North State Journal Vol. 10, Issue 30

Stein replaces outgoing DOT chief Raleigh Gov. Josh Stein announced that N.C. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary and General Counsel Daniel Johnson will replace the agency’s current Secretary Joey Hopkins, who is retiring on Oct. 1. Former Gov. Roy Cooper Hopkins appointed Hopkins to the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) post in October 2023 and Stein kept him in that role when he was elected governor. Hopkins had previously been the agency’s chief operating o cer. Johnson worked in private practice prior to joining the NCDOT and served as an assistant district attorney in Wake County. Johnson is a Navy and Marine Corps medal recipient and a native of Hickory. He earned undergraduate and law degrees at the University of North Carolina.

Nickel announces run for Wake DA

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former North Carolina congressman Wiley Nickel announced his candidacy for Wake County district attorney on Tuesday. Nickel was elected to the U.S. House in 2022 but didn’t seek a second term due to redistricting. The Democrat initially launched a U.S. Senate campaign for next year but stepped aside after former Gov. Roy Cooper entered that race. At least two other Democrats are running to succeed outgoing DA Lorrin Freeman. Party primaries are set for March, with a general election in November 2026.

The USDA block grant targets certain losses not covered by other relief funding

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina farmers will see some relief after a $221 million federal block grant was issued to cover crop production losses not covered under crop insurance or other Hurricane Helene relief funds.

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden signed a $221 million federal block grant agreement for the state during a Sept. 5 meeting at the N.C. Mountain State Fair in Fletcher.

The block grant targets infrastructure damage, market losses, future economic losses and timber losses, applicable for the 39 counties o cially declared disaster areas following

Three North Carolina schools ranked in the top 10 for campuses with the best free speech

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH —The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, along with its survey partner College Pulse, released its sixth annual College Free Speech Rankings on Sept. 9, revealing that 166 of the 257 (over 64%) schools surveyed received an “F” for free speech climate.

The annual report by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a nonpartisan nonpro t, is the largest of its kind, and this year’s report was based on opinions gathered from 68,510 students.

Beyond the “F” schools, the report graded 64 schools in

the “D” range. Eleven schools earned a “C” or higher.

“These ndings should continue to raise alarm,” stated the FIRE report. “The top ranked school for freedom of speech got a B-, the only time any school has even gotten above a C+. This means that the vast majority of American colleges and universities are failing to protect and foster free expression.”

Claremont McKenna College took the top spot this year in best college campuses for free speech with a score of 79.86, which translated to a B-. Of the 10 North Carolina colleges in the report, three were ranked among the top 10: UNC Greensboro (6th), Appalachian State (8th) and NC State University (10th).

Other North Carolina schools ranked in the top 50 include East Carolina (14th), UNC Chapel Hill (19th), UNC

Twelve issues were cited in the report

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A state au-

dit of the nances for the USS North Carolina has uncovered $2.1 million in reporting errors for the year ending Sept. 30, 2024. The North Carolina O ce of the State Auditor’s (OSA)nancial audit report states the nancial reporting errors “include, but are not limited to, overstating deferred out ows to pensions by $430,000, overstating beginning net position by $248,000, and understating salaries and benets by $36,000.” The nancial reporting issues in the OSA’s audit span 12

di erent areas, the largest of which was the cited $430,000 related to pensions and was due to incorrect recording of transactions associated with the plan.

Understatement of restricted expendable net position was the second biggest amount at $378,000, mainly due to errors in net position calculations.

The OSA recommendations included strengthening internal controls by reallocating responsibilities, including key accounting and nancial reporting responsibilities, to help reduce reliance on a single individual and ensure proper segregation of duties.

Additionally, it was recommended that the Battleship Commission management

“The Commission is committed to achieving a high standard of nancial reporting and internal controls. We have had a history of clean audit reviews.”

Jay Martin, USS North Carolina Battleship Commission executive director

COURTESY NC STATE

A person exits the Free Expression Tunnel on NC State’s campus. The school was 10th in a ranking of 257 colleges’ free speech climate.

the word | The Inner and the Outer Life

We are not merely bodies. There is a life within our body which continues when the body ceases to exist. The inner man does not wear out as the body wastes away. It does not grow old or become feeble with the years. The inner life is not dependent on the outer. One may be physically broken and decrepit, yet spiritually strong. Paul states this truth: “Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.” The outer may be destroyed, and the man still live on.

“I will kill you!” said the emperor to an undismayed follower of Christ. “That you cannot do,” said the Christian, “for my life is hid with Christ in God!”

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16. “For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die.” 1 Corinthians 15:53

This imperishable life has special application for those su ering from sickness or bodily a iction. It helps us endure physical su erings quietly, remembering that only the outward man is a ected, while the inward man may grow in beauty and strength, renewed through pain.

A poor shoemaker in a dreary shop once noticed a spot where he could see green elds, blue skies, and faraway hills. He set his bench there, so he could lift his eyes from his dull work and glimpse the beautiful world outside.

Similarly, from the darkest sick-room or keenest su erings, there is always a point to see the face of Christ and the glory of heaven. Finding this vision makes even the greatest su ering bearable.

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down — when we die and leave these bodies — we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made by God himself and not by human hands.” — 2 Corinthians 5:1–2

Sickness is hard to bear, but doing God’s will is the noblest thing any hour, however hard.

If called to su er, let us su er patiently and sweetly. Under sharp trials, keep the peace of God in our hearts. Under the snows of su ering, cherish the gentlest growths of spiritual life.

The outward man may decay, but the inward man is renewed day by day.

Paul’s teaching has an application to those who are growing old. He was an old man when he wrote these triumphant words. As a missionary, he had traveled over many lands to carry the gospel. He had been exposed to

storms, illnesses, and erce persecutions. He had su ered hardships, and was a broken man, physically. The ‘old house’ he had lived in so long was battered. But while his body was worn out — the outward man decaying — his inward man was strong, undecaying, triumphant!

The problem of Christian old age is to keep the heart young and full of hope and of all youth’s gladness, however feeble the body may become. We need to be watchful, lest we allow our life to lose its zest or deteriorate in quality, when old age begins to creep in. The best seems behind us, and there is less to draw us on. Hopes of achievement appear ended; our work is almost done. Sometimes people, as they grow old, become less sweet and beautiful in spirit. Troubles, misfortunes, or broken health make the days painful. Their life of youthful hopes, dreams, successes, loves, and joys has been sunk out of sight, submerged in adversities, and has vanished altogether. Nothing remains but a memory. Their hearts have grown hopeless and bitter. But this is not worthy living for those who are immortal,

NCGA leaders announce potential criminal justice reforms

Proposed legislation would deal with “soft-on-crime” policies and cashless bail

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) and Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) announced that lawmakers intend to propose criminal justice reforms in the wake of the August murder of Iryna Zarutska that took place on Charlotte’s light rail system.

Hall and Berger made the announcement at a Sept. 11 press conference and were joined by former National Republican Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, the likely Republican nominee for the state’s U.S. Senate vacancy in 2026.

Hall said Zarutska’s murder was the result of “somebody being released from a jail who should not have been released from a jail.”

“The most fundamental obligation and responsibility of any government is keeping its citizens safe,” said Whatley. “We need leaders at every level to acknowledge that there is a crime crisis here in North Carolina and across the country brought about by the left’s soft-on-crime policies, which a ect the safe-

last year’s storm and ooding.

“This $221 million federal disaster assistance block grant for agricultural damage due to Hurricane Helene is welcomed news to North Carolina farmers in Western North Carolina who have been holding on in the aftermath of massive ag losses in 2024,” Troxler said.

The grant agreement funding is part of the $30 billion disaster assistance relief e ort authorized through the 2025 American Relief Act.

“We are grateful for USDA’s continued e orts on this block grant and appreciate their willingness to partner with us on this much-needed assistance,” Troxler said. “We all have an interest in the success of agriculture because farmers produce the

ty of every community and every family across our great state.” Berger added, “Iryna Zarutska should still be alive today. But her life was tragically cut short because of the atrocious policies pushed by out-of-touch politicians and court o cials that prioritize a perverted vision or version of equity and politicized social justice over real and tangible justice.”

Berger said the quick release of dangerous o enders by the courts undermines the hard work done by law enforcement o cers.

“We cannot stand by while our cities are held hostage by soft-on-crime policies,” he said.

“We must stop the ongoing vio-

food and ber we all depend on.”

To access the funds, “certain producers may have to agree to acquire and maintain USDA Risk Management coverage for a period of two crop years for market loss, future economic loss, plasticulture, and aquaculture claims,” according to Troxler’s press release.

“Today’s announcement is about delivering on our promise to stand shoulder to shoulder with America’s farmers in times of need,” said Vaden.

Troxler said his agency is working with the USDA to create a work plan and application for the program.

“I encourage those in the eligible counties to gather documentation of losses to assist in the application process,” Troxler said, adding that information on the program can be

lence from overtaking our state and our country.

“Policing doesn’t need to be reimagined. It needs to be respected. It needs to be funded.

Our hard-working law enforcement o cers are all too often villainized just for doing their jobs, keeping us safe. It’s time for that to end.”

From Gov. Roy Cooper’s 2020 “Racial Equity Task Force“ was also mentioned, which recommended policies like cashless bail.

“When the General Assembly returns on Sept. 22, we’re going to propose a package of commonsense policies to more e ectively tackle crime in our state,” Berger said. “We can start by ensuring that Gov. (Josh) Stein and

found at ncagr.gov/agdisaster.

Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), who had urged the USDA to expedite the grant, joined Vaden and Troxler in Asheville for the announcement.

In a statement, Budd thanked Trump, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Troxler and other members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation for their help in getting the funds nalized.

“While there’s much more to be done to rebuild Western North Carolina, this block grant goes a long way to help restore the foundation of our state’s largest single industry — agriculture,” Budd said.

“America’s farmers and ranchers across the Southeast and in North Carolina have been hit hard and su ered signi cant economic losses during 2024,” Rollins said in a statement when

other members of the executive branch cannot establish any future task forces like the one Roy Cooper created that advanced weak-on-crime policies that kept Iryna’s murderer on the streets.”

Cooper’s task force was co-chaired by Stein while he was attorney general and N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls.

“We cannot keep our citizens safe if our policies favor criminals over public safety,” Berger said, adding he was looking into ways to “restart the death penalty” in North Carolina.

Hall said possible reforms will include ending cashless bail.

“When folks come in before a magistrate and they’ve been charged with a serious crime, if they have a prior violent felony on their record, it simply should not even be an option to allow that person to have some sort of cashless bail,” said Hall. “They should be held in jail under a secured bond.”

Hall added that if that had happened with Decarlos Brown, the man accused of murdering Zarutska, she would probably still be alive today.

Issues with magistrates being quali ed or properly trained will also be looked at by lawmakers, according to Hall. He also said magistrates need more training in mental health assessments and services for individuals who are arrested.

“We’ve also got to look at the way that we handle magistrates in this state,” said Hall. “Charlotte has had a problem. … Mecklenburg County has had a problem with its magistrates for a long time now.”

the grants were announced.

“USDA has worked closely with the State of North Carolina to ensure those impacted have the relief they need. President Trump has our farmers’ backs, and we are working quickly to get these much-needed relief funds to those who need to rebuild”

The 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page has information and the capability to track the status of USDA disaster assistance.

As of Sept. 7, the USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) Dashboard shows payment data of more than $8.032 billion in ECAP disbursements and 560,670 applications. North Carolina disbursement accounts for $120.05 million, with 6,574 approved applications. The top three crops receiving assistance

Hall also referred to his previous legislation, the Pretrial Integrity Act — which put in place measures to make it harder for individuals with a criminal record to receive pretrial release — as “not being enough.”

The two legislative leaders also indicated they were going to investigate the full budgets of Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte to see where and how those jurisdictions were spending their money.

“I’ve seen some reports about some grants that they receive from groups that their purpose is to keep people out of jail, or they’re opposed to requiring cash bail,” said Hall. “We’re going to look at some of those grants and see if maybe that played a role in this case in Mecklenburg County.”

Hall said he believed the two jurisdictions “have lost institutional control of their areas.”

Hall said he and Berger have both had conversations with Stein about potential reforms, and they are hopeful a bipartisan solution can be reached.

Based on a video Stein posted to his o cial X account, he seems to be on the same page about magistrates.

Stein applauded Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles for adding more security to the city’s transit system but said there was a question of how to make sure magistrates “e ectively deal with people with severe mental illness.”

“We have to have services for those people so that people do not live in fear,” Stein said of the mentally ill. “We’ve got to make sure we take care of people and everyone is safe.”

are soybeans ($39.51 million), corn ($30.79 million) and cotton ($29.88 million).

The new grant funding is in addition to $32 million in relief assistance related to Hurricane Chantal announced by Trump in a Sept. 11 Truth Social post. Chantal hit the state in July and caused widespread ooding across multiple counties.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement he had spoken to Trump and called the funding “great news.”

“It’s all hands on deck, and I thank him for helping North Carolina rebuild,” Stein said on X. “I look forward to working with the administration to deliver critical resources to NC.”

The $32 million follows a Sept. 9 announcement of $12 million in federal FEMA money for Hurricane Helene relief.

GARY D. ROBERTSON / AP PHOTO

North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls), left, speaks while state Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) listens during a Sept. 11 news conference in Raleigh.

“Saint Jerome” by Caravaggio (c. 1605) is a painting in the collection of the Borghese Gallery in Rome.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Local Government Commission unanimously approves independent audit for WSFCS

The commission also greenlit more than $1.6 billion in various nancing requests

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Local Government Commission unanimously approved an independent audit to be conducted for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools related to the district’s $46 million budget de cit and nancial mismanagement at its September meeting.

The audit will aim to x the school district’s poor nancial controls, with the Local Government Commission (LGC) and the Department of Public Instruction selecting a quali ed auditor, state Treasurer Brad Briner’s o ce said in a press release.

Briner, who sits on the State Board of Education, expressed frustration over the school board’s oversight failures. He remarked that, as a father of four school-age children, “reading this makes me so angry for the people in Forsyth County who elected a school board who obviously wasn’t paying attention” going back at least to 2017.

State Auditor Dave Boliek noted the district’s lack of a recovery plan and cited the audit his o ce conducted con rming the school district’s $46 million budget de cit. He said the district “is on the verge of a nancial crisis,” and the audit identi ed “severely mismanaged” nancial resources and “poor accounting procedures.”

The LGC also denied appeals from 11 local governments for late audit submissions, withholding their sales tax distri-

Charlotte (20th) and Duke University (37th). North Carolina A&T was ranked 51st, followed by Davidson (78th) and Wake Forest (186th).

FIRE’s state pro le data for North Carolina shows the average overall score was 68.7% (D+), ranking 43rd.

After two consecutive nishes for the worst campus free speech climate, Harvard was bumped out of the top 10 this year, landing at 245th. Barnard College took over as the worst-ranked school with an overall score of 40.74%, followed by Columbia University with a score of 42.89.

Schools allowing speakers on campus from either side of the political aisle have seen declining support from students, and this year’s report indicates that sentiment has gotten worse.

SHIP from page A1

should set up a formal review and approval process to increase internal oversight over areas like journal entries, and make sure bank account reconciliations are independently reviewed and approved.

USS North Carolina Battleship Commission’s Executive Director Jay Martin said the commission agreed with the report’s ndings and will be taking “prompt corrective action.”

He also said the commission began addressing the issues in July while working with the state auditors.

“All journal entries have been made to correct the misstatements,” Martin said.

The Battleship Commission will be working with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources O ce of Budget and Finance to “identify and engage an accounting rm on the statewide term contract for assistance.”

“The Commission is committed to achieving a high standard of nancial reporting and internal controls. We have had a history of clean audit reviews,” Martin wrote in the response to the audit. “We are commit-

butions, while approving appeals for 15 others. Decisions for Speed and Taylortown were deferred.

Additionally, the LGC greenlit more than $1.6 billion innancing for a ordable housing, infrastructure and other local projects across the state, including bonds, loans and contracts to support housing developments, water and sewer upgrades, and public facilities.

The largest approvals went to the N.C. Housing Finance Agency ($1.25 billion) for revenue bonds for a ordable homeownership, Mecklenburg County ($200 million) for general obligation bonds to refund short-term

In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was a frequent speaker on college campuses, one nding from the report stands out.

“A record 1 in 3 students now holds some level of acceptance — even if only ‘rarely’ — for resorting to violence to stop a campus speech,” according to FIRE’s press release on the rankings.

The report said 34% of students said using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, “at least in rare cases,” which is an increase of two points from 2025 and up 10 points from four years ago. Among North Carolina students, 36% said using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable.

“This year, students largely opposed allowing any controversial campus speaker, no matter that speaker’s politics,” said FIRE

$1.25B

Approved funds for the N.C. Housing Finance Agency for revenue bonds for a ordable homeownership

bonds and $78.7 million to Henderson County for limited obligation bonds to expand/renovate a detention facility.

Other spending approvals included:

• $63 million: Wake County (Raleigh Housing Authori-

President and CEO Greg Lukiano . “Rather than hearing out and then responding to an ideological opponent, both liberal and conservative college students are retreating from the encounter entirely. This will only harm students’ ability to think critically and create rifts between them. We must champion free speech on campus as a remedy to our culture’s deep polarization.”

When it came to speakers on campus, the report also found a majority of students (72%) believing that shouting down a speaker is acceptable, at least in “rare cases,” representing a four-point increase over 2025 and a six-point increase from four years ago.

Additionally, just over a quarter (27%) of students said it is “very” or “extremely likely” the administration on their campus would defend a speaker’s rights

ty), conduit revenue bonds for a 195-unit housing development.

• $32.3 million: Durham County (Durham Housing Authority), conduit revenue bonds for two low-income housing projects.

• $22 million: Wake County (Holly Springs), revenue bond anticipation notes for a water reclamation facility.

• $18 million: Mecklenburg County (Inlivian), conduit revenue bonds for a 108-unit housing development.

• $16.7 million: Henderson County, limited obligation bonds to re nance 2015 bonds.

to express their views. Just over a third of students (36%) said it was “extremely” or “very” clear that their administration protects free speech on campus.

According to the ndings, 53% of students said the ongoing con ict between Israel and Palestine is a hard topic to have an open discourse about.

In terms of students self-censoring on campus, there was little change over prior years, but students self-censoring themselves in the classroom increased.

Twenty-four percent of students said they “often” self-censor with other students on campus, and 28% of students said they “often” do so during classroom discussions, an increase of two points over the previous year’s report. In North Carolina, 45% of students said they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.

• $12 million: Cabarrus/Rowan counties (Kannapolis), revenue bonds for dam embankment/spillway upgrades.

•$7 million: Chowan County (Edenton), installmentnancing for parking deck, building renovations and property acquisition.

• $5 million: Edgecombe County, limited obligation bonds for HVAC, electrical, roofing and equipment upgrades.

• $4.65 million: Dare County (Southern Shores), installment nancing for re department transition.

• $3.3 million: Macon County (Franklin), installment nancing for water treatment plant upgrades.

• $2.75 million: Granville County (Creedmoor), installment nancing for police station and town hall expansion.

• $2.3 million: Watauga County (Blowing Rock), installment nancing for a water system, park and re/rescue improvements.

• $2 million: Pitt County (Farmville), installment nancing for a re department building construction.

• $1.2 million: Carteret County (Beaufort), installmentnancing for a fuel tank farm at the town docks.

• $616,730: Orange County (Hillsborough), State Revolving Fund loan for sewer pipe inspection/repairs.

• $500,000: Jones County, installment nancing for a commercial building to attract businesses.

• $143,816: Stokes County (Walnut Cove), repayable loan for water line inspections.

• $130,289: Stanly County (Norwood), lease for two police vehicles.

• $14.5 million: Johnston County (Clayton), conduit revenue bonds for a 90-unit housing facility.

“Rather than hearing out and then responding to an ideological opponent, both liberal and conservative college students are retreating from the encounter entirely.”

Greg Lukiano , FIRE president and CEO

For North Carolina schools, this year’s rankings showed increases in the areas of comfort in expressing ideas (D), disruptive conduct (C), openness (C-) and administrative support (F). An “F” was also given in the categories of self-censorship and political tolerance.

COURTESY N.C. TREASURER’S OFFICE

State Auditor Dave Boliek, left, and state Treasurer Brad Briner listen during this month’s Local Government Commission meeting.

SPEECH from page A1

BOB JORDAN / AP PHOTO

North Carolina, pictured on the Cape Fear River in

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

What’s going on?

We need a revival of such basic groups again in America since much of those values have been eroded by years of neglect.

IN 1970, Marvin Gaye wrote one of his signature hits, “What’s Going On?” in a t of frustration at all the violence he saw around him and his country.

If he were still alive today, he would have to write a sequel to his great work.

In the past week, I have had several nonpartisan friends ask me in quiet, serious tones, “What’s going on with our country?” If I or any single individual had the answer, that would be one of the great things to happen in our country in recent decades.

Gaye had the right lyrics when he wrote the following:

Mother, mother

There’s too many of you crying Brother, brother, brother

There’s far too many of you dying

You know we’ve got to nd a way

To bring some loving here today, yeah Father, father

We don’t need to escalate

You see, war is not the answer

For only love can conquer hate

You know we’ve got to nd a way

To bring some loving here today, oh (Oh)

There are plenty of reasons to point to as to why we are in such a state of disarray today. I want to, however, cast a warning to not fall prey to opportunistic politicians or advocacy groups who promise the most simplistic of all solutions as being the panacea for

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

curtailing the wanton gun violence we watch on the news every day.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk and the two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump were the most visible since they were taped and run over and over on every news channel on Earth.

The Minnesota legislator and her husband who were killed were Democrats, so this is a bipartisan crisis we are facing, not just one side or the other. On top of all that, North Carolinians and the nation were horri ed to witness the stabbing murder of Ukrainian emigre Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train. It is hard to ascribe any sort of political disagreement in that case apart from the fact that the suspect, Decarlos Brown, had a long rap sheet and probably should not have been out roaming the streets of Charlotte in the rst place.

Some politicians will boil all these down to one simple cause and o er one solution, such as total and strict gun control (which would not have done Zarutska any good). Others will advocate more strict enforcement of the death penalty, arguing it will dissuade would-be assassins from doing what they end up doing. Twenty-seven states, including North Carolina, still have the death penalty, although it has not been consistently enforced. Trump just rescinded the federal moratorium on capital punishment on Feb. 5, so it remains to be seen if it will start acting

like a deterrent in the capital crimes it was meant to deter.

There are capital crimes being conducted every day in cities such as Chicago that need to be addressed as well. Perhaps Trump sending the National Guard into Washington, D.C., to quell crime might serve as a model for other crime-ridden cities, although we don’t want America to become a policedriven and managed country.

President John Adams said at the beginning of our republic that it would only survive if our citizens were ethical, religious, and could self-govern themselves and their actions on a daily, and perhaps minute-by-minute, basis.

Those are the goals we should seek to attain, and everyone has a part in that. We have been reaping the bene ts of millions of not only soldiers and patriots who have fought to ensure our freedoms since 1774, but also the tens of millions of community leaders and organizations emphasizing core values, self-responsibility and discipline.

One other place to start would be the reinstitution of basic civics education in all schools, public and private.

Maybe we need a revival of such basic groups again in America, since many of those values have been eroded by years of neglect and because some leaders and groups have turned their focus away from traditional American values to pursue more narrow political interests.

Some true, nasty colors on display after assassination of Charlie Kirk

It goes without saying that murdering people over political disagreements is never acceptable, nor is celebrating it when it happens.

I NEVER IN A MILLION years

thought I’d be writing a column on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and yet at the same time, I really can’t say that it came as that much of a surprise. Was it shocking? Absolutely. But surprising? Not really, not if one has paid attention to how the young conservative icon, whose reach was worldwide, was relentlessly demonized by his critics as every awful thing in the book: Nazi, homophobe, transphobe, bigot, racist, white supremacist, misogynist, the root of all evil, a threat to democracy.

Though a motive for Kirk’s murder, which happened in front of an outdoor crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University, has not yet been established, early reports are that his alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was a farleft ideologue who may have targeted Kirk in part based on his views on transgender issues.

As if that wasn’t disturbing enough, we’ve seen reports from all over the country of leftists in varying professions, including higher ed professors as well as o cials in the public school system, openly mocking and laughing at Kirk on their social media pages, suggesting that he deserved it. Some darker ones include suggestions that Kirk’s wife and two young children should be the next targets.

I’m deeply ashamed to see that some hateful messages have come from right

here in North Carolina, including from Union County Democratic Party state executive committee member Parron Baxter, who wrote on his Facebook page that “fascists, authoritarians, and wannabe dictators MUST see that the people will dance on their graves whenever they die, no matter how it happens.”

“We must mock them, and yes, dance on their graves,” Baxter also wrote.

There was also now-former Carolina Panthers communications coordinator Charlie Rock, who on Instagram posted an image of Kirk with a note above the image that read “Why are yall sad? Your man said it was worth it ...”

Also included was a snippet of the WuTang Clan song “Protect Ya Neck.” Kirk was shot in the neck.

It goes without saying that murdering people over political disagreements is never acceptable, nor is celebrating it when it happens.

And yet we saw a similar sentiment on the two separate occasions when an assassin tried to take then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s life, with one of them very nearly succeeding.

I remember seeing some pretty sick TikToks from that timeframe of people who expressed disappointment that the assassins weren’t successful.

Sadly, this depraved mindset is apparently shared by Minnesota Gov.

Tim Walz, the former Democratic vice presidential nominee, who two weeks ago, after learning a social media rumor about Trump being dead was false, said this during a Labor Day picnic event in Minnesota:

“Look, I get it, you get up in the morning and you doom scroll through things, and, although I will say this, the last few days you woke up thinking there might be news,” he quipped with a grin, which generated some laughing among the crowd.

“Just saying, just saying, there will be news sometime, just so you know, there will be news.”

On what planet is it OK to wish death on your political opponent or to cheer when they’ve been gunned down in cold blood?

It’s the one that contains a political party whose supporters believe words are violence. The same people who believe safe spaces should be available on college campuses for groups of people who are triggered by mere political disagreement.

I don’t know where we go as a country from here. But I do know that the current political trajectory is not sustainable. It’s just not.

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

COLUMN | RYAN GRAGG

Congress must protect health care a ordability for North Carolinians

The premium math is even more concerning for seniors.

CAREGIVING runs deep in my family. Through my role at ComForCare Winston-Salem, I’m humbled to carry on the tradition my great-grandparents and grandparents started when they rst built nursing homes in the Piedmont Triad and western North Carolina more than 70 years ago.

This is why I’m worried about what could happen if Congress fails to extend the enhanced premium tax credits that make health insurance a ordable for North Carolinians, especially older people living on tight budgets who aren’t yet eligible for Medicare. It’s an issue that should be getting more attention in Washington, D.C.

Every day, my teams work with vulnerable North Carolina seniors who deserve this attention. We help them with Alzheimer’s care, personal needs, meal assistance or recovery after a hospital stay. I’m proud of the role we play in helping seniors maintain their independence as they age. And when a family tells me of the relief someone from our team brought them in the middle of a crisis, I’m reminded that dignity and compassion are why caregivers follow our calling.

The enhanced premium tax credits help reduce monthly premiums and improve access to critical care. Premium reductions average around $700 per enrollee nationwide. They have helped more than 24 million Americans — including nearly a million North Carolinians — more easily a ord highquality coverage through the individual health care marketplace. But these credits are set to expire at the end of 2025. If Congress doesn’t act, premiums will skyrocket, and families across North Carolina will feel the squeeze immediately. Huge premium spikes would result. According to an analysis by FTI Consulting, a family of four making $64,000 a year could see premiums rise by over $2,500 a year. This increase would more than wipe out the $700 in estimated tax savings this same family is expected to see under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Moreover, North Carolina working families are left with a net budget shortfall of more than $1,800.

The premium math is even more concerning for seniors. A 60-yearold couple earning $82,800 would face a massive premium hike of more

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

than $18,000 if lawmakers allow the enhanced premium tax credits to expire. Compare that astonishing gure with the $290 a year they could see under OBBBA. This disparity is not tax relief; it’s a nancial disaster.

I see every day how fragile nancial security can be for families juggling health care costs, caregiving and retirement. Tens of millions of Americans don’t get coverage through an employer — they depend on the marketplace to stay insured. If Congress lets these tax credits expire, many of these hardworking Americans will lose coverage altogether.

This is not a partisan issue, or at least it shouldn’t be. Voters across the political spectrum understand how important these tax credits are for our country. In fact, 86% of Americans — including 82% of Donald Trump voters — want Congress to extend them. It’s not a surprise that protecting a ordable health care has broad public support. Families are already stretched thin by in ation and higher costs in nearly every part of their lives.

Time is running out for Congress to extend these tax credits before the end of the year. Congress will soon consider a major health care spending package in September, and lawmakers must include an extension of this lifeline. North Carolina’s congressional delegation — including Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis and Rep. Addison McDowell — have a choice: They can secure a ordable coverage for nearly a million North Carolinians, or they can allow premiums to double and erase the promise of tax relief.

Extending the tax credits is more than good policy. And the patients and families we serve are more than numbers on a budget sheet. They are parents, grandparents and neighbors trying to hold on to their health and their independence. Preserving the enhanced premium tax credits means fewer families are forced to choose between coverage and other necessities — and more North Carolinians are able to live with dignity.

This is what caregiving is all about, and this is why Congress must extend the credits before it’s too late. Lawmakers can’t push this to the back burner anymore. Ryan Gragg is the owner of ComForCare Home Care of Winston-Salem.

Israel’s strike on Qatar should have happened years ago

Every one of them pledged forever war.

ISRAEL’S PRECISE STRIKE at Hamas headquarters in the petrostate sheikdom of Qatar happened about 23 months too late.

Every one of the reported targets has been sanctioned by the U.S. government for terrorist activities. Each one of them, by any moral or legal understanding, was engaged in war crimes.

Not only did they orchestrate and manage an ongoing war against Israeli civilians, but they also doomed Arabs in Gaza to destitution while sitting on billions of stolen dollars and sleeping safely in their luxurious hotel rooms.

Even if it turns out that Israel missed these targets, Hamas leaders know there is no place to hide.

Among the targets was Khaled Meshaal, whose net worth has ballooned somewhere between $2 billion and $5 billion, one of the founders of modern Hamas.

Then there is Khalil al-Hayya, who praised the rape of women and murder of children as “a source of pride for our people,” and bragged about using Palestinian civilians as “shields for the resistance.”

Zaher Jabarin, known as the CEO of Hamas, siphoned billions of international aid to the group and procured funding from Iran and Qatar.

Nizar Awadallah, a longtime Hamas leader, has planned dozens of attacks on civilians. And Khaled Mashal, who promised his group would “repeat the Oct. 7 attack time and again until Israel is annihilated.”

After 700 days of bogus negotiations with these malevolent savages, Israel said enough. None of the people were diplomats or peacemakers. Every one of them pledged forever war.

There’s no possible scenario in which Israel didn’t inform the United States about its plan to target Doha, which sits near U.S. military installations. It’s implausible that Israel would attack without a green light from President Donald Trump. More than likely, Israelis held o while Trump attempted to craft a broader deal. But Hamas was never going to stop.

It might well be the case that Qatar also knew the attack was coming and decided to untether its fortunes from Hamas. Even so, the United States should decouple from this toxic theocratic city-state, which

undermines American domestic politics by dropping billions into U.S. schools, politics and media to gain in uence and normalize radicalism and Islamist ideas.

Remember that Qatar blamed Israel “alone” for Oct. 7. Without Doha’s nancial backing, the attack never would have happened in the rst place. And if Qatar wanted the hostages released, it could have pressured the Palestinians to do so a long time ago. Qatar perpetuated this charade to lift itself as a power broker. Its duplicitous and unctuous playing of all sides does nothing to help our national interests.

Qatar also surely realized that Oct. 7 had been a colossal blunder not just for Palestinians but for Islamists across the Middle East. Since that day, Israel has decimated Hamas, killing thousands of its soldiers and eliminating virtually its entire leadership; it has decapitated Hezbollah’s ghting force, possibly allowing Lebanon’s leaders to try to dislodge the Iranian proxy militia from their country; it has precipitated the fall of the Assad regime, which had been in place in Syria for more than 50 years; it has likely set back Iran’s nuclear program for years, not to mention knocked out a massive number of armaments and defenses; and it eliminated top Houthi leadership, as well.

It’s a shame it took this long. Imagine, if you can, Mexico hosting al-Qaida leaders in ve-star Cancun resorts and giving them space for a headquarters in the year 2002. Now, if your contention is that Hamas is the legitimate governing entity of the Palestinian people, imagine Mexico hosting Imperial generals as Americans fought the Japanese in Okinawa.

The United States didn’t conduct cease re talks with Ayman al-Zawahiri. The only reason Israel spent years in negotiations with Hamas was to attain the release of hostages. And the Jewish state was willing to make unconscionable demands to save them. It may never happen. But it was certainly never going to happen while the billionaires of Hamas conducted their operations in the safety of Qatar.

Those days are over.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.

The goodness of Charlie Kirk’s legacy

THE GUNSHOT that murdered

Charlie Kirk may have been red for reasons that have nothing to do with his steadfast support for Israel and the Jewish people.

But it penetrated all those who love the Jewish state and have been pained by the incitement against anyone and anything related to Israel.

No one can deny anymore that the phrase “globalize the intifada” means spreading violence and hate around the world because it has already happened.

The pro-Hamas movement on college campuses and communities throughout the United States legitimized violence and hateful discourse for any cause, calling for resistance by any means. If murder, rape and kidnapping are justi ed, where does it stop?

Kirk stood for the opposite. He believed in open discourse, invited anyone to debate him on his views, and died as he spoke passionately and fearlessly.

Kirk stood for goodness and against evil. He was not Jewish, but he knew Israel was part of that goodness that evil is trying to extinguish.

The same left-wing people who have celebrated his murder also celebrated the murder of 1,200 Jews in Israel on Oct. 7, the most Jews killed in one day since the Holocaust. No one should be surprised by the assassin’s endorsement by journalists after watching the way they have covered Israel’s war for Western civilization.

Watching left-wing people celebrate his death with such palpable enthusiasm absolutely sickened me.

Those who used rhetoric that glori es violence against Jews and Israelis are hypocritically condemning Kirk’s assassination instead of looking inward. Democratic nominee for New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, for instance, refused to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada” until recently, and only now has said he will not use the phrase that romanticizes violent uprising against Jews and Israelis. Following Kirk’s murder, Mamdani called himself “horri ed,” insisting that “political violence has no place in our country.”

Kirk was the modern-day righteous gentile whose values and principles must be put on display and taught to future generations. We learned from Kirk that silence in the face of evil is complicity and moral courage requires action.

I was privileged to have met Kirk on several occasions, and, like countless people, he had a profound e ect on me. His defense of Israel and strong condemnation of Hamas on campuses around the world cannot be taken for granted. In a tough room at Cambridge, he explained to students why Hamas is to blame for all deaths in this war, including Gazan civilians.

As a religious Zionist, I was impressed by his strong appreciation for and validation of Jewish rituals. He kept Shabbat and encouraged other Christians to join him. His next book, “Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Change Your Life,” will be published posthumously in December.

Dennis Prager called him the most articulate spokesman for America and its values. Kirk visited Prager in the hospital after he su ered a fall that left him paralyzed.

Following Kirk’s death, I was shocked by the amount of crazy people suggesting Israel had a role in his assassination.

Candace Owens even implicated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who put out a wonderful video mourning Kirk’s death and expressing Israel’s gratitude to him.

The wake-up call that came from his assassination must also make Americans realize that they went too far in criticizing Israel. It is time for the haters to reexamine their views and consider that the reality may be di erent. It is time for them to nd something good to love in those with whom they disagree.

The goodness that is Kirk’s legacy must also be bestowed upon Israel, the country he defended until his dying day. We lost Kirk, but in the long run, with God’s help, good will conquer evil, and both America and Israel will emerge stronger.

Martin Oliner is chairman of Religious Zionists of America, as well as a committee member of the Jewish Agency. He currently serves as a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and is author of “In Praise of Donald Trump.” This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

of Charlotte. The chain started in Stokes County in 1947 as a hot dog and ice cream shop and remained that way for 50 years. In the early 2000s, Dairi-O built its rst sit-down restaurant, and now their locations stretch from Hendersonville to Jacksonville. WGHP

parkway have been reopening as roadwork was completed, with the most recent opening being a seven-mile stretch near Sparta. According to the statement, visitors will not be able to go past the state park, all tra c must come back down the parkway, tra c will be more congested on Ox Creek Road, and the condition of the trails is not perfect.

The Reems Creek Fire Department anticipates heavy tra c and advises visitors to use caution if traveling in the area. It noted that visitors should plan carefully for any trip along the parkway and consult the park’s website for a wide variety of planning tools. NSJ

Local professors complete production in Winston-Salem lm Forsyth County “The Bard,” a lm depicting the rst black published poet in the South, just wrapped up shooting in the Triad. It was awarded up to $4.6 million by a North Carolina lm grant and is the latest sign that the Triad is becoming a moviemaking destination, N.C. lm o cials said. Kim Zubick and Lauren Vilchik, the lm’s producers, chose WinstonSalem because of the production facilities available at the UNC School of the Arts, where they are professors. WFMY

Stanly County Four people were hurt last Friday after a re at the Fiberon facility in New London, according to the Stanly County re marshal. Four people were transported from the scene, o cials said. Two went to a local Atrium hospital, and two others went to Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center. It was unclear how serious any of their injuries were, but authorities say the operation at the facility is temporarily shut down due to damage. The cause of the re is still under investigation by the ATF, the re marshal, the State Bureau of Investigation and the state re marshal. Fiberon is a leading manufacturer of decks and railings. It announced its expansion to Stanly County in 2021. NSJ

to Moyock claimed homes shook after hearing the sudden noise. Everyone who heard the boom provided similar descriptions, saying it lasted just a few seconds. The cause of the noise is currently not known, and the U.S. Geological Survey did not report any earthquakes in the area at the time of the reports.

NSJ

Goldsboro donates

$50K to local United Way

Wayne County The City of Goldsboro

Pitt County The ECU Police Department is currently investigating a string of sexual assaults that may have occurred at Clement Hall on ECU’s campus. The ECU Police Department received three separate reports of sexual assault involving fondling late Saturday night and Sunday night. Allegedly, the suspect asked two victims for a hug in a hallway before fondling them. In the third report, the suspect walked by the victim and fondled them when they weren’t looking. The suspect is thought to not be a resident of Clement Hall and may have followed the residents into the building. “We believe this incident involves a non-student who was able to ‘tailgate’ into the residence hall behind a resident. The individual was seen with a group of people, which possibly included juveniles. We are continuing to investigate this incident by reviewing cameras in and around the area,” said ECU Police Department Deputy Chief Chris Sutton. WNCT

The Republican state senator made a formal announcement earlier in the month

By A.P.

North

RALEIGH — North Carolina state Sen. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck) announced his candidacy for the state’s 1st Congressional District on Sept. 3, touting conservative leadership and the “America First Agenda.”

“I am proud to announce my candidacy for United States Congress and the rst Congressional District of North Carolina,” said Hanig in a press statement. “I’m running because Northeastern North Carolina deserves true conservative leadership that will ght for our community and the America First Agenda.” The 1st Congressional District covers 22 counties: Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Edgecombe, Gates, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Vance, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Wilson. Hanig, 61, resides in Powells Point and is an Army veteran. He has owned The Pool Guy Aquatic Services since 2001 and also served as chair of the Currituck County Board of Commissioners. Currently in his second term, he represents Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Tyrrell counties. Hanig is known for the colorful suits he often wears while at the General Assembly. Before taking up his state Senate seat, he served two terms in the N.C. House (2019-22) and served as deputy majority whip for part of his time in the House. In 2022, he won 52.53% of the vote against Democrat Valerie Jordan. Hanig defeated Democrat Tess Judge (55% to 45%) in 2018 and Democrat Tommy Fulcher in 2020 with more than 64% of the vote.

“I’m

State Sen. Bobby Hanig (R- Currituck)

NATION & WORLD

Experts: Denver school shooting suspect posted online about mass shootings

Desmond Holly, 16, also posted about his neo-Nazi views

By Colleen Slevin and Matthew Brown The Associated Press

DENVER — A teenager suspected in a shooting attack at a suburban Denver high school that left two students in critical condition appeared fascinated with previous mass shootings — including Columbine — and expressed neo-Nazi views online, according to experts.

Since December, Desmond Holly, 16, had been active on an online forum where users watch videos of killings and violence, mixed in with content on white supremacism and antisemitism, the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism said in a report.

Holly shot himself following last Wednesday’s shooting at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County. He died of his injuries. It is still unclear how he selected his victims. The county was also the scene of the 1999 Columbine High School

massacre that killed 14 people.

Holly’s TikTok accounts contained white supremacist symbols, the ADL said, and the name of his most recent account included a reference to a popular white supremacist slogan. The account was unavailable Friday. TikTok said accounts associated with Holly had been banned.

Holly’s family could not be reached. The Associated Press left a message at a telephone number associated with the house that police searched after the shooting.

A spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheri ’s O ce, Mark Techmeyer, declined to comment on the ADL’s ndings or discuss its investigation into the shooting. The o ce previously said Holly was radicalized by an unspeci ed “extremist network” but released no details.

Two recent suspects in school shootings were active on the so-called “gore forum” that Holly used called Watch People Die, according to the ADL. Holly appears to have opened his account in the month in between shootings in Madison, Wisconsin, and Nashville, Tennessee, the ADL said.

“There is a through-line between those attacks.”

Oren Segal, Anti-Defamation League

A few days before Wednesday’s shooting, Holly posted a TikTok video posing similarly to how the Wisconsin shooter posed before killing two people in December. He included a photo of the Wisconsin shooter in a post in which Holly wore a black T-shirt with “WRATH” written on the front.

He also posted videos showing how he made the shirt that was like the one worn by a gunman in the Columbine shooting, the ADL said.

“There is a through-line between those attacks,” said Oren Segal, the ADL’s senior vice president of counter-extremism and intelligence. “They’re telling us there is a through line because they are referencing each other.”

Watch People Die administrators said in an email that

Cox: Kirk suspect ‘on the left’

The Utah governor said Tyler Robinson has not been cooperative with authorities

By Nicholas Riccardi and Josh Boak

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, Utah

— Family and friends of the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk described his politics as veering left in recent years as he spent large amounts of time scrolling the “dark corners of the internet,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Sunday. Investigators were still piecing together information about the suspect, Tyler Robinson, and not yet ready to discuss a potential motive. But Cox noted that Robinson, who is not cooperating with law enforcement, disliked Kirk and may have been “radicalized” online.

Kirk founded Turning Point USA to bring more young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics as e ective activists, and he was a con dant of President Donald Trump, leading to a ood of tributes that included a vigil Sunday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, became prominent

in part through his speaking tours, and he was shot last Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.

“There clearly was a leftist ideology,” Cox said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” citing interviews with Robinson’s relatives and acquaintances. “Friends have con rmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture, and these other dark places of the inter-

“There clearly was a leftist ideology.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox

net where this person was going deep.”

He pointed to references found engraved on the ammunition used to kill Kirk,

Hochul endorses Mamdani for NYC mayor

New York

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday urged New Yorkers to vote Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, giving the Democratic nominee one of his most signi cant endorsements to date in the contest to lead the nation’s biggest city. Hochul said that while she and Mamdani diverged on some issues, they came together on the importance of addressing the a ordability crisis in the city and across the state.

The stunning success of Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, in the race for New York City mayor has exposed divisions within the Democratic Party as it struggles to repair its brand.

Texas’ McCaul to retire from Congress Washington, D.C.

Holly lied about his age to access the site and was not a very active user of it, with only seven comments. The email said the site is “adamantly pro-Israel” but does not silence opposing viewpoints. It referred to Holly and the shooters in Wisconsin and Tennessee as “unhinged losers.”

Holly was also active on TikTok’s “True Crime Community,” where it says users have a fascination with mass murderers and serial killers, the ADL said.

Some TikTok posts shared by the ADL show one user encouraging Holly to be a “hero,” a term it says white supremacists use to refer to successfully ideologically motivated attackers.

The person also told Holly to get a patch with a Nazi-era symbol that was worn by the men who carried out the 2019 attack on a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the 2022 attack on a supermarket in Bu alo, New York.

Holly posted a photo of two patches that he had but said the Velcro on the back had fallen o . “I’m gonna use stronger glue when I x it,” he said.

which included anti-fascist and meme-culture language. Court records show that one bullet casing had the message, “Hey, fascist! Catch!”

A Republican who has called on all partisans to tone down their rhetoric following the attack, the governor added, “I really don’t have a dog in this ght. If this was a radicalized MAGA person, I’d be saying that as well.”

Cox said the suspect’s partner was transgender, which some politicians have pointed to as a sign Robinson was targeting Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities have not said whether it is relevant as they investigate Robinson’s motive.

“The roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female,” Cox said. “I can say that he has been incredibly cooperative; this partner has been very cooperative, had no idea that this was happening.”

Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 240 miles southwest of Utah Valley University.

State records show Robinson is registered to vote but not a liated with a political party and is listed as inactive, meaning he did not vote in the two most recent general elections. His parents are registered Republicans.

Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, one of the GOP’s most prominent foreign a airs hawks, announced Sunday that he’ll retire, while warning that, with Russia’s escalation of its invasion of Ukraine, “we got to be very careful not to be on the precipice of a World War III.” McCaul has long pushed Trump to take a tougher stance on Russia and its invasion of Ukraine. The 63-year-old becomes one of at least 10 House members leaving the chamber without seeking higher o ce. McCaul said he would nish his term but not seek reelection next year.

Ebola vaccination begins in southern Congo Lagos, Nigeria Vaccination for those exposed to the Ebola virus and front-line health workers has begun in Congo’s southern Kasai province, the World Health Organization said Sunday. An outbreak of the highly contagious disease was announced earlier this month in the locality of Bulape and has left at least 16 dead and 68 suspected cases, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Only an initial 400 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been dispatched, with the rest to be delivered later, the WHO said. The operation has been hampered by limited access and scarce funds.

China’s sails newest aircraft carrier through Taiwan Strait

Beijing China’s newest aircraft carrier has sailed through the Taiwan Strait, its navy said Friday. The body of water separates China from Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its control. The sailing could serve as a warning to the U.S. and others against support for Taiwan, though China played down any such motive. The Fujian, which is doing sea trials ahead of its commissioning, was heading to the South China Sea to conduct training and scienti c experiments, the navy said in a short post on social media. It was the rst time the Fujian had passed through the strait.

LINDSEY WASSON / AP PHOTO

A vehicle marked with messages written on its windows in tribute to Charlie Kirk and carrying an American ag drives past Utah Valley University on Saturday in Orem, Utah.

HYOUNG CHANG / THE DENVER POST VIA AP

Students walk to board a bus amid heavy police presence at the Evergreen Library after a shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado last Wednesday.

features

‘Demon Slayer: In nity Castle’ opens to $70M, biggest anime debut to claim top box-o ce spot

“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” came in third place, earning $18.1 million

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — “Demon

Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Innity Castle” carved out a place in box-o ce history this weekend as the Japanese anime lm sliced straight to No. 1 — outpacing the horror sequel “The Conjuring: Last Rites.”

The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release shattered expectations with a mighty $70 million debut in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. That haul marks the biggest domestic opening ever for an anime lm, surpassing “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened with $31 million in 1999.

The lm extended its meteoric run, scoring the biggest anime opening of all time with a $132.1 million weekend, according to Comscore. Crunchyroll and Sony rolled it out across North America and 49 international markets, pushing the global total to $177.8 million.

“This performance by this particular lm shows the unpredictability of the box o ce,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “If we were sitting here, let’s say a month or even a couple of weeks ago, would we be thinking, ‘Wow, a Japanese anime lm would be No. 1 at the box o ce, overperform and bring in $70 million?’ If you predicted that, kudos to you.”

The movie is the rst in a three- lm trilogy that brings the hit Shonen saga to its climactic showdown. The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, a kind-hearted boy who takes up swordsmanship after his family is slaughtered and his sister,

The Japanese anime movie “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – In nity Castle” raked in $70 million with its North American debut.

Nezuko, is turned into a demon. Together, they ght a supernatural underworld of monstrous foes while clinging to what’s left of their humanity.

The “In nity Castle” opener hails from renowned studio Ufotable, whose lavish visuals and breakneck ght sequences have helped make the franchise a global sensation and juggernaut.

The lm’s domination also points to a September rebound after a sluggish August. Warner Bros.’ “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which opened to $83 million last weekend, slipped to second with $26 million.

The horror sequel has now scared up $131 million in the U.S. “This shows that two months of down trending box o ce can be totally reversed over the

“Wow, a Japanese anime lm would be number one at the box o ce, overperform and bring in $70 million? If you predicted that, kudos to you.”

Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore

course of a couple of weekends,” Dergarabedian said. Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” opened in third with $18.1 million. Set in the 1930s, the lm nds Lady Mary embroiled in a public scandal as the Crawleys confrontnancial strain and the looming threat of social disgrace. While the aristocratic family adapts to change, the household sta prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton into the future. In fourth place, Lionsgate’s

“The Long Walk” debuted with $11.5 million. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the adaptation of Stephen King’s rst-written novel is a thriller that asks a chilling question: “How far would you go to survive?” Pixar’s “Toy Story (30th Anniversary)” brought Buzz, Woody and the gang back to the big screen, opening in fth with $3.5 million across 2,375 theaters. Warner Bros.’ “Weapons” followed in sixth with $2.75 million, while Disney’s lmed musical “Hamilton” landed sev-

Spielberg celebrates 50th anniversary ‘Jaws’ exhibition at Academy Museum in LA

The media preview was accompanied by a 68-piece orchestra playing John Williams’ score

By Andrew Dalton

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Why would anyone keep a prop from the set of “Jaws?”

Steven Spielberg was musing about what it felt like while making his 1975 oceanic classic, and how little he thought any of it would matter when shooting the now-legendary opening scene of a woman night-swimming past an ocean buoy. His primary concern was keeping his job as a 26-year-old director amid unfolding disasters.

“How did anybody know to take the buoy and take it home and sit on it for 50 years?” he said.

That prop is among the rst things visitors will see as they enter a 50th anniversary “Jaws” exhibit opening Sunday and running through July at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

The exhibition featuring more than 200 pieces from the culture-changing blockbuster is the rst full show in the four-year history of the museum that is dedicated to a single lm. It comes amid a bevy of celebrations of the lm’s ve-decade life, including a theatrical rerelease last week.

Spielberg spoke to a gathering of media at the museum after touring the exhibit, which takes visitors chronologically through the lm’s three acts,

with some relic or recreation from virtually every scene.

“I’m just so proud of the work they’ve done,” the 78-year-old said. “What they’ve put together here at this exhibition is just awesome. Every room has the minutiae of how this picture got together.”

“Clearly this is a very historic initiative for us,” museum director Amy Homma said before introducing the director and also announcing the museum plans a full Spielberg retrospective in 2028.

What’s inside the “Jaws” exhibit

“Jaws” has been essential to the Academy Museum, which opened in 2021 and is operated by the organization that gives out the Oscars.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

“The lm certainly cost me a pound of esh but gave me a ton of career.”

Steven Spielberg

The only surviving full-scale mechanical shark from the production, 25 feet in length and nicknamed “Bruce” by Spielberg after his lawyer, has permanently hung over the escalators since it opened.

Homma said Bruce has become an “uno cial mascot” that “helped to de ne this museum.” The exhibit includes a keyboard with instructions on how to play Williams’ famously ominous two-note refrain that a generation of children learned to tap out on the piano.

enth with $2.2 million. “Freakier Friday” claimed eighth with $2.1 million.

Rounding out the top 10:

“Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” debuted with $1.6 million, narrowly edging “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary),” which sang up $1.4 million.

Dergarabedian said he expects more September good fortunes with the release of Jordan Peele-produced horror lm “HIM” next week and Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” coming out this month.

“September, after a very modest month of August, is proving to be an absolutely fantastic post-summer month for movies and for audiences and for movie theaters,” he said.

Top 10 movies by domestic box o ce

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

1. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – In nity Castle” $70 million

2. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $26 million.

3. “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” $18.1 million.

4. “The Long Walk,” $11.5 million.

5. “Toy Story (30th Anniversary),” $3.5 million.

6. “Weapons,” $2.75 million.

7. “Hamilton,” $2.2 million.

8. “Freakier Friday,” $2.1 million.

9. “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” $1.6 million.

10. “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary),” $1.4 million.

There’s that buoy initially kept by Lynn Murphy, a marine mechanic who worked on the lm who lived in Martha’s Vineyard where the lm was shot, before selling it to a collector in 1988.

Steven Spielberg, director of the 1975 lm “Jaws,” addresses the audience during the “Jaws: The Exhibition” press preview Sept. 10 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

Similar novelties include a dolly-zoom setup to which visitors can attach their phone and shoot their own face to recreate perhaps the lm’s most famous shot, the zoom-in to star Roy Scheider’s frightened gaze on the beach in the ctional town of Amity. There is also a small scale-model of the lm’s mechanical sharks that patrons can manually operate as crew members did at the time. And a photo-friendly recreation of the galley of the Orca — the vessel that prompted Scheider to say, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” — where he, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw sat, drank, sang sea-shanties and compared scars and shark tales. But it’s the real stu from the production that really makes the show.

And there is a dorsal n prop that struck terror in beachgoers in the lm and moviegoers in the theater, and a real great white shark’s jaw used for reference by the lmmakers that also appeared on screen.

Film geeks can get a close look at the aquatic cameras used by cinematographer Bill Butler and his team, and a Moviola used by editor Verna Fields. And they can get a play-by-play of the processes of casting director Shari Rhodes and a team of screenwriters that included Peter Benchley, author of the novel.

“Jaws” — a cursed production followed by 50 triumphant years

Spielberg said for him the exhibition above all “proves that this motion picture industry is really truly a collaborative art form. No place for auteurs.”

He said the crew’s camaraderie was the only thing that kept the production together.

“I just really was not ready to endure the number of obstacles that were thrown in our path, starting with Mother Nature,” Spielberg said. “My hubris was we could take a Hollywood crew and go out 12 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and shoot an entire movie with a mechanical shark. I thought that was to go swimmingly.”

People played a lot of cards. Others tried to reckon with seasickness.

“I’ve never seen so much vomit in my life,” he said.

“The lm certainly cost me a pound of esh,” he said, “but gave me a ton of career.”

pen & paper pursuits

sudoku solutions

Notice to Creditors

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 25E001377-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Priscilla Suzanne Baker aka Priscilla Dixon Baker, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before December 18, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 18th day of September, 2025. Andrea Baker McBride, Administrator of the Estate of Priscilla Suzanne Baker aka Priscilla Dixon Baker NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Court of

undersigned, having quali

as

of the Estate of Joyce Elizabeth Barnes, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of December, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Callie McClenny Beale, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all person having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of December, 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 is the 18th of September 2025. Administrator of the Estate of Callie McClenny Beale, Michael Douglas Beale, 1258 High House Road, Clinton, NC 28328.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF LILY SPEARS BENDER CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 22E000655 -250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Lily Spears Bender, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Kenneth L Bender Jr., at 182 Aloha Dr., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 12th day of December, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Administrator named above. This the 8th day of September, 2025. Kenneth L. Bender Administrator of the Estate of Lily Spears Bender Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: September 11, September 18, September 25 and October 2, 2025

NOTICE In the general court of justice superior court division estate le #25e001130250. State of North Carolina county of Cumberland. Administrator Notice Having quali ed as executor of the estate of Myrtle Autry Burrell, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and incorporations having claims against the estate of said decadent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 4516 nc 903 south, winterville, nc 28590 on or before 11/28/2025 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said estate Will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 08/28/2025. Mark Burrell, executor of the state of Myrtle Autry Burrell.

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File# 16E000417-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as administrator of the Estate of Frank Sterling Daniels, deceased, late of Cumberland County, herby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of December, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 18th day of September, 2025 Yvonne Daniels 513 Dandridge Dr Fayetteville, NC 28303 Administrator Of the Estate of Frank Sterling Daniels, Deceased Publication Dates 9/18/25, 9/25/25, 10/2/25, 10/9/25

Notice to Creditors

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of, Nancy Ezzell, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before November 28, 2025 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 25th day of August, 2025. Nancy Jo Bryan 7650 Sisk Culbreth Road Godwin, NC 28344

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File# 25E001370-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The Undersigned, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of Alene Ferguson, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the December 18, 2025 or which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 18th day of September, 2025 Barry Lynn Ferguson, Sr. Administrator/Executor 612 Ashdown Place, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Of the Estate of Alene Ferguson, Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File #25e001303-250 Administrator’s/ Executor’s Notice

The undersigned having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of Phyllis Annell Girard, deceased, late of Cumberland County, herby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of December, 2025, which is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 4th day of September, 2025. Signed, Albert Nathaniel Love Administrator 118 Pennmark Place Fayetteville, North Carolina 28301 Of the Estate of Phyllis Annell Girard, Deceased

NOTICE

State of North Carolina County of Cumberland In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File 25E001222-250 In the Matter of the Estate of Edward Keith Hairr Administrator’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Edward Keith Hairr, Eddie Hairr, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of November, 2025, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice)or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please immediate payment to the undersigned. This 28th day of August, 2025 Bobby Ray Hairr 4428 Dunn Rd. Eastover,

A look at the ACC basketball schedules for NC teams, B3

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Malfunctioning meat smoker in food truck lls air with smoke during game between Wake Forest, NC State Winston-Salem

There was a smoky rst quarter at the NC State-Wake Forest game due to a food truck malfunction. Smoke lled the air for several minutes amid that opening quarter, coming from a barbecue truck. ESPN showed a worker in the truck using a re extinguisher. A Wake Forest spokesman said the smoke that oated through the stadium lights was the result of a malfunctioning meat smoker.

