyed flowers, growing and utilizing a vegetable garden, and she enjoyed the companionship of all animals, especially dogs and cats.

Funeral services were held Sunday, March 9, at the Calypso Baptist Church, officiated by the Rev. Paul Langston and Dr. Gregory Day. Burial in the Calypso Cemetery followed. The family received friends at the church fellowship hall during the hour before the service. Flowers are welcome, or memorial gifts may be made to Calypso Baptist Church.

Mrs. Guy is survived by a daughter and son in law, Suzanne Guy Britt and J. Ralph Britt, Jr. of Mount Olive; a daughter in law, Abby Shealy Guy of Fuquay Varina, widow of son Donnie Guy; a brother and sister in law, Emmett and Linda Outlaw of Mount Olive; grandchildren, Matthew Guy and wife, Brianne, of Dayton, Ohio, Emily Guy Parker and husband, Matthew, of Hampstead, James R. Britt III and wife, Kasey, of Mount Olive, and Luke Donnell Britt and fiance, Claudia Riddle, both of Calypso; five great grandchildren, Pierce, Damian, and Fisher Guy, and Nolan and Ian Parker; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donnell Wilbur Guy; her son, Donnell W. “Donnie” Guy, Jr.; her parents, Leon A. and Beulah Mae Whitman Outlaw; a sister, Evelyn O. Sutton; a brother, William Earl Outlaw; and an infant sibling.

Special thanks are given to Mrs. Guy’s caregivers, Donna Kennedy and Tracy Winders, and to Gentiva Hospice, especially nurse Nikki Wolfe, for exemplary care, concern, and service.

Jan. 24, 1958 – March 3, 2025

Debra Lanier Cole, 67, passed away on Monday, March 3, in Onslow Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville. She is survived by her spouse, Ricky Cole of Chinquapin; son, Brandon Cole of Chinquapin; sister, Jean Dixon of Wallace; brother, Bobby Lanier (Annette), Chinquapin. Funeral service was held Thursday, March 6, followed by visitation at the Community Funeral Home Chapel in Beulaville. Graveside Service was held the following day on March 7.

James Lloyd Wilson

Dec. 9, 1948 – March 3, 2025

James Lloyd Wilson, 76, of Rose Hill, passed away peacefully on March 3. Born in Rose Hill on Dec. 9, 1948, James lived a life marked by service, kindness, and deep devotion to his faith, family, and friends.

A proud veteran, James served his country as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in Saigon, Vietnam, as a Military Police officer. After his military service, he dedicated many years to his career at DuPont before retiring.

James found joy in life’s simple pleasures—gardening, woodworking, and cooking— always eager to share his passions with others. He never met a stranger, treating everyone he encountered with dignity and respect. His generosity and warmth left a lasting impact on all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Mathis Wilson; his mother, Janet Jones Wilson; and his younger brother, Michael Wilson.

James is survived by his brothers, Richard Wilson, Joseph Wilson and wife Paula; his sons, Michael and wife Peggy, Charles and wife Beverly, Joshua, and Edwin; his grandchildren, Nicholas, Michael, Jefferson, Victor, Brennan, and Jaylin; and his great grandson, Wilder. He also leaves behind a large and loving extended family of cousins, nephews, and nieces, whom he cherished deeply.

James’s presence will be greatly missed, but his legacy of kindness, love, and service will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.

Visitation preceded services held at Padgett Funeral Home in Wallace on Tuesday, March 11, followed by burial at Devotional Garden in Warsaw.

Paula Mobley Brown

March 28, 1953 –March 4, 2025

Paula Mobley Brown, 71, passed away on Tuesday, March 4, at ECU Medical Center in Greenville. She is survived by spouse, Charles (CB) Brown of Beulaville; son, Christopher A. Brown of Winnipeg, Canada; daughter, Teresa Lefkowitz of Florida; sister, Helen Garner (Willie) of Leland; brothers, Terry Mobley (Sylvia) of Beulaville and Randall Mobley of Kenansville; four grandchildren; and three great grandchildren. The service was held Tuesday, March 11, at Community Funeral Home Chapel in Beulaville. The burial was private.

Dec. 25, 1955 –March 4, 2025

Bill Coltren, 69, passed away Tuesday, March 4, at his home on “Chinch Hill” across from Brock’s Chapel Church near Mount Olive. Formally named William George Coltren, he was better known as Bill Coltren to all.

Bill had been a carpenter with much experience in self employment. The later part of his working career was with Goshen Medical Center, Inc.

Bill is survived by a daughter, Kristy Coltren Cruse and husband Michael Cruse of Mount Olive; a son, William G. “Bill” Coltren Jr. of Mount Olive; a step daughter, Brianna Lancaster of Goldsboro; grandchildren, Melinda Davis and husband Lee, Kelsey Vasquez and friend Josh Sauls, and Michael Shane Tillman II; four great grandchildren, Bryson Lee Nunn, Zayden Cole Davis, Kaylee Nora Davis, and Jolie Emma Sauls; three brothers, Dallas Coltren and Larry Coltren, both of Mount Olive, and Randy Joe Foy and wife Shannon of Goldsboro; three sisters, Julia C. Phillips of Georgia, Toni Coltren of Mount Olive, and Tammy C. Lane and husband Jerry Lane of Mount Olive; and a number of nieces and nephews. Bill also leaves behind a dear friend, Sherman Best of Mount Olive.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Billie Jo Loftin Coltren; his parents, George Lewis Coltren and Reva Hare Coltren; three sisters, Delphia C. Foy, Annie C. Gregory, and Janie C. Buford; and two brothers, the Rev. Lewis Arthur Coltren and Jimmy Coltren. In keeping with Bill’s wishes, his family will remember him and his life privately. For anyone wishing to honor Bill’s memory with a memorial gift, the family suggests the William G. “Bill” Coltren Scholarship.

Fountain

Feb. 3, 1936 – March 4, 2025

Ella Dail Fountain, 89, passed away on Tuesday, March 4 at her home. She is preceded in death by her spouse, Sherwood Jolly Fountain; sister, Agnes Ives; brothers, Norman and Norwood Dail. Survived by her sons, Jolly Fountain (Tina) of Georgia and Jeffrey Sherwood (Susan) of Tobaccoville; daughter, Beverly Smith (Gary) of Chinquapin; sister, Jenny Lanning (Don) of Florida; eight grandchildren; and nine great grandchildren.

Funeral Service was held Sunday, March 9, with visitation one hour before the service at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Chinquapin. The interment was at Hosea Fountain Cemetery in Chinquapin.

Debra Lanier Cole

Bill Coltren

Ella Dail

June Darden Casteen

Jan. 24, 1965 – March 2, 2025

June Darden Casteen, age 60, of Wallace, passed from this life to her eternal rest on Sunday, March 2.

She was born on Jan. 24, 1965, in Duplin County and was the daughter of the late Edward L. and Jean Pope Darden. Also preceding her in death is her husband of 19 years, Joseph “Joe” Casteen; her son, Jacob Leamon Rivenbark; and her sister, Debbie Darden Garriss.

Left to cherish her memory is her grandson, Kaiden Rivenbark of Wallace; her brothers, Anthony Darden and wife Wanda, Rickie Darden and wife June, all of Rose Hill; June’s caregiver, Tessa Casteen of Wallace; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends who loved June dearly.

June loved her family with all her heart, especially Kaiden. She was a simple woman who enjoyed the simple things in life, but most of all, she loved spending time with her family. Being a hard worker at Brown Builders in Rose Hill, June enjoyed meeting new people and developing new friendships over the years. She enjoyed painting projects, cross stitching, and was an amazing cook. June’s family will continue to love her in return and cherish all the memories they had with June. June will surely be missed but never forgotten.

A graveside service was held at Rose Hill Cemetery on Firetower Road on Wednesday, March 5.

UMO receives $100K grant for scholarships

Lettie

The

Pate Whitehead Foundation provides aid for women pursuing higher education

By K.D. Beard Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — Let-

tie Pate Whitehead Foundation, Inc. recently granted the University of Mount Olive $100,000 to fund general undergraduate scholarships for the 2025-26 academic year.

“This generous grant from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation has been instrumental in helping our students achieve their academic and career goals,” said Kimberly Bry-

ant, associate vice president for Academic Affairs and Lettie Pate Whitehead advisor.

“The financial support provides much-needed relief for many of our scholars, allowing them to focus on their studies and future aspirations. We are incredibly grateful for the Foundation’s continued commitment to supporting our students.”

Twenty-five recipients hailing from North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida have been recognized as scholars of the program this academic year.

“UMO’s ongoing partnership with the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation continues to create valuable opportunities for female students, empowering

“We are incredibly grateful for the foundation’s continued commitment to supporting our students.”

Kimberly Bryant, academic affairs associate vice president

them to pursue higher education and meaningful careers,” said Twyla Wells, vice president for University Advancement. “With the increased grant amount for the upcoming academic year, even more stu-

dents will have the opportunity to benefit from this vital financial assistance.”

The scholarship has provided financial support to more than 105 female UMO students since 2018, representing various disciplines such as education, agribusiness, recreation and leisure studies, veterinary bioscience, psychology and nursing.

Chartered in 1946 by the youngest son of businesswoman and benefactor Lettie Pate Whitehead, the Foundation has, from its inception, awarded over $998 million in grants, continuing the philanthropic mission of its namesake to enable the education and success of deserving Christian women.

Duplin Journal

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT OLIVE

Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars at UMO, from left to right, Kim Bryant, Emily Sierra-Uriostegui, Brianna Cruz, Sabrina Kornegay, Sharon Crawford and Elizabeth Black pose for a photo.

Spring has sprung

With the clocks springing ahead over the weekend and temperatures on the rise, Bradford pear trees in downtown Raeford are in full bloom, making winter feel like a distant memory.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Inflation cooled in February, though trade war threatens to lift prices

U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum kicked in Wednesday that could send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The core figure is the lowest in nearly four years. The declines were larger than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet.

Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia will be ‘first of many’ President Donald Trump is warning that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on protests against the war in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His lawyer says the agents claimed the government was revoking his green card. DHS has said the arrest was in response to Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.

Stanly school board approves elementary school redistricting plan

The changes take effect for the 2025-26 school year

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — Stanly County Schools’ proposed realignment for three elementary schools in the western part of the county is now a reality.

At the Stanly County Board of Education meeting on March 4, the board voted 4-3 to approve a redistricting plan for the 2025-26 school year that aims to address overcrowding by sending 98 Locust Elementary students and 56 Stanfield Elementary students to Endy Elementary upon completion of Endy’s new building addition.

All rising fifth-graders currently enrolled at Locust and Stanfield, including their currently enrolled siblings, have the option to remain at their current school.

“I would like to ensure a smooth transition for our families that maintains balanced capacity in our school buildings and effective utilization of our resources,” Vice Chair Dustin Lisk said.

Lisk and Chair Robin Whittaker joined Board Members Vicky Watson and Glenda Gibson in voting for the redistricting, while Board Members Bill Sorensen, Meghan Almond and Carla Poplin voted against the plan.

Sitting at a 3-3 tally, Whittaker made the final and deciding vote in favor of the plan.

Stanly Chamber of Commerce holds annual awards meeting

Multiple awards were given to residents and businesses of Stanly County

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Chamber of Commerce hosted its 2025 Annual Meeting and Awards event last week inside Atrium Health Stanly’s Magnolia Room in Albemarle. The county organization used the March 6 event to celebrate 89 years of its inclusion within the community, honoring four award categories for the 2024 calendar year: Citizen of the Year, Ambassador of the Year, Business of the Year, and Small Business of the Year.

The keynote speaker for the awards ceremony was North Carolina Chief Deputy Secretary of Commerce Jordan Whicard, who addressed attendees after an introduction by Stanly County Manager Andy Lucas. Charles Brown was named the winner of the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Citizen of the Year Award that was presented by Duke Energy representative Joe Crapster. Brown, an Albemarle native, works as a member of the county’s longest established law firm, Brown & Senter. He is also the chairman of North Carolina’s Board of Rural Infrastructure Authority and serves on the Stanly County Economic Development Commission and Golden LEAF Foundation.

“This board is addressing overcrowding every day,”

Robin Whittaker, Stanly County Board of Education Chair

Under the redrawn map lines of SCS’s 2025-26 Student Assignment Plan, Locust’s current enrollment of 572 students (114% capacity) will go below capacity to 474 students (95%), while Stanfield’s enrollment of 493 students (107%) will also fall below capacity to 437 students (95%). Endy’s current enrollment of 359 students (110%) is set to become 513 students (89%), which will take the school under its new capacity when its

new building is factored in. The 10-classroom addition is currently on schedule to be completed in May.

The overall redistricting plan recommendation is based on a study produced specifically for Stanly County Schools by Numerix, an American capital markets front-to-risk technology provider and consulting firm.

Prior to the realignment vote by the school board, Almond made a motion to delay the vote until the board’s next meeting in order to spend more time considering other options.

“By moving 160 kids just to end up almost right back where we are right now, I don’t see how that’s super beneficial,” Almond said. “I understand that we’re

“What I’m trying to do working with so many of you, reaching out to boards, organizations, foundations, is to make a difference in a positive way,” Brown said. “On behalf of Stan-

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

ly County, the businesses, the people in Stanly County, thank you for letting me work with you. I’m grateful for the trust

COURTESY STANLY COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Charles Brown speaks at the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Awards meeting on March 6.

“Join the conversation”

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BOARD from page A1

fastly approaching capacities, but we heard of a second option yesterday. Not knowing what other options could be explored, I feel like maybe we should have a motion to delay or to see other options at this point in time. For me, those numbers don’t seem to be providing a whole lot of relief.”

Her motion to delay failed along the same 4-3 voting lines as the redistricting vote that soon followed.

“This board is addressing overcrowding every day,” Whittaker said. “We know that this isn’t a fix-all, and we’ve all said that. I think we really undertook a comprehensive planning process when we started talking about Endy and the realignment.

“We really started this process over two years ago when we started planning the addition at Endy, and that addition is scheduled to be completed and open when school opens next year. It’s on schedule as of right now, so we’re headed in the right direction.”

The Stanly County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting on April 1 at 6:15 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.

THURSDAY

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@ stanlyjournal.com

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

FRIDAY MARCH 14

Bragg to Liberty and back again

The Army held a ceremony to rechristen the N.C. base previously named for a Confederate general

By Allen G. Breed and Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

FORT BRAGG — The short-lived existence of Fort Liberty came to an end Friday when the nation’s largest Army installation officially returned to its former name: Fort Bragg. Christened a century ago in honor of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, the post in North Carolina was renamed in 2023 amid a drive to remove symbols of the Confederacy from public spaces. But last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order reinstating the Bragg name, only this time it will honor Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine. A few hundred people — made up of active servicemen and members of the public — gathered under black and yellow tents in front of the base’s command center headquarters to watch the renaming ceremony.

“Today we honor a hero

worthy of the name Bragg,” Lt. Gen. Greg Anderson said during the ceremony. “It is synonymous with excellence.”

Among the attendees were several members of Bragg’s family, including his daughter, Diane Watts, and his granddaughter, Rebecca Amirpour, who spoke on the family’s behalf during the ceremony. Amirpour described her grandfather as a “strong, hardworking and proud” man who didn’t discuss his military service in World War II very openly.

Bragg, who served with the 17th Airborne Division, received the Silver Star and a Purple Heart for exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured by Germans and commandeered an ambulance back to safety with a few wounded paratroopers, one of which survived, Anderson said.

“Rank doesn’t mean a thing when you’re in a tight spot,” said Amirpour, who was reading an excerpt from a letter her grandfather had written while recovering from an injury in an Army hospital.

Before his deployment, Bragg — of Nobleboro, Maine — trained at the North Carolina post, Watts said. When the redesignation was

announced Feb. 10, some critics saw it as a cynical sop to President Donald Trump, who criticized the removal of Confederate names as “woke” and made restoring them part of his reelection campaign. Fort Bragg’s name being restored was like a “phoenix rising from the ashes,” said retired Maj. Al Woodall, who served at Fort Bragg at several points during his service. Woodall, who is black, said he wasn’t bothered by the installation’s initial name origin. Instead, he felt connected to the name because it had been that way for more than 100 years.

Carl Helton, who served at Fort Bragg from 1962 to 1964, said he was “ecstatic” about the name change. The 80-year-old, who traveled about an hour to attend the ceremony, refused to call the installation Fort Liberty after it was initially renamed, he said.

“It should have never been changed to start with. It was all political anyway,” Helton said.

Hegseth signed the order during a flight to Europe and said in a video, “That’s right. Bragg is back.”

It took an act of Congress — overriding Trump’s 2020 veto — to remove Confederate names from military installations, including nine Army fa-

Hudson says voters will ‘reward us’ for Trump-Musk

He’s chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee

By Lisa Mascaro The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Almost two months into President Donald Trump’s second term, the chairman of the House Republican campaign committee is already predicting his party will pick up seats in the midterm elections some 20 months away.

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) is in charge of increasing the GOP’s slim majority in the House, or at least defending it. After Republicans met privately this past week with Elon Musk, Hudson said the cuts pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency are resonating with voters. With disruptions at GOP town halls during the recent break, Hudson and House Speaker Mike Johnson (RLa.) have told Republican lawmakers to skip the events for now and meet with constituents elsewhere. Nevertheless, Hudson said Republicans are confident their budget-cutting

CRIME LOG

March 4

• Dustin Randolph Whitley, 43, was arrested by Stanly County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) for driving while impaired in a commercial vehicle and driving with a license revoked due to impairment.

• Tiffany Reed St John, 49, was arrested by SCSO for shoplifting, driving while impaired, and possessing an open container of alcohol on county or city property.

DOGE cuts

is “on the side of the angels.”

Here’s the political outlook from the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee as he confronts Democrats trying to win back the House in 2026. This Q&A has been edited for brevity and length.

What was your advice about holding town halls?

I just said that it’s very important that all of us are communicating with our constituents, are very visible in our districts, very accessible. And it’s a shame that Democrat organizations are paying people to disrupt in-person town halls. And so this normal dialogue that we want to have with our constituents isn’t possible at in-person town halls. So we need to use technology to reach our constituents.

Do you think the DOGE cuts will be a tough sell?

I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened since I’ve been in Congress. My biggest frustration as a member of Congress is these massive bureaucracies that hide

March 5

• Joseph Demetrice Wall, 28, was arrested by SCSO for stealing from a person, possessing cocaine with intent to sell, conspiring to sell cocaine, and possessing drug paraphernalia.

• Robert Harold Bruer, 50, was arrested by SCSO for possessing a firearm as a felon, conspiring to commit felony larceny, conspiring to break and enter, communicating threats, making threatening phone calls, obtaining property by false pretense, and forging a legal document.

all their spending and when I ask questions or send letters, ignore it. And now it’s all mapped. You can see it all. There’s transparency for the American people. Now we can go in and decide, do we like the taxpayers’ dollars being spent on this program? Yes. Let’s keep it. This one? No, let’s cut it. I mean, we actually can do our job.

It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating.

Do you feel any blowback back home from people losing their jobs, cuts to veterans?

(Musk) did say that the the the firings at the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) were a mistake done by that agency, by the VA. He said mistakes were made by bureaucrats.

What do you make of the 80,000 cuts at the VA?

I’m disturbed when I hear veterans are being fired. I think we ought to give veterans priority. But, you know, I do acknowledge that there may need to be firings in all these agencies. When it comes to the VA, for example, what I’m concerned

cilities. Although several lawmakers complained about the switch back to Bragg and its potential costs, it is unclear whether any lawmaker intends to challenge it.

The name changing continues.

Hegseth announced this week that Georgia’s Fort Moore would revert back to Fort Benning. Originally named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, it will now honor Cpl. Fred G. Benning, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross who served in France during World War I.

The Liberty-to-Bragg reversion was made without first consulting with Roland Bragg’s family, but his daughter was delighted by it.

The Army said in 2023 that changing the name to Fort Liberty would cost $8 million. North Carolina’s Department of Transportation said last month that it anticipated replacing dozens of roads signs at a cost of over $200,000.

Changing the name to Fort Liberty was a waste of money to begin with, said Mike D’Arcy, who served at Fort Bragg through the 1990s. He said a solution to having to pay more to revert Fort Bragg’s name should be cutting politician salaries instead.

To Woodall, the money spent on returning to Bragg is a well-spent investment.

“Just like coming back home again,” he said.

about is giving world-class health care to our veterans in a timely manner. And so any waste, fraud and abuse that makes that difficult or messes that up, I’m interested in cutting.

What’s your message to the fired federal workers, what do you say to them?

Hang tight.

What’s that mean?

I mean there may be some mistakes that are being corrected.

Do you think that will be an OK message for other GOP lawmakers to use?

The American people are sick of the swamp. They’re sick of waste, fraud and abuse. For the first time ever, we finally have the tools to affect it. So I think the voters are going to reward us.

Democrats envision a repeat of Trump’s first term, when they won back the House?

I think they’re digging their own grave politically.

We’re on the side of the angels. We’re doing what the American people asked us to do, what 77 million people voted for Donald Trump to get.

We’re going to pick up seats.

March 6

• Lavonta Ta’qwan Rivers, 27, was arrested by SCSO for being a habitual felon, fleeing arrest in a vehicle, reckless driving with wanton disregard, and habitual larceny.

• Jennifer Marie Olsen, 35, was arrested by SCSO for speeding and reckless driving that endangered others.

March 8

• David Keith Hammonds, 45, was arrested by SCSO for failing to register as a sex offender and failing to report a new address as a sex offender.

March 10

• Destiny Leigh Beaver, 27, was arrested by SCSO for shoplifting and possessing methamphetamine.

• Jermey Schweizer, 44, was arrested by SCSO for common law robbery and assaulting a female.

• Michael Taylor, 25, was arrested by SCSO for possessing stolen goods and shoplifting.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| REP. RICHARD HUDSON

The American dream is alive again

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

THE BIDEN-HARRIS administration killed the American Dream.

As President Donald J. Trump made clear during his historic address last week, he is renewing it.

Since Jan. 20, Trump has moved at an unprecedented pace to reverse the damage caused by the Democrats, delivering major wins for you, your family and our country. He has taken critical steps to make our borders and communities more secure, and illegal border crossings have hit record lows as a result. He has reversed every one of the Biden-Harris job-killing, inflation-fueling energy regulations and terminated the radical “Green New Scam.”

Trump has also worked to root out government waste, fraud and abuse, and better protect your hard-earned tax

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

dollars. He has rolled back burdensome red tape, empowering American innovation and encouraging companies to invest in communities across our country, including in North Carolina. And he has restored peace through strength, putting terrorists on notice and making our country respected again around the world.

With every action, Trump is keeping the promises he made to you.

It’s no wonder that over 50% of Americans approve of the job Trump has done in just his first couple weeks back in office.

The American people gave Trump and Republicans in Congress a mandate to deliver on the full America First agenda — not just parts of it. I, alongside my House Republican colleagues, am taking steps to accomplish just that.

Recently, our House Republican majority passed a bill to start charting the best path forward to enact this agenda. While there is still much more work to do, I am determined to send a bill to Trump’s desk that secures our border, keeps taxes low, makes everyday things affordable and ensures the government works better for you. Under Trump’s leadership, the winning will not stop. This is just the beginning of America’s new Golden Age. Together with Trump and Republicans in Congress, I will continue working to get our country back on track and deliver results for you and your family.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in Congress.

A formidable president storms ahead

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

SOME THOUGHTS spring to mind after President Donald Trump’s 100-minute address to Congress.

The first is that this 78-year-old man has amazing resilience and perseverance.

Consider that in the past 12 months, he has had to spend hours listening to a kangaroo court proceeding before a hostile judge in New York, has maintained a campaign rally schedule that would daunt candidates half his age, has participated in planning sessions for a detailed set of executive orders he might never have an opportunity to issue, has faced the former president and vice president of the United States in televised debates with moderators he had reason to believe were biased against him, and suffered a bullet wound that came within 1 inch of killing him.

Around minute 98, he made mention of the last. This inspired sympathizers in the House chamber to echo the cries of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” he made as he rose above his Secret Service protectors.

A second thing to say is that, long before minute 98, his speech was almost entirely about what he has been doing, saying, proposing and persuading others to do. Four paragraphs near the end gracefully evoked themes from history, but he otherwise spoke about his orders withdrawing from United Nations institutions, eliminating government censorship (while renaming the Gulf of Mexico), overturning racially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and his Department of Government Efficiency’s identification of dubious U.S. Agency for International Development programs.

Instead of an overarching vision of where the world stands in history, he quoted Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter apologizing for his comments the previous Friday and promising to sign the mineral rights deal he had criticized in the televised exchange that for once showed the public what leaders look and sound like in what diplomats call “a full and frank exchange.”

My third observation is that, as the Zelenskyy letter suggests, Trump is mostly getting his way. It was surely no accident that the narrow and previously fractious Republican majority in the House elected a speaker and passed a budget resolution with just one dissenting vote. Similarly, Trump’s top-level appointees have all been confirmed by the Senate. Neither foreign leaders nor domestic partisans want to defy this aggressive man with three years, 10 months and two weeks left in his term.

Fourth, there was no return to norms of civil discourse. Trump called former President Joe Biden “the worst president in American history” and condemned “the open-border, insane policies that (Biden had) allowed to destroy the country.” Democrats have a point when they say Trump started this with his derogatory nicknames for 2016 opponents. Republicans have a point when they say Democrats escalated this with the Russia collusion hoax and baseless post-presidential prosecutions, unprecedented since former President Thomas Jefferson’s treason prosecution of former Vice President Aaron Burr. But neither Trump’s speech nor the Democrats’ childish behavior (that Trump predicted) in the audience moved to de-escalation.

Fifth, Trump continues to disregard free-market economists’ (in my opinion, wise) advice. True, he is encouraging congressional Republicans to reup the tax-cut-for-all legislation they passed eight years ago, but with political payoff add-ons such as no tax on tips. However, he also devoted multiple paragraphs extolling his imposition of tariffs, notably on Mexico and Canada. Economists point out that the tariffs will likely raise the U.S. prices of many products, not just eggs. Voters won’t welcome something that looks like the Biden inflation, which could overshadow the Trump administration’s genuine successes.

This leads to my sixth observation: that he’s aware that the Constitution and

calendar set limits on his time. Early in his speech, Trump noted that measures of illegal crossings on the southern border have immediately dwindled to almost nothing. Smugglers and potential illegals clearly got his message, even as Democrats and much of the press argued that only new legislation could stop the flow. His only problem is that solving a problem can deprive you of an issue. Former President George H.W. Bush’s deft handling of foreign policy problems left voters concluding they didn’t need him after the Cold War. Success can breed failure. But for a time, it can breed success. The first words of Article II of the Constitution state, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” Those words, plus recent Supreme Court decisions, suggest that most decisions limiting Trump’s administrative powers will not stand. Current polls show that Trump’s disapproval is rising, but his approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

What is Trump planning for years two, three and four? I’m not sure, and I suspect he’s not, either. Trump knows the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prevents him from running again. He must know that’s likely to reduce his clout with foreign leaders and American politicians. More importantly, he’s aware his time may be cut short. In the House chamber, as in his convention speech on July 19, he remembered how he had narrowly escaped death on July 13. “I believe my life was saved that day in Butler,” he said, “for a very good reason. I was saved by God to make America great again — I believe that. I really do.” Like him or not, he is a formidable man. Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.”

COLUMN

Trump says he’ll buy a Tesla to show support for Musk

The president will pay “full market price” for the vehicle

By Chris Megerian The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

With Elon Musk facing escalating political blowback and a drop in wealth, President Donald Trump said he would buy a Tesla vehicle from his company, an unusual show of support from the president to his most powerful adviser.

It was the latest example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year and has been a key figure in his second administration.

The Republican president announced early Tuesday that he was going to buy a new Tesla as “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the vehicle was on its way to the White House and Trump would view it Tuesday afternoon. She said it was a “very exciting moment” and Trump would pay the “full market price.”

Musk’s electric vehicle company has been battered by sagging sales and plunging stock prices. He continues to run the automaker — as well as the social media platform X and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX — while also serving as

Trump’s adviser on overhauling and downsizing the federal government.

“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote on social media. “But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack

and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”

Others have also rallied to Musk’s defense. Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist, said he bought a customized version of a Cybertruck that he’ll give away to a customer of his online store next month.

In addition to Tesla’s struggles, Musk has faced other challenges too. He said X was targeted by a “massive cyber-

attack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the last two test launches of his Starship rocket ended in explosions.

Tesla has faced sagging sales and declining stock prices as Musk devotes his time to overhauling and downsizing the federal government as an adviser to the president.

The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump’s plans for buying a Tesla, such as how the purchase would be handled or where the car would be kept.

Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show.

But regardless of the practicality of Trump’s purchase, his overnight announcement about buying a Tesla represented another step in how the president has blurred lines between private and public interests.

During his first term, top adviser Kellyanne Conway urged people to show their support for Trump’s daughter Ivanka by purchasing her retail products.

“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” she said. “I’m going to give it a free commercial here.”

Trump’s wealth and business savvy is core to his political appeal. The president promoted his products while running for office last year, and he attached his name to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly before he took office.

However, it’s rare to see Trump use his own money to support an ally, no matter how important they are.

During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked Musk how he was running his other businesses while also advising Trump.

“With great difficulty,” he said.

“But there’s no turning back, you say?” Kudlow responded.

“I’m just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud,” Musk said.

Tesla has recently faced protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle.

At times, the White House has needed to play cleanup for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that he’ll make mistakes along the way.

For example, Musk presented inflated estimates of fraud in government benefits like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs.

European

Union wants more deportations, supports ‘return hubs’ in third countries

Only 20% of people with return orders are actually removed

The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — The European Union wants to increase deportations and is opening the way for “return hubs” to be set up in third countries for rejected asylum-seekers, according to a new migration proposal unveiled Tuesday.

CHAMBER from page A1

that you have placed in me over the years.” Presented by Sylvia Lewis and Lisa Lewis, the 2024 Ambassador of the Year Award was given to Rodney Myers. Myers is the creator of the New London-based Digital Rain Media, which is the official video production partner of the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce.

B.R.S. Inc. was the winner of

Only 20% of people with a return order are effectively removed from EU territory, according to the European Commission, which presented the “European System for Returns” as a potential solution.

The proposal aims to set a standard for all 27 members of the bloc and allow national authorities from one country to enforce the deportation order issued by another. Such rules were missing from the EU’s migration and

the 2024 Business of the Year Award, as presented by Bradford and Ruby Barringer. Other nominees included B.E. Holbrook, First Bank, Preformed Line Products, Juneberry Ridge, Friendly Chevrolet and Uwharrie Bank. Introduced by Stanly Community College President Dr. John Enamait, the Locust Italian restaurant Emricci Pizzeria won the 2024 Small Business of the Year Award.

asylum pa ct approved last year.

“The European system needs to be clear that when someone is issued a return decision they are being told to leave, not just the country but the entire European Union,” said Magnus Brunner, EU’s commissioner for migration, who called the current 20% removal rate unacceptable.

“Any figure would be an improvement, but we don’t want to pin down any specific figures,” he added.

“We are thrilled to be in Stanly County and Locust, making whatever contributions we can to the community,” Emricci Pizzeria said in a statement after the awards event. “Thank you to everyone who made this incredible honor possible. We plan to continue to serve our community with the same excellence going into 2025.”

The nominees for that award — delegated to a business with fewer than 25 employees — in-

For the proposal to work, however, the EU needs to get countries of origin to readmit their citizens. Brunner acknowledged that the commission and member states are still working on improving that.

The “return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers, would apply only to people whose asylum requests have been rejected, Brunner said.

While the EU wouldn’t set up or manage such centers, which could be in Europe or

cluded Albemarle Sweet Shop, A.L. Lowder Inc., Beane Swaringen and Co., Cadillac Signs, Granville Lane Farm, Kluttz Tire and Service Center, Livi Bug’s, Norwood Hardware, Stanly4Rent and Starnes Bramlett Jewelers. Along with award presentations, the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce also ran through procedural duties with its “passing of the gavel” segment that introduced James

“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk said in the interview.

“That’s the big one to eliminate.”

The next morning, a White House account on X criticized news organizations as “lying hacks” and told Democrats to “spare us the fake outrage” about reducing benefits.

“He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs,” the White House posted.

Musk is the world’s richest person, with billions of dollars in government contracts. He’s also exerting sweeping influence over Trump’s administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and traveling frequently with the president.

An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows migrants entering a detention center for processing following earlier court rejections in the port of Shengjin in northwestern Albania in January.

elsewhere, the commission says it wants to create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate bilaterally or at the EU level with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers.

Migrant rights groups say the proposal undermines the right to asylum.

“We can likely expect more people being locked up in immigration detention centers across Europe, families separated and people sent to countries they don’t even know,” said Silvia Carta of the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants.

The European Parliament and the member states would need to agree on the proposal.

Baucom as the organization’s incoming 2025-26 Chamber Leadership chair, replacing Wil Huneycutt. Throughout the rest of the month, the chamber is set to host its Business After Hours networking event at Dennis Vineyards (March 20), a Women In Business networking event at Sassy Cakes Bakery (March 27), and a ribbon-cutting event for Uwharrie Vineyards and Winery (March 27).

VLASOV SULAJ / AP PHOTO

JOSE LUIS MAGANA / AP PHOTO

Elon Musk flashes his T-shirt that reads “DOGE” to the media as he walks on South Lawn of the White House on Sunday.

STANLY SPORTS

Pfeiffer men’s basketball falls short in NCAA Tournament matchup

The Falcons blew an 18-point lead in the contest

By Jesse Deal Stanly County Journal

MISENHEIMER — Com-

ing off a USA South Tournament championship win, the Pfeiffer men’s basketball team was defeated in its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.

The Falcons’ (18-8) nine -game winning streak was snapped Friday night in Newport News, Virginia, as the Roanoke College Maroons (25-5) escaped with a 71-70 first-round tournament win, holding Pfeiffer accountable for squandering an 18-point, second-half lead.

Pfeiffer entered halftime with a 38-28 lead but allowed Roanoke to outscore the Falcons by a 43-32 margin in the second half of the contest. With 11:43 left in the game, the Falcons held a 57-39 lead before the Maroons outscored their opponent 32-13 for the rest of the way to a one-point victory.

It marked Pfeiffer’s first loss since a home defeat on Jan. 26 to Christopher Newport and only the team’s second loss dating back to Jan. 11.

Senior guard and USA South Tournament MVP Daymon Beckwith led the Falcons with a game-high 20 points, while senior guard Donte Forrester-Jhag added 17 points for Pfeiffer. Falcon starters

Doug Smith (two points), Alex Cunningham (five points), and Justin Gaten (six points) each fell well short of their usual scoring output.

Pfeiffer was limited to 34.9% shooting from the field and 21.9% shooting from behind the arc — the team averaged 48.1% and 35% shooting in those two categories, respectively, throughout the season.

For the Maroons, season-leading scorer Joshua McClary kept up his pace as he topped his roster with 19 points and five rebounds.

Junior guard Marcus Morgan posted 18 points, and sophomore forward Gavin O’Malley approached double-double territory with

nine points and nine rebounds.

Following its victory, Roanoke went on to slip past Christopher Newport (23 - 6) in a 77-75 second-round matchup the following day; the Maroons will next face Catholic University (24-5) on Friday.

While Pfeiffer’s first NCAA Division III Tournament game ended in a loss, the school’s sixth overall NCAA Tournament appearance still marked the team’s most successful season since leaving NCAA Division II and beginning play in the USA South during the 2018-19 campaign.

As both the USA South regular-season champions and the USA South Tournament champions, the Falcons and eighth-year coach Pete Schoch improved greatly after slinking to back-to-back 10-win seasons in the previous two years.

Next season, the Falcons will aim to repeat as conference champions as they look to build on the foundation set in their recent 18-win campaign.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Landon Kimrey

Landon Kimrey is a sophomore on the North Stanly girls’ soccer team. She also played volleyball for the Comets, where she was one of the state’s leaders in digs.

She’s also been burning it up on the pitch this spring. She scored two goals in the Comets’ opening game win over Lexington.

Last week, she had another two-goal outing, accounting for all of North Stanly’s scoring in a game against Anson.

Cup

Bell holds off Hamlin at Phoenix in close finish

The Cup Series victory makes him the first to win three straight since 2021

By John Marshall The Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win three straight races in the NextGen car, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 seconds to win the second-closest race in Phoenix Raceway history on Sunday.

Bell started 11th in the 312-mile race after winning at Atlanta and Circuit of Americas the previous two weeks. The JGR driver took the lead out of the pits on a caution and stayed out front on two late restarts to become the first driver to win three straight races since Kyle Larson in 2021. The Phoenix race was the first

since Richmond last year to give teams two sets of option tires. The option red tires have much better grip but start to fall off after about 35 laps, creating an added strategic element.

A handful of racers went to the red tires early — Joey Logano and Ryan Preece among them — and it paid off with runs to the lead before falling back.

Bell was among those who had a set of red tires left for the final stretch and used it to his advantage, pulling away from Hamlin on a restart with 17 laps left.

Hamlin pulled alongside Bell over the final two laps after the last restart, and the two bumped a couple times before rounding into the final two turns. Bell barely stayed ahead of Hamlin, crossing the checkered flag with a wobble for his 12th career Cup Series win. He led 105 laps.

Larson finished third, Josh

Berry fourth and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.

Legge’s debut

Katherine Legge became the first woman to race in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500 seven years ago. Her race didn’t get off to a great start. Fighting a tight car, Legge got loose coming out of turn 2 and spun her No. 78 Chevrolet, forcing her to make a pit stop. She dropped to the back of the field and had a hard time making up ground before bumping another car and spinning again on lap 215, taking out Daniel Suarez with her. Legge couldn’t return and finished 30th.

Logano’s mistake

Logano started on the front

.049

Victory margin, in seconds, for Christopher Bell, the second‑closest finish ever at Phoenix Raceway

row in his first race back at Phoenix Raceway since capturing his third Cup Series at the track last fall. A mistake on an early restart dropped the Team Penske driver to the back of the field. Trying to get a jump on Byron, Logano barely dipped his No. 22 Ford below the yellow line at the start/finish. NASCAR officials reviewed the restart and forced him to take a pass through on pit road as the entire field passed him on the track.

“No way,” Logano said on his radio. “That’s freakin’ ridiculous.” Logano twice surged to the lead after switching to the red tires, but he started falling back on the primary tires following a restart. He finished 13th.

Preece’s gamble

Preece took an early gamble by going to the red option tires, and it paid off with a run from 33rd to third. The RFK Racing driver dropped back as the tires wore off but went red again following a caution with about 90 laps left and surged into the lead.

Preece went back to the primary tires with 42 laps to go and started dropping back, finishing 15th.

Up next

The series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.

DARRYL WEBB / AP PHOTO

Christopher Bell (20) edges out Denny Hamlin (11) and Kyle Larson, right, to win Sunday’s NASCAR

Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Nebraska replacing spring game with skills competitions

Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska’s spring game will be replaced with skills competitions and 7-on-7 games at Memorial Stadium on April 26. Coach Matt Rhule had said five weeks ago he highly doubted a spring game would be played because of his concerns about other teams scouting players in the scrimmage and possibly poaching them through the transfer portal. The Nebraska spring game dates to the 1920s and has been played annually since 1950.

NFL Raiders acquire quarterback Smith from Seahawks for 3rd-round pick

Las Vegas Geno Smith is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are sending the Seattle Seahawks a third-round pick for Smith. The 34-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback reunites with new Raiders coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will seek a new starter.

Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season.

WNBA Williams joins ownership group of Toronto Tempo, WNBA’s 1st Canadian franchise

Toronto Serena Williams is joining the Toronto Tempo ownership group. The team announced the move on Monday. She will partner with Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures for the Tempo, who will begin play in the 2026 season. Williams, one of the greatest tennis players in history, will also play an active role in future jersey designs. Williams is the latest former pro athlete to join a WNBA ownership group. Magic Johnson, Tom Brady, Dwyane Wade and Renee Montgomery already are owners.

NFL

Chiefs WR Worthy released after Texas DA declines to pursue charges

Austin, Texas Xavier Worthy was freed after a Texas district attorney declined to pursue charges against the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver following an arrest in which he had been accused of felony domestic violence. The Williamson County District Attorney said his office had spoken with witnesses and was not accepting the case. Worthy and his lawyers were fully cooperating with the investigation.

Duke holds off desperate Heels

The Blue Devils overcame foul trouble and UNC’s hot shooting to sweep their rival

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

OFTEN after a rivalry game, Duke and Carolina players talk about heart, desire and wanting it more than the opponent. In a series that has been evenly matched for generations, the desperation is often what makes the difference.

On Saturday in Chapel Hill, there was no question that the more desperate team was the Tar Heels. UNC needed a win to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Duke, meanwhile, had spent the last several weeks on cruise control, blowing out ACC opponents at a record rate.

Throw in the fact that RJ Davis, a legendary Tar Heel, the program’s all-time 3-point shooting leader and second-leading scorer, was playing his last home game, and the intangibles were tilted heavily in favor of Carolina.

Now all the Heels needed was for a few things to fall their way. The combination of grit and luck would bring them victory. Fall, they did. Duke’s MVP and likely National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg picked up two early fouls then returned to the game later in the first half and committed his third.

CHRIS

control

On the other side, Davis was feeling it, capturing the magic that won him an ACC Player of the Year award. He scored 15 points in the first half, including seven in a 100-second stretch that saw a 15-point Duke lead cut to one at halftime.

“It’s like what you live for, right?” Davis said. “You prep for these type of moments, these type of games. For me to come out in the first half, shooting the basketball and hitting 3s, it was something I envisioned in my head.”

UNC kept right on going after the half, building a seven-point lead over the reeling Blue Devils.

Super Bowl stars

Sweat, Williams headline list of top NFL free agents

A look at the best non-quarterbacks on the open market

By Rob Maaddi

The Associated Press

NFL TEAMS can start reshaping their rosters by signing free agents this week. There’s plenty of attention on the quarterbacks, including Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Agents can start negotiating with teams Monday, and players could sign new deals starting Wednesday. Here’s a look at 25 nonquarterbacks available.

Josh Sweat, edge rusher, Philadelphia Eagles: Sweat is set to cash in after an impressive performance in Philadelphia’s victory in the Super Bowl. He had 21/2 sacks. Sweat has averaged eight sacks per season since becoming a starter in 2021.

Davante Adams, wide receiver, New York Jets: Adams caught 85 passes for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns in a down year spent with the Raiders and Jets. He’s a three-time All-Pro.

Milton Williams, defensive tackle, Philadelphia Eagles: Williams had two sacks in the Super Bowl.

Charvarius Ward, cornerb ack, San Francisco 49ers: A second-team All-Pro in 2023.

Carlton Davis, cornerback, Detroit Lions: The sevenyear veteran stabilized Detroit’s secondary in his first year with the Lions after spending the first six in Tampa Bay.

Chris Godwin, wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Coming off a gruesome ankle injury that forced him to miss the final 10 games, the 29-yearold Godwin may not get the massive deal he was on pace for.

Drew Dalman, center, Atlanta Falcons: The best center on the open market.

D.J. Reed, cornerback, New York Jets: Reed allowed just two receiving touchdowns last season, and opposing quarterbacks completed just 46.3% of their passes against him.

as he

For Duke coach Jon Scheyer, however, it was just what the doctor ordered. “I thought it was incredible to go through,” he said. “The first thing I said (to the team) at half is, ‘This is great.’ But I knew we needed it. It was the best thing for us. At the start of the second half, to go down seven and claw our way back? We test our trust in those moments.”

Admittedly, Scheyer has his eyes focused further down the March calendar than Saturday night, and he’d rather have Duke overwhelmed in a regular season game than a tournament contest where a loss ends the year.

Dre Greenlaw, linebacker, San Francisco 49ers: Greenlaw should be back to his old form after returning from an Achilles tendon injury last year.

Haason Reddick, edge rusher, New York Jets: Before a holdout ruined his 2024 season, Reddick had 27 sacks in two seasons in Philadelphia.

Byron Murphy, cornerback, Minnesota Vikings: Murphy had his best season last year with a career-high six interceptions and allowed a 62.0 passer rating.

Amari Cooper, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills: Cooper has had seven 1,000 -yard receiving seasons in 10 years.

Nick Bolton, linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs: He’s a third-down player and was a leader for Steve Spagnuolo’s stout defense.

Jevon Holland, safety, Miami Dolphins: Despite a down season in 2024, the top safety on the market.

Will Fries, right guard, Indianapolis Colts: Played just five games due to a broken tibia.

Khalil Mack, edge rusher, Los Angeles Chargers: He’s 34 and his sack total dropped from 17 to six last season.

Justin Reid, safety, Kansas City Chiefs: A proven leader

Foul trouble will happen at some point in March. So will a hot-shooting opponent. And when it does, the long string of ACC blowouts won’t do Scheyer and the Blue Devils a bit of good. A game like Saturday at the Dean Dome, however, is something to build on.

Duke passed its test of trust. Kon Knueppel, Sion James and Tyrese Proctor all stepped up in Flagg’s absence, combining for 30 of Duke’s 43 first-half points.

Flagg also showed character, playing the entire second half without picking up another foul.

“You worry about him being hesitant, not being himself,” Scheyer said. “I told him to be aggressive. … For him to get four blocks while having the three fouls was big time.”

The Blue Devils erased the Tar Heels’ lead and rebuilt their double-digit margin, cruising to an 82-69 win and wrapping up a 19-1 ACC season. Not bad for a team that wasn’t as desperate as the other guys.

“Once you get to March, it can’t be just about wanting it more,” Scheyer said. “Because the team you play also wants it a lot. Obviously, you’ve got to make sure your competitiveness is at a certain level, your fight is at a certain level, but it also comes down to having great focus and understanding the value of this game for both teams.”

who’d be a big upgrade for a secondary.

Cam Robinson, left tackle, Minnesota Vikings: Several teams could use a solid anchor to protect their quarterback’s blind side.

Stefon Diggs, wide receiver, Houston Texans: Diggs is coming off an ACL injury that limited him to eight games but the four -t ime Pro Bowl pick could transition well to a slot role.

Tre’von Moehrig, safety, Las Vegas Raiders: Recorded a career-high 104 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 2024.

Mekhi Becton, right guard, Philadelphia Eagles: Moved from tackle to guard and revived his career on one of the league’s best lines.

Tevin Jenkins, offensive guard, Chicago Bears: Solid starter who should quickly find a home in free agency.

Asante Samuel Jr., cornerb ack, Los Angeles Chargers: He’s a playmaker despite the criticism he receives for his tackling.

Jamien Sherwood, lineb acker, New York Jets: He was the best player on a disappointing defense.

Josh Myers, center, Green Bay Packers: Myers allowed just one sack last year.

SEWARD / AP PHOTO

Duke forward Cooper Flagg (2) tries to

the ball

is defended by UNC guard Drake Powell (9) during the first half of Saturday’s game.

Christopher “Chris” Edward Rothmeyer

Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye

April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023

Nov. 9, 1997 – March 5, 2025

Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.

Christopher “Chris” Edward Rothmeyer, 27, of New London passed away on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at Atrium Health Stanly. His funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care Chapel in Albemarle. Burial will follow at New London Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Tuesday evening, March 11, 2025, from 5 until 8 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.

and Zoey Rothmeyer of New London. Those also left to cherish his memory are maternal grandparent, Shirley Barringer, aunts, Melissa Barringer, Kristi Barringer (Stephen Parker), Shannon Barringer, and many cousins.

Chris was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Larry “Pap-pap” and Marcia “Nana” Rothmeyer, and his greatgrandparents.

Dwight Farmer

January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023

Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.

Chris loved to help others, as was evident by his service to the community. Chris was an EMT and worked in Emergency Service. He was a volunteer Fireman with New London Fire Department, and formally of Bethany Fire Department. Chris loved hanging out with his family, especially his sisters. He loved fishing and camping with his family. Known as a “mamma’s boy”, Chris lived life to the fullest and will be missed by all who knew him.

Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran.

James Roseboro

June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023

Frank Nelson “Curly” Shumake

July 19, 1937 – March 3, 2025

James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.

John B. Kluttz

Kelly Banks Baker Almond

Betty Crayton Howell

June 23, 1941 – March 3, 2025

Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor. Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Garfield.

Chris was born in Cabarrus County on November 9, 1997, to Dustin and Sharon Rothmeyer, who survive him. He is also lovingly survived by his sisters Emma Rothmeyer (Garrett Pruitt) of New London

Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.

Paula Lynette Cook Huneycutt

Sept. 11, 1965 – March 6, 2025

Paula Lynette Cook Huneycutt, 59, of Albemarle passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Atrium Health Main in Charlotte. Her funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Mountain View Baptist Church with Rev. Jared Graham and Rev. Brandon King officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday evening at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle from 6 until 8 p.m. Born September 11, 1965 in Stanly County, NC, she was the daughter of the late Doyle Brunson Cook and Evelyn Hatley Cook. She was a member of Mountain View Baptist Church and was a retired mail carrier with the US Postal Service. She loved going to the beach, attending church and teaching her Sunday School class, spending time with her grandson Jayson and flower gardening.

She is survived by her husband Randall Allen Huneycutt of the home. Other survivors include daughter Melissa Jackson and husband Matthew of Badin, brother Rodney Cook and wife Rachel of New London and Trina Poplin and husband Mark of Albemarle, half-brothers James Cook and wife Nancy of Salisbury, Anthony Cook of Albemarle, and Grover Cook and wife Cecelia of Albemarle, grandson Jayson Jackson, and a number of nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son Michael Ingrim.

He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheriff’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.

Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.

The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the members of New London, Bethany and Richfield Fire Department for the care they provided for Chris. They would also like to thank Landon Arey for being a great friend. Memorials can be made in Chris’s honor to the NC Fallen Firefighters Association (ncfff. org) or the New London Fire Department.

Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is serving the Rothmeyer family.

He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui Lowe.

He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty. Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.

Virgie Gail Kiker

June 27, 1950 – March 5, 2025

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com

Virgie Gail Kiker, 74, of Oakboro passed away on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at Atrium Health Cabarrus, with her husband by her side. Her Celebration of Life is scheduled for Sunday, March 16, 2025, from 3 until 6 p.m. at The Commons at Town Center, Locust, NC. Gail was born in Millen, GA on June 27, 1950, to the late Pierce and Susie Daniel. She is lovingly survived by her husband Jake Kiker of 46 years. Those also left to cherish her memory are sisters, Brenda Romedy (Randy) of Jacksonville, FL and Diane Germany of Jacksonville, FL, and many nieces and nephews. Gail was an avid exercise enthusiast and loved to spend time at the gym. She was a social butterfly and never met a stranger. Gail loved to talk and never missed an opportunity for a good conversation. She and Jake loved to travel, especially to the beach and the mountains. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Age Friendly Staff (4th Floor) at Atrium Health Cabarrus for the care Gail received during her recent illness. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. Judes (www.stjude.org) Stanly Funeral an Cremation Care of Locust is serving the Kiker family.

Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.

In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.

Frank Nelson “Curly” Shumake, 87, of Locust passed away on Monday, March 3, 2025, in the Union County Hospice House in Monroe. His funeral service will be 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the First Baptist Church of Locust with Rev. Dr. Tommy Ross officiating. The family will receive friends on Thursday in the church sanctuary from 9:45 until 10:45 a.m. prior to the hour of the service. The burial will occur at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Talmo Baptist Church Cemetery in Talmo, GA with Pastor Eric Shelton officiating. The family will receive friends in Georgia from 9:45 until 10:45 on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Talmo Baptist Church.

He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.

Born July 19, 1937, in Jackson County, GA, he was the son of the late Grover Shumake and Connie Furgeson Shumake. Mr. Shumake was a graduate of Jefferson High School and attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He was a salesman in the Food Product Industry and a member of the First Baptist Church of Locust. Mr. Shumake was a very spiritual man. He loved his family and loved music. He was associated with several churches including Talmo Baptist Church and Academy Baptist Church in Jefferson, GA where he served as Music Minister and Deacon. Mr. Shumake was a veteran of the US Army National Guard and loved the Georgia Bulldogs, loved cooking and loved providing for others.

Darrick Baldwin

January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023

Mr. Shumake is survived by his wife, Christa Ann Sexton Shumake of the home, whom he married Dec. 5, 1958. Other survivors include daughter Tena Martin (Patrick) of Locust, and son Tracy Shumake, three grandchildren Molly Ann Shumake of Florida, Christopher Martin (Maggie) of Charlotte, and Benjamin Martin (Laura) of Charlotte and three greatgrandchildren Brenton Martin, Silas Martin and Sailor Martin.

The family requests that memorials be made to Epilepsy Alliance NC, Piedmont One, Suite 5541A, 1920 West First Street, Winston Salem, NC, 27104.

Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.

He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.

He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.

He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.

Oct. 29, 1961 – March 4, 2025

March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023

October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023

John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.

When John purchased his first Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!

Kelly Banks Baker Almond, 63, of Rockwell, passed away on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in her home. Her memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at the New London United Methodist Church with Rev. Evan Hill, Rev. James Pyatt, and Jeff Sweeney officiating. The family will receive friends at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle on Friday evening, March 7, from 6 until 8 p.m. Born October 29, 1961 in Mecklenburg County, NC, she was the daughter of the late Jimmy Marsh Baker and Barbara H. Sells. She was a member of New London United Methodist Church and was retired from the laboratory of the VA Medical Center in Salisbury. She had previously served as a Professor of Biology at UNCG, High Point University and Stanly Community College. Mrs. Almond also worked for 12 years as the laboratory manager at Stanly Regional Medical Center.

Betty Crayton Howell, 83, of Albemarle, passed away on Monday, March 3, 2025, at Atrium Health Stanly. The family will receive friends on Friday evening, March 14, 2025, from 6 until 8 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle. Her funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday March 15, 2025, at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care Chapel in Albemarle, officiated by Pastor Mike Lisk of Community Full Gospel Church of Norwood. Burial will take place at Mission Baptist Church Cemetery.

Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long fight in ICU. Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away fighting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.

Kelly was well known in the community for her volunteer work. She sang for many years with the Singing Americans of Stanly County. Kelly was also a long-time member of the Uwharrie Players, and although she seldom appeared on stage, she was well known behind the curtains as an outstanding stage manager, and she was best known to the general public as the lady at the ticket booth for many, many shows. In both organizations, she shared her beautiful voice.

At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily. While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.

Betty was born in Stanly County on June 23, 1941, to the late Homer and Vasti Crayton. She is lovingly survived by her daughters Detria H. Turner (Ron) of Norwood and Ann H. Mauldin (Danny) of Albemarle. Those also left to cherish her memory are grandchildren Anna Kaye Frick, Angela Casey Frick, Andrea Nicole Frick, and Lacey Melynn Turner, great-grandchildren Rilynn Jayde Frick and Carter Bryan Allman and sisters Faye Huneycutt (Kenneth), Judy Thompson, and Renee Love (Robert).

Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC. Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing.

John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.

An active member of New London United Methodist Church until her declining health kept her from being there. She sang in the Chancel Choir for many, many years, and was also active in Sunday school and the church’s prison ministry — teaching Bible studies at the women’s correctional center in Troy. Kelly was active with KAIROS Prison Ministry and led the local unit for one year.

Besides her beautiful singing voice, Kelly was also known for her generous spirit, and for how she lifted up and supported individuals in whatever she was involved with. Her smile was known to light up many a room!

Mrs. Almond is survived by her husband of 20 years, Rod Almond of the home. Other survivors include two children, Martin Jones of Pueblo, Colorado and Barbee Jones of Kernersville, NC; two brothers, Bob Baker of Albemarle and Scotty Sells (Natsuko) of Oriental, NC; a grandson, Ty Christian of Albemarle, and a beloved nephew, Zac Baker of Albemarle.

This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men. John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Richfield, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; five great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, James Adam Howell in 2021 and brothers, Tony Crayton, Douglas Crayton, and Tim Crayton. Betty loved gardening, canning, baking, cooking, and especially loved tending to her flowers. She always put the needs of others first, above her own. Betty would love to cook and share with others. She loved to send cards to everyone for any event. Betty was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and always enjoyed being around her family, especially her grandchildren. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Ronald Pollack, MD of Cabarrus Family Medicine of Poplar Tent in Concord, Todd Moore, MD and the staff of Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute of Albemarle, and the ICU staff at Atrium Health Stanly for the care provided to Betty during her time of illness. Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is serving the Howell family.

Doris was a gentle and sweet spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left you feeling uplifted after talking with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was selfless, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.

She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, outfits for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.

Doris was preceded in death by her father Arthur Raymond Jones, her mother Mary Ellen Cameron Jones, and her sister Maryanne Jones Brantley. Survivors include her two precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Cameron David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.

Doris Jones Coleman

STATE & NATION

America’s butterflies disappearing at ‘catastrophic’ rate in 2000s

National analysis says the population falling by 1.3% per year

By Seth Borenstein

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

America’s butterflies are disappearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study finds.

The first countrywide systematic analysis of butterfly abundance found that the number of butterflies in the Lower 48 states has been falling on average 1.3% a year since the turn of the century, with 114 species showing significant declines and only nine increasing, according to a study in Thursday’s journal Science.

“Butterflies have been declining the last 20 years,” said study co-author Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University. “And we don’t see any sign that that’s going to end.”

A team of scientists combined 76,957 surveys from 35 monitoring programs and blended them for an apples-to-apples comparison and ended up counting 12.6 million butterflies over the decades. Last month, an annual survey that looked just at monarch butterflies, which federal officials plan to put on the threatened species list, counted a nearly all-time low of fewer than 10,000, down from 1.2 million in 1997.

Many of the species in decline fell by 40% or more.

‘Catastrophic and saddening’ loss over time

David Wagner, a University of Connecticut entomologist who wasn’t part of the study,

praised its scope. And he said while the annual rate of decline may not sound significant, it is “catastrophic and saddening” when compounded over time.

“In just 30 or 40 years we are talking about losing half the butterflies (and other insect life) over a continent!” Wagner said in an email. “The tree of life is being denuded at unprecedented rates.”

The United States has 650

butterfly species, but 96 species were so sparse they didn’t show up in the data and another 212 species weren’t found in sufficient number to calculate trends, said study lead author Collin Edwards, an ecologist and data scientist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“I’m probably most worried about the species that couldn’t even be included in the analy-

22%

Fewer butterflies since 2000

ses” because they were so rare, said University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Karen Oberhauser, who wasn’t part of the research.

Haddad, who specializes in rare butterflies, said in recent years he has seen just two endangered St. Francis Satyr butterflies — which only live on a bomb range at Fort Bragg in North Carolina — “so it could be extinct.”

Some well-known species had large drops. The red admiral, which is so calm it lands on people, is down 44%. The American lady butterfly, with two large eyespots on its back wings, decreased by 58%, Edwards said.

Even the invasive white cabbage butterfly, “a species that is well adapted to invade the world,” according to Haddad, fell by 50%.

“How can that be?” Haddad wondered.

Butterfly decline as a warning sign for humans

Cornell University butterfly expert Anurag Agrawal said he worries most about the future of a different species: humans.

“The loss of butterflies, parrots and porpoises is undoubtedly a bad sign for us, the ecosystems we need and the nature we enjoy,” Agrawal, who wasn’t part of the study, said in an email. “They are telling us that our continent’s health is not doing so well. ... Butterflies are an ambassador for nature’s beauty, fragility and the interde-

pendence of species. They have something to teach us.”

Oberhauser said butterflies connect people with nature and that “calms us down, makes us healthier and happier and promotes learning.”

What’s happening to butterflies in the United States is probably happening to other, less-studied insects across the continent and world, Wagner said. He said not only is this the most comprehensive butterfly study, but the most data-rich for any insect.

Butterflies are also pollinators, though not as prominent as bees, and are a major source of pollination of the Texas cotton crop, Haddad said.

Driest and warmest areas are worst for butterflies

The biggest decrease in butterflies was in the Southwest — Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma — where the number of butterflies dropped by more than half in the 20 years.

“It looks like the butterflies that are in dry and warm areas are doing particularly poorly,” Edwards said. “And that kind of captures a lot of the Southwest.” Edwards said when they looked at butterfly species that lived both in the hotter South and cooler North, the ones that did better were in the cooler areas.

Climate change, habitat loss and insecticides tend to work together to weaken butterfly populations, Edwards and Haddad said. Of the three, it seems that insecticides are the biggest cause, based on previous research from the U.S. Midwest, Haddad said.

“It makes sense because insecticide use has changed in dramatic ways in the time since our study started,” Haddad said. Habitats can be restored and so can butterflies, so there’s hope, Haddad said.

“You can make changes in your backyard and in your neighborhood and in your state,” Haddad said. “That could really improve the situation for a lot of species.”

DHS overhauls asylum phone app to use for ‘self‑deportation’

The app was rebranded from CBP One to CBP Home

The Associated Press

THE TRUMP administration has unveiled an overhauled cellphone app once used to let migrants apply for asylum, turning it into a system that allows people living illegally in the U.S. to say they want to leave the country voluntarily.

The renamed app, announced Monday and now called CBP Home, is part of the administration’s campaign to encourage “self-deportations, “ touted as an easy and cost-effective way to nudge along President Donald Trump’s push to deport millions of im-

migrants without legal status.

“The app provides illegal aliens in the United States with a straightforward way to declare their intent to voluntarily depart, offering them the chance to leave before facing harsher consequences,” Pete Flores, the acting commissioner for U.S Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement.

Moments after Trump took office, the earlier version of the app, CBP One, stopped allowing migrants to apply for asylum, and tens of thousands of border appointments were canceled.

More than 900,000 people were allowed in the country on immigration parole under CBP One, generally for two years, starting in January 2023.

The Trump administration has repeatedly urged migrants

in the country illegally to leave.

“The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on the social platform X. “If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

Some people living in the U.S. illegally chose to leave even before Trump’s inauguration, though it’s unclear how many. But earlier mass crackdowns on illegal immigration — most famously a quasi-military operation in the mid-1950s that Trump has repeatedly praised — also drove many immigrants who were in the U.S. legally to leave.

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

Venezuelan migrant Yender Romero shows the CBP One app on his cell phone, which he said he used to apply for asylum in the U.S. while in Mexico City in January.

LAUREN ROSE / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A Monarch butterfly inspects a sunflower at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh.

Spring has sprung

With the clocks springing ahead over the weekend and temperatures on the rise, Bradford pear trees in downtown Raeford are in full bloom, making winter feel like a distant memory.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Inflation cooled in February, though trade war threatens to lift prices

U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum kicked in Wednesday that could send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The core figure is the lowest in nearly four years. The declines were larger than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet.

Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia will be ‘first of many’ President Donald Trump is warning that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on protests against the war in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His lawyer says the agents claimed the government was revoking his green card. DHS has said the arrest was in response to Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.

School district seeking feedback on proposed rezoning maps

WSFCS released three potential maps to the public and are now seeking community input

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is seeking community feedback on its newly proposed rezoning maps.

At the WSFCS Board of Education’s March 4 meeting, Superintendent Tricia McManus discussed the district’s goals with this first round of maps.

“We’re getting feedback on the first round of maps that were released to the public,” McManus said. “That was intentional. This first round is truly to gather feedback. If

there is something unusual, if there’s a street where the line is down the middle or things like that. We need to get feedback, and that’s what this phase is all about.”

WSFCS has been collecting community feedback for months for its Fostering Diverse Schools initiative — a grant program aimed at modernizing the district’s residential zones which have been mostly untouched for more than three decades.

The goal for the new maps is to “make transportation routes more efficient, reduce overcrowding and under-enrollment, maintain feeder patterns between grade levels and diversify schools along socioeconomic lines.”

No new maps will be implemented until at least the

“We need to get feedback, and that’s what this phase is all about.”

Superintendent Tricia McManus

2026-27 school year, but there will be another set of proposed maps, revised with community feedback, that will come before the Board of Education in August.

The district will be hosting a few in-person and virtual listening sessions for interested parties over the next few months, and feedback can also be submitted through the school district’s online portal at maps.wsfcsvoices.org.

Bragg to Liberty and back again

The Army held a ceremony to rechristen the N.C. base previously named for a Confederate general

By Allen G. Breed and Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

FORT BRAGG — The short-lived existence of Fort Liberty came to an end Friday when the nation’s largest Army installation officially returned to its former name: Fort Bragg. Christened a century ago in honor of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, the post in North Carolina was renamed in 2023 amid a drive to remove symbols of the Confederacy from public spaces. But last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an

The board also approved the 2025 optional summer remediation and retesting program.

For students who do not pass their EOG and EOCs, they will be provided a remediation and subsequent retesting opportunity on May 27 and May 28 at all schools.

“You never know on a day of testing when kids are in a big environment,” McManus said. “So a day to say, ‘I’m going to try this again’ — and again, it’s not for everybody, and parents have the right to say, ‘I don’t want my child to do that’ — but for those that want their child to have the opportunity, they may have just been a few points away and this gives them that chance.”

Of note, the fifth and eighth

people — made up of active servicemen and members of the public — gathered under black and yellow tents in front of the base’s command center headquarters to watch the renaming ceremony.

“Today we honor a hero worthy of the name Bragg,” Lt. Gen. Greg Anderson said during the ceremony. “It is synonymous with excellence.” Among the attendees were several members of Bragg’s family, including his daughter, Diane Watts, and his granddaughter, Rebecca Amirpour, who spoke on the family’s behalf during the ceremony. Amirpour described her grandfather as a “strong, hardworking and proud” man who didn’t discuss his military service in World War II very openly. Bragg, who served with the 17th Airborne Division, received the Silver Star and a Purple Heart for exceptional

order reinstating the Bragg name, only this time it will honor Army Pfc. Roland L.

Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine. A few hundred

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

A color guard stands in front of the headquarters building as Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson speaks as Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base last Friday.

“Join the conversation”

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SCHOOLS from page A1

grade science EOG as well as the biology and English II EOCs will not be provided with a remediation and retesting opportunity due to the delay in the return of the test scores for each.

“As a former teacher, I want to be a voice for our students because they don’t have a voice in any of this stuff that we’re looking at,” said board member Susan Miller. “I believe in second chances, and I do believe that the students do benefit from this greatly.”

In addition, a $200,000 contract with TK’s Electric for the replacement of a generator at Winston-Salem Prep that has passed its expected life cycle and a permanent easement with Duke Energy for the repairs and maintenance of the poles and wires for the lighting at JR/Wiley Stadium were also approved by the board.

The WSFCS Board of Education will next meet March 25.

NC’s Hudson says voters will ‘reward us’ for the Trump-Musk DOGE cuts

He’s chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee

By Lisa Mascaro The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

Almost two months into President Donald Trump’s second term, the chairman of the House Republican campaign committee is already predicting his party will pick up seats in the midterm elections some 20 months away.

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) is in charge of increasing the GOP’s slim majority in the House, or at least defending it. After Republicans met privately this past week with Elon Musk, Hudson said the cuts pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency are resonating with voters.

With disruptions at GOP town halls during the recent break, Hudson and House Speaker Mike Johnson (RLa.) have told Republican lawmakers to skip the events for now and meet with constituents elsewhere. Nevertheless, Hudson said Republicans are confident their budget-cutting is “on the side of the angels.”

Here’s the political outlook from the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee as he confronts Democrats trying to win back the House in 2026. This Q&A has been edited for brevity and length.

What was your advice about holding town halls?

I just said that it’s very im-

BRAGG from page A1

courage during the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured by Germans and commandeered an ambulance back to safety with a few wounded paratroopers, one of which survived, Anderson said.