NWSL

Matsukubo scores as Courage beat Angel City 2-1

Cary Manaka Matsukubo scored her sixth goal of the season and the Courage went on to defeat Angel City. The 21-year- old Japanese international opened the scoring in the sixth minute. When a ball across the box wasn’t properly cleared, Brianna Pinto made it 2-0 in the 19th minute. The win was rst for the Courage (6-7-7) since ring head coach Sean Nahas in August, snapping a six-game winless streak.

NCAA BASKETBALL

NCAA investigates 13 former basketball players, including NC A&T player, for sports betting violations

The NCAA is investigating potential sports betting violations involving 13 former men’s basketball players from six schools: Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley. The schools themselves are not under investigation. The NCAA’s integrity program agged unusual betting activities, including athletes betting on their own games and sharing information for betting purposes.

Hurricanes open camp looking to take next step

Carolina has obvious questions that need to be answered and others that could determine the team’s fate

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — The big questions for the Carolina Hurricanes entering the 2024-25 season are pretty clear. Where do new additions Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller t into the lineup? How will Rod Brind’Amour, for the second straight year, organize his new-look defense? How will young players Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake and Alexander Nikishin grow and develop? Can Carolina nally nd a de nitive answer at second line center? Will Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov be good enough — and healthy enough — to give the Hurricanes reliable goaltending.

And even if all the answers to these questions are positive, is it enough for Carolina to close the gap with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers? That handful of questions,

however, won’t be the only things that determine how the Hurricanes will fare in attempting to reach the playo s for the eighth consecutive season. Here are some under-the-radar things to watch

Are the 3-0 Wolfpack for real?

NC State is one of 38 teams that remain undefeated after Week 3

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

NC STATE has started the 2025 football season 3-0 — the rst time the team has been undefeated through Week 3 since 2022 — thanks to wins over ECU, Virginia and Wake Forest. The Wolfpack haven’t popped up in the rankings yet, but they did however receive four votes in this week’s AP Poll and are certainly performing better than many had probably expected.

NC State is also one of just 38 teams in FBS that remains undefeated, but the ultimate question remains: Are the Wolfpack for real?

Perhaps the biggest sign that the Wolfpack’s success might be sustainable is their second-half adjustments.

Against both Virginia and Wake Forest, NC State allowed 24 points in the rst half but ipped the script in the nal 30 minutes.

In those two weeks, the Wolfpack outscored their opponents 38-7 in the second half of games after trailing in the start of each.

“We’re tested,” said NC State coach Dave Doeren. “We’ve been down a couple of times, but these guys know how to ght back. They believe, they don’t inch, there’s no division. Coaches have been making

good adjustments two weeks in a row now.”

There’s also a lot to like in sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey.

The returning starter has thrown for more than 200 yards in every game so far this season, totaling ve passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and just one interception.

“I’m so proud of CJ,” Doeren

as Carolina opens training camp Thursday.

Can Aho start fast at 5-on-5?

A lot of Sebastian Aho’s success this coming season will likely come down to how well he meshes with Ehlers. The 29-year-old Dane is expected to be slotted on the top line, and it will give Aho a running mate with more than 500 career points and the ability to make game-changing o ensive plays.

While Aho was a point-pergame player before the calendar ipped to 2025 last season, he didn’t score his rst 5-on-5 goal until Nov. 20 — in the 18th game of the season — and had only two midway through December.

Ehlers should help. He’s been one of the most consistent 5-on-5 players in the league, scoring at least 10 goals in those situations in nine of his 10 seasons, falling one goal short in 2022-23 when he played just 45 games. Among full-time NHL players the last three seasons, Ehlers averages 2.47 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes, 15th in the league.

That’s better than Jack

See CANES, page B3

said. “What you guys don’t see is how he leads the team. How big his voice is now, how accountable he’ll hold people and then how he backs it up with his own work ethic. The thing that’s really awesome is that if he makes a mistake, he’s the rst one to say that that’s on him. It’s easy to follow a guy like him. He knows the o ense, he understands it, makes plays with his feet, takes care of the football and gives guys a chance to make a play.”

While the Wolfpack have a lot of talent spread out throughout their skill positions, no one has had as much of an impact as running back Hollywood Smothers, who accrues more and more yards every week.

Smothers now ranks sixth in Division I football in rushing yards (380), third amongst Power Four schools.

“It helps a lot when you have a dude like him,” Doeren said. “He’s tough, and he demands things on the sideline. I congratulated him on it being his career-best day in rushing, and he said, ‘I don’t care about that, we won.’ So to have a guy like that, who’s about the team, it’s refreshing and guys follow people like that.”

But there are still two big

STAN GILLILAND FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Dave Doeren watches from the sideline during NC State’s season-opening win over ECU. The Wolfpack are now 3-0.

NOAH K. MURRAY / AP PHOTO

Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho, right, celebrates with Shayne Gostisbehere, center, and Seth Jarvis after scoring against the Devils in Game 3 of their rst-round playo series April 25 in Newark, New Jersey.

KARL DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO

Carolina Hurricanes’ Shayne Gostisbehere (4) hits Florida Panthers’ Brad Marchand, left, during an altercation in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference nals last season.

THURSDAY 9.18.25

TRENDING

Idan Toklomati:

The Israeli forward career hat trick accounting for all the scoring as Charlotte beat Inter Miami 3-0 for its ninth straight regular-season victory Charlotte (17-11-2) tied Seattle s 2018 MLS record for consecutive wins in a single season, excluding the shootout era Keeper Kristijan Kahlina also made three great saves including denying Lionel Messi to keep the game scoreless

Jaedyn Shaw:

was traded from the North Carolina Courage to Gotham FC for an NWSL-record $1.25 million in intraleague transfer funds The previous record was the $600,000 the Utah Royals received from the Kansas City Current for Ally Sentnor Gotham said the team is working toward an “updated and extended contract with Shaw She was traded from the San Diego Wave to the Courage in January

Trey Yesavage:

The top prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization was called up to make his MLB debut on Monday Yesavage a 2024 -round draft pick out of East Carolina pitched for four minor league teams this year He was 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 98 minor league innings

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“I’m not too energ ized by losses so much I’m not a mora l v ictor y g uy. ” Wake Forest football coach Jake Dicker t after losing to NC State

“ This one ’ s for Charlie ” Christopher Bell dedicating Saturday s win at Bristol to slain conser vative activist Charlie Kirk Also, Richard Childress Racing had a decal honoring Kirk on all three of its cars (pictured).

NUMBER 1-0

a s inter im coach at Michigan The No 23 Wolver ines beat Central Michigan 63games w ith the former in for the suspended Sherrone Moore Pogg i went 6 -16 w ith Charlotte in 2023 and 2024.

NASCAR

Chr istopher Bell seized the v ictor y on a late restar t at Br istol Motor Speedway, of Brad Keselowsk i, who wa s tr y ing to end a 51-race w inless streak Bell joined remained unbeaten in the 10 -race championship r un

Stephen Curr y has released a book called “Shot Ready ” which quick ly became a top seller on A mazon It and process, featuring over 400 pages and more than 100 behind-the-scenes photos The Charlotte native and Dav idson alum shares his journey and motivations

The New England Patriots coaching Belichick is there But Patriots coach Mike Vrabel (pictured) says Belichick is still welcome at his old NFL grounds Vrabel points out Belichick attended Tom Brady ’ s Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony, suggesting no hard feelings from the team

Paul A llen’s estate ha s formally reached an agreement to sell the Por tland Trail Blazers to a group of investors led by Carolina Hurr icanes ow ner Tom Dundon Dundon announced a tentative deal la st month to buy the team and keep it in Por tland for a repor ted $4 billion The sale is expected to close by the end of this year

ECU prepares for home clash with BYU

The Pirates have outscored their last two opponents 94-3

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

GREENVILLE — Three weeks into the 2025 campaign, East Carolina has rebounded in impressive fashion from a season-opening loss at NC State.

The Pirates (2-1) responded to their 24-17 setback in Raleigh with a 56-3 home rout of FCS foe Campbell, then followed that with a dominant 38-0 shutout at Coastal Carolina last weekend.

Now ECU will look to carry that momentum into a tougher challenge as BYU (2-0) makes the 2,231-mile trip to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for a Saturday night showdown at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s a big football game,” rstyear ECU coach Blake Harrell said during his weekly press conference Monday. “It’s a Big 12, Power Four opponent and an opponent that’s been ranked in the top 25. But the focus really comes down to us. It’s about what we do, our execution, how we prepare and how we go play the game. We’re underdogs, but there are a lot of factors in my mind that play in our court and play into our hands.”

Harrell pointed to ECU’s season opener against the Wolfpack as an early measuring stick that should help his team

prepare for another high-pro le matchup.

“The fact you played in a big ballgame already early in the season — game one on the road in a di erent environment there — helps you prepare for this game as well.”

BYU enters Saturday’s contest rested after a bye week and has yet to allow a touchdown this season. The Cougars opened with a 69-0 home win over Portland State in Provo, Utah, and followed with a 27-3 home victory over Stanford.

Tenth-year coach Kalani Sitake’s squad will play its rst road game of the year in Greenville.

“We de nitely have a lot of respect for them,” Sitake said last week on ECU. “Knowing how di cult this season is going to be in this conference, this de nitely has got all of our attention. I think the bye is perfect for us in terms of getting our team ready for that move, going on the road and then getting into Big 12 play. This will be a great test for us.”

ECU leads the all-time series 2-1, including a 27-24 victory at BYU in 2022 that was sealed by a walk-o eld goal. The Pirates are hoping for their third straight win over the Cougars.

The Pirates’ o ense clicked in last week’s victory at Coastal, as quarterback Katin Houser threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior from Anaheim, California, entered the

season on the Manning Award Watch List, which recognizes the nation’s top quarterbacks.

ECU totaled 497 yards of offense while limiting the Chanticleers to 239.

“I thought our guys did a really good job with their e ort,” Harrell said. “That’s what I’m most proud of. I think we play harder and harder each and every week, and I think we’re getting better every single week. Those guys just keep going at it.”

Houser spread the ball around to a variety of receivers. Anthony Smith led the way with 11 catches for 136 yards,

while Yannick Smith hauled in two touchdown passes. Brock Spalding (43 yards) and tight end Jayvontay Conner (32 yards) also contributed in the passing game. On the ground, London Montgomery paced the rushing attack with 59 yards on 15 carries. Parker Jenkins, Mike Wright Jr. and TJ Engleman Jr. each added more than 30 rushing yards with a touchdown. First-year defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge’s unit also shined, producing ve sacks, nine tackles for loss and ve turnovers against the Chanticleers.

“I think we play harder and harder each and every week, and I think we’re getting better every single week.”

Blake Harrell, ECU coach

Over in Provo, BYU is continuing to break in true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Against Stanford, Bachmeier threw for 175 yards and was sacked three times. Running back LJ Martin carried 18 times for 110 yards, and Chase Roberts led the receiving corps with ve catches for 84 yards.

Harrell said BYU’s physical style will pose a major challenge for his team.

“The big thing that stands out is how they are running the football,” he said. “They’re big, they’re athletic, they run well, they’re physical, they’re a hardnosed football team, and they do that with running the football.”

While the Cougars will be without wideout Jojo Phillips, who is recovering from an upper-body injury su ered against Stanford, they enter the game with some of the nation’s top statistical marks. BYU ranks second nationally with 312.5 rushing yards per game and leads the country in scoring defense, allowing just 1.5 points per contest.

ACC men’s basketball schedules released for NC teams

The Tar Heels and Wolfpack meet just once for the rst time in 106 years

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

ABOUT A MONTH and a half out from the start of the college basketball season, the ACC released the dates for its men’s basketball schedule.

Speci c dates for some midweek matchups have yet to be determined, and tip-o times and broadcasting assignments will be announced later.

After playing 20-game conference schedules since the 2019-20 season, the league decided to return to the 18-game slate it used from the 2012-13 through 2018-19 seasons.

“Moving to an 18-game conference schedule is a direct result of our ongoing strategic review and analysis and provides our schools a better balance of nonconference and conference games while also allowing them more autonomy in the scheduling process,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said after the league switched to 18 games in May. “This decision re ects our on-going prioritization to do what’s best for ACC men’s basketball, and we appreciate the thoughtfulness of our membership and the support from our television partners.”

ACC play will begin Dec. 30. Here’s a look at the conference schedules and key matchups for North Carolina’s four ACC institutions.

North Carolina

In-state games: vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 10), vs. Duke (Feb. 7), at NC State (Feb. 17 or 18), at Duke (March 7)

106 years of

Other games: vs. Florida State (Dec. 30 or 31), at SMU (Jan 3), at Stanford (Jan. 13 or 14), at California (Jan. 17), vs. Notre Dame (Jan. 20 or 21), at Virginia (Jan. 24), at Georgia Tech (Jan. 31), vs. Syracuse (Feb. 2), at Miami (Feb. 10 or 11), vs. Pitt (Feb. 14), at Syracuse (Feb. 21), vs. Louisville (Feb. 23), vs. Virginia Tech (Feb. 28), vs. Clemson (March 3 or 4)

Of course, UNC’s in-state matchups are must-wins. The Tar Heels will get one shot each at NC State and Wake Forest. This will be the rst time that UNC and NC State meet just once in a season since 1919, which was the second game ever played between the two

Eichel, Roope Hintz, Jack Hughes, William Nylander and nearly everyone else in the NHL. Aho, meanwhile, is at 2.02, tied for 69th among players with at least 2,000 minutes at 5-on-5 over the past three seasons.

If Ehlers is piling up 5v5 points, chances are Aho and whoever else plays with them will as well.

Can Gostisbehere be more than a PPQB?

When Shayne Gostisbehere

13

5-on-5 points for Shayne Gostisbehere last season, the fewest among Carolina’s top-six defensemen

is dialed in on the power play, chances are his team looks unstoppable. That has led to him being labeled an o ensive defenseman. While he’s de nitely not a shutdown defender, that has also led him to being

schools. After meeting at least twice a year from 1945 to 2004, this will be the 16th year since then that just one Wake-Carolina game is on the docket. The matchup with Duke remains a two-game a air. UNC’s stretch of games leading up to the season nale will be something to watch as Louisville, last year’s ACC runner-up, and Clemson (third place in the ACC last season), will come to Chapel Hill. That stretch could make or break the Tar Heels’ positioning in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke

In-state games: vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 24), at UNC (Feb. 7), at

deemed a defensive liability.

Gostisbehere will never be confused with Jaccob Slavin in his own end, but his shortcomings on defense are often overblown. But so too are his contributions in the o ensive zone.

Gostibehere nished last season with three goals and 13 points at 5-on-5 — nishing last among Carolina’s top-six defensemen in goals, assists and points at full strength.

Gostisbehere will again be in a third-pairing role this season, so no one should expect him to put up 32 5-on-5 points like he did when playing big minutes with the Coyotes in 2021-22.

NC State (March 2), vs. UNC (March 7)

Other games: vs. Georgia Tech (Dec. 30 or 31), at Florida State (Jan. 3), at Louisville (Jan. 6 or 7), vs. SMU (Jan. 10), at California (Jan. 13 or 14), at Stanford (Jan. 17), vs. Louisville (Jan. 26), at Virginia Tech (Jan. 31), vs. Boston College (Feb. 3 or 4), at Pitt (Feb. 10 or 11), vs. Clemson (Feb. 14), vs. Syracuse (Feb. 16), at Notre Dame (Feb. 24 or 25), vs. Virginia (Feb. 28) Duke tore through the ACC last season, but it lost a generational talent in Cooper Flagg and teams around the league improved on paper. Still, the Blue Devils added the nation’s best recruiting class, including three McDonalds All-Americans — as many as all the rest of the ACC combined.

The Blue Devils should get tested more this season with two games against Louisville and an interesting early February stretch in which they play UNC, Pitt and Clemson in one week.

NC State

In-state games: vs. Wake Forest (Dec. 30 or 31), at Wake Forest (Jan. 31), vs. UNC (Feb. 17 or 18), vs. Duke (March 2) Other games: vs. Virginia (Jan. 3), at Boston College (Jan. 6 or 7), at Florida State (Jan. 10), vs. Georgia Tech (Jan. 17), at Clemson (Jan. 20 or 21), at Pitt (Jan. 24), vs. Syracuse (Jan. 27 or 28), at SMU (Feb. 3 or 4), vs. Virginia Tech (Feb. 7), at Louisville (Feb. 9), vs. Miami (Feb. 14), at Virginia (Feb. 24 or 25), at Notre Dame (Feb. 28), vs. Stanford (March 7)

After landing former Tar Heel Ven-Allen Lubin from the transfer portal and new coach Will Wade taking shots at how he was used at Caroli-

His greatest value, though, is his o ense, and Carolina needs more production out of a player who ranked rst in the league in possession with 62.34% Corsi For last season.

How will Hall t in?

Taylor Hall had nine goals and 18 points in 31 games after coming over from Chicago in a trade last season, following that with a pair of goals and six points in 15 playo games.

The former No. 1 overall pick is certainly no longer the player who won the Hart Trophy with New Jersey in 2018, but how

18

Conference games instead of 20 in the 2025-26 season

na, NC State will get one shot at UNC. In the Wolfpack’s favor, it’s a home game, and it’s a chance to make a big statement about what the new NC State era is about, considering it’s 2-8 in its last 10 matchups with the Tar Heels. NC State also gets one game with ACC giants in Clemson, Louisville and Duke — all good chances to pad its resume.

Wake Forest

In-state games: at NC State (Dec. 30 or 31), at UNC (Jan. 10), at Duke (Jan. 24), vs. NC State (Jan. 31)

Other games: at Virginia Tech (Jan. 3), vs. Miami (Jan. 6 or 7), at Florida State (Jan. 17), vs. SMU (Jan. 20 or 21), at Pitt (Jan. 27 or 28), vs. Louisville (Feb. 7), at Georgia Tech (Feb. 10 or 11), vs. Stanford (Feb. 14), vs. Clemson (Feb. 17 or 18), at Virginia Tech (Feb. 21), at Boston College (Feb. 24 or 25), vs. Syracuse (Feb. 28), at Virginia (March 3 or 4), vs. California (March 7) The quest for Wake Forest’s rst NCAA Tournament appearance under coach Steve Forbes (sixth season) needs more wins against the league’s best teams like Duke, Louisville and Clemson. Those games are spread out for the Demon Deacons, giving them plenty of time to prepare for the resume builders. If NC State turns out to be as good as it hopes to be, Wake Forest will have an extra opportunity to earn an in-state quality win.

Hall contributes in 2025-26 could go a long way in determining Carolina’s success. The Hurricanes are lled to the gills at wing, so ice time will need to be earned. Hall, who signed a three-year, $9.5 million extension last season, could get an opportunity in the top six, earn a look in a shutdown role with Jordan Staal, or be relegated to fourth-line duty.

Carolina doesn’t need Hall to have a big year to have success, but how he adapts to whatever role he ends up in will help determine how good the Hurricanes’ forward group is from top to bottom.

KARL DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO

ECU quarterback Katin Houser hands o to running back Marlon Gunn Jr. against NC State.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

After

battling in both schools’ gyms, NC State and UNC go head to head just once this ACC season.

its second straight and moves up in the state rankings.

Week three on the NC college gridiron

THE RANKINGS

1. North Carolina’s record: 18-13 (41-46 overall)

2. Johnson C. Smith: 3-0, won 21-17 at Elizabeth City State

3. NC State: 3-0, won 34-24 at Wake Forest

4. App State: 2-1, lost 38-22 at Southern Miss

5. NC Wesleyan, 2-0, won 49-16 over Newport News Apprentice

6. Wingate: 2-0, won 72-7 over Blue eld State

7. ECU: 2-1, won 38-0 at Coastal Carolina

8. Wake Forest: 2-1, lost 34-24 to NC State

9. Gardner-Webb: 2-1, won 23-13 over the Citadel

10. Catawba: 2-1, won 44-34 over UVA Wise

11. Greensboro: 1-1, lost to Roanoke, 32-22

12. Winston-Salem State: 2-1, won 51-14 over Lincoln

13. Duke: 1-2, lost 34-27 at Tulane

14. UNC: 2-1, won 41-6 over Richmond

15. UNC Pembroke: 2-1, won 25-21 over Delta State

16. NC Central: 2-2, won 49-19 over Fayetteville State

17. Lenoir-Rhyne: 2-1, won 31-2 over Emory & Henry

18. Chowan, 1-1, lost 56-3 to Valdosta State

19. Elon: 2-1, won 37-31 at Western Carolina

20. Mars Hill, 1-1, won 31-24 in OT over Carson Newman

21. Guilford: 1-1, won 42-40 at Methodist

22. Brevard: 1-1, won 26-10 at Sewanee

23. Livingstone: 1-1, no game in Week 3

24. Fayetteville State: 0-3, lost 49-19 at NC Central

25. Elizabeth City State: 0-3, lost 21-17 to JC Smith

26. Barton: 0-3, lost 41-28 at North Greenville

27. Methodist: 0-2, lost 42-40 to Guilford

28. Western Carolina: 0-3, lost 37-31 to Elon

29. Charlotte: 1-2, won 42-35 over Monmouth

30. NC A&T: 1-2, won 33-30 in OT over Hampton

31. Campbell: 0-3, lost 28-24 to Furman

32. Shaw: 0-2, lost 14-6 at Ferrum

33. Davidson: 0-3, lost 72-14 at Tennessee Tech

ALL-STATE PERFORMANCES FOR WEEK 3

• Quarterback: Walker Harris, NC Central

• Running backs: Wesley Graves, NC A&T; Nahjir Seagraves, NC Wesleyan

• Receiver: Shane Shapiro, Guilford; E. Jai Mason, Charlotte

• Defensive line: Robert Holtz, G-W; Kieran Davis, ECU

• Linebacker: Mikai Gbayor, UNC; Brodie Carroll, Elon

• Defensive back: Ja’Marley Riddle, ECU; Nick Andersen, Wake Forest

• Special teams: Stephen Brantley, Western Carolina

Panthers concessions include masked bandit sandwich

Noted raccoon fan Xavier Legette inspired the sandwich, which has brisket, not roadkill

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

XAVIER LEGETTE wants everyone to know that, despite its name, the Masked Bandit sandwich doesn’t taste like raccoon.

“At all,” he added, for emphasis.

That’s probably because, unlike the traditional Christmas dinner at the Legette household, the new sandwich being o ered at Bank of America Stadium during Panthers games doesn’t actually contain any raccoon meat.

It’s a brisket sandwich that was “inspired by” Legette, who brought a Tupperware container of leftover trash panda to Panthers’ practice the day after Christmas last year.

Executive chef Adam Bognovitz, from Panthers hospitality partner Levy, worked with Legette to develop the sandwich. The second-year receiver gained a social media cult following last year due to his heavy — to the point of indecipherable at times — Southern accent and his openness to discussing his rural South Carolina roots. The concession stands at Bank of America Stadium will try to capitalize on that fame without straying from FDA-graded traditional farm animals.

The sandwich features smoked, chopped brisket — a meat that Legette said he’d never eaten before — topped with melted cheddar cheese, bourbon BBQ sauce and slaw made with South Carolina vinegar.

The slaw was a bit of a sticking point in the sandwich development. Amazingly, Legette had never tried cole slaw either, and he told Bognovitz he wanted it to be “plain Jane. No onion. No bell peppers. No tomato.”

Legette expressed his disdain for onions and peppers in December, as well.

“The onions, the bell peppers, that stu is too exotic. The raccoon is regular to me,” he said.

The nearly vegetable-free sandwich will be served on a marbled bun that the team is referring to as a “raccoon bun.”

Bognovitz drew the BBQ sauce in the shape of 17 — Legette’s uniform number — in the video introducing the sandwich. It’s not clear that every sandwich at BOA will feature the same tribute, but fans will still be reminded of the player that inspired it, when they pay the $17 price tag.

Fans who don’t want to pretend they’re eating roadkill have plenty of other options. Other new food products being o ered this season include:

Three new nachos

The Tex-Mex round beef nachos have seasoned beef, green chile que -

WOLFPACK from page B1

areas of concern for the Wolfpack.

One is the passing defense.

NC State has allowed the sixth-most passing yards in FBS, with 892 yards against in three games (an average of 297 yards per game).

The only P4 school worse than them has been SMU.

There was a good bit of concern over the state of the secondary after the exodus of talent following the end of last season, and it’s looking more and more like those worries were founded.

Second is the slow starts.

Sure, the Wolfpack has put up great

so, jalapenos, pickled onion, shredded cheddar and chipotle crema served over tortilla chips.

The al pastor pork nachos also have the green chile queso and chipotle crema, but the smoked al pastor pork is sweetened with caramelized pineapple pico. It also features cilantro and cotija, an aged, Mexican cheese.

Paying tribute to a taste closer to home is the third nacho o ering — the Cheerwine BBQ chicken nachos. They also have the green chile queso, along with jalapenos, pickled onion and shredded cheddar. The pulled roasted BBQ chicken is topped with a Cheerwine BBQ sauce.

In the mood for BBQ

Perhaps the biggest-ticket new concessions item is the Piedmont pit BBQ platter. This is a three-meat feast with all the sides. It has a glazed chicken quarter, house-smoked pork and links of jalapeno cheddar sausage. It also comes with mac and cheese, potato salad, cole slaw, pick-

“It’s good to be 3-0.”

second-half performances so far, but they’ve been putting themselves in holes far too often. It might not always be possible for them to get themselves out of bad situations, especially given the fact that the hardest part of their schedule is still ahead of them.

NC State has dates with Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Miami and Florida State on the docket — all teams

les, pickled onions and corn bread. It’s also priced like a feast, coming in at $29.

Cuban with a local twist

The Carolina Cuban sandwich mixes cultures by bringing a South Florida and Cuban staple closer to home. The pressed sandwich on the traditional crisp Cuban bread features layers of pork, ham and Swiss cheese. The pork is Carolina pulled pork, instead of traditional sliced mojo. It also incorporates two North Carolina sandwich staples in Mount Olive pickles and Duke’s gold BBQ sauce.

Grab-and-go

food

Fans will be busy juggling their choice of food with a drink, not to mention they may want to cheer for the home team. So dishes that are easy to hold are often stadium favorites. The Panthers will have a Carolina dog, which is a hot, smothered in house-smoked beef chili, onions, mustard and slaw. There’s also a classic Greek gyro with lamb and beef. Fans can also ditch the pita wrap for the gyro and get a jasmine rice bowl version of the same thing — lamb and beef, topped with tomatoes, red onion, tzatziki sauce and feta.

Speaking of rice

There are three di erent options available for the team’s new fried rice dish. The vegetable fried rice is jasmine rice with carrots, peas, red peppers, onions, scallions, sesame and soy sauce. It also comes with two options for protein — marinated grilled steak or marinated grilled chicken.

currently ranked in the AP Top 25 — and they also have to play in-state rivals UNC and Duke, which are always potential toss-ups.

If the Wolfpack want to see continued success this season, those are two big areas in which they’re going to need to be better.

But at the end of the day, Doeren said it best.

“I love winning. It’s a great feeling and it’s what we do this for,” he said. “It’s all about winning. Our goal is to be undefeated. Every week, it’s one game at a time. It doesn’t matter how it ends up, it’s a ‘W’ however you cut it. “It’s good to be 3-0.”

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL UNC won

Dave Doeren, NC State coach

COURTESY CAROLINA PANTHERS / LEVY Xavier Legette poses with the sandwich he helped create.

Left, the Piedmont pit BBQ platter promises to be a favorite.

Right, despite the name, the masked bandit sandwich is 100% racoon-free.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAROLINA PANTHERS / LEVY

COURTESY CAROLINA PANTHERS/LEVY

Chicken nachos with a Cheerwine-based BBQ sauce is available at Panthers’ home games.

COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY 25sp000190-120 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY IGRAIN PADILLA AND KASANDRA PADILLA DATED MAY 7, 2004 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 5317 AT PAGE 304 IN THE CABARRUS COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY

24SP001632-120

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY SOUTHPOINT REALTY SERVICES, LLC DATED SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 16647 AT PAGE 97 IN THE CABARRUS 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

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 25SP000183-250 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Gary J. Lewis (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Gary J. Lewis) to Hutchens, Senter, Kellam & Pettit, P.A., dba Hutchens Law Firm, Trustee(s), dated October 28, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 11615, at Page 0338 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 O ce 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 o er for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Patsy L. Thomas aka Patsy Anne Langley Thomas, late of Randolph County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of Ivey & Eggleston, Attorneys at Law, 111 Worth Street, Asheboro, North Carolina 27203, on or before December 6, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said estate should make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 4th day of September, 2025 Kimberly Ann Thomas Executor of the Estate of Patsy L. Thomas aka Patsy Anne Langley Thomas S. SCOTT EGGLESTON, Attorney IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043 PUBL/DATES: 09/04/25 09/11/25 09/18/25 09/25/25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of James Vincent Williams, of Randolph County, NC, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned Administrator at the Law O ce of Andrew J. Weiner, 113 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC 27203 on or before December 5th 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of heir recovery. All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 4th day of September 2025. James Winton Murray, Administrator James Vincent Williams, Estate Andrew J. Weiner, Attorney Gavin & Cox 113 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 Telephone: 336-629-2600

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 Cabarrus County courthouse at 11:00AM on October 2, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Igrain Padilla and Kasandra Padilla, dated May 7, 2004 to secure the original principal amount of $195,776.00, and recorded in Book 5317 at Page 304 of the Cabarrus County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed 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: 4167

of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cabarrus County courthouse at 11:00AM on September 25, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Southpoint Realty Services, LLC, dated September 5, 2023 to secure the original principal amount of $384,800.00, and recorded in Book 16647 at Page 97 of the Cabarrus County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed 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: 117 S Ridge Ave, Kannapolis, NC 28083 Tax Parcel ID: 26136972160000 Present Record Owners:

designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on September 22, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in the City of Fayetteville, Seventy First Township, Cumberland County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows:

Being all of Lot 148 in a subdivision known as Glen Reilly, Section Three and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 59, Page 63, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 746 Glen Reilly Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Being the same property conveyed by deed recorded in Book 4371, Page 0128 of the Cumberland County, North Carolina

Records. Subject to all easements, covenants, conditions, reservations, leases and restrictions of record, all legal highways, all rights of way, all zoning, building and other laws, ordinances and regulations, all rights of tenants in possession, and all real estate

NOTICE TO

CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of David Earl Zimmerman, of Randolph County, NC, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned Administrator at the Law O ce of Andrew J. Weiner, 113 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC 27203 on or before December 5th 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of heir recovery. All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 4th day of September 2025. Pamela Nash Zimmerman, Administrator David Earl Zimmerman, Estate Andrew J. Weiner, Attorney Gavin & Cox 113 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 Telephone: 336-629-2600

WAKE

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of SANDRA McCLELLAN JONES, aka, SANDRA J. JONES, aka, SANDRA M. JONES, late of Wake County, North Carolina (25E002980-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 14th day of December, 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 11th day of September 2025. Jeani Shankle Executor of the Estate of Sandra McClellan Jones, aka, Sandra J. Jones, aka, Sandra M. Jones c/o Lisa M. Schreiner

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

(For publication: 09/11, 09/18, 09/25, 10/2/2025)

Bristol Pl Northwest, Concord, NC 28027 Tax Parcel ID: 5601 96 5145 Present Record Owners: Igrain Padilla and Kasandra Padilla The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Igrain Padilla and Kasandra Padilla. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property o ered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed.

North Carolina Recovery Housing Trust The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are North Carolina Recovery Housing Trust. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property o ered 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

taxes and assessments not yet due and payable Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. 7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of TIMOTHY E. PANNELL, late of Wake County, North Carolina (25E003343-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 14th day of December, 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 11th day of September 2025. Coco Pannell Administrator of the Estate of Timothy E. Pannell c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

(For publication: 09/11, 09/18, 09/25, 10/2/2025)

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Administrator CTA of the Estate of KATIE LOUISE SESSOMS, aka, KATIE L. SESSOMS, late of Wake County, North Carolina (25E003191-910) , the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 21st day of December, 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 18th day of September 2025. David A. Sessoms Administrator CTA Estate of Katie Louise Sessoms aka Katie L. Sessoms c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 09/18, 09/25, 10/02, 10/09/2025)

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of ROBERTA JOYCE SMITH, late of Wake County, North Carolina (25E002800910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 14th day of December, 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 11th day of September 2025. June Ilene Smith-Bland Executor of the Estate of Roberta Joyce Smith c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 09/11, 09/18, 09/25, 10/2/2025)

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 ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed 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 Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS

of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed 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

taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the

And they’re o

Runners take o at the start of the Boone & Sean Good Samaritan Memorial 5K during Chatham County’s Recovery Celebration at Chatham Middle School in Siler City on Sept. 13. The substance abuse awareness event, which honored two students who died, featured races for both youth and adults, along with recovery resources, live music and free lunch for the community.

the

BRIEF this

week

N.Y. judge tosses terrorism charges against Mangione, murder count stand

A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state’s case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state’s second- degree murder charges against him. Judge Gregory Carro ruled Tuesday that although there is no doubt that the killing was not an ordinary street crime, New York law doesn’t consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology. The ruling came as Mangione made his rst court appearance in the state case since February. The 27-year-old Ivy League graduate has attracted a cult following as a stand-in for frustrations with the health insurance industry after Thompson was fatally shot in December.

Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, says it’s “replica” D.C. crackdown

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis to combat crime, testing the limits of presidential power by using military force in cities.

Trump made Monday’s announcement with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, calling it a “replica” of e orts in Washington, D.C. Last month, Trump deployed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, claiming it reduced crime. Lee supports the deployment, while Memphis Mayor Paul Young opposes it.

$2.00

Chatham County Schools presents last year’s accountability data

The district ranked rst in the entire state in academic growth

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — Chatham County Schools has been enjoying steady academic growth.

At its Sept. 8 meeting, the board was presented with the district’s 2024-25 accountability results.

The state provides districts with school performance grades, which are based on each school’s achievement score and academic growth.

The breakdown within the district was 5.3% of schools re-

ceived an A-rating (8% is the state average), 52.6% received a B (21%), 36.8% received a C (40%) and 5.3% received a D (26%). Chatham County Schools (CCS) did not have an F-rated school this year, as Chatham Middle rose to a D-grade. Part of the state’s performance

See SCHOOLS, page A3

“One-hundred percent of our schools met or exceeded growth, which is a fantastic celebration.”

Darlene Reap-Klosty, director of accountability

Appeals court rules felony o enders can’t be prosecuted for voting unlawfully by mistake

The law targeted black voters disproportionately, according to judges

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A federal appeals court has ruled that a North Carolina law that made it

a crime for felony o enders who vote before they have completed their sentences without knowing they were breaking the law is unconstitutional.

A panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last Friday unanimously upheld a trial judge’s decision that found the law was discriminatory and harmed black ex-defen-

The governor says additional help is needed from Washington

The Associated Press

FLAT ROCK — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Monday requested $13.5 billion more from Congress in recovery aid for Hurricane Helene almost a year after the historic storm, saying additional help is needed from Washington to address record amounts of damage and to get funds to the region quicker. The proposal also asks the

federal government to distribute an additional $9.4 billion in federal funds that the state has already requested or is expecting but rst needs additional action from U.S. agencies.

Stein’s administration says $5.2 billion in federal funds have already been allocated or obligated to western North Carolina for Helene relief, in contrast to the estimated $60 billion damage and costs incurred from the September 2024 storm and related ooding. O cials said there were more than 100

dants disproportionately.

At issue was a law against voting by felony o enders who were still serving sentences. In 2023, lawmakers updated the law so that, starting in January 2024, a person convicted of a felony had to know it was against the law to vote for it to be considered a crime.

But the old law wasn’t re-

“We are grateful for every federal dollar that we have received because it brings us closer to recovery. But we need more help.”

Gov. Josh Stein

pealed and became the focus of the lawsuit originally led in 2020. The plainti s — groups representing poor residents and black union members — said people could still be subject to prosecution for voting before 2024 under the old rules. Melvin Montford, executive

See VOTING, page A2

THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY

CRIME LOG

Sept. 8

• John Patrick Mcpherson, 45, of Siler City, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Jorge HernandezMartinez, 22, of Raleigh, was arrested for assault by strangulation, domestic violence, and assault on a female.

• Jason Charles Holmes, 50, of Pittsboro, was arrested for exploiting a disabled or elderly person, obtaining property by false pretenses, attempting to obtain property by false pretenses, and possession of cocaine.

• Braysen Zachary Mcleod, 18, of Staley, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

Sept. 9

• Jamael Rafael Sellars, 36, of Sanford, was arrested for statutory rape of a child under 15 and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

• Duane Daniel Riddle, 51, of Pittsboro, was arrested for possession of a rearm by a felon.

• Charles Raymond Hart Jr., 57, of Goldston, was arrested for violating a domestic violence protective order.

director of the North Carolina A. Phillip Randolph Institute, praised the ruling, saying it con rms “that this law was born out of racism and has been wielded to intimidate and disenfranchise black voters.”

The decision means “this remnant of Jim Crow can no longer be used as a weapon against our communities,” he added.

The state constitution says a person convicted of a felony can’t vote until their rights of citizenship are restored “in the manner prescribed by law.” A felony o ender can’t vote again until they complete their punishments, which include incarceration, probation, parole and other close supervision. Their rights are then automatically restored, but a person must reregister to vote.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs sided in April 2024 with the plainti s and blocked en-

forcement of the pre-2024 law. The State Board of Elections, a lawsuit defendant, appealed, and oral arguments at the 4th Circuit were held in Richmond, Virginia.

The 4th Circuit panel found as credible arguments by the plainti s that the pre-2024 law requires them to use time and resources to educate people eligible to vote but remain fearful about reregistering again for fear of prosecution.

Evidence was presented showing the law had originated in 1877, placing harsh penalties on disenfranchised felony o enders. State attorneys acknowledged the state’s racially biased history. But they contended the rati cation of a new North Carolina Constitution in the early 1970s — with several race-related provisions eliminated — created “a legally signi cant historical break” from the original 1877 statute and a reenactment in 1899.

But U.S. Circuit Judge De-

Andrea Gist Benjamin, writing the opinion, still found that the law retained a discriminatory taint — its origins dating to the decade after the Civil War when black voting had initially been expanded. There’s been no substantive change to the pre-2024 law since 1899, and the elections board has conceded the 1899 law is “indefensible,” Benjamin wrote. “The fact that prosecutions under the Challenged Statute could not be brought for future conduct is of no consequence,” she added. Circuit Judges Jim Wynn and Pamela Harris joined Friday’s opinion. The three 4th Circuit judges were nominated to their current positions by Democratic presidents. A state Department of Justice spokesperson said Monday the agency is reviewing the decision. Appeals to the full 4th Circuit or U.S. Supreme Court are possible.

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

The weekly deadline is Monday at Noon.

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

Sept. 18

Opening Night of the 75th Annual Chatham County Fair

5-10 p.m.

Main attractions will include games, rides, concessions, a petting zoo and an antique car exhibition. Adult tickets are $6, children 6-12 are $4 and children 5 and under get in free.

191 Fairgrounds Road Pittsboro

Bynum Community Game Night

6-9 p.m.

Board and card games along with snacks. Join the fun to make a community connection.

Front Porch, Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum

Sept.

20

Chatham Mills Farmers Market

8 a.m. to noon

Producers-only farmers market o ering a wide variety of goods from fresh produce to other groceries, including eggs, cheese, meat, health and wellness items and crafts. Everything is created by the vendors themselves.

Lawn of the historic Chatham Mills

480 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro

Sanford Farmers Market

8:30 a.m. to noon

It creates the ideal place for local food producers to build connections within the community while giving the public a place to sample and purchase foods and crafts made by their neighbors. Experience the ultimate in food, fun and fellowship in the Sandhills region.

115 Chatham St. Chatham

Sept.

24

Jazz Night at The Sycamore at Chatham Mills

6-9 p.m.

Every Wednesday night, The Sycamore hosts live Jazz Nights. The series features a rotating list of local musicians. Visitors can order their choice of appetizers from the Lounge Menu in the dining room each night. Reservations are highly recommended.

480 Hillsboro St. Suite 500 Pittsboro

Public Notice

Public Notice

TOWN OF SILER CITY LEAF COLLECTION SCHEDULE

TOWN OF SILER CITY LEAF COLLECTION SCHEDULE

Siler City announces fall leaf collection beginning Oct. 20

Siler City loose leaf collection will begin Monday, October 20, 202 Persons living on the south-side of aleigh Street will receive a leaf pick-up on Monday through Friday in the first week and persons living on the north-side of Raleigh Street will receive a leaf pick-up starting the next week on Monday, October 27, 25. We will continue to rotate from the south-side of town to north-side of town throughout the oose-leaf collection process.

Siler City loose leaf collection will begin Monday October 20, 202 Persons living on the south-side of Raleigh Street will receive a leaf pick-up on Monday through Friday in the first week and persons living on the north-side of Raleigh Street will receive a leaf pick-up starting the next week on Monday, October 27, 2025. We will continue to rotate from the south-side of town to north-side of town throughout the loose-leaf collection process.

The town will rotate weekly collections between neighborhoods north and south of Raleigh Street

Church News

LOVES CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH

Loose leaf collection will run until February 13 2026. After this date any leaves that are not bagged will not be collected.

Loose leaf collection will run until February 13, 2026. After this date any leaves that are not bagged will not be collected.

Chatham News & Record sta

Residents should place leaves in neat piles at the edge of the street — not in the street itself — where the vacuum machine can access them. All foreign objects — including sticks, rocks and trash — must be removed from leaf piles and placed separately for later collection.

Please Note: Pick up will take place on one side of town for a week then move to the other side the following given that the route has been completed. If the route has not been completed, staff will resume collection where they left off then move to the other side of the town upon completion.

Please Note: Pick up will take place on one side of town for a week then move to the other side the following given that the route has been completed. If the route has not been completed, staff will resume collection where they left off then move to the other side of the town upon completion.

SILER CITY — The Town of Siler City will begin its annual loose leaf collection program on Monday, Oct. 20, with crews rotating weekly between neighborhoods on either side of Raleigh Street through Feb. 13. Residents living south of Raleigh Street will receive leaf pickup during the rst week, from Oct. 20-24. Those liv-

ing north of Raleigh Street will have their leaves collected beginning the following Monday, Oct. 27. The town will continue alternating between the south and north sides throughout the collection period. If crews don’t complete a route within the scheduled week, they’ll resume where they left o before moving to the other side of town.

Leaves should be placed in neat piles at the edge of the street (not in the street) where they will be accessible to the vacuum machine. Foreign objects such as sticks, rocks and trash must be removed from the loose leaves and piled separately for later collection. To avoid damage to the leaf vacuum, leaves containing foreign objects will not be picked

Leaves should be placed in neat piles at the edge of the street (not in the street) where they will be accessible to the vacuum machine. Foreign objects such as sticks, rocks and trash must be removed from the loose leaves and piled separately for later collection. To avoid damage to the leaf vacuum, leaves containing foreign objects will not be picked up

“To avoid damage to the leaf vacuum, leaves containing foreign objects will not be picked up,” the town’s notice states. The town will not collect bagged leaves while the loose leaf collection program is running. After Feb. 13, any leaves not in bags will not be collected.

On the left is the correct way to pile leaves, according to the city. The right photo is incorrect because the leaves are in the street, rather than o the roadway.

Bagged Leaves Will Not Be Picked UP While Loose Leaf Collection Program is in Progress. our cooperation will make our leaf collection program a success. For questions, please call 919-742-4732.

Bagged Leaves Will Not Be Picked UP While Loose Leaf Collection Program is in Progress.

Loves Creek Baptist Church in Siler City would like to invite everyone to their 200th Anniversary Celebration. It will be held on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 10:30 a.m. with a memorial service as well as the homecoming celebration. A covered dish lunch will be held at noon following the service. There will be photos, memorabilia and more so come join the celebration! The church is located at 1745 East 11th St. (Highway 64) in Siler City. Please note there will be no Sunday School to allow for this time of celebration. Everyone is welcome!

Soil and Water district o ers cost share funds for conservation

Your cooperation will make our leaf collection program a success. For questions, please call 919-742-4732.

Thank you, Dillon Dispennette

Thank you,

Dillon Dispennette

Town of Siler City Public Works Superintendent ddispennette@silercity.org

Three programs provide nancial assistance to address water issues

Town of Siler City Public Works Superintendent ddispennette@silercity.org

Chatham News & Record sta PITTSBORO — The Chatham Soil and Water Conservation District is accepting applications for three voluntary cost share programs designed to help landowners address water quality and conservation issues.

The North Carolina Ag Cost Share Program, Ag Water Resources Assistance Program (AgWRAP) and Community Conservation Assistance Program o er technical and nancial assistance

SCHOOLS from page A1

grades also accounts for academic growth, which Chatham County excelled at.

“One-hundred percent of our schools met or exceeded growth, which is a fantastic celebration,” said Director of Accountability Darlene Reap -Klosty. “In fact, only three districts in the entire state had all schools within its district meet or exceed growth, and we are one of those three and we’re the largest of those three.”

RECOVERY from page A1

storm-related deaths in the state.

“We are grateful for every federal dollar that we have received because it brings us closer to recovery. But we need more help,” Stein during a news conference at Blue Ridge Community College in Henderson County, about 30 miles south of Asheville. “The next stage of recovery is going to require a new commitment from Congress and from the administration to not forget the people of western North Carolina.”

Stein, who said he plans to take his request to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, has tried to nd a balance between building rapport with President Donald Trump’s administration on recovery activities and criticizing delays. On Monday, he cited “extra layers of bureaucratic review” slowing down reimbursements to local governments. More relief money has been permitted for distribution in recent weeks.

“Recovery costs money, more

for installing best management practices to address nonpoint source pollution.

The Ag Cost Share Program is available to owners and renters of agricultural operations who have water quality issues on their farms and have been in business for three years. The program covers installation of practices for waste management, stream protection, erosion management or agrichemical pollution prevention.

AgWRAP helps agricultural operations increase water use e ciency, availability or storage through practices such as wells, irrigation ponds or conversion to microirrigation systems. Eligible participants must

In total, 68.4% of Chatham County schools exceeded growth, which is the highest percentage in the state out of all 115 districts.

The board was also presented with some of the district’s all test level pro ciency trends, which accounts for every test taken in the district.

The data shows that CCS has increased its scores every year since 2021 and currently sits ve percentage points above the state average.

The district is also above the

be owners or renters of agricultural operations. The Community Conservation Assistance Program extends beyond agricultural land, helping urban, suburban and rural landowners install water quality improvement practices on nonagricultural property. Businesses, schools, churches, homeowners, parks, municipalities and community groups can apply for funding for waste management, stream protection or erosion management.

All applications will be evaluated and ranked according to district priorities concerning water quality or quantity.

Visit the SWCD website at chathamcountync.gov/swcd.

state average in testing for biology, English 2, fth and eighth grade science, grades 3-8 reading, grades 3-8 math, math 1 and ACT, WorkKeys and Grad Rate. Third through eighth grades all testing was ranked 12th in the state.

“It’s interesting that we’re starting to outperform (pre-pandemic testing levels),” Klosty said. “That means all of the work we’ve put into ESSER and recovery from learning loss and all the tutoring and all the things we’ve tried to put in has helped

money than any city or county in western North Carolina can manage even from a cash ow standpoint,” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, who co-chairs an Helene recovery advisory commission, said Monday. The Democratic governor

and his Helene recovery ofce has often cited a bar chart they say shows relatively meager nancial assistance received so far from the federal government as a percentage of total storm-related costs compared to what was provided for

us and helped our students.”

Last year, the district also had a 90.4% graduation rate, which was above the state average of 87.7%.

“This is the highest ever in Chatham County,” said Chris Poston, senior executive director for excellence and opportunity.

According to Poston, CCS students also had 921 college acceptances, $33.5 million in total scholarships and earned 4,056 college credits last year.

“Though we are extremely excited by all the progress our dis-

other recent U.S. hurricanes.

“Western North Carolina has not received anywhere near what it needs, nor our fair share,” he said.

About $8.1 billion of the $13.5 billion that Stein is requesting would go to the state’s already approved disaster recovery block grant program. More than one-third of that portion would help rebuild or replace thousands of homes and businesses, provide rental assistance and perform storm mitigation activities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development already has awarded $1.65 billion of these block grants to the state and to Asheville. Other block grant money requested Monday would go to fund forgivable loans for small business, the construction of private and municipal bridges, and support for homeless individuals.

Other newly requested funds would include nearly $1.6 billion to increase reimbursements to rebuild major roads, including Interstate 40 and I-26; and $1.75 billion toward “Special

trict has made, we still will continue to work hard and do the things we know are right for all kids,” Poston said. Areas of focus that were pointed to were progress for multilanguage students, raising the Hispanic graduation rate, increasing scores for eighth grade math, math 3 and third grade reading, as well as just focusing on overall reading score growth.

The Chatham County Schools Board of Education will next meet Oct. 6.

Community Disaster Loans” to help local governments provide essential services.

The state legislature and state agencies already have provided another $3.1 billion toward Helene recovery since last fall.

It’s unclear how Monday’s broad proposal — addressed to Trump and North Carolina’s congressional delegation — will be received by the president and Congress in full. When Stein made a pitch for supplemental recovery funds from the federal government earlier this month, a White House spokesperson said the request was evidence that he is un t to run a state.”

Meanwhile, the region’s tourist economy received a boost on Monday when the National Park Service announced that a 27-mile stretch of a popular scenic route has reopened with the completion of two projects that repaired damage from a landslide. The opening also provides transportation access to the adjoining Mount Mitchell State Park that features the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River.

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein speaks during an interview at West Henderson High School after meeting with health science students on Aug. 20 in Fletcher.

COURTESY

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Silence, humor and hope

I know that con icts can be productive, but the question about nding hope referred to things, especially people, that break when they are struck together.

AFTER CHURCH, I am asked, “What gives you hope in our con icted world?” I am often asked some form of this question, which is no knock against this particular questioner or the question itself. My short answer is I nd hope in the e orts of “the helpers,” meaning everyone from EMS to re ghters, from church volunteers to Doctors Without Borders, and especially children. Children are fountains of hope, and I gladly watch and learn from them.

But thinking about the speci c question — the “con icted” part — I looked up that word and discovered “con ict” literally means “to strike together.” I know that con icts can be productive, but the question about nding hope referred to things, especially people, that break when they are struck together.

This de nition made me wonder about the opposite of striking things together. I suppose the opposite could involve staying apart, such as retreating to separate corners of a room or even di erent parts of the planet. Switzerland is neutral or

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

tries to be. When my son was very young, he would tell people, “Give me space!” And an elderly woman marveled, “It’s taken me a lifetime to learn that.” Again, the wisdom of kids.

But there is not always opportunity for space. The planet is increasingly smaller; we are increasingly reliant upon one another. There are times to engage, question and also challenge those who think and act di erently, including confrontations about dangerous behavior and hurtful beliefs.

I started thinking about the hope I nd in situations of con ict, and I came up with two answers. The rst is silence. Con ict may escalate into shouting. During shouting, no one is listening. However, the same cannot be said for silence, speci cally attentive silence. That silence is a form of prayer, Mary Oliver claimed, “into which another voice may speak.” This observation strikes me as a hopeful step toward resolution of a con ict, possibly reconciliation of two nations, parties or people.

Keep your words soft and sweet in case you have to eat them

I’ve learned “never” is a word never to be used. The biggest example I got of that came one night some few years ago after I had resisted for years paying a dollar for a bottle of water.

THERE ARE LOTS of big words in the world today.

For instance, there’s “encyclopedia.” I learned to spell that one from watching the Mickey Mouse Club — the original one — long around 1956 or so. Jimmy, the oldest Mousketeer other than Roy, who was 111 or so at the time, the same Jimmy whose last name I can’t recall but who went on later to dance his way through the Lawrence Welk Show, the TV program my mama wouldn’t miss come Saturday night, had a little dance and song number about those books, namely how important they were to learning stu , and how to learn to spell it.

You must remember that this was way before you could look up stu online and before “Google” became a verb, as in “why don’t you just Google that?” One time when we were boys, my boyhood friend and chief adviser on all matters from the heart to the pocketbook, Bobby Joe High, said a word that sounded like “Google” and his mama washed his mouth with soap and made him sit in the corner while his family had squirrel and brown gravy for supper.

Then there was my school classmate who showed up one morning in the sixth grade telling us she could spell “Czechoslovakia,” which was impressive because most of us couldn’t have found it on the map if we’d needed to. And then there’s “antidisestablishmentarianism,” supposedly the longest word in the

whole world. I’ve never used it in a sentence; only thing I’ve ever done with it is tell folks it’s the biggest word in the world. Had to look up what it means, and according to the dictionary, it’s a political philosophy opposed to the separation of a religious group (“church”) and a government (“state.”) Jimmy’s encyclopedia might have been useful here.

There are lots of other big words oating around, and sometimes folks try to use one or another to impress one another. But I have decided of all the words ever created, the biggest is not the longest.

The biggest word in the world is “never.”

How do I know? Because it has a ected me.

When I was a mere lad and my mama was in charge of my nourishment, other than what I got at school and Sam White’s store, she at times would prepare meals other than my standing order of hot dogs or bologna, cheese, peanut butter and catsup sandwiches (seriously).

Those meals might include something I could or would eat — her fried chicken comes to mind — but more often than not, they included dishes such as boiled cabbage or turnip greens. On such occasions, I would omit those o erings if possible and boldly declare to my mama, “When I get older, I’m never going to eat cabbage … or whatever.” Sometimes I would say, “I’m not ever going to eat this

Secondly, I’ve witnessed humor miraculously defuse a con ict. Whoever believes that silence is for cowards likely believes that bravery is bloody serious. While humor can be bent and mangled into a harmful weapon to bludgeon an opponent, the best humor is rooted in humility. We are dust, and to dust we shall return. Acknowledging that, one day, our bodies will be the culinary delight of terrestrial worms might be a grim prospect, or it might help us not to take ourselves too seriously. Like silence, a laugh might represent a holy pause into which another voice may speak and perhaps halt the con ict, if only momentarily, by preventing two things from striking each other. Maybe that pause is then an opening for the sacred. At least, that’s what gives me hope.

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.

or that,” and where I’m from “not ever” means the same thing as “never.”

On occasions, I have applied that same line of conversation to activities, such as, “I’m never going to mow the yard again” or “I’m never going to have a garden,” a sentiment I often expressed after following Mama through hers, picking up rocks as she turned them up with her garden tiller.

Now that I have advanced well beyond those tender preteen years, I’ve learned “never” is a word never to be used. The biggest example I got of that came one night some few years ago after I had resisted for years paying a dollar for a bottle of water. “I’m never going to pay for a drink of water,” I often loudly boasted to anyone who would listen.

Then one hot summer night I found myself at intermission of a locally produced play. Concession stand void of Pepsis. Time running out. My throat doing an imitation of the Sahara Desert. So, forced by factors bigger than me, I caved in, paid the dollar and didn’t even get the big-sized bottle.

So what’s the moral? I think it’s probably this: Watch what you say. Say what you do say nicely. And you’ll avoid eating crow, which I’ve never literally done … and never plan to. Never.

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

Shedding light, every which way

Is that my role as a normal human being?

Shedding light on others?

Seems like a really big ask, if you must know.

HEY, BRING ON the light!

What light?

You know, the stu that ies out of a magic wand. Assuming, of course, you have one. A magic wand, I mean.

Is this a fond look back at the magic of childhood? Okey-doke, going along with you for the moment.

Tinker Bell, the fairy from the Disney- ed version of “Peter Pan,” had a magic wand. Magic wand-equipped, she could light up people’s lives (and as a bonus, help them y).

Thanks for reminding me. But why is there mention of a magic wand at all. I’m confused.

Because of the light it brings to folks’ lives (no promises about the ying, however). Shedding light on folks so they feel seen or cared about. You know, en-lightened (a pun too good to pass up).

Is that my role as a normal human being? Shedding light on others? Seems like a really big ask, if you must know. Excuse my French, as it were, but damn right! You’re a spreader of light. Allowing your fellow humans the gift of being seen. How does it feel when the world, and the people inhabiting it, don’t see, or barely acknowledge your existence? A super-major ouch, right? (Got a bit hot under the collar there, didn’t I?)

Don’t mean to be rude, but I wonder what universe you’ve been living in? Read or listen to the news? See the chasms that separate so many good people? Are you beginning to see where talk of sharing light enters this picture?

I probably avoid thinking about the

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

situation because I feel powerless (I hate feeling powerless). I don’t mean to be impudent (well, maybe I do), but “Whatcha gonna do? Call Ghostbusters?” No I am not. Enough of that!

Sorry. Standing on my high horse, now. (I just love to declaim!)

So we have darkness in our world? What the heck am I supposed to do about it aside from not seeing, or hearing, the daily news? Come on!

Returning to our putative magic wand and choosing, when able, to share light with others. Simple: just acknowledging other humans. At the grocery store, pharmacy, neighborhood, bank, on the phone — all those pedestrian places where we live our lives. Nothing fancy required. I’m already feeling tired reading this screed. I’m betting a lot of folks feel the same way. You’re really suggesting we wear the yoke of shedding light on others?

Yep, but try this one on for size: “The marketplace of being only becomes less toxic from the bottom up.” (Arthur Brooks) We’re the bottom up! That’s us! Shedding whatever light we can, in our own personal measure. Takes microseconds to say “Howdy,” compliment others, wave. Just microseconds. Even better (ta-dah), you, yourself, have then morphed into our much-remarked-upon magic wand, spreading light. How’s that for magic?

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

Blaming Charlie Kirk’s killing on someone other than the killer

Good, both sides, which is the only way to approach tragedies like this.

FROM THE GET-GO, President Donald Trump blamed the “radical left” for Charlie Kirk’s death, even though the shooter’s identity and motive were not yet known. Trump called for “all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree.” Good, both sides, which is the only way to approach tragedies like this. But he then called out “radical left political violence” without paying tribute to any Democratic politicians who have been targeted, including in Minnesota, this year.

“From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year — which killed a husband and father — to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” Trump said.