“Rank doesn’t mean a thing when you’re in a tight spot,” said Amirpour, who was reading an excerpt from a letter her grandfather had written while recovering from an injury in an Army hospital.

Before his deployment, Bragg — of Nobleboro, Maine — trained at the North Carolina post, Watts said.

When the redesignation was announced Feb. 10, some critics saw it as a cynical sop to President Donald Trump, who criticized the removal of Confederate names as “woke” and made restoring them

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) attends a meeting of the House GOP conference in November.

portant that all of us are communicating with our constituents, are very visible in our districts, very accessible. And it’s a shame that Democrat organizations are paying people to disrupt in-person town halls. And so this normal dialogue that we want to have with our constituents isn’t possible at in-person town halls. So we need to use technology to reach our constituents.

Do you think the DOGE cuts will be a tough sell?

I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened since I’ve been in Congress.

My biggest frustration as a member of Congress is these massive bureaucracies that hide all their spending and when I ask questions or send letters, ignore it. And now it’s all mapped. You can see it all. There’s transparency for the

part of his reelection campaign.

Fort Bragg’s name being restored was like a “phoenix rising from the ashes,” said retired Maj. Al Woodall, who served at Fort Bragg at several points during his service. Woodall, who is black, said he wasn’t bothered by the installation’s initial name origin. Instead, he felt connected to the name because it had been that way for more than 100 years.

Carl Helton, who served at Fort Bragg from 1962 to 1964, said he was “ecstatic” about the name change. The 80-yearold, who traveled about an hour to attend the ceremony, refused to call the installation Fort Liberty after it was initially renamed, he said.

“It should have never been changed to start with. It was all political anyway,” Helton said.

American people. Now we can go in and decide, do we like the taxpayers’ dollars being spent on this program? Yes. Let’s keep it. This one? No, let’s cut it. I mean, we actually can do our job. It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating.

Do you feel any blowback back home from people losing their jobs, cuts to veterans?

(Musk) did say that the the the firings at the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) were a mistake done by that agency, by the VA. He said mistakes were made by bureaucrats.

What do you make of the 80,000 cuts at the VA?

I’m disturbed when I hear veterans are being fired. I think we ought to give veterans priority. But, you know,

Hegseth signed the order during a flight to Europe and said in a video, “That’s right. Bragg is back.”

It took an act of Congress — overriding Trump’s 2020 veto — to remove Confederate names from military installations, including nine Army facilities. Although several lawmakers complained about the switch back to Bragg and its potential costs, it is unclear whether any lawmaker intends to challenge it.

The name changing continues.

Hegseth announced this week that Georgia’s Fort Moore would revert back to Fort Benning. Originally named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, it will now honor Cpl. Fred G. Benning, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross who served in France during World War I.

I do acknowledge that there may need to be firings in all these agencies. When it comes to the VA, for example, what I’m concerned about is giving world- class health care to our veterans in a timely manner. And so any waste, fraud and abuse that makes that difficult or messes that up, I’m interested in cutting.

What’s your message to the fired federal workers, what do you say to them?

Hang tight.

What’s that mean?

I mean there may be some mistakes that are being corrected.

Do you think that will be an OK message for other GOP lawmakers to use?

The American people are sick of the swamp. They’re sick of waste, fraud and abuse. For the first time ever, we finally have the tools to affect it. So I think the voters are going to reward us.

Democrats envision a repeat of Trump’s first term, when they won back the House?

I think they’re digging their own grave politically. We’re on the side of the angels. We’re doing what the A merican people asked us to do, what 77 million people voted for Donald Trump to get.

We’re going to pick up seats.

The Liberty-to-Bragg reversion was made without first consulting with Roland Bragg’s family, but his daughter was delighted by it.

The Army said in 2023 that changing the name to Fort Liberty would cost $8 million. North Carolina’s Department of Transportation said last month that it anticipated replacing dozens of roads signs at a cost of over $200,000. Changing the name to Fort Liberty was a waste of money to begin with, said Mike D’Arcy, who served at Fort Bragg through the 1990s. He said a solution to having to pay more to revert Fort Bragg’s name should be cutting politician salaries instead.

To Woodall, the money spent on returning to Bragg is a well-spent investment.

“Just like coming back home again,” he said.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

STRAIGHT TALK | JOYCE KRAWIEC

We will always have ‘The Poor’

You will notice that the worst cities in the country for homelessness, crime, highest taxation, run-down communities, etc. have Democrats in charge.

JESUS TOLD US that the poor would always be among us. He also told us to open our hands to them.

Many point to this scripture as a command from Jesus to have more and more public funds going to the poor. They fail to recognize that Jesus wasn’t talking to the government. He was talking to you and me, as individuals.

As government has taken over many duties assigned to Christians, we have begun to expect that many things are the responsibility of government. Scripture teaches us otherwise.

Government does very few things well, and helping the poor is one of the biggest failures. Nothing is as glaring a failure as the plight of the homeless in America. It has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past few years, and the failure of the government to reduce homelessness is breathtaking. Expect to hear more about it now. It’s always highlighted when there is a Republican in the White House.

People are poor because they are unwilling or unable to produce anything of value for their fellow man. It could be products or services, but many are not capable of providing that asset.

The government has dumped billions of dollars into the homeless problem, and it keeps getting worse. The more money poured into it, the bigger the problem gets.

California is the perfect example of complete failure. California cities are home to more than half of the entire nation’s unsheltered homeless. San Francisco and Los Angeles lead the nation, and Seattle is close behind.

You will notice that the worst cities in the country for homelessness, crime, highest taxation, run down communities, etc.

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

have Democrats in charge. Check it out.

“Housing First” is a national model that these cities are following. According to Wikipedia, the definition is “a policy that offers unconditional, permanent housing as quickly as possible to homeless people.” Without prequalification like drug testing and treatment, sobriety and mental health treatment, what could go wrong?

This is certainly a lofty goal and makes one feel good about the intentions. We also know that the road of good intentions has paved the way to some destructive highways. How could something that sounds so good be such a monumental failure?

Home encampments, tent cities, are ruining some beautiful cities and, of course, crime increases dramatically. These metropolitan cities are allowing the homeless population to set up camp, in many cases, wherever they want. Businesses are leaving because of encampments on the sidewalks in front of storefronts.

“Housing First” policies have not helped. I know you’ve heard the saying, “If you subsidize something, you get more of it.” That’s true.

A Wall Street Journal article points out that many of these homes are occupied by people who would have found housing anyway. Having a free home is very enticing, and some are occupied by people who could afford to find their own housing. It is impossible to build enough free homes in California where “affordable housing” in the state costs more than $700,000 per unit.

A study by University of Pennsylvania criminologists found that when Los Angeles banned encampments in 2006, violent crime was reduced and death rates among the

Formidable president storms ahead

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

SOME THOUGHTS spring to mind after President Donald Trump’s 100-minute address to Congress.

The first is that this 78-year-old man has amazing resilience and perseverance. Consider that in the past 12 months, he has had to spend hours listening to a kangaroo court proceeding before a hostile judge in New York, has maintained a campaign rally schedule that would daunt candidates half his age, has participated in planning sessions for a detailed set of executive orders he might never have an opportunity to issue, has faced the former president and vice president of the United States in televised debates with moderators he had reason to believe were biased against him, and suffered a bullet wound that came within 1 inch of killing him.

Around minute 98, he made mention of the last. This inspired sympathizers in the House chamber to echo the cries of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” he made as he rose above his Secret Service protectors.

A second thing to say is that, long before minute 98, his speech was almost entirely about what he has been doing, saying, proposing and persuading others to do. Four paragraphs near the end gracefully evoked themes from history, but he otherwise spoke about his orders withdrawing from United Nations institutions, eliminating government censorship (while renaming the Gulf of Mexico), overturning racially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and his Department of Government Efficiency’s identification of dubious U.S. Agency for International Development programs.

Instead of an overarching vision of where the world stands in history, he quoted Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter apologizing for his comments the previous Friday and promising to sign the mineral rights deal he had criticized in the televised exchange that for once showed the

public what leaders look and sound like in what diplomats call “a full and frank exchange.”

My third observation is that, as the Zelenskyy letter suggests, Trump is mostly getting his way. It was surely no accident that the narrow and previously fractious Republican majority in the House elected a speaker and passed a budget resolution with just one dissenting vote. Similarly, Trump’s top-level appointees have all been confirmed by the Senate. Neither foreign leaders nor domestic partisans want to defy this aggressive man with three years, 10 months and two weeks left in his term.

Fourth, there was no return to norms of civil discourse. Trump called former President Joe Biden “the worst president in American history” and condemned “the open-border, insane policies that (Biden had) allowed to destroy the country.” Democrats have a point when they say Trump started this with his derogatory nicknames for 2016 opponents. Republicans have a point when they say Democrats escalated this with the Russia collusion hoax and baseless post-presidential prosecutions, unprecedented since former President Thomas Jefferson’s treason prosecution of former Vice President Aaron Burr. But neither Trump’s speech nor the Democrats’ childish behavior (that Trump predicted) in the audience moved to de-escalation.

Fifth, Trump continues to disregard freemarket economists’ (in my opinion, wise) advice. True, he is encouraging congressional Republicans to reup the tax-cut-for-all legislation they passed eight years ago, but with political payoff add-ons such as no tax on tips. However, he also devoted multiple paragraphs extolling his imposition of tariffs, notably on Mexico and Canada. Economists point out that the tariffs will likely raise the U.S. prices of many products, not just eggs. Voters won’t welcome something that looks like the Biden inflation, which could

homeless fell. Now that the city has allowed these encampments to continue the number of deaths on the streets has quadrupled. About 15% of the crime involves the homeless population.

A priority must be to look at why the homeless population is growing. It’s obvious that much of it is caused by substance abuse and mental health issues. Providing “housing first” is not going to solve that issue. Some might say it is enabling the destructive behavior to continue.

While cities advocate for more affordable housing, they continue to make houses more unaffordable. Every regulation placed on home construction drives up the cost. There are thousands of these regulations that have accumulated through the years.

You may have noticed that anytime a large municipality wants to add a new facility to our ever-growing government, it always chooses the area where the “affordable housing” is located. It keeps costs down for the new buildings but it displaces those who can only afford the housing in those neighborhoods. Those structures can’t be replaced at an “affordable price” for these residents.

The wheel keeps turning, and we keep going around and around. Like a gerbil, we are not moving forward. Nothing gets done.

As Christians, we have a responsibility to help the poor. We now know that throwing money at the problem is making it worse. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

The Trump administration is making huge changes and addressing problems that have been ignored for years. Let’s hope they have time to look at this problem.

We must find a better way.

Joyce Krawiec represented Forsyth County and the 31st District in the North Carolina Senate from 2014 to 2024. She lives in Kernersville.

overshadow the Trump administration’s genuine successes.

This leads to my sixth observation: that he’s aware that the Constitution and calendar set limits on his time. Early in his speech, Trump noted that measures of illegal crossings on the southern border have immediately dwindled to almost nothing. Smugglers and potential illegals clearly got his message, even as Democrats and much of the press argued that only new legislation could stop the flow. His only problem is that solving a problem can deprive you of an issue. Former President George H.W. Bush’s deft handling of foreign policy problems left voters concluding they didn’t need him after the Cold War. Success can breed failure.

But for a time, it can breed success. The first words of Article II of the Constitution state, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” Those words, plus recent Supreme Court decisions, suggest that most decisions limiting Trump’s administrative powers will not stand. Current polls show that Trump’s disapproval is rising, but his approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

What is Trump planning for years two, three and four? I’m not sure, and I suspect he’s not, either. Trump knows the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prevents him from running again. He must know that’s likely to reduce his clout with foreign leaders and American politicians. More importantly, he’s aware his time may be cut short. In the House chamber, as in his convention speech on July 19, he remembered how he had narrowly escaped death on July 13. “I believe my life was saved that day in Butler,” he said, “for a very good reason. I was saved by God to make America great again — I believe that. I really do.”

Like him or not, he is a formidable man.

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.”

TRIAD

Trump says he’ll buy a Tesla to show support for Musk

The president will pay “full market price” for the vehicle

By Chris Megerian The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

With Elon Musk facing escalating political blowback and a drop in wealth, President Donald Trump said he would buy a Tesla vehicle from his company, an unusual show of support from the president to his most powerful adviser.

It was the latest example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year and has been a key figure in his second administration.

The Republican president announced early Tuesday that he was going to buy a new Tesla as “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the vehicle was on its way to the White House and Trump would view it Tuesday afternoon. She said it was a “very exciting moment” and Trump would pay the “full market price.”

Musk’s electric vehicle company has been battered by sagging sales and plunging stock prices. He continues to run the automaker — as well as the social media platform X and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX — while also serving as Trump’s adviser on overhauling and downsizing the federal government.

“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on

the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote on social media. “But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”

Others have also rallied to Musk’s defense. Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist, said he bought a customized version of a Cybertruck that he’ll give away to a customer of

his online store next month.

In addition to Tesla’s struggles, Musk has faced other challenges too. He said X was targeted by a “massive cyberattack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the last two test launches of his Starship rocket ended in explosions.

Tesla has faced sagging sales and declining stock prices as Musk devotes his time to overhauling and downsizing the federal government as an adviser to the president. The White House did not im-

mediately elaborate on Trump’s plans for buying a Tesla, such as how the purchase would be handled or where the car would be kept.

Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show.

But regardless of the practicality of Trump’s purchase, his overnight announcement about buying a Tesla represented another step in how the president has blurred lines between private and public interests.

During his first term, top adviser Kellyanne Conway urged people to show their support for Trump’s daughter Ivanka by purchasing her retail products.

“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” she said. “I’m going to give it a free commercial here.”

Trump’s wealth and business savvy is core to his political appeal. The president promoted his products while running for office last year, and he attached his name to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly before he took office.

However, it’s rare to see Trump use his own money to support an ally, no matter how important they are.

Musk is the world’s richest person, with billions of dollars in government contracts. He’s also exerting sweeping influence over Trump’s administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and traveling frequently with the president.

During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked Musk how he was running his other businesses while also advising Trump.

“With great difficulty,” he said.

“The Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon.”

President Donald Trump

“But there’s no turning back, you say?” Kudlow responded.

“I’m just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud,” Musk said.

Tesla has recently faced protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle.

At times, the White House has needed to play cleanup for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that he’ll make mistakes along the way.

For example, Musk presented inflated estimates of fraud in government benefits like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs.

“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk said in the interview. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”

The next morning, a White House account on X criticized news organizations as “lying hacks” and told Democrats to “spare us the fake outrage” about reducing benefits.

“He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs,” the White House posted.

European Union wants more deportations, supports ‘return hubs’ in third countries

Only 20% of people with return orders are actually removed

The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — The European Union wants to increase deportations and is opening the way for “return hubs” to be set up in third countries for rejected asylum-seekers, according to a new migration proposal unveiled Tuesday.

Only 20% of people with a return order are effectively re-

moved from EU territory, according to the European Commission, which presented the “European System for Returns” as a potential solution.

The proposal aims to set a standard for all 27 members of the bloc and allow national authorities from one country to enforce the deportation order issued by another. Such rules were missing from the EU’s migration and asylum pact approved last year.

“The European system needs to be clear that when someone is issued a return decision they are

“The European system needs to be clear that when someone is issued a return decision they are being told to leave.”

Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for migration

being told to leave, not just the country but the entire European Union,” said Magnus Brunner, EU’s commissioner for mi-

gration, who called the current 20% removal rate unacceptable.

“Any figure would be an improvement, but we don’t want to pin down any specific figures,” he added.

For the proposal to work, however, the EU needs to get countries of origin to readmit their citizens. Brunner acknowledged that the commission and member states are still working on improving that.

The “return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers, would apply only to people whose asylum requests have

been rejected, Brunner said.

While the EU wouldn’t set up or manage such centers, which could be in Europe or elsewhere, the commission says it wants to create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate bilaterally or at the EU level with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers.

Migrant rights groups say the proposal undermines the right to asylum.

“We can likely expect more people being locked up in immigration detention centers across Europe, families separated and people sent to countries they don’t even know,” said Silvia Carta of the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants.

The European Parliament and the member states would need to agree on the proposal.

VLASOV SULAJ / AP PHOTO

An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows migrants entering a detention center for processing following earlier court rejections in the port of Shengjin in northwestern Albania in January.

JOSE LUIS MAGANA / AP PHOTO

Elon Musk flashes his T-shirt that reads “DOGE” to the media as he walks on South Lawn of the White House on Sunday.

Forsyth SPORTS

Duke holds off desperate Heels

fouls then returned to the game later in the first half and committed his third.

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

OFTEN after a rivalry game, Duke and Carolina players talk about heart, desire and wanting it more than the opponent. In a series that has been evenly matched for generations, the desperation is often what makes the difference.

On Saturday in Chapel Hill, there was no question that the more desperate team was the Tar Heels. UNC needed a win to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Duke, meanwhile, had spent the last several weeks on cruise control, blowing out ACC opponents at a record rate.

Throw in the fact that RJ Davis, a legendary Tar Heel, the program’s all-time 3-point shooting leader and second-leading scorer, was playing his last home game, and the intangibles were tilted heavily in favor of Carolina.

Now all the Heels needed was for a few things to fall their way. The combination of grit and luck would bring them victory. Fall, they did. Duke’s MVP and likely National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg picked up two early

On the other side, Davis was feeling it, capturing the magic that won him an ACC Player of the Year award. He scored 15 points in the first half, including seven in a 100-second stretch that saw a 15-point Duke lead cut to one at halftime.

“It’s like what you live for, right?” Davis said. “You prep for these type of moments, these type of games. For me to come out in the first half, shooting the basketball and hitting 3s, it was something I envisioned in my head.”

UNC kept right on going after the half, building a seven-point lead over the reeling Blue Devils.

For Duke coach Jon Scheyer, however, it was just what the doctor ordered.

“I thought it was incredible to go through,” he said. “The first thing I said (to the team) at half is, ‘This is great.’ But I knew we needed it. It was the best thing for us. At the start of the second half, to go down seven and claw our way back? We test our trust in those moments.”

Admittedly, Scheyer has his eyes focused further down the March calendar than Saturday night, and he’d rather have Duke overwhelmed in a regular season game than a tournament contest where a loss ends the year.

Foul trouble will happen at some point in March. So will a hot-shooting opponent. And when it does, the long string of ACC blowouts won’t do Scheyer and the Blue Devils a bit of good. A game like Saturday at the Dean Dome, however, is something to build on.

Duke passed its test of trust. Kon Knueppel, Sion James and Tyrese Proctor all stepped up in Flagg’s absence, combining for 30 of Duke’s 43 first-half points.

Flagg also showed character, playing the entire second half without picking up another foul.

“You worry about him being hesitant, not being himself,” Scheyer said. “I told him to be aggressive. … For him to get four blocks while having the three fouls was big time.”

The Blue Devils erased the Tar Heels’ lead and rebuilt their double-digit margin, cruising to an 82-69 win and wrapping up a 19-1 ACC season.

Not bad for a team that wasn’t as desperate as the other guys.

“Once you get to March, it can’t be just about wanting it more,” Scheyer said. “Because the team you play also wants it a lot. Obviously, you’ve got to make sure your competitiveness is at a certain level, your fight is at a certain level, but it also comes down to having great focus and understanding the value of this game for both teams.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

“Snook” Peterkin

Mount Tabor, boys’ basketball

Shamarius “Snook” Peterkin is a senior on the Mount Tabor boys’ basketball team. He was also a star wide receiver for the Spartans football team in the fall and has done track and field for Mount Tabor. He has signed with Virginia Tech to play basketball and football for the Hokies starting next year.

Peterkin capped his high school basketball career with the Central Piedmont Conference player of the year award. He averaged 23 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.2 blocks this season and set a Mount Tabor single-game record with a 52-point outing.

Bell holds off Hamlin at Phoenix in close finish

The Cup Series victory makes him the first to win three straight since 2021

By John Marshall The Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win three straight races in the NextGen car, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 seconds to win the second-closest race in Phoenix Raceway history on Sunday. Bell started 11th in the 312-mile race after winning at Atlanta and Circuit of Americas the previous two weeks. The JGR driver took the lead out of the pits on a caution and stayed out

front on two late restarts to become the first driver to win three straight races since Kyle Larson in 2021. The Phoenix race was the first since Richmond last year to give teams two sets of option tires. The option red tires have much better grip but start to fall off after about 35 laps, creating an added strategic element.

A handful of racers went to the red tires early — Joey Logano and Ryan Preece among them — and it paid off with runs to the lead before falling back. Bell was among those who had a set of red tires left for the final stretch and used it to his advantage, pulling away from Hamlin on a restart with 17 laps left.

Hamlin pulled alongside Bell over the final two laps after the last restart, and the two bumped

a couple times before rounding into the final two turns. Bell barely stayed ahead of Hamlin, crossing the checkered flag with a wobble for his 12th career Cup Series win. He led 105 laps. Larson finished third, Josh Berry fourth and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.

Legge’s debut

Katherine Legge became the first woman to race in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500 seven years ago. Her race didn’t get off to a great start. Fighting a tight car, Legge got loose coming out of turn 2 and spun her No. 78 Chevrolet, forcing her to make a pit stop. She dropped to the back of the field

and had a hard time making up ground before bumping another car and spinning again on lap 215, taking out Daniel Suarez with her. Legge couldn’t return and finished 30th.

Logano’s mistake

Logano started on the front row in his first race back at Phoenix Raceway since capturing his third Cup Series at the track last fall. A mistake on an early restart dropped the Team Penske driver to the back of the field.

Trying to get a jump on Byron, Logano barely dipped his No. 22 Ford below the yellow line at the start/finish. NASCAR officials reviewed the restart and forced him to take a pass through on

pit road as the entire field passed him on the track.

“No way,” Logano said on his radio. “That’s freakin’ ridiculous.” Logano twice surged to the lead after switching to the red tires, but he started falling back on the primary tires following a restart. He finished 13th.

Preece’s gamble

Preece took an early gamble by going to the red option tires, and it paid off with a run from 33rd to third. The RFK Racing driver dropped back as the tires wore off but went red again following a caution with about 90 laps left and surged into the lead.

Preece went back to the primary tires with 42 laps to go and started dropping back, finishing 15th.

Up next

The series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.

VIRGINIA TECH ATHLETICS

The Blue Devils overcame foul trouble and UNC’s hot shooting to sweep their rival

DARRYL WEBB / AP PHOTO

Christopher Bell (20) edges out Denny Hamlin (11) and Kyle Larson, right, to win Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

Duke forward Cooper Flagg (2) tries to control the ball as he is defended by UNC guard Drake Powell (9) during the first half of Saturday’s game.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Nebraska replacing spring game with skills competitions

Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska’s spring game will be replaced with skills competitions and 7-on-7 games at Memorial Stadium on April 26. Coach Matt Rhule had said five weeks ago he highly doubted a spring game would be played because of his concerns about other teams scouting players in the scrimmage and possibly poaching them through the transfer portal. The Nebraska spring game dates to the 1920s and has been played annually since 1950.

NFL Raiders acquire quarterback Smith from Seahawks for 3rd-round pick

Las Vegas

Geno Smith is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are sending the Seattle Seahawks a third-round pick for Smith. The 34-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback reunites with new Raiders coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will seek a new starter. Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season.

WNBA

Williams joins ownership group of Toronto Tempo, WNBA’s 1st Canadian franchise

Toronto Serena Williams is joining the Toronto Tempo ownership group. The team announced the move on Monday. She will partner with Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures for the Tempo, who will begin play in the 2026 season. Williams, one of the greatest tennis players in history, will also play an active role in future jersey designs. Williams is the latest former pro athlete to join a WNBA ownership group. Magic Johnson, Tom Brady, Dwyane Wade and Renee Montgomery already are owners.

SOCCER

NWSL opens Bay FC investigation following reports of “toxic” work environment

New York

An independent investigation has been opened into the coaching staff at Bay FC following publication of a report that described a “toxic” work environment at the club. National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed the probe. The San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation last Friday that said at least two formal complaints had been made about the team under coach Albertin Montoya. Two former players, who were not named in Chronicle’s report, described the team environment as toxic, and two former Bay FC employees agreed with the assessment.

NFL Chiefs WR Worthy released after Texas DA declines to pursue charges

Austin, Texas Xavier Worthy was freed after a Texas district attorney declined to pursue charges against the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver following an arrest in which he had been accused of felony domestic violence. The Williamson County District Attorney said his office had spoken with witnesses and was not accepting the case. Worthy and his lawyers were fully cooperating with the investigation.

JACOB KUPFERMAN / AP PHOTO

ACC, Clemson, FSU approve settlement to end legal fight

A new revenue distribution model provides stability for the conference through 2031

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

THE ATLANTIC Coast Conference, Clemson and Florida State are ready to move forward together after legal fights that threatened the stability of the league. Each approved a settlement to end the crossfire of lawsuits between the member schools and the ACC, signing off on a deal that changes the revenue-distribution model in a way that would theoretically benefit both schools with marquee football brands. The deal also revises and clarifies the long-term costs for a school to leave the conference.

It doesn’t offer permanent security. Notably, the 2030-31 season now looms as a significant marker. But it does stabilize the coming years for a league that

had heard doomsayers questioning its survival amid a growing revenue gap behind the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten.

“Today’s resolution begins the next chapter of this storied league and further solidifies the ACC as a premier conference,” commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement, noting the parties would dismiss pending lawsuits in Florida and the Carolinas.

“The settlements, coupled with the ACC’s continued partnership with ESPN, allow us to focus on our collective future — including Clemson and Florida State — united in an 18-member conference demonstrating the best in intercollegiate athletics.”

Most notably, the revenue-distribution model will now incorporate TV viewership as a way for the league’s top programs to generate more revenue. That formula would see 60% of the league’s TV revenues go into a pot for distribution based on a rolling five-year

Super Bowl stars Sweat, Williams headline list of top NFL free agents

A look at the best non-quarterbacks on the open market

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press

NFL TEAMS can start reshaping their rosters by signing free agents this week.

There’s plenty of attention on the quarterbacks, including Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Agents can start negotiating with teams Monday, and players could sign new deals starting Wednesday. Here’s a look at 25 nonquarterbacks available.

Josh Sweat, edge rusher, Philadelphia Eagles: Sweat is set to cash in after an impressive performance in Philadelphia’s victory in the Super Bowl. He had 21/2 sacks. Sweat has averaged eight sacks per season since becoming a starter in 2021.

Davante Adams, wide receiver, New York Jets: Adams caught 85 passes for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns in a down year spent with the Raiders and Jets. He’s a three-time All-Pro.

Milton Williams, defensive tackle, Philadelphia Eagles: Williams had two sacks in the Super Bowl.

Charvarius Ward, cornerback, San Francisco 49ers: A second-team All-Pro in 2023.

Carlton Davis, cornerback, Detroit Lions: The seven-year veteran stabilized Detroit’s secondary in his first year with the Lions after spending the first six in Tampa Bay.

Chris Godwin, wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Coming off a gruesome ankle injury that forced him to miss the final 10 games, the 29-year-old Godwin may not get the massive deal he was on pace for.

Drew Dalman, center, Atlanta Falcons: The best center on the open market.

D.J. Reed, cornerback, New York Jets: Reed allowed just two receiving touchdowns last season, and opposing quarterbacks completed just 46.3% of their passes against him.

Dre Greenlaw, linebacker, San Francisco 49ers: Greenlaw should be back to his old form after returning from an Achilles tendon injury last year.

Haason Reddick, edge rusher, New York Jets: Before a holdout ruined his 2024 season, Reddick had 27 sacks in two seasons in Philadelphia.

Byron Murphy, cornerback, Minnesota Vikings: Murphy had his best season last year with a career-high six interceptions and allowed a 62.0 passer rating.

Amari Cooper, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills: Cooper has had seven 1,000 -yard receiving seasons in 10 years.

Nick Bolton, linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs: He’s a third-down player and was a leader for Steve Spagnuolo’s stout defense.

Jevon Holland, safety, Miami Dolphins: Despite a down season in 2024,

A Clemson and ACC logo are displayed on an end zone pylon during a 2023 game. The recent agreement helps ensure that the logos will continue to share space for the next few years.

formula tied to viewership ratings, while the remaining 40% would be distributed equally among the members.

The upside could be $15 million or more for top-earning schools, while it could also result in a decline of about $7 million for others.

It’s the latest in a series of what Phillips has previously called “aggressive” efforts to generate more revenue.

“At the end of the day, this innovative distribution model which further incentivizes performance and investment will help strengthen the ACC,” Clemson athletic director Graham Neff told trustees before their vote to approve the deal. “A strong ACC is good for Clemson. And a strong Clemson is good for the ACC.”

The growing revenue gap — which amounted to roughly $6 million less per school than in the SEC and $15 million in the Big Ten, according to tax documents from the 2022-23 season — had been at the root of the unrest. Schools had signed

a grant-of-rights deal to give the ACC control of their media rights through the end of the league’s TV deal with ESPN in 2036, while the league could impose massive exit fees on any school that sought to leave for another league before the expiration of that deal.

Those costs had been a key subject of FSU’s December 2023 lawsuit and Clemson’s in March 2024, while the ACC had conversely sued both schools. The settlement now provides a roadmap to how any early exit might work.

Specifically, the slideshow at the Clemson trustee meeting reported the exit fee would be $165 million for the 2026 fiscal year but would descend by $18 million per year until leveling off around $75 million for the 2030-31 season. And despite the grant-of-rights provision, any school that paid the exit fee would be allowed to exit with its media rights, according to that presentation.

“I’m proud of where we’ve landed,” FSU trustee and former Seminoles quarterback Drew Weatherford said.

“We made some commitments 14 months ago to make sure we could do everything in our power to compete at the highest level, and I think we’ve done that here.”

coming off an ACL injury that limited him to eight games but the four-time Pro Bowl pick could transition well to a slot role.

Members of the Super Bowl champion Eagles’ defense in the top three available free agents

the top safety on the market.

Will Fries, right guard, Indianapolis Colts: Played just five games due to a broken tibia.

Khalil Mack, edge rusher, Los Angeles Chargers: He’s 34 and his sack total dropped from 17 to six last season.

Justin Reid, safety, Kansas City Chiefs: A proven leader who’d be a big upgrade for a secondary.

Cam Robinson, left tackle, Minnesota Vikings: Several teams could use a solid anchor to protect their quarterback’s blind side.

Stefon Diggs, wide receiver, Houston Texans: Diggs is

Tre’von Moehrig, safety, Las Vegas Raiders: Recorded a career-high 104 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 2024.

Mekhi Becton, right guard, Philadelphia Eagles: Moved from tackle to guard and revived his career on one of the league’s best lines.

Tevin Jenkins, offensive guard, Chicago Bears: Solid starter who should quickly find a home in free agency.

Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback, Los Angeles Chargers: He’s a playmaker despite the criticism he receives for his tackling.

Jamien Sherwood, linebacker, New York Jets: He was the best player on a disappointing defense.

Josh Myers, center, Green Bay Packers: Myers allowed just one sack last year.

MATT SLOCUM / AP PHOTO

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat (19) reacts after sacking Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the first half of Super Bowl 59.

the stream

‘Moana

2’ on Disney+, Mulaney on Netflix; ‘Confessions of Octomom,’ Seyfried

“Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” lands on Paramount+

The Associated Press

“MOANA 2,” the third-biggest movie box-office hit of 2024, and Amanda Seyfried playing a Philadelphia patrol officer fighting rampant opioid addiction in Peacock’s “Long Bright River” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time: A long-lost documentary resurfaces on Tom Petty, comedian John Mulaney launches a live weekly celebrity talk show on Netflix, and a six-part series called “Confessions of Octomom” looks back at the turbulent life of single mom Nadya Suleman.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Moana 2” was nearly a streaming series. Instead, it is now streaming on Disney+ after more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. The movie, the third-biggest box-office hit of 2024, is set three years after the 2016 original. Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) again sets sail from her home island, this time in search of a wider community of Pacific Islanders. Dwayne Johnson, as the voice of Maui, is also back.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo (“Avengers: Endgame”) are back on Netflix with their adaptation of Simon Stalenhag’s 2018 illustrated novel “The Electric State.” The Russos, who last released 2022’s “The Gray Man” on the streaming service, bring their big-budget flare to a retro-futuristic tale populated by cartoon-like robots. Millie Bobby Brown stars as a teenager in search of her long-lost brother, who travels the American southwest with Keats (Chris Pratt) and his robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).

Payal Kapadia’s luminous “All We Imagine as Light” begins streaming this week on the Criterion Channel. The film, one of the most acclaimed of 2024, is about three Mumbai hospital workers — played by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam — who are each grappling with different constrictions in modern Mumbai. When they travel to a seaside town, “All We Imagine as Light” transforms into a radiant, illusory imagination of the lives they could have. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote, “Like a dream, this is a film that washes over you.”

plays cop

MUSIC TO STREAM

In 2022, the K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM emerged fully formed: An ambitious Gen Z quintet whose hooks helped usher in a new wave of such groups. It was their single “Antifragile” that seemed to suggest a new sound was being popularized: They pulled from reggaetón filtered through Rosalía as much as they did the tentpoles of much K-pop: stacked melodies, R&B, hip-hop, EDM. On Friday, they will release a new EP, “HOT,” its title-track promising further combinations of “rock and disco elements, revolving around love,” their agency Source Music said in a statement. It’s enough to get excited about.

In February 1983, “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” aired just once on MTV — a long-lost documentary that

doubles as Cameron Crowe’s true directorial debut. It follows Petty and his Heartbreakers around their 1982 “Long After Dark” album. The film has been found and remastered, and you can watch it now on Paramount+.

SHOWS TO STREAM

In 2009, the world was introduced to Nadya Suleman, a single mom of six who gave birth to eight living children at one time via in vitro fertilization. The public fascination into this woman dubbed Octomom quickly became vicious and judgmental. Suleman had no job and relied on government assistance, so she was declared irresponsible and unfit to raise 14 kids. She did capitalize on the attention with a book deal, tabloid deals and paid TV appearances, but within a few

“We will never be relevant. We will never be your source of news. We will always be reckless.” John Mulaney

years, she’d declared bankruptcy, turned to pornography to earn money and was accused of welfare fraud by the state of California. A new six-part series called “Confessions of Octomom” looks back at that turbulent time and how Suleman and her 14 kids made it through. It is on Lifetime and streams on Hulu live.

Comedian John Mulaney launched a live weekly celebrity talk show on Netflix called “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.” It’s a follow-up to “John Mulaney Presents: “Everybody’s in LA” a live nightly show during last year’s Netflix is a Joke comedy festival. Richard Kind returns as the sidekick. At a press event earlier this year to promote Netflix’s 2025 programming, Maloney promised, “We will never be relevant. We will never be your source of news. We will always be reckless.” Amanda Seyfried, who won an Emmy Award in 2022 for portraying former Silicon Valley It Girl Elizabeth Holmes, stars in a new thriller series for Peacock. In “Long Bright River,” Seyfried plays Mickey, a Philadelphia patrol officer in a neighborhood plagued by rampant

opioid addiction. Mickey becomes determined to solve a series of murders when her sister, who is also an addict, goes missing. It’s based on a novel by Liz Moore. The eight-episode series launches Thursday.

A different limited series for Apple TV+ called “Dope Thief” is also set in Philadelphia against the world of drugs. Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura star as two longtime friends who pose as DEA agents and conduct fake raids to take possession of other people’s drugs and money. It’s a series of easy scores until the two men target the wrong people. “Dope Thief,” produced by Ridley Scott, begins streaming Friday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Video games love to make you feel like a hero, but what happens to warriors who fail? Alta, the protagonist of Wanderstop, takes a job managing a quiet tea shop in a magical forest. That sounds like the setup for a relaxing, “cozy” game like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley — but be warned, one of its creators is Davey Wreden, the mastermind behind 2013’s The Stanley Parable. That cult classic is one of the most devious brain-twisters ever, so who knows what Wreden and his colleagues at Ivy Road have up their sleeves for their indie studio’s debut release? Judging from the trailer, Alta may have more on her mind than creating the perfect cup. Find out what’s brewing on PlayStation 5,

OWEN SWEENEY / INVISION / AP PHOTO

recently remastered

documentary “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” is streaming on Paramount+.

Live with John Mulaney” is bringing the laughs on Netflix.

STATE & NATION

America’s butterflies disappearing at ‘catastrophic’ rate in 2000s

National analysis says the population falling by 1.3% per year

By Seth Borenstein

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — America’s butterflies are disappearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study finds.

The first countrywide systematic analysis of butterfly abundance found that the number of butterflies in the Lower 48 states has been falling on average 1.3% a year since the turn of the century, with 114 species showing significant declines and only nine increasing, according to a study in Thursday’s journal Science.

“Butterflies have been declining the last 20 years,” said study co-author Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University. “And we don’t see any sign that that’s going to end.”

A team of scientists combined 76,957 surveys from 35 monitoring programs and blended them for an apples-to-apples comparison and ended up counting 12.6 million butterflies over the decades. Last month, an annual survey that looked just at monarch butterflies, which federal officials plan to put on the threatened species list, counted a nearly all-time low of fewer than 10,000, down from 1.2 million in 1997.

Many of the species in decline fell by 40% or more.

‘Catastrophic and saddening’ loss over time

David Wagner, a University of Connecticut entomologist who wasn’t part of the study,

praised its scope. And he said while the annual rate of decline may not sound significant, it is “catastrophic and saddening” when compounded over time.

“In just 30 or 40 years we are talking about losing half the butterflies (and other insect life) over a continent!” Wagner said in an email. “The tree of life is being denuded at unprecedented rates.”

The United States has 650

butterfly species, but 96 species were so sparse they didn’t show up in the data and another 212 species weren’t found in sufficient number to calculate trends, said study lead author Collin Edwards, an ecologist and data scientist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“I’m probably most worried about the species that couldn’t even be included in the analy-

22%

Fewer butterflies since 2000

ses” because they were so rare, said University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Karen Oberhauser, who wasn’t part of the research.

Haddad, who specializes in rare butterflies, said in recent years he has seen just two endangered St. Francis Satyr butterflies — which only live on a bomb range at Fort Bragg in North Carolina — “so it could be extinct.”

Some well-known species had large drops. The red admiral, which is so calm it lands on people, is down 44%. The American lady butterfly, with two large eyespots on its back wings, decreased by 58%, Edwards said.

Even the invasive white cabbage butterfly, “a species that is well adapted to invade the world,” according to Haddad, fell by 50%.

“How can that be?” Haddad wondered.

Butterfly decline as a warning sign for humans

Cornell University butterfly expert Anurag Agrawal said he worries most about the future of a different species: humans.

“The loss of butterflies, parrots and porpoises is undoubtedly a bad sign for us, the ecosystems we need and the nature we enjoy,” Agrawal, who wasn’t part of the study, said in an email. “They are telling us that our continent’s health is not doing so well. ... Butterflies are an ambassador for nature’s beauty, fragility and the interde-

pendence of species. They have something to teach us.”

Oberhauser said butterflies connect people with nature and that “calms us down, makes us healthier and happier and promotes learning.”

What’s happening to butterflies in the United States is probably happening to other, less-studied insects across the continent and world, Wagner said. He said not only is this the most comprehensive butterfly study, but the most data-rich for any insect.

Butterflies are also pollinators, though not as prominent as bees, and are a major source of pollination of the Texas cotton crop, Haddad said.

Driest and warmest areas are worst for butterflies

The biggest decrease in butterflies was in the Southwest — Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma — where the number of butterflies dropped by more than half in the 20 years.

“It looks like the butterflies that are in dry and warm areas are doing particularly poorly,” Edwards said. “And that kind of captures a lot of the Southwest.” Edwards said when they looked at butterfly species that lived both in the hotter South and cooler North, the ones that did better were in the cooler areas.

Climate change, habitat loss and insecticides tend to work together to weaken butterfly populations, Edwards and Haddad said. Of the three, it seems that insecticides are the biggest cause, based on previous research from the U.S. Midwest, Haddad said.

“It makes sense because insecticide use has changed in dramatic ways in the time since our study started,” Haddad said. Habitats can be restored and so can butterflies, so there’s hope, Haddad said.

“You can make changes in your backyard and in your neighborhood and in your state,” Haddad said. “That could really improve the situation for a lot of species.”

DHS overhauls asylum phone app to use for ‘self-deportation’

The app was rebranded from CBP One to CBP Home

The Associated Press

THE TRUMP administration has unveiled an overhauled cellphone app once used to let migrants apply for asylum, turning it into a system that allows people living illegally in the U.S. to say they want to leave the country voluntarily.

The renamed app, announced Monday and now called CBP Home, is part of the administration’s campaign to encourage “self-deportations, “ touted as an easy and cost-effective way to nudge along President Donald Trump’s push to deport millions of im-

migrants without legal status.

“The app provides illegal aliens in the United States with a straightforward way to declare their intent to voluntarily depart, offering them the chance to leave before facing harsher consequences,” Pete Flores, the acting commissioner for U.S Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement.

Moments after Trump took office, the earlier version of the app, CBP One, stopped allowing migrants to apply for asylum, and tens of thousands of border appointments were canceled.

More than 900,000 people were allowed in the country on immigration parole under CBP One, generally for two years, starting in January 2023.

The Trump administration has repeatedly urged migrants

in the country illegally to leave.

“The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on the social platform X. “If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

Some people living in the U.S. illegally chose to leave even before Trump’s inauguration, though it’s unclear how many.

But earlier mass crackdowns on illegal immigration — most famously a quasi-military operation in the mid-1950s that Trump has repeatedly praised — also drove many immigrants who were in the U.S. legally to leave.

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

Venezuelan migrant Yender Romero shows the CBP One app on his cell phone, which he said he used to apply for asylum in the U.S. while in Mexico City in January.

LAUREN ROSE / TWIN CITY HERALD

A Monarch butterfly inspects a sunflower at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh.

Randolph record

Spring has sprung

With the clocks springing ahead over the weekend and temperatures on the rise, Bradford pear trees

making winter feel like a distant memory.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Inflation cooled in February, though trade war threatens to lift prices

U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum kicked in Wednesday that could send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The core figure is the lowest in nearly four years. The declines were larger than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet.

Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia will be ‘first of many’ President Donald Trump is warning that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on protests against the war in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His lawyer says the agents claimed the government was revoking his green card. DHS has said the arrest was in response to Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.

$2.00

Commissioners approve expansion of Employee Wellness Center staffing

administrator Sam Varner said.

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Randolph County employees have enjoyed the Employee Wellness Center — a wellness program aimed to better support and retain county employees and their families — for just more than a year now, and they could see even more of it in the coming years.

At its meeting Monday, the Randolph County Board of Commissioners approved a new contract with Atrium Health for the expansion of staffing at the Employee Wellness Center in anticipation of increased demand and expanded wellness initiatives.

“We’ve had our clinic open for about 14 months and we’ve had tremendous success,” wellness

“It’s been greatly accepted by our employees and their spouses. For the last year, we’ve experienced great utilization. We’ve averaged about 150 visits per month — about a 95% utilization rate — which has exceeded what we’ve expected.”

Varner said the clinic also had a 98% satisfaction rating based on patient surveys, and there have been substantial savings in worker’s comp insurance, drug screenings and blood-borne pathogen program.

“The average return on investment for any employee wellness after three years is 3-to-1, which means that for every dollar you spend on this investment, you get three dollars in savings on healthcare costs,” Varner said. “Right now, with our clinic being open for about 14 months, we are averaging about 1.5 dollars to one, so we’re already saving money on our investment.”

The contract will increase by approximately $200,000 for an annual cost of a little more than $600,000 and will cover an additional full-time certified medical assistant and a part-time advanced practice professional (PA, NP).

The increased cost is already covered in the existing health plan budget.

“As they say, the proof is in the pudding when you look at the numbers,” commissioner Hope Haywood said. “The process of getting the right provider was thorough and when you get the right provider, your employees have confidence in that. I think we have more than gotten a bang for our buck.”

The board also approved an updated watershed protection ordinance in order to bring the ordinance in line with state standards.

“Randolph County Watershed Protection Ordinance is a tool

Big companies paid higher wages around Randolph County in 2024

The survey involved self-reported data from 33 companies choosing to participate

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Large companies tend to offer higher wages for workers in Randolph County based on a survey overseen by the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation.

Companies with more than 200 employees paid higher wages than smaller companies in 2024. However, respondents reported that companies with up to 49 employees and those with 50-99 employees paid higher wages than companies with 100-200 employees.

The survey was conducted among manufacturing and technical companies. Data came from 33 local companies employing a total of 4,529 workers.

“These results confirm Randolph County is home to a robust, competitive job market,” said Kevin Franklin, president of Randolph County Economic Development Corporation.

The twist on wages based on company size came in the highskill category, where companies with 50-100 employees paid $25.88 for those jobs compared to the 200-plus companies showing $26.12 for high-skill roles.

The wages for 2024 ranged on average from $16.99 per hour for low-skill positions to $25.34 for high-skill positions. Compared to surveys ex-

amining 2022 and 2023, wages rose in low-skill and middle-skill categories, but they took a slight dip in 2024 from 2023 in the high-skill category.

Based on industry, the highest wages went to those involved in furnishings ($30 per hour for high-skill jobs), while the lowest were connected to textiles and warehouse/distribution ($13.75 in the low-skill category).

Other notables from the survey:

• Besides Randolph County, the most employees for companies responding to the survey come from Guilford County, with Davidson County next on that list followed by Montgomery County.

• Only a dozen of the companies in the survey use staffing agencies to help fill positions. Online websites were listed as

that allows staff to provide the public with a framework to successfully utilize property within the designated watershed while simultaneously protecting water quality and the environment,” assistant county manager William Johnson said. “The proposed changes allow for a slight increase in the amount of impervious surface allowed in the watershed areas to more closely match the state model watershed ordinance.”

“Last month, we approved a new watershed ordinance for the county,” board chair Darrell Frye said. “We’ve since learned that we were using, in particular, an old percentage item that was out of date relative to the state model watershed ordinance. So basically what we’re doing is making that correction in a new provision.”

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet April 7.

the most frequently used recruitment tool.

• Twenty-seven of the 33 companies offer health insurance as a benefit and 15 of the companies have a plan for retention bonuses.

David Hursey, the RCEDC’s director of existing industry, said the survey is a key tool for understanding trends within the county.

“This survey not only benchmarks our current status but also provides insights that can help shape future workforce development and recruitment strategies in Randolph County,” Hursey said.

The survey consisted of self-reported data, so some categories might have been interpreted differently from company to company.

The data for 2024 was collected during January and February of this year. The survey focused on nonexempt employees, so generally nonsalaried workers.

The survey was in a two-part format, looking at average wages and additional benefits.

THE RANDOLPH COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The clinic has a 95% utilization rate

in downtown Raeford are in full bloom,

HAL NUNN FOR RANDOLPH RECORD

THURSDAY MARCH 13

FRIDAY MARCH 14

SATURDAY MARCH 15

SUNDAY

Lineup of concerts set for Asheboro

Two series featuring music in Bicentennial Park will be held again in the coming months

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The lineup of nine free concerts in Asheboro has been announced by the City of Asheboro and Downtown Asheboro Inc.

The Rock’n the Park Concert Series is slated for Friday nights at Bicentennial Park and the long-standing Summer Concert Series will have another edition on Sundays.

The Friday concerts begin with opening acts at 6:30 p.m. and the tribute band performance at 8 p.m. They are slated for May 30 (Live Wire), June 27 (Fix You), July 25 (Slippery When Wet) and Aug. 15 (Chicago Rewired).

“This event not only creates a vibrant atmosphere

CRIME LOG

March 4

• Charles Dwayne Duncan, 43, of Asheboro, was arrested by Randolph County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) for fleeing arrest with a motor vehicle, possessing methamphetamine, possessing drug paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon, driving left of center, exceeding posted speed, reckless driving to endanger, and driving with a revoked license.

March 5

• Andrew Michael King, 42, of Liberty, was arrested by RCSO for possessing methamphetamine, possessing drug paraphernalia, resisting a public officer, possessing an open container of alcohol, common law robbery, and identity theft.

• Nathan Lee England, 33, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for violating a domestic violence protective order and domestic criminal trespassing.

• Brittany Alee Hoskins, 28, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possessing methamphetamine and second degree trespassing.

• Charles Thomas Bunch, 48, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, manufacturing, selling, or delivering a controlled substance within 1000 feet of a park, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling, or place for controlled substances, simply possessing a Schedule VI controlled substance, possessing drug

for our community but also brings significant economic impact, with over 18,000 people visiting downtown Asheboro throughout the season,” said Addie Corder, Downtown Development manager and Main Street Program coordinator for the City of Asheboro.

The Sunday events, which start at 6 p.m., are set for May 18 (The Entertainers), June 8 (EnVision), July 20 (Band of Oz), Aug. 10 (Special Occasion Band) and Sept. 7 (Eric & the Chill Tones).

Pam Hester, the city’s organizer for the summer concerts, said sponsors and community support make the events possible.

Mayor’s forum rescheduled

Mayor David Smith’s presentation of “Asheboro Transformed: Building a Better Future in a Time of Change” has

paraphernalia, and resisting a public officer.

• Vanessa Dawn Taylor, 42, of Franklinville, was arrested by RCSO for second degree trespassing.

March 6

• Trae Wayne Martin, 31, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possessing a stolen motor vehicle and larceny of a motor vehicle.

• Brandon Alexander Thompson, 37, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for larceny of a firearm, possessing a stolen firearm, felony larceny, possessing stolen goods or property, and breaking into a motor vehicle.

March 7

• Kenneth Wendell Mims, 51, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for non support of a child.

• William Carl McIntosh, 56, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

• Anthony David Beckworth, 42, of Liberty, was arrested by Liberty PD for failing to register as a sex offender.

• Forrest Hunter Reiff, 29, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for carrying a concealed weapon.

• Paula Delanie Stevison, 47, of Liberty, was arrested by Liberty PD for felony child abuse involving a sexual act and intentional child abuse causing serious physical injury.

March 8

• Destini Michelle Luck, 38, of Asheboro, was arrested by

been rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. on March 26.

The program, which is open to the public, will be held at Randolph Community College’s JB & Claire Davis Training Center. It was previously scheduled for last month, but postponed because of weather-related concerns.

Smith’s term expires this year, and the mayor has said he won’t seek to stay in office. He’s in his 16th year as mayor after 12 years on the city council.

Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m.

Planning board members needed

The City of Asheboro is accepting applications for the Asheboro Planning Board.

Applicants must live within city limits. The City Council will oversee the appointment process.

The planning board reviews and comments on proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance. The board functions as the city’s Board of Adjustment.

There’s a small monthly stipend for members of the planning board. Meetings are generally held at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of each month.

RCSO for possessing a stolen motor vehicle and larceny of a motor vehicle.

• Michael Keith Bolton, 54, of High Point, was arrested by Archdale PD for kidnapping and second degree forcible sex offense.

March 9

• Joaquin Nino Perez, 52, of Liberty, was arrested by NC Highway Patrol for driving while impaired.

• Stephanie Morton Johnston, 57, of Archdale, was arrested by RCSO for possessing drug paraphernalia and possessing methamphetamine.

• Toni Marie Gore, 33, of Denton, was arrested by RCSO for possessing drug paraphernalia and possessing heroin.

• Diego Salomon Ayala Barrera, 19, of Siler City, was arrested by NC Highway Patrol for reckless driving with wanton disregard, driving without an operator’s license, and speeding.

March 10

• Yaddiel Rafael Figueredo Osorio, 29, was arrested by Asheboro PD for driving while impaired, driving without an operator’s license, injuring personal property, and maintaining a vehicle, dwelling, or place for controlled substances.

• Issiah Montrell Mack, 21, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for violating a domestic violence protective order.

• Lennys Alberto Torres Toro, 25, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for violating a domestic violence protective order and injuring personal property. Share with your community! Send us your births,

Randolph Guide

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

March 14

The Liberty Showcase Presents: Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys

8 p.m.

Ralph II began working professionally for his father in 1995 and has carried The Clinch Mountain Boys on since. Tickets are $23‑$43 each. Call 336 524 6 822 for more information.

The Liberty Showcase Theater 101 S. Fayetteville St. Liberty

The Tan & Sober Gentlemen

7 p.m.

Born and raised in North Carolina, the Tan and Sober Gentlemen began taking the songs, stories and tunes that make up their beloved state’s musical tradition before they could talk. They play Irish tunes of their youth, melding the two into what they call “Irish American hillbilly music.”

Sunset Theatre

234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

March 15

Creekside parkrun

9 a.m.

A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5K community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate — it’s up to you! It’s free, but please register at parkrun.us/creekside before you first come along. Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee at The Chat & Chew or The Wet Whistle — please come and join us!

Creekside Park 214 Park Drive Archdale

2025 Seagrove Fiddlers Convention

5 p.m.

The 2025 Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention will be held on Saturday, March 15 at 5 p.m. The event takes place at Seagrove Elementary School.

528 Old Plank Road Seagrove

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| REP. RICHARD HUDSON

The American dream is alive again

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

THE BIDEN-HARRIS administration killed the American Dream.

As President Donald J. Trump made clear during his historic address last week, he is renewing it.

Since Jan. 20, Trump has moved at an unprecedented pace to reverse the damage caused by the Democrats, delivering major wins for you, your family and our country. He has taken critical steps to make our borders and communities more secure, and illegal border crossings have hit record lows as a result. He has reversed every one of the Biden-Harris job-killing, inflation-fueling energy regulations and terminated the radical “Green New Scam.”

Trump has also worked to root out government waste, fraud and abuse, and better protect your hard-earned tax

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

dollars. He has rolled back burdensome red tape, empowering American innovation and encouraging companies to invest in communities across our country, including in North Carolina. And he has restored peace through strength, putting terrorists on notice and making our country respected again around the world.

With every action, Trump is keeping the promises he made to you.

It’s no wonder that over 50% of Americans approve of the job Trump has done in just his first couple weeks back in office.

The American people gave Trump and Republicans in Congress a mandate to deliver on the full America First agenda — not just parts of it. I, alongside my House Republican colleagues, am taking steps to accomplish just that.

Recently, our House Republican majority passed a bill to start charting the best path forward to enact this agenda. While there is still much more work to do, I am determined to send a bill to Trump’s desk that secures our border, keeps taxes low, makes everyday things affordable and ensures the government works better for you. Under Trump’s leadership, the winning will not stop. This is just the beginning of America’s new Golden Age. Together with Trump and Republicans in Congress, I will continue working to get our country back on track and deliver results for you and your family.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in Congress.

A formidable president storms ahead

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

SOME THOUGHTS spring to mind after President Donald Trump’s 100-minute address to Congress.

The first is that this 78-year-old man has amazing resilience and perseverance.

Consider that in the past 12 months, he has had to spend hours listening to a kangaroo court proceeding before a hostile judge in New York, has maintained a campaign rally schedule that would daunt candidates half his age, has participated in planning sessions for a detailed set of executive orders he might never have an opportunity to issue, has faced the former president and vice president of the United States in televised debates with moderators he had reason to believe were biased against him, and suffered a bullet wound that came within 1 inch of killing him.

Around minute 98, he made mention of the last. This inspired sympathizers in the House chamber to echo the cries of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” he made as he rose above his Secret Service protectors.

A second thing to say is that, long before minute 98, his speech was almost entirely about what he has been doing, saying, proposing and persuading others to do. Four paragraphs near the end gracefully evoked themes from history, but he otherwise spoke about his orders withdrawing from United Nations institutions, eliminating government censorship (while renaming the Gulf of Mexico), overturning racially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and his Department of Government Efficiency’s identification of dubious U.S. Agency for International Development programs.

Instead of an overarching vision of where the world stands in history, he quoted Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter apologizing for his comments the previous Friday and promising to sign the mineral rights deal he had criticized in the televised exchange that for once showed the public what leaders look and sound like in what diplomats call “a full and frank exchange.”

My third observation is that, as the Zelenskyy letter suggests, Trump is mostly getting his way. It was surely no accident that the narrow and previously fractious Republican majority in the House elected a speaker and passed a budget resolution with just one dissenting vote. Similarly, Trump’s top-level appointees have all been confirmed by the Senate. Neither foreign leaders nor domestic partisans want to defy this aggressive man with three years, 10 months and two weeks left in his term.

Fourth, there was no return to norms of civil discourse. Trump called former President Joe Biden “the worst president in American history” and condemned “the open-border, insane policies that (Biden had) allowed to destroy the country.” Democrats have a point when they say Trump started this with his derogatory nicknames for 2016 opponents. Republicans have a point when they say Democrats escalated this with the Russia collusion hoax and baseless post-presidential prosecutions, unprecedented since former President Thomas Jefferson’s treason prosecution of former Vice President Aaron Burr. But neither Trump’s speech nor the Democrats’ childish behavior (that Trump predicted) in the audience moved to de-escalation.

Fifth, Trump continues to disregard free-market economists’ (in my opinion, wise) advice. True, he is encouraging congressional Republicans to reup the tax-cut-for-all legislation they passed eight years ago, but with political payoff add-ons such as no tax on tips. However, he also devoted multiple paragraphs extolling his imposition of tariffs, notably on Mexico and Canada. Economists point out that the tariffs will likely raise the U.S. prices of many products, not just eggs. Voters won’t welcome something that looks like the Biden inflation, which could overshadow the Trump administration’s genuine successes.

This leads to my sixth observation: that he’s aware that the Constitution and

calendar set limits on his time. Early in his speech, Trump noted that measures of illegal crossings on the southern border have immediately dwindled to almost nothing. Smugglers and potential illegals clearly got his message, even as Democrats and much of the press argued that only new legislation could stop the flow. His only problem is that solving a problem can deprive you of an issue. Former President George H.W. Bush’s deft handling of foreign policy problems left voters concluding they didn’t need him after the Cold War. Success can breed failure.

But for a time, it can breed success. The first words of Article II of the Constitution state, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” Those words, plus recent Supreme Court decisions, suggest that most decisions limiting Trump’s administrative powers will not stand. Current polls show that Trump’s disapproval is rising, but his approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

What is Trump planning for years two, three and four? I’m not sure, and I suspect he’s not, either. Trump knows the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prevents him from running again. He must know that’s likely to reduce his clout with foreign leaders and American politicians. More importantly, he’s aware his time may be cut short. In the House chamber, as in his convention speech on July 19, he remembered how he had narrowly escaped death on July 13. “I believe my life was saved that day in Butler,” he said, “for a very good reason. I was saved by God to make America great again — I believe that. I really do.”

Like him or not, he is a formidable man. Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.”

COLUMN

obituaries

Nancy Chisholm Cox

March 13, 1937 – March 7, 2025

Nancy Chisholm Cox was born in Randolph County on March 13, 1937, to Vandie Williams Chisholm and Daniel Lacy Chisholm. She was the youngest daughter of 11 children. Nancy passed away peacefully at home on March 7, 2025, surrounded by her family with the compassionate care of Gentiva Hospice, Asheboro.

A graduate of Randleman High School, class of 1955, Nancy married Richard Cox of Randleman, with whom she shared 52 wonderful years of marriage. She worked at the local Dime Store, Acme McCrary, and L&L Cleaners of Asheboro and later retired from Acme McCrary Hosiery Mill in Asheboro, NC.

Nancy volunteered for Meals on Wheels of Randolph County. She was a lifelong member of Calvary United Methodist Church, where she found strength and community in her faith. She participated in the church choir, Bible study, and helped with other church activities before the church closed. Nancy enjoyed traveling with her husband and family to visit loved ones, taking bus tours, and trips to the beach. Her favorite pastimes were watching UNC Tarheel basketball and the LA Dodgers, watching games on the Game Show Network, and playing games with family and friends.

She is survived by one sister: Bernell Hanford, and by her two daughters: Shannon Wise (Kevin) and Andrea Underwood (Jeff). She was a devoted Mawmaw to four grandchildren: Amber MacCarthy (Matt), Lindsey Macchio (Tyler), Zack Underwood (Ryan), and Jacob Underwood (Leslie). She also leaves behind nine great grandchildren: Indie and Judah Macchio, Kai and Leo Underwood, Abbie and RJ Sparks, and Roselyn, Rachel and Josiah Underwood.

Family and friends are invited to gather at Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM in the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Chapel with Rev. Tommy Kidd officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. prior to the service on Tuesday. The burial will take place immediately after the service at Randolph Memorial Park, Asheboro. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff of Gentiva Hospice and especially to Christin, Precious, and Rev. Tommy Kidd for the love and care they provided. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made to Gentiva Hospice, 533 South Fayetteville Street, Asheboro, NC 27203, or Meals on Wheels of Randolph County – Randolph Sr. Adults Association, 347 West Salisbury Street, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Panzie Hinson Smith

July 4, 1949 – March 6, 2025

Panzie Lourine Hinson Smith, aged 75, passed away peacefully surrounded by her children on March 6, 2025, at Alpine Health & Rehabilitation of Asheboro.

Mrs. Smith was born in Asheboro, NC on July 4, 1949 to Charlie Carnie and Beulah Estelle Bescher Hinson. She was employed at Arrow International for 17 years and attended Sunset Avenue Church of God.

In addition to her parents, Panzie was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, Ewell “Vic” Smith, son, Terry Swanson Smith and siblings, Charlie Hinson Junior, Lucille Johnson, Glennie Hancock, and Teresa Phillips.

She is survived by her daughters, Kimberly Smith Johnson (Denny) of Pleasant Garden, Vicki Smith Garner (Jason) of Asheboro, sons, Jerry Dale Smith of Danville, VA, Tommy “Joey” Smith (Laurie) of Asheboro, and Timmy Lee Smith (Michelle) of Brentwood, CA. She had nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Her surviving siblings are Betsy Leach, Evelyn Burrow (Autry), John Hinson (Betty), Harold “David” Hinson (Joyce), Deborah Palmisano (David), and Donald Hinson.

Kim & Vicki would like to give special mention to Panzie’s niece, Renee Johnson and her sister in law, Iris Hinson for their love and support.

Panzie was a fiercely independent woman who loved to work and never complained.

In addition to her job at Arrow, she worked multiple part time jobs, including Sir Pizza and Dixie III. She was very outgoing and seemed to know everyone in the community. She enjoyed cooking and baking cakes and has often been referred to as “The Cake Lady.” Her most notable attribute was being a devoted servant to God and to everyone she encountered. She was incredibly giving in every aspect of her life. She opened her home on many occasions to provide meals and fellowship. She loved to decorate for the holidays and exceeded everyone’s expectations with gifts, meals, and her time while continuing to work full and part time jobs. We still have no idea how she did it all. She loved to have fun by dressing up at Halloween and playing pranks on people. And you never knew when you might see her walking the streets of Asheboro for exercise. She had a zest for life like no other and exuded joy to all she encountered. To say she will be missed by her family and all who loved her is an understatement, but a true testament to the legacy she leaves behind. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, from 11 a.m. 1 2:45 p.m. at Sunset Avenue Church of God at 900 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. The funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. at the church with Pastor Boyd Byerly officiating. Entombment will be held at Randolph Memorial Park. If you are unable to attend the services in person and would still like to participate, you may register for the livestream here. In lieu of flowers please consider donations to one of the following: Alpine Health & Rehabilitation of Asheboro; 230 East Presnell Street, Asheboro, NC 27203. Hospice of Randolph; 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203. Pugh Funeral Home is proud to serve the Smith family.

Billy Eugene Loflin

Sept. 1, 1933 – March 3, 2025

Billy Eugene Loflin went peacefully to be with Jesus on March 3, 2025, at home with his family.

Billy was born on September 1, 1933, in Montgomery County, NC to Eli Bradley Loflin and Virginia Fine Loflin. He graduated from Troy High School in the Class of 1953. He attended John Wesley College and Southern Pilgrim College.

Billy was a dedicated, hardworking businessman and entrepreneur. He entered the homebuilding business in the early 1960s in Michigan and later in the Southeastern US.

He was a founding director of Owosso Savings Bank in Owosso, Michigan.

He founded Select Homes in Asheboro in 1984, and continued providing quality, affordable homes until the closing of Select Homes in 2022.

Billy had a passion for automobiles and planes. He purchased his first plane in 1958 and was an avid pilot who also enjoyed buying and selling planes and automobiles.

Lending his business leadership and his interest in missions, Billy served on the boards of Owosso College, Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan) and Asbury Seminary, and United States Plastic Corporation.

Billy was a member of Fayetteville Street Baptist Church for many years.

He is survived by his wife, Kim Loflin, and his sons, Mike, of Port Charlotte, FL, B. Dale, of Asheboro and Byron (Anne) Loflin of Greensboro, and his daughters, Kathy Sanders (John) of Rockville, MD and Brittnee Hinkle (Doyle) of Asheboro, NC. He had great pride in his grandchildren, Brendan Loflin (Lea), Jonathan Loflin, Theresa Pippin (Stephen), Bradley Loflin (Georgia), Amanda Loflin, Megan Sommers (Joe), Michael Loflin (Amanda), Aurora York, Tucker Loflin, Jack Sanders, Steven Loflin Jr., Jessica Pigg (Max), Vanna Hinkle and Vaeda Hinkle, and great grandchildren, Peter, Lucy, Addy and John Loflin, Luke and Ben Pippin, Atlee Loflin, Millie and Virginia Sommers, Rhodes, Keats and Shaye Loflin, Landon, Larissa and Lacey Pigg, and Elijah Loflin, and many other Fine and Loflin family members.

Billy is survived by his brothers Joe Loflin and Robert Loflin (Joan) and his sister Vangie Crisco.

In addition to his parents, Billy was predeceased by his brothers, Wes, Clarence and Douglas Loflin, and sisters, Dorothy Hill, Marlene Efird, and Carlene Varner, brothers in law, Frank Varner, William Hill and Ron Crisco and by his son, Steven B. Loflin Sr., his daughter in law Debby Loflin, and his great grandchildren, Mabel Sommers and Bo Pippin.

A Visitation will occur on Thursday, March 13th at 5 pm, with a Celebration of Life following at 6 pm at Pugh Funeral Home 437 Sunset Ave., Asheboro NC 27203.

On behalf of Billy’s family, we would like to offer our gratitude and acknowledge the wonderful care and kind attention given to Billy by Miss Lannette and Miss Stephanie of the Hospice of Randolph.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either One Mission Society at PO Box A, Greenwood,IN 46142 or to Hospice of Randolph at 416 Vision Dr., Asheboro NC 27203.

TJ Turner

Sept. 23, 1997 – March 5, 2025

Thomas James “TJ” Turner, age 27, of Troy, NC, passed away on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at UNC Medical Center, Chapel Hill, NC.

TJ was born in Mecklenburg County, NC to the late Roger Turner and Michelle Roark Turner. He was a graduate of Uwharrie Charter Academy in Asheboro, NC. He worked for six years in the Maintenance Department for the Department of Transportation in Troy.

TJ was a down home country boy who loved to be with his friends and make people laugh. He loved to play pool and to ride his motorcycle. TJ volunteered multiple times to help with Hurricane Helene Relief in our Western Carolina mountains. He is survived by his mother: Michelle Roark Turner; brother: Joshua Turner; uncles: Billy Roark (Tammy) and Ricky Newton (Marina); aunts: Vicky Turner, Lisa Hathcock (Lynn) and Teresa Lanier (Les); Cousin Dustin Roark, and several others. He was preceded in death by his father Roger Turner; maternal grandparents: James and Eva Roark and paternal grandparents: Roger Lee Turner and Fay Herrin; and recently his faithful canine companion Rambo.