On Friday, he piled on some more. In an hourlong interview on “Fox and Friends” reported in The New York Times, Trump built on the case he had made last Thursday evening to reporters that “we have radical left lunatics out there and we just have to beat the hell out of them.” He dismissed on Friday a suggestion from one of his interviewers that there were extremists on both the left and the right, saying his biggest concern was those on the left. “The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don’t want to see crime,” he said. “The radicals on the left are the problem, and they’re vicious and they’re horrible and they’re politically savvy.”

Excuse me, but who’s stirring the pot for political violence in this country but the president of the United States calling

BE IN TOUCH

the political left vicious and horrible?

What would it do for him to ask everyone to take responsibility for the overheated tenor of political rhetoric, starting with him?

Reports of Kirk’s killing sent shock waves around Capitol Hill, whose members are the face of politics in America and who were already subject to increasing numbers of threats. The U.S. Capitol Police is reportedly on track to work through 14,000 threat assessment cases involving its 535 members, up from 9,000 last year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has been noticeably restrained in promising protection. “There are many security measures in place for members of Congress, at their homes, at their o ces and when they go about. But we live in a dangerous society, and it’s di cult to cover even the president of the United States from every angle,” Johnson said. “The problem, ultimately, at the end of the day, is the human heart, that’s what we got to address.”

I wonder: Does it ever occur to the president that addressing the human heart is ultimately his problem as well as ours? Trump’s rst instinct is to feed the beast, not seek to tame it. Why is there so much free- owing anger in this Trump - de ned world? I know, why should there be anything less than white-hot anger that motivates an administration built on vengeance and retribution? It’s just so tiresome and so small, con ning especially for Trump in what should be his glory days and not his get-even ones.

I wonder: If they stop feeding the beast, will there be nothing left for it to feed on?

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

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

Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com

The media’s demonization of the right has consequences

CHARLIE KIRK wasn’t just a colleague. He was a friend. He was someone who showed up, worked hard, and cared deeply about his family and his country. His life mattered. As I process the tragic circumstances of his death, I can’t help but turn to a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: the climate that enabled it.

For decades, America’s media institutions have cultivated a narrative that paints conservatives as dangerous, regressive, even subhuman. Every nightly newscast, every editorial page, every so-called “analysis” drips with disdain for anyone who dares to challenge the progressive orthodoxy. You don’t just disagree with the left anymore; you’re smeared as a bigot, a fascist or worse.

This relentless demonization isn’t harmless rhetoric. It creates an atmosphere where hostility toward the right feels not only acceptable but righteous. When the press treats millions of Americans like villains, it should not shock us when some unhinged individual takes that narrative literally and turns it into violence.

Words have consequences. The media knows this when it lectures conservatives about “dangerous speech” and “dog whistles.” It never looks in the mirror. When major outlets tell audiences day after day that Republicans are a threat to democracy, when they equate conservative beliefs with extremism, they are not just engaging in biased journalism. They are laying kindling for hatred, and sometimes that hatred combusts.

Consider the language used in mainstream coverage of the right. If you oppose open borders, you are “anti-immigrant.” If you defend parental rights in schools, you are “anti-LGBT.” If you worry about election integrity, you are a “conspiracy theorist.” When media elites atten every conservative principle into a caricature of cruelty, they strip away the humanity of people like Charlie. Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

That’s what the press has done to the right: It has turned millions of good, law-abiding Americans into cartoon villains in a morality play. For years, conservatives have been warning: When you keep telling people that a whole class of citizens are monsters, don’t be surprised when someone believes you — and acts accordingly. The hypocrisy is staggering. If the roles were reversed, if left-wing activists were being attacked in the streets, the media would frame it as a national crisis of hate.

We’d see around-the-clock coverage, solemn declarations about “the soul of America” and endless op-eds about the dangerous climate of conservative rhetoric. When conservatives are the victims, silence. Or worse — justi cations.

“They had it coming,” the subtext suggests, because daring to hold the wrong political beliefs apparently makes you complicit in oppression.

That double standard doesn’t just warp the narrative, it fuels division. Millions of Americans see that bias and conclude, rightly, that the press doesn’t value their lives or their freedoms. That perception breeds alienation. Alienation breeds anger. Anger, left unchecked, can erupt in violence.

No individual act of violence can ever be excused. Personal responsibility matters. Yet individuals do not commit violence in a vacuum. They act within a culture shaped by institutions, none more in uential than the media. When leading outlets tell the public that conservatives are existential threats to democracy, they normalize hostility against us. When commentators sneer that half the country is made up of racists, misogynists and extremists, they legitimize rage against us.

In this climate, the media is complicit. Its hands are not clean.

Conservatives have been calling for a return to fairness, civility and honest debate. We do not expect journalists to agree with us. We do expect them to recognize our humanity and stop painting us as villains in every story. If this cycle of demonization continues, tragedies like Kirk’s will not be the last.

Kirk deserved far better. He was not someone who kept his head down or played it safe. He stood up for what he believed in, he defended people who were silenced, and he never hesitated to call out injustice. His courage came with a cost, but it also inspired those around him to be braver, stronger and truer to their convictions.

Now there is a gaping void where his voice once was. That loss is not only personal — it is national. We cannot a ord to lose people like Kirk, who put principle above comfort, who saw through the lies of a corrupt media and refused to be cowed. His absence leaves all of us with a responsibility: to speak louder, stand taller and demand an end to the demonization that is tearing this country apart. Kirk’s life was a testament to conviction. His death must be a wake-up call.

Adam Weiss is the CEO of AMW PR, publisher of Impact Wealth magazine and the host of “Media Exposed” on Real America’s Voice News. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

obituaries

Billy Joe “Pig” Scott

Sept. 13, 1957 –Sept. 6, 2025

Billy Joe, 67, of Siler City went to his heavenly home on Saturday, September 6, 2025.

Born in Chatham County to

Linda A. Dowdy

Aug. 27, 1942 –Sept. 11, 2025

Linda A. Dowdy, of Pittsboro, passed away peacefully at her home on September 11. She was born Betty Linda Arnold on August 27, 1942 to Owen Robert and Lilly Mae Arnold of Lee County. She was a graduate of Lee Senior High School. She was employed for several years as an administrator for Blue Cross and Blue Shield before working for Chatham Mills in Pittsboro.

Linda married her husband, Oren (Butch) Dowdy in 1960. They were married for 35 years, until his death in 1995. While working and raising their two children, she also helped operate the family farm.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Raymond (Belle) Arnold and Rufus (Priscilla) Arnold, both of Cameron, and

Billy Gene Scott & Jo Ann Fields Scott. He loved sports and was a diehard Duke fan. He loved people & never met a stranger. He loved spending time with his family and cherished his grandkids.

He was preceded in death by his parents, nephew Luke Fields and great great niece Landrie Scott. Left to cherish his memories: Sons – Cale Scott (Amber) of Siler City & Dylan Gaines (Meredith) of Bennett Grandchildren – Tysen, Emersen, Layla & Lydia Sisters – Donna Fields of Siler City & Penny Mitchell (Timmy) of Goldston & Several Nieces & Nephews whom he loved a lot! Special friends – Mark Chambers of Siler City & Ricky “Peanut” Smith of Carthage.

great-granddaughter Madison Dowdy of Pittsboro. She is survived by her sister Hazel (Jack) McBride of Sanford, daughter Laura Dowdy, and son Dennis Dowdy, both of Pittsboro, granddaughters Brandi (Travis) Dowdy of Cameron, and Candice (Julius) Dowdy of Pittsboro, and adopted grandson Richie (Jasmine) Sanchez-McKenzie of Greenville, several greatgrandchildren and her beloved cat Toby.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 17 from 6-8pm at Donaldson Funeral Home in Pittsboro. A memorial service will be held Thursday, September 18 at 11am, also at Donaldson Funeral Home. A private interment will be held at a later date.

The family wishes to express their deepest thanks to employees of Piedmont Health SeniorCare in Pittsboro and the many Certi ed Nurses Aides who have cared for Linda in the past few years. Your assistance has been invaluable.

Visitation will be held at Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory on Wednesday, September17, 2025 from 6-8PM and the service will be on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 11:00AM in Gri n Chapel at Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory 396 West Street Pittsboro, NC 27312. Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Dowdy family.

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

James Dewitt Staley

Jan. 23, 1942 – Sept. 13, 2025

IN MEMORY

James Dewitt Staley, age 83, of Seagrove, passed away on September 13, 2025, at FirstHealth Hospice House. Mr. Staley was born on January 23, 1942, in Randolph County to John and Mary Kime Staley. He was an active member of Acorn Ridge Baptist Church He is survived by his wife Doris Anne Brown Staley, daughters Paula Glorisco (Sal) of Brunswick, GA; Doris McCrary (Ronnie) of Asheboro; Milissa Cavalier (Steve) of Asheboro; sons, James Staley Jr. (Mary) of Siler City, Jesse Staley (Dawn) of Apex and brother Walter Staley (Christy) of Bennett, aunt Florence Boettcher

CAROL KUCINIC WELCH

MARCH 13, 1947 – SEPT. 10, 2025

Carol Kucinic Welch transitioned to her heavenly home on September 10th, 2025, at Randolph Hospice House.Carol was born on March 13, 1947, to the late Joe and Kate Kucinic. She spent many years working for Kellwood Hosiery Mill and ended her working career at Siler City Wal Mart, where she could be found in the garden center, walking around talking to everyone. Besides her parents, she was proceeded in death by her husband, James Robert (JR) Welch along with her sister, Patti Justice.Left to cherish her memories are her children, Dianne Edwards (Charlie), Sandra Studer (John) and Randy Welch (Sara). Her grandchildren, Chris Josey, Katie Josey, Cyrena Welch, Meredith Gaines (Dylan) and Bergin Welch, along with her grand dog William Edwards. Carol also leaves behind four great grandchildren, and a special nephew Jon Matthews (Lisa). A graveside service will be held on Friday, September 19th, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Chatham Memorial Park – 13260 US Hwy 64 East Siler City, NC.The family would like to thank Dunmore Assisted Living and Randolph Hospice for the loving care of their mother.

JACONNA “CONNIE” GRAE LAWRENCE

DEC. 29, 1960 – SEPT. 10, 2025

Jaconna “Connie” Grae Lawrence, age 64 of Cameron, NC formerly of Moncure, NC passed away at her home on Wednesday (9/10/2025) surrounded by her family. Connie was born in Wake County, on December 29,1960 daughter of Tommy Lawrence and Nancy Taylor Davis Lawrence. Connie was preceded in death by her mother and one brother William Arnold Lawrence. Funeral Services will be conducted at 2 PM Saturday (9/12/2025) at the Haywood Bible Church with the Rev. Greg Little, O ciating. Burial will follow in the Merry Oaks Baptist Church Cemetery, Moncure, NC. Connie is survived by her father, Tommy Lawrence of Cameron, NC. Three sisters, Nancy Dawn Jacobs of the home. Vanessa L. Barnhill, of Winnabow, NC and Debi Lawrence of New Hill, NC. One brother, Martin Lawrence (Kathy) of New Hill, NC. Connie is also survived by several Aunts, Uncles, Nieces, Nephews and Cousins. Connie had a passion for rescue dogs. She said, “they were like her kids”. In lieu of owers, Connie request that memorial donations be made to the ASPCA of your choice. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service on Saturday (9/13/2025) at the Haywood Bible Church in Moncure.

CARL FERMAN PHILLIPS JR. JULY 15, 1959 – SEPT. 13, 2025

Carl Ferman Phillips Jr. age 66 of Moncure passed away at his home on Saturday (9/13/2025). Carl was born in Lee County on July 15,1959 son of Carl Ferman Phillips, Sr and Dora Sue Long Phillips. Carl was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, William Alfred Burke and John Walter Burke. A celebration of life service will be conducted at 2 PM on Friday (9/19/2025) at the Haywood Bible Church with the Rev. Terry Pleasants, o ciating. Carl is survived by his sisters; Patsy Phillips Moreno of the home and Linda Boyle (Martha) of Sanford, NC. Carl is also survived by his nieces and nephews.

We offer an on-site crematory with many options of Celebration of Life services, Traditional, and Green Burials. Call us to set an appointment to come by and learn more.

and sister-in-law Jane Dark Staley of Siler City.

A visitation will be held on Friday, September 19, 2025, at Phillips Funeral Home from 5:007:00 pm A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 3:00 pm at Acorn Ridge Baptist Church with Rev. Johnny Williamson o ciating. In lieu of owers, memorial donations can be made in James’s memory to Acorn Ridge Baptist Church at 288 Acorn Ridge Road, Robbins, NC 27325. The Staley family is being served by Phillips Funeral Home in Star.

RUBY LEE TYNDALL MOTE

MAY 23, 1941 – SEPT. 15, 2025

Ruby Lee Tyndall Mote, 84, of Siler City, went to her Heavenly home on Monday, September 15th, 2025, at The Laurels of Chatham. Ruby was born on May 23rd, 1941, in Duplin County to the late John T. and Virsey Estelle Outlaw Tyndall. She is preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Connie Mote; two sisters and two brothers; daughter-in-law, Kathy Gail Mote; and her son-in-law, Frank Frazier. Ruby worked for Chatham Foods for many years. She resided at Braxton Manor for 22 years. She loved reading, watching game shows on TV, and feeding the birds. She loved babies and never met a stranger. Ruby was a member of Calvary Holiness Church in Liberty, NC. Ruby sang in the Church of God choir and loved talking about the Lord. Left to cherish her memory are her two sons, James David Mote Jr. of Asheboro, and Vander Ray Mote of Coleridge; her two daughters, Tammy Marie Frazier of Asheboro, and Sue Lee Bayles and her husband, Steve of Siler City; one brother, John William Tyndall of Warsaw, NC; one sister, Helen Mote of Siler City; seven grandchildren; ve great grandchildren; and her special friend, Rachel Carter. The family would like to give a special thank you to The Laurels of Chatham and Transition Life Care of Raleigh.

RODNEY THOMAS O’QUINN

JUNE 18, 1965 – SEPT. 21, 2025

Rodney Thomas O’Quinn, 60, of Gulf, passed away on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at his home surrounded by his loving family. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. at Bethany Baptist Church with pastor Patrick Daniel presiding. The family will receive friends at Kelly and Cari’s home. Rodney was born in Lee County on June 18, 1965 to Jerry and Barbara Jean Kelly O’Quinn. He worked as a forklift operator at Cherokee/General Shale for 40 years. He loved going to the beach, shing, hunting and four-wheelers. He enjoyed watching sports, especially Carolina. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Paula Stone. Rodney is survived by his life partner of 40 years, Kim Holshouser, of the home; son, Kelly Thomas O’Quinn (Carie), of Bear Creek; sister, Renee Gibson, of Sanford; brother, Robin O’Quinn (Jennifer), of North Myrtle Beach, SC; his fur baby, Caesar and a host of family and friends.

ALTON WAYNE “DUD” OLDHAM

MAY 13, 1937 – SEPT. 20, 2025

Alton Wayne “Dud” Oldham, 88, passed away on Monday, September 15, 2025. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Antioch Baptist Church in Goldston, where he was a member, with Pastor Mike Garner o ciating. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall following the committal service. Joyce-Brady Chapel will be open on Friday, September 19, 2025 from 1:005:00 p.m. for friends to sign the register. Wayne was born in Chatham County on May 13, 1937 to Carl and Bertha Hancock Oldham. He owned and operated Oldham House Movers. He loved his work. He liked traveling with his family to the beach and to the mountains. He enjoyed meeting up with his friends at Harper’s Crossroads. He loved his family and spending time with them. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by an infant son and 8 siblings. Wayne is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jeanette Riddle Oldham, of the home; sons, Daryle Oldham (Penny), of Siler City and Anthony Oldham (Wendy), of Thomasville; sister, Lucy Eastwood (Johnny), of Richmond, VA; grandchildren, Brittany Oldham, Breana Kirsch and Chyanne Oldham and a host of family and friends.

States taking steps to ease access to COVID-19 vaccines while awaiting federal recommendation

Democratic governors are challenging the FDA’s

By Geo Mulvihill

The Associated Press

THE GOVERNORS OF Arizona, Illinois, Maine and North Carolina on Friday joined the growing list of Democratic ocials who have signed orders intended to ensure most residents can receive COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies without individual prescriptions.

Unlike past years, access to COVID-19 vaccines has become complicated in 2025, largely because federal guidance does not recommend them for nearly everyone this year as it had in the past.

Pharmacy chain says shots available in most states without individual prescriptions

CVS Health, the biggest pharmacy chain in the U.S., says its stores are o ering the shots without an individual prescription in 41 states as of midday Friday.

But the remaining states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina,

Oregon, Utah and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia — require individual prescriptions under the company’s interpretation of state policies.

Arizona, Maine and North Carolina are likely to come o that list as the new orders take e ect there.

“I will not stand idly by while the Trump Administration makes it harder for Maine people to get a vaccine that protects their health and could very well save their life,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in the statement. “Through this standing order,

we are stepping up to knock down the barriers the Trump Administration is putting in the way of the health and welfare of Maine people.”

Democratic governors taking action

At least 14 states — 12 with Democratic governors, plus Virginia, where Republican Glenn Youngkin is governor — have announced policies this month to ease access.

In some of the states that have expanded access —

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including Delaware and New Jersey earlier in the week and Illinois on Friday — at least some pharmacies were already providing the shots broadly. Friday’s orders are expected to change the policy in all three states where they were put into place.

North Carolina’s orders were narrower than most. They apply to everyone age 65 and over and people who are at least 18 and have a risk factor. Other adults would still need prescriptions.

O cials said the order takes effect immediately but that all pharmacies might not have supplies on hand right away.

While most Republican-controlled states have not changed vaccine policy this month, the inoculations are still available there under existing policies.

In addition to the round of orders from governors, boards of pharmacy and other o cials, four states — California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington — have announced an alliance to make their own vaccine recommendations. Of those, only Oregon doesn’t currently allow the shots in pharmacies without individual prescriptions.

Vaccines become politically contentious

In past years, the federal government has recommended the vaccines to all Americans above the age of 6 months.

This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved them for people age 65 and over but said they should be used only for children and younger adults who have a risk factor such as asthma or obesity.

“I will not stand idly by while the Trump Administration makes it harder for Maine people to get a vaccine that protects their health and could very well save their life.”

Maine Gov. Janet Mills

That change came as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy red the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June, accusing of them of being too closely aligned with the companies that make the vaccines. The replacements include vaccine skeptics.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, framed her order Friday as “protecting the health care freedom” of people in the state.

One state takes another stance on vaccines

Florida’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, announced this month that the state could become the rst to eliminate requirements that children have a list of vaccinations.

Since then, though, the state health department said that the change likely wouldn’t take effect until December and that without legislative action, only some vaccines — including for chickenpox — would become optional. The measles and polio shots would remain mandatory.

Charlie Kirk, in uential conservative activist, dead at 31

He was assassinated while talking to students at a college in Utah

By Nicholas Riccardi and Ali Swenson

The Associated Press

CHARLIE KIRK , who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed last Wednesday during one of his trademark public appearances at a college in Utah. He was 31. Kirk died doing what made him a potent political force — rallying the right on a college campus, this time Utah Valley University. The event was kicking o a planned series of Kirk college appearances from Colorado to Virginia dubbed “The American Comeback Tour.”

His assassination was one of an escalating number of attacks on political gures, from the assassination of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota to last summer’s shooting of Trump, that have roiled the nation.

Kirk personi ed the pugnacious, populist conservatism that has taken over the Republican Party in the age of Trump. An unabashed Christian conservative who often made provocative statements about gender, race and politics, Kirk launched his organization, Turning Point USA, in 2012, targeting younger people and venturing onto liberal-leaning college campuses where many GOP activists were nervous to tread.

Center of the right- of- center universe

A backer of Trump during the president’s initial 2016 run, Kirk took Turning Point from one of a constellation of well-funded conservative groups to the center of the right-of-center universe.

Turning Point’s political wing helped run get- out-the -vote e orts for Trump’s 2024 campaign, trying to energize disa ected conservatives who rarely vote.

Trump won Arizona, Turning Point’s home state, by ve percentage points after narrow-

ly losing it in 2020. The group is known for its events that often feature strobe lighting and pyrotechnics. It claims more than 250,000 student members.

Trump last Wednesday praised Kirk, who started as an uno cial adviser during Trump’s 2016 campaign and more recently became a condant. “He was a very, very good friend of mine and he was a tremendous person,” Trump told the New York Post.

Kirk showed o an apocalyptic style in his popular podcast, radio show and on the campaign trail. During an appearance with Trump in Georgia last fall, he said Democrats “stand for everything God hates.” Kirk called the Trump vs. Kamala Harris choice “a spiritual battle.”

In uencing new generation of conservatives

Kirk was a regular presence on college campuses. Last year, for the social media program “Surrounded,” he faced o against 20 liberal college students to defend his viewpoints, including that abortion is murder and should be illegal.

The author of several books, including one on the Second Amendment, Kirk was a staunch supporter of gun rights.

“I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights,” Kirk said during a Turning Point event in Salt Lake City in 2023, adding that gun deaths can be reduced but will never go away.

Admirers stressed that, for all of Kirk’s confrontational rhetoric, he relished debate and the free exchange of ideas.

“His entire project was built on reaching across the divide and using speech, not violence, to address and resolve the issues!” William Wolfe, executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, posted on X. Kirk was married to podcaster Erika Frantzve. They have two young children.

MATT ROURKE / AP PHOTO

Co-owner Eric Abramowitz at Eric’s Rx Shoppe unpacks a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines at the store in Horsham, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 2.

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NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS COUNTY OF CHATHAM

THE UNDERSIGNED, having quali ed on the 13th day of August, 2025, as Co-Executors of the

ESTATE OF GRETCHEN R. BRUCE, 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 29th day of November, 2025 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 28th day of August, 2025. Christopher Bruce and Robin Bruce CO-EXECUTORS

ESTATE OF GRETCHEN R. BRUCE

c/o Richard G. Long III, Attorney Walker Lambe, PLLC Post O ce Box 51549 Durham, North Carolina 27717

NOTICE

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Proposed Flood Hazard Determinations for Chatham County, North Carolina and Incorporated Areas

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued a preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), and where applicable, Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report, re ecting proposed ood hazard determinations within Chatham County, North Carolina and Incorporated Areas. These ood hazard determinations may include the addition or modi cation of Base Flood Elevations, base ood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area boundaries or zone designations, or the regulatory oodway. Technical information or comments are solicited on the proposed ood hazard determinations shown on the preliminary FIRM and/or FIS report for Chatham County, North Carolina and Incorporated Areas. These ood hazard determinations are the basis for the oodplain management measures that your community is required to either adopt or show evidence of being already in e ect in order to qualify or remain quali ed for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. However, before these determinations are e ective for oodplain management purposes, you will be provided an opportunity to appeal the proposed information. For information on the statutory 90-day period provided for appeals, as well as a complete listing of the communities a ected and the locations where copies of the FIRM are available for review, please visit FEMA’s website at https://www. oodmaps.fema. gov/fhm/BFE_Status/bfe_main.asp or call the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX) toll free at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627).

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION CHATHAM COUNTY FILE NO. 15CvD000063-180 COUNTY OF CHATHAM Plainti , NOTICE OF SERVICE OF vs. PROCESS BY PUBLICATION ADA NOBLE a/k/a ADA NOBLES, et al Defendants.

TO: The HEIRS, ASSIGNS, and DEVISEES of JOHNNY MCKINNEY a/k/a JOHN RAY MCKINNEY a/k/a JONNY MCKINNEY and spouse, if any, which may include JOHNNY MCKINNEY, JR. and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; The HEIRS, ASSIGNS, and DEVISEES of ERNEST MCKINNEY and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; The HEIRS, ASSIGNS, and DEVISEES of PATRICIA A. MCKINNEY and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; The HEIRS, ASSIGNS, and DEVISEES of JAMES THOMAS MCKINNEY and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; and The HEIRS, ASSIGNS, and DEVISEES of WILLIE DAVIS a/k/a DELORES DAVIS a/k/a DELORIS DAVIS and spouse, if any, which may include MALCOLM L. DAVIS and spouse, if any, and EBONY M. DAVIS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder A pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above-entitled action and notice of service of process by publication began on September 4, 2025. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Foreclosure on tax parcel(s) more completely described in the Complaint, to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes (assessments). Plainti seeks to extinguish any and all claim or interest that you may have in said property. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after the date of the rst publication of notice stated above, exclusive of such date, being forty (40) days after September 4, 2025, or by October 14, 2025, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service of process by publication will apply to the Court for relief sought.

This the 26th day of August, 2025.

ZACCHAEUS LEGAL SERVICES

Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill

Attorney for Plainti NC Bar #12852/56782 310 W. Jones St. P. O. Box 25 Trenton, North Carolina 28585 Telephone: (252) 448-4541 Publication dates: September 4, 2025 September 11, 2025 September 18, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Karen Bruck, Deceased

Date of Death: August 14, 2025 • Chapel Hill, North Carolina First Publication Date: September 18, 2025

Claims Deadline: December 18, 2025 All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Karen Bruck, deceased, are hereby noti ed to present them to the undersigned Personal Representative of the Estate of Karen Bruck on or before December 18, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment. Submit claims to: Personal Representative for: Karen Mary Bruck

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 97

City/State/ZIP: Flagsta , AZ 86002 Email:

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION

CHATHAM COUNTY FILE NO. 11CvD000961-180 COUNTY OF CHATHAM Plainti , NOTICE OF SERVICE OF vs. PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

GERRARD LEWIS GRADY, et al

Defendants.

TO: GERRARD LEWIS GRADY and ANY HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of GERRARD LEWIS GRADY or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, and The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of ED DEGGRAFFENDREIDT a/k/a EDDIE

DEGRAFFENREAIDT and spouse, if any, which may include KATHERINE MARIE FOUSHEE and spouse, if any, COLUMBUS SHERMAN FOUSHEE and spouse, if any, and IRA FOUSHEE or any other person or entity claiming thereunder

A pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above-entitled action and notice of service of process by publication began on September 4, 2025.

The nature of the relief being sought is as follows:

Foreclosure on tax parcel(s) more completely described in the Complaint, to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes (assessments). Plainti seeks to extinguish any and all claim or interest that you may have in said property.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after the date of the rst publication of notice stated above, exclusive of such date, being forty (40) days after September 4, 2025, or by October14, 2025, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service of process by publication will apply to the Court for relief sought.

This the 26th day of August, 2025.

ZACCHAEUS LEGAL SERVICES Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill Attorney for Plainti NC Bar #12852/56782 310 W. Jones St. P. O. Box 25 Trenton, North Carolina 28585 Telephone: (252) 448-4541

Publication dates: September 4, 2025 September 11, 2025 September 18, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Nancy H Dixon, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claim to Rebecca Morley at 1330 Songbird Ct, Boulder CO 80303 on or before December 20, 2025.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000267-180 ALL persons having claims against William Davis Brown, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Nov 28 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 28th day of August, 2025.

LINDSAY BROWN, Administrator CTA C/O F. Timothy Nicholls, Nicholls & Crampton, P.A. PO Box 18237 Raleigh, NC 27619 A28, 4, 11 and 18

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED, as Executrix of the Estate of Floyd Teague, Jr., 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 October 15, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 3rd day of September, 2025. Diane T. Campbell, Executrix 1982 Epps Clark Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344 (919) 663-2533

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Lewis Keith Kidd 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 27th day of November, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 21st day of August, 2025. Kayla Kidd Humphries, Executor of the Estate of Lewis Keith Kidd 313 Sanctuary Way, Apt. 105 Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Frankie C. Mueller 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 4th day of December, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 28th day of August, 2025.

Je Mueller, Executor of the Estate Of Frankie C. Mueller 170 Dewitt Smith Road Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312

MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

All persons having claims against Nanette Swift Melcher, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present them to Mathew Melcher, Executor of the Estate of Nanette Melcher, to Brittany N. Porter of NextGen Estate Solutions, 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 or before November 28th, 2025. Failure to present a claim in timely fashion will result in this Notice being pleaded in bar of recovery against the estate, the Personal Representative, and the devisees of Nanette Melcher. Those indebted to Nanette Melcher are asked to make prompt payment to the Estate. Matthew Melcher, Executor of the Estate of Nannette Melcher

Brittany N. Porter, Attorney NextGen Estate Solutions 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of James Denson Jones, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of Ivey & Eggleston, Attorneys at Law, 111 Worth Street, Asheboro, North Carolina 27203, on or before December 13th, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said estate should make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 11th day of September, 2025. Rebecca Fields Jones Executor of the Estate of James Denson Jones

BENJAMIN SCOTT WARREN, Attorney IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043

PUBL/DATES: 09/11/25 09/18/25 09/25/25 10/02/25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000415-180

ALL persons having claims against Patricia Byrne Terry, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Dec 04 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 4th day of September, 2025. Christina T. Morris, Executor C/O Privette Legacy Planning 1400 Crescent Green, Suite G-100 Cary, NC 27518 S4, 11, 18 and 25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000463-180

ALL persons having claims against John Charles Angelillo, Jr., deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Dec 04 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 4th day of September, 2025.

JOSEPH A. ANGELILLO, Administrator C/O Howard Stallings Law Firm PO Box 12347 Raleigh, NC 27605 S4, 11, 18 and 25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000473-180

ALL persons having claims against Stephen Earl Rosenthal, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Dec 18 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 18th day of September, 2025.

JOAN SOBEL ROSENTHAL, Executor C/O Lenfestey, Maxie & Burger, PLLC 5640 Dillard Drive, Suite 101 Cary, North Carolina 27518 S18, 25, 2 and 9

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000417-180 ALL persons having claims against Harold Fredric Terry, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Dec 04 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 4th day of September, 2025.

Christina T. Morris, Administrator CTA C/O Privette Legacy Planning 137 Highpointe Drive Pittsboro, NC 27312 S4, 11, 18 and 25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#2023 E 000668

The undersigned, JEFFREY HOLDER, having quali ed on the 8TH Day of APRIL, 2024 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of BETTY GUNTER 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 18TH Day DECEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 18th DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025.

JEFFREY HOLDER, ADMINISTRATOR 1321 ASBURY CHURCH RD. SANFORD, NC 27330 Run dates: S18,25,O2,9p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000455-180

NOTICE

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations holding claims against Stephanie Ramos, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before December 7, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 4th day of September 2025. Nilda Ramos, Admin., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 15th day of August, 2025, as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Frances Dowd Payne, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of November, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment. This is the 20th day of August, 2025. Martin Payne, Administrator CTA of the Estate of Frances Dowd Payne 3531 Mill Run Raleigh, NC 27612 Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: August 28th, September 4th, 11th and 18th 2025.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E00187-180 The undersigned, STEPHEN THOMAS WILLETT, having quali

undersigned on or before the 28TH Day NOVEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 28TH DAY OF AUGUST 2025. STEPHEN THOMAS WILLETT, EXECUTOR 2010 EDWARDS HILL CH RD SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: A28,S4,11,18p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000464-180 The undersigned, CRAIGORY DUNN AND STEPHANIE DUNN, having quali ed on the 22ND Day of AUGUST, 2025 as CO-ADMINISTRATORS of the Estate of GWENDOLYN BRYANT DUNN, 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 DECEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 11TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025. CRAIGORY DUNN, CO-ADMINISTRATOR PO BOX 37 SILER CITY, NC 27344 STEPHANIE DUNN, CO-ADMINISTRATOR 2530 KINGFISHER RD., APT.207 GRAHAM, NC 27253 Run dates: S11,18,25,O2p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000470-180

The undersigned, CINDY S. STUYVESANT, having quali ed on the 25TH Day of AUGUST, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of GERALD K. STUYVESANT, 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 DECEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 4TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025. CINDY S. STUYVESANT, EXECUTOR 6320 N KOLMAR AVE. CHICAGO, IL 60646 Run dates: S4,11,18,25p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

All persons having claims against Shelly Ray Skalicky, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present them to Daniel Long, Executor of the Estate of Shelly Ray Skalicky, at NextGen Estate Solutions, 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 or before December 18th, 2025. Failure to present a claim in timely fashion will result in this Notice being pleaded in bar of recovery against the estate, the Personal Representative, and the devisees of Shelly Ray Skalicky. Those indebted to Shelly Ray Skalicky are asked to make prompt payment to the Estate. This this 18th day of September, 2025. Daniel Long, Executor of the Estate of Shelly Ray Skalicky Brittany N. Porter, Attorney NextGen Estate Solutions 1340 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

25E000480-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY The undersigned, Christopher Solow, having quali ed

undersigned, SUSAN BOND TAYLOR, having quali ed on the 5TH Day of SEPTEMBER, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR CTA, of the Estate of JANET BOND DEWITT, 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 18TH Day DECEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 18TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025. SUSAN BOND TAYLOR,

Run dates: S18,25,O2,9p

The undersigned, KENNETH A HENDERSON, having quali ed on the 18TH Day of AUGUST, 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of DEBRA LYNN HENDERSON, 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 28TH Day NOVEMBER 2025, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 28TH DAY OF AUGUST 2025. KENNETH A HENDERSON, EXECUTOR 2294 US 64 BUSINESS W. PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: A28,S4,11,18p

Workers commenting on Kirk’s death learn limits of free speech in and out of workplace

Employees face rings over social media posts about the assassination

By Cathy Bussewitz and Wyatte Grantham-Philips The Associated Press

NEW YORK — In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been red for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as offensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Right-wing in uencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

It’s far from the rst time workers have lost their jobs over things they say publicly — including in social media posts. But the speed at which the rings have been happening raises questions about worker rights versus employer rights.

In the U.S., laws can vary across states, but overall, there’s very little legal protections for employees who are punished for speech made both in and out of private workplaces.

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace,” said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR Services for Engage PEO. “Most employees in the private sector do not have any protections for that type of speech at work.”

Add to that the prevalence of social media, which has made it increasingly common to track employees’ conduct outside of work and to dox people, or publish information about them online with the intent of harming or harassing them.

Employers have lot of leeway

Protections for workers vary from one state to the next. For example, in New York, if an employee is participating in a weekend political protest but not associating themselves with the

organization that employs them, their employer cannot re them for that activity when they return to work.

But if that same employee is at a company event on a weekend and talks about their political viewpoints in a way that makes others feel unsafe or the target of discrimination or harassment, then they could face consequences at work, Matsis-McCready said.

Most of the U.S. defaults to “at-will” employment law — which essentially means employers can choose to hire and re as they see t, including over employees’ speech.

“The First Amendment does not apply in private workplaces to protect employees’ speech,” said Andrew Kragie, an attorney who specializes in employment and labor law at Maynard Nexsen. “It actually does protect employers’ right to make decisions about employees, based on employees’ speech.”

Kragie said there are “pockets of protection” around the U.S. under various state laws, such as statutes that forbid punishing workers for their political views. But the interpretation of how that gets enforced changes, he notes, making the waters murky.

Steven T. Collis, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin and faculty director of the school’s Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center, also points to some state laws that say employers can’t re their workers

for

“legal o duty conduct.” But there’s often an exception for conduct seen as disruptive to an employer’s business or reputation, which could be grounds to re someone over public comments or social media posts.

“In this scenario, if somebody feels like one of their employees has done something that suggests they are glorifying or celebrating a murder, an employer might still be able to re them even with one of those laws on the books,” Collis said.

For public employees, which can range from school teachers and postal workers to elected ofcials, the process is a bit different. That’s because the First Amendment plays a unique role when the government is the employer, Collis explains. The Supreme Court has ruled that if an employee is acting in a private capacity but speaking on a matter of public concern, they could be protected. Still, he noted that government employers can discipline a worker if they determine such conduct will interfere with the government’s ability to do its job.

Some in the public sector have already worked to restrict speech in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. For instance, leaders at the Pentagon unveiled a “zero tolerance” policy for any posts or comments from troops that make light of or celebrate the killing of Kirk.

The policy, announced by the Pentagon’s top spokesman Sean Parnell on social media last

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace.”

Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel

Thursday, came hours after numerous conservative military in uencers and activists began forwarding posts they considered problematic to Parnell and his boss, defense secretary Pete Hegseth.

“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” Parnell wrote Thursday.

Surge of political debate

The ubiquity of social media is making it easier than ever to share opinions about politics and major news events as they’re unfolding. But posting on social media leaves a record, and in times of escalating political polarization, those declarations can be seen as damaging to the reputation of an individual or their employer.

“People don’t realize when they’re on social media, it is the town square,” said Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certi cation Institute.

“They’re not having a private conversation with the neighbor over the fence. They’re really broadcasting their views.”

Political debates are certainly not limited to social media and are increasingly making their way into the workplace as well.

“The gami cation of the way we communicate in the workplace, Slack and Teams, chat and all these things, they’re very similar to how you might interact on Instagram or other social media, so I do think that makes it feel a little less formal and somebody might be more inclined to take to take a step and say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe this happened,’” Matsis-McCready said.

Employers not ready

In the tense, divided climate

of the U.S., many human resource professionals have expressed that they’re unprepared to address politically charged discussions in the workplace, according to the Human Resource Certi cation Institute. But those conversations are going to happen, so employers need to set policies about what is acceptable or unacceptable workplace conduct, Dufrane said.

“HR has got to really drill down and make sure that they’re super clear on their policies and practices and communicating to their employees on what are their responsibilities as an employee of the organization,” Dufrane said.

Many employers are reviewing their policies on political speech and providing training about what appropriate conduct looks like, both inside and outside the organization, she said. And the brutal nature of Kirk’s killing may have led some of them to react more strongly in the days that followed his death.

“Because of the violent nature of what some political discussion is now about, I think there is a real concern from employers that they want to keep the workplace safe and that they’re being extra vigilant about anything that could be viewed as a threat, which is their duty,” Matsis-McCreedy said.

Employees can also be seen as ambassadors of a company’s brand, and their political speech can dilute that brand and hurt its reputation, depending on what is being said and how it is being received. That is leading more companies to act on what employees are saying online, she said.

“Some of the individuals that had posted and their posts went viral, all of a sudden the phone lines of their employers were just nonstop calls complaining,” Matsis-McCready said.

Still, experts like Collis don’t anticipate a signi cant change in how employers monitor their workers speech — noting that online activity has come under the spotlight for at least the last 15 years.

“Employers are already and have been for a very long time, vetting employees based on what they’re posting on social media,” he said.

24SP001109-180

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale

contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Barry D Edwards and Sandra B Edwards to Trste, Inc, Trustee(s), which was dated January 16, 2003 and recorded on February 24, 2003 in Book 997 at Page 902, Chatham County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on September 25, 2025 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Chatham County, North Carolina, to wit: ALL THAT CERTAIN PROPERTY SITUATED IN THE TOWNSHIP OF MATTHEWS IN THE COUNTY OF CHATHAM AND STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA AND BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN A DEED DATED 12-28-1983 AND RECORDED 12-29-1983 IN BOOK 466 PAGE 569 AMONG THE LAND RECORDS OF THE COUNTY AND STATE SET FORTH ABOVE.

And being more particularly described by metes and bounds according to said Deed as follows: FIRST TRACT: Lying and being in Matthews Township, Chatham County, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an iron spike in the center of U.S. Highway #421, Elizabeth C. Saunders southeast corner and running thence with Saunders’ line North 00 degrees 20’ West

503.48 feet to an old iron stake, Lyndal Joines Estate’s southeast corner; thence with Joines’ line North 00 degrees 20’ West 417.47 feet to an old iron stake and pointers, Je Joyce’s southeast corner; thence with Joyce’s line North 00 degrees 20’ West 539.06 feet to an iron stake in McPherson’s line; thence with McPherson’s line South 83 degrees 10’ East 421.86 feet to an iron stake the northwest corner of Parcel B as shown on a plat entitled “Division of a Portion of the Glosson & Esther Dale Edwards Land”, dated August 6, 1981, by James D. Hunter, R.L.S.; thence with the western margin of Parcel B South 09 degrees 26’ West 600.00 feet to an iron stake, Fred Burton’s northwest corner; thence with Burton’s line South 9 degrees 26’ West 1,500.37 feet to a point in the centerline of U.S. Highway #421; thence with the centerline of U.S. Highway #421 North 66 degrees 08’ West 42.96 feet; thence continuing with the centerline of U.S. Highway #421 North 67 degrees 03’ West 135.56 feet to a railroad spike, the point and place of BEGINNING, and containing 10.00 acres, more or less, and being all of Parcel A as shown on a plat hereinbefore referred to.

SECOND TRACT: BEGINNING at an iron stake, Fred and Sharon Burton’s northwest corner and being designated Point 31 on a plat entitled “Division of a Portion of the Glosson and Esther Dale Edwards Land”, by James D. Hunter, R.L.S., dated August 6, 1981, and running thence with the eastern margin of Parcel A as shown on said plat North 09 degrees 26’ East 600.00 feet to an iron stake in McPherson’s line; thence with McPherson’s southern boundary South 83 degrees 10’ East 348.75 feet to an iron stake; thence continuing on South 83 degrees 10’ East 46.34 feet to an iron stake, the northwest corner of Gary and Brenda Edwards; thence with Gary Edwards’ western line South 17 degrees 33’ West 655.02 feet to an iron stake, Fred Burton’s northeast corner; thence with Burton’s northern line North 74 degrees 48’ West 303.74 feet to an iron stake, the point and place of BEGINNING, and containing 5.00 acres, more or less, and being all of Parcel B as shown on a plat hereinbefore referred to. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 3476 Old US Hwy 421 N, Siler City, NC 27344. A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX

AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale,

MEREDITH SEAVER / COLLEGE STATION EAGLE VIA AP

Charlie Kirk speaks at Texas A&M University as part of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour on April 22 in College Station, Texas.

CHATHAM SPORTS

Tolbert Matthews gets a Gatorade bath after winning his rst game as Seaforth’s head coach.

Seaforth claims rst ‘Battle of the Boro’ win

Tolbert Matthews earned his rst win as the Hawks’ coach

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — Seaforth was going to overcome eventually.

In the fourth edition of the “Battle of the Boro” at the Hawks’ nest, junior quarterback Duncan Parker threw for four touchdowns and rushed for one to lead the Seaforth (1-3) to its rst win over Northwood (1-3), 34 -13 on Friday.

The victory also marked the rst win for rst-year head coach Tolbert Matthews.

“It feels great,” Matthews said. “0 -3 to start it o . Bumpy

rides. Close games. The guys kept ghting. That’s something that we talked about in practice. Again, nishing, competing and responding.”

Both teams had their fair share of adversity to respond to in an emotional rivalry duel.

To start the game, Northwood junior Raje Torres received the opening kicko and sprinted 95 yards to the house. But as it looked like the start of what could have been an ugly night for the Hawks, the score, which was erased due to an illegal substitution, quickly became the rst of Northwood’s trials.

“They called us for illegal substitution for my PAT team getting on the eld too early,” Northwood coach Dalton Brown said.

To make matters worse, Seaforth recovered the ball on the ensuing rekick, taking over from the Northwood 40. The Chargers stood tall, and with the help of early Seaforth penalties, they forced the Hawks into a too -familiar turnover on downs deep in enemy territory at the Northwood 24 -yard line.

“I was proud of how our defense responded with the crazy swing of emotions on the start, and I thought that helped us settle in,” Brown said.

Except for a blocked eld goal by Seaforth at the end of the rst quarter, which led to a 1-yard touchdown run for Parker, Northwood controlled the rst half. The Chargers rushed for a little over 100 yards in the rst two quarters, including a

JordanMatthews coach Kermit Carter coaches from the sideline in a game earlier this season. Carter has led his alma mater to its rst 4-0 start since 2010.

Jordan-Matthews wins fourth straight game, Chatham Central prepares for conference opener

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Jordan-Matthews 42, Wheatmore 6

Jordan-Matthews is 4 - 0 for the rst time since 2010 after running all over Wheatmore on Friday.

Senior running back Jakari Blue rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns on sev-

en carries (16 yards per carry), while his running mate, senior quarterback Kamarie Hadley, rushed for 98 yards and two scores on six carries (16.3 yards per rush).

The Jets took a 26 -

“We just kept connecting on the passes and got the job done.”

Duncan Parker

10 -yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Grayson Cox early in the second quarter to give Northwood a 7- 6 lead. Execution issues continued to stunt both team’s ability to cash in on solid drives, though. In Seaforth’s nal drive of the half, Parker threw an interception at the goal line to senior linebacker Aiden Hohenwarter. Deep in Seaforth territory on the ensuing Northwood drive, Cox, looking to ex-

tend the Chargers’ lead before halftime, threw up a pass near the goal line that was tipped by senior corner Noah Williams and picked o by senior safety Patrick Miller.

“I saw him trying to hit that single receiver on the side,” Miller said. “A couple of plays in a row, he didn’t throw it. That nal play, I saw his eyes light up, and I just broke on it.” Matthews recalled saying probably “two to three words” to his team at halftime. He left it up to his players to x the penalties and the mistakes that gave Northwood life.

“We talked about getting it together,” Miller said. “We had a lot of sloppy mistakes in the

will look to reach ve wins for the rst time since 2013 and the rst 5- 0 start since 2010. Competition will ramp up for the Jets as Providence Grove (2-2) is their rst opponent with a winning percentage of at least .500. See SEAFORTH, page B3 See FLAG, page B2 See FOOTBALL, page B4

Local schools eld girls’ ag football teams

Girls at three Chatham schools are hitting the gridiron this fall

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

CHATHAM COUNTY — The rapidly growing sport of girls’ ag football has made its way to Chatham County’s high schools.

Seaforth, Northwood and Jordan-Matthews are elding girls’ ag football teams this fall. They’ve joined Southeast Alamance and Eastern Alamance in a league organized by Eastern Alamance athletic director Brad Costa. Each team will play a total of 12 games on Wednesdays (except Sept. 22) until the playo s and championship on Oct. 29. All three of the local schools received a $2,500 grant and equipment ( ags, balls, cones and wristbands) from the Carolina Panthers.

The teams played their rst games at Eastern Alamance on Wednesday.

Seaforth is coached by Kimberly Brower, who’s an assistant with the girls’ basketball team. Fred Whitaker Sr., who was once an assistant for the Northwood boys’ basketball team and a former girls’ basketball coach at Pollard Middle, coaches the Chargers, and Chris Williams leads the Jets.

Each team had between 20 -30 girls come out to participate.

“It’s really been the talk of the school these past few weeks,” Jordan-Matthews player Michayla McNeill said. “I’ve been hearing talk of girls saying they’re going to come out next year for reasons that they can’t this year, but they’re really excited to.”

At Seaforth, garnering interest for ag football started with very early e orts from players Sophia Potter and Shayla Cork.

“It’s really been the talk of the school these past few weeks.”

Michayla McNeill

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Daisy Collins

Woods Charter, swimming

Woods Charter junior Daisy Collins earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Sept. 8.

Collins was named to the USA Swimming National Team roster that was released on Sept. 8, joining the nation’s best aquatic athletes, like nine-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky. The star swimmer from the North Carolina Aquatic Club is one of six female open water athletes on the roster and one of ve North Carolinians, men or women, to make the team.

Collins’ career highlights include being a World Junior Championships individual nalist, a two-time U.S. Junior Open Water national champion and a U.S. National Championships quali er.

“Me and my friend Shayla actually founded the ag football team here at Seaforth,” Potter said. “At the beginning, we had a lot of people help out and ll out the form of who’s interested. And then over the summer, we had workouts. Had about 15, 20 people show up to those, so that was a really good start to the season.”

But for most of the other girls, they’ve had to learn the sport on the y. Since the teams were o cially formed earlier in the school year, they’ve only had one to two weeks to prepare for the rst game.

Practices are a mix of learning skills, such as throwing a ball and running routes, and learning concepts like o ensive plays, reads and defensive coverages.

Alyia Roberts, who’s been practicing as Northwood’s quarterback, said learning football vocabulary and techniques for how to throw and catch a ball have been challenging.

“It’s been a little nerve-wracking just trying to know where everyone is going,” Roberts said about playing quarterback. “It’s like being a point guard.”

Some players have prior football experience through family members that played.

Kelis Watson, who’s expected to play multiple positions for Northwood, said she learned “everything” she knows about the game through her late brother Monte Thomas, who

played football at Northwood. Roberts’ brother, AJ Wolfe, also played at Northwood, and he taught her how to throw the ball using the stiches. For others, this is their introduction to the sport. Juanita Perez at Jordan-Matthews went to her rst high school varsity football game this month when the Jets played North Stokes to get a better understanding of the game. She learned how yardage worked and experienced the ow of the game.

“I learned that visually,” Perez said. “When they explained it, it was kind of di cult to understand.”

Coaches are learning, too, especially the rules.

The league is playing by USA Football’s 7v7 high school rules. There’s plenty of unique rules in ag football that don’t apply to the 11-on-11 game, like the speci cs of rushing the passer, ag pulling and who can receive a pass.

“I don’t know all the rules,” Brower said. “So I have to go back and keep reading the rules to make sure what the rules are. Some of the rules, when I see it on the eld, then I know it. But I’m still learning. I’m still processing.” According to USA Football, games consist of two 15-minute halves with a running clock and a ve-minute halftime. The eld dimensions are 30 -by-70 yards with two 10 -yard end zones and 50 yards of play. There are two ve-yard no-run zones before each goal line.

Touchdowns are six points with a one-point PAT being attempted from the 5-yard line and a two-point try starting at the 10 -yard line. Safeties and defensive touchdowns on PATs will be two points. Ties are resolved by alternating one-play attempts from the 5-yard line until a winner is determined.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has been in discussions to sanction girls’ ag football, and in December, commissioner Que Tucker said she’s “sure” the sport will have an NCHSAA state championship in the future.

Beyond high school, opportunities to play ag football in college and on bigger stages are expanding. Conference Carolinas, an NCAA Division II conference, will sponsor women’s ag football this spring, and the sport will make its Olympic debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Right now, a lot of the girls in Chatham County are just playing ag football for fun and to take part in a new experience. Many are balancing ag football and their sanctioned sports, which are the priority, but if the opportunity presents itself, some aren’t opposed to playing on the next level.

“I could de nitely see myself doing it in college,” Seaforth player Lyla Jacobs said. “I also do basketball and track and stu , so if those two don’t work out, I’d de nitely try to go for ag football.”

COURTESY NCHSAA / INSTAGRAM

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Northwood’s girls’ ag football team holds a practice ahead of its rst game.

Volleyball conference play heats up

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Volleyball

SEAFORTH WON back-toback games over conference foes

J.F. Webb (Sept. 9) and South Granville (Sept. 11) in straight sets. Freshman Naomi Stevenson and senior Josie Valgus combined for 25 kills against South Granville, which pushed the Hawks to extra play in the second set.

Woods Charter’s win streak grew to seven with a dominant 3-0 win over Southern Wake Academy on Sept. 11. The Wolves have won eight games this season in straight sets as of Sunday.

Northwood picked up its rst conference win over Jordan-Matthews in straight sets. Before that game, the Chargers fell to Eastern Randolph 3-2 (15-12 in thenal set), and the Jets opened conference play with a 3-0 loss to North Moore on Sept. 9.

Sophomore Addison Goldston landed a team-high 10 kills to help Chatham Central snap a two-game skid in a 3-0 win over South Davidson on Sept. 11.

Chatham Charter sophomore Summer Blanton and junior Aaliyah Walden combined for 25 kills to help the Knights edge Ascend Leadership 3-2 (15-13 in the nal set) on Sept. 11. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)

Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Uwharrie Charter (11-3, 2-0); T2. Northwood (2-9, 1-1); T2. North Moore (7-2, 1-1); T2. Southwestern Randolph (6-7, 1-1); T2. Eastern Randolph (3-6, 1-1); 6. Jordan-Matthews (4 -9, 0-2)

Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Woods Charter (9-1, 6-0); 2. Clover Garden School (8-3, 5-1); 3. River Mill (6-6, 4 -3); 4. Chatham Charter (4 -8, 3-3); 5. Ascend

SEAFORTH from page B1

rst half. Sloppy drives. Defense played a little sloppy. Just get it together and do what we do.” Seaforth wasted no time righting the wrongs of the rst half. Less than two minutes into the third quarter, Parker connected with a wide - open Max Hinchman for a 20 -yard touchdown and a 14 -7 lead.

On Seaforth’s next o ensive possession, Parker once again

The last time Woods Charter’s boys’ soccer team won at least three of its rst four games

Leadership (4 -5, 3-4); 6. Southern Wake Academy (2-8, 1-5); 7. Central Carolina Academy (1-10, 0-6)

Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Bishop McGuinness (9-2, 4 -0); 2. South Stokes (8-5, 4 -1); 3. Chatham Central (4 -7, 3-1); 4. North Stokes (3-7, 3-2); 5. South Davidson (4 -10, 2-3); T6. Winston-Salem Prep (2-9, 0- 4); T6. College Prep and Leadership (1-9, 0-5)

Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Cedar Ridge (11-0, 5-0); T2. Seaforth (8- 4, 4 -1); T2. Orange (6-5, 4 -1); 4. Carrboro (5-7, 2-3); 5. Durham School of the Arts (6-7, 2-4); 6. South Granville (3-9, 1- 4); 7. J.F. Webb (6-7, 0-5)

Boys’ soccer

Jordan-Matthews’ stretched its win streak to four with back-to-back shut outs over Phoenix Academy (9-0 on Sept. 8) and Central Davidson (6-0 on Sept. 10). The Jets have allowed one goal since Aug. 27. Woods Charter’s hot start continued with a 7-1 win over River Mill on Sept. 8 and a 4 -0 victory over Chatham Charter on Sept. 11. The Wolves are o to their best start since 2014. After a 1-1 tie with Eastern Alamance on Sept. 8, Northwood defeated the Eagles in a rematch two days later 3-2. The Chargers followed that with a 3-0 win over Southern Lee on Sept. 11. They haven’t lost a game since Aug. 21.

found Hinchman for a 5 -yard score. The Chargers, who hurt themselves with multiple personal fouls and procedural penalties, had no answer for the Hawks’ passing attack in the second half. Seaforth completed big play after big play, including a 34 -yard catch and run to the end zone by senior Nick Gregory and an 83 -yard bomb to Hinchman that set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Miller.

“Tonight, they left the mid-

Seaforth took a two-game slide during the week with losses to Southeast Alamance (9-0 on Sept. 8) and East Chapel Hill (2-0 on Sept. 10).

Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)

Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Southwestern Randolph (8-1, 0-0); 2. North Moore (3-1-1, 0-0); 3. Northwood (4 -1-3, 0-0); 4. Jordan-Matthews (5-3, 0-0); 5. Uwharrie Charter (1-1, 0-0); 6. Eastern Randolph (2-2-2, 0-0) Central Tar Heel 1A: T1. Woods Charter (3-1, 2-0); T1. Clover Garden School (6-1, 2-0); 3. Southern Wake Academy (4 -2, 1-1); T4. Chatham Charter (0-3-1, 0-1); T4. Central Carolina Academy (1-5, 0-1); T6. River Mill (2-6, 0-1); T6. Ascend Leadership (3-3, 0-1)

Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. J.F. Webb (4 -2, 0-0); 2. Cedar Ridge (4-3, 0-0); 3. Orange (5-4, 0-0); 4. Seaforth (2-5-1, 0-0); 5. South Granville (2-5-1, 0-0); 6. Carrboro (1-6-1, 0-0); 7. Durham School of the Arts (0-7-1, 0-0) Girls’ tennis

Seaforth defeated South Granville 9-0 on Sept. 9 and Orange 8-1 on Sept. 10 to extend its win streak to three. Cary Academy ended it on Sept. 11 after beating the Hawks 7-2.

Northwood snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-2 win over Jordan-Matthews on Sept. 8. The Chargers followed that with a 5-4 win over North Moore. Sophomore MJ Shoup won her individual match, and she joined sophomore Dilyn Evans in winning the Chargers’ only double over the Mustangs 8-0.

After two straight 8-1 wins over Southern Wake Academy (Sept. 8) and Clover Garden School (Sept. 10), Chatham

dle pretty open, so we attacked there” Parker said. “De nitely attacked the soft spots in their defense. We just kept connecting on the passes and got the job done.” Parker nished the night with more than 300 yards passing. Hinchman caught six passes for 145 yards. For Northwood, the loss felt like a setback after a spirited performance and win in Week 3. Not only did the Chargers miss out on a chance to

Charter took its second loss of the season to Leadership Academy 5- 4 on Sept. 11. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)

Four Rivers 3A/4A: T1. Northwood (2-4, 2-0); T1. Uwharrie Charter (1-0, 1-0); T3. North Moore (2-5, 1-1); T3. Southwestern Randolph (6-3, 1-1); 5. Jordan-Matthews (2-9, 0-3)

Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Chatham Charter (5-2, 3-0); T2. Clover Garden School (2-4, 0-2); T2. Southern Wake Academy (1-3, 0-1)

Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Bishop McGuinness (3-3, 3-0); 2. South Davidson (5-2, 2-1); 3. North Stokes (7-1, 1-1); 4. South Stokes (1-7, 1-2); 5. Chatham Central (0-6, 0-3)

Cross-country

Chatham Charter junior Tor-

climb back to .500, they will now have to work around the absence of senior running back and linebacker Robert Tripp, who left the game due to injury in the third quarter.

For Seaforth, the rst win of the season and the rst over its crosstown rival are no longer “almosts.” In the losses to three good teams to start the season, the Hawks were a few plays from di erent outcomes, but they couldn’t yet make the winning plays.

ris Price clocked in at 18 minutes, 33.16 seconds and cruised to a rst-place nish in the boys’ race of the Central Tar Heel Conference meet at the Lake Cammack XC course on Sept. 10. Adam Reese (Chatham Charter) nished fourth, while Aidan O’Neil (Woods Charter), Holton Mody (Woods Charter) and Andrew Bednar (Chatham Charter nished fth, sixth and seventh respectively. Chatham Charter nished second and Woods Charter nished third in the team results. In the girls’ race, Woods Charter junior So a Rodriguez edged out a victory with a time of 24:34.10. Emily Scheidt (Chatham Charter), Grace Murphy (Woods Charter), Sonia Messick (Woods Charter) and Leah Marshall (Woods Charter) also nished in the top 10. The Wolves nished rst in the girls’ team results.