Memorial donations may be made in TJ’s honor to Hurricane Helene Relief.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Pugh Funeral Home, 211 N. Main St., Troy, NC from 5 to 7 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held on Monday, March 10, 2025, at Love Joy Church,1137 Substation Road, Troy, NC at 11 a.m., officiated by Rev. Casey Harris. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

John “Johnny” Walter Robinson

Feb. 1, 1960 – March 6, 2025

John “Johnny” Walter Robinson, age 65, of Candor, NC, passed away at FirstHealth Hospice and Palliative Care on March 6, 2025.

Johnny was born in Montgomery County NC to the late Walter Leon Robinson and the late Betty Sue Sedberry. He was a graduate of East Montgomery High School and received a Taxidermy Certification from MCC. He worked for 40 years as a Heavy Equipment Operator in construction. Most recently he worked for GS Materials. Johnny was an avid hunter of turkey and deer and an avid fisherman. He enjoyed woodworking and being outdoors. He was a member of Laurel Hill Baptist Church.

Johnny is survived by his wife of 20 years, Tammy Tyson Robinson; his son Dale Hoover (Michelle) of West End, NC; grandchildren: John Michael Hoover and Emily Hoover; siblings: Angela Joy McIntyre, Judith Saunders, Janet Davis, Jeffrey Blair Robinson, Eric Brent Robinson, and Christopher Leon Robinson. No services are planned at this time.

George Allen Braxton

July 31, 1940 – March 5, 2025

George Allen Braxton, born July 31, 1940, departed this earth to his heavenly home on March 5, 2025, at the age of 84. George grew up the oldest of three children of George Philmore Braxton and Grace Allen Johnson Braxton. George was an avid athlete in his younger years and the love of sports never left his life. George spent 25 years teaching the skill of masonry to students at Northwood High School. His teaching career encompassed more than teaching, he instilled confidence, love and wisdom in the many lives he touched. George offered love when it wasn’t deserved by the recipient. “Braxton” could see potential when others couldn’t and took the time to encourage greatness. In 1964, he married Becky Wilson Braxton. That marriage gave him his son, Richie. In 1990, George stood courageously by as he supported Becky through her cancer journey. In 1991, George grew his family into five by marrying JoAnn Parnell Braxton. For the next 33 years George and JoAnn spent their lives devoted to each other and their families. George loved nothing more than sports, traveling and eating. He traveled to Isreal, Egypt, Spain, Bermuda and beyond. George never lost his taste for food and was always good for a milkshake and a smile. His soul was gentle and his heart was pure. George was a blessing to so many people that his departure will be felt deeply by many.

Faith and family was a huge part of George’s life and he always had a tale to share from his past. He was an active member at his church, Faith Baptist Church. A smile and a handshake were always a guarantee when he was around. George was the kind of man that treated his family as his greatest accomplishments and never missed an opportunity to say he was proud of them. The greatest compliment that could ever be given to him is that he loved big and is respected by those that knew his friendship and love.

George’s new heavenly assignment leaves many hurting hearts behind but the hope of his salvation gives light in a dark time.

George was preceded in death by his father, George Philmore Braxton, his mother Grace Allen Johnson Braxton and his first wife Becky Wilson Braxton. He is survived by his loving wife, JoAnn Parnell Braxton, his son, Richard Elliott Braxton (Shannon), stepson, Travis Jester (Jennifer), step daughter Kelly Jester McMurray (Dave), grandchildren, Ashley, David, Cole, Joe, Zeke, Ashton, Luke and GREAT granddaughters, Paisley and Milah “pretty girl”. Brothers, William Braxton (Pat) of Mebane and Robert Braxton (Joann) of Fort Gaines, GA and nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Monday, March 10, 2025 from 11:00 1 1:45 a.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. Funeral services will follow on Monday at noon at the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Chapel with Rev. Gary Moger officiating. Interment will be held at 3 p.m. Monday at Oakwood Cemetery in Mebane, NC. Memorials donations may be made to Faith Christian School 1382 Greenfield St., Ramseur, NC 27316 or Crossroads Memory Care, 1302 Old Cox Rd., Asheboro, NC 27205.

Aristeo Canuto Nieves

Dec. 1, 1958 – March 3, 2025

Aristeo Canuto Nieves, de 66 años de edad, de Asheboro, falleció el lunes 03 de marzo de 2025 en su casa.

Aristeo nació el 01 de diciembre de 1958 en Santiago Azajo, hijo de Martín Canuto y Ma. Guadalupe Nieves. Aristeo trabajaba para una empresa de paisajismo y era de fe católica. Le gustaba la jardinería y estar al aire libre. A Aristeo le encantaba pasar tiempo con sus hermanos e iba a la iglesia todos los domingos. Le encantaba escuchar música, bailar y ver películas. A Aristeo le precede en la muerte su madre, Ma. Guadalupe Nieves.

A Aristeo le sobreviven su esposa de 48 años, Ogracia Paredes; hijos, José Adalberto Canuto, María Edelmira Canuto y Maricruz Canuto; nietos, Briceyda Canuto, Jennifer Canuto, Jesús Ángel Canuto, Ariana Canuto, Alexender Jiménez, Oscar Efraín Jiménez, Jetzel Aguilar, Daniel Aguilar y Justin Aguilar; hermanos, Pedro Canuto Nieves, Amadeo Canuto Nieves, Eliadora Canuto Nieves, and Hermenejildo Canuto Nieves.

Se llevará a cabo una misa el sábado 08 de marzo de 2025 a las 10:00 am en la Iglesia Católica St. Joseph, 512 W. Wainman Ave., Asheboro. La familia recibirá a sus amigos el sábado 08 de marzo de 2025 de 4 8:00 p.m. en Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Ave., Asheboro.

Robert Eugene Robertson

Nov. 16, 1944 – March 3, 2025

Robert Eugene “Gene” Robertson, 80, passed away suddenly at home with his beloved Yorkies Monday, March 3, 2025 in Lexington, NC. He was born on November 16, 1944 in Danville, VA to Lonnie Melvin Robertson and Sadie Mae Trent Robertson.

Gene has joined his two sons. He will be missed and loved by all who knew him. Gene was a man who loved his family and his three Yorkie companions. He was a member of the CBA Motorcycle Club and will be remembered as always being the jokester wherever he went.

Gene is survived by his daughters, Gina Johnson of Mocksville, Angie Robertson of Asheboro, Melissa Gaither of Welcome, Samantha Shelon of Oregon; stepson, Travis Denton; companion, Kim Beaman of Randleman; five grandchildren; six great grandchildren; brother, Steve Robertson of Lake Tilling.

The family will welcome friends on Monday, March 10, 2025, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 600 South Main Street, Randleman. Funeral services will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Eddie Pugh Memorial Chapel with Rev. Tommy Vogler officiating. Burial to follow at Cedar Falls Baptist Church.

Pugh Funeral Home is honored to serve the Robertson family.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Randolph Record at obits@randolphrecord.com

He had been the oldest living major league player

By Janie McCauley

The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Art

Schallock, a left-handed pitcher who in 1951 replaced future Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle on the Yankees’ roster and had been the oldest living former major leaguer, has died.

He was 100, having celebrated with a big birthday party when he became a centenarian last spring. His assisted living home announced Saturday that Schallock died last Thursday, also providing confirmation from the family.

“He passed away peacefully in his loving care community in Sonoma, California, at the age of 100. He would have been 101 in April,” the family said.

“A beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, Art lived a remarkable life, from serving his country in World War II to achieving his dream of playing Major League Baseball. As a pitcher for the New York Yankees, he was part of a historic era in the sport, contributing to multiple World Series championships. Beyond baseball, Art was known for his kindness, humor, and deep appreciation for the people around him. He lived a life filled with cherished friendships, family, and a passion for the sport that defined much of his journey.”

When New York optioned the then-19-year-old Mantle to Triple-A in 1951, Schallock got his shot in the major leagues at age 27. He and Yogi Berra were roommates, and Schallock was the one who picked up Berra’s daily delivery of “funnies” as they called them. The Bay Area native went to Tamalpais High in Mill Valley then College of Marin before becoming the 10,823rd major league player when he debuted on July 16, 1951. He pitched 22/3 innings for the Yankees that day at Detroit. He earned his first career win one month later at Washington.

The lefty won three World Series rings from 1951-53, although he only pitched in the ’53 Series, retiring Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson during a two-inning outing in Game 4.

“That was quite a thrill, quite a thrill playing with those guys,” Schallock told The Associated Press last year in an interview ahead of his 100th birthday. “I roomed with Yogi Berra when I got up there, and he knew all the hitters. We went over all the hitters on each team. Besides that, I had to run down to the lobby and get his funny books. Every morning. Yogi knew all the hitters, how to pitch to them, whether it’s low, high or whatever, he knew how to pitch to them. And I had to learn from him.”

Serving for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean during World War II after enlisting in 1942, Schallock narrowly es-

caped harm when the neighboring aircraft carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese torpedo in November 1943 and 644 were killed — accounting for the majority of the casualties in the Battle of Makin.

“I never thought I would get back to the highest level. I wanted to play baseball, yes,” he said during the interview last year. “I did it in junior college. In those years, the Bay Area was full of baseball. When I say full of baseball, semi-pros. Every town had a team.”

Over a five-year big league career primarily with the Yankees before finishing with Baltimore in 1955, Schallock went 6-7 with a 4.02 ERA over 58 games with 14 starts spanning 1701/3 innings. He struck out 77 batters.

Schallock was born on April 25, 1924, in Mill Valley outside San Francisco. His age didn’t set a record: Negro Leagues pitcher Si Simmons of the 1926 New York Lincoln Giants lived to 111, while another ex-Yankees pitcher, Red Hoff, reached 107.

“The community at Cogir of Sonoma Plaza is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved resident, Arthur ‘Art’ Schallock, on March 6, 2025,” the facility said in a statement. “At the age of 100, Art was a cherished member of our community, bringing warmth, humor, and an inspiring life story to all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

WENDY CORNEJO / COGIR ON NAPA ROAD VIA

STATE & NATION

America’s butterflies disappearing at ‘catastrophic’ rate in 2000s

National analysis says the population falling by 1.3% per year

By Seth Borenstein

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — America’s butterflies are disappearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study finds.

The first countrywide systematic analysis of butterfly abundance found that the number of butterflies in the Lower 48 states has been falling on average 1.3% a year since the turn of the century, with 114 species showing significant declines and only nine increasing, according to a study in Thursday’s journal Science.

“Butterflies have been declining the last 20 years,” said study co-author Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University. “And we don’t see any sign that that’s going to end.”

A team of scientists combined 76,957 surveys from 35 monitoring programs and blended them for an apples-to-apples comparison and ended up counting 12.6 million butterflies over the decades. Last month, an annual survey that looked just at monarch butterflies, which federal officials plan to put on the threatened species list, counted a nearly all-time low of fewer than 10,000, down from 1.2 million in 1997.

Many of the species in decline fell by 40% or more.

‘Catastrophic and saddening’ loss over time

David Wagner, a University of Connecticut entomologist who wasn’t part of the study,

A

praised its scope. And he said while the annual rate of decline may not sound significant, it is “catastrophic and saddening” when compounded over time.

“In just 30 or 40 years we are talking about losing half the butterflies (and other insect life) over a continent!” Wagner said in an email. “The tree of life is being denuded at unprecedented rates.”

The United States has 650

butterfly species, but 96 species were so sparse they didn’t show up in the data and another 212 species weren’t found in sufficient number to calculate trends, said study lead author Collin Edwards, an ecologist and data scientist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“I’m probably most worried about the species that couldn’t even be included in the analy-

22%

Fewer butterflies since 2000

ses” because they were so rare, said University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Karen Oberhauser, who wasn’t part of the research.

Haddad, who specializes in rare butterflies, said in recent years he has seen just two endangered St. Francis Satyr butterflies — which only live on a bomb range at Fort Bragg in North Carolina — “so it could be extinct.”

Some well-known species had large drops. The red admiral, which is so calm it lands on people, is down 44%. The American lady butterfly, with two large eyespots on its back wings, decreased by 58%, Edwards said.

Even the invasive white cabbage butterfly, “a species that is well adapted to invade the world,” according to Haddad, fell by 50%.

“How can that be?” Haddad wondered.

Butterfly decline as a warning sign for humans

Cornell University butterfly expert Anurag Agrawal said he worries most about the future of a different species: humans.

“The loss of butterflies, parrots and porpoises is undoubtedly a bad sign for us, the ecosystems we need and the nature we enjoy,” Agrawal, who wasn’t part of the study, said in an email. “They are telling us that our continent’s health is not doing so well. ... Butterflies are an ambassador for nature’s beauty, fragility and the interde-

pendence of species. They have something to teach us.”

Oberhauser said butterflies connect people with nature and that “calms us down, makes us healthier and happier and promotes learning.”

What’s happening to butterflies in the United States is probably happening to other, less-studied insects across the continent and world, Wagner said. He said not only is this the most comprehensive butterfly study, but the most data-rich for any insect.

Butterflies are also pollinators, though not as prominent as bees, and are a major source of pollination of the Texas cotton crop, Haddad said.

Driest and warmest areas are worst for butterflies

The biggest decrease in butterflies was in the Southwest — Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma — where the number of butterflies dropped by more than half in the 20 years.

“It looks like the butterflies that are in dry and warm areas are doing particularly poorly,” Edwards said. “And that kind of captures a lot of the Southwest.” Edwards said when they looked at butterfly species that lived both in the hotter South and cooler North, the ones that did better were in the cooler areas. Climate change, habitat loss and insecticides tend to work together to weaken butterfly populations, Edwards and Haddad said. Of the three, it seems that insecticides are the biggest cause, based on previous research from the U.S. Midwest, Haddad said.

“It makes sense because insecticide use has changed in dramatic ways in the time since our study started,” Haddad said. Habitats can be restored and so can butterflies, so there’s hope, Haddad said.

“You can make changes in your backyard and in your neighborhood and in your state,” Haddad said. “That could really improve the situation for a lot of species.”

DHS overhauls asylum phone app to use for ‘self-deportation’

The app was rebranded from CBP One to CBP Home

The Associated Press

THE TRUMP adminis-

tration has unveiled an overhauled cellphone app once used to let migrants apply for asylum, turning it into a system that allows people living illegally in the U.S. to say they want to leave the country voluntarily.

The renamed app, announced Monday and now called CBP Home, is part of the administration’s campaign to encourage “self-deportations, “ touted as an easy and cost-effective way to nudge along President Donald Trump’s push to deport millions of im-

migrants without legal status.

“The app provides illegal aliens in the United States with a straightforward way to declare their intent to voluntarily depart, offering them the chance to leave before facing harsher consequences,” Pete Flores, the acting commissioner for U.S Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement.

Moments after Trump took office, the earlier version of the app, CBP One, stopped allowing migrants to apply for asylum, and tens of thousands of border appointments were canceled.

More than 900,000 people were allowed in the country on immigration parole under CBP One, generally for two years, starting in January 2023.

The Trump administration has repeatedly urged migrants

in the country illegally to leave.

“The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on the social platform X. “If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

Some people living in the U.S. illegally chose to leave even before Trump’s inauguration, though it’s unclear how many.

But earlier mass crackdowns on illegal immigration — most famously a quasi-military operation in the mid-1950s that Trump has repeatedly praised — also drove many immigrants who were in the U.S. legally to leave.

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

Venezuelan migrant Yender Romero shows the CBP One app on his cell phone, which he said he used to apply for asylum in the U.S. while in Mexico City in January.

LAUREN ROSE / RANDOLPH RECORD

Monarch butterfly inspects a sunflower at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh.

RandolpH SPORTS

Seasons end for Eastern Randolph boys, UCA girls

The teams made it to the third round of the state playoffs, but road ventures didn’t go well

Randolph Record staff

THE HIGH SCHOOL basketball season ended for Randolph County high schools after a pair of teams reached the third round of the state playoffs.

That’s as far as it went for

Eastern Randolph’s boys and Uwharrie Charter Academy’s girls. They went on the road for the first time in the West Region and came up short in Class 1A games last week.

Boys

Seventh-seeded Eastern Randolph was in a tight game with second-seeded South Stokes before falling 75-66 at Walnut Cove.

Timothy Brower’s career

ended with a 31-point out. Julian Brooks, also a senior, had 10 points. Eastern Randolph (18-9) led 55-53 after three quarters. It marked the second year in a row that Eastern Randolph’s

After reaching the NCAAs twice while at Appalachian State, Oakley sought a change of scenery and landed in Chapel Hill.

season ended with a third-round loss at South Stokes. In 2023-23 on the way to the state final, the Wildcats won a regional semifinal at South Stokes.

The Wildcats completed a three-season stretch under coach Johnny Thomas when they won a total of nine games in the state playoffs.

Girls

UCA had the most successful season in school history end

with a 79-35 loss at third-seeded Albemarle. The sixth-seeded Eagles (24 -8) were led by 10 points apiece from Nevaeh Staples, Lainey Thomas and Kayla Brown. UCA was held to 12 second-half points.

The Eagles made it to the third round of the state playoffs for the second time in program history.

The season included UCA’s highest win total and its first conference tournament championship.

The Wheatmore alum is representing the Tar Heels and placed third in the ACC Tournament

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

DURHAM — It didn’t go exactly how Ethan Oakley planned, but the former

Wheatmore wrestler earned a spot back in the NCAA championships. In his first year competing for UNC, Oakley placed third in the 133-pound division in Sunday’s Athletic Coast Conference Tournament at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“At least I finished strong, so that was good,” Oakley said.

“Being in the same spot and going through the same routines, it’s a hard thing to do,” Oakley said. “Getting to a new environment and getting my weight under control (because) I struggled with it.”

Oakley built credentials at Appalachian State, becoming a 2024 Southern Conference champion. He graduated from there in business administration.

Conference memberships have been approved for the upcoming school year

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

THE NEXT STEP for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association is to set the playing calendar for the 2025-26 school year and devise playoff formats for the new eight-classification set-up.

Expect that to be expedited.

“If we had it ready, it would be out there,” said NCHSAA president Stephen Gainey, who’s also superintendent of the Randolph County School System. “We know the coaches and the ADs and principals need it.”

The NCHAA board of directors completed the conference realignment process last week by approving a final version.

Gainey and NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker answered questions last Thursday.

The calendar is a priority and that comes in conjunction with establishing playoff formats. Tucker said NCHSAA staff has worked on several draft calendars depending on a

32 -t eam or a 48/64-team bracket is used.

The task involves determining how teams will qualify for playoffs in team sports and addressing the postseason process in individual sports. There will be challenges sorting out playoff fields stemming from multiclass conferences, Tucker said.

As a former principal, Gainey said he understands the need for an NCHSAA calendar to help in forming schedules.

“We had to get past (March 3),” Gainey said of last week’s board approval. “We are in a good spot. It is time for schools to start making decisions. Having your conference is one thing. The next thing is getting your nonconference schedule set.”

The board heard 26 presentations on appeals last week before locking in the conference groupings that will be in place for at least two years.

“We anticipated that it would be challenging,” Tucker said. “Yes, this was the most challenging one because of the expanded number of classifications.”

Gainey and Tucker said the board was cognizant of the

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Eastern Randolph’s Will Stalker makes a move toward the basket against South Stokes’ Korrin N’Diaye during the Class 1A West Region semifinal.

COURTESY UNC

UNC’s Ethan Oakley went 2-1 in the ACC Tournament to advance to the NCAAs.

HOME PLATE MOTORS

Canaan Sheppard

Providence Grove, baseball

Canaan Sheppard has produced at the plate and on the mound for Providence Grove.

Early results mixed for area teams in softball

Asheboro has put up high scoring totals in softball and soccer

Randolph Record staff

THE SEASON opener for 2024 Class 2A state champion Southwestern Randolph didn’t go well in a 15-4 loss at North Stanly in a rematch of last year’s West Regional finals.

The Cougars didn’t begin the season until late last week because the school’s girls’ basketball team had been in the state playoffs.

• Uwharrie Charter Academy upended host North Stanly 2-1 in eight innings as Kenzie Duty pitched a complete game.

Randleman topped Western Alamance for the second time this season, winning 9-4 on the road as winning pitcher Kinzie Ivey homered, tripled and drove in five runs.

The Tigers drilled visiting Southern Alamance 11-2 when winning pitcher Ivey supplied three hits.

Providence Grove’s girls’ soccer team has produced lots of offense in some games early in the season

Baseball

Rusty Wheless scored two runs and Jake Hunter and Brett Smith combined on a seven-hitter as Uwharrie Charter Academy defeated host Asheboro 6-4 in a rescheduled game. In an 11-0 trouncing of visiting Chatham Central, Hunter tripled and drove in two runs and Logun Wilkins pitched a five-inning complete game with eight strikeouts.

Then in a 7-2 home decision against Surry Central. Andrew Thomas didn’t allow an earned run in six innings on the mound with eight strikeouts.

Girls’ soccer

Jaira Arellano provided two goals and an assist when Asheboro defeated visiting Randleman 5-1.

Asheboro’s 3-0 shutout of host Southwestern Randolph came with four saves from goalkeeper Emma Little and goals from Grace Bigelow, Anson Frazier and Karen Cox.

• Taryn Waugh’s five goals led Providence Grove past host Southeast Guilford 6-0.

It was Rylee Stover with five goals and Kaylan Currin with four goals in the Patriots’ 10-1 domination of visiting Jordan-Matthews.

Sheppard, a senior infielder and pitcher, is a captain for the Patriots.

He had productive outings in a pair of nonconference victories last week against Cedar Ridge by 8-3 and Surry Central by 7-2.

Sheppard held Cedar Ridge to one earned and two hits in four innings on the mound. In the Surry Central game, he drove in three runs. He previously scored three runs in the season opener.

The Patriots were slated to begin Piedmont Athletic Conference play this week.

NCHSAA from page B1

months-long efforts of the realignment committee when reviewing appeals.

“Not everybody is happy with the final draft,” Tucker said. “With eight classifications … it became very clear pretty quickly that we were going to have many conferences that were multi-class conferences.”

The realignment committee heard appeals and submitted three drafts for consideration.

“I know that everything we do may not always make everybody happy, but I can assure you that we will not ever do anything intentionally to make somebody unhappy,”

Gainey said. “This has been an historic realignment process, no doubt. … I’m proud of the membership. They wanted this and they put forth their vote.”

The realignment has come under criticism in various parts of the state, mostly with schools disappointed in their conference assignments. Gainey said it was clear that there would be hurdles with such a drastic shift from

four to eight classifications.

“I hope it’s everything the member schools wanted because they wanted this,” Gainey said. “When they wanted something this bad, something beautiful is going to come out of it. … They saw something that said we need to do something different. I’m going to trust that.”

There were countless factors in setting conferences.

Many of the realignment considerations were based on travel distances between schools. Gainey said that was appropriate.

“I want to be in a conference that I’m spending all my money I set aside for my athletic program in the gas tank,” Gainey said. “We’re going to have more resources to use for our kids.”

The conference involving Eastern Randolph, Southwestern Randolph and Uwharrie Charter Academy has six schools. UCA doesn’t field a football team.

“You leave a conference with five teams, that leaves a real difficult situation for the five that are left,” Gainey said.

• Asheboro has been scoring at a high clip, scoring at least 20 runs in four of its five games. That includes a doubleheader sweep of visiting Thomasville by 22-6 and 20-1.

• Gracie Smith knocked in five runs and Aubrie Kauffman scored three runs when Uwharrie Charter Academy defeated host Chatham Charter 15-8.

• Providence Grove won twice at home, nipping Chartham Charter 4-3 and Eden Morehead 7-2.

• Randleman upended up visiting Asheboro 13-3 as John Kirkpatrick drove in three runs and scored three times. Jake Riddle recorded nine strikeouts in the five-inning complete game.

• Sean Jennison drove in four runs in Wheatmore’s 12-6 home loss to Central Davidson. Wheatmore’s Sean Jennison and Clay Hill were credited with a five-inning combined no-hitter when the Warriors handled host Thomasville 10-0.

• Providence Grove collected a couple of late-week victories, with Jacob Flinchum homering Cannan Sheppard and Chase Collings combining on the mound to top visiting Cedar Ridge 8-3.

Davidson goes strong in Limited Late Models

There was racing in several divisions in a busy race day at the track

Randolph Record staff

SOPHIA — Grant Davidson claimed the season-opening Limited Late Models feature at Caraway Speedway on Sunday.

Davidson had the fastest qualifying time and led most of the way, finishing ahead of run-

OAKLEY from page B1

He’s in a master’s program that involves entrepreneurship at UNC, where the 22-yearold said he found his wrestling groove.

“It has been a good transition,” Oakley said. “Being around the highest level coaches and highest level athletes, it has been really fun and it has opened my eyes on how I should be doing things. I’m starting to love the sport again.”

Oakley, who has one year of eligibility remaining after this season, said he’s stacking up various experiences. He said the freedom to make decisions about his wrestling is a responsibility he understands.

“Everything is kind of on you,” he said. “We also have a lot of resources. I got my nutrition under control and my weight. I think I beat a lot of good kids by just being disciplined.”

The NCAAs will be held March 20-22 in Philadelphia. Oakley went 2-2 in last year’s NCAAs, finishing the season with a 28-9 record.

“I got to make the most out of it,” he said.

Oakley was the top seed at 133 in the ACC Tournament, leading to three grueling matches.

“I knew it was going to be hard,” Oakley said. “Getting that No. 1 seed was a hard thing to do. I had to beat some good guys for it. It also reminded me that seeds don’t

ner-up Bryson Brinkley, Tony Hossman and Larry Isenhour.

A.J. Sanders won the Mini Stocks race in front of Jamison Whittington, Blaze Sanders and Tyler Bush.

In UCARs, Jimmy Cooper notched the victory ahead of fast qualifier Ron Mock. Justin Smith was third, followed by Mason Fance and Josh Phillips among 18 drivers.

The Chargers division was won by Dylan Ward, who prevailed in 35 laps ahead of

• Natalie Bowman’s four goals and Jocelyn McDowell’s three goals were among highlights in Wheatmore’s 10-1 romp at Thomasville. Bowman racked up four goals in a 6-1 home triumph against East Davidson.

Boys’ golf

Wheatmore’s Ryan Marshall and UCA’s Coen Branson shared honors with 40s in a Piedmont Athletic Conference match at Colonial Country Club. UCA was the team winner at 179, with Wheatmore’s 182 the runner-up scoring among seven teams.

Matthew Smith and Justin Hathcock.

In the Crown Vic division, Bentley Black won the race ahead of Steven Collins, while the winner’s father, Tony Black, placed third in the 13-driver field.

Ryan Zima won in U.S. Legends, with Lucan Vera and Nick Bulkley in the next two spots among 15 entrants.

The Bandolero winner was Wyatt Linker ahead of Jacob Hassey and Paisley Lawson. The action continues with March Modness at 5 p.m. Saturday with a 75-lap feature for Modifieds, a 62-lapper for Carolina Crate Mods and features in Pro Late Models, Chargers, UCARs, U.S. Legends and Bandoleros.

matter. You just got to go out there and wrestle.”

In the third-place bout against third-seeded Tyler Knox of Stanford, Oakley registered a takedown with two seconds left for a 3-1 decision. Knox had taken the lead with an escape at the beginning of the final period.

The second period ended with Oakley nearly notching a takedown, with UNC coaches challenging the ruling, but no points were awarded after a video review. Following Oakley’s takedown, he had to wait for Stanford’s challenge to be addressed before the victory was official.

Oakley received a first-round bye, leaving him with a semifinal matchup with NC State’s Kai Orine, a twotime defending champion in the weight class. Orine, who was seeded

fourth, defeated Oakley 6-2 to avenge a regular-season loss. Oakley trailed 4-0 before a third-period reversal, but that’s all he could muster against Orine, who became the runner-up after falling in overtime to Virginia Tech’s Connor McGonagle in the final. In the consolation semifinals, Oakley had a tussle with seventh-seeded Raymond Adams of Duke. Oakley’s 4-1 decision included a third-period takedown.

Defeating Adams and Knox created a boost and pushed his record to 21-5 this season.

“I’ve had close matches with those guys every time I’ve wrestled them,” Oakley said. “It’s hard to go out there and beat the best guys consistently. That was probably the best part, being able to come back and battle back.”

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RANDOLPH

PHOTO COURTESY UNC

North Carolina’s Ethan Oakley controls Stanford’s Tyler Knox during Sunday’s third-place match in Durham.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Einstein born, Stephen Hawking died, Mussolini joined the Nazis, “The Godfather” premiered

The Associated Press

MARCH 13

1781: The seventh planet of the solar system, Uranus, was discovered by astronomer William Herschel.

1925: The Tennessee General Assembly approved the Butler Act, which prohibited public schools from teaching the theory of evolution.

2020: President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MARCH 14

1794: Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, an invention that revolutionized the American cotton industry.

1879: Albert Einstein, who would revolutionize physics and the human understanding of the universe, was born in Ulm, Germany.

1964: A jury in Dallas found Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and sentenced Ruby to death.

2018: Stephen Hawking, the best-known theoretical physicist of his time, died at the age of 76.

MARCH 15

44 B.C.: On the “ides of March,” Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by Roman senators, including Brutus and Cassius, who feared Caesar was working to establish a monarchy.

1965: President Lyndon B.

Johnson called for new legislation to guarantee every American’s right to vote. The result was passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

1972: “The Godfather,” Francis Ford Coppola’s film based on the Mario Puzo novel and starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, premiered in New York.

MARCH 16

1802: President Thomas Jefferson signed a measure authorizing the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

1926: Rocket science pioneer Robert H. Goddard successfully tested the first liquid-fueled rocket at his Aunt Effie’s farm in Auburn, Massachusetts.

1968: The My Lai massacre took place during the Vietnam War as U.S. Army soldiers hunting for Viet Cong fighters and sympathizers killed unarmed villagers in two hamlets of Son My village; estimates of the death toll vary from 347 to 504.

MARCH 17

1762: New York held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade.

1941: The National Gallery of Art opened in Washington, D.C.

1942: During World War II, Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived in Australia to become supreme commander of Allied forces in the southwest Pacific theater.

1969: Golda Meir took power in Israel, beginning a stint as prime minister that would last through five crucial years in the nation’s history.

MARCH 18

1766: Britain repealed the Stamp Act of 1765.

1922: Mohandas K. Gandhi was sentenced in India to six years’ imprisonment for civil disobedience.

1940: Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini met at the Brenner Pass, where the Italian dictator agreed to join Germany’s war against France and Britain.

2017: Chuck Berry, rock ’n’ roll’s founding guitar hero and storyteller behind such classics as “Johnny B. Goode,” “Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Roll Over Beethoven,” died at age 90.

MARCH 19

1859: The opera “Faust” by Charles Gounod premiered in Paris.

1931: Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure legalizing casino gambling.

1945: During World War II, 724 people were killed when a Japanese dive bomber attacked the carrier USS Franklin off Japan.

2003: President George W. Bush ordered the start of war against Iraq.

AP PHOTO

Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, who is best known for developing the theory of relativity, was born on March 14, 1879.

JAMES A. FINLEY / AP PHOTO

Rock ’n’ roll guitar pioneer, singer and performer Chuck Berry died on March 18, 2017. He was 90.

Richards gets satisfaction from award honoring Connecticut residents

The Rolling Stones guitarist has kept a home in the state since 1985

By Dave Collins

The Associated Press

APPEARING IN a building of books instead of a stadium with amps, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was honored last Wednesday with a new award that recognizes Connecticut residents for their creativity, passion and generosity.

Richards, 81, who is British, has kept a home in Connecticut since 1985. He became the first recipient of the Connecticut Governor’s Award of Excellence, receiving a custom-designed medallion and hearty applause from dozens attending the ceremony at the Westport Library.

Gov. Ned Lamont, a Stones fan, praised Richards for his music career and philanthropy to local organizations, and the state’s first lady, Annie Lamont, placed the medallion around his neck.

“Well, thank you very much. And thank you Connecticut,” Richards said before pausing briefly. “You kind of get lost for words with something like this around your neck. All I gotta say is, you know, I’ve been here for 40 years, and it’s been a great place for me.”

Richards said he moved from New York City to the leafy, wealthy suburb of Weston about 50 miles to the northeast so his children could get some fresh air.

“Keith Richards is an amazing member of our community, and we’re so proud that he’s here. And I’m so proud for the opportunity to give him this award in excellence.”

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont

“The family’s had a great life,” he said. “The kids grew up great and incredibly happy about everything.”

Richards and his wife, model and actress Patti Hansen, have two adult children. He also has two children with ex-w ife Anita Pallenberg. Another child with Pallenberg, Tara, died from sudden infant death syndrome in 1976.

Lamont noted Richards’ support of local organizations that serve people with disabilities including SPHERE, an education, recreation and arts group, and The Prospector Theater, which operates a movie theater and online popcorn business.

“Keith Richards is an amazing member of our community, and we’re so proud that he’s here,” Lamont said. “And I’m so proud for the opportunity to give him this award in excellence.”

The Democratic governor also joked that Richards is one of his “top political advisers,” through his music. Lamont played snippets of Stones’ songs including “Start Me Up” — saying it was an inspiration for helping small businesses — and “You Can’t Always Get

What You Want” — his answer to state lawmakers’ requests to increase the budget, he said.

The award medallion was designed by a Connecticut state trooper, Danny Carvalho, to which Richards may have raised an eyebrow during his earlier, hard-partying days. A fashion designer from Enfield, Justin Haynes, designed the ribbon attached to the medallion.

The Westport Library’s executive director, William Harmer, had an extra gift he presented to Richards, one Harmer said was more prestigious than a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or a personal parking space in Times Square: a Westport Library card.

Richards has an affinity for libraries, calling them a great and publicly owned equalizer in society.

“Without our books and without knowing things, and without their special meaning — this is not movies,” he said. “This is not somebody drawing you images or anything. This is a book, and you have the movie in your head. And it’s very important that we keep our books unburnt.”