Seaforth’s o ense, although still looking for better production in the run game, has continued to improve its passing attack week by week. Now the Hawks are a long way from last year’s 9 - 6 loss to Northwood in which scoring was a struggle.

“We have to continue to get better,” Matthews said. “We’re not satis ed with today’s win. We have to get better. We’re trying to take this 0 -3 to a 7-3. The only way to do that is continue to work.”

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Woods Charter huddles during a win over Clover Garden on Sept. 9. The Wolves were undefeated in conference play as of Sunday.

Bell wins at Bristol

Joe Gibbs Racing completed a rst-round sweep in the Cup playo s

The Associated Press

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joe Gibbs Racing completed a clean sweep of the rst round in the NASCAR Cup Series playo s as Christopher Bell charged to a victory Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bell went from fourth to rst on the nal restart and led the last four laps at the 0.533 -mile oval, ending a 24 -race winless streak with his fourth victory of the season.

“It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done,” said Bell, who led only 12 laps in his 13th career victory. “We just know that any given week, it could be us, and it hasn’t been for a long time. But Bristol, baby, tonight it’s us.”

He joined JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe as playo winners with the rst round concluding at Bristol. Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry were eliminated from the 10 -race championship run.

“Just so excited about the start to the playo s,” team owner Joe Gibbs said.

Bell nished 0.343 seconds

ahead of Brad Keselowski, who was trying to end a 51-race winless streak.

“Just the story of our season,” Keselowski said. “Just a 50 -50 shot on the restart, and I got the lane that couldn’t launch. Just frustrating. We had a great car, great strategy, and on the last restart, we just rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.”

Zane Smith nished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano. There were a season-high 14 caution ags for 137 laps as drivers and teams struggled to get a handle on a new rightside tire with excessive wear that required more pit stops.

The playo drama spiked with 40 laps remaining when a re erupted under Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford. His team was able to extinguish the ames, but Cindric lost several laps in the pits and reemerged outside the top 30.

His 30th-place nish still was good enough for the 12th and nal transfer spot into the second round.

“Moving on,” Cindric said staying in the championship hunt. “I believe in this team. I believe in myself. I have not been driving as well as I am now in the Cup Series.”

Bowman ran as high as second after rebounding from a spin on the 100th lap. He

would have bumped Cindric with a victory but nished eighth and came up 10 points short of advancing.

“I don’t think you can really point at something that cost us,” said Bowman, who bene ted from a pit crew overhaul after su ering through some disastrous stops in the past two races. “Our back was against the wall coming in here. We knew it was going to be a tough thing to do.”

Seeking his rst Cup victory, Ty Gibbs led a race -high 201 of

500 laps but bungled while trying to reach the pits for hisnal green- ag stop, losing major time in his No. 54 Toyota.

First out

With smoke billowing from the cockpit and ames shooting out from his right-front tire, Berry made an eye - catching exit as the rst driver eliminated. The Wood Brothers Racing driver quali ed 10th and ran as high as third before a re erupted on his No. 21 Ford.

“Man, just so disappointing,” Berry said. “That was going to be a lot of fun. We were moving forward. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but it hasn’t been because of performance. We executed well and ran well, just haven’t had the nishes.”

Berry, whose playo debut began with a crash on the rst lap of the Southern 500, nished last in all three races of the rst round. “I don’t think you could ever script three last-place nishes in the ways that we’ve gotten them,” he said.

Texas A&M receiver Concepcion stars on eld, embraces speaking publicly while dealing with stutter

The former Wolfpack playmaker now sparks the Aggies

By Kristie Rieken Associated Press

COLLEGE STATION, Texas

— After KC Concepcion scored two touchdowns to help No. 16 Texas A&M to a win over Utah State last weekend, he condently strode to the podium, warmly greeted the assembled media and ashed a huge smile before answering questions for almost 10 minutes.

It’s a scene the receiver couldn’t have imagined as a kid when a severe stutter led to bullying in school.

Now 20, Concepcion still stutters and admitted that speaking publicly remains challenging for him.

“I’m really still kind of getting comfortable with it,” he told The Associated Press after practice this week.

He recalled how some kids treated him as a child and that the classes meant to help him only made him feel more self- conscious about his stuttering. He was picked on.

“It kind of used to be real-

FOOTBALL from page B1

The Patriots are coming o a 41-3 loss to Eastern Randolph. In its two wins over Morehead (0 - 4) and Southwestern Randolph (2-2), Providence Grove rushed for over or near 200 yards with contributions from multiple rushers. Seniors Andrew Thomas and Jackson Lawver have led the Patriots’ rushing attack.

With both teams relying on the run, this game will be decided in the trenches. Whichever team controls the line of scrimmage will control the game. Jordan-Matthews may even be able to diversify its attack with quick screens and short passes to its speedy receivers.

North Moore 48, Chatham Central 14

Chatham Central struggled to protect sophomore quarterback Brooks Albright in a 48-14 loss to North Moore. The Mustangs came away with numerous sacks in the rst half, including a sack, fumble and recovery on the Bears’ rst play from scrimmage.

The negative plays continuously backed Chatham Central deep into its own territory,

after

ly, really bad when I was a kid,” he said. “But, you know, just just taking my little speech classes here and there, I really didn’t like going to them because I kind of felt like I was a little weird. ... Just being taught how to try to like speak uently and and not stutter or anything.”

16

Yards per carry for Jordan-Matthews’ Blue and Hadley against Wheatmore

setting up favorable eld position for the Mustangs’ o ense. North Moore took a 28 - 0 lead in the rst quarter and never looked back. Albright nished the night 13 of 28 with 184 yards and two touchdowns, both to sophomore Gavin Williams.

Week 5: North Stokes at Chatham Central (Friday at 7 p.m.)

Chatham Central (1-3) has a good chance of getting back on track against an 0 - 4 North Stokes team in Friday’s conference opener. For the Bears, this game will be a shot at revenge for a 20 -8 loss to North Stokes in last season’s opener. The Vikings are coming o a 55 -7 loss to Patrick County (Virginia) in which they only mustered 95 yards of o ense.

Senior receiver Aiden Bennett and junior receiver Jack-

Those times were di cult, but he was helped by his father, Kevin Concepcion. Stuttering is often hereditary, and that is the case with Concepcion, whose father also stutters.

“As a little kid, it’s kind of tough having, having kids pick on you for your talking,” he said.

son Bodenhamer are focal points for the Vikings’ o ense. They’ll look to complete short to medium passes to those targets to move the ball. The key for Chatham Central, other than slowing down Bennett and Bodenhamer, will be to give Albright time to make throws. The Bears have been as good as their offensive line this season, and if they can improve on last week’s performance, Chatham Central shouldn’t have problems putting points on the board.

Week 5: Seaforth at North Moore (Friday at 7 p.m.)

Seaforth (1-3) will look to win two games in a row for the second time in school history when it travels to former Mid- Carolina 1A/2A conference foe North Moore (2 -2) on Friday.

North Moore is 3 - 0 all-time against Seaforth.

The Hawks are coming o an impressive second-half offensive performance against Northwood in which junior quarterback Duncan Parker hit numerous receivers for big gains. Seaforth is averaging 29 points per game while North

“Just just seeing him deal with it also it helped me out, you feel me. And it made me feel like I wasn’t the only one.”

Concepcion abandoned his speech classes in middle school and decided the only way to improve his speech was to practice. That meant not shying away from talking in any situation. The receiver from Charlotte likened it to getting reps on the football eld.

“It’s literally just exactly like football,” he said. “Sometimes you know it it comes from the heart, but sometimes I can just sit down and and go over it and just make sure that I know what I’m saying in the back of my mind sometimes and that can also help me to where I’m not trying to nd the words and it’s just coming out weird.”

Concepcion is in his rst season at Texas A&M after a transfer from NC State. Despite being one of the newer faces on the team, he’s already made his mark with the Aggies. He had a touchdown reception and returned a punt 80 yards for a score in Texas A&M’s opener before his two -touchdown performance in Week 2.

He’s the rst Texas A&M receiver to score two or more

Moore has allowed 30 points per outing. However, the Mustangs’ defensive line, led by senior DJ Morehead and junior Cruz Moore, proved to be very disruptive against Chatham Central.

As Seaforth has struggled to run the ball this season, keeping a clean pocket for Parker will be crucial against the Mustangs. Defensively, the Hawks will have to keep their eyes disciplined for North Moore’s misdirection and the moving parts of its run-heavy o ense.

Week 5: Northwood at North Surry (Friday at 7:30 p.m.)

Northwood (1-3) will make a long trip to North Surry (3-1) Friday in pursuit of it second win of the season.

North Surry is on a three-game winning streak, including a 37-14 win over North Wilkes in Week 4. The Greyhounds rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Senior running back Zamarri Sweatman has been the focus of North Surry’s o ense as he’s rushed for 414 yards and ve scores this season. The Grey-

touchdowns in consecutive games since Ainias Smith did it in 2021.

“He’s got a tremendous work ethic,” coach Mike Elko said. “I really enjoy the way he competes day in and day out, that really showed itself in the o -season as well. So there’s a maturity about him that I really like. He wants to be great and that shows every day, which is a really cool characteristic in a kid. And I think he’s a kid that rises to moments.”

Concepcion said realizing that everyone is dealing with something made him be less hard on himself when it comes to his stutter.

“Everybody has their own aws, and it’s just about how you embrace those aws and that makes you you,” he said.

And he had a message for kids who are having a tough time or feeling down because they stutter.

“I’ve been stuttering since I’ve been a little kid,” he said. “It’s de nitely been a long journey from growing up with the horrible stuttering problem to kind of not growing out of it but, you know, getting better at it. So I would just say: You guys aren’t alone. I stand with you.”

hounds have been solid defensively as well, allowing 15.5 points per game.

Northwood has struggled to stop run-heavy teams this season, and they’ll be without a key linebacker in Robert Tripp. Tripp’s absence will also change the Chargers’ rushing attack, which has been their best option this year. Senior Leo Mortimer will likely carry a larger load on both sides of the ball to replace his production.

Power Rankings (after Week 4)

1. Jordan-Matthews 2. Seaforth 3. Northwood 4. Chatham Central Last week’s rankings: 1. Jordan-Matthews; 2. Northwood; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Seaforth

Week 4 score predictions

Jordan-Matthews 22, Providence Grove 20 Seaforth 36, North Moore 24 North Surry 35, Northwood 21 Chatham Central 32, North Stokes 20 Prediction record (since Week 2): 9 -1

DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion (7) runs into the end zone for a touchdown

catching a pass against UTSA.

WADE PAYNE / AP PHOTO

Christopher Bell (20) battles with Ty Gibbs (54) during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Bristol.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Virginia Tech res coach Pry after program’s 1st 0-3 start since 1987

Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech has red football coach Brent Pry after the program stumbled to its rst 0 -3 start since 1987. The school announced the move Sunday. That came a day after the Hokies fell behind 31- 0 on the way to a 45-26 loss to Old Dominion. In a statement, Pry said “Blacksburg will always hold a special place in our hearts.” O ensive coordinator Philip Montgomery will serve as interim coach.

BOXING

Crawford makes history with victory over Alvarez Las Vegas Terence Crawford made history by becoming the rst male boxer to capture three uni ed division titles. He defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision to win the super middleweight championship. Two judges scored the match 115-113 and the third 116 -112 in Crawford’s favor. The ght took place at Allegiant Stadium before a record crowd of 70,482. It was Alvarez’s rst defeat since May 2022. The event, broadcast on Net ix, attracted signi cant attention and marked a shift from traditional pay-per-view models. The co -main event saw Callum Walsh defeat Fernando Vargas Jr.

MLB Kurtz hits 493-foot grand slam, longest MLB homer of season Sacramento, Calif.

Nick Kurtz launched a 493-foot grand slam — the longest home run in the majors this season — and the Athletics hammered Hunter Greene early in an 11-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Kurtz, the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, has 31 home runs in his rookie season. Kurtz’s 493-foot drive was the longest by an A’s player since Statcast tracking began in 2015. It surpassed Mike Trout’s 484-foot homer April 19 with the Angels for the longest in the majors this year.

NFL

FanDuel agrees to pay Jaguars roughly $5M to o set losses from ex-employee’s theft Jacksonville, Fla.

FanDuel has agreed to pay the Jacksonville Jaguars roughly $5 million to help o set the nearly $20 million that a former employee stole from the NFL franchise and deposited at the sportsbook. ESPN rst reported the deal, which was nalized earlier this year. It came a year after nancial manager Amit Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million through a virtual credit card system the team used for expenses. Patel is serving a 61⁄2-year sentence in federal prison. He sued FanDuel last year.

UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster watches as his team plays UNLV.

UCLA res coach Foster after 0-3 start to his second season

after national signing day and relatively late in the recruiting process.

By Beth Harris Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — UCLA red second-year football coach DeShaun Foster after the school’s rst 0-3 start since 2019.

Athletic director Martin Jarmond announced the move two days after the Bruins lost to New Mexico 35-10, their second straight loss to a Mountain West Conference opponent.

“It’s not a decision I made lightly, but it was important to take decisive action,” Jarmond said on a Zoom call with media. “This serves as a message to our fans that the results we’ve seen so far are simply not acceptable.”

Tim Skipper will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season. Skipper had been special assistant to Foster, and he served as Fresno State’s interim coach last year.

Foster, a Charlotte native and Carolina Panthers running back from 2002-07, was 5-10 since taking over the program from Chip Kelly in February 2024,

“I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten,” Jarmond said. “Getting a start so late really disadvantaged the start of his coaching career.”

Last year, the Bruins nished 5-7 after a 1-5 start in the school’s rst season in the Big Ten. Foster had been the program’s running backs coach from 2017-23 and added the title of associate head coach in 2023 before being promoted to the top job by Jarmond. Foster spent one season on the sta at Texas Tech.

The Bruins were beaten by Utah in their opener and by UNLV a week ago. They trailed at halftime in all three losses, two of them coming at the Rose Bowl, where attendance was sparse and tarps are used to cover wide swaths of seating.

Foster was asked Friday if he was still the person for the job, and he replied: “Most de nitely. Because I can get these boys to play.”

However, even the arrival of highly touted quarterback Nico Iamaleava via the transfer portal couldn’t save Foster.

“I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten.”

Martin Jarmond, UCLA athletic director

The sophomore left Tennessee after leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playo last season and didn’t participate in spring camp. Iamaleava defended Foster after Friday’s loss, saying: “We’re not executing as players. It all falls back on the players.”

Iamaleava is among 55 new players in Westwood this season, along with eight new assistants. Over half the defensive line is made up of transfers. Foster hired Tino Sunseri from Indiana as o ensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but the Bruins’ o ense ranks 127th nationally (14.3 points per game) and got outscored 30-0 in the rst quarter of each game this season. The Bruins repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with penalties in the losses, too.

“Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,” Foster said in a statement. “While I am deeply disappointed that we were unable to achieve the success that our players, fans, and university deserve, I am grateful for the opportunity to have led this program.”

The school said the terms of Foster’s contract will be honored by UCLA Athletics, exclusively using department-generated funds.

Kelly’s teams had 0-3 starts in 2018 and 2019, but the losses included Oklahoma and Cincinnati, schools with better football reputations than UNLV and New Mexico.

Foster’s ring opens an immediate 30-day window in which players can enter the transfer portal. Jarmond said he met with the entire team and has not heard from anyone who is considering leaving.

“The team is very focused on really turning this around,” he said. “This is a clean slate. We’re 0 - 0 in the Big Ten, and this is about getting better. They’re ultimately going to write this season.”

46

Hatton, former world champion, dies at

The popular British ghter was planning a comeback

By James Robson

The Associated Press MANCHESTER, England

— Ricky Hatton, the former boxing world champion who rose to become one of the most popular ghters in the sport, died at 46.

Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

Friends of Hatton were quick to pay tribute Sunday morning.

“Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton,” former world champion Amir Khan posted on X.

“Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip,” former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said in an Instagram post, with photos of the pair together. “There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. can’t believe this so young.” News of Hatton’s death comes two months after the surprise announcement he would make a return to boxing in December in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai.

He hadn’t fought since losing for the third time in his career, against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.

Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, and at the height of his career he shared the ring with the best boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“He was not only a great ghter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life,” Pacquiao posted on X. “Ricky fought bravely, not just in the ring, but in his journey through life. He truly had a good ght, and we are all blessed to have been part of his wonderful journey.”

Hatton rose through amateur and domestic levels, building up an army of passionate fans who followed him to America for his biggest ghts.

His down-to-earth charm, as well as his tendency to dramatically gain and lose weight between ghts, endeared him to fans across the world.

Hatton was open about the mental health issues he endured upon his retirement from the ring.

“As ghters, we tell ourselves we’re strong — we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest ght

happens in silence, in the mind,” Khan added on X. “Mental health isn’t weakness. It’s part of being human. And we must talk about it. We must reach out. We must lean on each other.”

Top of the sport

Hatton’s all-action style added to his popularity. He built up a passionate following in the UK before truly announcing himself on the world stage with his epic victory against Tszyu for the IBF world super lightweight (light welterweight) title in 2005.

Pound-for-pound great Tszyu had only lost twice before, but was forced to retire on his stool in front of 22,000 fans in Manchester.

Hatton later described it as his greatest win, but it was just the start of a period when he fought at the top of the sport, with thousands of fans following him to America for huge ghts. In a post on X, his former

manager, Frank Warren, described him as a “superbly talented ghter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before,” adding he will “rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport.”

Hatton lost for the rst time in his career against Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007.

After a sold- out homecoming at Manchester City’s stadium a year later, he worked his way back to the top of the sport to take on Manny Pacquiao in 2009, losing inside two rounds. Hatton retired after that defeat but made a remarkable comeback four years later after piling on weight and enduring issues with depression and drinking, as well as allegations of drug use.

While he lost to Senchenko, the very fact he managed to return to the ring was seen as a personal triumph.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Ricky Hatton, left, lands a right to the face of Juan Urango in their IBF junior welterweight title bout in 2007.

The former Carolina Panthers running back was 5-10 with Bruins

STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN VIA AP

Spinal Tap almost goes to 11 on ‘The End Continues’ soundtrack

“Even though we’re old and gray / This feels like starting over.”

By Jim Pollock The Associated Press

THE OSTENSIBLY ctitious hard-rock band Spinal Tap has been together, o and on, slightly longer than Katy Perry has been alive, and as of Friday, has released four studio albums and two feature lms. Their latest album, “The End Continues,” continues to do what they’ve always done best: delightfully walk the ne line between clever and stupid. Its release coincides with the sequel lm, “Spinal Tap ll: The End Continues.”

When the mockumentary

“This is Spinal Tap” and the accompanying debut album were released in 1984, the idea of a band rocking into middle age still felt mildly ridiculous. Lead vocalist David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) captured the majestic silliness of perpetual rock ’n’ roll adolescence.

The act has endured through the decades because the core trio remains ercely committed to the bit. McKean, Guest and Shearer’s lyrics are still ridicu-

Spinal Tap

lous, but plausibly so, and their musical craft and songwriting skills are legitimate. As Spinal Tap, their earnest belief in the everything-ness of rock ’n’ roll is at times riotously funny but ultimately endearing.

With members now in their 70s and 80s, the band no longer goes quite all the way to 11, but the album rewards fans with crisp comedic writing, interesting collaborations with rock royalty, and surprisingly direct confrontation with mortality and the ravages of time.

The 13-track release revisits four favorites from the original album with a little help from their rock-legend friends. Elton John o ers vocals on a straightforward remake of “Stonehenge.” As a pioneer of outrageous rock pageantry, John is the right vehicle to take the song right over the top.

Paul McCartney ttingly takes the lead on the Beatles-inspired remake of “Cups and Cakes.” His chuckle early in the song is a little gift to fans, harking back to a similar laugh

on the Beatles’ “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”

Husband-wife duo Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood o er the album’s biggest surprise with a raucous country reimagining of their 1984 track “Big Bottom.” Yearwood gamely serves as the butt of half a dozen cheekily o ensive couplets. When Brooks calls out, “Talkin’ ’bout mud aps,” Yearwood gleefully responds, “Yeah, I got ’em.”

Age and mortality gure prominently in the nine new songs with titles such as “Rockin’ in the Urn.” The Survivor-inspired synth-rock “Let’s Just Rock Again” opens with the line, “Even though we’re old and gray / This feels like starting over.”

On “The Devil’s Just Not Getting Old,” the band ri s on aging with the relentless energy they once devoted to goofy sexual innuendo. They muse on Satan’s immortality in a few lyrical lines: “He’s not starting to lose his teeth / He’s not starting to eat less beef,” goes one. “He’s not complaining of shooting pains / He’s not having varicose veins,” is another.

Though “The End Continues” lacks some of the raunchy charms of their original release, it will bring joy to many who have laughed and grown older together with the band.

“The End Continues” by Spinal Tap coincides with the release of Christopher Guest’s mockumentary “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Elton John and Trisha Yearwood are in on the fun

this week in history

Jim Hendrix dies at 27, Ole Miss blocks James Meredith, Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” published

The Associated Press

SEPT. 18

1850: Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which created a force of federal commissioners charged with returning escaped slaves to their owners.

1970: Rock star Jimi Hendrix died in London at age 27.

2020: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a towering champion of women’s rights who became the court’s second female justice, died at age 87.

SEPT. 19

1796: President George Washington’s farewell address was published. In it, America’s rst chief executive advised, “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”

1881: The 20th president of the United States, James A. Gar eld, died 2½ months after being shot by Charles Guiteau. 1957: The United States

conducted its rst contained underground nuclear test, code-named “Rainier,” in the Nevada desert.

SEPT. 20

1519: Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew left Spain on ve ships to nd a western route to the Spice Islands. Magellan was killed en route, but one ship completed the rst circumnavigation of the globe.

1962: James Meredith, a black student, was blocked from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Democratic Gov. Ross R. Barnett.

1973: In their so-called “Battle of the Sexes,” tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

SEPT. 21

1922: President Warren Harding signed the Lodge -Fish Resolution, a Congressional resolution endorsing the creation of a Jewish state.

1937: “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien, was rst published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. of London.

1981: The Senate unanimously con rmed Sandra Day O’Connor as the rst female justice on the Supreme Court.

Richard Nixon, Republican candidate for the vice presidency, explains a $18,000 expense fund on national television on Sept. 23, 1952. The appearance was nicknamed his “Checkers” speech because of his reference to the family dog.

1989: Hurricane Hugo crashed into South Carolina; the storm was blamed for 56 deaths in the Caribbean and 29 in the United States.

SEPT. 22

1776: During the Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale, 21, was hanged as a spy by the British in New York. 1862: President Abraham

Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, stating enslaved people in Confederate states would be freed as of Jan. 1, 1863, if the states did not rejoin the Union.

1975: Sara Jane Moore red two shots in a failed attempt to assassinate President Gerald R. Ford outside a San Francisco hotel.

SEPT. 23

1806: The Lewis and Clark expedition returned to St. Louis more than two years after setting out for the Paci c Northwest.

1952: Sen. Richard M. Nixon (R-Calif.) salvaged his vice presidential nomination with a televised “Checkers” speech, denying fundraising allegations and referencing his family’s cocker spaniel.

1955: A jury in Sumner, Mississippi, acquitted two white men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, of killing black teenager Emmett Till.

SEPT. 24

1869: Thousands were ruined in a Wall Street panic known as “Black Friday” after Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the gold market.

New Dick Van Dyke documentary shares untold stories

The lm will be in theaters this weekend ahead of the actor’s 100th birthday this December

By Lindsey Bahr The Associated Press

MOVIE THEATERS across the country are pulling out the stops for Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday in December. A new documentary about the song and dance man’s life, “Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration,” will be in theaters over his birthday weekend on Dec. 13-14.

“It’s wonderful; a total surprise for me,” Van Dyke said in a statement the lmmakers provided to The Associated Press. “If you don’t think luck has a lot to do with it, then you’re mistaken.”

The feature length lm has been in the works for over three decades. In telling the story of Van Dyke’s 80-plus years in entertainment, the lm weaves together clips from classic lms, like “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “Bye Bye Birdie,” and television shows, including “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Diagnosis: Murder,” as well as new interviews with Van Dyke in which he shares never-before-heard stories from his time in Hollywood.

The portrait is bookended with a trip to his hometown of

“It’s wonderful; a total surprise for me. If you don’t think luck has a lot to do with it, then you’re mistaken.”

Dick Van Dyke

Danville, Illinois, where he visits his childhood home, the radio station where he started his career as a DJ at age 16 and his old high school where he took the stage once more to join in with the students performing songs from some of his most beloved lms.

“He couldn’t help himself,” lmmaker Steve Boettcher said. “He got out of the seat and went up on stage and sang and danced with them. It’s really a sweet coming home. Danville built him in so many ways.”

Over the past 30 years, Boettcher also spoke many of his closest Hollywood friends and collaborators, including Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Etty White, Tim Conway and Chita Rivera, all of whom have since died.

“We just wanted people who were there at the scene, on set with him and working with him,” Boettcher said. The lmmakers didn’t plan

solutions

Dick Van Dyke attends the 43rd annual

in 2021. A new documentary about the actor’s life and

birthday.

on waiting for Van Dyke’s 100th birthday to release the lm, but when the landmark moment started coming into focus it seemed tting for a rollout.

“Dick Van Dyke: 100th Celebration” will have its premiere

in early December at Danville’s Fischer Theatre, where Van Dyke fell in love with the movies and the idea of being an entertainer watching Laurel and Hardy on the big screen on Saturdays.

“We’re really excited about the lm,” Boettcher said. “It’s very much in the style of Dick Van Dyke. It’s got laughter and music and touching moments. It’s pure entertainment, much like Mr. Van Dyke.”

KEVIN WOLF / AP PHOTO

Kennedy Center Honors at the Kennedy Center

career will coincide with his 100th

AP PHOTO

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famous birthdays this week

Rosemary Harris turns 98, Sophia Loren is 91, Bill Murray hits 75, Stephen King turns 78

The Associated Press THE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

SEPT. 18

Hockey Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman is 92. Singer Frankie Avalon is 85. Actor Anna Deavere Smith is 75. Neurosurgeon-author-politician Ben Carson is 74. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino is 73. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is 71. Comedian-actor Jason Sudeikis is 50.

SEPT. 19

Actor Rosemary Harris is 98. Singer-songwriter Paul Williams is 85. Singer Bill Medley (The Righteous Brothers) is 85. Actor Jeremy Irons is 77. TV personality Joan Lunden is 75. Musician-producer Nile Rodgers is 73. Musician Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) is 63. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is 60.

SEPT. 20

Actor Sophia Loren is 91. Author George R. R. Martin is 77. Actor Gary Cole is 69. TV news correspondent Deborah Roberts is 65. Actor Maggie Cheung is 61. Actor Kristen Johnston is 58. Rock singers Gunnar and Matthew Nelson are 58.

SEPT. 21

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is 82. Musician Don Felder is 78. Author Stephen King is 78. Basketball Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore is 76. Actor-comedian Bill Murray is 75. Filmmaker Ethan Coen is 68. Musician Liam Gallagher (Oasis) is 53.

SEPT. 22

Singer-choreographer-actor Toni Basil is 82. Musician King Sunny Adé is 79. Football Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael is 76. Rock singer David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) is 74. Singer Nick Cave is 68.

SEPT. 23

Singer Julio Iglesias is 82. Ac-

tor/singer Mary Kay Place is 78. Rock star Bruce Springsteen is 76. Director/playwright George C. Wolfe is 71. Actor Rosalind Chao is 68. Actor Jason Alexander is 66. Singer Ani DiFranco is 55.

SEPT. 24

Football Hall of Famer Joe Greene is 79. Actor Gordon Clapp is 77. Actor Harriet Walter is 75. Filmmaker Brad Bird is 68. Actor Kevin Sorbo is 67. Actor-screenwriter Nia Vardalos is 63. Celebrity chef Robert Irvine is 60.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Bill Murray poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the lm “The Phoenician Scheme” at the 78th international lm festival in 2025. The actor turns 75 on Sunday.

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Rosemary Harris accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in 2019. The celebrated Broadway actor turns 98 on Friday.

the stream

Cardi B, movie about Bumble, ‘Morning Show’ returns

“Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” captures the essence of female musicians in the late ’90s

The Associated Press

CARDI B releasing her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” and Lily James playing the founder of the popular dating app Bumble in the new biographical drama “Swiped” are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuting its fourth season on Apple TV+., Ariana Madix heading back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock and a Hulu documentary seeks to tell the story of the music festival Lilith Fair in new detail.

MOVIES TO STREAM

James plays the founder of the popular dating app Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, in the new biographical drama “Swiped” which streams on Hulu on Friday. The lm, directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, traces Wolfe Herd’s trajectory from college and beyond. In 2012, she co-founded Tinder and two years later started Bumble, which would put her on a path to becoming the youngest female self-made billionaire. “Swiped,” which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, also stars Dan Stevens and “Industry’s” Myha’la. And for something completely di erent, and silly, Net ix has the Liam Neeson action pic “Ice Road: Vengeance” available now. Neeson plays an ice-road truck driver who wants to scatter his brother’s ashes on Mount Everest but nds himself having to ght mercenaries. It got terrible reviews when it was released in theaters this summer, but that’s probably beside the point.

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM

She’s back and bigger than

ever. On Friday, Cardi B will release her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” — seven years after the release of her landmark debut, 2018’s “Invasion of Privacy.” What has been released so far sounds like freedom: the sexy empowerment anthems “Up” and “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion from years past, and the bravado of “Outside” and smooth ow of “Imaginary Playerz.”

Fans of jangly guitar tones and power pop, listen up. Philadelphia’s Golden Apples, led by singer-songwriter Russell Edling, will release an addictive new album on Friday titled “Shooting Star.” Start with “Noonday Demon,” the cheeriest-sounding song about depression you’ll hear this year. It’s a charmer.

It was radical then and now. In the summers of 1997 through 1999, a music festival founded by Sarah McLachlan shined a light on women musicians — both bands and solo artists. Streaming on Sunday, a new documentary seeks to tell the story of Lilith Fair in new detail. “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premieres on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ and features a long list of incredible talent, from those who performed to those whose music takes obvious in uence from the events. That includes McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Natalie Merchant, Mýa, Jewel, Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo.

SERIES TO STREAM

“Dancing with the Stars” returns for its millionth, er, 34th season on ABC and Disney+.

Contestants learning the paso doble and foxtrot include Olympian Jordan Chiles, Hilaria Baldwin, actor Corey Feldman, comedian Andy Richter, former NBA star Baron Davis and Robert Irwin, the son of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin and. Whitney Leavitt and Jen A eck from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” will also compete. Jan Ravnik, one of the dancers from Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” also joins the show as a pro. All episodes are streaming

Jeremy Irons attends the Apple TV+ premiere of “The Morning Show” Season 4 at the Museum of Modern Art on Sept. 9 in New York. The hit show’s new season is now streaming on Apple TV+.

on Hulu and Disney+.

Just as the dust has settled on season 7 of “Love Island USA,” host Ariana Madix is headed back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock. The show brings back fan-favorite Islanders from “Love Island” iterations across the globe to partake in competitions and get a second chance at love. Fans will recognize Chris Seeley, Andreina Santos and Charlie Georgiou from season 7 and Kendall Washington and Andrea Carmona from season 6 as part of the new cast. Aniston and Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuted its fourth season on Apple TV+.

The two play TV news anchors at a ctional news network called UBN. Each season features topical themes, and this one is no di erent, addressing AI, deepfakes and conspiracy theories in the media. Additional series regulars include Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Karen Pittman and Nicole Beharie, along with adding new characters played by Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Aaron Pierre and William Jackson Harper to the mix. Hulu’s legal soap “Reasonable Doubt” returns Thursday for its third season. Emayatzy Corinealdi stars as Jax Stewart, a successful criminal defense lawyer

“Love Island USA”

in LA who in the new episodes, is defending a former child actor accused of murder. Jax’s standing at her ashy law rm is also in jeopardy when a new hire is determined to take her position.

Starz’s steamy “The Couple Next Door” is back on Friday with a new season and a new cast that includes Sam Palladio (“Nashville”), Annabel Scholey (“The Split”), and Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Never Have I Ever”). Scholey and Palladio play Charlotte and Jacob, a seemingly solid couple living in a well-to-do neighborhood whose marriage gets threatened by a new colleague in their workplace. The tangled web only grows from there.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Over the years, Lego video games have featured the likes of Batman, Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker. Annapurna Interactive’s Lego Voyagers may have the most versatile hero of all: a simple Lego brick. It’s a cooperative game in which each player is a 1x1 piece — one red, one blue — that can attach itself to other chunks and build bridges, vehicles and other devices. Red and Blue need to work together to solve puzzles as they try to rescue an abandoned spaceship. It’s the sort of game that parents with young kids may appreciate, and things start clicking now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch and PC.

SAMMY KOGAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP

Director Ally Pankiw and singer-songwriters Sarah McLachlan and Paula Cole attend the “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 13. The documentary streams Sunday on Hulu and Disney+.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

HULU / APPLE TV+ / STARZ VIA AP

“Reasonable Doubt,” left, “The Morning Show,” center and “The Couple Next Door” are all streaming this week.

is headed to Fiji.

Duplin Journal

the BRIEF this week

Over 20 charges led in Duplin after multicounty chase

A 29-year-old Roseboro man was arrested Sept. 1 after a monthlong manhunt following a domestic incident and high-speed chase in late July. On July 30, Truth Joyner allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend with an AR-15 style ri e after slashing her tires and breaking into her residence near Faison, according to the Duplin County Sheri 's O ce. He left before deputies arrived but was soon located. A vehicle pursuit ensued into Sampson County, where Joyner exited his moving vehicle and ed on foot into a corn eld. When leaving his car, deputies say a Glock-style “ghost gun” with a full-auto switch fell from his waistband. A search of his vehicle uncovered an AR-15 style ri e, drugs and drug paraphernalia. Joyner is being held at Sampson County Jail and is facing more than 20 Duplin County charges, including assault by pointing a gun, possession of a rearm by a felon, breaking and entering, and eeing arrest. He has previous felony convictions for numerous gun and drug charges.

Express Mini Mart break-in suspect arrested

Wallace

A man was arrested and charged in connection with a break-in at the Express Mini Mart on Sept. 11, according to the Wallace Police Department. Andell Newkirk faces three counts each of breaking or entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and possession of stolen goods, as well as one count of damage to property. Newkirk is being held at the Duplin County Jail under a $150,000 secured bond.

Suspect nabbed with stolen farm property

Duplin County

A man was arrested following a joint investigation into stolen property discovered at a hog farm on Bill Sutton Road near Albertson. According to the Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce, on Aug. 14, the DCSO received a report about the stolen goods, which were later con rmed to have been taken from a Prestage farm in Johnston County. Working jointly with Johnston County detectives, Duplin County’s Criminal Investigation Division gathered su cient evidence to charge Michael Glenn Stevenson Jr., 44, with felony larceny, possession of stolen goods and obtaining property by false pretense. Additionally, Stevenson was previously stopped by Duplin County deputies on Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, leading to felony drug possession and drug paraphernalia charges. He is currently held at Duplin County Jail on a $70,000 secured bond.

Paws, paint and puppy love

A young visitor gets a little face paint air while her mom captures the memory with a proud smile at Clement Park’s Pet Day in the Park on Saturday. Families enjoyed a tail-wagging good time celebrating furry friends. Turn to A3 for more photos.

Frustrations boil over at Warsaw

The board appointed an interim nance o cer despite concerns over process and past audit ndings

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

WARSAW — Tensions ared at Warsaw's town board meeting on Sept. 9 as residents aired grievances over rising water bills, murky tap water and uneven recy-

cling bin distribution, prompting town o cials to defend current practices while promising further investigation and follow-up.

Following a public hearing, as the board opened for public comment, Mayor A.J. Connors indicated that responses to citizen's concerns would be provided during the town manager's updates portion of the meeting or through direct call-backs at a later time.

“She will get your telephone number and give you a call

back after she investigates,” said Connors. Multiple residents questioned the town’s utility billing and infrastructure, with Judy Carroll citing high water bills for small households and Marzella Morrisey alleging that water rate increases were implemented illegally before the start of the scal year. Morrisey claimed that only a small number of residents who directly complained were refunded. She also asked the board whether it is true that some busi-

nesses are removing their water meters and installing their own.

“Do citizens or other businesses such as Halls Funeral Home, DC Cats, Warsaw Hardware, just to name a few businesses, do they get to upgrade or change their water meters?” she said. “And then if that's the case, should the citizens change their water meters so they can get an accurate count?”

Morrissey criticized the inconsistent distribution of recycling

Council OKs new Wallace re chief

New Wallace Fire Chief Sammy Marshburn addresses the board during last Thursday's meeting.

Sammy Marshburn takes on leadership as the department faces a rare double-engine outage before an ISO review

By Curt Simpson For Duplin Journal

WALLACE — As a 43-year veteran in the service of his community, Wallace’s Sammy Marshburn has been to more than his share of emergency calls. From natural

Murphy Family Ventures marks leadership milestone

“Wen has demonstrated passion for our work, care for our people, and an unwavering commitment to our values.”

Third-generation Wen Murphy brings hands-on experience and deep family ties to the next chapter of the family business

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

WALLACE — As Murphy Family Ventures celebrates two decades in business and marks its return to the Pork Powerhouses list, a new chapter in leadership begins with the promotion of Wen Murphy to executive vice president and senior director of support operations.

hands-on experience and a deep-rooted connection to the company’s legacy.

Muprhy’s journey began early, working in nearly every corner of the business since high school. He started as a prep chef and herd technician, later managing a breeding department, and eventually became a project manager in maintenance.

“Whatever part of that didn’t really matter to me,” Murphy told Duplin Journal in an interview earlier this year. “I was gonna be part of it.”

Murphy Family Ventures has its origins in the pork empire established by Murphy’s grandfather, Wendell Murphy, in Rose Hill. Although the original hog business was sold to Smith eld in 2000, the $2.00

A third-generation member of the Murphy family, Wen Murphy now leads key support operations across North Carolina, bringing years of

disasters and vehicle accidents to structure res and far too many false alarms to count, Marshburn has answered when his town needed him.

Now he has been selected from among his peers to lead the department where he began volunteering his time in 1982. Marshburn was elected as re chief by his fellow re ghters in a meeting last week. On Sept. 11, his election to the position was unanimously approved by the Wallace

THE DUPLIN COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

CURT SIMPSON FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

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Duplin Journal www.duplinjournal.com

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CONTACT US

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MURPHY from page A1

Murphy family founded Murphy Family Ventures in 2004, led by Dell Murphy. Two decades later, the company continues to grow while honoring its heritage. With Wen Murphy stepping into a senior leadership role, the business is poised to enter its next phase, balancing legacy with innovation.

“This milestone re ects Wen’s hard work, dedication, and leadership — but also represents something larger: the continued evolution of Murphy Family Ventures as both a company and a family,” read a social media announcement on the Murphy Family Ventures page. “From his earliest days working hands-on in nearly every area of our business, Wen has demonstrated passion for our work, care for our people, and an unwavering commitment to our values.”

THURSDAY

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@ duplinjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at noon

Carolina Strawberry Festival awards $13K in grants

The grants will fund food programs, garden accessibility, school safety, historic preservation and a public art project

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

WALLACE — Members of the Carolina Strawberry Festival board, representatives of several nonpro t groups in the area and o cials from the town of Wallace attended an awards ceremony and dinner at the Rose Hill Restaurant on Sept. 10. Carolina Strawberry Festival Chairman Charley Farrior awarded several grants paid for by funds raised during the festival from vendors and other festival in -

come. The grants included:

• $2,000 to Pet Friends of Duplin County to support their services, including a pet food pantry, rescue help to pets facing euthanasia at the Duplin County Animal Shelter and regular rabies clinics, as well as spay/neuter assistance.

• $1,500 to Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries to assist funding in their Feed Our Hungry Children program. The program distributed more than 8,800 backpacks lled with food, snacks and beverages to children suf-

fering from food insecurity in Duplin County. The ministry works with ve county schools to locate children in need.

• $2,500 to the Wallace Depot Commission for its railroad postal car renovation project.

• $2,500 to the Gardens of SENC in Willard to add a special handicap-accessible mulch to 3,200 feet of pathways through the gardens.

• $2,000 to the Wallace Rose Hill High School Booster Club to purchase helmets for the school’s football program.

• $2,500 to the Town of Wallace for the painting of a community mural downtown on the former Jim Russ Chevrolet building.

The Wallace-Rose Hill High School Booster Club received a $2,000 donation from the Carolina Strawberry Festival Board on Sept. 10 at Rose Hill Restaurant. The funds will be used to purchase new helmets for the school’s football program.

Public weighs in on $950K grant for low-income home repairs in Warsaw

A public hearing shed light on the application process and the town’s role in selecting recipients

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

WARSAW — A $950,000 grant to repair and rebuild homes for low-income residents in Warsaw drew public attention at a Sept. 9 hearing, where town leaders and housing consultants discussed who quali es, how to apply, and how the town will decide which homes receive funding in the upcoming 2025 grant cycle.

After the board voted to open the public hearing, Commissioner Ebony Wills-Wells requested clari cation on eligibility and the application process for the Community Development Block Grant –Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG-NR) program. McDavid Associates explained that homeowners must hold the title to the property, though shared ownership — such as heir property — is allowed if all owners agree and sign the deed of trust.

Commissioner Tommy Jones asked whether applications for the program could be ltered through the town’s new NC Fellow rather than relying solely on McDavid Associates.

“ If those people call him to Goldsboro, they can call him

"I

know you gave those three individuals that were selected, but was there like an application?"

Ebony Wills-Wells

and he can push it to you all,” said Jones. McDavid Associates clari ed that the application process is already public and accessible, and while residents may submit their information through the town if they choose, they are also free to contact the o ce directly.

Jones pushed back. “I like the chain of command, honestly,” said Jones. “We’ve got a person right here in our town that we could use for that.”

When McDavid Associates began suggesting the fellow could serve as a backup, Jones interrupted again, asserting, “I think it would be a good idea.”

When a resident challenged the logic of paying someone to lter and pass information, her concern was immediately shut down. “We haven’t opened it up yet for you to ask questions,” said Mayor A.J. Connors.

The mayor then clari ed that there is a separate grant program available through Duplin County for residents living outside of Warsaw’s city

limits. About 10 minutes into the public hearing, after some confusion regarding the start, the board voted to open the public hearing.

Marzella Morrisey, a Warsaw resident, asked about the process to determine assistance.

“We would be looking at houses that put in applications for the program,” said McDavid Associates. He explained that the relatively modest budget means only 3 to 4 homes could realistically be rebuilt.

The process for selecting which homes receive assistance will be guided by a housing selection committee, which the town itself must create. This committee may consider factors such as income level, tax payment status and other needsbased criteria. In the past, the mayor and town manager selected three community members to serve on the committee.

Wills-Wells asked Connors about the selection criteria for the housing selection committee.

“I know you gave those three individuals that were selected, but was there like an application?” she said.

“They were three that were selected to evaluate the individuals’ paperwork and property,” he said.

Residents interested in the CDBG-NR grant program can apply by calling 252 -753 -2139 and speaking with Tim Andrews.

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

Sept. 18

Area Small Grains meeting

9 a.m.

Join local growers and ag professionals at the Louis Britt Agricultural Center Auditorium, located at the Duplin County Extension Center. Topics include small grains production and variety selection. Pesticide, animal waste and CCA credits will be o ered. Bring a laptop or tablet if you’d like assistance using the Variety Selection Tool.

165 Agriculture Drive, Kenansville, NC

Sept. 19

National Night Out 2025

4 to 7:30 p.m.

The Warsaw Police Department will host National Night Out 2025 at the Warsaw Recreation Center. Come out for a fun- lled evening connecting the community and local law enforcement.

309 Memorial Drive, Warsaw Bryan Mayer live music 8 to 11 p.m.

Enjoy live country music with Bryan Mayer at the Mad Boar Restaurant & Pub. There is no cover charge.

111 River Village Place, Wallace

Sept. 20

Cops and Bobbers

8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Reel in the fun with Cops and Bobbers hosted by the Wallace Police Department. Cops and Bobbers will take place at Farrior Park. Fish alongside local o cers, win prizes and enjoy a fun- lled morning with your family. The event is free for all children who participate in the shing activity. Bring your gear or borrow WPD gear. Visit wprd. recdesk.com to register.

683 E Southerland St., Wallace

Got a local event? Let us know and we’ll share it with the community here. Email our newsroom at community@duplinjournal. com. Weekly deadline is Monday at noon.

Rose Hill approves $558K drainage project to ease chronic ooding

The town secured an emergency helicopter site and renewed key service contracts

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

ROSE HILL — For quite some time, heavy rains have caused ooding in the area near the intersection of Charity and Walnut streets in Rose Hill. Town o cials hope the problem will soon be a thing of the past thanks to a contract awarded to DPH General Contractors of Wallace. The board of commissioners approved the contract at its regular meeting on Sept. 9. The contract calls for repairs and upgrades that a ect stormwater drainage in the area.

Before approving the contract, Rose Hill Town Administrator Angela Smith provided the board with details and a history of the project.

“Back in March, we had a

special meeting to allocate funds for this project,” Smith said. “The total amount was $441,369, which included admin and other fees. This bid is just for construction only.” Smith added that the total cost of the project will be approximately $558,400.

The majority of the funds for the repairs are coming from a Golden LEAF Project Construction grant, which will cover all but about $162,000,

Michael O’Connell is sworn in by Rose Hill Town Clerk Keren Parker to serve on the town’s Planning Board. O’Connell is lling the unexpired term of Steven Jones who resigned.

which will have to come from the town of Rose Hill. The funds will come out of the water and sewer budget for the town.

After approving the contract, a resident in the audience asked if the project would result in increased taxes in town.

“It shouldn’t,” Mayor Davy Buckner replied. “We’ll have to pay for it, but I don’t think it’s a ecting (the town’s tax rate).”

Town Commissioner and Fire Chief Billy Wilson Jr. re -

Faison leaders address growth concerns

The town board discussed stagnant business development, raises for parks sta and community events

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

FAISON — The town of Faison is concerned about stagnant growth and the future. At a recent town board meeting, the mood was re ective and urgent — residents and o cials alike are searching for answers.

“It's not the best of times for people, and we know that,” said Melba Brewer of Brewer's Hardware. “Luckily, our business is debt-free, and that makes it easier for us in these tough times. But we have customers coming in expressing concern about safety and the viability of our town. Faison hasn't always been like this. We need to put our thoughts together and come up with something to help.”

Safety concerns stem from the fact that the town no longer has a contract with the sheri 's department.

“Even when we had a contract, we didn't see them,” Executive Administrator Jimmy Tyndall said. “The only thing we got with the contract was someone coming through when they had nothing to do elsewhere. You can't have it both ways; you can't say ‘don't increase my taxes’ and then ask for a tax-based service.”

The absence of a grocery store and local bank has raised significant concerns, highlighting a decline in business growth. Both the current and previous administrations of the town have made e orts to attract a bank

Businesses like the grocery store have di erent issues. The store was bought with the purpose of renovating and reopening it, but the current owner has had several setbacks, and an opening date is not certain at this time.

“We are three years in now and not seeing progress,” Tyndall said of the store. “Violations are happening, and we need an answer.”

He explained that letters outlining code violations and required actions are being prepared by the town and sent to property owners of the former grocery store and other locations.

“We don't want to be seen as the town that says ‘no,’” Tyndall said. “If we don't put money in the local economy, the people take their money elsewhere. It's not all bad here in Faison, but we don't have a massive appeal here either. … If you look at the towns surrounding us, we are doing much better here than they are because of this town’s administration.”

The Faison Improvement Group (FIG) was discussed, with plans underway in anticipation of next year's 250th anniversary.

“FIG has a lot of things planned,” Ward said.

Among the initiatives is a Market Day Parade scheduled for March 14, 2026, which the board approved during this meeting. Commissioner Carolyn Kenyon emphasized that preparations for the semiquincentennial celebrations should include updated crime awareness.

In other developments, the Cemetery Committee recommended relocating the 2026 Memorial Day Celebration to

and Mariela Quintanilla, for the Parks and Recreation Department. They also approved raising the hourly pay for all Parks and Recreation sta to $12, with substitutes and teachers receiving $14 per hour. The new minimum pay standard aims to create parity among existing employees and new hires.

Parks and Recreation Director Matthew Scott suggested allowing some younger sta members to stay and close the gym at 8 p.m. However, the board expressed safety concerns, particularly walking across dark parking lots alone at that hour. Currently, the gym cannot remain open late due to a lack of willing sta . The board was unable to reach a consensus on this issue, so no decisions were made.

Scott also raised the issue of replacing the windows in the boys’ bathrooms. The board reviewed a quote of $2,075 but recommended boarding up the windows as a more cost-e ective solution. Since their original purpose, providing natural light, is no longer necessary due to the installation of electric lighting, the board felt that would be more practical than continuing to replace glass that is likely to be vandalized again.

The board also approved internal control policies for the Division of Water Quality funding and a COVID-19/ u policy for employees. They made three budget amendments, including a $50,000 increase in tax revenue and reallocation for cemetery tree removal and water employee retirement.

Additionally, Tyndall conrmed the delivery of a new backhoe and requested approval for a Hustler lawn mower for $13,877, which was granted to help maintain town properties. Finally, the board discussed a tax write-o for a David Cottle property, pending con rmaof an existing home on the

ported that the town had been approved to place a helicopter landing zone (LZ) pad at the re department. In the past, the town has utilized a balleld as an LZ for emergency helicopter use; however, Wilson stated that standing water and navigating stretchers from the edge to the center of the ball eld have caused issues.

He added that trains traveling through town have also a ected emergency crews’ ability to get to the ball eld.

Wilson said getting the LZ approved required navigating through legal issues and red tape, but it had nally been approved. Two anti-collision safety orange balls will be installed on power lines near the landing site.

In other business

The board approved the appointment of Michael O’Connell to serve on the town’s Planning Board.

O’Connell is replacing Steven Jones, who resigned. O’Connell’s term will be through May 11, 2027.

The board approved renewing the contract with Crowder Gulf, a disaster recovery and debris removal company based in Mobile, Alabama, with a satellite o ce in North Carolina. The town has utilized their services in the past and uses them on an as-needed basis, with payments made to the company only when services are provided.

A contract with Southeast Wildlife Management in Wallace was approved to remove stray dogs and other animals from the town. Duplin County Animal Control will only respond within the town limits of Rose Hill if it is a call regarding a vicious, neglected or abused animal. The town is responsible for all other animal control issues.

The contract with the town stipulates an hourly rate of $65, plus mileage, as needed. Citizens needing animal control services are being asked to contact the town hall directly or the Rose Hill Police Department on weekends.

Dogs rule the day at Pet Day in the Park

Dogs were the stars of the show at Clement Park on Saturday during a fun- lled event organized by Pet Friends of Duplin County. Several local organizations came together to celebrate and show love for the four-legged members of the family.

The Azalea Dog Training Club set up an obedience course for pups to try out, while volunteers provided information on rabies vaccines and spay/neuter services. Water stations and pup cups kept the pets happy, while craft vendors catered to their human companions.

The event also featured a range of family-friendly activities, including face painting, Paw Patrol character visits, a train ride, a bounce house and a visit from the Wallace Fire Department.

Agape Farm of Watha brought a goat dressed in butter y wings, and Fresh Start Rescue introduced an albino boa snake for visitors to meet and pose with. With perfect weather and a welcoming atmosphere, families stayed to mingle, explore and make new friends.

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

PHOTOS BY REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

THE CONVERSATION

Trip

Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Neighbor is not a geographic term

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”

Coretta Scott King

ON AUG. 28, 1963, 250,000 people gathered on the National Mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is the best remembered address from that day. The speaker just before King was Rabbi Joachim Prinz, president of the American Jewish Congress and a founding chairman of the march. In his speech called “The Problem of Silence,” Prinz said, “In the realm of the spirit, our fathers taught us thousands of years ago that when God created man, he created him as everybody’s neighbor. Neighbor is not a geographic term. It is a moral concept. It means our collective responsibility for the preservation of man’s dignity and integrity.”

The rabbi’s words echoed the teachings of another rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, some 2,000 years earlier. When a lawyer asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him, “What do you read in the law?” The lawyer correctly answered,

“Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” But then, in an attempt to justify himself and nd out just exactly whom he had to love, the lawyer asked another question, “Who is my neighbor?” Instead of giving a list, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan and asked the lawyer, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The lawyer said, “The one who showed him mercy.” “Go and do likewise,” Jesus commanded him (and us!). The story vividly illustrates Prinz’s claim about the meaning of “neighbor.”

In an address at Georgia State University on Feb. 15, 2000, Coretta Scott King, King’s widow, said, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members ... a heart of grace and a soul generated by love.” This kind of love, most often talked about in the New Testament, is “agape,” which has

been de ned as “love in action.” One source describes it as “a sel ess, unconditional, and sacri cial love characterized by goodwill and the desire for the well-being of others. It is a love of choice, rooted in a deliberate act of the will rather than mere emotion.” The Samaritan who helped his archenemy on the Jericho road is a prime example of this moral concept.

I suppose it was hard for the lawyer to admit that the Samaritan was the good neighbor who showed mercy. It was probably even harder for him to go and do likewise, just as it is for us today. But that kind of neighbor love is the foundation of a strong community and nation. Thomas Merton, an American monk and religious writer, put it this way, “Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.” Or, in the words of Jesus, “Go and do likewise.”

Philip Gladden is a retired minister who lives in Wallace.

All Republicans must stop the wind scam

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump absolutely hates wind turbines. He has canceled several projects. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act terminated about $500 billion in subsidies for Green New Scam projects. A post-OBBBA executive order prescribed heightened regulatory scrutiny of wind and solar projects to make it di cult to use the remaining Green New Scam subsidies.

So why are some Republican politicians and a deep red states bent on building them anyway?

Politico reported this week that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is lobbying Trump administration o cials for what would be the largest U.S. o shore wind farm under construction by Dominion Energy o the coast of Virginia. Apparently outgoing Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin can’t convince Trump, so Youngkin and Dominion Energy are trying some sort of end run around the president.

In Arkansas, the only thing holding up a massive project with 600-foot wind turbines is the valiant ght of locals in ve counties who have passed ordinances against the turbine’s erection. And don’t forget that last minute changes to the Senate version of the OBBBA to save Green New Scam subsidies by Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Grassley almost sank the entire bill.

It’s important for all Republicans to understand why wind turbines are not MAGA.

As a threshold matter, wind turbines have no bona de purpose. They have been marketed as “emissions-free” energy to combat the supposed “climate crisis.” But the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates, for example, that the average of summertime maximum temperatures in the U.S. in 2025 was actually cooler than those of summertime 1901, 124 years ago. Globally, August 2025 was the same temperature as August 1998, despite more than a trillion tons of emissions since 1998. No wonder Trump

calls emissions-driven climate change a “hoax.”

Even if there were some climate or weather problem caused by emissions of greenhouse gases, the simple math of the global situation is that the U.S. could stop emitting today and forever, and the vast majority of global emissions would happen anyway. So there’s no climate crisis, and even if there were, wind turbines in the U.S. would accomplish nothing.

Next, electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive. Wind farms are not built without taxpayers subsidies and additional guarantees by electricity consumers. There is absolutely no evidence that wind energy has lowered electricity prices anywhere in the world.

Wind may be free, but wind farm construction, operation and transmission of electricity is not. Moreover, wind energy requires back-up, usually from fossil fuel or nuclear baseload power plants. This redundancy is just an added cost.

Third, wind turbines are not environmentally friendly. The rare earth minerals needed for their construction largely come from anything-goes strip-mining and processing in Communist China. Westerners rarely see the revolting consequences of these activities.

The construction of onshore wind farms takes up vastly larger spaces, six to 13 times more, than conventional gas power plants. More than just the space, each onshore wind turbine has an immense and essentially permanent concrete and iron rebar foundation. Wind farmland is just ruined. The construction of o shore wind may have produced the dozens of dead whales that washed up on East Coast beaches during 2023-24.

Fourth, wind farms are dangerous to the environment when they operate. Under normal circumstances, they are a hazard to birds and bats. They require special government allowances to kill birds because

the nes would be too great for wind farms to operate. The disintegration of an o shore wind turbine blade in 2024 wreaked havoc on Massachusetts beaches. And no one has yet studied the e ects on the environment of the hot (140°F) cables bringing power from the o shore turbines to shore.

Finally, o shore wind turbines are a national security problem. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) issued this statement this week:

“Massive o shore wind turbines — rushed through an abbreviated permitting process — could interfere with America’s ability to detect threats from adversaries like Russia and China. Submarines operating o the U.S. coast could gain a critical advantage if detection systems are disrupted, leaving the nation more vulnerable to attack.”

We certainly need more electricity, especially given the rise of AI data centers and Trump’s goal of reindustrializing America. But that electricity should be provided at the lowest cost as determined on a subsidy-free basis. Electricity must be provided reliably, which means not dependent on nature or the weather. It should cause the least environmental damage and should not endanger national security. Wind, onshore or o shore, doesn’t make the cut when compared to coal, natural gas and nuclear power — i.e., Trump’s energy agenda.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has received Trump’s message loud and clear. This week he told a group of European leaders, “Under this administration, there is not a future for o shore wind because it is too expensive and not reliable enough.” All Republicans need to get that message.

Steve Milloy, a biostatistician and lawyer, publishes JunkScience.com. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | PHILIP GLADDEN

COLUMN | STEVE MILLOY

Electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive.

Growth takes new shape in Kenansville

The town sees expansion in business, health care and education despite a lack of housing development

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — While Kenansville isn’t seeing new housing development, the county seat is still growing — just in di erent ways. From new businesses and expanded health care services to major recreation and education projects, town leaders say progress is happening, even without a single new building permit for housing on the books.

The lack of any new housing construction in town makes sense when you consider there isn’t room for much more within the 2.1 square miles of the town limits. Available land for housing is limited, and what remains is family-owned with no current plans for development.