Keith Richards and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont smile during a ceremony for the presentation of the first Governor’s Award of Excellence in Westport, Connecticut, on March 5.

SOLUTIONS FOR THIS WEEK

The

Lady Gaga you loved, missed returns with pop ‘Mayhem’

The musician has reclaimed her early dark-pop sensibilities

By Maria Sherman The Associated Press

NEW YORK — She hath returned: A new Lady Gaga, like the old Lady Gaga, but a different Lady Gaga.

“Mayhem,” released last Friday, is a satisfying full-length project of big pop material, both a return to her roots and a hard press on the gas pedal.

Her 2008 debut “The Fame” introduced a new generation to the addictive properties of expertly crafted electropop. “The Fame Monster” a year later cemented her position as a modern great, a savior of theatrical pop that once recalled Madonna and now serves as a reminder that big belts are cinema. Then came the genre explorations of “Born This Way,” “Artpop,” “Joanne” (arriving years before pop would go country — she has long been prescient), and 2020’s “Chromatica.”

Half a decade later, is the world ready again for her club anthems? Or is “Mayhem” an attempt to revitalize a big pop sound left behind in the streaming era? Can an artist return home without playing

“Mayhem” is Lady Gaga’s seventh studio album.

some parody of themselves?

The answer, of course, is up to the listener. Some will hear “Abracadabra” as life-affirming dance music. Others will press play on “Killah” and balk at its Gesaffelstein-aided sound. They might read the earworm “Disease” as a song that too easily recalls the mid-2010s of her heyday, but to do so would strip it of stadium-sized pleasures. It is a great song, a familiar song, a return to a classic Gaga. (And for what it is worth, there’s a lot more energy there than in the Grammy-winning power ballad “Die with a Smile,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars.)

The truth is, Gaga has reclaimed her early dark-pop

“I was the creator. This was my work. It was just not a character I was playing. It was something that I made.” Lady Gaga

sensibilities and ushered them into her 2025 reality across “Mayhem.” It manifests in a few ways, most prominently in her delivery. Lady Gaga sounds like she is having fun here, from the modular Moog of the ballad fake-out “Vanish Into You” and the “Bad Romance” easter egg of “Garden of Eden,” to the springy synth of “Perfect Celebrity,” which furthers Gaga’s quest to use fame to question fame’s legitimacy. Now that is timeless pop meta-commentary.

Autonomy was top of mind for Gaga on “Mayhem,” and it’s yielded great results.

“Something that was really important to me on this was really taking from myself my own inventions,” she told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I was the creator. This was my work. It was just not a character I was playing. It was something that I made.”

SETH WENIG / AP PHOTO

Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is 28, Judd Hirsh celebrates 90, Sly Stone hits 82

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week:

MARCH 13

Actor William H. Macy is 75. Rapper-actor Common is 53. Tennis star Coco Gauff is 21.

MARCH 14

Actor-comedian Billy Crystal is 77. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Simone Biles is 28.

MARCH 15

Actor Judd Hirsch is 90. Filmmaker David Cronenberg is 82. Musician Sly Stone is 82. Musician Ry Cooder is 78. Rock singer Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) is 70.

MARCH 16

Actor Erik Estrada is 76. Guitarist Nancy Wilson of Heart is 71. Rapper Flavor Flav of Public Enemy is 66.

MARCH 17

Actor Patrick Duffy is 76. Actor Kurt Russell is 74. Actor Gary Sinise is 70. Actor Rob Lowe is 61. Singer Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins is 58.

MARCH 18

Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell is 74. TV personality Mike Rowe (“Dirty Jobs”) is 63. Singer-actor Vanessa Williams (“Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty”) is 62. Rapper-actor Queen Latifah is 55. Singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 is 46.

MARCH 19

Actor Renee Taylor (“The Nanny”) is 91. Actor Ursula Andress (“Dr. No,” “Casino Royale”) is 89. Singer Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 79. Actor Glenn Close is

the stream

‘Moana

2’ on Disney+, Mulaney on Netflix; ‘Confessions of Octomom,’ Seyfried

“Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” lands on Paramount+

The Associated Press

“MOANA 2,” the third-biggest movie box-office hit of 2024, and Amanda Seyfried playing a Philadelphia patrol officer fighting rampant opioid addiction in Peacock’s “Long Bright River” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time: A long-lost documentary resurfaces on Tom Petty, comedian John Mulaney launches a live weekly celebrity talk show on Netflix, and a six-part series called “Confessions of Octomom” looks back at the turbulent life of single mom Nadya Suleman.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Moana 2” was nearly a streaming series. Instead, it is now streaming on Disney+ after more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. The movie, the third-biggest box-office hit of 2024, is set three years after the 2016 original. Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) again sets sail from her home island, this time in search of a wider community of Pacific Islanders. Dwayne Johnson, as the voice of Maui, is also back.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo (“Avengers: Endgame”) are back on Netflix with their adaptation of Simon Stalenhag’s 2018 illustrated novel “The Electric State.” The Russos, who last released 2022’s “The Gray Man” on the streaming service, bring their big-budget flare to a retro-futuristic tale populated by cartoon-like robots. Millie Bobby Brown stars as a teenager in search of her long-lost brother, who travels the American southwest with Keats (Chris Pratt) and his robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).

Payal Kapadia’s luminous “All We Imagine as Light” begins streaming this week on the Criterion Channel. The film, one of the most acclaimed of 2024, is about three Mumbai hospital workers — played by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam — who are each grappling with different constrictions in modern Mumbai. When they travel to a seaside town, “All We Imagine as Light” transforms into a radiant, illusory imagination of the lives they could have. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote, “Like a dream, this is a film that washes over you.”

plays cop

MUSIC TO STREAM

In 2022, the K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM emerged fully formed: An ambitious Gen Z quintet whose hooks helped usher in a new wave of such groups. It was their single “Antifragile” that seemed to suggest a new sound was being popularized: They pulled from reggaetón filtered through Rosalía as much as they did the tentpoles of much K-pop: stacked melodies, R&B, hip-hop, EDM. On Friday, they will release a new EP, “HOT,” its title-track promising further combinations of “rock and disco elements, revolving around love,” their agency Source Music said in a statement. It’s enough to get excited about.

In February 1983, “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” aired just once on MTV — a long-lost documentary that

doubles as Cameron Crowe’s true directorial debut. It follows Petty and his Heartbreakers around their 1982 “Long After Dark” album. The film has been found and remastered, and you can watch it now on Paramount+.

SHOWS TO STREAM

In 2009, the world was introduced to Nadya Suleman, a single mom of six who gave birth to eight living children at one time via in vitro fertilization. The public fascination into this woman dubbed Octomom quickly became vicious and judgmental. Suleman had no job and relied on government assistance, so she was declared irresponsible and unfit to raise 14 kids. She did capitalize on the attention with a book deal, tabloid deals and paid TV appearances, but within a few

“We will never be relevant. We will never be your source of news. We will always be reckless.” John

years, she’d declared bankruptcy, turned to pornography to earn money and was accused of welfare fraud by the state of California. A new six-part series called “Confessions of Octomom” looks back at that turbulent time and how Suleman and her 14 kids made it through. It is on Lifetime and streams on Hulu live.

Comedian John Mulaney launched a live weekly celebrity talk show on Netflix called “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.” It’s a follow-up to “John Mulaney Presents: “Everybody’s in LA” a live nightly show during last year’s Netflix is a Joke comedy festival. Richard Kind returns as the sidekick. At a press event earlier this year to promote Netflix’s 2025 programming, Maloney promised, “We will never be relevant. We will never be your source of news. We will always be reckless.” Amanda Seyfried, who won an Emmy Award in 2022 for portraying former Silicon Valley It Girl Elizabeth Holmes, stars in a new thriller series for Peacock. In “Long Bright River,” Seyfried plays Mickey, a Philadelphia patrol officer in a neighborhood plagued by rampant

opioid addiction. Mickey becomes determined to solve a series of murders when her sister, who is also an addict, goes missing. It’s based on a novel by Liz Moore. The eight-episode series launches Thursday.

A different limited series for Apple TV+ called “Dope Thief” is also set in Philadelphia against the world of drugs. Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura star as two longtime friends who pose as DEA agents and conduct fake raids to take possession of other people’s drugs and money. It’s a series of easy scores until the two men target the wrong people. “Dope Thief,” produced by Ridley Scott, begins streaming Friday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Video games love to make you feel like a hero, but what happens to warriors who fail? Alta, the protagonist of Wanderstop, takes a job managing a quiet tea shop in a magical forest. That sounds like the setup for a relaxing, “cozy” game like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley — but be warned, one of its creators is Davey Wreden, the mastermind behind 2013’s The Stanley Parable. That cult classic is one of the most devious brain-twisters ever, so who knows what Wreden and his colleagues at Ivy Road have up their sleeves for their indie studio’s debut release? Judging from the trailer, Alta may have more on her mind than creating the perfect cup. Find out what’s brewing on PlayStation 5,

OWEN SWEENEY / INVISION / AP PHOTO

documentary “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” is streaming on Paramount+.

HOKE COUNTY

Spring has sprung

With the clocks springing ahead over the weekend and temperatures on the rise,

making winter feel like a distant memory.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Inflation cooled in February, though trade war threatens to lift prices

U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum kicked in Wednesday that could send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The core figure is the lowest in nearly four years. The declines were larger than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet.

Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia will be ‘first of many’ President Donald Trump is warning that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on protests against the war in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His lawyer says the agents claimed the government was revoking his green card. DHS has said the arrest was in response to Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.

District considering purchase of new weapon detection equipment

The OpenGate system would allow for fast and efficient screening

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — Hoke County Schools is looking into ways to make school and school events safer.

At its March 11 meeting, the Hoke County Schools Board of Education was briefed on the OpenGate Weapon Detection System.

“OpenGate is a state-of-theart security system developed by CEIA and it is a leading provider of security detection

systems and it is a worldwide organization,” said assistant superintendent Chad Hunt. “It is a walkthrough weapons detection system and you can think of this as similar to a metal detector.”

The system consists of two free-standing pillars which people will walk between without having to empty pockets or bags.

“Metal detectors require more work because people have to remove things out of their pockets, someone’s got to look through bags and all those kinds of things,” Hunt said. “The OpenGate detection system uses advanced sensors and artificial intelli-

gence to distinguish weapons from personal items and ensure a faster and more accurate screening process for individuals.”

The OpenGate system can be either battery or outlet operated and are usable inside or outside.

The company also claims that they are both “portable and easy to relocate,” weighing in at only 25-pounds, as well as “quick to install,” with a one-minute setup time.

Hoke County Schools is interested in purchasing three systems for use at Hoke County High School as well as athletic events, and that total cost will be approximately

Hudson says voters will ‘reward us’ for Trump-Musk DOGE cuts

He’s chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee

By Lisa Mascaro The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Almost two months into President Donald Trump’s second term, the chairman of the House Republican campaign committee is already predicting his party will pick up seats in the midterm elections some 20 months away.

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) is in charge of increasing the GOP’s slim majority in the House, or at least defending it. After Republicans met privately this past week with Elon Musk, Hudson said the cuts pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency are resonating with voters. With disruptions at GOP

town halls during the recent break, Hudson and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have told Republican lawmak-

ers to skip the events for now and meet with constituents elsewhere. Nevertheless, Hudson said Republicans are confident their budget-cutting is “on the side of the angels.”

Here’s the political outlook from the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee as he confronts Democrats trying to win back the House in 2026. This Q&A has been edited for brevity and length.

What was your advice about holding town halls?

I just said that it’s very important that all of us are communicating with our constituents, are very visible in our districts, very accessible. And it’s a shame that Democrat organizations are paying people to disrupt in-person town halls. And so this normal dialogue that we want to have with our constituents isn’t possible at in-person town halls.

$60,000, which will include the system as well as training, batteries, baseplates and shipping.

The funding for the system is expected to come from the Center for Safer Schools’ Safe Schools Grant.

The board was then provided with an update on potential paths forward regarding a currently out-of-commission van used by the district for personnel transportation.

The 2016 Ford Transit has a damaged engine and it will cost the district approximately $12,000 to repair it or if they want to replace the vehicle

So we need to use technology to reach our constituents.

Do you think the DOGE cuts will be a tough sell?

I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened since I’ve been in Congress. My biggest frustration as a member of Congress is these massive bureaucracies that hide all their spending and when I ask questions or send letters, ignore it. And now it’s all mapped. You can see it all. There’s transparency for the American people. Now we can go in and decide, do we like the taxpayers’ dollars being spent on this program? Yes. Let’s keep it. This one? No, let’s cut it. I mean, we actually can do our job.

It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating. Do you feel any blowback back home from people losing their jobs, cuts to veterans?

(Musk) did say that the the the firings at the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) were a mistake done by that agency, by the VA.

Bradford pear trees in downtown Raeford are in full bloom,

HAL NUNN FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) attends a meeting of the House GOP conference in November.

3.13.25

SCHOOLS from page A1

entirely, they’re looking at an approximately $50,000 cost for a new van.

“Generally, that van has been used in the past to transport board members to the airport if there’s a professional development opportunity for board members,” Hunt said. “The same thing has been conducted with staff members throughout the district. Those are the primary uses of the van.”

The board was also presented with the updated vacancy report, which showed HCS was down to just 77 vacancies.

“We received the challenge that we need to try and fill as many vacancies as we can for the 2024-25 school year. So 11 months ago, we had 231 vacancies and as of tonight, we’re not completely filled, but we have a total of 77.”

THURSDAY

BETTER HEALTH | DR. ANTHONY SANTANGELO, D.C.

Heart health

Magnesium is the heart’s most important mineral.

MAGNESIUM is an essential mineral that plays some key roles in our body, including muscle contraction and nerve function, bone density, energy, metabolism, blood sugar, and blood pressure regulation and maintaining fluid electrolyte balance in our bloodstream.

Magnesium is the heart’s most important mineral, and like calcium, it’s essential for bone and muscle health. It also plays a role in nerve conduction, lessons inflammation and enhances immune function, particularly in people who are stressed or who have diabetes or gastrointestinal problems. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to high blood pressure, migraines, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart, arrhythmias and asthma. Magnesium is probably the most common mineral deficiency affecting 10% to 15% of the population, especially the elderly and nursing homes.

You can boost your magnesium level by eating more green, leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains and legumes, such as soy beans, beans and peas. To supplement, take 200 to 400 milligrams per day of magnesium glycinate and or magnesium threonate. As always, consult your primary care physician

Finally, the board approved the 2024-25 summer program plan.

“During the summer school program, schools will remediate students that passed the course or subject, but were not proficient on the EOG or EOC,” said Testing and Accountability Director Melissa Bryant-Ward. “Remediation will occur on teacher workdays.

The subjects that will be eligible for retesting in the summer are grades four through eight Reading, grades three through seven Math, Math 1, Math III and English II.

According to Bryant-Ward, approximately 30% of the elementary and middle school students who retested last season managed to earn a proficient grade.

The Hoke County Schools Board of Education will next meet April 8.

with regards to taking anything new as far as supplements. This is so that there aren’t any contraindications of taking magnesium to your current health condition or any medications that you are currently on.

There are two types of magnesium; magnesium L-threonate and magnesium glycinate. Magnesium L-threonate is used to improve deep sleep, enhance energy, alertness, mood, memory and learning. It crosses the blood brain barrier. It is recommended for improving cognitive function.

Magnesium glycinate can help improve sleep, quality, reduce sleepiness, and fatigue, duration of sleep, anxiety, relief and depression, and regulate blood sugar.

Foods that contain quality magnesium are salmon, tofu, Chia seeds, bananas, black beans, spinach, cashews, oats, peanuts, potatoes with skin, brown rice, soy milk, quinoa, kidney beans, whole wheat, bread, avocado, raisins, pumpkin seeds, beet, greens, dried prunes, white beans, almonds, chickpeas and dark chocolate.

A good rule of thumb for eating: eat more of what God made and less of what man-made.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| REP. RICHARD HUDSON

The American dream is alive again

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

THE BIDEN-HARRIS administration killed the American Dream.

As President Donald J. Trump made clear during his historic address last week, he is renewing it.

Since Jan. 20, Trump has moved at an unprecedented pace to reverse the damage caused by the Democrats, delivering major wins for you, your family and our country. He has taken critical steps to make our borders and communities more secure, and illegal border crossings have hit record lows as a result. He has reversed every one of the Biden-Harris job-killing, inflation-fueling energy regulations and terminated the radical “Green New Scam.”

Trump has also worked to root out government waste, fraud and abuse, and better protect your hard-earned tax

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

dollars. He has rolled back burdensome red tape, empowering American innovation and encouraging companies to invest in communities across our country, including in North Carolina. And he has restored peace through strength, putting terrorists on notice and making our country respected again around the world.

With every action, Trump is keeping the promises he made to you.

It’s no wonder that over 50% of Americans approve of the job Trump has done in just his first couple weeks back in office.

The American people gave Trump and Republicans in Congress a mandate to deliver on the full America First agenda — not just parts of it. I, alongside my House Republican colleagues, am taking steps to accomplish just that.

Recently, our House Republican majority passed a bill to start charting the best path forward to enact this agenda. While there is still much more work to do, I am determined to send a bill to Trump’s desk that secures our border, keeps taxes low, makes everyday things affordable and ensures the government works better for you. Under Trump’s leadership, the winning will not stop. This is just the beginning of America’s new Golden Age. Together with Trump and Republicans in Congress, I will continue working to get our country back on track and deliver results for you and your family.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in Congress.

A formidable president storms ahead

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

SOME THOUGHTS spring to mind after President Donald Trump’s 100-minute address to Congress.

The first is that this 78-year-old man has amazing resilience and perseverance.

Consider that in the past 12 months, he has had to spend hours listening to a kangaroo court proceeding before a hostile judge in New York, has maintained a campaign rally schedule that would daunt candidates half his age, has participated in planning sessions for a detailed set of executive orders he might never have an opportunity to issue, has faced the former president and vice president of the United States in televised debates with moderators he had reason to believe were biased against him, and suffered a bullet wound that came within 1 inch of killing him.

Around minute 98, he made mention of the last. This inspired sympathizers in the House chamber to echo the cries of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” he made as he rose above his Secret Service protectors.

A second thing to say is that, long before minute 98, his speech was almost entirely about what he has been doing, saying, proposing and persuading others to do. Four paragraphs near the end gracefully evoked themes from history, but he otherwise spoke about his orders withdrawing from United Nations institutions, eliminating government censorship (while renaming the Gulf of Mexico), overturning racially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and his Department of Government Efficiency’s identification of dubious U.S. Agency for International Development programs.

Instead of an overarching vision of where the world stands in history, he quoted Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter apologizing for his comments the previous Friday and promising to sign the mineral rights deal he had criticized in the televised exchange that for once showed the public what leaders look and sound like in what diplomats call “a full and frank exchange.”

My third observation is that, as the Zelenskyy letter suggests, Trump is mostly getting his way. It was surely no accident that the narrow and previously fractious Republican majority in the House elected a speaker and passed a budget resolution with just one dissenting vote. Similarly, Trump’s top-level appointees have all been confirmed by the Senate. Neither foreign leaders nor domestic partisans want to defy this aggressive man with three years, 10 months and two weeks left in his term.

Fourth, there was no return to norms of civil discourse. Trump called former President Joe Biden “the worst president in American history” and condemned “the open-border, insane policies that (Biden had) allowed to destroy the country.” Democrats have a point when they say Trump started this with his derogatory nicknames for 2016 opponents. Republicans have a point when they say Democrats escalated this with the Russia collusion hoax and baseless post-presidential prosecutions, unprecedented since former President Thomas Jefferson’s treason prosecution of former Vice President Aaron Burr. But neither Trump’s speech nor the Democrats’ childish behavior (that Trump predicted) in the audience moved to de-escalation.

Fifth, Trump continues to disregard free-market economists’ (in my opinion, wise) advice. True, he is encouraging congressional Republicans to reup the tax-cut-for-all legislation they passed eight years ago, but with political payoff add-ons such as no tax on tips. However, he also devoted multiple paragraphs extolling his imposition of tariffs, notably on Mexico and Canada. Economists point out that the tariffs will likely raise the U.S. prices of many products, not just eggs. Voters won’t welcome something that looks like the Biden inflation, which could overshadow the Trump administration’s genuine successes.

This leads to my sixth observation: that he’s aware that the Constitution and

calendar set limits on his time. Early in his speech, Trump noted that measures of illegal crossings on the southern border have immediately dwindled to almost nothing. Smugglers and potential illegals clearly got his message, even as Democrats and much of the press argued that only new legislation could stop the flow. His only problem is that solving a problem can deprive you of an issue. Former President George H.W. Bush’s deft handling of foreign policy problems left voters concluding they didn’t need him after the Cold War. Success can breed failure.

But for a time, it can breed success. The first words of Article II of the Constitution state, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” Those words, plus recent Supreme Court decisions, suggest that most decisions limiting Trump’s administrative powers will not stand. Current polls show that Trump’s disapproval is rising, but his approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

What is Trump planning for years two, three and four? I’m not sure, and I suspect he’s not, either. Trump knows the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prevents him from running again. He must know that’s likely to reduce his clout with foreign leaders and American politicians. More importantly, he’s aware his time may be cut short. In the House chamber, as in his convention speech on July 19, he remembered how he had narrowly escaped death on July 13. “I believe my life was saved that day in Butler,” he said, “for a very good reason. I was saved by God to make America great again — I believe that. I really do.”

Like him or not, he is a formidable man. Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.”

COLUMN

Trump says he’ll buy a Tesla to show support for Musk

The president will pay “full market price” for the vehicle

By Chris Megerian The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

With Elon Musk facing escalating political blowback and a drop in wealth, President Donald Trump said he would buy a Tesla vehicle from his company, an unusual show of support from the president to his most powerful adviser.

It was the latest example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year and has been a key figure in his second administration.

The Republican president announced early Tuesday that he was going to buy a new Tesla as “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the vehicle was on its way to the White House and Trump would view it Tuesday afternoon. She said it was a “very exciting moment” and Trump would pay the “full market price.”

Musk’s electric vehicle company has been battered by sagging sales and plunging stock prices. He continues to run the automaker — as well as the social media platform X and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX — while also serving as Trump’s adviser on overhauling and downsizing the federal government.

“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote on social media. “But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s

‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”

Others have also rallied to Musk’s defense. Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist, said he bought a customized version of a Cybertruck that he’ll give away to a customer of his online store next month.

In addition to Tesla’s struggles, Musk has faced other challenges too. He said X was targeted by a “massive cyberattack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the last two test launches of his Starship rocket ended in explosions.

Tesla has faced sagging sales and declining stock prices as Musk devotes his time to overhauling and downsizing the federal government as an adviser to the president.

The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump’s plans for buying a Tesla, such as how the purchase would be handled or where the car would be kept.

Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show.

But regardless of the practicality of Trump’s purchase, his overnight announcement about buying a Tesla represented another step in how the president has blurred lines between private and public interests.

During his first term, top adviser Kellyanne Conway urged people to show their support for Trump’s daughter Ivanka by purchasing her retail products.

“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” she said. “I’m going to give it a free commercial here.”

Trump’s wealth and business savvy is core to his political appeal. The president promoted

his products while running for office last year, and he attached his name to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly before he took office.

However, it’s rare to see Trump use his own money to support an ally, no matter how important they are.

Musk is the world’s richest person, with billions of dollars in government contracts. He’s also exerting sweeping influence over Trump’s administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and traveling frequently with the president.

During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked Musk how he was running his other businesses while also advising Trump.

“With great difficulty,” he said.

“But there’s no turning back, you say?” Kudlow responded.

“I’m just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud,” Musk said.

Tesla has recently faced

protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle.

At times, the White House has needed to play cleanup for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that he’ll make mistakes along the way.

For example, Musk presented inflated estimates of fraud in government benefits like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs.

“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk said in the interview. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”

The next morning, a White House account on X criticized news organizations as “lying hacks” and told Democrats to “spare us the fake outrage” about reducing benefits.

“He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs,” the White House posted.

European Union wants more deportations, supports ‘return hubs’ in third countries

Only 20% of people with return orders are actually removed

The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — The European Union wants to increase deportations and is opening the way for “return hubs” to be set up in third countries for rejected asylum-seekers, according to a new migration proposal unveiled Tuesday.

Only 20% of people with a return order are effectively re-

moved from EU territory, according to the European Commission, which presented the “European System for Returns” as a potential solution.

The proposal aims to set a standard for all 27 members of the bloc and allow national authorities from one country to enforce the deportation order issued by another. Such rules were missing from the EU’s migration and asylum pact approved last year.

“The European system needs to be clear that when someone is issued a return decision they are

“The

European system needs to be clear that when someone is issued a return decision they are being told to leave.”

Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for migration

being told to leave, not just the country but the entire European Union,” said Magnus Brunner, EU’s commissioner for mi-

He said mistakes were made by bureaucrats.

What do you make of the 80,000 cuts at the VA?

I’m disturbed when I hear veterans are being fired. I think we ought to give veterans priority. But, you know, I do acknowledge that there may need to be firings in all these agencies. When it comes to the VA, for example, what I’m concerned about is giving world- class health care to our veterans in a timely manner. And so any waste, fraud and abuse that makes that difficult or messes that up, I’m interested in cutting.

What’s your message to the fired federal workers, what do you say to them?

Hang tight.

What’s that mean?

I mean there may be some mistakes that are being corrected.

Do you think that will be an OK message for other GOP lawmakers to use?

The American people are sick of the swamp. They’re sick of waste, fraud and abuse. For the first time ever, we finally have the tools to affect it. So I think the voters are going to reward us.

Democrats envision a repeat of Trump’s first term, when they won back the House?

I think they’re digging their own grave politically. We’re on the side of the angels. We’re doing what the American people asked us to do, what 77 million people voted for Donald Trump to get. We’re going to pick up seats.

been rejected, Brunner said.

gration, who called the current 20% removal rate unacceptable.

“Any figure would be an improvement, but we don’t want to pin down any specific figures,” he added.

For the proposal to work, however, the EU needs to get countries of origin to readmit their citizens. Brunner acknowledged that the commission and member states are still working on improving that.

The “return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers, would apply only to people whose asylum requests have

While the EU wouldn’t set up or manage such centers, which could be in Europe or elsewhere, the commission says it wants to create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate bilaterally or at the EU level with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers.

Migrant rights groups say the proposal undermines the right to asylum.

“We can likely expect more people being locked up in immigration detention centers across Europe, families separated and people sent to countries they don’t even know,” said Silvia Carta of the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants.

The European Parliament and the member states would need to agree on the proposal.

JOSE LUIS MAGANA / AP PHOTO

Elon Musk flashes his T-shirt that reads “DOGE” to the media as he walks on South Lawn of the White House on Sunday.

HOKE SPORTS

NCHSAA aims to speed process to set calendar, playoff formats

Conference

memberships

have been approved for the upcoming school year

By Bob Sutton North State Journal

THE NEXT STEP for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association is to set the playing calendar for the 202526 school year and devise playoff formats for the new eight-classification set-up.

Expect that to be expedited.

“If we had it ready, it would be out there,” said NCHSAA president Stephen Gainey, who’s also superintendent of the Randolph County School System. “We know the coaches and the ADs and principals need it.”

The NCHAA board of directors completed the conference realignment process last week by approving a final version.

Gainey and NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker answered questions last Thursday.

The calendar is a priority and that comes in conjunction with establishing playoff formats. Tucker said NCHSAA staff has worked on several draft calendars depending on a 32-team or a 48/64-team bracket is used.

The task involves determining how teams will qualify for playoffs in team sports and addressing the postseason process in individual sports. There will be challenges sorting out playoff fields stemming from multiclass conferences, Tucker said.

As a former principal, Gainey said he understands the need for an NCHSAA calendar to help in forming schedules.

“We had to get past (March 3),” Gainey said of last week’s board approval. “We are in a good spot. It is time for schools to start making decisions. Having your conference is one thing. The next thing is getting your non-conference schedule set.”

The board heard 26 presentations on appeals last week before locking in the conference groupings that will be in place for at least two years.

“We anticipated that it would

be challenging,” Tucker said. “Yes, this was the most challenging one because of the expanded number of classifications.”

Gainey and Tucker said the board was cognizant of the months-long efforts of the realignment committee when reviewing appeals.

“Not everybody is happy with the final draft,” Tucker said.

“With eight classifications … it became very clear pretty quickly that we were going to have many conferences that were multiclass conferences.”

The realignment committee heard appeals and submitted three drafts for consideration.

“I know that everything we do may not always make everybody happy, but I can assure you that we will not ever do anything intentionally to make somebody unhappy,” Gainey said. “This has been an historic realignment process, no doubt. … I’m proud of the membership. They wanted this and they put forth their vote.”

The realignment has come under criticism in various parts of the state, mostly with schools disappointed in their conference assignments. Gainey said it was clear that there would be hurdles with such a drastic shift from four to eight classifications.

“I hope it’s everything the

A new revenue distribution model provides stability for the conference through 2031

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

THE ATLANTIC Coast Conference, Clemson and Florida State are ready to move forward together after legal fights that threatened the stability of the league.

Each approved a settlement to end the crossfire of lawsuits between the member schools and the ACC, signing off on a deal that changes the revenue-distri-

bution model in a way that would theoretically benefit both schools with marquee football brands.

The deal also revises and clarifies the long-term costs for a school to leave the conference.

It doesn’t offer permanent security. Notably, the 2030-31 season now looms as a significant marker. But it does stabilize the coming years for a league that had heard doomsayers questioning its survival amid a growing revenue gap behind the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten.

“Today’s resolution begins the next chapter of this storied league and further solidifies the ACC as a premier conference,” commis-

Pinecrest’s Dakota Bender scores during a February game against Hoke County. These Sandhills Conference rivals will remain together as the only 8A members of the new 7A/8A Conference A.

member schools wanted because they wanted this,” Gainey said. “When they wanted something this bad, something beautiful is going to come out of it. … They saw something that said we need to do something different. I’m going to trust that.”

There were countless factors in setting conferences.

Many of the realignment considerations were based on travel distances between schools. Gainey said that was appropriate.

“I want to be in a conference that I’m spending all my money I set aside for my athletic program in the gas tank,” Gainey said. “We’re going to have more resources to use for our kids.”

Pinecrest, an 8A school, will be in 7A/8A Conference A with Jack Britt (7A), Overhills (7A), Pine Forest (7A), Richmond (7A) and Hoke County (8A).

North Moore (3A), is assigned to 3A/4A Conference B with Eastern Randolph (3A), Northwood (3A), Jordan-Matthews (4A), Southwestern Randolph (4A) and Uwharrie Charter (4A).

Union Pines (6A) is in 6A Conference 1 with fellow 6A schools Harnett Central, Lee County, South Johnston, Southern Lee, Triton, West Johnston and Western Harnett.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Noelia Hipolito

Hoke County, girls’ wrestling

Noelia Hipolito is a sophomore on the Hoke County girls’ wrestling team. Noelia went 42-4 this season and capped the year with a third-place finish in the NCHSAA individual wrestling championships at girls’ 165 pounds.

Last week, she was honored by the school for earning a spot on the Sandhills All-Conference team for girls’ wrestling, one of 10 Bucks girls’ wrestlers to receive the honor.

sioner Jim Phillips said in a statement, noting the parties would dismiss pending lawsuits in Florida and the Carolinas.

“The settlements, coupled with the ACC’s continued partnership with ESPN, allow us to focus on our collective future — including Clemson and Florida State — united in an 18-member conference demonstrating the best in intercollegiate athletics.”

Most notably, the revenue-distribution model will now incorporate TV viewership as a way for the league’s top programs to generate more revenue. That formula would see 60% of the league’s TV revenues go into a pot for distribution based on a rolling five-

year formula tied to viewership ratings, while the remaining 40% would be distributed equally among the members.

The upside could be $15 million or more for top-earning schools, while it could also result in a decline of about $7 million for others.

It’s the latest in a series of what Phillips has previously called “aggressive” efforts to generate more revenue.

“At the end of the day, this innovative distribution model which further incentivizes performance and investment will help strengthen the ACC,” Clemson athletic director Graham Neff told trustees before their

vote to approve the deal. “A strong ACC is good for Clemson. And a strong Clemson is good for the ACC.”

The growing revenue gap — which amounted to roughly $6 million less per school than in the SEC and $15 million in the Big Ten, according to tax documents from the 2022-23 season — had been at the root of the unrest. Schools had signed a grant-ofrights deal to give the ACC control of their media rights through the end of the league’s TV deal with ESPN in 2036, while the league could impose massive exit fees on any school that sought to leave for another league before the expiration of that deal.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Bell holds off Hamlin at Phoenix in close finish

The Cup Series victory makes him the first to win three straight since 2021

By John Marshall

The Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win three straight races in the NextGen car, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 seconds to win the second-closest race in Phoenix R aceway history on Sunday.

Bell started 11th in the 312-mile race after winning at Atlanta and Circuit of Americas the previous two weeks. The JGR driver took the lead out of the pits on a caution and stayed out front on two late restarts to become the first driver to win

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Nebraska replacing spring game with skills competitions Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska’s spring game will be replaced with skills competitions and 7-on-7 games at Memorial Stadium on April 26. Coach Matt Rhule had said five weeks ago he highly doubted a spring game would be played because of his concerns about other teams scouting players in the scrimmage and possibly poaching them through the transfer portal. The Nebraska spring game dates to the 1920s and has been played annually since 1950.

SOCCER

NWSL opens Bay FC investigation following reports of “toxic” work environment

New York An independent investigation has been opened into the coaching staff at Bay FC following publication of a report that described a “toxic” work environment at the club.