Construction

Town Manager Anna West said that although housing development is stagnant, the town is seeing new business activity and expanded services. One new business in town,

Everything Nice Sweets Bakery & Café, recently opened on Front Street near

the historic county Courthouse. West told Duplin Journal that Farm Bureau Insurance

is moving its location outside of the downtown area but will be nearby on the Kenansville Bypass. Additionally, ECU Health has recently opened a large women’s health facility on the Kenansville Bypass. Closer to town, construction continues on the new 22,000-square-foot Workforce Development Center at James Sprunt Community College. The facility is expected to signi cantly enhance the college’s educational o erings and attract a larger student population to the area.

Another di erent type of growth in Kenansville is within the town’s Parks and Recreation Department. The town will soon begin construction on a large children’s playground area at Kenan Park. The project is funded primarily through grants and donations and is estimated to cost approximately $500,000.

West commended Parks and Recreation Director Courtney Brown for her e orts in expanding recreational opportunities and programs for the residents of Kenansville.

Beulaville cracks down on zoning, tightens nes

ers regarding this matter, the most recent of which was sent via certi ed mail.

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — Zoning violations, scam alerts, and infrastructure updates topped the agenda at the Beulaville Town Board meeting Monday night. During the meeting, town ocials also approved several policy changes aimed at improving code enforcement and ensuring nancial accountability.

Genes Norris raised a concern about a zoning issue at 139 Dogwood Acres Blvd. The property is located in an area designated for residential and agricultural use, yet the owner has been operating a commercial Airbnb business. Board members requested clari cation on the policy, and Town Manager Lori Williams con rmed that the owners were in violation. Williams mentioned that she had sent two letters to the own-

WARSAW from page A1

bins, noting that only select residents received new bins after the contract extension.

Marilyn Hann reported rust-colored, dirty water gushing from her tap on Sept. 5. She told the board that after contacting the town clerk, she learned that a broken re hydrant caused the incident.

“Later on, I got a voice message from you, and we didn't even get a boiled water advisory.”

“Tell me something. Where are we going with this?,” said Hann. “Because it's ridiculous. And we still got to pay for water we cannot drink.”

In response, Town Manager Lea Turner explained that a

“Once the certi ed letter is acknowledged and received, the owner has 15 days to appeal in writing to the zoning board,” Williams said. “If she doesn't, it becomes a civil matter. Violations can be ned daily.”

Mayor Hutch Jones and Police Chief Jamie Rogers encouraged neighbors to call 910-296-1911 to create a record of any further issues or concerns on the property. They expressed hope that the issue would get resolved within the next 45-60 days.

Williams gave an update on behalf of Public Works and said they met with the USDA on possible grant money for repairs.

Updates about the stormwater concerns can be expected in the October meeting. They are hoping to have a plan in place to present to the board by November. Work updating water lines is underway and is three months out from completion.

Concrete started on Sept. 9

5% water rate increase took effect July 1 as part of the approved budget, which was the reason behind the spike noticed by residents. She also addressed issues raised by Morrison and Hann.

Turner apologized for the water quality issues and delays in public communication, asking residents for patience.

“As soon as we were noti ed of the re hydrant, we scheduled repairs,” said Turner.

“Be patient with us as we make emergency repairs and things like that. Because we don't always have a heads up when we have to make these repairs in order to get the information out as quickly as we need to.”

She also addressed concerns

and asphalt for sidewalks will come in a couple of weeks.

“There will be a minor inconvenience to concrete driveways. People will need to wait at least 24 hours before driving across fresh concrete,” Public Works Director Ricky Raynor said. Rogers reported an uptick in scams.

“Three suspects were identied in a multistate lottery fraud, and we are working on two more fraud cases,” he said.

One case involved a man posing as a landscaper doing cement work but never showing up to complete the work. The other case involved people buying a mower with stolen credit cards.

“Scammers are out and about,” Rogers warned.

In new business

The board approved a request from James Carl Hannah to rezone property on Highway 41 South from commercial to residential, with the stipulation that a second driveway be added to

about recycling, noting that additional bins have been ordered and are currently awaiting delivery.

Commissioner Ebony WillsWells requested that Turner follow up with Morrisey to address her concerns about water meters and billing discrepancies, a commitment Turner con rmed she would ful ll.

In other business

Connors recommended appointing Turner as the interimnance o cer. Wills-Wells, however, raised concerns about due diligence. She requested to table the appointment to allow more time to research legal procedures, particularly in light of past audit concerns regarding the

the property just for residential purposes.

Next, the board approved the appointment of Justin Smith to the Zoning Board. Smith was present in the crowd and said he was happy to be able to serve.

The board also approved a series of policies required for Division of Water Quality grants.

Williams explained that the policies create internal accountability measures to help hold the town accountable for handling funds responsibly.

The board then OK’d an amendment to the trash policy that allows nes to be assessed to renters instead of property owners.

“There have been 39 citations so far in August alone for not bringing in trash cans as they should. This amendment allows us to assess any nes and add them to the utility bills to make renters — not property owners — accountable for their usage,” Williams explained.

The board discussed and set a date for their rst special budget

segregation of duties in nancial oversight.

Wills-Wells emphasized that the agenda packet had only been shared on the Friday before the Monday meeting, leaving inadequate time for review. Additionally, she asked whether any other quali ed town employees could temporarily ll the role.

The mayor and other board members responded that state law requires an immediate appointment and that the town manager is the most quali ed individual, having previously served in the nance o cer capacity. Despite pushback from Wills-Wells, the majority of the board agreed to proceed.

Turner also provided updates on town infrastructure, includ-

workshop meeting on Sept. 22.

Code enforcement reported that nine letters about landscaping, as well as other citations, have been sent out. It was reported that people are complying with the citations, paying them and cleaning up their yards.

Jones commended the department on their e orts because the town has been looking a lot better. Meeting with property owners and having conversations before many citations are ever written was credited as the main reason for the change. Community patrols are being done on a weekly basis.

Some water damage to the roof and ceiling of the library was reported. The damage was caused by a rusted water pan. Toward the end of the meeting, some commissioners commented on the loud mu ers that were driving through town. Jones asked for more police oversight, especially in high-trafc shopping areas after 9 p.m. where the behavior is prevalent.

ing delays in a proposed all-way stop near Friendly Mart due to sta turnover at ECC. Additional tra c and road projects, including improvements to Blackmore Road, are under review

Environmental compliance was another key issue, with Turner reporting that operations at the wastewater treatment plant had resumed and a new consulting rm had been hired to assist with pretreatment evaluations and source reduction strategies.

Connors closed the meeting by defending the quality of Warsaw’s water and attributing discoloration to temporary issues, such as hydrant repairs. He called for continued collaboration and a uni ed e ort to represent the town in a positive light.

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

continues on the new 22,000-foot Workforce Development Center at James Sprunt Community College.

Trash nes to hit renters under the new ordinance

Farm Fest celebrates agriculture, youth, community

The weeklong event featured livestock shows, contests and mentorship among young farmers

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Duplin

County Farm Fest, a weeklong celebration of farm life, took place last week as a joint venture between the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and Duplin County. The farm fest kicked o on Sept. 7 at the Duplin Livestock Facility with a petting zoo, cowboy church and a rodeo.

The next day, Monday, a farmers' appreciation lunch was held followed by a hay bale decorating contest on Tuesday and a 4-H art and photography contest display on Wednesday at the Duplin County Extension o ce.

The last three days of the event featured livestock shows at the facility with a swine show on Thursday, a goat show on Friday, and lamb and heifer shows on Saturday.

Duplin Journal dropped in on Friday’s goat show and spoke with a couple of participants.

Mary Grace Baker, who will be 17 in October, made a three-hour trip with her family

Town Council during their regular meeting.

He steps into a vacancy left by former chief, Taylor Johnson, who served in the position for two years until recently, when he took a new job in the western part of North Carolina.

Marshburn is stepping into the position with some challenges ahead of him. The department will be undergoing its required ISO inspection later this month, and the timing is not great. The department’s two main re en-

to participate in the show. Baker, who has been showing goats since she was in the third grade, sees her role as having changed from just a participant to that of a mentor to younger goat raisers.

“I like getting to help others and help them nd the joy I found in it, helping them to do

gines are out of service, and getting them repaired and back in service takes time, Councilman Jason Davis said at the meeting. ISO stands for the state Insurance Services O ce, and the required inspections help to show a department’s ability to protect homes and businesses in a community from re, said Wallace resident and retired arson investigator Henry Campbell. Campbell spoke during the public comment portion of Thursday’s meeting. The ISO rating is important because it impacts the cost of homeowners'

their best and succeed,” Baker told Duplin Journal as she readied her entrant into the show.

Delany Davis, a 13-year-old participant from Wayne County, has been showing goats since she was 8.

“Personally, I just enjoy it," Davis said. "I like the people

insurance rates. Currently, the Wallace Fire Department has a rating of 3, which is very good for a town the size of Wallace, he said. If the rating is impacted by the disabled engines, then residents could see an increase in their homeowners' insurance.

“It’s a very rare occurrence,” said Davis, who is also a member of the re department. “In the seven years I’ve been in the department, we’ve never had this happen. They are doing everything they can to get them back up and running, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that we

around it and I like the animals. I think it teaches responsibility. My sister is only 5, and she knows how to raise, feed and water the goats. That’s pretty cool.”

Davis’ sister, Bailey, was showing her favorite goat, named Daisy, at the event. Par-

are down two engines right now.”

In other business, the council unanimously approved several resolutions to make several improvements to the Wallace Airport, located just outside of town in Pender County. Among the planned improvements are the relocation of a maintenance shop into a new hangar, the construction of two new taxiways and aprons, and a runway extension. The projects will all be funded through N.C. Department of Transportation grants totaling $1.22 million.

Airport Director Ben Jones

ents and relatives of the young participants praised the family-friendly atmosphere and the respectful attitudes of both organizers and competitors. All of the livestock shows during Duplin County Farm Fest were part of the Eastern Carolina Showmanship Circuit.

said the improvements will enable more and larger aircraft to use the airport. When more pilots use the airport, they purchase more aviation fuel, resulting in increased revenue.

“I’m already seeing a lot more tra c here because Wallace is a much easier place to land than Wilmington,” Jones said. Pender County Commissioner Jimmy Tate was also unanimously appointed to the Airport Commission to replace former commissioner Fred McCoy. Tate will nish out McCoy’s term on the board, which ends in 2027.

PHOTOS BY MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Mary Grace Baker of Perquimans County prepares to enter her goat in a show at the Duplin County Livestock Facility last Friday evening.

Delaney Davis, 13, of Wayne County with her entry into the goat show at the Duplin County Livestock Facility last Friday evening.

CHIEF

DUPLIN SPORTS

DOUBLE WHAMMY

“This is the fruit on the tree of success for our kids get to taste, and they can’t get enough.”

Tim Grady, James Kenan coach

The Tigers landed the rst three punches and outlasted Panthers for their second straight win over their Duplin rival

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WARSAW — Taulil Pearsall atoned for a pair of fumbles to be the lead runner with David Zeleya in the fourth quarter drive that sealed James Kenan’s 27-21 win over East Duplin last Friday before a packed house at Bill Taylor Stadium.

“Two years in a row,” head coach Tim Grady said to his team after successive wins over the Panthers in as many seasons.

Later in the fall, the Tigers will go for another double that will deliver a third double to accent the rst two.

If JK beats WRH for the second consecutive time, it will mark the rst

time the Tigers have beaten both Duplin County schools in back-to-back years since 2012 and 2013.

James Kenan went to the nals both seasons, taking the 1AA title in the latter year.

“These kids have worked so hard and want to win a state championship, and to do that you have to win Duplin County rst,” Grady said. “We have a respect level for football and understand the strength of Duplin County football.

“This is the fruit on the tree of success for our kids get to taste, and they can’t get enough.”

The Tigers lead the all-time series 35-21.

JK (2-1) dominated the rst half and led 21-0 with 5:51 to play in the third quarter.

ED (3-1) didn’t go down easily, striking for a pair of touchdowns

Main Event: ND-Lakewood clash as CC favorites

The Rebels beat Lakewood to win the conference last season but lost to the Leopards in the third round of the playo s

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

ROSEBORO — It’s become a grudge match with little room for brotherly love.

It’s become a season-maker and season-breaker.

Every game matters but few have the intensity, emotion and physicalness of North Duplin and Lakewood.

The two teams have split the last six games, with the winner changing each time.

Lakewood, which holds a 19-14 lead in the all-time series, tagged ND with its only loss last season, in the third round of the 1A playo s.

The Rebels won the regular season bout to capture the Carolina Conference ag.

And the two could play twice this fall, given teams are seeded in the playo s strictly on the RPI system. In the past, conference winners in the East nab top seeds and second-place nishers fall to the

11th or 12th seeding positions.

So while Friday night’s matchup at James E. Lewis Stadium might not be the last time they meet this season, it’s all irrelevant in a rivalry that always seems to feel like the most important one in history.

“Year in, year out it’s a physical game,” said ND head coach Hugh Martin, whose in his 20th season coaching against the Leopards. “We do similar things o ensively. Their defense runs to the ball and closes out distance quickly.

“It’s always a challenging test for us.”

ND (4-0) slammed Jones Senior 54-0 as Carell Phillips (6-113), Jayden Pope (4-93) and Vance Carter (4-63) each had two touchdowns. Carter ran for a score and also had a pick-six.

The Rebels have given up just 19 points in three games, with defensive end Trashawn Ru n, linebackers Ethan Turnage and Noa Quintanilla, and safety Garris Warren leading the charge.

“Lakewood was a good football team when we beat them the rst time when we got

3 players, coach on James Kenan’s Hall of Fame list

By Bill Rollins

For Duplin Journal

WARSAW — The James Kenan Sports Hall of Fame will induct four new members Oct. 18.

Ken Avent Jr., Mac McNeill, Marcelias Sutton and Cassandra Stroud make up the Class of 2025.

The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m. in John P. Harmon Gym on campus. The inductees also will be presented the night before at halftime of the home football

A feature story on each new member will appear in the Duplin Journal in the four issues leading up to induction night, beginning next week.

Ken Avent Jr.

Avent, the Tigers’ all-time winningest football coach and two-time Class 1AA state championship winner, is long overdue for JKHOF induction considering he’s the winningest football coach in Tiger history — both in career vic -

tories and in state championships (2007, 2013). Both those squads previously joined the JKHOF as teams.

Avent’s 123-35 (.778) record in 12 JK seasons tops coach Billy Byrd, who had a 17year run with the Tigers from 1978 - 94 (119-68, .636). Avent’s winning percentage at Ke -

nan is second only to original Kenan gridiron coach Bill Taylor, who was 55-8-2 (.862) in six seasons from 1957-62.

He is the older son of former longtime North Duplin football coach and athletics director Ken Avent Sr., who was Rebels head coach for 25 seasons (1975-99).

In a father-son coaching quirk, Junior passed Senior in career victories in Duplin County when he stepped back in as JK head coach when Will Clark resigned before the postponed 2020 COVID-19 season. That short-schedule campaign was played in Spring 2021, with the Tigers going 3-4. But the three wins that season gave Avent Jr. a two-win career edge over Avent Sr. (174 to 172). The son played quarterback under the father in the late 1980s before also playing at Catawba College and being invited to play in an NCAA

game against Charles B. Aycock.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

JK’s Cal Avent, Taulil Pearsall and Jaylon Smith gang tackle ED’s Shawn Davis, who scored three times for the Panthers in a 27-21 loss to their rival.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL ND coach Hugh Martin doesn’t have to motivate his Rebels against Lakewood, but will need to keep his troops calm during an intense and often physical rivalry.

Avent Jr. Stroud McNeill Sutton

Football’s Marcelias Sutton and Mac McNeill, grid coach Ken Avent Jr.and three-sport Cassandra Stroud will be inducted into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame

Patriots ‘Deal’ Bulldogs shocking double-OT loss

Pender beat WRH for the rst time since 2012 behind three scores from Austin

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

Deal

BURGAW — Wallace-Rose Hill head coach Kevin Motsinger used the word “mistakes” more than any word when describing last Friday’s 32-26 double-overtime loss to Pender.

It was the Patriots’ rst win over the Bulldogs, who have a 39-11 lead in the all-time series, since 2012 playo s, according to longtime sportswriter Bill Rollins.

“We’ve got to win wars and get out of our own way,” said the coach, whose team dropped to 1-3. “A lot of people are saying we’re dead, but I think in life you get to choose. You can prove them wrong or prove them right.”

But only if the Bulldogs clean up their errors and mental miscues.

“We made too many mistakes,” Motsinger said. “Sometimes nine guys did their job and one or two didn’t, and it cost us. Mistakes were the problem, and that’s not an excuse. It set the tone. It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about how you play the game, and we didn’t honor the game through our play.”

The Bulldogs nished up non-

HCA scored 29 second-half points in a loss to High Point Christian

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

HARRELLS — Harrells Christian Academy’s Jeremiah Davis had a game to remember last Friday. If only his work wasn’t overshadowed by the High Point Christian offense.

Davis ran the ball 11 times for 112 yards and a touchdown and found pay dirt from 79 yards after catching a pass from Reid Strickland during a 56-35 loss at Murphy-Johnson Field.

The unbeaten Cougars (4 - 0) tagged HCA with its first loss in four outings by scoring 22 unanswered points in the second quarter to break open a game they led 13-6 after one quarter.

HCA didn’t do itself any favors with 104 yards in penalties, though its counterpart was backed up 87 yards via flags.

Running backs Jalen Moore

conference play and will have a bye week before starting Swine Valley Conference play against Goldsboro on Sept. 26. “We have work to do, and

I would have felt the same If we had won and were 2-2,” Motsinger said. “We still have to get ready for hunting season, and that’s not the nonconfer-

ence schedule or the conference teams. We need to know how to play the game and be ready (for the playo s).”

Though the postseason is

in the rst week of November, WRH will play three good Swine Valley teams — JK (2-1), Midway (3-1) and Princeton (3-1) — and three teams struggling to breathe — Spring Creek, Rosewood and Goldsboro, who have a combined record of 0-12. Pender led 14-6 at halftime and 20-12 entering the fourth quarter before WRH knotted the game at 20-20. Both schools punched in a touchdown in the rst overtime. The Pats stopped WRH and won it in the second session, spoiling a great running performance from Jamarae Lamb (39-252, 3 TDs) and a pick-six by Devon Sloan. Pender quarterback Austin Deal threw touchdown passes to Jahiem Lamb and Zyquan Murphy, and Lamb (9-148) added a running score. Zeke Williams (10-39) chipped in with two scores as the Pats chalked up 317 yards on the ground. Deal (12-60) also helped with his legs.

Jamarae Lamb had all but 44 of WRH’s rushing yards. The speedy senior leads Duplin County in yards (733) and points (60 via 8 TDs and four 2-point conversions). North Duplin’s Carell Phillips (469 yards, 56 points) is second in both categories. Yet the Patriots (3-0) couldn’t be considered unworthy of the upset. Tom Eanes’ club went 10-4 last season, falling in the fourth round of the 1A playo s to state titlist Tarboro.

as Crusaders fall to Cougars

(33-236, 3 TDs) and Hez Krider (6-182, 2 TDs) and quarterback Amsterdam Knox (3-49, TD) supplies all the gas for the Cougars’ rst-half barrage that forged a 35-6 lead at halftime.

The Crusaders scored four times in the second half and got another solid effort from Dashaun Mckoy.

The senior had a 39-yard touchdown run and went to the end zone from 59 yards out after hauling in a Strickland pass. He also had four tackles and recovered a fumble.

HCA rolled up 536 yards of offense.

But the Cougars intercepted Strickland (8-13 for 212 yards) three times.

Demetrius Jones contributed with four catches for 49 yards but was limited to 45 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Reserve Matt Wilson added an 80-yard touchdown run.

Crusaders’ notebook

Amir Moore, Sam McKeithan and Davis Bradshaw each had six tackles. Xander Garcia, Jesse Smith and Chamani Newton had ve takedowns apiece. Bradshaw leads the team in

tackles at 6.8 per game. Noah Tanner and Newton check in at 5.5, and Moore averages 4.8.

HCA has two remaining home games on its slate, the rst of which is Friday when the Crusaders welcome Hickory Grove Christian. Three of its next four games are Big East Conference a airs.

The Charlotte-based school is 3-0 and coming o a bye week.

Quarterback Jaxon Lee went 20 for 25 for 443 yards. Noah Belote (8-193), Nathan Dowdy (6 -138) and Zach Pierce (3-86)

from page B1

some breaks,” Martin said. “We got no breaks the second game and made mistakes that cost us the game.”

The Leopards (2-2) have played better competition, falling to 5A Clinton (19-14) and 3A Midway (55-31), while clobbering Lejeune 40 - 0 and slipping past a Fairmont — which has lost 15 straght — 15 -14.

Lakewood had the ball inside the Tornados’ 10 three times and came away empty.

First-year coach Travis Elliot was at Clinton last season but has been coaching in the North Carolina mountains for the rest of his career.

He said he’s heard talk about the Rebels for a number of years.

“Their name carries weight out, and I have a lot of respect for the how they play,” Elliot said. “We’re starting a lot of sophomores and are fairly young.”

But running back Calvin Lacewell has run for more than 500 yards after going for 1,095 and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore even though he missed time with an injury.

have combined for seven touchdowns. Running back Parker Greene (28-216, 3 TDs) and full bck Chris Bryant (5-32, 2 TDs) add balance to a team that went 8-4 last fall. The defense is led by linebackers Jesse Blazi (32 tackles, 3 sacks) and Isaiah Williams (19). Davis (32-236) inched past Jones (44-218) for the lead in rushing. Mckoy has two touchdowns running and two via receptions. Strickland is 20 of 32 for 402 yards, with six of his throws going for scores.

Sophomore quarterbacks

Reed Ammons and Burroughs Strickland have combined to go 35 of 58 for 480 yards.

“North Duplin brings a tough mentality to the game, and it will be a matter of who can stand in the pocket long and hold the storm,” Elliot said. “They do a lot of double tights with misdirection and pulls for sweeps. We run more of an old-school two-back set.

Elliot said the matchup could be a chess game.

“Field position will be huge, and we can’t allow them to chew o 10 minutes of the clock during a drive,” he said. “Our goal is to get ahead to make them uncomfortable by playing from behind.

“Again, it will be about who can sustain their intensity up front (on the lines). We’ve seen big, speedy and tough ones in four games. Now, can we handle what they will throw at us? I think we’re at least prepared, based on what I’ve seen so far.”

There will no doubt be a ton of penalties and many more bruises and aches from crunching tackles, and tempers will air like political

Wildcats fall to Cougars on the road

A trip to South Brunswick turned sour for the Richlands football team as mistakes and miscues gave the Cougars a 28-7 win.

The lack of a running attack has hurt the Wildcats (1-3), even though quarterback CJ DiBenetto excelled, going 11 of 19 for 119 yards, including a score from Tyler Clouarte (3-58).

Richlands logged just seven yards running the ball and have only 95 for the season as rst-year head coach Bill Good is nding out balance is important.

Wideouts Cale Wilges (1- 48), Chase Boutwell (2-28) and Jackson Taylor (3-30) chipped in with quality plays.

The Wildcats have lost three straight after whipping Southwest Onslow on opening night. They host Coastal Conference favorite Havelock, which is 0-4, but each of its defeat came against solid football schools — Tarboro (4-0), West Craven (3-1), New Bern (3-1) and JH Rose (2-2).

arguments between the two major parties in the U.S. Gridiron notebook

ND limited Jones Senior to 23 yards of total o ense. Carter’s 57-yard interception score made it 21-0 in the rst quarter. Quan Stephen (3 -12) scored the second Rebel touchdown.

Phillips had scoring runs of 25 and 55 yards. The Offensive Player of the Year in Duplin last season is second in the county in rushing (46 - 469) and rst in touchdowns (nine).

Elliot said he was impressed with Vance Carter (31-245, 3 TDs), Quintanilla and Turnage — who are rst and second, respectively, in tackles — Ru n, a UNC recruit, and Warren, who “plays the run exceptionally well, while also being a great pass defender.”

And like many coaches, he’s unsure how to play Rufn, a 6-foot-3, 320-pounder who is often double- and triple-teamed.

Both teams will be heavy favorites in their nal ve games.

Jeremiah Davis

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

WRH’s Jamarae Lamb ran for 252 yards and scored three touchdowns. He leads Duplin County in rushing with 733 yards.

CLASH

Dashaun McKoy

Cardinals’ o ense big challenge for Panthers

Unbeaten Jacksonville is thriving amd growing under Duplin County native and OC Pat Byrd

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — East Du-

plin has played four physical football teams, but its fth foe has the most diverse o ensive attack.

Enter 6A Jacksonville (3 - 0) whose o ensive coordinator Paty Byrd beat Battle Holley’s Panthers last season while he was the head coach at Richlands.

“They’re the most complete team we will play alongside James Kenan,” Holley said. “It’s going to be a great test for us. We can’t play one half and expect to win. But if we play four quarters, we have a shot.”

Cardinal fans and players might overlook ED since it’s upcoming Big Carolina 6A/7A schedule is lled with heavyweights such as New Bern, South Central, JH Rose and DH Conley, and even league newcomer White Oak, which beat Kinston 32-26 last week and

to trim the lead to 27-15 and seemingly having momentum in the second half.

Then came Pearsall and Zeleya, who almost single handily took down WRH last season in the third round of the 2A playo s.

But Pearsall, a newcomer to the back eld, played the role Zeleya played in 2024, while Zeleya was the supporting star of the 80-yard drive that aided by an ED face mask penalty and delayed when the Panthers’ Isaiah Bennerman was taken o the eld in a stretcher to an ambulance. ED coach Battle Holley said his junior was “OK,” though his Panthers were unable to stop the rugby scrum running attack of the Tigers when it counted most.

Pearsall had consecutive runs of 16 and 14 yards, and Zeleya ripped o eight yards on third-and-four to put the ball at the 7.

Pearsall scored the next play, and with 8:48 to play ED needed two scores to overcome a to 27-15 de cit.

It proved to be too much for the run-orientated Panthers, though scoring with 3:32 to play to trim it to the nal margin after their PAT failed.

Pearsall put the game on ice with a rst down and teammate Cal Avent lifting him into the air to celebrate.

“This sets us up for the rest of the year,” said the defensive end/fullback, whose twin Eli is the quarterback and father John Bert is the defensive coordinator. “We’re on our way to a state championship one game at a time.”

The Panthers have the look of a team that will make a run as well and showed character to comeback from a three-touchdown de cit.

“I thought we played with a lot of heart and passion,” Holley said. “This game will make us better, and we’ll build o

Byrd

won a Coastal Conference title over Richland last season. Jacksonville leads the series 4-1, with ED’s lone win coming in 2017 when Jesus Navarro hit his third eld goal for a 27-26 win.

Holley’s Panthers won 15 straight that season before falling to Hibriten 16-14 in the 2AA nal.

Jacksonville’s coach that season, Beau Williams, has gone 117-66 since taking over the Cardinals in 2010. The following season Holley was promoted to head coach at ED. He’s 127-53 in Beulaville.

“They have a big o ensive line and great team speed,” Holley said. “They spread it out and run the option and RPO well.

Byrd said rst-year quarterback AJ Washington (17-33 for 259 yards, 3 TDs) is maturing each game.

A pair of running backs and three wideouts are likewise dangerous. Small but shifty and elu-

ED head coach Battle Holley said his team has a chance to against Jacksonville if they play well for four quarters. The Cardinals lead the series 4-1.

sive running back Amari Pearson (26-313, 6 TDs) and track sprinter Amaree Betton (18 -223, 5 TDs) can both score

any time they touch the ball. Saron Thompson, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound leaper, is the biggest threat on the outside as he’s

that. James Kenan is a very good football team.”

Holley said his defense was ba ed trying to stop JK’s offense, which looked similar to the Philadelphia Eagles’ “brotherly shove” blocking scheme and play design. It’s a variation of a quarterback sneak used in short-yardage situations, with running backs or wing backs running the ball into a blocking network.

“We did the best we could and about all that can be done is cutting at the point of attack, but when you do that, they can push it to the outside,” Holley said.

Two-touchdown Pearsall

ran for a career-high 153 yards, two weeks after Jeremiah Hall for a career high of 202 yards against 5A Southern Nash in a 44-42 loss.

Hall added 86 yards and a score and CJ Hill 17 had a touchdown.

While JK was impressive, fumbles, turnovers and great defense set up many of the scores.

Fullback Shawn Davis (24 -155) scored three times but also made two costly fumbles. Aaron Hall went for 86 yards on 14 carries, though ED was just 3 of 9 on third down and had 50 yards in penalties.

The Panthers threw the ball four times and produced one yard as the Tigers’ defense made big plays on big downs. Tigers ex muscles to go in front 21-0

JK drove 59 yards in seven plays in its rst possession with Pearsall scoring from the 1. Key plays included a 19yard push by Hall, which was followed by a 10-yard jaunt by Pearsall.

Christopher Hill nearly intercepted Branson Norris, and on fourth-and-9 Avent blocked

caught six passe for 128 yards. Jesse James and Azik “Gronk” Smith are his capable sidekicks.

“We have to keep our eyes up and recognize what East Duplin does every play,” Byrd said. “They won’t stay in the same look all night. They do what they do very well, and they make adjustments. We’re really not big and relay on speed to beat people to a spot.”

Yet comparing the two rosters produces a size edge for Jacksonville that has Holley concerned.

“It’s another game that will make us better,” he said.

ED schedule going forward in ECC play won’t match the nonconference slate, which included wins over Wallace-Rose Hill, Richlands and Princeton and a 27-21 loss to James Kenan last Friday in Warsaw.

Holley’s Wing-T counters with fullback/linebacker Shawn Davis (67-423, 7 TDs) and Aaron Hall (57-361, 4 TDs), along with contributions from Keeshon Mckinnie, Zachary Ball and Dwayne Davis on both sides of the ball. Mckinnie and Ball each have a pair of interceptions and have combined for 64 tackles.

the Panthers’ punt. But the turnover bug hit the Tigers after a long march as Pearsall fumbled the ball at the ED 1 after all but being stopped by the Panthers defense. Three plays later, Alex Vazquez sni ed out a pass play to Hall to stop ED. After a wobbly 10-yard punt, JK got back to work near mid eld. They took a 14-0 lead when Hill scored from the 9 on a sweep.

Davis coughed up the ball two snaps later, and Pearsall was there to tuck it away.

ED’s nal drive of the rst half ended badly as Davis fumbled the ball away on third-and-2 from the JK 19. And just when it felt like it couldn’t get any worse for the visitors, it did.

Zeleya had a 13-yard punt return after a holding penalty and errant pass, and the Tigers spent the next three minutes sharpening their o ensive axes.

Pearsall and Hall had rstdown runs, and quarterback Eli Avent hit Hall for a 34-yard connection to take the ball to the 15. Hall punched it into the end zone on the next play.

Panthers turn on switch to ignite crowd

Davis was the king of the deck the next two lightning-fast Panthers drives. His third carry of the next ED drive went for 25 yards, and he scored on the ninth play from the 7 and then ran for the 2-point conversion after a JK penalty on the PAT attempt moved the ball inside the 2.

It was 21-8 and became 21-15 three plays after Pearsall’s fumble at his own 21. Davis ran for 17 yards and made it 21-15 with 29 seconds to play in the third quarter. In the end, JK knocked ED down three times and had enough to nish o the rivalry win with its toughness in the trenches.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Defensive coordinator John Bert Avent lauds his troops after the Tigers beat cross-county rival ED for the second time in as many seasons.

FOOTBALL from page B1

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ATHLETE OF

Taulil Pearall

James Kenan, football

Taulil Pearsall made a big-time debut last week against a previously unbeaten foe.

The James Kenan running back slipped his way to 153 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ 27-21 win over East Duplin in Warsaw.

He scored the rst touchdown of the evening and then the one that helped JK secure the win in the fourth quarter. Additionally, he made a rst down to allow the Tigers to take a knee and the victory.

His rushing average is 8.4 yards each carry and 103 yards in three games.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY FILE#25E001250-300 The undersigned, DEBORAH PATE HORRELL,

Day of SEPTEMBER 2025.

DEBORAH PATE HORRELL, ADMINISTRATOR 134 SUMMER RIDGE DR. WALLACE, NC 28466 Run dates: S4,11,18,25p

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

obituaries

Guy Hatcher

Sept. 2, 1942 – Sept. 9, 2025

Guy Hatcher, 92, passed away on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at his home.

Funeral Service:

Friday, September 12, 2025

7 p.m.

With visitation to follow.

Community Funeral Home, Beulaville, NC

Graveside Service:

Saturday, September 13, 2025

10 a.m.

East Duplin Memorial Gardens, Beulaville, NC

Survivors:

Spouse:

Lillian B. Hatcher, Chinquapin, NC

Sons:

Danny Guy Hatcher (Melissa), Chinquapin, NC

James Allen Hatcher (Connie), Chinquapin, NC

Carlton Ryan Hatcher (Sherry), Chinquapin, NC

Forest Craig Hatcher (Norma Jean), Chinquapin, NC

Daughter: Jill Kopanski (David), Pink Hill, NC

Brother: Johnny Hatcher, Chinquapin, NC

Many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Hatcher family.

Kelvin Pendleton

Feb. 4, 1949 – Sept. 5, 2025

Goldsboro- It is with deepest sympathy that we announce the passing of Mr. Kelvin Pendleton age 66, on September 5, 2025 at UNC Wayne Hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Mr.Pendleton lived a full and vibrant life lled with love, faith and family. The arrangements are incomplete at this time. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and please continue to keep the family lifted in your prayers during their time of bereavement.

July 16, 1926 – Sept. 9, 2025

Macy Kirk, 99, of Rose Hill, NC, transitioned from labor to reward September 9, 2025, at Wallace Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. Funeral service will be at 12 noon on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at First Baptist of Charity. Public viewing will be from 11 a.m. to noon (one hour prior to the service).

Carolyn Baker Jones

Aug. 6, 1932 – Sept. 12, 2025

Beulaville – Carolyn Baker Jones, 93, passed away peacefully at her home in Beulaville on September 12, 2025.

Born on August 6, 1932, in Beulaville, Carolyn was the cherished daughter of the late Hampton and Alma Outlaw Baker. She dedicated her life to her family and her faith, leaving behind a legacy of love and devotion. She was a lifelong member of Beulaville Original Free Will Baptist Church, where her strong faith was a guiding force. Carolyn had a special place in her heart for every member of her family, especially her grandchildren, and all of her nieces, nephews.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 63 years, Ralph Ed Jones; her sisters, Neta Baker Whaley and Lavae Baker Manning; her brother, Kenneth Baker; and her daughter-in-law, Brenda Leary Jones.

She is survived by her four children: Steve Jones of Beulaville; Greg Jones (Cheryl) of Beulaville; Ken Jones (Laura) of Kenansville; and Robin Jones English (Je ) of Chinquapin. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren: Becky Miller, Glenda Burton, Liz Lanier, Scott Jones, Ambra Dunlap, Hannah English, Hope English, Davis Jones, and Caroline Jones; ve great-grandchildren: Derek Wallace, Kailey Lanier, Court Dunlap, Addie Dunlap, Chesney Miller and Kase Pittman; and one great-great-grandchild, Brynleigh Lanier. Carolyn is also survived by her brother-in-law, Lannis Borden Jones, and his wife, Dorlene McDu e, along with many special nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held at 6 p.m., Monday, September 15, at Community Funeral Home, 840 West Main Street, Beulaville.

The graveside service at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 16, at East Duplin Memorial Gardens, 2192 E. NC 24, Beulaville, NC.

In lieu of owers, memorial contributions may be made to Beulaville Free Will Baptist, PO Box 322, 141 Lyman Rd., Beulaville, NC.

Arrangements are by Community Funeral Home.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Jones family.

Luedell Washington

April 20, 1939 – Sept. 5, 2025

Luedell Washington, 86, of Warsaw, NC, took her Master's hand to eternal rest on September 5, 2025. Funeral service will be at noon on Friday, September 12, 2025, at Prayer of Faith Evangelistic Church, 315 S. Gum St., Warsaw, NC. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Prayer of Faith Evangelistic Church.

Johnny Woodard Jr.

Nov. 23, 1946 – Sept. 9, 2025

Goldsboro- Mr. Johnny Woodard Jr., age 78, peacefully transitioned into a world of eternal peace and rest on Tuesday, September 09, 2025, at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. His journey on earth was marked by grace, strength and heart full of love. The arrangements are incomplete at this time. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and please continue to keep the family in your prayers during their time of bereavement.

Louanna Pickett

Jan. 3, 1939 – Sept. 6, 2025

Louanna Pickett, 86, of Chinquapin, NC, peacefully answered the Master's call at her residence on September 6, 2025. Funeral service will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at St. Lewis Missionary Baptist Church in Chinquapin. Public viewing will be from 2-3 p.m. (one hour prior to the service). Interment following the service at St. Lewis MBC cemetery.

Hester Edwards Swaringen

Nov. 29, 1954 – Sept. 12, 2025

Hester Edwards Swaringen, 70, passed peacefully from her earthly life on Friday, September 12, 2025, at home, surrounded by family and love.

She was born on November 29, 1954, the daughter of William “Bill” T. Edwards and Thennie Bell Norris Edwards. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her siblings, Barbara Babson, Eddie Edwards and Michael Edwards.

Hester is survived by her daughter, Angela Crapper (Gene); son, Kenneth “Buddy” Tatum Jr. (Jan); numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren; sisters, Linda Blackmon, Dotty Mattison, Pat Ashline, Trudy Vereen (Jack), Brenda Trosclair (Barney), Michell Fowler, and Becky DeBose; brother, Billy Edwards (Betty); and many extended family members.

Hester was a lady of strength and strong character who loved and cared for her family. Even throughout the years of her illness, she remained as steadfastly independent as she possibly could.

James “Jimmy” Oliver Snyder

Jan. 16, 1947 – Sept. 10, 2025

“A life that touches others goes on forever, as his does.” With great sadness, the family of James Oliver Snyder announces his passing from his earthly home to his heavenly home. He was surrounded by his loving family as he passed away very peacefully on September 10, 2025. Jimmy‘s mother was Ruby Inez Miller.

Jimmy joined the Air Force on June 14, 1966, and served his country honorably until June 12, 1970. He served a tour of duty in Thailand during this time. He was based out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Jimmy was associated with the aircraft maintenance of B-52 bombers. Jimmy was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Donna Maready Snyder. This union was based on mutual respect and Christian values. Surviving to cherish Jimmy‘s memories are daughter, Joelle S. Hollingsworth and husband Jason of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina; son, Jim Snyder, and wife Christy of Chinquapin, North Carolina. Jimmy was a proud and devoted grandfather to his grandchildren. Jay Snyder and wife Victoria of Chinquapin; Jenna Snyder of Chinquapin; John Hollingsworth, and soon to be husband to Georgia Yeargan, both of Angier; and Ava Hollingsworth of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina. He is also survived by sister-in-law Jo Maready and husband Eddie Brinson of Chinquapin. Niece Alison Raynor and great nephew Baines Raynor of Beulaville.

“Your life was a blessing, your memory was a treasure.”

Graveside Service: Sunday, September 14, 2025

3 p.m.

Maready Family Cemetery, Chinquapin, NC (3546 Fountaintown Road) Visitation will follow the service at the graveside. Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Snyder family.

Thomas “Tommy” Tildon Coombs

June 30, 1944 – Sept. 8, 2025

Warsaw - Thomas "Tommy" Tildon Coombs, 81, passed away Monday, September 8, 2025, at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, NC. Mr. Coombs was born June 30, 1944, in Duplin County, NC, to the late Walter Earl Coombs and Acra Mercer Coombs.

Mr. Coombs is survived by his wife, Deborah C. Coombs; son Walter David Coombs and wife, Christene Ann of Warsaw; daughter, Leigh Ann Coombs of Warsaw; grandchildren, Addison, Eva, and Hanna and brother, Jerry Coombs and wife, Sarah of Warsaw.

A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2025, in Community Funeral Home Chapel in Warsaw. Visitation will follow the service. Flowers are welcome or memorial may be made to Warsaw Fire Department, P. O. Box 483, Warsaw, NC 28398.

Nathan “PeeWee” Turner

April 29, 1947 – Sept. 13, 2025

Nathan “PeeWee” Turner, 78, of Warsaw, NC, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at his home. Born on April 29, 1947, in Duplin County to the late William Irvin Turner and Minnie Adell Whaley Turner. PeeWee was a staple in the Warsaw community, known for his steadfast work ethic, warmth he shared with all who crossed his path, and his love for DUKE basketball! As a longtime business owner, PeeWee was dedicated to serving his customers, treating them not just as clients but as friends. When not working at his shop, he would often be found playing solitaire and waiting for the next customer until he retired. Once retired, he enjoyed spending time with family. PeeWee’s heart was always open to those around him. As a proud business owner his shop was not just a place of work—it was a gathering spot where friendships were formed, and memories made. His legacy is woven into the fabric of his town, and his absence will be felt deeply by all who knew him.

PeeWee was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He leaves behind his loving wife, Evelyn D. Turner; his sons, Christopher Page Turner (Leila) of Faison and Je rey Guy Turner of Asheville; his daughters, Charissa Wiggs Teachey (Doug) of Wallace and Brandi Michelle Campbell (Shannon Bostic) of Pink Hill; his sister, Elizabeth Turner Byrd (Archie) of Beulaville; as well as his cherished grandchildren: Joseph Teachey (Samantha), Logan Turner Sumner (Seth), Peyton Alexis Casteen (Jordan Thigpen), Brayden Michael Turner, Dillon Shane Teachey, Allie Grace Turner, Raegan Ellyse Campbell, Preston Drayke Campbell, Lilly Brooke Foley, Macie Paige Turner, and Mila Noel Turner. His great-grandchildren, Aiden Teachey, Laycee Grace Teachey, Camden Teachey, Caleb Teachey, Kylie Teachey, Nixon Sumner, Declan Thigpen, and Revyn Sumner.

PeeWee was preceded in death by his son, Christopher Guy Turner, and his brother, William Irvin “Guy” Turner Jr.

The family will receive friends during a visitation from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at Community Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at Community Funeral Home Chapel in Warsaw, with burial to follow at Devotional Gardens.

PeeWee’s love for his family, his work, and Duke basketball will never be forgotten. May his spirit rest in peace, and may his memory live on in the hearts of those who loved him.

Macy Kirk

Tigers seek to improve teamwork, chemistry to overcome losses

Usually-slow starting

James Kenan is looking to settle into a groove as conference play begins

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WARSAW — The James Kenan soccer team has historically gotten o to slow starts yet has been able to regroup after a handful of matches.

While head coach Mitchell Quinn knew the Tigers were in a rebuilding mode, he never anticipated doing so without front-line scorers Ronnie Ramirez and Robert Ordonez, and defender Solomon Zeleya, who were ruled ineligible because of academics.

Ramirez, who scored 15 goals and was a rst-team all-Duplin player last fall, and Ordonez, a rising threat to score, were both were needed as all-state striker Peter Omega (29 goals) graduated.

As a result, James Kenan, a monster in the East in its classication for the past eight years, is undergoing a bigger change without a star scoring threat.

“We’re playing more as a team I’d rather have that than when everyone knows they have to stop a striker, even if he is fast and able to get o shots and hit goals,” Quinn said. “Really, the only game we haven’t been in was Clinton.”

The Dark Horses’ 6-1 win in Warsaw last week was the 400th for head coach Brad Spell, who has won three state titles.

“That’s the only time we were overmatched,” Quinn said. “We’ve been competitive and could have easily won both of our rst two matches we tied 0-0 versus South Brunswick, 2-2 deadlock against Fike.

“Sometimes we play really well, and sometimes it looks like we just started playing yesterday. But our record doesn’t speak for the kind of team we are.”

JK (2-3-2) opens play in the Swine Valley Conference this week with Quinn wondering about the opposition.

“It’s hard to say what’s going to happen because we don’t know these schools very well,” Quinn said. “I think we’re going to be OK.”

Kevin Jimenez and Jayden Funez are playing solidly in the Tigers’ mid eld, with Kebert David keying the defense beside backs Juan Garcia and David Navarro.

Sophomore striker Ismael Covarrubias has shown signs of becoming a front-line scorer that foes must mark heavily. His brother Omar Covarrubias was on the Tigers’ 23-1-1 team in 2022.

JK lost a pair of 2-1 matches with East Duplin for the second consecutive season, but that won’t matter since the Panthers are in the ECC. Its wins came against North Lenoir (3-1) and North Johnston (5-1).

to step up against big-time competition.

The Bulldogs’ next 12 matches are against Swain Valley foes.

Canales, Reyes spark Panthers past Dixon

Yoskar Canales scored twice, and Richard Reye added a goal when East Duplin (4-4) slipped past Dixon 3-2 last Wednesday. Dany Mendez and Bralyan Mendez contributed the assists.

Two days earlier, Dany Mendez connected for a goal to forge a 1-1 tie with Richlands, who tallied a pair of Isaiah Betton goals and one from Landen Roges to win 4-1 to sweep the season series with the Panthers.

Rebels top Gators for rst win

Sergio Garcia scored twice, and Emanuel Mendez had two goals and an assist as North Duplin beat East Columbus 4-3 for its rst win in three matches.

Carlos Mendez logged 15 saves against the Gators.

The Rebels (1-3, 1-1) were dropped 6-1 two days later by Union.

reer-high 21 kills and Kinsey Cave added 10 during the triumph over the Stallions (8-3, 0-1).

ED (9-2, 1-0) won games at 25-21, 25-14 and 25-12, and it got help from Zoe Turner (six aces, three kills) and Zoe Cavanaugh (seven kills, eight aces). Cave, Cavanaugh and Tuner combined for 22 kills against Liberty Christian, who the Panthers will play again on Sept. 22 in Beulaville.

Cardinals top Bulldogs

Wallace-Rose Hill (12-2, 5-1) had its four-match string broken during a 3-0 (25-23, 25 -13, 25-17) loss to Jacksonville, a team ED beat twice this fall, but one Panthers coach Susan Raynor said was dangerous. Angelina Cavallaro had 29 kills and Jansley Page 25 kills, 14 digs, seven blocks and three aces.

WRH played the whipped Rosewood (9-4, 3-3) and James Kenan (5-9, 1-5) the two previous nights. Cavallaro and Page combined for 54 kills against the Eagles and 44 against JK. The Tigers tied the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 win but fell 25-15 and 25-13 in the next two sets.

Bulldogs fall to 8A Buccaneers

Uriah Soleto assisted on Felix Funes’ rst-half goal,

Spring Creek (2-5) and Rosewood (3-3) are conference matchups this week. Midway (7-1-1) and Goldsboro (4-4) follow. Clashes with Princeton (6 -1) and Duplin rival WRH (2-3-1) are set for the rst week of October. By then Mitchell and company will have a working knowledge of the Swain Valley circuit.

Division II all-star game his senior year.

He followed his father as Rebels head coach from 2000 - 02, posting a 26-11 (.703) record with three NCHSAA Class 1A playo bids. That included a 10-2 record and 6-0 Carolina 1A Conference title, and advancement to the second and third (Eastnal) rounds in 2001 and 2002.

He then moved to 1AA North Johnston from 2003 - 05, where he went 14-1 in ’05, not losing until the East 1AA nal at Wallace-Rose Hill.

His three-year rebuilding record at North Johnston was 25-14, combined with his 12 -year mark of 123-35 at James Kenan and 26-11 in three years at North Duplin.

Marcelias Sutton

Sutton, a two-way back from Avent’s 2013 Class 1AA state title team and a state champ in track in the triple jump ,said he had never heard of James Kenan until a family situation

caused him to move from the Spring Creek district in southeastern Wayne County to Warsaw as a JK freshman.

But Tigers coaches found out about him the rst day of August practice. As a freshman, he started as a defensive back and played some running back. Then he became a blazing star on both sides of the ball.

Sutton rushed for 1,804 yards as a junior with 26 touchdowns, including two on kicko returns. That year, he led Kenan to the East Regional 1AA nal, where it lost at home to Southwest Onslow 35-13 and nished with a 14-1 record, tying the school’s most-ever wins by 1960’s 14-0 state-title team.

In Sutton’s senior year, junior Ja’Quan Williams transferred back from Whiteville and became a full-time twin running back with more than 1,000 yards. Sutton missed some midseason time that year with a deep thigh bruise but notched 1,343 yards with 95.9 per game and 8.1 per carry. In the East 1AA nal, the Tigers

but 8A Laney (9-1) countered with scores by Carson Swain and Cooper Raney en route to a 3-1 win over Wallace-Rose Hill last week in Wilmington.

The score was the sixth of the season for Funez.

WRH traveled to Fayetteville to battle 7A Cape Fear (4 -2-2) early this week in another match in which coach Aaron Murray’s club will have

defeated Wallace-Rose Hill 28-14 at Bill Taylor Field. For his Tigers career, Sutton rang up 4,367 yards rushing and 54 touchdowns, 47 rushing. He went on to play two years at Lackawanna (Pa.) Junior College and then was recruited to Oklahoma by coach Lincoln Riley, who had tried to bring Sutton to East Carolina when Riley was an assistant there. Sutton made his mark at Oklahoma, but his time there was dogged by injuries.

Cassandra Stroud

Stroud (Class of 1996) was a three-sport star and team leader for four years in softball, basketball and volleyball. She was named an all-conference athlete three times in all three sports in the mid-1990s.

Following the lead as a freshman of her senior sister, Cola, she played point guard and was a defensive demon, leading the Tigers to the state playo s in a later year. She averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds a game while piling up assists and steals.

VOLLEYBALL

Panthers continue sizzling pace

East Duplin had its six-match winning streak snapped last week by Liberty Christian but rebounded to dunk North Duplin and Southwest Onlsow in the rst ECC encounter for both schools.

Sophia Jones had a ca-

A trademark was driving hard to the basket, usually scoring before slamming into the padded wall. Another strength was very physical, clamp-down defense.

Stroud was also a top player in slow-pitch softball, starring at shortstop and batting a remarkable .800 as a senior. Her forte in volleyball was accurate serves and ashing to balls before they hit the oor.

She didn’t choose to play sports as a student at Methodist College in Fayetteville, where she earned an advanced degree in teaching and taught at Westover High School there. She’s currently in charge of curriculum and teachers in Cumberland County Schools.

Mac McNeill

Rebels rebound to pounce Vikings

North Duplin (8-3, 4-1) rebounded from a 3-0 loss to East Duplin by crushing West Columbus 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25 -14) last week in Cerro Gordo. Marissa Bernal and Kloe MeHoyas combined for eight kills and Lilly Fulghum had 14 assists.

McNeill, a two-way linebacker, guard and co-captain on the 1960 state champs, died earlier this year. He was a three-year starter and key part of the blood-and-guts of James Kenan’s championship team — the rst state title in any sport in Duplin County Schools. McNeill was a terror at inside linebacker and o ensive guard despite standing only 5-10 and 170 pounds. He was named all-conference in football and baseball, and as a senior was voted by classmates as most popular, most intellectual and best all-around. His fellow co-captain was classmate and two-way end Colon Quinn, who was elected into the inaugural JKHOF class in 2015. Other footballers with that honor from 1960-62, when the Tigers were 35-1, are head coach Bill Taylor, trainer and girls’ basketball coach Bill Helton, sophomores Jimmy Dixon, Water Bostic and Billy Knowles.

McNeill didn’t choose to play college football but graduated from NC State with a degree in science, earned an advanced degree at Virginia Tech and spent his career in dairy science research. When he retired, he and wife Jean Chambers McNeill, a classmate and all-conference basketball star from Kenansville, moved to Warsaw.

PHOTOS BY EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Sophomore Ismael Covarrubias is playing a key striker role for the Tigers.

HOF from page B1

Sophia Jones had a career-high 21 kills when ED beat SWO in its rst ECC match of the season.

Stanly NewS Journal

Gothic glow

WHAT’S HAPPENING

New York judge tosses terrorism charges against Mangione, lets murder count stand

A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state’s case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state’s second-degree murder charges against him. Judge Gregory Carro ruled Tuesday that although there is no doubt that the killing was not an ordinary street crime, New York law doesn’t consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology. The ruling came as Mangione made his rst court appearance in the state case since February. The 27-yearold Ivy League graduate has attracted a cult following as a stand-in for frustrations with the health insurance industry after Thompson was fatally shot in December.

Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, says it’s “replica” D.C. crackdown

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis to combat crime, testing the limits of presidential power by using military force in cities. Trump made Monday’s announcement with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, calling it a “replica” of e orts in Washington, D.C. Last month, Trump deployed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, claiming it reduced crime. Lee supports the deployment, while Memphis Mayor Paul Young opposes it.

Multiple people hurt in explosion at New London manufacturing plant

Four Fiberon workers were treated for nonlife-threatening injuries

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

NEW LONDON — Four people were injured Friday evening in an explosion at the Fiberon manufacturing facility in New London, according to local o cials.

Stanly County Emergency Services treated the victims at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries before two were taken to Atrium Health Stanly in Albemarle and two others were transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Around 5:58 p.m. on Friday, Stanly County Communications received several 911 calls reporting an explosion at the composite decking plant on 181 Random Drive. The New London Volunteer

Fire Department led the initial response and was joined by the Bethany, Albemarle and Rich eld-Misenheimer re departments.

When crews arrived, they con rmed the explosion and worked to evacuate employees, locate all sta and eliminate any remaining re hazards. As

Albemarle High School principal shares test scores to city council

Many of the high school’s scores are on the rise

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Albemarle High School Principal Beverly Pennington presented encouraging academic results to the Albemarle City Council on Monday night, highlighting improvements in state accountability measures and other performance indicators.

“I think that you will be very pleased with the results

that came out by the state of North Carolina the week before last,” Pennington told council members. “This is the result of a lot of hard work, a lot of determination and a lot of buy-in from our students, sta and parents.”

Pennington reported that the school earned a C grade on the state’s 2024-25 report card, up from a D, and met state growth expectations for the rst time since accountability measures began in 2013.

She revealed that the school’s overall growth score is

“I think that you will be very pleased with the results that came out by the state of North Carolina the week before last.”

re ghters remained on scene into the night, additional assistance came from the Oakboro and Monroe re departments.

“The incident remains under investigation,” Stanly County Fire Marshal’s O ce said in a statement. “Fire investigators from the Stanly County Fire Marshal’s O ce, North Carolina O ce of the State Fire Marshal, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, North Carolina Department of Insurance and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are working to determine the cause. The North Carolina O ce of the State Fire Marshal

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Central Methodist Church’s distinctive copper-green spire and Gothic Revival towers stand against a painted sky last week in Albemarle.

“The incident remains under investigation.”

Stanly County Fire Marshal’s O ce

SATURDAY

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 17

THURSDAY SEPT. 18

The college will track which degrees lead to living wages

Stanly News Journal sta

ALBEMARLE — Stanly Community College will analyze which of its programs actually lead to good-paying jobs and make major changes based on what it nds, as part of a new national initiative.

SCC is one of 55 colleges nationwide selected for the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s Unlocking Opportunity network, a threeyear e ort to ensure community college credentials deliver on their promise of economic mobility.

The initiative requires participating colleges to set a living wage benchmark for their region, then classify every program based on whether graduates earn that wage or successfully transfer to complete bachelor’s degrees. Programs that don’t meet either standard could face elimination.

“Stanly Community College plays a vital role in preparing the workforce our region needs to thrive,” said John Enamait, president of SCC. “Being part of the Aspen Insti-

Sept. 8

• David Joseph Furey, 33, was arrested for possession of rearm by felon.

Sept. 9

• Shante Lachelle Prince, 47, was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence, simple assault, and injury to personal property.

Sept. 10

• Rickie Renee Yang, 29, was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting a public o cer.

• Jackie Eugene Nowling, 53, was arrested for possession of

SCC will classify every program based on whether graduates earn a certain wage or successfully transfer to complete bachelor’s degrees.

tute’s Unlocking Opportunity network strengthens our ability to connect students with high-value credentials that meet the demands of local employers and contribute to the economic vitality of Stanly County and beyond.”

The changes can be dramatic. At pilot colleges already in the program, one school revamped its agronomy program with new skills training, resulting in doubled enrollment and higher graduate wages. Another steered students from its child care program — typically a low-paying eld despite high demand — toward transferring for elementary education degrees, addressing the local teacher shortage while improving student earnings.

One pilot college eliminated its culinary arts program

methamphetamine and expired registration.

Sept. 12

• Devaunte Daiquon Collins, 32, was arrested for common law robbery, breaking and entering, tra cking in opium or heroin, larceny after breaking and entering, maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for controlled substances, simple assault, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sept. 13

• Ethan Graham Ward, 21, was arrested for false imprisonment, assault on a female, resisting a public o cer, second degree

EXPLOSION from page A1 will serve as the lead investigative agency.” Fiberon, which manufactures composite decking and railing products, is one of Stanly County’s largest employers. Company o cials had not released a statement as of Monday. This was not the rst re-related incident at the plant. In June 2020, four silos and a

SUNDAY SEPT. 21

entirely after data showed graduates weren’t earning living wages and local restaurants said they could hire and train workers without college credentials.

“Every year, millions of students rely on community colleges for a low-cost pathway to what they assume will be a high-value credential,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “The leaders at each of the 55 colleges that have signed up for Unlocking Opportunity have made clear that they will spend the next three years working towards the kinds of reforms needed to make that assumption a reality for thousands more students.”

The 10 pilot institutions are on track to collectively move more than 20,000 students into programs that lead to better job outcomes.

SCC will work with Aspen Institute coaches and experts to analyze local job market data, set goals and implement reforms. The process will include intensive review of what happens to students after graduation — whether they nd good jobs or successfully complete bachelor’s degrees elsewhere.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County:

Sept. 20

Uwharrie Music Fest 2025

11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A daylong celebration featuring an assortment of vendors, including work for sale by local artists and other retailers. Live country music will be played while an assortment of outdoor game competitions, including axe throwing, are being held. Beverages and

Sept. 23

Sept. 24 Albemarle

kidnapping, misdemeanor domestic violence, assault on a detention employee with serious injury, assault on a government o cial/employee, and criminal contempt.