National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed the probe. The San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation last Friday that said at least two formal complaints had been made about the team under coach Albertin Montoya. Two former players, who were not named in Chronicle’s report, described the team environment as toxic, and two former Bay FC employees agreed with the assessment.

three straight races since Kyle Larson in 2021. The Phoenix race was the first since Richmond last year to give teams two sets of option tires. The option red tires have much better grip but start to fall off after about 35 laps, creating an added strategic element.

A handful of racers went to the red tires early — Joey Logano and Ryan Preece among them — and it paid off with runs to the lead before falling back.

Bell was among those who had a set of red tires left for the final stretch and used it to his advantage, pulling away from Hamlin on a restart with 17 laps left.

Hamlin pulled alongside Bell over the final two laps after the last restart, and the two bumped a couple times before rounding into the final two turns. Bell barely stayed ahead

NFL

Raiders acquire quarterback Smith from Seahawks for 3rd-round pick

Las Vegas Geno Smith is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are sending the Seattle Seahawks a thirdround pick for Smith. The 34-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback reunites with new Raiders coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will seek a new starter. Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season.

WNBA

Williams joins ownership group of Toronto Tempo, WNBA’s 1st Canadian franchise

Toronto Serena Williams is joining the Toronto Tempo ownership group. The team announced the move on Monday. She will partner with Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures for the Tempo, who will begin play in the 2026 season. Williams, one of the greatest tennis players in history, will also play an active role in future jersey designs. Williams is the latest former pro athlete to join a WNBA ownership group. Magic Johnson, Tom Brady, Dwyane Wade and Renee Montgomery already are owners.

of Hamlin, crossing the checkered flag with a wobble for his 12th career Cup Series win. He led 105 laps.

Larson finished third, Josh Berry fourth and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.

Legge’s debut

Katherine Legge became the first woman to race in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500 seven years ago. Her race didn’t get off to a great start. Fighting a tight car, Legge got loose coming out of turn 2 and spun her No. 78 Chevrolet, forcing her to make a pit stop. She dropped to the back of the field and had a hard time making up ground before bumping another car and spinning again

on lap 215, taking out Daniel Suarez with her. Legge couldn’t return and finished 30th.

Logano’s mistake

Logano started on the front row in his first race back at Phoenix Raceway since capturing his third Cup Series at the track last fall. A mistake on an early restart dropped the Team Penske driver to the back of the field.

Trying to get a jump on Byron, Logano barely dipped his No. 22 Ford below the yellow line at the start/finish. NASCAR officials reviewed the restart and forced him to take a pass through on pit road as the entire field passed him on the track.

“No way,” Logano said on his radio. “That’s freakin’ ridiculous.”

Logano twice surged to the lead after switching to the red tires, but he started falling back on the primary tires following a restart. He finished 13th.

Preece’s gamble

Preece took an early gamble by going to the red option tires, and it paid off with a run from 33rd to third. The RFK Racing driver dropped back as the tires wore off but went red again following a caution with about 90 laps left and surged into the lead.

Preece went back to the primary tires with 42 laps to go and started dropping back, finishing 15th.

Up next

The series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.

Christopher Bell (20) edges out Denny Hamlin (11) and Kyle Larson, right, to win Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

Bobby Mac McBryde

May 23,1932 –March 4, 2025

CWO RET. Bobby Mac McBryde, age 92, of Pinehurst NC, formerly of Raeford, NC passed away on Tuesday, March 04, 2025.

Bobby was born in Cumberland County, NC on May 23, 1932. He graduated from Hoke County High School, The University of Omaha, and NC State University. Bobby then went on to retire from the U.S Army after a career spanning 37 years of active and reserve service, including two combat zones. After retiring from the Army, Bobby served as training materials officer with Second Intelligence Training Army Area School at Fort Bragg. He was presented the Legion of Merit, the most prestigious medal that

obituaries

can be conferred by the Army in peacetime by Col. Phillip Leon, Commandant of the school. Prior to his retirement from his civilian career, he was employed as a supervisory education specialist in the Army’s Continuing Education System at Ft. Bragg.

Bobby joined the Raeford Presbyterian Church on June 24, 1951. He was Deacon, Elder, and a member of the Sam Morris Sunday school class, which he also taught.

Bobby, and his wife, Peggy, loved traveling the world and they loved to entertain. Bobby entertained on cruise ships, playing the banjo; and he told many jokes for their neighbors at Quail Haven. He was a brilliant writer, often writing poetry and songs.

He is survived by his loving wife, Peggy Parrish McBryde, of Quail Haven Retirement Village in Pinehurst. They were married on September 25, 1954, in Red Springs, NC, and spent over 70 beautiful years together.

A graveside service will be held on Sunday, March 09, 2025, at 3 p.m. in the Raeford City Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Raeford Presbyterian Church.

Pitcher Art Schallock, who replaced Mantle on Yankees’ roster, dead at 100

He had been the oldest living major league player

By Janie McCauley

The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Art

Schallock, a left-handed pitcher who in 1951 replaced future Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle on the Yankees’ roster and had been the oldest living former major leaguer, has died.

He was 100, having celebrated with a big birthday party when he became a centenarian last spring. His assisted living home announced Saturday that Schallock died last Thursday, also providing confirmation from the family.

“He passed away peacefully in his loving care community in Sonoma, California, at the age of 100. He would have been 101 in April,” the family said.

“A beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, Art lived a remarkable life, from serving his country in World War II to achieving his dream of playing Major League Baseball. As a pitcher for the New York Yankees, he was part of a historic era in the sport, contributing to multiple World Series championships. Beyond baseball, Art was known for his kindness, humor, and deep appreciation for the people around him. He lived a life filled with cherished friendships, family, and a passion for the sport that defined much of his journey.”

When New York optioned the then-19-year-old Mantle to Triple-A in 1951, Schallock got his shot in the major leagues at age 27. He and Yogi Berra were roommates, and Schallock was the one who picked up Berra’s daily delivery of “funnies” as they called them.

The Bay Area native went to Tamalpais High in Mill Valley then College of Marin before becoming the 10,823rd major league player when he debuted on July 16, 1951. He pitched 22/3 innings for the Yankees that day at Detroit. He earned his first career win one month later at Washington.

The lefty won three World Series rings from 1951-53, although he only pitched in the ’53 Series, retiring Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson during a two-inning outing in Game 4.

“That was quite a thrill, quite a thrill playing with those guys,” Schallock told The Associated Press last year in an interview ahead of his 100th birthday. “I roomed with Yogi Berra when I got up there, and he knew all the hitters. We went over all the hitters on each team. Besides that, I had to run down to the lobby and get his funny books. Every morning. Yogi knew all the hitters, how to pitch to them, whether it’s low, high or whatever, he knew how to pitch to them. And I had to learn from him.”

Serving for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean during World War II after enlisting in 1942, Schallock narrowly es-

caped harm when the neighboring aircraft carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese torpedo in November 1943 and 644 were killed — accounting for the majority of the casualties in the Battle of Makin.

“I never thought I would get back to the highest level. I wanted to play baseball, yes,” he said during the interview last year. “I did it in junior college. In those years, the Bay Area was full of baseball. When I say full of baseball, semi-pros. Every town had a team.”

Over a five-year big league career primarily with the Yankees before finishing with Baltimore in 1955, Schallock went 6-7 with a 4.02 ERA over 58 games with 14 starts spanning 1701/3 innings. He struck out 77 batters.

Schallock was born on April 25, 1924, in Mill Valley outside San Francisco.

His age didn’t set a record: Negro Leagues pitcher Si Simmons of the 1926 New York Lincoln Giants lived to 111, while another ex-Yankees pitcher, Red Hoff, reached 107.

“The community at Cogir of Sonoma Plaza is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved resident, Arthur ‘Art’ Schallock, on March 6, 2025,” the facility said in a statement. “At the age of 100, Art was a cherished member of our community, bringing warmth, humor, and an inspiring life story to all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

Art Schallock poses for a photo in Sonoma, California, in April 2024.

NFL lineman turned broadcaster Craig Wolfley dies at 66

He was a fixture in Pittsburgh for years

By Will Graves The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — Craig

Wolfley, a former NFL offensive lineman who spent most of his 12-year career playing for Chuck Noll in Pittsburgh and later became a fixture on the Steelers radio broadcast team, has died. He was 66.

WDVE-FM in Pittsburgh, where Wolfley worked in various roles during Steelers broadcasts, including most recently as a color commentator, confirmed Wolfley’s death. Wolfley had recently been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.

The Steelers selected Wolfley in the fifth round of the 1980 draft following a standout career at Syracuse. He was a fixture at left guard and then left tackle during his decade in Pittsburgh, making 104 starts across 10 seasons. Wolfley played two more years in Minnesota in 1990 and 1991 before retiring.

Craig Wolfley, center, a former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman, stands with his hand over his heart during the national anthem in June 2022.

“His passionate voice and deep understanding of the game made him a trusted figure for Steelers fans,” Rooney said in a statement. “And his humor, warmth, and enthusiasm left a lasting impact on our community.”

Wolfley and good friend and former teammate Tunch Ilkin paired up for the popular “In the Locker Room with Tunch and Wolf” show and the easy rapport between the two was a fixture of most Steeler game broadcasts during their time together. Ilkin died of ALS in 2021.

Steelers president Art Rooney II praised Wolfley’s “work ethic and commitment to excellence” during his career and complimented his commentary on the team’s radio network.

Known almost universally as “Wolf,” Wolfley moved from the sideline to the booth full time when he replaced Ilkin as the color analyst on the Steelers Radio Network.

Wolfley’s deep laugh and kind demeanor — he’d often respond “better than I deserve” whenever he was asked how he was doing by a listener — belied his physical playing style and his uncommon strength. He placed fifth in the World’s Strongest Man competition in 1981 and later owned a boxing club in the Pittsburgh suburbs. Wolfley is survived by his wife Faith, his brother Ron, a former NFL running back, and six children.

WENDY CORNEJO / COGIR ON NAPA ROAD VIA AP

ARIANA SHCHUKA / PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE VIA AP

STATE & NATION

America’s butterflies disappearing at ‘catastrophic’ rate in 2000s

National analysis says the population falling by 1.3% per year

By Seth Borenstein

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — America’s butterflies are disappearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study finds.

The first countrywide systematic analysis of butterfly abundance found that the number of butterflies in the Lower 48 states has been falling on average 1.3% a year since the turn of the century, with 114 species showing significant declines and only nine increasing, according to a study in Thursday’s journal Science.

“Butterflies have been declining the last 20 years,” said study co-author Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University. “And we don’t see any sign that that’s going to end.”

A team of scientists combined 76,957 surveys from 35 monitoring programs and blended them for an apples-to-apples comparison and ended up counting 12.6 million butterflies over the decades. Last month, an annual survey that looked just at monarch butterflies, which federal officials plan to put on the threatened species list, counted a nearly all-time low of fewer than 10,000, down from 1.2 million in 1997.

Many of the species in decline fell by 40% or more.

‘Catastrophic and saddening’ loss over time

David Wagner, a University of Connecticut entomologist who wasn’t part of the study,

DHS

praised its scope. And he said while the annual rate of decline may not sound significant, it is “catastrophic and saddening” when compounded over time.

“In just 30 or 40 years we are talking about losing half the butterflies (and other insect life) over a continent!” Wagner said in an email. “The tree of life is being denuded at unprecedented rates.”

The United States has 650

butterfly species, but 96 species were so sparse they didn’t show up in the data and another 212 species weren’t found in sufficient number to calculate trends, said study lead author Collin Edwards, an ecologist and data scientist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“I’m probably most worried about the species that couldn’t even be included in the analy-

22%

Fewer butterflies since 2000

ses” because they were so rare, said University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Karen Oberhauser, who wasn’t part of the research.

Haddad, who specializes in rare butterflies, said in recent years he has seen just two endangered St. Francis Satyr butterflies — which only live on a bomb range at Fort Bragg in North Carolina — “so it could be extinct.”

Some well-known species had large drops. The red admiral, which is so calm it lands on people, is down 44%. The American lady butterfly, with two large eyespots on its back wings, decreased by 58%, Edwards said.

Even the invasive white cabbage butterfly, “a species that is well adapted to invade the world,” according to Haddad, fell by 50%.

“How can that be?” Haddad wondered.

Butterfly decline as a warning sign for humans

Cornell University butterfly expert Anurag Agrawal said he worries most about the future of a different species: humans.

“The loss of butterflies, parrots and porpoises is undoubtedly a bad sign for us, the ecosystems we need and the nature we enjoy,” Agrawal, who wasn’t part of the study, said in an email. “They are telling us that our continent’s health is not doing so well. ... Butterflies are an ambassador for nature’s beauty, fragility and the interde-

pendence of species. They have something to teach us.”

Oberhauser said butterflies connect people with nature and that “calms us down, makes us healthier and happier and promotes learning.”

What’s happening to butterflies in the United States is probably happening to other, less-studied insects across the continent and world, Wagner said. He said not only is this the most comprehensive butterfly study, but the most data-rich for any insect.

Butterflies are also pollinators, though not as prominent as bees, and are a major source of pollination of the Texas cotton crop, Haddad said.

Driest and warmest areas are worst for butterflies

The biggest decrease in butterflies was in the Southwest — Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma — where the number of butterflies dropped by more than half in the 20 years.

“It looks like the butterflies that are in dry and warm areas are doing particularly poorly,” Edwards said. “And that kind of captures a lot of the Southwest.”

Edwards said when they looked at butterfly species that lived both in the hotter South and cooler North, the ones that did better were in the cooler areas. Climate change, habitat loss and insecticides tend to work together to weaken butterfly populations, Edwards and Haddad said. Of the three, it seems that insecticides are the biggest cause, based on previous research from the U.S. Midwest, Haddad said.

“It makes sense because insecticide use has changed in dramatic ways in the time since our study started,” Haddad said. Habitats can be restored and so can butterflies, so there’s hope, Haddad said.

“You can make changes in your backyard and in your neighborhood and in your state,” Haddad said. “That could really improve the situation for a lot of species.”

overhauls asylum phone app to use for ‘self-deportation’

The app was rebranded from CBP One to CBP Home

The Associated Press

THE TRUMP administration has unveiled an overhauled cellphone app once used to let migrants apply for asylum, turning it into a system that allows people living illegally in the U.S. to say they want to leave the country voluntarily.

The renamed app, announced Monday and now called CBP Home, is part of the administration’s campaign to encourage “self-deportations, “ touted as an easy and cost-effective way to nudge along President Donald Trump’s push to deport millions of im-

migrants without legal status.

“The app provides illegal aliens in the United States with a straightforward way to declare their intent to voluntarily depart, offering them the chance to leave before facing harsher consequences,” Pete Flores, the acting commissioner for U.S Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement.

Moments after Trump took office, the earlier version of the app, CBP One, stopped allowing migrants to apply for asylum, and tens of thousands of border appointments were canceled.

More than 900,000 people were allowed in the country on immigration parole under CBP One, generally for two years, starting in January 2023.

The Trump administration has repeatedly urged migrants

in the country illegally to leave.

“The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on the social platform X. “If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

Some people living in the U.S. illegally chose to leave even before Trump’s inauguration, though it’s unclear how many.

But earlier mass crackdowns on illegal immigration — most famously a quasi-military operation in the mid-1950s that Trump has repeatedly praised — also drove many immigrants who were in the U.S. legally to leave.

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

Venezuelan migrant Yender Romero shows the CBP One app on his cell phone, which he said he used to apply for asylum in the U.S. while in Mexico City in January.

LAUREN ROSE / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A Monarch butterfly inspects a sunflower at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh.

MOORE COUNTY

Spring has sprung

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Inflation cooled in February, though trade war threatens to lift prices

U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum kicked in Wednesday that could send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed, down from 3% the previous month. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down from 3.3% in January. The core figure is the lowest in nearly four years. The declines were larger than economists expected, according to a survey by data provider FactSet.

Trump warns that arrest of Palestinian activist at Columbia will be ‘first of many’ President Donald Trump is warning that the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on protests against the war in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His lawyer says the agents claimed the government was revoking his green card. DHS has said the arrest was in response to Trump’s executive orders prohibiting antisemitism.

$2.00

Board of Education endorses name, calendar for new innovative high school

The Moore Innovative High School is slated to open in the 2025-26 school year

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

CARTHAGE — The Moore County Innovative High School took another step toward its projected 2025-26 opening at the March 10 Moore County Schools Board of Education meeting.

The board approved the endorsement of the Moore County Schools Innovative High School name, mascot, school colors and 2025-26 school calendar.

“This is a school choice, and it’s going to look very different from our three comprehensive high schools,” said deputy su-

perintendent Mike Metcalf.

“We’re looking to support students to capture their full potential and reach higher paying jobs that we need in Moore County.”

The school, which will “provide an accelerated learning model in a personalized environment on the campus of Sandhills Community College,” will go by the name Moore Innovative High School. Its mascot will be the Red Wolves, and the school will have a red-a nd-white color scheme.

“We’re really trying to connect to our local community and recognizing that red wolves are native only to North Carolina and that they are shy and elusive, but top predators, much like I expect my students to be,” said Moore Innovative High School Principal Ashlee Ciccone.

“It’s going to look very different from our three comprehensive high schools.”

Deputy Superintendent Mike Metcalf

According to Metcalf, 14% of MCS students who graduate, go directly into the workforce, and the goal of the innovative high school is to better equip those students for their futures.

“Some of those students do not necessarily qualify for the additional training that they would get at the community colleges to prepare themselves for these higher-paying, higher-level jobs within our

Hudson says voters will ‘reward us’ for Trump-Musk DOGE cuts

He’s chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee

By Lisa Mascaro The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Almost two months into President Donald Trump’s second term, the chairman of the House Republican campaign committee is already predicting his party will pick up seats in the midterm elections some 20 months away.

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) is in charge of increasing the GOP’s slim majority in the House, or at least defending it. After Republicans met privately this past week with Elon Musk, Hudson said the cuts pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency are

resonating with voters. With disruptions at GOP town halls during the recent break, Hudson and House

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)

have told Republican lawmakers to skip the events for now and meet with constituents elsewhere. Nevertheless, Hudson said Republicans are confident their budget-cutting is “on the side of the angels.”

Here’s the political outlook from the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee as he confronts Democrats trying to win back the House in 2026. This Q&A has been edited for brevity and length.

What was your advice about holding town halls?

I just said that it’s very important that all of us are communicating with our constituents, are very visible in our districts, very accessible. And it’s a shame that Democrat or-

own community that we need,” Metcalf said.

The plan for the school is to frontload the typically required MCS courses in students’ freshman and sophomore years and then transition more to community college courses in their junior and senior years.

“We’re providing them with a lot more personalized support, giving them real-world opportunities, giving them a focus on entrepreneurism,” Metcalf said. “Really, working off of skills and giving them the support to be able to achieve a level so they can get into those college courses and move on from there.”

The projected school calendar for the innovative high school will also feature early

ganizations are paying people to disrupt in-person town halls. And so this normal dialogue that we want to have with our constituents isn’t possible at in-person town halls. So we need to use technology to reach our constituents.

Do you think the DOGE cuts will be a tough sell?

I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened since I’ve been in Congress. My biggest frustration as a member of Congress is these massive bureaucracies that hide all their spending and when I ask questions or send letters, ignore it. And now it’s all mapped. You can see it all. There’s transparency for the American people. Now we can go in and decide, do we like the taxpayers’ dollars being spent on this program? Yes. Let’s keep it. This one? No, let’s cut it. I mean, we actually can do our job.

It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating.

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) attends a meeting of the House GOP conference in November.

With the clocks springing ahead over the weekend and temperatures on the rise, Bradford Pear trees in downtown Raeford are in full bloom, making winter feel like a distant memory.

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3.13.25

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Bragg to Liberty and back again

The Army held a ceremony to rechristen the N.C. base previously named for a Confederate general

By Allen G. Breed and Makiya Seminera The Associated Press

FORT BRAGG — The short-lived existence of Fort Liberty came to an end Friday when the nation’s largest Army installation officially returned to its former name: Fort Bragg.

Christened a century ago in honor of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, the post in North Carolina was renamed in 2023 amid a drive to remove symbols of the Confederacy from public spaces.

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HUDSON from page A1

Do you feel any blowback back home from people losing their jobs, cuts to veterans?

(Musk) did say that the the the firings at the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) were a mistake done by that agency, by the VA. He said mistakes were made by bureaucrats.

What do you make of the 80,000 cuts at the VA?

I’m disturbed when I hear veterans are being fired. I think we ought to give veterans priority. But, you know, I do acknowledge that there may need to be firings in all these agencies.

When it comes to the VA, for example, what I’m concerned about is giving world- class health care to our veterans in a timely manner. And so any waste, fraud and abuse that makes that difficult or messes that up, I’m interested in cutting.

What’s your message to the fired federal workers, what do you say to them?

Hang tight.

What’s that mean?

I mean there may be some mistakes that are being corrected.

Do you think that will be an OK message for other GOP lawmakers to use?

The American people are sick of the swamp. They’re sick of waste, fraud and abuse. For the first time ever, we finally have the tools to affect it. So I think the voters are going to reward us.

Democrats envision a repeat of Trump’s first term, when they won back the House?

I think they’re digging their own grave politically. We’re on the side of the angels. We’re doing what the American people asked us to do, what 77 million people voted for Donald Trump to get.

We’re going to pick up seats.

But last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order reinstating the Bragg name, only this time it will honor Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine. A few hundred people — made up of active servicemen and members of the public — gathered under black and yellow tents in front of the base’s command center headquarters to watch the renaming ceremony.

“Today we honor a hero worthy of the name Bragg,” Lt. Gen. Greg Anderson said

BOARD from page A1

release days on every Friday.

Students would attend class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays.

“It provides time where we can bring some of those students in for additional support if they need it, and it provides opportunities for internships and career exploration, work-based learning and job shadowing,” Metcalf said.

Board member David Hensley brought up some issues with the innovative high school, namely the reduced instructional hours as well as the bureaucracy surrounding the initial approval of the school.

“The fundamental problem with this is that the decision to develop an innovative high school, to put it at Sandhills Community College and to earmark state funds for it, was decided in a complete crony planning process that only included about five people,’ Hensley said. “It did not involve all the stakeholders. The county commissioners at-large were not consulted, the school

during the ceremony. “It is synonymous with excellence.”

Among the attendees were several members of Bragg’s family, including his daughter, Diane Watts, and his granddaughter, Rebecca Amirpour, who spoke on the family’s behalf during the ceremony. Amirpour described her grandfather as a “strong, hardworking and proud” man who didn’t discuss his military service in World War II very openly.

Bragg, who served with the 17th Airborne Division, received the Silver Star and a Purple Heart for exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured by Germans and commandeered an ambulance back to safety with a few wounded paratroopers, one of which survived, Anderson said.

“Rank doesn’t mean a thing when you’re in a tight spot,” said Amirpour, who was reading an excerpt from a letter her grandfather had written while recovering from an injury in an Army hospital.

Before his deployment, Bragg — of Nobleboro, Maine — trained at the North Carolina post, Watts said.

Fort Bragg’s name being restored was like a “phoenix rising from the ashes,” said retired Maj. Al Woodall, who served at Fort Bragg at several points during his service. Woodall, who is black, said he

board at-large was not consulted and the Sandhills Community College board of trustees was not consulted.”

Hensley also brought up how the county is already facing an overcrowding issue in its high schools, well above the 400-seat maximum supportable capacity of the innovative high school, and the fact that there hasn’t been a definitive cost for the project communicated with the public.

“No one knows how much this is going to cost,” Hensley said. “We’re implementing an innovative high school and no one can tell the taxpayers of Moore County or the state of North Carolina how much this is going to cost.”

However, the board voted 6-1 in favor of the endorsement.

“There’s been a lot of talk in the community, the parents are very excited, and I’m very impressed with the level of work and design and creativity that’s gone into this opportunity,” said board chair Robin Calcutt. “This is potentially life changing for many students. The opportunity for students to job shadow to get out in the communi-

wasn’t bothered by the installation’s initial name origin. Instead, he felt connected to the name because it had been that way for more than 100 years.

Carl Helton, who served at Fort Bragg from 1962 to 1964, said he was “ecstatic” about the name change. The 80-yearold, who traveled about an hour to attend the ceremony, refused to call the installation Fort Liberty after it was initially renamed, he said.

“It should have never been changed to start with. It was all political anyway,” Helton said.

Hegseth signed the order during a flight to Europe and said in a video, “That’s right. Bragg is back.”

It took an act of Congress — overriding Trump’s 2020 veto — to remove Confederate names from military installations, including nine Army facilities. Although several lawmakers complained about the switch back to Bragg and its potential costs, it is unclear whether any lawmaker intends to challenge it.

Hegseth also announced this week that Georgia’s Fort Moore would revert back to Fort Benning. Originally named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, it will now honor Cpl. Fred G. Benning, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross who served in France during World War I.

ty, for them to see what we’re talking about and what they’re training for is going to be really effective as a way to get them engaged and get them excited for getting into the workforce.”

The board also approved a contract with Centegix for its comprehensive safety platform.

“This is a fully integrated emergency alerting, visitor check-in, tracking and unification management program,” Metcalf said. “We looked for successful deployments and this company is across the country, but mainly in Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and a little bit moving into North Carolina. It’s been around since 2017, and we’ve done a full background check on them.”

The five-year investment will cost approximately $1.15 million, an annual increase of approximately $200,000 from the district’s current Raptor and Active Defender contracts.

“Our county emergency team fully endorses this,” Metcalf said. “It’s the gold standard.”

The Moore County Board of Education will next meet April 7.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

March 13

Becoming Led Zeppelin

7-9 p.m.

The documentary film Becoming Led Zeppelin explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds.

Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-beforeseen footage, performances and music, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. PG-13.

Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad Street Southern Pines

March 13, 14, 15

Moore County Historical Association: Shaw House & Property Tours

1-4 p.m.

The Moore County Historical Association’s Shaw House grounds and properties are open for tours on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. The tours are free and open to all ages. Enjoy learning of the impressive history here in Moore County.

Shaw House 110 Morganton Road Southern Pines

March 14

Cosmic Bowling

6-11:55 p.m.

Enjoy a night of Family Fun at Sandhills Bowling Center! Cosmic Bowling is just $17.00 per person and includes 2 hours of bowling and free shoe rental.

Sandhills Bowling Center 1680 NC Highway 5 Aberdeen

March 15

Village of Pinehurst: St. Patrick’s Day Parade

10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Come out for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade! Get in the Irish spirit in the Village of Pinehurst. The parade is sure to be a family-fun event. Enjoy the parade of cars, floats, golf carts and more on Saturday, March 15th beginning at 10am. This is a pet-friendly event! It is free to participate in the parade. If interested, applications can be picked up at the Cannon Park Community Center. Pinehurst

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

| REP. RICHARD HUDSON

The American dream is alive again

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

THE BIDEN-HARRIS administration killed the American Dream.

As President Donald J. Trump made clear during his historic address last week, he is renewing it.

Since Jan. 20, Trump has moved at an unprecedented pace to reverse the damage caused by the Democrats, delivering major wins for you, your family and our country. He has taken critical steps to make our borders and communities more secure, and illegal border crossings have hit record lows as a result. He has reversed every one of the Biden-Harris job-killing, inflation-fueling energy regulations and terminated the radical “Green New Scam.”

Trump has also worked to root out government waste, fraud and abuse, and better protect your hard-earned tax

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

dollars. He has rolled back burdensome red tape, empowering American innovation and encouraging companies to invest in communities across our country, including in North Carolina. And he has restored peace through strength, putting terrorists on notice and making our country respected again around the world.

With every action, Trump is keeping the promises he made to you.

It’s no wonder that over 50% of Americans approve of the job Trump has done in just his first couple weeks back in office.

The American people gave Trump and Republicans in Congress a mandate to deliver on the full America First agenda — not just parts of it. I, alongside my House Republican colleagues, am taking steps to accomplish just that.

Recently, our House Republican majority passed a bill to start charting the best path forward to enact this agenda. While there is still much more work to do, I am determined to send a bill to Trump’s desk that secures our border, keeps taxes low, makes everyday things affordable and ensures the government works better for you. Under Trump’s leadership, the winning will not stop. This is just the beginning of America’s new Golden Age. Together with Trump and Republicans in Congress, I will continue working to get our country back on track and deliver results for you and your family.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in Congress.

A formidable president storms ahead

His approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

SOME THOUGHTS spring to mind after President Donald Trump’s 100-minute address to Congress.

The first is that this 78-year-old man has amazing resilience and perseverance.

Consider that in the past 12 months, he has had to spend hours listening to a kangaroo court proceeding before a hostile judge in New York, has maintained a campaign rally schedule that would daunt candidates half his age, has participated in planning sessions for a detailed set of executive orders he might never have an opportunity to issue, has faced the former president and vice president of the United States in televised debates with moderators he had reason to believe were biased against him, and suffered a bullet wound that came within 1 inch of killing him.

Around minute 98, he made mention of the last. This inspired sympathizers in the House chamber to echo the cries of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” he made as he rose above his Secret Service protectors.

A second thing to say is that, long before minute 98, his speech was almost entirely about what he has been doing, saying, proposing and persuading others to do. Four paragraphs near the end gracefully evoked themes from history, but he otherwise spoke about his orders withdrawing from United Nations institutions, eliminating government censorship (while renaming the Gulf of Mexico), overturning racially discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and his Department of Government Efficiency’s identification of dubious U.S. Agency for International Development programs.

Instead of an overarching vision of where the world stands in history, he quoted Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter apologizing for his comments the previous Friday and promising to sign the mineral rights deal he had criticized in the televised exchange that for once showed the public what leaders look and sound like in what diplomats call “a full and frank exchange.”

My third observation is that, as the Zelenskyy letter suggests, Trump is mostly getting his way. It was surely no accident that the narrow and previously fractious Republican majority in the House elected a speaker and passed a budget resolution with just one dissenting vote. Similarly, Trump’s top-level appointees have all been confirmed by the Senate. Neither foreign leaders nor domestic partisans want to defy this aggressive man with three years, 10 months and two weeks left in his term.

Fourth, there was no return to norms of civil discourse. Trump called former President Joe Biden “the worst president in American history” and condemned “the open-border, insane policies that (Biden had) allowed to destroy the country.” Democrats have a point when they say Trump started this with his derogatory nicknames for 2016 opponents. Republicans have a point when they say Democrats escalated this with the Russia collusion hoax and baseless post-presidential prosecutions, unprecedented since former President Thomas Jefferson’s treason prosecution of former Vice President Aaron Burr. But neither Trump’s speech nor the Democrats’ childish behavior (that Trump predicted) in the audience moved to de-escalation.

Fifth, Trump continues to disregard free-market economists’ (in my opinion, wise) advice. True, he is encouraging congressional Republicans to reup the tax-cut-for-all legislation they passed eight years ago, but with political payoff add-ons such as no tax on tips. However, he also devoted multiple paragraphs extolling his imposition of tariffs, notably on Mexico and Canada. Economists point out that the tariffs will likely raise the U.S. prices of many products, not just eggs. Voters won’t welcome something that looks like the Biden inflation, which could overshadow the Trump administration’s genuine successes.

This leads to my sixth observation: that he’s aware that the Constitution and

calendar set limits on his time. Early in his speech, Trump noted that measures of illegal crossings on the southern border have immediately dwindled to almost nothing. Smugglers and potential illegals clearly got his message, even as Democrats and much of the press argued that only new legislation could stop the flow. His only problem is that solving a problem can deprive you of an issue. Former President George H.W. Bush’s deft handling of foreign policy problems left voters concluding they didn’t need him after the Cold War. Success can breed failure.

But for a time, it can breed success. The first words of Article II of the Constitution state, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” Those words, plus recent Supreme Court decisions, suggest that most decisions limiting Trump’s administrative powers will not stand. Current polls show that Trump’s disapproval is rising, but his approval rate is steady at just under 50%, while Republicans keep making gains in party registration.

What is Trump planning for years two, three and four? I’m not sure, and I suspect he’s not, either. Trump knows the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prevents him from running again. He must know that’s likely to reduce his clout with foreign leaders and American politicians. More importantly, he’s aware his time may be cut short. In the House chamber, as in his convention speech on July 19, he remembered how he had narrowly escaped death on July 13. “I believe my life was saved that day in Butler,” he said, “for a very good reason. I was saved by God to make America great again — I believe that. I really do.”

Like him or not, he is a formidable man. Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.”

COLUMN

Trump says he’ll buy a Tesla to show support for Musk

The president will pay “full market price” for the vehicle

By Chris Megerian The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

With Elon Musk facing escalating political blowback and a drop in wealth, President Donald Trump said he would buy a Tesla vehicle from his company, an unusual show of support from the president to his most powerful adviser.

It was the latest example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year and has been a key figure in his second administration.

The Republican president announced early Tuesday that he was going to buy a new Tesla as “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the vehicle was on its way to the White House and Trump would view it Tuesday afternoon. She said it was a “very exciting moment” and Trump would pay the “full market price.”

Musk’s electric vehicle company has been battered by sagging sales and plunging stock prices. He continues to run the automaker — as well as the social media platform X and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX — while also serving as Trump’s adviser on overhauling and downsizing the federal government.

“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote on social media. “But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are

trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”

Others have also rallied to Musk’s defense. Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist, said he bought a customized ver-

sion of a Cybertruck that he’ll give away to a customer of his online store next month.

In addition to Tesla’s struggles, Musk has faced other challenges too. He said X was targeted by a “massive cyberattack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the last two test launches of his Star-

ship rocket ended in explosions.

Tesla has faced sagging sales and declining stock prices as Musk devotes his time to overhauling and downsizing the federal government as an adviser to the president.

The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump’s plans for buying a Tesla, such as how the purchase would be handled or where the car would be kept.

Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show.

But regardless of the practicality of Trump’s purchase, his overnight announcement about buying a Tesla represented another step in how the president has blurred lines between private and public interests.

During his first term, top adviser Kellyanne Conway urged people to show their support for Trump’s daughter Ivanka by purchasing her retail products.