Sept. 14

• Clyde Dale Dennis, 27, was arrested for felony possession of schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sept. 15

• Michael Paul Harris, 50, was arrested for defrauding a drug/ alcohol test and nonsupport of a child.

dust collector caught re, triggering several small explosions. No one was injured in the initial blast, but two Albemarle re ghters were hurt the following day in a ash re at the facility. The current situation regarding Friday’s explosion at Fiberon will continue to be monitored and additional details will be released as the investigation into the incident progresses.

Sept. 25

Locust Farmers Market

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This producers-only market o ers fresh produce, homemade foods and crafts by local creators. Conveniently located across the street from Locust Elementary School. Open May through September.

Corner of 24/27 and Vella Drive

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho

end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

All Republicans must stop the wind scam

Electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive.

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump absolutely hates wind turbines. He has canceled several projects. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act terminated about $500 billion in subsidies for Green New Scam projects. A post-OBBBA executive order prescribed heightened regulatory scrutiny of wind and solar projects to make it di cult to use the remaining Green New Scam subsidies.

So why are some Republican politicians and a deep red states bent on building them anyway?

Politico reported this week that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is lobbying Trump administration o cials for what would be the largest U.S. o shore wind farm under construction by Dominion Energy o the coast of Virginia. Apparently outgoing Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin can’t convince Trump, so Youngkin and Dominion Energy are trying some sort of end run around the president.

In Arkansas, the only thing holding up a massive project with 600-foot wind turbines is the valiant ght of locals in ve counties who have passed ordinances against the turbine’s erection. And don’t forget that last minute changes to the Senate version of the OBBBA to save Green New Scam subsidies by Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Grassley almost sank the entire bill. It’s important for all Republicans to understand why wind turbines are not MAGA. As a threshold matter, wind turbines have no bona de purpose. They have been marketed as “emissions-free” energy to combat the supposed “climate crisis.” But the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates, for example, that the average of summertime maximum temperatures in the U.S. in 2025 was actually cooler than those of summertime 1901, 124 years ago. Globally, August 2025 was the same temperature as August 1998, despite more than a trillion tons of emissions since 1998. No wonder

Trump calls emissions-driven climate change a “hoax.”

Even if there were some climate or weather problem caused by emissions of greenhouse gases, the simple math of the global situation is that the U.S. could stop emitting today and forever, and the vast majority of global emissions would happen anyway. So there’s no climate crisis, and even if there were, wind turbines in the U.S. would accomplish nothing.

Next, electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive. Wind farms are not built without taxpayers subsidies and additional guarantees by electricity consumers. There is absolutely no evidence that wind energy has lowered electricity prices anywhere in the world.

Wind may be free, but wind farm construction, operation and transmission of electricity is not. Moreover, wind energy requires back-up, usually from fossil fuel or nuclear baseload power plants. This redundancy is just an added cost.

Third, wind turbines are not environmentally friendly. The rare earth minerals needed for their construction largely come from anything-goes strip-mining and processing in Communist China. Westerners rarely see the revolting consequences of these activities.

The construction of onshore wind farms takes up vastly larger spaces, six to 13 times more, than conventional gas power plants. More than just the space, each onshore wind turbine has an immense and essentially permanent concrete and iron rebar foundation. Wind farmland is just ruined. The construction of o shore wind may have produced the dozens of dead whales that washed up on East Coast beaches during 2023-24.

Fourth, wind farms are dangerous to the environment when they operate. Under normal circumstances, they are a hazard to birds and bats. They require special government allowances to kill birds because the nes would be too great for wind farms to operate. The disintegration of

The media’s demonization of the right has consequences

Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

CHARLIE KIRK wasn’t just a colleague. He was a friend. He was someone who showed up, worked hard, and cared deeply about his family and his country. His life mattered. As I process the tragic circumstances of his death, I can’t help but turn to a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: the climate that enabled it.

For decades, America’s media institutions have cultivated a narrative that paints conservatives as dangerous, regressive, even subhuman. Every nightly newscast, every editorial page, every so-called “analysis” drips with disdain for anyone who dares to challenge the progressive orthodoxy. You don’t just disagree with the left anymore; you’re smeared as a bigot, a fascist or worse. This relentless demonization isn’t harmless rhetoric. It creates an atmosphere where hostility toward the right feels not only acceptable but righteous. When the press treats millions of Americans like villains, it should not shock us when some unhinged individual takes that narrative literally and turns it into violence. Words have consequences. The media knows this when it lectures conservatives about “dangerous speech” and “dog whistles.” It never looks in the mirror. When major outlets tell audiences day after day that Republicans are a threat to democracy, when they equate conservative beliefs with extremism, they are not just engaging in biased journalism. They are laying kindling for hatred, and sometimes that hatred combusts.

Consider the language used in mainstream coverage of the right. If you oppose open borders, you are “anti-immigrant.” If you defend parental rights in schools, you are “anti-LGBT.”

If you worry about election integrity, you are a “conspiracy theorist.” When media elites atten every conservative principle into a caricature of cruelty, they strip away the humanity of people like Charlie. Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

That’s what the press has done to the right: It has turned millions of good, law-abiding Americans into cartoon villains in a morality play. For years, conservatives have been warning: When you keep telling people that a whole class of citizens are monsters, don’t be surprised when someone believes you — and acts accordingly.

The hypocrisy is staggering. If the roles were reversed, if left-wing activists were being attacked in the streets, the media would frame it as a national crisis of hate. We’d see around-the-clock coverage, solemn declarations about “the soul of America” and endless op-eds about the dangerous climate of conservative rhetoric. When conservatives are the victims, silence. Or worse — justi cations. “They had it coming,” the subtext suggests, because daring to hold the wrong political beliefs apparently makes you complicit in oppression.

That double standard doesn’t just warp the narrative, it fuels division. Millions of Americans see that bias and conclude, rightly, that the press doesn’t value their lives or their freedoms. That perception breeds alienation. Alienation breeds anger. Anger, left unchecked, can erupt in violence.

No individual act of violence can ever be excused. Personal responsibility matters. Yet individuals do not commit violence in a vacuum. They act within a culture shaped by

an o shore wind turbine blade in 2024 wreaked havoc on Massachusetts beaches. And no one has yet studied the e ects on the environment of the hot (140°F) cables bringing power from the o shore turbines to shore.

Finally, o shore wind turbines are a national security problem. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) issued this statement this week: “Massive o shore wind turbines — rushed through an abbreviated permitting process — could interfere with America’s ability to detect threats from adversaries like Russia and China. Submarines operating o the U.S. coast could gain a critical advantage if detection systems are disrupted, leaving the nation more vulnerable to attack.”

We certainly need more electricity, especially given the rise of AI data centers and Trump’s goal of reindustrializing America. But that electricity should be provided at the lowest cost as determined on a subsidy-free basis. Electricity must be provided reliably, which means not dependent on nature or the weather. It should cause the least environmental damage and should not endanger national security. Wind, onshore or o shore, doesn’t make the cut when compared to coal, natural gas and nuclear power — i.e., Trump’s energy agenda.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has received Trump’s message loud and clear. This week he told a group of European leaders, “Under this administration, there is not a future for o shore wind because it is too expensive and not reliable enough.” All Republicans need to get that message.

Steve Milloy, a biostatistician and lawyer, publishes JunkScience.com. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

institutions, none more in uential than the media. When leading outlets tell the public that conservatives are existential threats to democracy, they normalize hostility against us. When commentators sneer that half the country is made up of racists, misogynists and extremists, they legitimize rage against us.

In this climate, the media is complicit. Its hands are not clean.

Conservatives have been calling for a return to fairness, civility and honest debate. We do not expect journalists to agree with us. We do expect them to recognize our humanity and stop painting us as villains in every story. If this cycle of demonization continues, tragedies like Kirk’s will not be the last.

Kirk deserved far better. He was not someone who kept his head down or played it safe. He stood up for what he believed in, he defended people who were silenced, and he never hesitated to call out injustice. His courage came with a cost, but it also inspired those around him to be braver, stronger and truer to their convictions.

Now there is a gaping void where his voice once was. That loss is not only personal — it is national. We cannot a ord to lose people like Kirk, who put principle above comfort, who saw through the lies of a corrupt media and refused to be cowed. His absence leaves all of us with a responsibility: to speak louder, stand taller and demand an end to the demonization that is tearing this country apart. Kirk’s life was a testament to conviction. His death must be a wake-up call.

Adam Weiss is the CEO of AMW PR, publisher of Impact Wealth magazine and the host of “Media Exposed” on Real America’s Voice News. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | ADAM WEISS

COLUMN | STEVE MILLOY

Workers commenting on Kirk’s death learn limits of free speech in and out of workplace

Employees face rings over social media posts about the assassination

By Cathy Bussewitz and Wyatte Grantham-Philips

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been red for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as o ensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Rightwing in uencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

It’s far from the rst time workers have lost their jobs over things they say publicly — including in social media posts. But the speed at which the rings have been happening raises questions about worker rights versus employer rights.

In the U.S., laws can vary across states, but overall, there’s very little legal protections for employees who are punished for speech made both in and out of private workplaces.

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace,” said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR Services for Engage PEO. “Most employees in the private sector do not have any protections for that type of speech at work.”

Add to that the prevalence of social media, which has made it increasingly common to track employees’ conduct outside of work and to dox people, or publish information about them online with the intent of harming or harassing them.

Employers have lot of leeway

Protections for workers vary from one state to the next. For example, in New York, if an employee is participating in a weekend political protest but not associating themselves with the organization that employs them, their employer cannot re them for that activity when they return to work.

But if that same employee is at a company event on a weekend and talks about their political viewpoints in a way that makes others feel unsafe or the target of discrimination or harassment, then they could face consequences at work, Matsis-McCready said.

Most of the U.S. defaults to “at-will” employment law — which essentially means employers can choose to hire and re as they see t, including over employees’ speech.

“The First Amendment does not apply in private workplaces to protect employees’ speech,” said Andrew Kragie, an attorney who specializes in employment

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace.”

Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel

and labor law at Maynard Nexsen. “It actually does protect employers’ right to make decisions about employees, based on employees’ speech.”

Kragie said there are “pockets of protection” around the U.S. under various state laws, such as statutes that forbid punishing workers for their political views.

But the interpretation of how that gets enforced changes, he notes, making the waters murky.

Steven T. Collis, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin and faculty director of the school’s Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center, also points to some state laws that say employers can’t re their workers for “legal o duty conduct.” But there’s often an exception for conduct seen as disruptive to an employer’s business or reputation, which could be grounds to re someone over public comments or social media posts.

“In this scenario, if somebody feels like one of their employees has done something that suggests they are glorifying or celebrating a murder, an employer might still be able to re them even with one of those laws on the books,” Collis said.

For public employees, which can range from school teachers

and postal workers to elected o cials, the process is a bit different. That’s because the First Amendment plays a unique role when the government is the employer, Collis explains. The Supreme Court has ruled that if an employee is acting in a private capacity but speaking on a matter of public concern, they could be protected. Still, he noted that government employers can discipline a worker if they determine such conduct will interfere with the government’s ability to do its job.

Some in the public sector have already worked to restrict speech in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. For instance, leaders at the Pentagon unveiled a “zero tolerance” policy for any posts or comments from troops that make light of or celebrate the killing of Kirk.

The policy, announced by the Pentagon’s top spokesman Sean Parnell on social media last Thursday, came hours after numerous conservative military in uencers and activists began forwarding posts they considered problematic to Parnell and his boss, defense secretary Pete Hegseth.

“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” Parnell wrote Thursday.

Surge of political debate

The ubiquity of social media is making it easier than ever to share opinions about politics and major news events as they’re unfolding. But posting on social media leaves a record, and in times of escalating political polariza-

tion, those declarations can be seen as damaging to the reputation of an individual or their employer.

“People don’t realize when they’re on social media, it is the town square,” said Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certi cation Institute.

“They’re not having a private conversation with the neighbor over the fence. They’re really broadcasting their views.”

Political debates are certainly not limited to social media and are increasingly making their way into the workplace as well.

“The gami cation of the way we communicate in the workplace, Slack and Teams, chat and all these things, they’re very similar to how you might interact on Instagram or other social media, so I do think that makes it feel a little less formal and somebody might be more inclined to take to take a step and say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe this happened,’” Matsis-McCready said.

Employers not ready

In the tense, divided climate of the U.S., many human resource professionals have expressed that they’re unprepared to address politically charged discussions in the workplace, according to the Human Resource Certi cation Institute. But those conversations are going to happen, so employers need to set policies about what is acceptable or unacceptable workplace conduct, Dufrane said.

“HR has got to really drill down and make sure that they’re super clear on their policies and practices and communicating to their employees on what are their responsibilities as an em-

ployee of the organization,” Dufrane said.

Many employers are reviewing their policies on political speech and providing training about what appropriate conduct looks like, both inside and outside the organization, she said. And the brutal nature of Kirk’s killing may have led some of them to react more strongly in the days that followed his death.

“Because of the violent nature of what some political discussion is now about, I think there is a real concern from employers that they want to keep the workplace safe and that they’re being extra vigilant about anything that could be viewed as a threat, which is their duty,” Matsis-McCreedy said.

Employees can also be seen as ambassadors of a company’s brand, and their political speech can dilute that brand and hurt its reputation, depending on what is being said and how it is being received. That is leading more companies to act on what employees are saying online, she said.

“Some of the individuals that had posted and their posts went viral, all of a sudden the phone lines of their employers were just nonstop calls complaining,” Matsis-McCready said.

Still, experts like Collis don’t anticipate a signi cant change in how employers monitor their workers speech — noting that online activity has come under the spotlight for at least the last 15 years.

“Employers are already and have been for a very long time, vetting employees based on what they’re posting on social media,” he said.

Charlie Kirk speaks at Texas A&M University as part of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour on April 22 in College Station, Texas.

Stein requests $13.5B more from Congress for

The governor says additional help is needed from Washington

The Associated Press

FLAT ROCK — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Monday requested $13.5 billion more from Congress in recovery aid for Hurricane Helene almost a year after the historic storm, saying additional help is needed from Washington to address record amounts of damage and to get funds to the region quicker.

The proposal also asks the federal government to distribute an additional $9.4 billion in federal funds that the state has already requested or is expecting but rst needs additional action from U.S. agencies.

Stein’s administration says $5.2 billion in federal funds have already been allocated or obligated to western North Carolina for Helene relief, in contrast to the estimated $60 billion damage and costs incurred from the September 2024 storm and related ooding. O cials said there were more than 100 storm-related deaths in the state.

“We are grateful for every federal dollar that we have received because it brings us closer to recovery. But we need more help,” Stein during a news con-

Hurricane Helene recovery

ference at Blue Ridge Community College in Henderson County, about 30 miles south of Asheville. “The next stage of recovery is going to require a new commitment from Congress and from the administration to not forget the people of western North Carolina.”

Stein, who said he plans to take his request to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, has tried to nd a balance between building rapport with President Donald Trump’s administration on re-

Trump approves federal disaster aid for storms, ooding in 6 states

The president signed disaster declarations for six a ected states

By David A. Lieb and M.K. Wildeman

The Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for six states and tribes following storms and oods that occurred this spring and summer.

The disaster declarations,

SCORES from page A1 now above the state average, with a 12% increase from last year.

“We are a C school now,” Pennington said. “I’m very proud of that fact, and more proud of the growth that we’ve had. The growth, determined by the state of North Carolina, is what they are predicted to know from the beginning of a course to the end of the course. If we can grow kids, then we’re

announced last Thursday, will allow federal funding to ow to North Carolina, Kansas North Dakota and Wisconsin, and for tribes in Montana and South Dakota. In each case except Wisconsin, it took Trump more than a month to approve the aid requests from local ocials, continuing a trend of longer waits for disaster relief noted by a recent Associated Press analysis. Trump has now approved more than 30 major natural disaster declarations since taking

doing what needs to be done to impact the overall grade eventually.”

Other improvements shared with the council included a 233% increase in ACT/WorkKeys test results, which measure career readiness skills.

Pennington explained that the gains came from seniors who were identi ed as concentrators in career and technical education classes.

“To have a 233% increase in

“We are grateful for every federal dollar that we have received because it brings us closer to recovery. But we need more help.”

Gov. Josh Stein

commission, said Monday.

The Democratic governor and his Helene recovery ofce has often cited a bar chart they say shows relatively meager nancial assistance received so far from the federal government as a percentage of total storm-related costs compared to what was provided for other recent U.S. hurricanes.

covery activities and criticizing delays. On Monday, he cited “extra layers of bureaucratic review” slowing down reimbursements to local governments. More relief money has been permitted for distribution in recent weeks.

“Recovery costs money, more money than any city or county in western North Carolina can manage even from a cash ow standpoint,” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, who co-chairs an Helene recovery advisory

o ce in January. Before the latest batch, his approvals had averaged a 34-day wait from the time the relief was requested. For his most recent declarations, that wait ranged from just 15 days following an aid request for Wisconsin ooding in August to 56 days following a tribal request for Montana ooding that occurred in May.

The AP’s analysis showed that delays in approving federal disaster aid have grown over time, regardless of the party in power. On average, it took less than two weeks for requests for a presidential disaster declaration to be granted in the 1990s and early 2000s. That rose to about three weeks during the past decade under presidents from both major parties. During Trump’s rst term in o ce, it took him an average of 24 days to approve requests.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the AP that Trump is providing “a more thorough review of disaster declaration requests than any Administration has before

the ACT/WorkKeys is phenomenal,” she said.

The principal also noted that Albemarle is the only school in the county o ering the SAT this year. In other positive developments, the four-year cohort graduation rate rose by 13%, the overall school performance score increased by 15% and the achievement score improved by 18%.

Council members praised the results, pointing to the im-

“Western North Carolina has not received anywhere near what it needs, nor our fair share,” he said.

About $8.1 billion of the $13.5 billion that Stein is requesting would go to the state’s already approved disaster recovery block grant program. More than one-third of that portion would help rebuild or replace thousands of homes and businesses, provide rental assistance and perform storm mitigation activities.

The U.S. Department of Hous-

him” to make sure that federal tax dollars are spent wisely. But delays mean individuals must wait to receive federal aid for daily living expenses, temporary lodging and home repairs. Delays in disaster declarations also can hamper recovery e orts by local o cials uncertain whether they will receive federal reimbursement for cleaning up debris and rebuilding infrastructure.

Trump’s latest declarations approved public assistance for local governments and nonpro ts in all cases except Wisconsin, where assistance for individuals was approved. But that doesn’t preclude the federal government from later also approving public assistance for Wisconsin.

Preliminary estimates from Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ administration said more than 1,500 residential structures were destroyed or su ered major damage in August ooding at a cost of more than $33 million. There was also more than $43 million in public sector damage over six counties, accord-

portance of strong schools for the overall health of the city.

“This is the type of information we need in the community,” Councilmember Bill Aldridge said. “Our schools are really the lifeblood of the community. When we as council and we as a city look at recruiting business and industry, personally I think that’s one of the things that folks look at before they will move their business, their families and those

ing and Urban Development already has awarded $1.65 billion of these block grants to the state and to Asheville. Other block grant money requested Monday would go to fund forgivable loans for small business, the construction of private and municipal bridges, and support for homeless individuals.

Other newly requested funds would include nearly $1.6 billion to increase reimbursements to rebuild major roads, including Interstate 40 and I-26; and $1.75 billion toward “Special Community Disaster Loans” to help local governments provide essential services.

The state legislature and state agencies already have provided another $3.1 billion toward Helene recovery since last fall.

It’s unclear how Monday’s broad proposal — addressed to Trump and North Carolina’s congressional delegation — will be received by the president and Congress in full. When Stein made a pitch for supplemental recovery funds from the federal government earlier this month, a White House spokesperson said the request was evidence that he is un t to run a state.” Meanwhile, the region’s tourist economy received a boost on Monday when the National Park Service announced that a 27-mile stretch of a popular scenic route has reopened with the completion of two projects that repaired damage from a landslide. The opening also provides transportation access to the adjoining Mount Mitchell State Park that features the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River.

ing to the Evers administration. Evers requested aid for residents in six counties, but Trump approved it only for three.

“I will continue to urge the Trump Administration to approve the remainder of my request, and I will keep ghting to make sure Wisconsin receives every resource that is needed and available,” Evers said in a statement in which he thanked Democratic o ceholders for their e orts, but not Trump or any Republicans.

Trump had announced several of the disaster declarations — including Wisconsin’s — on his social media site while noting his victories in those states and highlighting their Republican o cials. He received thanks from Democratic North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein and Republican o cials elsewhere.

Trump’s approval of six major disaster declarations in one day would have been unusual for some presidents but not for him. Trump approved seven disaster requests on July 22 and nine on May 21.

communities. They look at the level of education. Just to hear the good things that are coming, you and your entire team should be commended for that.”

Pennington said she hopes the results signal a lasting trend of progress for Albemarle High School.

The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein speaks during an interview at West Henderson High School after meeting with health science students on Aug. 20 in Fletcher.

Robert Redford attends the premiere of “The Old Man and the Gun” at the Paris Theater on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in New York.

OBITUARIES

IN MEMORY

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP

Oscar winner Robert

Redford,

who became champion of independent lm, dead at 89

The Hollywood icon helped launch the careers of many unknown lmmakers

By Bob Thomas The Associated Press

ROBERT REDFORD, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89.

Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. No cause of death was provided.

Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ‘70s with such lms as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were,” capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980’s best picture winner, “Ordinary People.”

His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks — whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies.

His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. But his most famous screen partner was his old friend Paul Newman, their lms a variation of their warm, teasing o -screen relationship. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a box-o ce smash from which Redford’s Sundance Institute and festival got its name.

He also teamed with Newman on 1973’s best picture Oscar winner, “The Sting,” which earned Redford a best actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago.

Film roles after the ‘70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing and his new role as patriarch of the independent- lm movement.

He starred in 1985’s best picture champion “Out of Africa” and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in “All is Lost,” in which he was the lm’s only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, “The Old Man and the Gun.”

“I gure now as I’m getting into my 80s, it’s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family,” he told The Associated Press at the time.

Redford had watched Hollywood grow more cautious and controlling during the 1970s and wanted to recapture the creative spirit of the early part of the decade. Sundance was created to nurture new talent away from the pressures of Hollywood. The institute and festival based in Park City, Utah, became a place of discovery for such previously unknown lmmakers as Quen-

tin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson and Darren Aronofsky.

“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence,’” Redford told the AP in 2018. “I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard.”

By 2025, the festival had become so prominent that organizers approved relocating to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027.

Redford’s a nity for the outdoors was well captured in “A River Runs Through It” and other lms and through his decades of advocacy for the environment, inspired in part by witnessing the transformation of Los Angeles into a city of smog and freeways. His activities ranged from lobbying for the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to serving on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Born in Aug. 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California, Redford attended college on a baseball scholarship and would later star as a middle-aged slugger in 1984’s “The Natural,” the adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s novel. He had an early interest in drawing and painting and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He debuted on Broadway in the late 1950s before moving into television on such shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Untouchables.” Redford was married twice, most recently to Sibylle Szaggars. He had four children, two of whom have died — Scott Anthony, who died in infancy, in 1959; and activist and mmaker James Redford, who died in 2020.

Redford also appeared in several political narratives. He satirized campaigning as an idealist running for U.S. senator in “The Candidate” and uttered one of the more memorable closing lines, “What do we do now?” after his character manages to win. He starred as Woodward to Dustin Ho man’s Carl Bernstein in 1976’s “All the President’s Men,” the story of the Washington Post reporters whose Watergate investigation helped bring down President Richard Nixon. His biggest lmmaking triumph came with his directing debut on “Ordinary People,” which beat Martin Scorsese’s classic “Raging Bull” at the Oscars.

Redford’s other directing efforts included “The Horse Whisperer,” “The Milagro Bean eld War” and 1994’s “Quiz Show,” the last of which also earned best picture and director Oscar nominations.

“The idea of the outlaw has always been very appealing to me. If you look at some of the lms, it’s usually having to do with the outlaw sensibility, which I think has probably been my sensibility. I think I was just born with it,” Redford said in 2018. “From the time I was just a kid, I was always trying to break free of the bounds that I was stuck with, and always wanted to go outside.”

RONNIE GREEN FURR

SEPT. 24, 1952 – SEPT. 10, 2025

Ronnie Green Furr, 72, of Albemarle, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at Stanly Manor.

The family will receive friends at 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at New Life Church of Jesus Christ (4160 Zion Church Rd., Concord, NC 28025). A memorial celebration of life service will follow at 6 p.m. at the Church.

Born on September 24, 1952, in Stanly County, NC, Ronnie was the beloved son of the late Paul Green Furr and Vernie Cleo Barringer Furr. He dedicated many years of his career as an employee of Piedmont Electric in Albemarle before his retirement. Ronnie was a member of New Life Church of Jesus Christ in Concord.

A true automotive enthusiast, Ronnie had a lifelong passion for hot rods and muscle cars, spending countless hours working on and perfecting these mechanical treasures. His family fondly remembers him as a compassionate, sweet, caring, and loving man with an infectious sense of humor. He was known as a natural jokester who could brighten anyone’s day with his quick wit and endless supply of jokes. He also loved visiting with his old friends, often popping in to check on them.

Even during his time at the nursing home, Ronnie’s spirit remained vibrant. He treasured outdoor moments with his family, especially watching the deer; including those memorable occasions when his adventurous spirit led to getting stuck in the mud, requiring a helpful rescue that became cherished family stories.

Ronnie was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Beverly Sue Johnson Furr, daughters Teaoka Nichelle Freeze and Erica Lynn Furr, and his brothers Gary Donald Furr and Billy Joe Furr.

He leaves behind a loving family who will forever cherish his memory: daughters Lisa Furr Lamb of Albemarle and Crystal Gail Heyer and her husband Jonathan of New London; son Je rey Donald Furr of Albemarle; eight grandchildren; Justin, Samantha, Brandi, Shian, Mariah, Carmen, Daylon, and Niziah; and six great-grandchildren.

Ronnie’s legacy of laughter, love, and mechanical expertise will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

The family requests that memorials be made to Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care to assist with nal expenses.

ELIZABETH “BETTY JO” TURNER CARPENTER

MAY 15, 1930 – SEPT. 11, 2025

Elizabeth “Betty Jo” Turner Carpenter, 95, of Norwood, passed away on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Bethany Woods in Albemarle.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 4 p.m. at Green Memorial Methodist Church in Aquadale, NC. Pastor Gary Baker will o ciate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

Betty was born on May 15, 1930, to the late James Herald and Alice Gaddy Turner. She graduated from Burnsville High School as well as King’s College, where she studied business.

Betty was a homemaker, and a hard worker. Along with her husband, she operated Carpenter’s Upholstery, sewing there for many years. She was a member of Green Memorial Methodist Church.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband of 57 years: James “JG” Garvin, siblings: Wilson Turner and Glenda Moore, and one great grandchild.

She is survived by her children: Ronnie Carpenter (Phyllis), Dianne Howell (Donnie), and Melinda Knight (David), grandchildren: Shana Barkand (Michael), Chad Howell, Riann Barlow (Ryan), Adria Speights, Danielle Carpenter Smith (David), Emilee Carpenter Adamson (Ben), Adam Knight, and Jameson Knight (Rebecca), 16 great grandchildren, siblings: Peggy Beachum, Harold “Bud” Turner Jr., and Mike Turner, a host of nieces and nephews, and a special caretaker, Ann Sides Horton.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to her nephew, Jerry, as well as the entire sta of Bethany Woods.

In lieu of owers, the family would like donations to be made to Harward Chapel Cemetery or Green Memorial Methodist Church.

DAVID KEITH SIMPSON

DEC. 14, 1961 – SEPT. 11, 2025

David Keith Simpson, 63, of Charlotte, passed away Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Atrium Health Main in Charlotte.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 14th, 2025, at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood. Rev. JR Murr will o ciate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow at Oakboro Cemetery.

David was born on December 14, 1961, in Stanly County, to Billy Jake Sr and Mary Willene Simpson. Following graduation, David attended barber school and pursued a successful career in hairstyling– opening his own barber shop, ‘Tease Salon’, where he worked the remainder of his career.

David was preceded in death by his father, Billy Jake Simpson Sr, and nephew, Shea McSwain.

David was survived by his mother, Mary Willene Simpson; sister, Cynthia McSwain (Stephen); Brothers: Billy Jake Simpson Jr. (Vickie), and Je Simpson (Julie); and numerous nieces and nephews. David also had two very special fur babies, Coco and Gus, who will miss him dearly.

In lieu of owers, the family requests that donations be made to the Leukemia Foundation, local ASPCA, or local Humane Society.

WALTER RUSHING

JUNE 28, 1958 – SEPT. 12, 2025

Walter Donnell Rushing, 67, was born to Dorethea and James Fletcher Rushing on June 28, 1958, in Albermarle, NC. He entered eternal rest on September 12, 2025, at the Hospice House of Monroe, NC. He accepted Christ at an early age at East Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Norwood, NC. Donnell received his formal education at Metro School in Charlotte, NC. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 20th at 1:00 PM; located at East Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Norwood. Rev. Joshua Gaddy will o ciate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

He was employed at Target and worked at several special needs work centers within the area. He enjoyed going to church, singing, meeting people, and completing puzzles. He was well known to everyone for his “Big Smile”. Donnell was preceded in death by both parents, brothers Whon Walker, Flecther Eugene Rushing, and Gary Wayne Rushing. He leaves to cherish his memory, brother Larry Rushing of Charlotte, NC (Connie). Sister-inlaw Mary Rushing (Flecther) of Albermarle, NC. He also leaves nieces and nephews Shaketa Montgomery, Kelly Walker, Jovona Rushing, Mia Walker, and Shonda Rushing. Great nieces and nephews Aviana, Titionna, Prestyn, Shawn, Jaislyn, Ishmael, and Vani. GreatGreat nephews Amari and Yovani. Aunts Emma Smith (Johnny) and Geneviene Myers (Nelrain). Donnell also leaves a host of other relatives, family, and friends.

Special Acknowledgements to Mr. Sammy of the Living Center of Concord, NC. He provided Donnell with friendship, care, and support throughout his time of need.

Donnell’s memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him. We, the family, would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Living Center of Concord and Hospice of Cabarrus and Union County. We would also like to send a special thank you and appreciation to all of those who touched our hearts, lifted our spirits, and uttered prayers throughout this time. We would especially like to extend our gratitude to East Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church during this time of need. You are greatly appreciated and will never be forgotten.

STANLY SPORTS

North Stanly aims to continue unbeaten start to season

The Comets will host Mountain Island Charter this week

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — For Stanly

County’s four varsity high school football teams, the fth week of the 2025 campaign is set to bring a trio of local home games while the fourth squad rests during a bye week.

With the season beginning to settle in, one local team is looking to stay undefeated as another begins conference play.

Mountain Island Charter at North Stanly

North Stanly is scheduled to host Mountain Island Charter as the Raptors (1-2) travel to New London for a Friday matchup with the undefeated Comets (3-0).

The Comets have now opened the season with three consecutive one-score victories, knocking o Community School of Davidson by six points, West Stanly by seven and Montgomery Central by three.

In North’s last matchup prior to its recent bye week, the team was lifted by the passing

o ense as junior quarterback

Brady Lowder connected with Kylan Dockery for a team-high 72 receiving yards. A 4-0 start to the season would be North’s rst since 2020.

Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy at South Stanly

South Stanly is gearing up to play its third home game in a row as Huntersville’s BCLA comes to Norwood.

The Rowdy Rebel Bulls (2 -1) knocked o Anson in a 39-38 thriller on Sept. 5 and then had a week o to rest for a home meeting with the winless Ea-

gles (0-3), who have been outscored 124-42 so far this year.

South’s senior regiment of quarterback Kaleb Richardson, running backs Carter Callicutt and Ikey Holt, and wide receivers Jasiah Holt and Jayden Woods continue to make up a formidable Bulls o ense that has averaged 31 points a game and found ways to excel through the air and on the ground.

Thomas Je erson Classical Academy at Albemarle

Albemarle still has a bitter taste in its mouth after allowing West Stanly to drop 43 un-

answered points on the Bulldogs (2-1) two weeks ago. The team will look to bounce back following a bye as Yadkin Valley Conference play begins with a home visit from conference newcomer TJCA out of Mooresboro.

All three of the Gryphons’ (2 -1) games this season have been shutouts, with a 48-0 win over South Carolina followed by a 41-0 loss to Greenville and a 39-0 win over Cabarrus.

The Bulldogs will aim to refuel a rushing attack that posted 287 yards earlier in the season in a 49-0 victory over North Wake.

West Stanly (bye week)

The Colts (1-2) will use their bye week to regroup before facing Eastern Randolph at home Sept. 26 in their nal nonconference contest ahead of opening Rocky River Conference play Oct. 3 at Anson.

West Stanly football falls to 1-3 in road trip to Central

The Colts were outscored 35-0 through three quarters

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — West Stan-

ly’s varsity football team took a step back Friday night, dropping a 35-14 nonconference road matchup to Central Eagles in Pageland, South Carolina.

The Colts (1-3) entered the game with momentum after snapping a six-game losing streak in a 43-7 rout of Albemarle the week before — a contest where they dominated both the time of possession and game pace for 43 unanswered points.

West’s fourth game of the 2025 season was an entirely di erent story. Central (3-0) wasted no time seizing control on its home eld, building a 27-0 halftime lead that stretched to 35-0 by the end of the third quarter.

The Eagles outgained West

345-77 in the rst half and nished with a 488-232 advantage overall.

Running back Aiden Short fueled the Eagles’ attack with a career night. The senior carried nine times for 223 yards and four touchdowns, averaging nearly 25 yards per carry.

The explosive o ense of the Central Eagles dominated the West Stanly Colts in a 21-point home win on Friday night.

Season-high points allowed by West Stanly in a loss to Central

while junior Logan Faile had 17 rushing yards and a touchdown on two carries. Sophomore wide receiver Javier Padilla led all West wide receivers with three receptions for 36 yards.

Linebackers Carson Yow, Terez Butler and Caleb Foley led West’s defensive unit with 22 combined tackles.

Quarterback Dwayne Louallen Jr. also added a touchdown strike to receiver Jakari Holloman. Central piled up 307 rushing yards, the most the Colts have surrendered this season.

His 80-yard scoring run late in the rst quarter doubled Central’s lead to 14-0, and West never recovered.

With the game out of reach, West Stanly avoided a shutout with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Junior dual-threat quarterback Dominik Danzy capped his performance with a rushing score after carrying 19 times for 55 yards. He also completed seven of 15 passes for 75 yards. Colts sophomore running back Mason Jackson rushed the ball seven times for 34 yards,

The 35 points marked the highest total West has allowed through four games.

The Colts will now have a bye week to rest before hosting Eastern Randolph on Sept. 26, marking their nal nonconference matchup of the regular season before Rocky River Conference play begins on Oct. 3 at Anson.

JESSE DEAL / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

Albemarle quarterback Ray Blakeney anticipates the snap during a recent home loss against the West Stanly Colts on Sept. 5.

COURTESY HUDL

Hatton, former world champion, dies at 46

The popular British ghter was planning a comeback

By James Robson The Associated Press

MANCHESTER,

England

— Ricky Hatton, the former boxing world champion who rose to become one of the most popular ghters in the sport, died at 46.

Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

Friends of Hatton were quick to pay tribute Sunday morning.

“Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton,” former world champion Amir Khan posted on X.

“Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip,” former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said in an Instagram post, with photos of the pair together. “There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. can’t believe this so young.” News of Hatton’s death comes two months after the surprise announcement he would make a return to boxing in December in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai.

He hadn’t fought since losing for the third time in his career, against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.

Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, and at the height of his career he shared the ring with the best boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“He was not only a great ghter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life,” Pacquiao posted on X. “Ricky fought bravely, not just in the ring, but in his journey through life. He truly had a good ght, and we are all blessed to have been part of his wonderful journey.”

Hatton rose through amateur and domestic levels, building up an army of passionate fans who followed him to America for his biggest ghts.

His down-to-earth charm, as well as his tendency to dramatically gain and lose weight

between ghts, endeared him to fans across the world.

Hatton was open about the mental health issues he endured upon his retirement from the ring.

“As ghters, we tell ourselves we’re strong — we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest ght happens in silence, in the mind,” Khan added on X. “Mental health isn’t weakness. It’s part of being human. And we must talk about it. We must reach out. We must lean on each other.”

Top of the sport

Hatton’s all-action style added to his popularity. He built up a passionate following in the UK before truly announcing himself on the world stage with his epic victory against Tszyu for the IBF world super lightweight (light welterweight) title in 2005.

Pound-for-pound great Tszyu had only lost twice before, but was forced to retire on his stool in front of 22,000 fans in Manchester.

Hatton later described it as his greatest win, but it was just the start of a period when he fought at the top of the sport, with thousands of fans following him to America for huge ghts.

In a post on X, his former manager, Frank Warren, described him as a “superbly talented ghter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before,” adding he will “rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport.”

Hatton lost for the rst time in his career against Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007.

After a sold-out homecoming at Manchester City’s stadium a year later, he worked his way back to the top of the sport to take on Manny Pacquiao in 2009, losing inside two rounds.

Hatton retired after that defeat but made a remarkable comeback four years later after piling on weight and enduring issues with depression and drinking, as well as allegations of drug use.

While he lost to Senchenko, the very fact he managed to return to the ring was seen as a personal triumph.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Ricky Hatton, left, lands a right to the face of Juan Urango in their IBF junior welterweight title bout in 2007.

closing with a pair of home losses.

North Stanly boys’ soccer, 3-7, 0-1 in Yadkin Valley

RUSHING (all stats courtesy of MaxPreps, may be incomplete)

Dominik Danzy (West Stanly): 52-283, 4 TDs

AJ Butler (Albemarle): 31-278, 5 TDs

Carter Callicutt (South Stanly): 36-227, 4 TDs

Mason Jackson (West Stanly): 40-181, 1 TD

Demetrius Brooks (North Stanly): 21-156, 0 TDs

Jaden Little (North Stanly): 22-136, 3 TDs

Treyvian Legrande (Albemarle): 13-136, 2 TDs

Lorquis Lilly (North Stanly): 18-114, 1 TD

Skyler Potts (Albemarle): 8-98, 1 TD

Ikey Holt (South Stanly): 29-97, 1 TD

Joneil Cabrera Arroyo (Albemarle): 7-97, 2 TDs

Brady Lowder (North Stanly): 13-83, 0 TDs

Carter Shaw (West Stanly): 28-80, 0 TDs

Logan Faile (West Stanly): 3-40, 2 TDs

Kaleb Richardson (South Stanly): 17-33, 0 TDs

South Stanly volleyball, 4-9, 2-2 in Yadkin Valley 2A/3A

Last week’s scores: Lost 3-1 vs. North Stanly Lost 3-0 at Union Lost 3-0 at Parkwood

This week’s schedule: Sept. 16 vs. Gray Stone Day Sept. 22 at Piedmont Sept. 23 vs. Albemarle

The Rowdy Rebel Bulls dropped all three matches last week, their second three-game skid in the last eight outings.

South Stanly boys’ soccer, 2-3, 0-1 in Yadkin Valley 2A/3A

Last week’s scores: Lost 12-3 at Albemarle Lost 9-3 at North Rowan

This week’s schedule: Sept. 17 vs. North Stanly Sept. 22 vs. Union Academy

The Rowdy Rebel Bulls were on the wrong end of two blowouts, including dropping the conference opener to North Rowan.

West Stanly volleyball, 12-2, 7-0 in Rocky River 4A/5A

Last week’s scores: Won 3-0 vs. Mount Pleasant Won 3-0 at Anson Won 3-0 at North Stanly

This week’s schedule: Sept. 17 vs. Cox Mill Sept. 18 at Central Sept. 22 at Gray Stone Day

The Colts have won four in a row, not losing a set in the process. They’ve won eight of nine and 26 of 29 sets.

West Stanly boys’ soccer, 3-7, 1-3 in Rocky River 4A/5A

Last week’s scores: Lost 4-0 vs. Central Lost 7-0 at Monroe

This week’s schedule: Sept. 17 at Forest Hills Sept. 18 at Sun Valley

The Colts were shut out in both games last week and have now lost four of the last ve.

North Stanly volleyball, 7-9, 3-1 in Yadkin Valley

Last week’s scores: Won 3-1 at South Stanly Won 3-0 vs. North Rowan Won 3-1 at Southwest Randolph Lost 3-1 vs. McMichael Lost 3-0 vs. West Stanly

This week’s schedule: Sept. 16 at Albemarle Sept. 18 vs. Union Academy Sept. 22 vs. Mount Pleasant

It was a busy, ve-match week for the Comets. They won the rst three, etending their streak to four straight, before

Last week’s scores: Lost 9-0 vs. Union Lost 6-0 vs. North Davidson Lost 9-0 vs. Gray Stone Day

This week’s schedule: Sept. 17 at South Stanly Sept. 22 vs. North Rowan

The Comets were swept last week and have now lost four in a row by a combined 31-0 margin.

Albemarle volleyball, 4-3, 1-3 in Yadkin Valley

Last week’s scores: Won 3-0 at North Rowan Lost 3-0 vs. Gray Stone Day Won 3-0 vs. TMASACCC

This week’s schedule: Sept. 16 vs. North Stanly Sept. 18 vs. South Davidson Sept. 23 at South Stanly

The Bulldogs won two of three, including recording their rst conference win of the season.

Albemarle boys’ soccer, 4-5, 0-1 in Yadkin Valley

Last week’s scores: Won 12-3 vs. South Stanly Lost 8-0 at Union Academy

This week’s schedule: Sept. 17 at North Rowan Sept. 18 vs. West Davidson Sept. 22 vs. Gray Stone Day

The Bulldogs blew out South, then su ered a lopsided loss to open conference play.

RECEIVING

Jasiah Holt (South Stanly): 20-375, 5 TDs

Jayden Woods (South Stanly): 14-222, 2 TDs

Kylan Dockery (North Stanly): 10-185, 2 TDs

Javier Padilla (West Stanly): 12-130, 1 TD

Zayden Thomas (West Stanly): 6-99, 0 TDs

Wyatt Crawford (South Stanly): 7-81, 1 TD

Jaymi Campbell (Albemarle): 5-76, 2 TDs

Racere Bruton (North Stanly): 3-65, 0 TDs

Carter Callicutt (South Stanly): 3-63, 0 TDs

Solomon Hudson (North Stanly): 5-48, 1 TD

PASSING

Kaleb Richardson (South Stanly): 42-71 for 743, 9 TDs

Brady Lowder (North Stanly): 22-38 for 336, 4 TDs

Dominik Danzy (West Stanly): 22-40 for 240, 2 TDs

Ray Blakeney (Albemarle): 12-24 for 152, 1 TD

Yadkin Valley 2A/3A

North Stanly, 3-0

Thomas Je erson: 2-1

Union: 2-1

Albemarle: 2-1

South Stanly: 2-1

North Rowan:0-3

Games last week (Sept. 12)

Central 35, West Stanly 14

North Stanly (Open)

South Stanly (Open)

Albemarle (Open)

Rocky River 4A/5A

Forest Hills: 4-0

Mount Pleasant: 2-2

West Stanly: 1-3

Parkwood: 1-3

Monroe: 1-3

Anson: 1-3

Games this week (Sept. 19)

Mountain Island Charter at North Stanly

Bonnie Cone at South Stanly

Thomas Je erson at Albemarle

West Stanly (Open)

PJ WARD-BROWN / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

West Stanly volleyball gets a point, despite the heroic e ort from SW Randolph in a recent game.

($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory

FOR RENT

NOTICES

NOTICE

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHESTERFIELD IN THE FAMILY COURT OF THE FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CASE NO.: 2025-DR-13-087

Lauren Cassidy Honeycutt, Plainti , vs. Tanarius Mandrey Blackmon, Defendant. SUMMONS

Let’s Work Together

Full-Time

• Architect, System

• Director, Campus Food Services

• Instructor, Cosmetology (9-month)

• Instructor, English

• Program Head, Accounting

We are eager to welcome individuals who are dedicated to our mission and committed to enhancing our community. Interested candidates are invited to browse our open full and part time positions via the website below to nd out how to apply for one of our job openings at SCC.

TO: DEFENDANT ABOVE-NAMED: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint in this action, of which a copy is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your answer on the subscribers, LUCAS, WHITE, & MITCHELL at their o ce located at 508 South Fourth Street in Hartsville, South Carolina, within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, Judgment by Default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

LUCAS, WHITE & MITCHELL

Cody T. Mitchell (Bar No.: 100184)

Adam C. Gainey (Bar No.: 105756) Attorney for Plainti SC Bar No.:100184 508 South Fourth Street Post O ce Box 1408

Hartsville, South Carolina Hartsville, SC 29551 Tel: (843) 332-5050 September 11, 2025 Fax: (843) 332-5105

NOTICE

The Town Council of the Town of Norwood has received an o er to purchase the following property for the sum of $55,000. .40 +or- acres of land, located on South Strand Drive; referenced by Tax ID 657403206686

Any

er in cash, check, or certi ed check. Once a qualifying bid has been received, that bid will become the new o er. If a qualifying upset bid is received, the new o er will be advertised and the process continued until a ten (10) day period has passed without receipt of a

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION

Melinda Donna Kimrey Hatley Thompson, having quali ed as Administratrix of the Estate of Jerry Ray Kimrey, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, gives this notice to all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate and asks that they present such claims, duly veri ed, to the Administratrix

rms, and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate settlement with the estate. This, the 27th day of August 2025 Court File #: 25E000465-830

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE No. 25E000424-830

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

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

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in 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.: 22-04777-FC01

This notice is published in accordance with G.S. 160a-269.

Publish Wed, September 17th

NOTICE

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

AGENCY

Proposed Flood Hazard Determinations for Stanly County, North Carolina and Incorporated Areas

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued a preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), and where applicable, Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report, re ecting proposed ood hazard determinations within Stanly County, North Carolina and Incorporated Areas. These ood hazard determinations may include the addition or modi cation of Base Flood Elevations, base ood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area boundaries or zone designations, or the regulatory oodway. Technical information or comments are solicited on the proposed ood hazard determinations shown on the preliminary FIRM and/or FIS report for Stanly County, North Carolina and Incorporated Areas. These ood hazard determinations are the basis for the oodplain management measures that your community is required to either adopt or show evidence of being already in e ect in order to qualify or remain quali ed for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. However, before these determinations are e ective for oodplain management purposes, you will be provided an opportunity to appeal the proposed information. For information on the statutory 90-day period provided for appeals, as well as a complete listing of the communities a ected and the locations where copies of the FIRM are available for review, please visit FEMA’s website at https://www. oodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/BFE_Status/ bfe_main.asp or call the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX) toll free at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627).

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF STANLY

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NUMBER 25E000485-830

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES LARRY BOLES, SR.

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of James Larry Boles, Sr., this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate to present such claims to the undersigned or his attorney on or before the 10th day of December, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This the 10th day of September, 2025.

Administrator: James Larry Boles, Jr. 72 Pine Ridge Drive Whispering Pines, NC 28237

Attorney for the estate: Connie Edwards Mosher First Street Legal 239 N 1st Street Albemarle, NC 28001

Dates of publication: September 10, 17, 24, October 1

NOTICE

Oakboro, NC 28129

Attorney for Estate: Connie E. Mosher 239 N. First Street Albemarle, NC 28001 704-983-0086 Dates of publication: August 27, September 3, 10 and 17

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA STANLY

the stream

Cardi B, movie about Bumble, ‘Morning Show’ returns

“Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” captures the essence of female musicians in the late ’90s

The Associated Press

CARDI B releasing her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” and Lily James playing the founder of the popular dating app Bumble in the new biographical drama “Swiped” are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuting its fourth season on Apple TV+., Ariana Madix heading back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock and a Hulu documentary seeks to tell the story of the music festival Lilith Fair in new detail.

MOVIES TO STREAM

James plays the founder of the popular dating app Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, in the new biographical drama “Swiped” which streams on Hulu on Friday. The lm, directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, traces Wolfe Herd’s trajectory from college and beyond. In 2012, she co-founded Tinder and two years later started Bumble, which would put her on a path to becoming the youngest female self-made billionaire. “Swiped,” which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, also stars Dan Stevens and “Industry’s” Myha’la. And for something completely di erent, and silly, Net ix has the Liam Neeson action pic “Ice Road: Vengeance” available now. Neeson plays an ice-road truck driver who wants to scatter his brother’s ashes on Mount Everest but nds himself having to ght mercenaries. It got terrible reviews when it was released in theaters this summer, but that’s probably beside the point.

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM

She’s back and bigger than

ever. On Friday, Cardi B will release her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” — seven years after the release of her landmark debut, 2018’s “Invasion of Privacy.” What has been released so far sounds like freedom: the sexy empowerment anthems “Up” and “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion from years past, and the bravado of “Outside” and smooth ow of “Imaginary Playerz.”

Fans of jangly guitar tones and power pop, listen up. Philadelphia’s Golden Apples, led by singer-songwriter Russell Edling, will release an addictive new album on Friday titled “Shooting Star.” Start with “Noonday Demon,” the cheeriest-sounding song about depression you’ll hear this year. It’s a charmer.

It was radical then and now.

In the summers of 1997 through 1999, a music festival founded by Sarah McLachlan shined a light on women musicians — both bands and solo artists. Streaming on Sunday, a new documentary seeks to tell the story of Lilith Fair in new detail. “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premieres on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ and features a long list of incredible talent, from those who performed to those whose music takes obvious in uence from the events. That includes McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Natalie Merchant, Mýa, Jewel, Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo.

SERIES TO STREAM

“Dancing with the Stars” returns for its millionth, er, 34th season on ABC and Disney+.

Contestants learning the paso doble and foxtrot include Olympian Jordan Chiles, Hilaria Baldwin, actor Corey Feldman, comedian Andy Richter, former NBA star Baron Davis and Robert Irwin, the son of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin and. Whitney Leavitt and Jen A eck from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” will also compete. Jan Ravnik, one of the dancers from Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” also joins the show as a pro. All episodes are streaming

Jeremy Irons attends the Apple TV+ premiere of “The Morning Show” Season 4 at the Museum of Modern Art on Sept. 9 in New York. The hit show’s new season is now streaming on Apple TV+.

on Hulu and Disney+.

Just as the dust has settled on season 7 of “Love Island USA,” host Ariana Madix is headed back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock. The show brings back fan-favorite Islanders from “Love Island” iterations across the globe to partake in competitions and get a second chance at love. Fans will recognize Chris Seeley, Andreina Santos and Charlie Georgiou from season 7 and Kendall Washington and Andrea Carmona from season 6 as part of the new cast. Aniston and Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuted its fourth season on Apple TV+.

The two play TV news anchors at a ctional news network called UBN. Each season features topical themes, and this one is no di erent, addressing AI, deepfakes and conspiracy theories in the media. Additional series regulars include Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Karen Pittman and Nicole Beharie, along with adding new characters played by Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Aaron Pierre and William Jackson Harper to the mix.

Hulu’s legal soap “Reasonable Doubt” returns Thursday for its third season. Emayatzy Corinealdi stars as Jax Stewart, a successful criminal defense lawyer

“Love Island USA”

in LA who in the new episodes, is defending a former child actor accused of murder. Jax’s standing at her ashy law rm is also in jeopardy when a new hire is determined to take her position.

Starz’s steamy “The Couple Next Door” is back on Friday with a new season and a new cast that includes Sam Palladio (“Nashville”), Annabel Scholey (“The Split”), and Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Never Have I Ever”). Scholey and Palladio play Charlotte and Jacob, a seemingly solid couple living in a well-to-do neighborhood whose marriage gets threatened by a new colleague in their workplace. The tangled web only grows from there.

GAMES TO PLAY

VIDEO

Over the years, Lego video games have featured the likes of Batman, Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker. Annapurna Interactive’s Lego Voyagers may have the most versatile hero of all: a simple Lego brick. It’s a cooperative game in which each player is a 1x1 piece — one red, one blue — that can attach itself to other chunks and build bridges, vehicles and other devices. Red and Blue need to work together to solve puzzles as they try to rescue an abandoned spaceship. It’s the sort of game that parents with young kids may appreciate, and things start clicking now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch and PC.

SAMMY KOGAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP

Director Ally Pankiw and singer-songwriters Sarah McLachlan and Paula Cole attend the “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 13. The documentary streams Sunday on Hulu and Disney+.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

HULU / APPLE TV+ / STARZ VIA AP

“Reasonable Doubt,” left, “The Morning Show,” center and “The Couple Next Door” are all streaming this week.

is headed to Fiji.

Back, back, back, back, back …

Athletics rst baseman Nick Kurtz, right, watches the ball after hitting a grand slam during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. The former Demon Deacon’s blast went 493 feet, making it the longest home run in MLB this season and the longest by an A’s player since tracking began in 2015.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

N.Y. judge tosses terror charges against Mangione, lets murder count stand

A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state’s case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state’s second-degree murder charges against him. Judge Gregory Carro ruled Tuesday that although there is no doubt that the killing was not an ordinary street crime, New York law doesn’t consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology. The ruling came as Mangione made his rst court appearance in the state case since February. The 27-yearold Ivy League graduate has attracted a cult following as a stand-in for frustrations with the health insurance industry after Thompson was fatally shot in December.

Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, says it’s “replica” D.C. crackdown

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis to combat crime, testing the limits of presidential power by using military force in cities. Trump made Monday’s announcement with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, calling it a “replica” of e orts in Washington, D.C. Last month, Trump deployed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, claiming it reduced crime.

WSFCS presents 2024-25 school performance data

Hald of the district’s schools received a ‘C’ or higher performance grade

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education was presented with the district’s 2024-25 accountability and school performance data at its Sept. 9 regular business meeting.

The annual reports from the state are intended to provide a snapshot of student performance at all the schools within a district through school performance grades, which is measured by achievement and growth.

WSFCS had ve schools receive an A rating, 14 schools received a B, 20 schools received a C, 22 schools received

a D, and 17 schools received an F. In total, 50% of WSFCS schools had a school performance grade of C or better, which is the same percentage as the prior year.

However, 12 schools did improve their letter grade from the previous year and 14 improved their overall performance composite score by ve or more points.

“We’re proud of those schools, but we recognize there is still room for improvement in all of our schools,” said Andrew Kraft, assistant superintendent of accountability and continuous improvement.

In terms of growth, which is measured by comparing all schools in the state, WSFCS had 45 schools meet growth, with nine of those exceeding the benchmark metric.

Atkins Academic & Technical and Ronald W. Reagan

High Schools ranked in the top 1% for growth in the state.

“What this means is that if you send a kid to our schools, they’re going to be signi cantly better in these schools than they would at other schools across the state of North Carolina,” Kraft said.

Twenty-seven schools did not meet expected growth.

In addition, seven schools came o of the low performing list — Forest Park Elementary, Kimmel Farm Elementary, Parkland High, J F Kennedy High, Smith Farm Elementary, Walkertown Middle and Ward Elementary. Last year, 32 schools in the district were designated as low performing.

“They did this by either getting a C or higher or exceeding expected growth,” Kraft said.

In terms of individual testing metrics, WSFCS saw an increase in 3-8 EOG reading and

“We recognize there is still room for improvement in all of our schools.”

Andrew Kraft, assistant superintendent

math scores, which has been a steady trend since returning from the pandemic.

There was also growth in Math III and English II scores, but a decrease in Math I.

“These results re ect performance for a single year in tested areas, in student growth and in other measures,” said E e McMillian, chief of sta and strategic planning. “But we do know that standardized measures don’t tell the full story of our schools and the work that they do every single day to serve and support students.”

The district also reported an 86% graduation rate last year, up 0.6% from the prior year, with six schools exceeding the district’s 90% goal.

The WSFCS Board of Education will next meet Sept. 23.

The governor says additional help is needed from Washington

The Associated Press

FLAT ROCK — North Car-

olina Gov. Josh Stein on Monday requested $13.5 billion more from Congress in recovery aid for Hurricane Helene almost a year after the historic storm, saying additional help is needed from Washington to address record amounts of damage and to get funds to the region quicker.

The proposal also asks the

federal government to distribute an additional $9.4 billion in federal funds that the state has already requested or is expecting but rst needs additional action from U.S. agencies.

Stein’s administration says $5.2 billion in federal funds have already been allocated or obligated to western North Carolina for Helene relief, in contrast to the estimated $60 billion damage and costs incurred from the September 2024 storm and related ooding. O cials said there were more than 100

SARA NEVIS / AP PHOTO

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein speaks during an interview at West Henderson High School after meeting with health science students on Aug. 20 in Fletcher.

States taking steps to ease access to COVID-19 vaccines

Democratic governors are challenging the FDA’s new vaccine distribution rules

By Geo Mulvihill The Associated Press

THE GOVERNORS OF Ari-

zona, Illinois, Maine and North Carolina on Friday joined the growing list of Democratic ocials who have signed orders intended to ensure most residents can receive COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies without individual prescriptions.

Unlike past years, access to COVID-19 vaccines has become complicated in 2025, largely because federal guidance does not recommend them for nearly everyone this year as it had in the past.

Pharmacy chain says shots available in most states without individual prescriptions

CVS Health, the biggest pharmacy chain in the U.S., says its stores are o ering the shots without an individual prescription in 41 states as of midday Friday.

But the remaining states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia — require individual prescriptions under the company’s interpretation of state policies.

Arizona, Maine and North Carolina are likely to come o that list as the new orders take e ect there.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: forsythcommunity@ northstatejournal.com

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

storm-related deaths in the state.

“We are grateful for every federal dollar that we have received because it brings us closer to recovery. But we need more help,” Stein during a news conference at Blue Ridge Community College in Henderson County, about 30 miles south of Asheville. “The next stage of recovery is going to require a new commitment from Congress and from the administration to not forget the people of western North Carolina.” Stein, who said he plans to take his request to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, has tried to nd a balance between building rapport with President Donald

“I will not stand idly by while the Trump Administration makes it harder for Maine people to get a vaccine that protects their health and could very well save their life,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in the statement.

“Through this standing order, we are stepping up to knock down the barriers the Trump Administration is putting in the way of the health and welfare of Maine people.”