“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” she said. “I’m going to give it a free commercial here.”

Trump’s wealth and business savvy is core to his political appeal. The president promoted his products while running for office last year, and he attached his name to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly before he took office.

However, it’s rare to see Trump use his own money to support an ally, no matter how important they are.

Musk is the world’s richest person, with billions of dollars in government contracts. He’s also exerting sweeping influence over Trump’s administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and traveling frequently with the president.

During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked

“The Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon.”

President Donald Trump

Musk how he was running his other businesses while also advising Trump.

“With great difficulty,” he said.

“But there’s no turning back, you say?” Kudlow responded.

“I’m just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud,” Musk said.

Tesla has recently faced protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle.

At times, the White House has needed to play cleanup for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that he’ll make mistakes along the way.

For example, Musk presented inflated estimates of fraud in government benefits like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs.

“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk said in the interview. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”

The next morning, a White House account on X criticized news organizations as “lying hacks” and told Democrats to “spare us the fake outrage” about reducing benefits.

“He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs,” the White House posted.

been rejected, Brunner said.

Only 20% of people with return orders are actually removed

The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — The European Union wants to increase deportations and is opening the way for “return hubs” to be set up in third countries for rejected asylum-seekers, according to a new migration proposal unveiled Tuesday.

Only 20% of people with a return order are effectively re-

moved from EU territory, according to the European Commission, which presented the “European System for Returns” as a potential solution.

The proposal aims to set a standard for all 27 members of the bloc and allow national authorities from one country to enforce the deportation order issued by another. Such rules were missing from the EU’s migration and asylum pact approved last year.

“The European system needs to be clear that when someone is issued a return decision they are

“The European system needs to be clear that when someone is issued a return decision they are being told to leave.”

Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for migration

being told to leave, not just the country but the entire European Union,” said Magnus Brunner, EU’s commissioner for mi-

gration, who called the current 20% removal rate unacceptable.

“Any figure would be an improvement, but we don’t want to pin down any specific figures,” he added.

For the proposal to work, however, the EU needs to get countries of origin to readmit their citizens. Brunner acknowledged that the commission and member states are still working on improving that.

The “return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers, would apply only to people whose asylum requests have

While the EU wouldn’t set up or manage such centers, which could be in Europe or elsewhere, the commission says it wants to create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate bilaterally or at the EU level with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers. Migrant rights groups say the proposal undermines the right to asylum.

“We can likely expect more people being locked up in immigration detention centers across Europe, families separated and people sent to countries they don’t even know,” said Silvia Carta of the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants.

The European Parliament and the member states would need to agree on the proposal.

JOSE LUIS MAGANA / AP PHOTO

Elon Musk flashes his T-shirt that reads “DOGE” to the media as he walks on South Lawn of the White House on Sunday.

MOORE SPORTS

NCHSAA aims to speed process to set calendar, playoff formats

Conference memberships have been approved for the upcoming school year

By Bob Sutton North State Journal

THE NEXT STEP for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association is to set the playing calendar for the 2025‑26 school year and devise playoff formats for the new eight classi fication set up.

Expect that to be expedited.

“If we had it ready, it would be out there,” said NCHSAA presi dent Stephen Gainey, who’s also superintendent of the Randolph County School System. “We know the coaches and the ADs and principals need it.”

The NCHAA board of direc tors completed the conference realignment process last week by approving a final version.

Gainey and NCHSAA com missioner Que Tucker answered questions last Thursday.

The calendar is a priority and that comes in conjunction with establishing playoff formats. Tucker said NCHSAA staff has worked on several draft calen dars depending on a 32 team or a 48/64 team bracket is used.

The task involves determin ing how teams will qualify for playoffs in team sports and ad dressing the postseason process in individual sports. There will be challenges sorting out play off fields stemming from multi class conferences, Tucker said.

As a former principal, Gainey said he understands the need for an NCHSAA calendar to help in forming schedules.

“We had to get past (March 3),” Gainey said of last week’s board approval. “We are in a good spot. It is time for schools to start making decisions. Hav ing your conference is one thing. The next thing is getting your non conference schedule set.”

The board heard 26 presenta tions on appeals last week before locking in the conference group ings that will be in place for at least two years.

“We anticipated that it would be challenging,” Tucker said. “Yes, this was the most challeng ing one because of the expanded number of classifications.”

Gainey and Tucker said the board was cognizant of the months long efforts of the re

Pinecrest’s Dakota Bender scores during a February game against Hoke County. These Sandhills Conference rivals will remain together as the only 8A members of the new 7A/8A Conference A.

alignment committee when re viewing appeals.

“Not everybody is happy with the final draft,” Tucker said. “With eight classifications … it became very clear pretty quickly that we were going to have many conferences that were multi class conferences.”

The realignment committee heard appeals and submitted three drafts for consideration.

“I know that everything we do may not always make everybody happy, but I can assure you that we will not ever do anything in tentionally to make somebody unhappy,” Gainey said. “This has been an historic realign ment process, no doubt. … I’m proud of the membership. They wanted this and they put forth their vote.”

The realignment has come under criticism in various parts of the state, mostly with schools disappointed in their conference assignments. Gainey said it was clear that there would be hurdles with such a drastic shift from four to eight classifications.

“I hope it’s everything the member schools wanted be cause they wanted this,” Gainey said. “When they wanted some

thing this bad, something beau tiful is going to come out of it. … They saw something that said we need to do something differ ent. I’m going to trust that.”

There were countless factors in setting conferences.

Many of the realignment con siderations were based on travel distances between schools. Gain ey said that was appropriate.

“I want to be in a conference that I’m spending all my mon ey I set aside for my athletic pro gram in the gas tank,” Gainey said. “We’re going to have more resources to use for our kids.”

Pinecrest, an 8A school, will be in 7A/8A Conference A with Jack Britt (7A), Overhills (7A), Pine Forest (7A), Richmond (7A) and Hoke County (8A).

North Moore (3A), is as signed to 3A/4A Conference B with Eastern Randolph (3A), Northwood (3A), Jordan Mat thews (4A), Southwestern Ran dolph (4A) and Uwharrie Char ter (4A).

Union Pines (6A) is in 6A Conference 1 with fellow 6A schools Harnett Central, Lee County, South Johnston, South ern Lee, Triton, West Johnston and Western Harnett.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Ansley Preslar

North Moore, softball

Ansley Preslar is a sophomore on the North Moore softball team. The Mustangs are off to a 4-1 start to the season, and Preslar has been a force at the plate so far.

In a 22-13 win over Southeast Alamance last week, she hit two home runs, doubled, scored three runs and drove in seven. She followed that up a hit and two runs against Jordan-Matthews. With five homers on the young season, Preslar leads all of NCHSAA. She’s also seventh in the state in RBIs and leads the Mid-Carolina Conference in slugging and runs.

ACC, Clemson, FSU approve settlement to end legal fight

A new revenue distribution model provides stability for the conference through 2031

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

THE ATLANTIC Coast Conference, Clemson and Florida State are ready to move forward together after legal fights that threatened the stability of the league.

Each approved a settlement to end the crossfire of lawsuits between the member schools and the ACC, signing off on a deal that changes the reve nue d istribution model in a way that would theoretically benefit both schools with mar quee football brands. The deal also revises and clarifies the long t erm costs for a school to leave the conference.

It doesn’t offer permanent security. Notably, the 2030 31 season now looms as a signif icant marker. But it does sta bilize the coming years for a league that had heard doom sayers questioning its surviv al amid a growing revenue gap behind the Southeastern Con ference and the Big Ten.

“Today’s resolution begins the next chapter of this storied league and further solidifies the ACC as a premier confer ence,” commissioner Jim Phil lips said in a statement, not ing the parties would dismiss

pending lawsuits in Florida and the Carolinas.

“The settlements, coupled with the ACC’s continued partnership with ESPN, al low us to focus on our collec tive future — including Clem son and Florida State — united in an 18 member conference demonstrating the best in in tercollegiate athletics.”

Most notably, the reve nue d istribution model will now incorporate TV viewer ship as a way for the league’s top programs to generate more revenue. That formula would see 60% of the league’s TV rev enues go into a pot for distribu tion based on a rolling five ye ar formula tied to viewership rat ings, while the remaining 40% would be distributed equally among the members.

The upside could be $15 million or more for top e arn ing schools, while it could also result in a decline of about $7 million for others.

It’s the latest in a series of what Phillips has previously called “aggressive” efforts to generate more revenue.

“At the end of the day, this innovative distribution mod el which further incentivizes performance and investment will help strengthen the ACC,” Clemson athletic director Gra ham Neff told trustees be fore their vote to approve the deal. “A strong ACC is good for Clemson. And a strong Clem son is good for the ACC.”

A Clemson and ACC logo are displayed on an end zone pylon during a 2023 game. The recent agreement helps ensure that the logos will continue to share space for the next few years.

The growing revenue gap — which amounted to roughly $6 million less per school than in the SEC and $15 million in the Big Ten, according to tax doc uments from the 2022 2 3 sea son — had been at the root of the unrest. Schools had signed a grant of r ights deal to give the ACC control of their media rights through the end of the league’s TV deal with ESPN in 2036, while the league could impose massive exit fees on any school that sought to leave for another league be

fore the expiration of that deal. Those costs had been a key subject of FSU’s Decem ber 2023 lawsuit and Clem son’s in March 2024, while the ACC had conversely sued both schools. The settlement now provides a roadmap to how any early exit might work.

Specifically, the slideshow at the Clemson trustee meeting reported the exit fee would be $165 million for the 2026 fiscal year but would descend by $18 million per year until leveling off around $75 million for the

2030 31 season. And despite the grant of r ights provision, any school that paid the exit fee would be allowed to exit with its media rights, accord ing to that presentation.

“I’m proud of where we’ve landed,” FSU trustee and for mer Seminoles quarterback Drew Weatherford said.

“We made some commit ments 14 months ago to make sure we could do everything in our power to compete at the highest level, and I think we’ve done that here.”

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

JACOB KUPFERMAN / AP PHOTO

Carol Emily Collins Dowd

Dec. 23, 1955 – March 6, 2025

Carol Emily (Collins) Dowd, 69 of Southern Pines, passed on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst.

A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines. A graveside service will be held at 11a.m. on Friday, March 14, 2025, at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Southern Pines with Father Mike McKinnon officiating.

Carol was born December 23, 1955, in New York City, NY to the late John and Marion (Brandstetter) Collins. She loved and lived for the 48 years of dedicated and devoted service to Southern Pines Fire / Rescue as a volunteer. She enjoyed fishing, working in her yard, gardening, and spending time at the lake and beach. She loved to care for people and always focused on others before herself.

She is survived by her husband Martin W Dowd; loving pets Winston, Sophie, and Lily: a son, Bryon Smith and wife Jennifer of Carthage, NC; a sister, Marion Solimon and husband Sherif of New Jersey; a brother, Patrick Collins of New Jersey; two grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in memory of Carol Dowd to Solutions for Animals, 2298 N. Horace Walters Road, Raeford, NC 28376 Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

obituaries

Linda Thomas Schuchard

Aug. 9, 1946 – March 5, 2025

Linda Thomas Schuchard, 78, of Aberdeen, NC went to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

She was born August 9, 1946, to the late Carlton and Inez Thomas. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Sonny and Donald Thomas, her sister, Betty Huff; and her beloved grandson, Josh Britt.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, David Schuchard; her three daughters and their husbands, Amy (Mark) Ivey, Jill (Jeff) Britt, and Holly (Joe) Needham; her grandchildren, Zac (Elly) Ivey, Emily (Kyle) Varner, Jake (Raine) Britt, Sam (Stephanie) Ivey, Matt Needham, Noah (Maddie) Britt, Mary Cate (Michael) Lu, Madison Britt, Lillie Needham and Eli (Emma) Needham; her precious great-grandchildren, Joanna and Max Lu, Eloise and Oliver Britt, Nova Ivey, Maverick Varner and Jack Britt; her sister, Brenda (Metrah) Spencer; as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Linda, also known as Mama and Gaga, was a lifelong member of Ashley Heights Baptist Church. She loved her Lord and spent countless hours studying his word. She knew and loved her Bible and imparted that love and wisdom to countless children and adults as a Sunday school teacher and Mission Friends leader.

She devoted her life to children, loving and raising her three daughters, her students she taught in Hoke County Schools for twenty-five years, her grandchildren and her precious great-grandchildren.

Her husband, Dave, was her best friend, and they were inseparable as they lived life as a perfect example of Christian marriage.

She loved everyone she met and wanted them to know her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She never met a stranger, and those who met her never forgot her. She was pure joy.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

The family will receive friends on Friday, March 14, 2025, from 5 - 7 p.m. at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines. A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Ashley Heights Baptist Church. Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Iris Suzanna Woodruff

Aug. 19, 1982 – March 4, 2025

Iris Suzanna Woodruff, age 42, of West End, NC passed into the arms of God on March 4, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones. She had just experienced a valiant 19-day stay in ICU at First Health, Moore Regional Hospital, and her medical team treated her, and her family and friends, with such kindness, dignity and respect. Suzanna was born in Siler City, NC on August 19, 1982, to her profoundly loving and fully committed parents, Dale Henry Woodruff and Iris Elaine Johnson Woodruff.

Although Suzanna experienced a challenging life with at least 73 surgeries, and dozens upon dozens of hospital admissions, she accepted challenge after challenge without complaint. While she was differently abled, she lit up every room with her joy, she led with her sense of humor, and she extended her kindness to all she met, even in her most difficult times. She enjoyed spending time with her dear friends, parents, and siblings. However, spending time with her nieces and nephews brought her the most joy.

Suzanna is survived by her loving parents, Dale and Elaine Woodruff; her brother, Jared Woodruff (and wife, Frankie); and her sister Jessica Bowers. She is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews, who all claim to be her favorite - Paige, Meredith, Jackson, J.J., Luke, and Sophia. She will be dearly missed by her chosen family, Lija Moore (and son, Christian). Suzanna was preceded in death by her loving grandparents, Richard Johnson and Ethel and William Woodruff.

A graveside service will be held Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Culdee Presbyterian Church Cemetery at 2 p.m. with Pastor Charles Garrison officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you to kindly consider a memorial donation to FirstHealth Cancer Center.

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home, Seven Lakes.

Ruth Spears Smith Sinclair

April 21, 1931 – Mar. 4, 2025

Ruth Spears Smith Sinclair, 93, passed away peacefully and into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday, March 4, at Pinehurst Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, March 11, at 2 p.m. at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen with the Rev David Priddy officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the church, as well as after the service.

Ruth was born on April 21, 1931, in Rowland, N.C., to Charles and Frances Smith.

She grew up in Rowland with three other siblings. She started taking piano lessons when she was in fourth grade. She and her family were members of Rowland Methodist Church. She started playing the organ at her church when she was 13 years old and played all through her high school years. The church sent her to Fayetteville to take organ lessons.

Ruth graduated from Rowland High School and enrolled in Flora MacDonald College in Red Springs, majoring in piano performance and minoring in organ performance. After graduating from Flora Macdonald College, she then began commuting to Fairmont to teach piano lessons at Fairmont High School.

During that time, she met her future husband, Joe Neal Sinclair Jr., who also grew up in Rowland. They were married Dec. 30, 1954. Soon after, they moved to Red Springs when her husband was hired by Lumbee River Electric Co-op.

Ruth became the organist at Trinity Methodist Church in Red Springs and also taught private piano lessons. She was consecrated as a Minister of Music by the N.C. Conference of Methodist Churches. She also provided piano accompaniment for voice students at Flora Macdonald College.

They later moved to Maxton when her husband was hired by what was then Carolina Power & Light Co, (now Duke Progress Energy). She became the organist and choir director at Maxton Presbyterian Church, continued to teach private piano lessons and provided accompaniment for voice students at what is now St. Andrews Presbyterian College. While living in Maxton, their two children were born, David Neal in 1962 and Frances Teresa in 1964.

A job promotion with CP&L

brought the family to Aberdeen, N.C, in May 1967. She took a job for a brief time as the organist and choir director at Raeford Presbyterian Church, followed by short stints at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen and Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church in Southern Pines. In 1971, Ruth became organist (and choir director for short time) at Southern Pines First Baptist Church, as well as senior youth choir director and the first handbell choir director. After 18 years, she retired.

But retirement did not last long. She then became the organist at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen. She remained on the organ bench until finally retiring in December 2015.

Throughout all those years in various church music ministry work, Ruth to teach private piano lessons, many of those years at her home in Aberdeen, mentoring generations of young people. Ruth was an active member of the National and N.C. Music Teachers Association. She received the Piano Techer of Experience Award from National Association in 1999. She served as chairperson for the state piano contest for two years.

She and fellow music teacher, the late Dorothy McDonald, organized the National Guild of Piano Teachers Auditions in Moore County in 1970. Over the years, many of her students earned superior ratings in the annual contest. She served as chairperson of the local Guild Auditions until 2016.

Ruth retired from teaching piano lessons in 2018. In a handwritten life history, Ruth “proudly” stated that both her children took piano lessons during their school years.

Another joy in her life was the mountain property she and her husband purchased in Land Harbor in 1979. They later replaced the camper and bult a home on the lot in 1990. That became their summer retreat for many years to come. She and Joe cherished their time in the NC High Country. They also traveled extensively, visiting Ireland twice, Eastern Europe and a couple of Caribbean cruises.

Ruth was proceeded in death by her husband Joe N. Sinclair Jr. in 2012, her parents, Charles and Frances Smith, brothers Paul Smith and wife Jean; brother William Smith and sister, Beth.

She is survived by her son, David of Pinehurst; daughter Terri Sinclair and husband John Galland of Pinehurst, sister-inlaw Patsy Smith of Latta, S.C.; brother-in-law Jimmy Sinclair and wife Margaret of Smyrna, Ga. Ruth concluded her handwritten life history that she titled “A Time of Remembrance,”: I thank the Lord every day for his goodness in directing my life. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Bethesda Presbyterian Music Ministry in memory of Ruth Sinclair.

Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Ralph Redmond Jr.

May 8, 1926 – March 3, 2025

Ralph Redmond Jr., age 98, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2025.

Ralph was born on May 8, 1926, in Owosso, Michigan to the late Ralph Redmond Sr. of Owosso and Elizabeth LaNoue originally of Houston, Texas. Ralph met the girl who would become his “bride” while attending the same schools in Owosso, but it took time.

According to Ralph in high school the lovely Mary Fink was busy dating quarterbacks and various BMOC’s (Big Men On Campus) and Ralph was slow to intervene. His opportunity came when he had returned from the Navy, including active duty in the Pacific theater. Between semesters at Western Michigan University he had a job driving an ice truck locally to serve those who had an “ice box” in their kitchen. Mary Fink’s home at 409 East Oliver St. was on his route, and she welcomed his visits.

Mary and Ralph wed soon after he had graduated with a degree in Business Management from Indiana University. Ralph’s career revolved around the Corrugated box and container industry within which he was employed for more than 50 years, including one stretch when he functioned as General Manager for eight different corrugated box facilities at the same time.

Ralph’s move to Pinehurst was his formal retirement from the box industry, and the start of his second career as a community volunteer, spending much time as a board member in behalf of Sandhills Community College.

Ralph is survived by three sons and one daughter, Ralph Redmond 3rd of Indianapolis, IN, Jeffery Redmond of Pinehurst, NC, Gary L. Redmond and wife Barbara of Carmel, IN and Maria Redmond Fernitz and husband John of Northbrook, IL. He also has six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Pinehurst.

Paul O. Blake Jr.

Jan. 7, 1940 – March 5, 2025

Paul O. Blake Jr., 85, of Pinehurst, NC died Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at the FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst.

A funeral service will be conducted at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines with the Rev. John Forbes officiating. Burial will follow at Bethesda Cemetery. The family will receive friends before the service from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Paul was the co-owner of Paul Blake and Associates for 44 years.

He is survived by his spouse, Chuck Helbling, a daughter, Susan Bridges of Garner, a son, Edwin Blake of Lumberton, six grandchildren, five greatgrandchildren and nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may be made to the Moore County Humane Society, 5355 NC Hwy 22, Carthage, NC 28327. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home.

Edward Howard Minchin Jr.

Sept. 27, 1940 – March 3, 2025

Edward Howard Minchin Jr., a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and horseman passed away on March 3, 2025, at the age of 84. His life was a testament to passion, perseverance, and love. Known affectionately as “Minch” to those who knew and loved him, he fought a sudden and courageous battle with HLH Syndrome, embodying the same strength and grace he showed throughout his remarkable life.

Born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, Ed, served two years in the United States Navy before managing the family car business, New England Motors, and pursuing his lifelong passion for horses. In 1961, he married Sandra Gay Swayne, and together they established Hyglen Farm in Vermont, where they raised their three children and trained their horses. Ed started a maple syrup production as a hobby and turned it into a business he loved. He also enjoyed being involved with the production and storage of Hay at the Corse Farm.

1984 marked a significant chapter in Ed’s life when he and Sandy relocated to Southern Pines, North Carolina, founding Pine Meadow Farm. Their expertise in developing young hunter-jumper prospects earned them widespread respect in the equestrian community. Horses like “Zoom” and “The Wizard” became living testaments to their skill and dedication.

Ed and Sandy also played an instrumental role in establishing the International Hunter Futurity, a legacy that helped shape the equestrian world.

After losing Sandy in 1996, Ed’s capacity for love remained undiminished. In 1998, he married Parker Haynes Barker, beginning a beautiful 27-year journey of companionship, shared passions, and family joy. Together, they explored new adventures, including showing reining horses and owning competition bucking bulls with close friends Jerome and Tiffany Davis. Their love for each other, their family, and their friends was easily recognized by everyone they touched.

Ed is survived by his loving wife Parker Haynes Minchin; his children Terry Dennis, Edward Minchin III (Holly), and Maggie Williams (Danny); step-children Jennifer Barker, John Barker (Rachel), and David Barker (Lauren); 12 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; his brother Renwick Minchin (Linda); sisterin-law Nance Minchin (wife of late brother Hank); and 8 nieces and nephews from the Minchin and Swayne families.

More than a horseman, Ed loved his country, was a respected patriarch, a mentor, and a friend who lived life with unbridled enthusiasm. His legacy is not just in the horses he trained or the land he cultivated, but in the many lives he touched, the memories he created, and the love he shared so generously.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Hill Top Cemetery. A celebration of life will be immediately following the service at Lyell’s Meadow in the Moss Foundation. The Moss Foundation is sandy soil; therefore, appropriate footwear is suggested.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to:

· National Reining Horse Sports Foundation (Crisis Fund).

· Walthour Moss Foundation in Southern Pines.

Services entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Pitcher Art Schallock, who replaced Mantle on Yankees’ roster, dead at 100

He had been the oldest living major league player

By Janie McCauley

The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Art

Schallock, a left handed pitch er who in 1951 replaced future Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle on the Yankees’ roster and had been the oldest living former major leaguer, has died.

He was 100, having cele brated with a big birthday par ty when he became a centenar ian last spring. His assisted living home announced Sat urday that Schallock died last Thursday, also providing con firmation from the family.

“He passed away peaceful ly in his loving care commu nity in Sonoma, California, at the age of 100. He would have been 101 in April,” the fami ly said.

“A beloved father, grandfa ther, great g randfather, and friend, Art lived a remarkable life, from serving his coun try in World War II to achiev ing his dream of playing Major League Baseball. As a pitch er for the New York Yankees, he was part of a historic era in the sport, contributing to mul tiple World Series champion ships. Beyond baseball, Art was known for his kindness, humor, and deep appreciation for the people around him. He lived a life filled with cherished friendships, family, and a pas sion for the sport that defined much of his journey.”

When New York optioned the then 19 year old Mantle to Triple A in 1951, Schallock got his shot in the major leagues at age 27. He and Yogi Berra were roommates, and Schallock was the one who picked up Berra’s daily delivery of “funnies” as they called them.

The Bay Area native went to Tamalpais High in Mill Valley then College of Marin before becoming the 10,823rd major league player when he debuted on July 16, 1951. He pitched 22/3 innings for the Yankees that day at Detroit. He earned his first career win one month later at Washington.

The lefty won three World Series rings from 1951 53, al though he only pitched in the ’53 Series, retiring Brook lyn’s Jackie Robinson during a two inning outing in Game 4.

“That was quite a thrill, quite a thrill playing with those guys,” Schallock told The Associated Press last year in an interview ahead of his 100th birthday. “I roomed with Yogi Berra when I got up there, and he knew all the hitters. We went over all the hitters on each team. Besides that, I had to run down to the lobby and get his funny books. Ev ery morning. Yogi knew all the hitters, how to pitch to them, whether it’s low, high or what ever, he knew how to pitch to them. And I had to learn from him.”

Serving for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean during World War II after enlisting in 1942, Schallock narrowly es

caped harm when the neigh boring aircraft carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese torpedo in Novem ber 1943 and 644 were killed — accounting for the majori ty of the casualties in the Bat tle of Makin.

“I never thought I would get back to the highest lev el. I wanted to play baseball, yes,” he said during the inter view last year. “I did it in ju nior college. In those years, the Bay Area was full of baseball. When I say full of baseball, semi pros. Every town had a team.”

Over a five year big league career primarily with the Yan kees before finishing with Bal timore in 1955, Schallock went 6 7 w ith a 4.02 ERA over 58 games with 14 starts spanning 1701/3 innings. He struck out 77 batters.

Schallock was born on April 25, 1924, in Mill Valley outside San Francisco.

His age didn’t set a re cord: Negro Leagues pitcher Si Simmons of the 1926 New York Lincoln Giants lived to 111, while another ex Yankees pitcher, Red Hoff, reached 107.

“The community at Cogir of Sonoma Plaza is deeply sad dened by the passing of our beloved resident, Arthur ‘Art’ Schallock, on March 6, 2025,” the facility said in a statement. “At the age of 100, Art was a cherished member of our com munity, bringing warmth, hu mor, and an inspiring life story to all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

NFL lineman turned broadcaster Craig Wolfley dies at 66

He was a fixture in Pittsburgh for years

By Will Graves The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — Craig Wolfley, a former NFL offen sive lineman who spent most of his 12 year career playing for Chuck Noll in Pittsburgh and later became a fixture on the Steelers radio broadcast team, has died. He was 66.

WDVE FM in Pittsburgh, where Wolfley worked in var ious roles during Steelers broadcasts, including most re cently as a color commenta tor, confirmed Wolfley’s death. Wolfley had recently been di agnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.

The Steelers selected Wolf ley in the fifth round of the 1980 draft following a stand out career at Syracuse. He was a fixture at left guard and then left tackle during his decade in Pittsburgh, making 104 starts across 10 seasons. Wolfley played two more years in Min nesota in 1990 and 1991 before retiring.

Craig Wolfley, center, a former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman, stands with his hand over his heart during the national anthem in June 2022.

“His passionate voice and deep understanding of the game made him a trusted fig ure for Steelers fans,” Rooney said in a statement. “And his humor, warmth, and enthusi asm left a lasting impact on our community.”

Wolfley and good friend and former teammate Tunch Ilkin paired up for the popular “In the Locker Room with Tunch and Wolf” show and the easy rapport between the two was a fixture of most Steeler game broadcasts during their time together. Ilkin died of ALS in 2021.

Steelers president Art Rooney II praised Wolfley’s “work ethic and commitment to excellence” during his career and complimented his com mentary on the team’s radio network.

Known almost universally as “Wolf,” Wolfley moved from the sideline to the booth full time when he replaced Ilkin as the color analyst on the Steel ers Radio Network.

Wolfley’s deep laugh and kind demeanor — he’d often respond “better than I deserve” whenever he was asked how he was doing by a listener — be lied his physical playing style and his uncommon strength. He placed fifth in the World’s Strongest Man competition in 1981 and later owned a boxing club in the Pittsburgh suburbs. Wolfley is survived by his wife Faith, his brother Ron, a former NFL running back, and six children.

WENDY CORNEJO / COGIR ON NAPA ROAD VIA AP

Art Schallock poses for a photo in Sonoma, California, in April 2024.

ARIANA SHCHUKA / PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE VIA AP

STATE & NATION

America’s butterflies disappearing at ‘catastrophic’ rate in 2000s

National analysis says the population falling by 1.3% per year

By Seth Borenstein

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — America’s butterflies are disap pearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study finds.

The first countrywide sys tematic analysis of butterfly abundance found that the num ber of butterflies in the Lower 48 states has been falling on av erage 1.3% a year since the turn of the century, with 114 species showing significant declines and only nine increasing, ac cording to a study in Thursday’s journal Science.

“Butterflies have been de clining the last 20 years,” said study co author Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University. “And we don’t see any sign that that’s going to end.”

A team of scientists combined 76,957 surveys from 35 mon itoring programs and blend ed them for an apples to ap ples comparison and ended up counting 12.6 million but terflies over the decades. Last month, an annual survey that looked just at monarch butter flies, which federal officials plan to put on the threatened species list, counted a nearly all time low of fewer than 10,000, down from 1.2 million in 1997.

Many of the species in de cline fell by 40% or more.

‘Catastrophic and saddening’ loss over time

David Wagner, a Universi ty of Connecticut entomologist who wasn’t part of the study,

LAUREN ROSE / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A Monarch butterfly inspects a sunflower at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh.

praised its scope. And he said while the annual rate of decline may not sound significant, it is “catastrophic and saddening” when compounded over time.

“In just 30 or 40 years we are talking about losing half the butterflies (and other insect life) over a continent!” Wagner said in an email. “The tree of life is being denuded at unprecedent ed rates.”

The United States has 650

butterfly species, but 96 spe cies were so sparse they didn’t show up in the data and anoth er 212 species weren’t found in sufficient number to calculate trends, said study lead author Collin Edwards, an ecologist and data scientist at the Wash ington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“I’m probably most worried about the species that couldn’t even be included in the analy

22%

Fewer butterflies since 2000

ses” because they were so rare, said University of Wiscon sin Madison entomologist Kar en Oberhauser, who wasn’t part of the research.

Haddad, who specializes in rare butterflies, said in recent years he has seen just two en dangered St. Francis Satyr but terflies — which only live on a bomb range at Fort Bragg in North Carolina — “so it could be extinct.”

Some well k nown species had large drops. The red ad miral, which is so calm it lands on people, is down 44%. The American lady butterfly, with two large eyespots on its back wings, decreased by 58%, Ed wards said.

Even the invasive white cab bage butterfly, “a species that is well adapted to invade the world,” according to Haddad, fell by 50%.

“How can that be?” Haddad wondered.

Butterfly decline as a warning sign for humans

Cornell University butterfly expert Anurag Agrawal said he worries most about the future of a different species: humans.

“The loss of butterflies, par rots and porpoises is undoubt edly a bad sign for us, the eco systems we need and the nature we enjoy,” Agrawal, who wasn’t part of the study, said in an email. “They are telling us that our continent’s health is not do ing so well. ... Butterflies are an ambassador for nature’s beau ty, fragility and the interde

pendence of species. They have something to teach us.”

Oberhauser said butterflies connect people with nature and that “calms us down, makes us healthier and happier and pro motes learning.”

What’s happening to but terflies in the United States is probably happening to other, less studied insects across the continent and world, Wagner said. He said not only is this the most comprehensive butterfly study, but the most data r ich for any insect.

Butterflies are also pollina tors, though not as prominent as bees, and are a major source of pollination of the Texas cot ton crop, Haddad said.

Driest and warmest areas are worst for butterflies

The biggest decrease in but terflies was in the Southwest — Arizona, New Mexico, Tex as and Oklahoma — where the number of butterflies dropped by more than half in the 20 years.

“It looks like the butterflies that are in dry and warm areas are doing particularly poorly,” Edwards said. “And that kind of captures a lot of the Southwest.”

Edwards said when they looked at butterfly species that lived both in the hotter South and cooler North, the ones that did better were in the cool er areas.

Climate change, habitat loss and insecticides tend to work together to weaken butter fly populations, Edwards and Haddad said. Of the three, it seems that insecticides are the biggest cause, based on previ ous research from the U.S. Mid west, Haddad said.

“It makes sense because in secticide use has changed in dramatic ways in the time since our study started,” Haddad said. Habitats can be restored and so can butterflies, so there’s hope, Haddad said.

“You can make changes in your backyard and in your neighborhood and in your state,” Haddad said. “That could really improve the situation for a lot of species.”

DHS overhauls asylum phone app to use for ‘self-deportation’

The app was rebranded from CBP One to CBP Home

The Associated Press

THE TRUMP adminis

tration has unveiled an over hauled cellphone app once used to let migrants apply for asy lum, turning it into a system that allows people living illegal ly in the U.S. to say they want to leave the country voluntarily.

The renamed app, an nounced Monday and now called CBP Home, is part of the administration’s campaign to encourage “self deportations, “ touted as an easy and cost ef fective way to nudge along President Donald Trump’s push to deport millions of im

migrants without legal status.

“The app provides illegal aliens in the United States with a straightforward way to de clare their intent to voluntari ly depart, offering them the chance to leave before facing harsher consequences,” Pete Flores, the acting commission er for U.S Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement.

Moments after Trump took office, the earlier version of the app, CBP One, stopped allowing migrants to apply for asylum, and tens of thousands of border appointments were canceled.

More than 900,000 people were allowed in the country on immigration parole under CBP One, generally for two years, starting in January 2023.

The Trump administration has repeatedly urged migrants

in the country illegally to leave.

“The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on the social platform X. “If they don’t, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return.”

Some people living in the U.S. illegally chose to leave even before Trump’s inauguration, though it’s unclear how many. But earlier mass crackdowns on illegal immigration — most famously a quasi military op eration in the mid 1950s that Trump has repeatedly praised — also drove many immigrants who were in the U.S. legally to leave.

FERNANDO LLANO / AP PHOTO

Venezuelan migrant Yender Romero shows the CBP One app on his cell phone, which he said he used to apply for asylum in the U.S. while in Mexico City in January.