Democratic governors taking action

At least 14 states — 12 with Democratic governors, plus Virginia, where Republican Glenn Youngkin is governor — have announced policies this month to ease access.

In some of the states that have expanded access — including Delaware and New Jersey earlier in the week and Illinois on Friday — at least some pharmacies were already providing the shots broadly.

Friday’s orders are expected to change the policy in all

Trump’s administration on recovery activities and criticizing delays. On Monday, he cited “extra layers of bureaucratic review” slowing down reimbursements to local governments. More relief money has been permitted for distribution in recent weeks.

“Recovery costs money, more money than any city or county in western North Carolina can manage even from a cash ow standpoint,” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, who cochairs an Helene recovery advisory commission, said Monday.

The Democratic governor and his Helene recovery ofce has often cited a bar chart they say shows relatively meager nancial assistance received so far from the federal govern-

three states where they were put into place.

North Carolina’s orders were narrower than most. They apply to everyone age 65 and over and people who are at least 18 and have a risk factor. Other adults would still need prescriptions. O cials said the order takes e ect immediately but that all pharmacies might not have supplies on hand right away.

While most Republican-controlled states have not changed vaccine policy this month, the inoculations are still available there under existing policies.

In addition to the round of orders from governors, boards of pharmacy and other o cials, four states — California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington — have announced an alliance to make their own vaccine recommendations. Of those, only Oregon doesn’t currently allow the shots in pharmacies without individual prescriptions.

Vaccines become politically contentious

In past years, the federal gov-

ment as a percentage of total storm-related costs compared to what was provided for other recent U.S. hurricanes.

“Western North Carolina has not received anywhere near what it needs, nor our fair share,” he said.

About $8.1 billion of the $13.5 billion that Stein is requesting would go to the state’s already approved disaster recovery block grant program. More than one-third of that portion would help rebuild or replace thousands of homes and businesses, provide rental assistance and perform storm mitigation activities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development already has awarded $1.65 billion of these block grants to the state

Maine Gov. Janet Mills

ernment has recommended the vaccines to all Americans above the age of 6 months.

This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved them for people age 65 and over but said they should be used only for children and younger adults who have a risk factor such as asthma or obesity.

That change came as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy red the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June, accusing of them of being too closely aligned with the companies that make the vaccines. The replacements include vaccine skeptics.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, framed her order

and to Asheville. Other block grant money requested Monday would go to fund forgivable loans for small business, the construction of private and municipal bridges, and support for homeless individuals.

Other newly requested funds would include nearly $1.6 billion to increase reimbursements to rebuild major roads, including Interstate 40 and I-26; and $1.75 billion toward “Special Community Disaster Loans” to help local governments provide essential services.

The state legislature and state agencies already have provided another $3.1 billion toward Helene recovery since last fall.

It’s unclear how Monday’s broad proposal — addressed to Trump and North Carolina’s

Friday as “protecting the health care freedom” of people in the state.

One state takes another stance on vaccines

Florida’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, announced this month that the state could become the rst to eliminate requirements that children have a list of vaccinations.

Since then, though, the state health department said that the change likely wouldn’t take effect until December and that without legislative action, only some vaccines — including for chickenpox — would become optional. The measles and polio shots would remain mandatory.

congressional delegation — will be received by the president and Congress in full. When Stein made a pitch for supplemental recovery funds from the federal government earlier this month, a White House spokesperson said the request was evidence that he is un t to run a state.” Meanwhile, the region’s tourist economy received a boost on Monday when the National Park Service announced that a 27mile stretch of a popular scenic route has reopened with the completion of two projects that repaired damage from a

slide. The opening also

vides transportation access to the adjoining Mount Mitchell State Park that features the

MATT ROURKE / AP PHOTO

Co-owner Eric Abramowitz at Eric’s Rx Shoppe unpacks a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines at the store in Horsham, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 2.

STEIN from page A1

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

All Republicans must stop the wind scam

Electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive.

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump absolutely hates wind turbines. He has canceled several projects. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act terminated about $500 billion in subsidies for Green New Scam projects. A post-OBBBA executive order prescribed heightened regulatory scrutiny of wind and solar projects to make it di cult to use the remaining Green New Scam subsidies.

So why are some Republican politicians and a deep red states bent on building them anyway?

Politico reported this week that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is lobbying Trump administration o cials for what would be the largest U.S. o shore wind farm under construction by Dominion Energy o the coast of Virginia. Apparently outgoing Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin can’t convince Trump, so Youngkin and Dominion Energy are trying some sort of end run around the president.

In Arkansas, the only thing holding up a massive project with 600-foot wind turbines is the valiant ght of locals in ve counties who have passed ordinances against the turbine’s erection. And don’t forget that last minute changes to the Senate version of the OBBBA to save Green New Scam subsidies by Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Grassley almost sank the entire bill.

It’s important for all Republicans to understand why wind turbines are not MAGA.

As a threshold matter, wind turbines have no bona de purpose. They have been marketed as “emissions-free” energy to combat the supposed “climate crisis.” But the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates, for example, that the average of summertime maximum temperatures in the U.S. in 2025 was actually cooler than those of summertime 1901, 124 years ago. Globally, August 2025 was the same temperature as August 1998, despite more than a trillion tons of emissions since 1998. No wonder

Trump calls emissions-driven climate change a “hoax.”

Even if there were some climate or weather problem caused by emissions of greenhouse gases, the simple math of the global situation is that the U.S. could stop emitting today and forever, and the vast majority of global emissions would happen anyway. So there’s no climate crisis, and even if there were, wind turbines in the U.S. would accomplish nothing.

Next, electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive. Wind farms are not built without taxpayers subsidies and additional guarantees by electricity consumers. There is absolutely no evidence that wind energy has lowered electricity prices anywhere in the world.

Wind may be free, but wind farm construction, operation and transmission of electricity is not. Moreover, wind energy requires back-up, usually from fossil fuel or nuclear baseload power plants. This redundancy is just an added cost.

Third, wind turbines are not environmentally friendly. The rare earth minerals needed for their construction largely come from anything-goes strip-mining and processing in Communist China. Westerners rarely see the revolting consequences of these activities.

The construction of onshore wind farms takes up vastly larger spaces, six to 13 times more, than conventional gas power plants. More than just the space, each onshore wind turbine has an immense and essentially permanent concrete and iron rebar foundation. Wind farmland is just ruined. The construction of o shore wind may have produced the dozens of dead whales that washed up on East Coast beaches during 2023-24.

Fourth, wind farms are dangerous to the environment when they operate. Under normal circumstances, they are a hazard to birds and bats. They require special government allowances to kill birds because the nes would be too great for wind farms to operate. The disintegration of

The media’s demonization of the right has consequences

Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

CHARLIE KIRK wasn’t just a colleague. He was a friend. He was someone who showed up, worked hard, and cared deeply about his family and his country. His life mattered. As I process the tragic circumstances of his death, I can’t help but turn to a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: the climate that enabled it.

For decades, America’s media institutions have cultivated a narrative that paints conservatives as dangerous, regressive, even subhuman. Every nightly newscast, every editorial page, every so-called “analysis” drips with disdain for anyone who dares to challenge the progressive orthodoxy. You don’t just disagree with the left anymore; you’re smeared as a bigot, a fascist or worse. This relentless demonization isn’t harmless rhetoric. It creates an atmosphere where hostility toward the right feels not only acceptable but righteous. When the press treats millions of Americans like villains, it should not shock us when some unhinged individual takes that narrative literally and turns it into violence. Words have consequences. The media knows this when it lectures conservatives about “dangerous speech” and “dog whistles.” It never looks in the mirror. When major outlets tell audiences day after day that Republicans are a threat to democracy, when they equate conservative beliefs with extremism, they are not just engaging in biased journalism. They are laying kindling for hatred, and sometimes that hatred combusts.

Consider the language used in mainstream coverage of the right. If you oppose open borders, you are “anti-immigrant.” If you defend parental rights in schools, you are “anti-LGBT.”

If you worry about election integrity, you are a “conspiracy theorist.” When media elites atten every conservative principle into a caricature of cruelty, they strip away the humanity of people like Charlie. Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

That’s what the press has done to the right: It has turned millions of good, law-abiding Americans into cartoon villains in a morality play. For years, conservatives have been warning: When you keep telling people that a whole class of citizens are monsters, don’t be surprised when someone believes you — and acts accordingly.

The hypocrisy is staggering. If the roles were reversed, if left-wing activists were being attacked in the streets, the media would frame it as a national crisis of hate. We’d see around-the-clock coverage, solemn declarations about “the soul of America” and endless op-eds about the dangerous climate of conservative rhetoric. When conservatives are the victims, silence. Or worse — justi cations. “They had it coming,” the subtext suggests, because daring to hold the wrong political beliefs apparently makes you complicit in oppression.

That double standard doesn’t just warp the narrative, it fuels division. Millions of Americans see that bias and conclude, rightly, that the press doesn’t value their lives or their freedoms. That perception breeds alienation. Alienation breeds anger. Anger, left unchecked, can erupt in violence.

No individual act of violence can ever be excused. Personal responsibility matters. Yet individuals do not commit violence in a vacuum. They act within a culture shaped by

an o shore wind turbine blade in 2024 wreaked havoc on Massachusetts beaches. And no one has yet studied the e ects on the environment of the hot (140°F) cables bringing power from the o shore turbines to shore.

Finally, o shore wind turbines are a national security problem. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) issued this statement this week: “Massive o shore wind turbines — rushed through an abbreviated permitting process — could interfere with America’s ability to detect threats from adversaries like Russia and China. Submarines operating o the U.S. coast could gain a critical advantage if detection systems are disrupted, leaving the nation more vulnerable to attack.”

We certainly need more electricity, especially given the rise of AI data centers and Trump’s goal of reindustrializing America. But that electricity should be provided at the lowest cost as determined on a subsidy-free basis. Electricity must be provided reliably, which means not dependent on nature or the weather. It should cause the least environmental damage and should not endanger national security. Wind, onshore or o shore, doesn’t make the cut when compared to coal, natural gas and nuclear power — i.e., Trump’s energy agenda.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has received Trump’s message loud and clear. This week he told a group of European leaders, “Under this administration, there is not a future for o shore wind because it is too expensive and not reliable enough.” All Republicans need to get that message.

Steve Milloy, a biostatistician and lawyer, publishes JunkScience.com. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

institutions, none more in uential than the media. When leading outlets tell the public that conservatives are existential threats to democracy, they normalize hostility against us. When commentators sneer that half the country is made up of racists, misogynists and extremists, they legitimize rage against us.

In this climate, the media is complicit. Its hands are not clean.

Conservatives have been calling for a return to fairness, civility and honest debate. We do not expect journalists to agree with us. We do expect them to recognize our humanity and stop painting us as villains in every story. If this cycle of demonization continues, tragedies like Kirk’s will not be the last.

Kirk deserved far better. He was not someone who kept his head down or played it safe. He stood up for what he believed in, he defended people who were silenced, and he never hesitated to call out injustice. His courage came with a cost, but it also inspired those around him to be braver, stronger and truer to their convictions.

Now there is a gaping void where his voice once was. That loss is not only personal — it is national. We cannot a ord to lose people like Kirk, who put principle above comfort, who saw through the lies of a corrupt media and refused to be cowed. His absence leaves all of us with a responsibility: to speak louder, stand taller and demand an end to the demonization that is tearing this country apart.

Kirk’s life was a testament to conviction. His death must be a wake-up call.

Adam Weiss is the CEO of AMW PR, publisher of Impact Wealth magazine and the host of “Media Exposed” on Real America’s Voice News. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | ADAM WEISS

COLUMN | STEVE MILLOY

Indictment charges church leaders with swindling millions in military bene ts

The church exploited soldiers’ bene ts for enrollment pro ts

By Russ Bynum The Associated Press

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Leaders of a Georgia-based church with congregations in ve states have been charged by federal prosecutors with swindling millions of dollars in veterans bene ts from parishioners serving in the military.

An indictment unsealed last Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Savannah charges House of Prayer Christian Churches of America founder Rony Denis and seven other church leaders with conspiring to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, as well as other federal crimes.

Authorities say church leaders exploited soldiers and other congregation members by enrolling them in seminary programs that drained their G.I. Bill education bene ts. They also say church o cials used parishioners’ names on fraudulent mortgage applications to buy homes

that the church then rented to congregation members.

“The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith, and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves,” Paul Brown, the agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta o ce, said in a news release.

Prosecutors say church raked in $23 million from veterans bene ts

Prosecutors say they don’t even know the real name of Denis, alleging he assumed that name after stealing another person’s identity in 1983. He founded House of Prayer roughly two decades ago. The church is headquartered in Hinesville, a southeast Georgia city that is home to thousands of veterans and Army soldiers serving at neighboring Fort Stewart. The congregation there grew to as many as 300 members, the indictment says. House of Prayer branched out, opening up to a dozen churches in ve states, often near military bases, according to prosecutors. It also established a liated Bible seminar-

“The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith, and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves.”

Paul Brown, FBI Atlanta o ce agent

ies in Hinesville as well as Fayetteville; Killeen, Texas; and Tacoma, Washington.

The indictment says the church focused on recruiting military service members to join their congregations and pressured them to spend their G.I. Bill education bene ts on enrollment in its seminary programs.

The seminaries in all four states earned House of Prayer leaders $23.5 million in G.I. Bill payments for tuition, fees, books and housing costs from 2013 and 2021, according to the indictment.

Charges against Denis and others stem from just $3.2 million of those bene t payments

Income inequality dipped, fewer people moved, according to largest survey of US life

The census data shows demographic shifts and housing trends

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

INCOME INEQUALITY

dipped, more people had college degrees, fewer people moved to a di erent home and the share of Asian and Hispanic residents increased in the United States last year, according to gures released last Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

These year-to-year changes, big and small, from 2023 to 2024 were captured in the bureau’s data from the American Community Survey, the largest annual audit of American life. The survey of 3.5 million households asks about more than 40 topics, including income, housing costs, veterans status, computer use, commuting and education. Here’s a look at how the United States changed last year.

Income inequality dips

Income inequality — or the

“North

Carolina was the only state to see a statistically signi cant rise in inequality.”

Michael Walden, NC State economist

gap between the highest and lowest earners — in the United States fell nationwide by nearly a half percent from 2023 to 2024, as median household income rose slightly, from $80,002 to $81,604. Five Midwestern states — Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin — had statistically signi cant dips, along with Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Puerto Rico. North Carolina was the only state to see a statistically signi cant rise in inequality. NC State economist Michael Walden said it re ected the state generating high-paying jobs in tech and other professional sectors, while the post-pandemic labor shortage which raised wages

in lower-paying service jobs had ended.

In South Dakota, which had a leading 4% drop, the inequality dip “could re ect stronger growth in the household income among lower and middle income households (or smaller growth in the income of the highest brackets),” state demographer Weiwei Zhang said last Wednesday in an email.

In Nebraska, it could be high employment rates across all demographic groups since “high employment leads to income, thus less income inequality,” said Josie Schafer, director of the Center for Public A airs Research at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

In Massachusetts, one of the traditional strengths of the state’s economy — high-paying jobs in life science, high tech and research — has been sluggish in the past two years, said Mark Melnik, director of economic and public policy research at a University of Massachusetts Amherst institute.

“The typical jobs in this industry are the kind of thing that helps Massachusetts have the highest per capita (income) in the country but also exacer -

made to House of Prayer’s two seminaries in Georgia. That is because the programs operated in Georgia under a religious exemption granted by state regulators. Prosecutors say that exemption prohibited the Georgia seminaries from receiving federal funding — including G.I. Bill bene ts from the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs.

The indictment says church o cials lied to Georgia regulators in annual forms saying the seminaries received no federal money.

Steven Sadow, listed in court records as an attorney for Denis, did not immediately return an email message seeking comment last Thursday.

A group called Veterans Education Success wrote to the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs in 2020, saying former students had complained that the House of Prayer seminaries had drained their benets while providing them with little education. FBI agents served search warrants on several House of Prayer churches in 2022, according to local news outlets.

Church accused of pro ting o rental homes bought with false documents

The indictment says church o cials also used its members as straw buyers to conceal the leaders’ purchase of rental properties. Prosecutors say church leaders falsi ed loan applications and closing documents and forged powers of attorney to buy and transfer homes that were rented to congregation members.

The indictment says House of Prayer received $5.2 million in rent payments between 2018 and 2020, with some of that money being used to pay for Denis’ two homes as well as church leaders’ credit card bills.

Denis was also charged with helping falsify his federal income tax returns for 2018, 2019 and 2020. Last Wednesday, FBI agents and Columbia County sheri ’s deputies arrested the church founder at his mansion in Martinez west of Augusta, WRDW-TV reported.

In a separate case, federal prosecutors also indicted Bernadel Semexant, a pastor at the House of Prayer church in Hinesville. The indictment unsealed last week charges Semexant with sex abuse of a girl between the ages of 12 and 15. William Joseph Turner, listed in court records as the pastor’s attorney, did not immediately return an email message.

bates some elements of income inequality,” Melnik said.

Greater diversity, fewer people married

The United States became more demographically diverse, and fewer people were married from 2023 to 2024.

The non-Hispanic white population, who identify with only a single race, dropped from 57.1% to 56.3%, while the share of the nation’s Asian population rose from 6% to 6.3% and the Hispanic population rose from 19.4% to 20%. The rate of the black population stayed the same at 12.1%, as did the American Indian Alaska Native alone population at 1%.

In the marriage department, the share of men who have never married increased from 37.2% to 37.6%, and it rose from 31.6% to 32.1% for women.

Fewer people moved, as costs of renting, owning homes rose

Last year, only 11% of U.S. residents moved to another home, compared to 11.3% in the previous year. The decline of people moving this decade has been part of a continuous slide as home prices have skyrocketed in some metros and interest rates have gone up. In 2019, by comparison, 13.7% of U.S. residents moved.

The monthly costs for U.S. homeowners with a mortgage rose to $2,035 from $1,960. Homeowners with a mortgage in California ($3,001), Hawaii ($2,937), New Jersey ($2,797), Massachusetts ($2,755), and the District of Columbia ($3,181) had the highest median monthly costs.

Costs for renters also increased as the median rent with utilities went from $1,448 to $1,487.

PAMELA HASSELL / AP PHOTO

Pedestrians walk in the rain on 20th Street and First Avenue on July 31 in New York.

FRANCIS

Forsyth SPORTS

Concepcion stars on eld, embraces speaking publicly while dealing with stutter

The former Wolfpack playmaker now sparks the Aggies

By Kristie Rieken Associated Press

COLLEGE STATION, Texas

— After KC Concepcion scored two touchdowns to help No. 16 Texas A&M to a win over Utah State last weekend, he condently strode to the podium, warmly greeted the assembled media and ashed a huge smile before answering questions for almost 10 minutes.

It’s a scene the receiver couldn’t have imagined as a kid when a severe stutter led to bullying in school.

Now 20, Concepcion still stutters and admitted that speaking publicly remains challenging for him.

“I’m really still kind of getting comfortable with it,” he told The Associated Press after practice this week.

He recalled how some kids treated him as a child and that the classes meant to help him only made him feel more self-conscious about his stuttering. He was picked on.

“It kind of used to be really, really bad when I was a kid,” he said. “But, you know, just just taking my little speech classes here and there, I really didn’t like going to them because I kind of felt like I was a little weird. ... Just being taught how to try to like speak uently and and not stutter or anything.”

Those times were di cult, but he was helped by his father, Kevin Concepcion. Stuttering is often hereditary, and that is the case with Concepcion, whose father also stutters.

“As a little kid, it’s kind of tough having, having kids pick on you for your talking,” he said. “Just just seeing him deal with it also it helped me out, you feel me. And it made me feel

like I wasn’t the only one.”

Concepcion abandoned his speech classes in middle school and decided the only way to improve his speech was to practice. That meant not shying away from talking in any situation. The receiver from Charlotte likened it to getting reps on the football eld.

“It’s literally just exactly like football,” he said. “Sometimes you know it it comes from the heart, but sometimes I can just sit down and and go over it and just make sure that I know what I’m saying in the back of my mind sometimes and that can also help me to where I’m not trying to nd the words and it’s just coming out weird.”

Concepcion is in his rst season at Texas A&M after a transfer from NC State. Despite being one of the newer faces on the team, he’s already made his mark with the Aggies. He had a touchdown reception and returned a punt 80 yards for a score in Texas A&M’s opener before his two-touchdown performance in Week 2. He’s the rst Texas A&M receiver to score two or more touchdowns in consecutive

Bell wins at Bristol

Joe Gibbs Racing completed a rst-round sweep in the Cup playo s

The Associated Press

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joe Gibbs Racing completed a clean sweep of the rst round in the NASCAR Cup Series playo s as Christopher Bell charged to a victory Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bell went from fourth to rst on the nal restart and led the last four laps at the 0.533-mile oval, ending a 24-race winless streak with his fourth victory of the season.

“It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done,” said Bell, who led only 12 laps in his

13th career victory. “We just know that any given week, it could be us, and it hasn’t been for a long time. But Bristol, baby, tonight it’s us.”

He joined JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe as playo winners with the rst round concluding at Bristol. Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry were eliminated from the 10-race championship run.

“Just so excited about the start to the playo s,” team owner Joe Gibbs said.

Bell nished 0.343 seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski, who was trying to end a 51-race winless streak.

“Just the story of our season,” Keselowski said. “Just a 50-50

games since Ainias Smith did it in 2021.

“He’s got a tremendous work ethic,” coach Mike Elko said. “I really enjoy the way he competes day in and day out, that really showed itself in the o -season as well. So there’s a maturity about him that I really like. He wants to be great and that shows every day, which is a really cool characteristic in a kid. And I think he’s a kid that rises to moments.”

Concepcion said realizing that everyone is dealing with something made him be less hard on himself when it comes to his stutter.

“Everybody has their own aws, and it’s just about how you embrace those aws and that makes you you,” he said.

And he had a message for kids who are having a tough time or feeling down because they stutter.

“I’ve been stuttering since I’ve been a little kid,” he said. “It’s de nitely been a long journey from growing up with the horrible stuttering problem to kind of not growing out of it but, you know, getting better at it. So I would just say: You guys aren’t alone. I stand with you.”

shot on the restart, and I got the lane that couldn’t launch. Just frustrating. We had a great car, great strategy, and on the last restart, we just rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.”

Zane Smith nished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano.

There were a season-high 14 caution ags for 137 laps as drivers and teams struggled to get a handle on a new rightside tire with excessive wear that required more pit stops.

The playo drama spiked with 40 laps remaining when a re erupted under Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford. His team was able to extinguish the ames, but Cindric lost several laps in the pits and reemerged outside the top 30.

His 30th-place nish still was good enough for the 12th and nal transfer spot into the second round.

“Moving on,” Cindric said

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Cannen Rottweiler

East Forsyth, football

Cannen Rottweiler is a senior running back on the East Forsyth football team. He has also played lacrosse for the Eagles.

The Eagles are 3-1 on the season after a 38-0 win over Ragsdale. Rottweiler ran for 108 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He also caught a 20-yard pass. Rottweiler has scored in each of the last three games, and a 97-yard outing against Grimsley prevents him from hitting the century mark in rushing in three straight.

He is third in the Central Piedmont conference in rushing and tenth in NC Class 7A.

staying in the championship hunt. “I believe in this team. I believe in myself. I have not been driving as well as I am now in the Cup Series.”

Bowman ran as high as second after rebounding from a spin on the 100th lap. He would have bumped Cindric with a victory but nished eighth and came up 10 points short of advancing.

“I don’t think you can really point at something that cost us,” said Bowman, who bene ted from a pit crew overhaul after su ering through some disastrous stops in the past two races. “Our back was against the wall coming in here. We knew it was going to be a tough thing to do.”

Seeking his rst Cup victory, Ty Gibbs led a race-high 201 of 500 laps but bungled while trying to reach the pits for hisnal green- ag stop, losing major time in his No. 54 Toyota.

First out

With smoke billowing from the cockpit and ames shooting out from his right-front tire, Berry made an eye-catching exit as the rst driver eliminated. The Wood Brothers Racing driver quali ed 10th and ran as high as third before a re erupted on his No. 21 Ford.

“Man, just so disappointing,” Berry said. “That was going to be a lot of fun. We were moving forward. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but it hasn’t been because of performance. We executed well and ran well, just haven’t had the nishes.” Berry, whose playo debut began with a crash on the rst lap of the Southern 500, nished last in all three races of the rst round. “I don’t think you could ever script three last-place nishes in the ways that we’ve gotten them,” he said.

COURTESY MAXPREPS

DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion (7) runs into the end zone for a touchdown after catching a pass against UTSA.

Christopher Bell (20) battles with Ty Gibbs (54) during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Bristol.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Virginia Tech res coach Pry after program’s 1st 0-3 start since 1987

Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech has red football coach Brent Pry after the program stumbled to its rst 0-3 start since 1987. The school announced the move Sunday. That came a day after the Hokies fell behind 31-0 on the way to a 45-26 loss to Old Dominion. In a statement, Pry said “Blacksburg will always hold a special place in our hearts.” O ensive coordinator Philip Montgomery will serve as interim coach.

BOXING

Crawford makes history with victory over Alvarez

Las Vegas Terence Crawford made history by becoming the rst male boxer to capture three uni ed division titles. He defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision to win the super middleweight championship. Two judges scored the match 115-113 and the third 116-112 in Crawford’s favor. The ght took place at Allegiant Stadium before a record crowd of 70,482. It was Alvarez’s rst defeat since May 2022. The event, broadcast on Net ix, attracted signi cant attention and marked a shift from traditional pay-per-view models. The co-main event saw Callum Walsh defeat Fernando Vargas Jr.

MLB Kurtz hits 493-foot grand slam, longest MLB homer of season Sacramento, Calif.

Nick Kurtz launched a 493-foot grand slam — the longest home run in the majors this season — and the Athletics hammered Hunter Greene early in an 11-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Kurtz, the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, has 31 home runs in his rookie season. Kurtz’s 493-foot drive was the longest by an A’s player since Statcast tracking began in 2015. It surpassed Mike Trout’s 484 -foot homer April 19 with the Angels for the longest in the majors this year.

NFL

FanDuel agrees to pay Jaguars roughly $5M to o set losses from ex-employee’s theft Jacksonville, Fla.

FanDuel has agreed to pay the Jacksonville Jaguars roughly $5 million to help o set the nearly $20 million that a former employee stole from the NFL franchise and deposited at the sportsbook. ESPN rst reported the deal, which was nalized earlier this year. It came a year after nancial manager Amit Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million through a virtual credit card system the team used for expenses. Patel is serving a 61⁄2-year sentence in federal prison. He sued FanDuel last year.

UCLA

Foster watches as his team plays UNLV.

UCLA res coach Foster after 0-3 start to his second season

after national signing day and relatively late in the recruiting process.

By Beth Harris Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — UCLA

red second-year football

coach DeShaun Foster after the school’s rst 0-3 start since 2019.

Athletic director Martin Jarmond announced the move two days after the Bruins lost to New Mexico 35-10, their second straight loss to a Mountain West Conference opponent.

“It’s not a decision I made lightly, but it was important to take decisive action,” Jarmond said on a Zoom call with media.

“This serves as a message to our fans that the results we’ve seen so far are simply not acceptable.”

Tim Skipper will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season. Skipper had been special assistant to Foster, and he served as Fresno State’s interim coach last year.

Foster, a Charlotte native and Carolina Panthers running back from 2002-07, was 5-10 since taking over the program from Chip Kelly in February 2024,

“I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten,” Jarmond said. “Getting a start so late really disadvantaged the start of his coaching career.”

Last year, the Bruins nished 5-7 after a 1-5 start in the school’s rst season in the Big Ten. Foster had been the program’s running backs coach from 2017-23 and added the title of associate head coach in 2023 before being promoted to the top job by Jarmond. Foster spent one season on the sta at Texas Tech.

The Bruins were beaten by Utah in their opener and by UNLV a week ago. They trailed at halftime in all three losses, two of them coming at the Rose Bowl, where attendance was sparse and tarps are used to cover wide swaths of seating.

Foster was asked Friday if he was still the person for the job, and he replied: “Most de nitely. Because I can get these boys to play.”

However, even the arrival of highly touted quarterback Nico Iamaleava via the transfer portal couldn’t save Foster.

Hatton, former world champion, dies at 46

The popular British ghter was planning a comeback

By James Robson

The Associated Press MANCHESTER,

England — Ricky Hatton, the former boxing world champion who rose to become one of the most popular ghters in the sport, died at 46.

Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

Friends of Hatton were quick to pay tribute Sunday morning.

“Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton,” former world champion Amir Khan posted on X.

“Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip,” former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said in an Instagram post, with photos of the pair together. “There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. can’t believe this so young.” News of Hatton’s death comes two months after the surprise announcement he would make a return to boxing in December in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai.

He hadn’t fought since losing for the third time in his career, against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.

Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, and at the height of his career he shared the ring with the best boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“He was not only a great ghter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life,” Pacquiao posted on X. “Ricky fought bravely, not just in the ring, but in his journey through life. He truly had a good ght, and we are all blessed to have been part of his wonderful journey.”

Hatton rose through amateur and domestic levels, building up an army of passionate fans who followed him to America for his biggest ghts.

His down-to-earth charm, as well as his tendency to dramatically gain and lose weight between ghts, endeared him to fans across the world.

Hatton was open about the mental health issues he endured upon his retirement from the ring.

“As ghters, we tell ourselves we’re strong — we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest ght

“I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten.”

Martin Jarmond, UCLA athletic director

The sophomore left Tennessee after leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playo last season and didn’t participate in spring camp. Iamaleava defended Foster after Friday’s loss, saying: “We’re not executing as players. It all falls back on the players.”

Iamaleava is among 55 new players in Westwood this season, along with eight new assistants. Over half the defensive line is made up of transfers. Foster hired Tino Sunseri from Indiana as o ensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but the Bruins’ o ense ranks 127th nationally (14.3 points per game) and got outscored 30-0 in the rst quarter of each game this season. The Bruins repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with penalties in the losses, too.

“Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,” Foster said in a statement. “While I am deeply disappointed that we were unable to achieve the success that our players, fans, and university deserve, I am grateful for the opportunity to have led this program.”

The school said the terms of Foster’s contract will be honored by UCLA Athletics, exclusively using department-generated funds.

Kelly’s teams had 0-3 starts in 2018 and 2019, but the losses included Oklahoma and Cincinnati, schools with better football reputations than UNLV and New Mexico.

Foster’s ring opens an immediate 30-day window in which players can enter the transfer portal. Jarmond said he met with the entire team and has not heard from anyone who is considering leaving.

“The team is very focused on really turning this around,” he said. “This is a clean slate. We’re 0-0 in the Big Ten, and this is about getting better. They’re ultimately going to write this season.”

happens in silence, in the mind,” Khan added on X. “Mental health isn’t weakness. It’s part of being human. And we must talk about it. We must reach out. We must lean on each other.”

Top of the sport

Hatton’s all-action style added to his popularity. He built up a passionate following in the UK before truly announcing himself on the world stage with his epic victory against Tszyu for the IBF world super lightweight (light welterweight) title in 2005.

Pound-for-pound great Tszyu had only lost twice before, but was forced to retire on his stool in front of 22,000 fans in Manchester. Hatton later described it as his greatest win, but it was just the start of a period when he fought at the top of the sport, with thousands of fans following him to America for huge ghts. In a post on X, his former

manager, Frank Warren, described him as a “superbly talented ghter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before,” adding he will “rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport.”

Hatton lost for the rst time in his career against Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007.

After a sold-out homecoming at Manchester City’s stadium a year later, he worked his way back to the top of the sport to take on Manny Pacquiao in 2009, losing inside two rounds.

Hatton retired after that defeat but made a remarkable comeback four years later after piling on weight and enduring issues with depression and drinking, as well as allegations of drug use.

While he lost to Senchenko, the very fact he managed to return to the ring was seen as a personal triumph.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Ricky Hatton, left, lands a right to the face of Juan Urango in their IBF junior welterweight title bout in 2007.

The former Carolina Panthers running back was 5-10 with Bruins

STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN VIA AP

head coach DeShaun

the stream

Cardi B, movie about Bumble, ‘Morning Show’ returns

“Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” captures the essence of female musicians in the late ’90s

The Associated Press

CARDI B releasing her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” and Lily James playing the founder of the popular dating app Bumble in the new biographical drama “Swiped” are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuting its fourth season on Apple TV+., Ariana Madix heading back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock and a Hulu documentary seeks to tell the story of the music festival Lilith Fair in new detail.

MOVIES TO STREAM

James plays the founder of the popular dating app Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, in the new biographical drama “Swiped” which streams on Hulu on Friday. The lm, directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, traces Wolfe Herd’s trajectory from college and beyond. In 2012, she co-founded Tinder and two years later started Bumble, which would put her on a path to becoming the youngest female self-made billionaire. “Swiped,” which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, also stars Dan Stevens and “Industry’s” Myha’la. And for something completely di erent, and silly, Net ix has the Liam Neeson action pic “Ice Road: Vengeance” available now. Neeson plays an ice-road truck driver who wants to scatter his brother’s ashes on Mount Everest but nds himself having to ght mercenaries. It got terrible reviews when it was released in theaters this summer, but that’s probably beside the point.

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM

She’s back and bigger than

ever. On Friday, Cardi B will release her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” — seven years after the release of her landmark debut, 2018’s “Invasion of Privacy.” What has been released so far sounds like freedom: the sexy empowerment anthems “Up” and “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion from years past, and the bravado of “Outside” and smooth ow of “Imaginary Playerz.”

Fans of jangly guitar tones and power pop, listen up. Philadelphia’s Golden Apples, led by singer-songwriter Russell Edling, will release an addictive new album on Friday titled “Shooting Star.” Start with “Noonday Demon,” the cheeriest-sounding song about depression you’ll hear this year. It’s a charmer.

It was radical then and now. In the summers of 1997 through 1999, a music festival founded by Sarah McLachlan shined a light on women musicians — both bands and solo artists. Streaming on Sunday, a new documentary seeks to tell the story of Lilith Fair in new detail. “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premieres on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ and features a long list of incredible talent, from those who performed to those whose music takes obvious in uence from the events. That includes McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Natalie Merchant, Mýa, Jewel, Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo.

SERIES TO STREAM

“Dancing with the Stars” returns for its millionth, er, 34th season on ABC and Disney+.

Contestants learning the paso doble and foxtrot include Olympian Jordan Chiles, Hilaria Baldwin, actor Corey Feldman, comedian Andy Richter, former NBA star Baron Davis and Robert Irwin, the son of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin and. Whitney Leavitt and Jen A eck from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” will also compete. Jan Ravnik, one of the dancers from Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” also joins the show as a pro. All ep -

Jeremy Irons attends the Apple TV+ premiere of “The Morning Show” Season 4 at the Museum of Modern Art on Sept. 9 in New York. The hit show’s new season is now streaming on Apple TV+.

isodes are streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

Just as the dust has settled on season 7 of “Love Island USA,” host Ariana Madix is headed back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock. The show brings back fan-favorite Islanders from “Love Island” iterations across the globe to partake in competitions and get a second chance at love. Fans will recognize Chris Seeley, Andreina Santos and Charlie Georgiou from season 7 and Kendall Washington and Andrea Carmona from season 6 as part of the new cast. Aniston and Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuted

its fourth season on Apple TV+. The two play TV news anchors at a ctional news network called UBN. Each season features topical themes, and this one is no di erent, addressing AI, deepfakes and conspiracy theories in the media. Additional series regulars include Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Karen Pittman and Nicole Beharie, along with adding new characters played by Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Aaron Pierre and William Jackson Harper to the mix.

Hulu’s legal soap “Reasonable Doubt” returns Thursday for its third season. Emayatzy Corinealdi stars as Jax Stewart, a suc-

“Love Island USA” is

cessful criminal defense lawyer in LA who in the new episodes, is defending a former child actor accused of murder. Jax’s standing at her ashy law rm is also in jeopardy when a new hire is determined to take her position.

Starz’s steamy “The Couple Next Door” is back on Friday with a new season and a new cast that includes Sam Palladio (“Nashville”), Annabel Scholey (“The Split”), and Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Never Have I Ever”). Scholey and Palladio play Charlotte and Jacob, a seemingly solid couple living in a well-to-do neighborhood whose marriage gets threatened by a new colleague in their workplace. The tangled web only grows from there.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Over the years, Lego video games have featured the likes of Batman, Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker. Annapurna Interactive’s Lego Voyagers may have the most versatile hero of all: a simple Lego brick. It’s a cooperative game in which each player is a 1x1 piece — one red, one blue — that can attach itself to other chunks and build bridges, vehicles and other devices. Red and Blue need to work together to solve puzzles as they try to rescue an abandoned spaceship. It’s the sort of game that parents with young kids may appreciate, and things start clicking now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch and PC.

SAMMY KOGAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP

Director Ally Pankiw and singer-songwriters Sarah McLachlan and Paula Cole attend the “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 13. The documentary streams Sunday on Hulu and Disney+.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

HULU / APPLE TV+ / STARZ VIA AP

“Reasonable Doubt,” left, “The Morning Show,” center and “The Couple Next Door” are all streaming this week.

headed to Fiji.

STATE & NATION

Workers commenting on Kirk’s death learn limits of free speech in and out of workplace

Employees face rings over social media posts about the assassination

By Cathy Bussewitz and Wyatte Grantham-Philips The Associated Press

NEW YORK — In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been red for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as o ensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Rightwing in uencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

It’s far from the rst time workers have lost their jobs over things they say publicly — including in social media posts.

But the speed at which the rings have been happening raises questions about worker rights versus employer rights.

In the U.S., laws can vary across states, but overall, there’s very little legal protections for employees who are punished for speech made both in and out of private workplaces.

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace,” said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR Services for Engage PEO. “Most employees in the private sector do not have any protections for that type of speech at work.”

Add to that the prevalence of social media, which has made it increasingly common to track employees’ conduct outside of work and to dox people, or publish information about them online with the intent of harming or harassing them.

Employers have lot of leeway

Protections for workers vary from one state to the next. For example, in New York, if an employee is participating in a weekend political protest but not associating themselves with the organization that employs them, their employer cannot re them for that activity when they return to work.

But if that same employee is at a company event on a weekend and talks about their political viewpoints in a way that makes others feel unsafe or the target of discrimination or harassment, then they could face consequences at work, Matsis-McCready said.

Most of the U.S. defaults to “at-will” employment law — which essentially means employers can choose to hire and re as they see t, including over employees’ speech.

“The First Amendment does not apply in private workplaces to protect employees’ speech,”

said Andrew Kragie, an attorney who specializes in employment and labor law at Maynard Nexsen. “It actually does protect employers’ right to make decisions about employees, based on employees’ speech.”

Kragie said there are “pockets of protection” around the U.S. under various state laws, such as statutes that forbid punishing workers for their political views. But the interpretation of how that gets enforced changes, he notes, making the waters murky.

Steven T. Collis, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin and faculty director of the school’s Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center, also points to some state laws that say employers can’t re their workers for “legal o duty conduct.” But there’s often an exception for conduct seen as disruptive to an employer’s business or reputation, which could be grounds to re someone over public comments or social media posts.

“In this scenario, if somebody feels like one of their employees has done something that suggests they are glorifying or celebrating a murder, an employer might still be able to re them even with one of those laws on the books,” Collis said.

For public employees, which can range from school teachers and postal workers to elected o cials, the process is a bit different. That’s because the First Amendment plays a unique role when the government is the employer, Collis explains. The Supreme Court has ruled that if an employee is acting in a private capacity but speaking on a matter of public concern, they could be protected. Still, he noted that government employers can discipline a worker if they determine

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace.” Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel

such conduct will interfere with the government’s ability to do its job.

Some in the public sector have already worked to restrict speech in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. For instance, leaders at the Pentagon unveiled a “zero tolerance” policy for any posts or comments from troops that make light of or celebrate the killing of Kirk.

The policy, announced by the Pentagon’s top spokesman Sean Parnell on social media last Thursday, came hours after numerous conservative military in uencers and activists began forwarding posts they considered problematic to Parnell and his boss, defense secretary Pete Hegseth.

“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” Parnell wrote Thursday.

Surge of political debate

The ubiquity of social media is making it easier than ever to share opinions about politics and major news events as they’re unfolding. But posting on social media leaves a record, and in times of escalating political polarization, those declarations can be seen as damaging to the reputation of an individual or their employer.

“People don’t realize when they’re on social media, it is the

town square,” said Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certi cation Institute.

“They’re not having a private conversation with the neighbor over the fence. They’re really broadcasting their views.”

Political debates are certainly not limited to social media and are increasingly making their way into the workplace as well.

“The gami cation of the way we communicate in the workplace, Slack and Teams, chat and all these things, they’re very similar to how you might interact on Instagram or other social media, so I do think that makes it feel a little less formal and somebody might be more inclined to take to take a step and say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe this happened,’” Matsis-McCready said.

Employers not ready

In the tense, divided climate of the U.S., many human resource professionals have expressed that they’re unprepared to address politically charged discussions in the workplace, according to the Human Resource Certi cation Institute. But those conversations are going to happen, so employers need to set policies about what is acceptable or unacceptable workplace conduct, Dufrane said.

“HR has got to really drill down and make sure that they’re super clear on their policies and practices and communicating to their employees on what are

their responsibilities as an employee of the organization,” Dufrane said.

Many employers are reviewing their policies on political speech and providing training about what appropriate conduct looks like, both inside and outside the organization, she said. And the brutal nature of Kirk’s killing may have led some of them to react more strongly in the days that followed his death.

“Because of the violent nature of what some political discussion is now about, I think there is a real concern from employers that they want to keep the workplace safe and that they’re being extra vigilant about anything that could be viewed as a threat, which is their duty,” Matsis-McCreedy said.

Employees can also be seen as ambassadors of a company’s brand, and their political speech can dilute that brand and hurt its reputation, depending on what is being said and how it is being received. That is leading more companies to act on what employees are saying online, she said.

“Some of the individuals that had posted and their posts went viral, all of a sudden the phone lines of their employers were just nonstop calls complaining,” Matsis-McCready said.

Still, experts like Collis don’t anticipate a signi cant change in how employers monitor their workers speech — noting that online activity has come under the spotlight for at least the last 15 years.

“Employers are already and have been for a very long time, vetting employees based on what they’re posting on social media,” he said.

MEREDITH SEAVER / COLLEGE STATION EAGLE VIA AP

Charlie Kirk speaks at Texas A&M University as part of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour on April 22 in College Station, Texas.

Randolph record

Remembering Liam

Members of the Asheboro car enthusiast community gathered for a balloon release on Friday to honor and remember Liam King, a local 7-year-old boy who died last week.

WHAT’S

HAPPENING

New York judge tosses terrorism charges against Mangione, lets murder count stand

A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state’s case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state’s second-degree murder charges against him. Judge Gregory Carro ruled Tuesday that although there is no doubt that the killing was not an ordinary street crime, New York law doesn’t consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology. The ruling came as Mangione made his rst court appearance in the state case since February. The 27-yearold Ivy League graduate has attracted a cult following as a stand-in for frustrations with the health insurance industry after Thompson was fatally shot in December.

Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, says it’s “replica” D.C. crackdown

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis to combat crime, testing the limits of presidential power by using military force in cities. Trump made Monday’s announcement with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, calling it a “replica” of e orts in Washington, D.C. Last month, Trump deployed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, claiming it reduced crime. Lee supports the deployment, while Memphis Mayor Paul Young opposes it.

Commissioners approve additional SRO positions

The o cers will be funded through a federal grant

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Ran-

dolph County Board of Commissioners has given its approval for the procurement of two additional SRO positions at Randolph County Schools.

The board had several items involving the Randolph County Sheri ’s O ce on the agenda at its Sept. 8 meeting, including for the request of an additional two SRO positions to provide services at Randolph County Schools at a cost of around $116,500.

“This is a request in conjunction with Randolph County Schools emphasizing the need for enhanced safety and security throughout our elementary schools,” Nunn said.

“The addition of these SROs would enable each deputy to deliver more focused coverage across the elementary schools in the county.”

“These two o cers will join the three SROs that are currently covering the Eastern, the Southwest and Randle -

man zones,” said RCSS Superintendent Stephen Gainey. “We received a North Carolina Stronger Connections grant, a federal grant, and we’re going to use that money to pay for two more SROs in those three zones to give us ve SROs covering 12 schools.”

According to Gainey, the school system is working with the sheri ’s o ce and Archdale Police Department to come up with a plan for the ve schools in the AT zone.

Randolph County Schools

Charges led in parking lot homicide

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — Charges have been led and a grand jury returned an indictment in the case of a shooting death in an Asheboro parking lot.

Branson Russell has been charged with second-degree murder stemming from the Aug. 30 incident.

Alexander Benitez-Hernandez, 23, died from a gunshot wound to the back, Asheboro Police said. Police issued a correction from an earlier release that said the deceased was struck in the upper chest.

A grand jury in Randolph County convened Sept. 8. Russell was taken into custody Sept. 9, served with the indict-

will be responsible for reimbursing 10 out of the 12 months each scal year going forward for the o cers.

The board also had a request for the purchase of 10 vehicles for the sheri ’s o ce. These include eight 2025 Chevrolet Silverado and two 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles at a total cost just under $540,000.

The funding for the purchase was already allocated in the sheri ’s o ce’s 2025-26 budget. The nal item was seek-

ment and jailed with no bond. Russell, 43, is from Denton.

“Understandably, this case has attracted much attention,” Asheboro Police Department said in a statement. “From the moment this investigation began, the goal was to conduct a proper and thorough investigation. Such investigations often take a considerable amount of time. … Naturally, this caused many people on social media to speculate on the facts of the case, make erroneous claims, and otherwise spread inaccurate and outright false information, which hampers the investigative process. To those who refrained from rushing to judgment and patiently waited for the investigation to conclude,

“These two o cers will join the three SROs that are currently covering the Eastern, the Southwest and Randleman zones.”

Stephen Gainey, RCSS superintendent

ing approval to utilize $9,600 in law enforcement restricted funds for the purchase of a single purpose K9 lab.

“Spec cally, he’ll be trained in narcotics detection,” said Chief Deputy Steven Nunn. “That’ll be his only purpose. He won’t be a tracking dog or anything like that. Strictly single purpose narcotics use.” The vendor the sheri ’s o ce will purchase the lab from is East Coast Canine and the price also includes an eight-week handler class as well.

In the memo from the sheri ’s o ce, the sheri wrote, “The acquisition of this K9 will signi cantly enhance our operational capabilities. It will assist in narcotic investigations by detecting illegal substances, thereby improving the e ectiveness of our drug enforcement e orts.”

Following each request, the board unanimously approved the requests.

BOARD, page A2

your patience is appreciated.” Asheboro Police said the investigation determined that Benitez-Hernandez and Russell had a verbal altercation inside Marshalls, which along East Dixie Drive. Outside, another confrontation took place, with both men drawing handguns, police said.

Benitez-Hernandez shot Russell in the lower leg and ed toward his vehicle. Russell retrieved a .30-30 ri e from his vehicle and drove toward Benitez-Hernandez, ring a shot that struck Russell in the back. In the week following the shooting, detectives remained in contact with Benitez-Hernandez’s family regarding the progress of the investigation, Asheboro Police said.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

COURTESY RCSO

THURSDAY 9.18.25

Water department does testing in Asheboro

Pipe failure was cited as a reason for a recent wastewater spill

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The City of Asheboro’s water resources division is conducting sewer smoke testing in the area of Dixieland Acres neighborhood through the end of this week. The project was to begin Sept. 8 and go through Sept. 19. Door hangers were distributed in the impacted area to notify residents.

Waste spill reported

The City of Asheboro reported that there was a wastewater over ow of approximately 1,250 gallons from a sewer main near 330 West Presnell St.

The over ow detected Sept. 3 was due to “pipe failure,” according to the city. The over ow reached Hasketts Creek.

The city’s report said that drinking water wasn’t a ected.

House Bill 1160, which the General Assembly enacted in July 1999, requires that municipalities, animal operations, industries and others

who operate waste handling systems issue news releases when a waste spill of 1,000 gallons or more reaches surface waters.

Golf course undergoes work

The reopening of Asheboro Municipal Golf Course was delayed for at least one day as more time was needed for a project. The course was closed for a week because of maintenance and aeration activities, with the expectation that it would reopen Monday. But that was put on pause for at least a day as course o cials waited for more grass to ll in on spots. It’s possible that the course’s closure could extend for a few days this week before deemed ready for golfers to return.

Appeals court rules felony o enders can’t be prosecuted for voting unlawfully by mistake

The law targeted black voters disproportionately, according to judges

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A federal appeals court has ruled that a North Carolina law that made it a crime for felony o enders who vote before they have completed their sentences without knowing they were breaking the law is unconstitutional.

A panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last Friday unanimously upheld a trial judge’s decision that found the law was discriminatory and harmed black ex-defendants disproportionately. At issue was a law against voting by felony o enders who were still serving sentences. In 2023, lawmakers updated the law so that, starting in January 2024, a person convicted of a felony had to know it was against the law to vote for it to be considered a crime. But the old law wasn’t re-

CRIME LOG

Sept. 9

from page A1 THURSDAY SEPT. 18

• Diamond Kayelyn Hodges, 30, was arrested by the Randolph County Sheri ’s O ce (RCSO) for felony possession of heroin, felony possession of methamphetamine, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, and misdemeanor possession of stolen goods.

• Wendell Lamont Newton, 21, was arrested by RCSO for felony eeing or eluding arrest with motor vehicle, speeding, expired registration, reckless driving

pealed and became the focus of the lawsuit originally led in 2020. The plainti s — groups representing poor residents and black union members — said people could still be subject to prosecution for voting before 2024 under the old rules.

Melvin Montford, executive director of the North Carolina A. Phillip Randolph Institute, praised the ruling, saying it con rms “that this law was born out of racism and has been wielded to intimidate and disenfranchise black voters.”

The decision means “this remnant of Jim Crow can no longer be used as a weapon against our communities,” he added.

The state constitution says a person convicted of a felony can’t vote until their rights of citizenship are restored “in the manner prescribed by law.” A felony o ender can’t vote again until they complete their punishments, which include incarceration, probation, parole and other close supervision. Their rights are then automatically

with wanton disregard, and driving while license revoked.

• Jalen Tyrell Alston, 23, was arrested by RCSO for felony possession of marijuana and driving while license revoked.

Sept. 12

• Edward Scott Wright, 52, was arrested by RCSO for felony possession of a rearm by a felon and two counts of misdemeanor communicating threats.

The board then approved a $1.115 million expenditure for county facility maintenance. The projects to be covered by this include the re alarm panel replacement at the courthouse, replacing the chiller at the Shaw Building,

replacement of sewer pumps and valves at the Solid Waste Facility, relocating the backup 911 system to Northgate and pipe replacement at the north side of the Northgate Complex.

“The money is coming from the contingency, or many contingencies, from the Ag Cen-

restored, but a person must reregister to vote.

The 4th Circuit panel found as credible arguments by the plainti s that the pre-2024 law requires them to use time and resources to educate people eligible to vote but remain fearful about reregistering again for fear of prosecution. Evidence was presented showing the law had originated in 1877, placing harsh penalties on disenfranchised felony o enders. State attorneys acknowledged the state’s racially biased history. But they contended the rati cation of a new North Carolina Constitution in the early 1970s — with several race-related provisions eliminated — created “a legally signi cant historical break” from the original 1877 statute and a reenactment in 1899.

But U.S. Circuit Judge DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, writing the opinion, still found that the law retained a discriminatory taint — its origins dating to the decade after the Civil War when black voting had initially been expanded.

Sept. 13

• Martavius Lemar Drake, 27, was arrested by RCSO for felony assault by strangulation, two counts of misdemeanor assault on a female, and three counts of misdemeanor resisting a public o cer.

Sept. 14

• Jorbin Jar Hernandez Rosales, 26, was arrested by RCSO for felony assault by strangulation, misdemeanor assault on a female, misdemeanor assault in icting serious injury, and misdemeanor injury to personal property.

ter,” said County Engineer Paxton Arthurs. “What’s left over in contingency that we ended up not having to use will be used for this. … And hopefully some of these projects will come in lower.” The Randolph County Board of Commissioners will next meet Oct. 6.

Guide

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

Sept.

18

Books and Banter (YA Club)

4:30-5:30 p.m.

Teens ages 13-16 meet each Thursday to talk about books and more. Every fourth Thursday, the group discusses the same book, which can be picked up ahead of time at the library.

Seagrove Public Library 530 Old Plank Road Seagrove

Sept. 20

AppleFest at Millstone Creek Orchards

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This event includes an opportunity to pick your own apples, take a hayride and have fresh-pressed apple cider. Admission is $18.95; children 2 and under admitted for free.

506 Parks Crossroads Church Road Ramseur

Sept.

20, 23 & 25

City of Asheboro Farmers Market

7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fresh seasonal produce, farm-fresh products, baked goods, and a variety of owers and plants are available for purchase directly from local farmers. Open weekly on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays through the end of October.

134 S. Church St. Asheboro

Sept. 22 & 24

Liberty Farmers Market

4-7 p.m.

Purchase a wide array of high-quality, fresh produce from local farmers and growers at this convenient downtown location. Open every Monday and Wednesday through the end of October.

423 W. Swannanoa Ave. Liberty

Sept. 27Oct. 12

Musical production of “Grease.” For show times and tickets visit tickets@rhinoleap.com.

Sunset Theathre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro Randolph

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

All Republicans must stop the wind scam

Electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive.

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump absolutely hates wind turbines. He has canceled several projects. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act terminated about $500 billion in subsidies for Green New Scam projects. A post-OBBBA executive order prescribed heightened regulatory scrutiny of wind and solar projects to make it di cult to use the remaining Green New Scam subsidies.

So why are some Republican politicians and a deep red states bent on building them anyway?

Politico reported this week that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is lobbying Trump administration o cials for what would be the largest U.S. o shore wind farm under construction by Dominion Energy o the coast of Virginia. Apparently outgoing Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin can’t convince Trump, so Youngkin and Dominion Energy are trying some sort of end run around the president. In Arkansas, the only thing holding up a massive project with 600-foot wind turbines is the valiant ght of locals in ve counties who have passed ordinances against the turbine’s erection. And don’t forget that last minute changes to the Senate version of the OBBBA to save Green New Scam subsidies by Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Grassley almost sank the entire bill. It’s important for all Republicans to understand why wind turbines are not MAGA.

As a threshold matter, wind turbines have no bona de purpose. They have been marketed as “emissions-free” energy to combat the supposed “climate crisis.” But the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates, for example, that the average of summertime maximum temperatures in the U.S. in 2025 was actually cooler than those of summertime 1901, 124 years ago. Globally, August 2025 was the same temperature as August 1998, despite more than a trillion tons of emissions since 1998. No wonder

Trump calls emissions-driven climate change a “hoax.”

Even if there were some climate or weather problem caused by emissions of greenhouse gases, the simple math of the global situation is that the U.S. could stop emitting today and forever, and the vast majority of global emissions would happen anyway. So there’s no climate crisis, and even if there were, wind turbines in the U.S. would accomplish nothing.

Next, electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive. Wind farms are not built without taxpayers subsidies and additional guarantees by electricity consumers. There is absolutely no evidence that wind energy has lowered electricity prices anywhere in the world.

Wind may be free, but wind farm construction, operation and transmission of electricity is not. Moreover, wind energy requires back-up, usually from fossil fuel or nuclear baseload power plants. This redundancy is just an added cost.

Third, wind turbines are not environmentally friendly. The rare earth minerals needed for their construction largely come from anything-goes strip-mining and processing in Communist China. Westerners rarely see the revolting consequences of these activities.

The construction of onshore wind farms takes up vastly larger spaces, six to 13 times more, than conventional gas power plants. More than just the space, each onshore wind turbine has an immense and essentially permanent concrete and iron rebar foundation. Wind farmland is just ruined. The construction of o shore wind may have produced the dozens of dead whales that washed up on East Coast beaches during 2023-24.

Fourth, wind farms are dangerous to the environment when they operate. Under normal circumstances, they are a hazard to birds and bats. They require special government allowances to kill birds because the nes would be too great for wind farms to operate. The disintegration of

The media’s demonization of the right has consequences

Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

CHARLIE KIRK wasn’t just a colleague. He was a friend. He was someone who showed up, worked hard, and cared deeply about his family and his country. His life mattered. As I process the tragic circumstances of his death, I can’t help but turn to a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: the climate that enabled it.

For decades, America’s media institutions have cultivated a narrative that paints conservatives as dangerous, regressive, even subhuman. Every nightly newscast, every editorial page, every so-called “analysis” drips with disdain for anyone who dares to challenge the progressive orthodoxy. You don’t just disagree with the left anymore; you’re smeared as a bigot, a fascist or worse. This relentless demonization isn’t harmless rhetoric. It creates an atmosphere where hostility toward the right feels not only acceptable but righteous. When the press treats millions of Americans like villains, it should not shock us when some unhinged individual takes that narrative literally and turns it into violence. Words have consequences. The media knows this when it lectures conservatives about “dangerous speech” and “dog whistles.” It never looks in the mirror. When major outlets tell audiences day after day that Republicans are a threat to democracy, when they equate conservative beliefs with extremism, they are not just engaging in biased journalism. They are laying kindling for hatred, and sometimes that hatred combusts.

Consider the language used in mainstream coverage of the right. If you oppose open borders, you are “anti-immigrant.” If you defend parental rights in schools, you are “anti-LGBT.”

If you worry about election integrity, you are a “conspiracy theorist.” When media elites atten every conservative principle into a caricature of cruelty, they strip away the humanity of people like Charlie. Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

That’s what the press has done to the right: It has turned millions of good, law-abiding Americans into cartoon villains in a morality play. For years, conservatives have been warning: When you keep telling people that a whole class of citizens are monsters, don’t be surprised when someone believes you — and acts accordingly.

The hypocrisy is staggering. If the roles were reversed, if left-wing activists were being attacked in the streets, the media would frame it as a national crisis of hate. We’d see around-the-clock coverage, solemn declarations about “the soul of America” and endless op-eds about the dangerous climate of conservative rhetoric. When conservatives are the victims, silence. Or worse — justi cations. “They had it coming,” the subtext suggests, because daring to hold the wrong political beliefs apparently makes you complicit in oppression.

That double standard doesn’t just warp the narrative, it fuels division. Millions of Americans see that bias and conclude, rightly, that the press doesn’t value their lives or their freedoms. That perception breeds alienation. Alienation breeds anger. Anger, left unchecked, can erupt in violence.

No individual act of violence can ever be excused. Personal responsibility matters. Yet individuals do not commit violence in a vacuum. They act within a culture shaped by

an o shore wind turbine blade in 2024 wreaked havoc on Massachusetts beaches. And no one has yet studied the e ects on the environment of the hot (140°F) cables bringing power from the o shore turbines to shore.

Finally, o shore wind turbines are a national security problem. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) issued this statement this week: “Massive o shore wind turbines — rushed through an abbreviated permitting process — could interfere with America’s ability to detect threats from adversaries like Russia and China. Submarines operating o the U.S. coast could gain a critical advantage if detection systems are disrupted, leaving the nation more vulnerable to attack.”

We certainly need more electricity, especially given the rise of AI data centers and Trump’s goal of reindustrializing America. But that electricity should be provided at the lowest cost as determined on a subsidy-free basis. Electricity must be provided reliably, which means not dependent on nature or the weather. It should cause the least environmental damage and should not endanger national security. Wind, onshore or o shore, doesn’t make the cut when compared to coal, natural gas and nuclear power — i.e., Trump’s energy agenda.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has received Trump’s message loud and clear. This week he told a group of European leaders, “Under this administration, there is not a future for o shore wind because it is too expensive and not reliable enough.” All Republicans need to get that message.

Steve Milloy, a biostatistician and lawyer, publishes JunkScience.com. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

institutions, none more in uential than the media. When leading outlets tell the public that conservatives are existential threats to democracy, they normalize hostility against us. When commentators sneer that half the country is made up of racists, misogynists and extremists, they legitimize rage against us.

In this climate, the media is complicit. Its hands are not clean.

Conservatives have been calling for a return to fairness, civility and honest debate. We do not expect journalists to agree with us. We do expect them to recognize our humanity and stop painting us as villains in every story. If this cycle of demonization continues, tragedies like Kirk’s will not be the last.

Kirk deserved far better. He was not someone who kept his head down or played it safe. He stood up for what he believed in, he defended people who were silenced, and he never hesitated to call out injustice. His courage came with a cost, but it also inspired those around him to be braver, stronger and truer to their convictions.

Now there is a gaping void where his voice once was. That loss is not only personal — it is national. We cannot a ord to lose people like Kirk, who put principle above comfort, who saw through the lies of a corrupt media and refused to be cowed. His absence leaves all of us with a responsibility: to speak louder, stand taller and demand an end to the demonization that is tearing this country apart. Kirk’s life was a testament to conviction. His death must be a wake-up call.

Adam Weiss is the CEO of AMW PR, publisher of Impact Wealth magazine and the host of “Media Exposed” on Real America’s Voice News. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | ADAM WEISS

COLUMN | STEVE MILLOY

Gerald Roger Atkinson

Feb. 13, 1952 – Sept. 8, 2025

Gerald Roger Atkinson, age 73, of Asheboro, passed away on September 8, 2025, at Moses Cone Hospital.

Mr. Atkinson was born in Moore County, NC, on February 13, 1952, to Herman and Betty Beamer Atkinson and was a graduate of North Moore High School. Gerald served his country in the U.S. Army National Guard. He was a member of Reach Church, where he served on the board of directors. Gerald was employed in sales his entire life. Gerald moved his family to Texas in 1990 and went to work with Blue Pond Stairs in Ft. Worth. He later purchased the company and changed the name to Metro Stairs. Gerald and his family moved back to North Carolina in 2005. He was the former owner/ operator of Asheboro Farm & Garden. Gerald was a great dad and husband who read his bible and prayed every day.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Belinda Allen Atkinson; children, Lindsey and John Mark Atkinson both of Randolph County. Nine siblings-brothers, Dwight, Leon (Jennifer), Kent (Rhonda) and Neal Atkinson (Susan) all from Randolph County; sisters, Edith Beck of Surry County, Peggy Busick of Guilford County, and Nancy Jester (Dale), Karen Lovelace (Ricky) and Pam Hutchens all from Yadkin County.

A celebration of Gerald’s life will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Reach Church (formerly Asheboro First Assembly), 909 Meadowbrook Road in Asheboro, with Rev. Kim Snyder and Rev. Dave Snyder o ciating. A private burial will be held.

In lieu of owers, you may donate to a Memorial Fund at Reach Church, 909 Meadowbrook Rd., Asheboro, NC 27203.

Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is honored to be serving the Atkinson family.

Martin Marcial Ruiz

Nov. 2, 1971 – Sept. 10, 2025

Martin Marcial Ruiz, 53, of Asheboro, died Wednesday, September 10, 2025.

A funeral mass will be conducted at noon on Monday, September 15, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 512 West Wainman Avenue, Asheboro, with Father Ramiro Tijerino o ciating.

The Marcial Ruiz family will receive friends from 2-6 p.m. on Monday at Ridge Funeral Home, 908 Albemarle Road, Asheboro.

Martín Marcial Ruiz, de 53 años y residente de Asheboro, falleció el miércoles 10 de septiembre de 2025.

La misa funeral se celebrará a las 12:00 p. m. del lunes 15 de septiembre de 2025 en la Iglesia Católica de San José, ubicada en 512 West Wainman Avenue, Asheboro, o ciada por el Padre Ramiro Tijerino. La familia de Marcial Ruiz recibirá a sus amigos de 2:00 p. m. a 6:00 p. m. el lunes en la Funeraria Ridge, ubicada en 908 Albemarle Road, Asheboro.

Donna Michelle Thomas

Feb. 14, 1973 – Sept. 8, 2025

Donna Michelle Thomas, 52, of Asheboro, died Monday, September 8, 2025, at Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro.

Donna was born in Asheboro, NC, on February 14, 1973. She lived in Winston-Salem, NC, for many years before moving back to Asheboro. She was formerly employed with Terminex in Winston-Salem.

Her parents, Homer Franklin Thomas Sr. and Frances Louise Hill Thomas, preceded her in death.

Surviving are her sister, Debbie Thomas and husband

Anthony Hayes of Asheboro; brothers, H. Franklin Thomas Jr. of Asheboro, Ricky Thomas and wife Brooke of Asheboro; and many loving nieces and nephews.

A private service will be held.

Memorials may be made to the Randolph Cancer Center, Patient Assistance Fund, 1319 Spero Road, Asheboro, NC 27205.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to her uncle Bill and cousin Carol for all their love and help during Donna’s sickness.

Je

ery Prater

Oct. 5, 1962 – Sept. 12, 2025

Je ery Prater, 62, of Bennett, died Friday, September 12, 2025, at Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro.

Funeral Services will be held at 2 p.m., on Monday, September 15, 2025, at Maple Springs Community Church, Ramseur.

O ciating, Rev. Ed Carter and Rev. Junior Dawkins.

Interment, Maple Springs Community Church, Ramseur.

Visitation will be held prior to the service on Monday from 1:00-1:45 pm at Maple Springs Community Church.

Mr. Prater was a native of Grundy, Virginia, born October 5, 1962. He attended Hurley High School in Grundy, later relocating to Bennett. Je ery worked for nearly 15 years at Edwards Wood Products in Liberty as a lumber grader. In his free time, he enjoyed 4-wheeling, shing, as well as mowing and working in his yard. Je ery loved his family and enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. Mr. Prater was preceded in death by his parents, George and Helen Presnell Prater, as well as his sister, Patricia Lester.

Dr. Kenneth Weaver

Dec. 9, 1933 – Sept. 8, 2025

Dr. Kenneth Weaver passed away on September 8, 2025, at the age of 91, in Ramseur, NC. He is the son of Grover Cleveland Weaver and Eleanor Violet Baldwin Weaver, born in Whitetop, VA. Dr. Weaver was preceded in death by his parents, his rst wife, Donna Marie Fowler Weaver, and second wife, Shelby Jean Davis Weaver, his two sisters, Wanda Ouanita Weaver Castle and Edith Pauline (Polly) Weaver Roberts, and a brother Richard Weaver, who died as a child.

Dr. Weaver is survived by his ve daughters, Teresa Weaver Meyer, Janice Weaver, Beverly Weaver, Pamela Weaver Foster, and Cynthia Weaver Sneed; and one step-daughter, Cindy Cagle Price. He also has one granddaughter, Whitney Sneed Kistler, and three grandsons, Sam Brown, Robert Foster and Jared Foster; and one stepgrandson, Dane Voss.

Dr. Weaver attended Lansing High School, Emory and Henry College and UNC Chapel-Hill for undergraduate education, ultimately graduating from UNC Medical School in 1960. His devotion to his profession as a medical doctor endured for more than 50 years, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology, with his practice beginning in Cherokee and Waynesville, NC, then moving to Arkansas, and settling in Tennessee. He is revered by his patients as a compassionate doctor. In addition to treating patients, Dr. Weaver taught at East Tennessee State University School of Medicine, engaged in medical research, and developed medical instruments.

Outside of his medical practice, Dr. Weaver enjoyed the simple things in life, including mowing his pasture on his tractor, shing, strumming his guitar, playing golf, smoking his pipe on his porch, and routing for Tarheel sports.

Many thanks from Dr. Weaver’s family to the friends and family members who have lifted prayers and provided emotional support for Dr. Weaver and his family. Special thanks are given to all care providers who treated Dr. Weaver with a kind heart and gentle hands at the Carriage House Assisted Living, Randolph Health Hospital and Ramseur Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center.

The family will be planning a private celebration of life at a later date.

Condolences may be made online at www. lo infuneralservice.com.

Arrangements by Lo in Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur.

Nancy Lou Luck Hoover

Oct. 26, 1942 – Sept. 11, 2025

Nancy Lou Luck Hoover of Randleman, formerly of the Worthville Mill Village, age 82, loving mother to 3 daughters, grandmother and great grandmother, AKA, “The Nana” and loving wife to husband, Tex Hoover, went home to be with her Savior on September 11, 2025, surrounded by her loving family at Randolph Hospice House, Asheboro, NC.

Nancy grew up with her mother, Sara Etta Henson Luck, father, Roland Taft Luck, and surrounded by a large group of brothers and sisters. Nancy spent over forty years working in the textile industry and later in her working life in the kitchens at Jitter Burger and Dixie Burger. She was an excellent chef and made the best biscuits and gravy! She was also an accomplished baker! You would sometimes walk in her house to smell a freshly made pound cake, or her decadent fudge iced cake! She had a huge sweet tooth! She loved making these for special occasions!

Nancy loved her family ercely! When you walked in her house you were met with arms wide open to give you a hug and a kiss! One of her phrases later in her life when you called her

Janice Mann

Jan. 20, 1950 – Sept. 8, 2025

Janice Sumner Mann, a devoted wife and cherished family member, passed away peacefully at her residence on September 8, 2025, at the age of 75. Born on January 20, 1950, in Burlington, North Carolina, Janice lived a life marked by love, dedication, and service to those she held dear.

Janice worked as a talented seamstress for many years, specializing in alterations. Her skilled hands and attention to detail were a testament to her commitment to her craft, bringing joy and satisfaction to many who sought her expertise. Her work was not just a profession but a re ection of her caring nature and her desire to make others feel their best.

Her greatest joy, however, was found in spending time with her family. Janice’s home was lled with warmth and laughter, and she delighted in the simple pleasures of family gatherings, creating memories that will be cherished by those who knew her.

Janice is preceded in death by her beloved parents, Claude McLendon and Ruth Kizer Sumner. She leaves behind her devoted husband, Cecil Mann of Snow Camp, who stood by her side throughout many years of marriage. Her love and kindness will be remembered by all who had the privilege to know her.

In accordance with her wishes, a private celebration of Janice’s life will be conducted at a later date. Her legacy of love and devotion to her family will live on in the hearts of all who loved her. Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service is honored to assist the family of Mrs. Janice Mann.

on the phone was “ if you see something, hear something, or suspect something, call me! “

Nancy was a source of love and warmth to everyone that knew her. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Surviving are her husband, Tex Hoover, Randleman. Her daughters, Sheryl (Tom) Pugh, Randleman, Tonya Cain, Randleman, Rhonda (Ronnie) Allred, Randleman. Her grandchildren, Shay Coble (Greensboro), Aaron Cain (Martinsville, Va), Taylor Ingold (Level Cross), Stormy Jones (Level Cross), Joshua (Je Costa) Pugh, Jordan (Felicia) Pugh, Sara (Kenneth) Johnson, and Amanda Allred. Her great grandchildren, Brayden Mason, Remi Johnson. Zeva Pugh, Jasper Pugh, Hollis, Grayson, Brantley, Keegan, Titus, and Asher. Her sister, Judy (Jerry) Hulin and brothers, Jackie (Barbara), Jerry, and Darrell (Iris) Luck. Preceding Nancy in death are her parents, Sara Etta Henson Luck and Roland Taft Luck; her brothers, William Henry, Lloyd, Jimmy, Harvey, Roger, and Larry Luck; and sisters Doris Trogdon, Nina Hilliard, and Faye Toulson. There will be a funeral service for Nancy on Tuesday, September 16 at Ridge Funeral Home in Asheboro, NC at 2 p.m. Visitation for family and friends will be conducted before the service from 12:45 - 1:45 p.m. Burial will be at Randolph Memorial Park in Asheboro after the service.

In lieu of owers, the family would like any donations to be made to Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro, NC, in Nancy’s honor. We know that we can’t keep you but we’re happy knowing that the angels have nally got you back.

Goodbye to a wonderful woman and a beautiful soul.

Keith Brian Cox

April 23, 1965 – Sept. 8, 2025

Keith Brian Cox, age 60, of Asheboro, passed away on September 8, 2025, at Forsyth Medical Center.

Mr. Cox was born in New Orleans, LA, on April 23, 1965, to Bobby and Audrey Castaing Cox. Keith practiced Veterinary Medicine for 20 years and for the last ve years, he was a Veterinarian with the USDA. Keith loved being outdoors, y shing, hiking, backpacking, cycling, and snow skiing. Most of all Keith loved spending time with his family.

Keith Cox was as kind, caring, gentle, and wholesome as a human being could be. He was a loving father, and adoring husband, a dedicated follower of Christ, and a joy to all around him. He will be dearly missed by those he left behind.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Pam Hughes Cox; sons, Matthew Brian Cox of Charlotte and John Hughes Cox of Atlanta, GA; brother, Rob Cox (Johanna) of Lindel, TX; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for Keith will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church, 4675 Winder Highway, Flowery Branch, GA 30542, with Rev. John Batusic o ciating.

In lieu of owers the family requests donations be made in his honor to Mission to the World (Presbyterian Church in America) or to Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro is honored to be serving the Cox family.

William “Billy” Scott Piper

July 21, 1967 – Sept. 9, 2025

William “Billy” Scott Piper, age 58, of Greensboro, passed away peacefully on September 9, 2025, at the Randolph Hospice House. He was born July 21, 1967, in Sarasota, Florida, the son of Leola Faye Holder Piper and the late Donald Piper. Also preceding him in death are his brother, Kenneth Bandcroft.

Billy’s journey through life was one marked by warmth, laughter, and a profound love for the simple joys that the world had to o er. Growing up in the sunny state of Florida and later moving to North Carolina, he embraced every moment. As a talented carpenter, Billy found his passion in building homes, skillfully crafting structures that would become cherished sanctuaries for families. His love for the water was evident as he spent countless hours shing, where he found peace and joy in nature. A friend to many, Billy’s outgoing nature and witty humor brought smiles and laughter to those around him. He had an uncanny ability to make others feel at ease, sharing jokes and stories that would light up a room. Country music was the soundtrack to his life. Above all, Billy was a man of immense compassion, always ready to lend a helping hand or a listening ear. His large heart was a testament to his dedication to making the world a kinder place.

Left to cherish his memory are his daughter, Amber Donaldson; mother, Faye Piper; sisters, Donna Terrell and husband Marcus and Beverly Tyson; and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews; and other beloved family and friends.

A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

The family would like to thank the sta of The Randolph Hospice House for their compassionate care of Billy.

Leigh Anne Garner

Oct. 14, 1965 – Sept. 10, 2025

Leigh Anne Garner, age 59, of Denton, passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer on September 10, 2025, at The Randolph Hospice House. She was born October 14, 1965 in Winston Salem, North Carolina, the daughter of the late Tommy Sutphin and Carylon Gilley Brown.

Leigh Anne’s life was a testament to the power of kindness, dedication, and love.

Her career at Four Seasons Furniture, where she dedicated over 18 years to assisting clients in the customer service department and showing exemplary assistance to clients.

Leigh Anne’s warmth and empathy touched everyone she interacted with, creating lasting impressions and relationships. Beyond her professional life, she found joy and solace in literature, often losing herself in the pages of a good book. Her passion for reading was matched only by her delight in puzzles, whether on her computer or in the form of crosswords, Leigh Anne was always up for a challenge. Above all, her heart was devoted to her family. As a loving wife, mother, and mawmaw, she treasured every moment spent with her loved ones. Her home was lled with warmth, particularly during family gatherings where precious memories were created. Her legacy is one of love, loyalty, and an unwavering devotion.

Left to cherish her memory are her beloved husband of 40 years, Bobby Garner of the home; daughters, Kristan Chriscoe and husband Cli Chriscoe and Hannah Garner and ancé Dustin Cole; grandchildren, Jaxon Chriscoe and Colter Chriscoe; and numerous other beloved family and friends.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at the Trinity Wesleyan Church Cemetery, 3200 Trinity Church Road, Seagrove, NC 27341. The family would like to thank the sta of The Randolph Hospice House for their compassionate care of Leigh Anne. In lieu of owers, please consider a compassionate donation to the educational fund for her beloved grandchildren. gofundme.com/f/leighannes-education-legacy-forgrandchildren

Dollie Christine Lamonds Beaman

Jan. 6, 1937 – Sept. 12, 2025

Dollie Christine Lamonds Beaman, age 88, of Troy, NC, passed away peacefully at her home on Friday, September 12, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

Christine Beaman was born in Candor, NC, on January 6, 1937, to the late Samuel Neil Lamonds and the late Lois Virginia Honeycutt Lamonds. Christine was a people person, loving to talk to people. She was an avid reader, her favorite being murder mysteries. She loved to can, especially jelly. She was a big traveler, making many trips to the mountains. She loved researching the genealogy of the whole family. She loved to sew in her earlier years and loved NASCAR racing. Church was very important to her as was her family.

Christine is survived by her daughter, Lois Beaman Shue and granddaughter, Holly Ann Shue of the home; sons: Holly Beaman (Phyllis) of Troy and Roy Beaman (Tina) of Troy; brother: Alexander Lamonds of Candor; sisters: Joyce Lamonds of Candor, Janie Livingston of Candor, and Diane Lamonds of Candor; 10 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband David Beaman, four brothers and three sisters.

The family will receive friends on Monday, September 15, 2025, at Shiloh Methodist Church, 151 Shiloh Church Road, Troy, NC from 4-4:45 p.m. Funeral Service will begin at 5 p.m. with Rev. Todd Roseman and Rev. Johnny Lamonds Jr., o ciating. Burial will follow at Shiloh Methodist Church Cemetery.

Memorials may be made in Christine’s name to Gentiva Hospice, 1024 Albemarle Rd., Troy, NC 27371 or to The Baptist Children’s Home of NC, 204 Idol St., Thomasville, NC 27360.

The family would like to give a special “thank you” to Gentiva Hospice for their care during this di cult time.

Robert Redford, Oscar

Robert Redford attends the premiere of “The Old Man and the Gun” at New York’s Paris Theater in September 2018.

winner who became champion of independent lm, dead at 89

covery for such previously unknown lmmakers as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson and Darren Aronofsky.

By Bob Thomas The Associated Press

ROBERT REDFORD, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89.

Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. No cause of death was provided.

Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ‘70s with such lms as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were,” capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980’s best picture winner, “Ordinary People.”

His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks — whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies.

His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. But his most famous screen partner was his old friend Paul Newman, their lms a variation of their warm, teasing o -screen relationship. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a box-o ce smash from which Redford’s Sundance Institute and festival got its name.

He also teamed with Newman on 1973’s best picture Oscar winner, “The Sting,” which earned Redford a best actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago.

Film roles after the ‘70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing and his new role as patriarch of the independent- lm movement. He starred in 1985’s best picture champion “Out of Africa” and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in “All is Lost,” in which he was the lm’s only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, “The Old Man and the Gun.”

“I gure now as I’m getting into my 80s, it’s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family,” he told The Associated Press at the time.

Redford had watched Hollywood grow more cautious and controlling during the 1970s and wanted to recapture the creative spirit of the early part of the decade. Sundance was created to nurture new talent away from the pressures of Hollywood. The institute and festival based in Park City, Utah, became a place of dis-

“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence,’” Redford told the AP in 2018. “I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard.” By 2025, the festival had become so prominent that organizers approved relocating to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027.

Redford’s a nity for the outdoors was well captured in “A River Runs Through It” and other lms and through his decades of advocacy for the environment, inspired in part by witnessing the transformation of Los Angeles into a city of smog and freeways. His activities ranged from lobbying for the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to serving on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Born in Aug. 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California, Redford attended college on a baseball scholarship and would later star as a middle-aged slugger in 1984’s “The Natural,” the adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s novel. He had an early interest in drawing and painting and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He debuted on Broadway in the late 1950s before moving into television on such shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Untouchables.”

Redford was married twice, most recently to Sibylle Szaggars. He had four children, two of whom have died — Scott Anthony, who died in infancy, in 1959; and activist and mmaker James Redford, who died in 2020.

Redford also appeared in several political narratives. He satirized campaigning as an idealist running for U.S. senator in “The Candidate” and uttered one of the more memorable closing lines, “What do we do now?” after his character manages to win. He starred as Woodward to Dustin Homan’s Carl Bernstein in 1976’s “All the President’s Men,” the story of the Washington Post reporters whose Watergate investigation helped bring down President Richard Nixon. His biggest lmmaking triumph came with his directing debut on “Ordinary People,” which beat Martin Scorsese’s classic “Raging Bull” at the Oscars.

Redford’s other directing e orts included “The Horse Whisperer,” “The Milagro Bean eld War” and 1994’s “Quiz Show,” the last of which also earned best picture and director Oscar nominations. “The idea of the outlaw has always been very appealing to me. If you look at some of the lms, it’s usually having to do with the outlaw sensibility, which I think has probably been my sensibility. I think I was just born with it,” Redford said in 2018. “From the time I was just a kid, I was always trying to break free of the bounds that I was stuck with, and always wanted to go outside.”

The Hollywood icon helped launch the careers of many unknown lmmakers

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP

STATE & NATION

Workers commenting on Kirk’s death learn limits of free speech in and out of workplace

Employees face rings over social media posts about the assassination

By Cathy Bussewitz and Wyatte Grantham-Philips The Associated Press

NEW YORK — In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been red for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as o ensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Rightwing in uencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

It’s far from the rst time workers have lost their jobs over things they say publicly — including in social media posts.

But the speed at which the rings have been happening raises questions about worker rights versus employer rights.

In the U.S., laws can vary across states, but overall, there’s very little legal protections for employees who are punished for speech made both in and out of private workplaces.

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace,” said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR Services for Engage PEO. “Most employees in the private sector do not have any protections for that type of speech at work.”

Add to that the prevalence of social media, which has made it increasingly common to track employees’ conduct outside of work and to dox people, or publish information about them online with the intent of harming or harassing them.

Employers have lot of leeway

Protections for workers vary from one state to the next. For example, in New York, if an employee is participating in a weekend political protest but not associating themselves with the organization that employs them, their employer cannot re them for that activity when they return to work.

But if that same employee is at a company event on a weekend and talks about their political viewpoints in a way that makes others feel unsafe or the target of discrimination or harassment, then they could face consequences at work, Matsis-McCready said.

Most of the U.S. defaults to “at-will” employment law — which essentially means employers can choose to hire and re as they see t, including over employees’ speech.

“The First Amendment does not apply in private workplaces to protect employees’ speech,”

said Andrew Kragie, an attorney who specializes in employment and labor law at Maynard Nexsen. “It actually does protect employers’ right to make decisions about employees, based on employees’ speech.”

Kragie said there are “pockets of protection” around the U.S. under various state laws, such as statutes that forbid punishing workers for their political views. But the interpretation of how that gets enforced changes, he notes, making the waters murky.

Steven T. Collis, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin and faculty director of the school’s Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center, also points to some state laws that say employers can’t re their workers for “legal o duty conduct.” But there’s often an exception for conduct seen as disruptive to an employer’s business or reputation, which could be grounds to re someone over public comments or social media posts.

“In this scenario, if somebody feels like one of their employees has done something that suggests they are glorifying or celebrating a murder, an employer might still be able to re them even with one of those laws on the books,” Collis said.

For public employees, which can range from school teachers and postal workers to elected o cials, the process is a bit different. That’s because the First Amendment plays a unique role when the government is the employer, Collis explains. The Supreme Court has ruled that if an employee is acting in a private capacity but speaking on a matter of public concern, they could be protected. Still, he noted that government employers can discipline a worker if they determine

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace.” Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel

such conduct will interfere with the government’s ability to do its job.

Some in the public sector have already worked to restrict speech in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. For instance, leaders at the Pentagon unveiled a “zero tolerance” policy for any posts or comments from troops that make light of or celebrate the killing of Kirk.

The policy, announced by the Pentagon’s top spokesman Sean Parnell on social media last Thursday, came hours after numerous conservative military in uencers and activists began forwarding posts they considered problematic to Parnell and his boss, defense secretary Pete Hegseth.

“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” Parnell wrote Thursday.

Surge of political debate

The ubiquity of social media is making it easier than ever to share opinions about politics and major news events as they’re unfolding. But posting on social media leaves a record, and in times of escalating political polarization, those declarations can be seen as damaging to the reputation of an individual or their employer.

“People don’t realize when they’re on social media, it is the

town square,” said Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certi cation Institute.

“They’re not having a private conversation with the neighbor over the fence. They’re really broadcasting their views.”

Political debates are certainly not limited to social media and are increasingly making their way into the workplace as well.

“The gami cation of the way we communicate in the workplace, Slack and Teams, chat and all these things, they’re very similar to how you might interact on Instagram or other social media, so I do think that makes it feel a little less formal and somebody might be more inclined to take to take a step and say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe this happened,’” Matsis-McCready said.

Employers not ready

In the tense, divided climate of the U.S., many human resource professionals have expressed that they’re unprepared to address politically charged discussions in the workplace, according to the Human Resource Certi cation Institute. But those conversations are going to happen, so employers need to set policies about what is acceptable or unacceptable workplace conduct, Dufrane said.

“HR has got to really drill down and make sure that they’re super clear on their policies and practices and communicating to their employees on what are

their responsibilities as an employee of the organization,” Dufrane said.

Many employers are reviewing their policies on political speech and providing training about what appropriate conduct looks like, both inside and outside the organization, she said. And the brutal nature of Kirk’s killing may have led some of them to react more strongly in the days that followed his death.

“Because of the violent nature of what some political discussion is now about, I think there is a real concern from employers that they want to keep the workplace safe and that they’re being extra vigilant about anything that could be viewed as a threat, which is their duty,” Matsis-McCreedy said.

Employees can also be seen as ambassadors of a company’s brand, and their political speech can dilute that brand and hurt its reputation, depending on what is being said and how it is being received. That is leading more companies to act on what employees are saying online, she said.

“Some of the individuals that had posted and their posts went viral, all of a sudden the phone lines of their employers were just nonstop calls complaining,” Matsis-McCready said.

Still, experts like Collis don’t anticipate a signi cant change in how employers monitor their workers speech — noting that online activity has come under the spotlight for at least the last 15 years.

“Employers are already and have been for a very long time, vetting employees based on what they’re posting on social media,” he said.

MEREDITH SEAVER / COLLEGE STATION EAGLE VIA AP

Charlie Kirk speaks at Texas A&M University as part of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour on April 22 in College Station, Texas.

RandolpH SPORTS

Cougars bolster soccer stock with another dominant week

The UCA volleyball team has gotten o to a strong start in conference competition

Randolph Record sta

IT DIDN’T TAKE Southwestern Randolph long to get back on track in boys’ soccer.

Fernando Hernandez scored three goals and Gri n Hall scored twice as Southwest-

ern Randolph dumped visiting North Davidson 8-0. The Cougars, who entered this week with an 8-1 record, also drilled visiting East Davidson 8-0 last week. Next week, Southwestern Randolph begins play in the Four Rivers Conference, though it will have other games sprinkled in.

• Asheboro defeated visiting High Point Central 3-1 on goals by Ozmar Martinez, Car-

los Gonzalez and Kevin Martinez Cruz.

The Blue Comets also had a 0-0 draw at Ragsdale.

• Sam Peters and Kevin Bautista each had three goals for Providence Grove in a 9-0 whipping of visiting Central Davidson.

In Providence Grove’s 9-0 home romp past Eastern Guilford, Seth Johnson tallied three goals and Bautista and Peters both had two goals.

• Trinity’s Cayden Pugh recorded three goals in a 5-2 triumph at Southern Guilford.

• Easton Dewitt and Carter Queen, who had three assists, posted two goals apiece when Wheatmore dominated host South Davidson.

• Owen Leonard scored all the goals when Randleman notched a 3-0 victory against visiting Eastern Randolph.

Leonard had a goal in a 1-1 draw with visiting Greensboro Page.

• Eastern Randolph nipped host Chatham Charter 2-1.

• Levi Brown racked up four

Smith wins 2, extends lead in Chargers class at Caraway

Saturday at the track. Smith, the points leader in the class, won by more than 5 seconds in the rst feature, with Nathan Quella the runner-up among 12 entrants. In the second race, Smith had to move up in the eld and took the lead shortly after the midway mark of the race. Quella again nished in second place,

followed by Jason Gallimore and Caden Everhart. But Gallimore’s car failed a postrace inspection, so he was dropped from the standings.

• There was a tight nish in the 602 Modi eds feature, with Carter McMurray dueling with Jaxson Casper. McMurray ended up with the victory, while Cody

goals when Faith Christian defeated host Vandalia Christian 8-2.

Volleyball

Uwharrie Charter Academy began Four Rivers Conference play by sweeping host Southwestern Randolph with Caroline Way’s 21 kills, Sadie Upchurch’s 22 digs and Emory Johnson’s 35 assists.

Southwestern Randolph received seven kills from Bailey Blackmon.

UCA also notched a league sweep of visiting North Moore, with Way providing 20 kills and Carly Rush turned in 13 kills and ve digs.

Last week’s results pushed the Eagles’ winning streak to seven — all sweeps.

Southwestern Randolph bounced back by topping host Eastern Randolph in four sets. Then Saturday in home matches, Southwestern Randolph lost to North Stanly and defeated McMichael.

• Eastern Randolph took

down host Northwood in ve sets, with Callie Craven’s 28 assists and Vivian Underwood’s 35 digs.

• Trinity followed a ve-match losing streak by winning three matches last week.

Dakota Odell had 16 kills in a four-set triumph against visiting North Carolina Leadership Academy. The Bulldogs also registered a sweep of visiting East Davidson as Avalynn Johnson provided 32 assists and four aces.

Then at Providence Grove, Odell had 18 kills and Avery Mo tt posted 17 kills, and Charlee Phillips and Katelyn Hill both had 17 digs in a four-set victory.

• Randleman swept host Eastern Randolph and visiting Ledford.

• Wheatmore swept visiting Thomasville.

• Asheboro lost its rst two Triad Area Athletic Conference matches, falling at home to Northern Guilford in three sets and on the road against Southeast Guilford in four sets.

Asheboro pulls out overtime victory

Randleman and Eastern Randolph won intracounty matchups after coming o losses

Randolph Record sta

WENTWORTH — Ashe-

boro’s Shane Immel broke up Rockingham County’s conversion pass on a would-be game-winning play in overtime, clinching the Blue Comets’ 31-30 road victory Friday night. Connor Brinton ran for two touchdowns, and Dallas Brinton, who rushed for 87 yards, threw for a touchdown to Garrison Cheek for Asheboro (4-0). DJ Scott also ran for a touchdown. Micah Garcia kicked a 34-yard eld goal for Asheboro. Rockingham County (1-3) had scored eight points in its two previous games combined. Randleman 24, Southwestern Randolph 14: At Randleman, John Kirkpatrick threw for two touchdowns and the Tigers (2-2) snapped a

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Asheboro at Eastern Randolph

• Wheatmore at Southwestern Randolph

High Point Andrews at Randleman

• Providence Grove at Jordan-Matthews

Surry Central at Trinity

two-game skid by scoring 24 consecutive points after surrendering the rst touchdown. Kirkpatrick threw a tiebreaking touchdown pass to Nazir Staton, and Owen Leonard kicked a 31-yard eld goal for a 17-7 halftime lead. The Tigers’ rst points came on Kayden Saunders’ 5-yard run. Kirkpatrick tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Connor Cassidy to open the third-quarter scoring.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Eastern Randolph’s Katelyn Brown spikes the ball against Randleman’s Lilah Covington, left, and Lexi Vaughn during a volleyball match last week.

Matthew Smith holds the checkered ag after one of his victories in the Chargers division Saturday at Caraway Speedway.

COURTESY OF CARAWAY SPEEDWAY

Owen Leonard

Randleman, soccer/football

Leonard is the leading scorer for Randleman’s soccer team as a senior forward. He also has scored in football games Friday nights.

In soccer, Leonard recorded 14 goals through 10 games. That’s more than half of the Randleman team total.

Last week, the Tigers tied Greensboro Page and defeated Eastern Randolph, with Leonard scoring all four of his team’s goals in those games.

He helped the Tigers in their football victory Friday night with a 29-yard eld goal against Southwestern Randolph. He also has drilled several extra-point kicks this season.

CARAWAY from page B1

Norman pulled in third and was followed by Eric Zeh, Mitchell Wright and Joel Belanger.

Yet Casper nished in the top position for the speedway’s “Triple Crown” events in the 602 Mods, a competition that included three designated races in July, August and September.

• Jimmy Cooper ended up in rst place in the UCARs race after some lineup shu ing.

A lapped car encountered trouble and that created a wreck that included Jeremy Kidd and Jamie Vance. Kidd had to make a tire change, so he was sent to the back of the pack, while Vance didn’t continue in the race.

Tito Clapp was the initial bene ciary, with Cooper the runner-up and Josh Phillips, Justin Smith and Skylar Hughes following in the next positions. But when Clapp’s car failed in-

spection, that made Cooper the winner. Mason Vance assumed the fth-place spot, while Kidd’s comeback netted him sixth place.

• In Crown Vics, Bennett Deane was the winner in the 15-lap race, followed by Dean Levi, Christian Morris, TJ Gibson, Bobby Bescher and Steven Collins.

• The Mini Stocks winner was Tyler Bush, who fended o AJ Sanders in the 20-lap feature. Blaze Sanders was third, ahead of Austin Shumate and Michael Brown.

• US Legends cars were also on the docket, with Colton Hale winning the 25-lap race ahead of Chase Van Houten.

There’s more racing at the speedway this weekend, with Limited Late Models holding twin features along with racing for Chargers, Mini Stocks, UCARs, 602 Modi eds, Crown Vics, Legends and Bandoleros.

Concepcion stars on eld, embraces speaking publicly while dealing with stutter

The former Wolfpack playmaker now sparks the Aggies

By Kristie Rieken Associated Press

COLLEGE STATION, Texas

— After KC Concepcion scored two touchdowns to help No. 16 Texas A&M to a win over Utah State last weekend, he condently strode to the podium, warmly greeted the assembled media and ashed a huge smile before answering questions for almost 10 minutes.

It’s a scene the receiver couldn’t have imagined as a kid when a severe stutter led to bullying in school.

Now 20, Concepcion still stutters and admitted that speaking publicly remains challenging for him.

“I’m really still kind of getting comfortable with it,” he told The Associated Press after practice this week.

He recalled how some kids treated him as a child and that the classes meant to help him only made him feel more self-conscious about his stuttering. He was picked on.

“It kind of used to be really, really bad when I was a kid,” he said. “But, you know, just just taking my little speech classes here and there, I really didn’t like going to them because I kind of felt like I was a little weird. ... Just being taught how to try to like speak uently and and not stutter or anything.”

Those times were di cult, but he was helped by his father, Kevin Concepcion. Stuttering is often hereditary, and that is the case with Concepcion, whose father also stutters.

“As a little kid, it’s kind of tough having, having kids pick on you for your talking,” he said. “Just just seeing him deal with it also it helped me out, you feel me. And it made me

NCAA FOOTBALL

feel like I wasn’t the only one.”

Concepcion abandoned his speech classes in middle school and decided the only way to improve his speech was to practice. That meant not shying away from talking in any situation. The receiver from Charlotte likened it to getting reps on the football eld.

“It’s literally just exactly like football,” he said. “Sometimes you know it it comes from the heart, but sometimes I can just sit down and and go over it and just make sure that I know what I’m saying in the back of my mind sometimes and that can also help me to where I’m not trying to nd the words and it’s just coming out weird.”

Concepcion is in his rst season at Texas A&M after a transfer from NC State. Despite being one of the newer faces on the team, he’s already made his mark with the Aggies. He had a touchdown reception and returned a punt 80 yards for a score in Texas A&M’s opener before his two-touchdown performance in Week 2. He’s the rst Texas A&M receiver to score two or more touchdowns in consecutive

Virginia Tech res coach Pry after program’s 1st 0-3 start since 1987 Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech has red football coach Brent Pry after the program stumbled to its rst 0-3 start since 1987. The school announced the move Sunday. That came a day after the Hokies fell behind 31-0 on the way to a 45-26 loss to Old Dominion. In a statement, Pry said “Blacksburg will always hold a special place in our hearts.” O ensive coordinator Philip Montgomery will serve as interim coach.

BOXING

Crawford makes history with victory over Alvarez

Las Vegas

Terence Crawford made history by becoming the rst male boxer to capture three uni ed division titles. He defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision to win the super middleweight championship. Two judges scored the match 115-113 and the third 116112 in Crawford’s favor. The ght took place at Allegiant Stadium before a record crowd of 70,482. It was Alvarez’s rst defeat since May 2022. The event, broadcast on Net ix, attracted signi cant attention and marked a shift from traditional pay-per-view models. The co-main event saw Callum Walsh defeat Fernando Vargas Jr.

Southwestern Randolph (2-2) scored rst on Levi Dalke’s 25-yard pass play to Devonte Dukes. The game’s nal touchdown came on Devonte Jenkins’ 68-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Eastern Randolph 41, Providence Grove 3: At Climax, Kobe Walker ran for two touchdowns and the visiting Wildcats (3-1) bounced back from a rare regular-season loss.

Cade McCallum’s two touchdown throws came in a two-minute span, connecting

MLB

games since Ainias Smith did it in 2021.

“He’s got a tremendous work ethic,” coach Mike Elko said. “I really enjoy the way he competes day in and day out, that really showed itself in the o -season as well. So there’s a maturity about him that I really like. He wants to be great and that shows every day, which is a really cool characteristic in a kid. And I think he’s a kid that rises to moments.”

Concepcion said realizing that everyone is dealing with something made him be less hard on himself when it comes to his stutter.

“Everybody has their own aws, and it’s just about how you embrace those aws and that makes you you,” he said. And he had a message for kids who are having a tough time or feeling down because they stutter.

“I’ve been stuttering since I’ve been a little kid,” he said.

“It’s de nitely been a long journey from growing up with the horrible stuttering problem to kind of not growing out of it but, you know, getting better at it. So I would just say: You guys aren’t alone. I stand with you.”

Kurtz hits 493-foot grand slam, longest MLB homer of season Sacramento, Calif. Nick Kurtz launched a 493-foot grand slam — the longest home run in the majors this season — and the Athletics hammered Hunter Greene early in an 11-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Kurtz, the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, has 31 home runs in his rookie season. Kurtz’s 493-foot drive was the longest by an A’s player since Statcast tracking began in 2015. It surpassed Mike Trout’s 484 -foot homer April 19 with the Angels for the longest in the majors this year.

NFL

FanDuel agrees to pay Jaguars roughly $5M to o set losses from ex-employee’s theft Jacksonville, Fla.

FanDuel has agreed to pay the Jacksonville Jaguars roughly $5 million to help o set the nearly $20 million that a former employee stole from the NFL franchise and deposited at the sportsbook. ESPN rst reported the deal, which was nalized earlier this year. It came a year after nancial manager Amit Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million through a virtual credit card system the team used for expenses. Patel is serving a 61⁄2-year sentence in federal prison. He sued FanDuel last year.

with Cainin Clover for 45 yards and Chance Holdaway for 63 yards.

Providence Grove (2-2) scored on Carson Jones’ 44 -yard eld goal in the fourth quarter. Jordan-Matthews 42, Wheatmore 6: At Trinity, Jakari Blue ran for three touchdowns and 112 yards and Kamarie Hadley ran for two touchdowns for the visiting Jets (4-0). Jordan-Matthews has more wins in any season since going 5-7 in 2013.

Wheatmore (0-4) managed

190 yards of total o ense, including three Conner Benton’s completions accounting for 80 yards.

Bishop McGuinness 37, Trinity 6: At Kernersville, Tristan Styers threw for three touchdowns for the Villains. Henry Kyle made two touchdown receptions for Bishop McGuinness (3-1), which led 21-0 at halftime and then tacked on more in the fourth quarter. Trinity (0-4) scored on Khad’n Fuller’s touchdown pass to Max Kendall in the third quarter. Fuller gained 104 rushing yards on 13 carries.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD Randleman’s Owen Leonard has made impacts in two sports this month.

FOOTBALL from page B1

DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion (7) runs into the end zone for a touchdown after catching a pass against UTSA.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Jimi Hendrix dies at 27, Ole Miss blocks James Meredith, Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” published

The Associated Press

SEPT. 18

1850: Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which created a force of federal commissioners charged with returning escaped slaves to their owners.

1970: Rock star Jimi Hendrix died in London at age 27.

2020: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a towering champion of women’s rights who became the court’s second female justice, died at age 87.

SEPT. 19

1796: President George Washington’s farewell address was published. In it, America’s rst chief executive advised, “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”

1881: The 20th president of the United States, James A. Gar eld, died 2½ months after being shot by Charles Guiteau.

1957: The United States conducted its rst contained underground nuclear test, code-named “Rainier,” in the Nevada desert.

SEPT. 20

1519: Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew left Spain on ve ships to nd a western route to the Spice Islands. Magellan was killed en route, but one ship completed the rst circumnavigation of the globe.

1962: James Meredith, a black student, was blocked

Richard Nixon, Republican candidate for the vice presidency, explains a $18,000 expense fund on national television on Sept. 23, 1952. The appearance was nicknamed his “Checkers” speech because of his reference to the family dog.

from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Democratic Gov. Ross R. Barnett. 1973: In their so-called “Battle of the Sexes,” tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3.

SEPT. 21

1922: President Warren Harding signed the Lodge -Fish Resolution, a Congressional resolution endorsing the creation of a Jewish state.

1937: “The Hobbit,” by J.R.R. Tolkien, was rst published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. of London.

1981: The Senate unanimously con rmed Sandra Day O’Connor as the rst female justice on the Supreme Court. 1989: Hurricane Hugo crashed into South Carolina; the storm was blamed for 56 deaths in the Caribbean and 29 in the United States.

SEPT. 22

1776: During the Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale, 21, was hanged as a spy by the British in New York.

1862: President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, stating enslaved people in Confederate states would be freed as of Jan. 1, 1863, if the states did not rejoin the Union.

1975: Sara Jane Moore red two shots in a failed attempt to assassinate President Gerald R. Ford outside a San Francisco hotel.

SEPT. 23

1806: The Lewis and Clark expedition returned to St. Louis more than two years after setting out for the Paci c Northwest.

1952: Sen. Richard M. Nixon (R-Calif.) salvaged his vice presidential nomination with a televised “Checkers” speech, denying fundraising allegations and referencing his family’s cocker spaniel.

1955: A jury in Sumner, Mississippi, acquitted two white men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, of killing black teenager Emmett Till.

SEPT. 24

1869: Thousands were ruined in a Wall Street panic known as “Black Friday” after Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the gold market.

1906: President Theodore Roosevelt established Devil’s Tower in Wyoming as the rst U.S. national monument.

1957: The Los Angeles-bound Brooklyn Dodgers played their last game at Ebbets Field, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0.

AP PHOTO

AP PHOTO

On Sept. 20, 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in the highly publicized “Battle of the Sexes,” a landmark moment in sports and gender equality.

Spinal Tap almost goes to 11 on ‘The End Continues’ soundtrack

Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Elton John and Trisha Yearwood are in on the fun

By Jim Pollock

The Associated Press

THE OSTENSIBLY ctitious hard-rock band Spinal Tap has been together, o and on, slightly longer than Katy Perry has been alive, and as of Friday, has released four studio albums and two feature lms. Their latest album, “The End Continues,” continues to do what they’ve always done best: delightfully walk the ne line between clever and stupid. Its release coincides with the sequel lm, “Spinal Tap ll: The End Continues.”

When the mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap” and the accompanying debut album were released in 1984, the idea of a band rocking into middle age still felt mildly ridiculous.

Lead vocalist David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) captured the majestic silliness of perpetual rock ’n’ roll adolescence.

The act has endured through the decades because the core trio remains ercely committed to the bit. McKean, Guest and Shearer’s lyrics are still ridiculous, but plausibly so, and their musical craft and songwriting skills are legitimate. As Spinal Tap, their earnest belief in the everything-ness of rock ’n’ roll is at times riotously funny but ultimately endearing. With members now in their 70s and 80s, the band no longer goes quite all the way to 11, but the album rewards fans with crisp comedic writing, interesting collaborations with rock royalty, and surprisingly direct confrontation with mortality and the ravages of time.

The 13-track release revisits four favorites from the original album with a little help from their rock-legend friends.

INTERSCOPE VIA AP

“The End Continues” by Spinal Tap coincides with the release of Christopher Guest’s mockumentary “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

“Even though we’re old and gray / This feels like starting over.”

Spinal Tap

Elton John o ers vocals on a straightforward remake of “Stonehenge.” As a pioneer of outrageous rock pageantry, John is the right vehicle to take the song right over the top. Paul McCartney ttingly takes the lead on the Beatles-inspired remake of “Cups and Cakes.” His chuckle early in the song is a little gift to fans, harking back to a similar laugh on the Beatles’ “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”

Husband-wife duo Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood o er the album’s biggest surprise with a raucous country reimagining of their 1984 track “Big Bottom.” Yearwood gamely serves as the butt of half a dozen cheekily o ensive

couplets. When Brooks calls out, “Talkin’ ’bout mud aps,” Yearwood gleefully responds, “Yeah, I got ’em.”

Age and mortality gure prominently in the nine new songs with titles such as “Rockin’ in the Urn.” The Survivor-inspired synth-rock “Let’s Just Rock Again” opens with the line, “Even though we’re old and gray / This feels like starting over.”

On “The Devil’s Just Not Getting Old,” the band ri s on aging with the relentless energy they once devoted to goofy sexual innuendo. They muse on Satan’s immortality in a few lyrical lines: “He’s not starting to lose his teeth / He’s not starting to eat less beef,” goes one. “He’s not complaining of shooting pains / He’s not having varicose veins,” is another. Though “The End Continues” lacks some of the raunchy charms of their original release, it will bring joy to many who have laughed and grown older together with the band.

Evidence of historian McCullough’s curiosity abounds in ‘History Matters’

The author has written biographies on John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt

By Andrew DeMillo

The Associated Press

THE LATE PULITZER

Prize-winning historian David McCullough told an audience in 2012 that writing history was like working on a detective case.

“And once on the case, you want to know more and more and more,” he said in remarks at Dartmouth College. “Follow your curiosity.”

One thing that’s clear after reading “History Matters,” a posthumous collection of McCullough’s writings and speeches that include his Dartmouth remarks, is how much the revered historian practiced what he preached.

The book is an enjoyable complement to McCullough’s canon of works that include biographies of John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt and a reminder of why he was one of the greatest historians of our time. They also o er a glance into his approaches to reading and writing.

SIMON & SCHUSTER VIA AP

“History Matters” by David McCullough introduces readers to one of the greatest historians of our time.

In a tribute to the late novelist Herman Wouk that’s part of the collection, McCullough underscores the importance of feeling and narrative writing for historians. Another tribute to novelist, painter and historian Paul Horgan shows how McCullough approached his writing with a painter’s eye.

SOLUTIONS FOR THIS WEEK

“And once on the case, you want to know more and more and more. Follow your curiosity.”

David McCullough

The writings also include a short history of his typewriter, a second-hand Royal Standard that he bought in 1965 and used to write every one of his 12 books. A recommended reading list from McCullough underscores how much he viewed literature as necessary for understanding history. Throughout the book, McCullough’s remarks display concerns about the consequences of historical illiteracy. His pieces also illustrate the power of helping out younger writers and connecting with them.

Overall, the collection offers a brief introduction to McCullough for readers not familiar with his works but one that pales to the value of reading his books. Hopefully, it will provide inspiration to readers to delve into McCullough’s writings.

famous birthdays this week

Rosemary Harris turns 98, Sophia Loren is 91, Bill Murray hits 75, Stephen King turns 78

The Associated Press THE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

SEPT. 18

Hockey Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman is 92. Singer Frankie Avalon is 85. Actor Anna Deavere Smith is 75. Neurosurgeon-author-politician Ben Carson is 74. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino is 73. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is 71. Comedian-actor Jason Sudeikis is 50.

SEPT. 19

Actor Rosemary Harris is 98. Singer-songwriter Paul Williams is 85. Singer Bill Medley (The Righteous Brothers) is 85. Actor Jeremy Irons is 77. TV personality Joan Lunden is 75. Musician-producer Nile Rodgers is 73. Musician Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) is 63. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is 60.

SEPT. 20

Actor Sophia Loren is 91. Author George R. R. Martin is 77.

Actor Gary Cole is 69. TV news correspondent Deborah Roberts is 65. Actor Maggie Cheung is 61. Actor Kristen Johnston is 58. Rock singers Gunnar and Matthew Nelson are 58.

SEPT. 21

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is 82. Musician Don Felder is 78. Author Stephen King is 78. Basketball Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore is 76. Actor-comedian Bill Murray is 75. Filmmaker Ethan Coen is 68. Musician Liam Gallagher (Oasis) is 53.

SEPT. 22

Singer-choreographer-actor Toni Basil is 82. Musician King Sunny Adé is 79. Football Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael is 76. Rock singer David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) is 74. Singer Nick Cave is 68.

SEPT. 23

Singer Julio Iglesias is 82. Actor/singer Mary Kay Place is 78. Rock star Bruce Springsteen is 76. Director/playwright George C. Wolfe is 71. Actor Rosalind Chao is 68. Actor Jason Alexander is 66. Singer Ani DiFranco is 55.

SEPT. 24

Football Hall of Famer

Joe Greene is 79. Actor Gordon Clapp is 77. Actor Harriet Walter is 75. Filmmaker Brad Bird is 68. Actor Kevin Sorbo is 67. Actor-screenwriter Nia Vardalos is 63. Celebrity chef Robert Irvine is 60.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO Bill Murray poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the lm “The Phoenician Scheme” at the 78th international lm festival in 2025. The actor turns 75 on Sunday.

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP PHOTO Rosemary Harris accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in 2019. The celebrated Broadway actor turns 98 on Friday.

the stream

Cardi B, movie about Bumble, ‘Morning Show’ returns

“Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” captures the essence of female musicians in the late ’90s

The Associated Press

CARDI B releasing her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” and Lily James playing the founder of the popular dating app Bumble in the new biographical drama “Swiped” are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuting its fourth season on Apple TV+., Ariana Madix heading back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock and a Hulu documentary seeks to tell the story of the music festival Lilith Fair in new detail.

MOVIES TO STREAM

James plays the founder of the popular dating app Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, in the new biographical drama “Swiped” which streams on Hulu on Friday. The lm, directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, traces Wolfe Herd’s trajectory from college and beyond. In 2012, she co-founded Tinder and two years later started Bumble, which would put her on a path to becoming the youngest female self-made billionaire. “Swiped,” which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, also stars Dan Stevens and “Industry’s” Myha’la. And for something completely di erent, and silly, Net ix has the Liam Neeson action pic “Ice Road: Vengeance” available now. Neeson plays an ice-road truck driver who wants to scatter his brother’s ashes on Mount Everest but nds himself having to ght mercenaries. It got terrible reviews when it was released in theaters this summer, but that’s probably beside the point.

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM

She’s back and bigger than

ever. On Friday, Cardi B will release her long-awaited sophomore LP, “Am I the Drama?” — seven years after the release of her landmark debut, 2018’s “Invasion of Privacy.” What has been released so far sounds like freedom: the sexy empowerment anthems “Up” and “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion from years past, and the bravado of “Outside” and smooth ow of “Imaginary Playerz.”

Fans of jangly guitar tones and power pop, listen up. Philadelphia’s Golden Apples, led by singer-songwriter Russell Edling, will release an addictive new album on Friday titled “Shooting Star.” Start with “Noonday Demon,” the cheeriest-sounding song about depression you’ll hear this year. It’s a charmer.

It was radical then and now. In the summers of 1997 through 1999, a music festival founded by Sarah McLachlan shined a light on women musicians — both bands and solo artists. Streaming on Sunday, a new documentary seeks to tell the story of Lilith Fair in new detail. “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premieres on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ and features a long list of incredible talent, from those who performed to those whose music takes obvious in uence from the events. That includes McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Natalie Merchant, Mýa, Jewel, Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo.

SERIES TO STREAM

“Dancing with the Stars” returns for its millionth, er, 34th season on ABC and Disney+.

Contestants learning the paso doble and foxtrot include Olympian Jordan Chiles, Hilaria Baldwin, actor Corey Feldman, comedian Andy Richter, former NBA star Baron Davis and Robert Irwin, the son of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin and. Whitney Leavitt and Jen A eck from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” will also compete. Jan Ravnik, one of the dancers from Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” also joins the show as a pro. All episodes are stream-

Jeremy Irons attends the Apple TV+ premiere of “The Morning Show” Season 4 at the Museum of Modern Art on Sept. 9 in New York. The hit show’s new season is now streaming on Apple TV+.

ing on Hulu and Disney+.

Just as the dust has settled on season 7 of “Love Island USA,” host Ariana Madix is headed back to Fiji to host “Love Island Games” on Peacock. The show brings back fan-favorite Islanders from “Love Island” iterations across the globe to partake in competitions and get a second chance at love. Fans will recognize Chris Seeley, Andreina Santos and Charlie Georgiou from season 7 and Kendall Washington and Andrea Carmona from season 6 as part of the new cast. Aniston and Witherspoon’s “The Morning Show” debuted its fourth season on Apple TV+.

The two play TV news anchors at a ctional news network called UBN. Each season features topical themes, and this one is no di erent, addressing AI, deepfakes and conspiracy theories in the media. Additional series regulars include Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Karen Pittman and Nicole Beharie, along with adding new characters played by Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Aaron Pierre and William Jackson Harper to the mix.

Hulu’s legal soap “Reasonable Doubt” returns Thursday for its third season. Emayatzy Corinealdi stars as Jax Stewart, a successful criminal defense lawyer

“Love Island USA”

in LA who in the new episodes, is defending a former child actor accused of murder. Jax’s standing at her ashy law rm is also in jeopardy when a new hire is determined to take her position.

Starz’s steamy “The Couple Next Door” is back on Friday with a new season and a new cast that includes Sam Palladio (“Nashville”), Annabel Scholey (“The Split”), and Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Never Have I Ever”). Scholey and Palladio play Charlotte and Jacob, a seemingly solid couple living in a well-to-do neighborhood whose marriage gets threatened by a new colleague in their workplace. The tangled web only grows from there.

GAMES TO PLAY

VIDEO

Over the years, Lego video games have featured the likes of Batman, Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker. Annapurna Interactive’s Lego Voyagers may have the most versatile hero of all: a simple Lego brick. It’s a cooperative game in which each player is a 1x1 piece — one red, one blue — that can attach itself to other chunks and build bridges, vehicles and other devices. Red and Blue need to work together to solve puzzles as they try to rescue an abandoned spaceship. It’s the sort of game that parents with young kids may appreciate, and things start clicking now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch and PC.

SAMMY KOGAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP

Director Ally Pankiw and singer-songwriters Sarah McLachlan and Paula Cole attend the “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 13. The documentary streams Sunday on Hulu and Disney+.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

HULU / APPLE TV+ / STARZ VIA AP

“Reasonable Doubt,” left, “The Morning Show,” center and “The Couple Next Door” are all streaming this week.

is headed to Fiji.

HOKE COUNTY

WHAT’S HAPPENING

N.Y. judge tosses terrorism charges against Mangione, murder count stand

New York

A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state’s case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state’s second-degree murder charges against him. Judge Gregory Carro ruled Tuesday that although there is no doubt that the killing was not an ordinary street crime, New York law doesn’t consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology. The ruling came as Mangione made his rst court appearance in the state case since February. The 27-yearold Ivy League graduate has attracted a cult following as a stand-in for frustrations with the health insurance industry after Thompson was fatally shot in December.

Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, says it’s “replica”

D.C. crackdown

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis to combat crime, testing the limits of presidential power by using military force in cities. Trump made Monday’s announcement with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, calling it a “replica” of e orts in Washington, D.C. Last month, Trump deployed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, claiming it reduced crime. Lee supports the deployment, while Memphis Mayor Paul Young opposes it.

New director plans changes for 2025 NC Fall Festival

Melissa Crull aims to restore the annual event’s event’s small-town roots

By Elaina J. Martin For North State Journal

RAEFORD — Melissa Crull, who attended the rst NC Fall Festival as a 4 -year- old in 1985, has been named executive director of the annual event and is planning several changes for 2025.

The most signi cant change moves the Main Street parade from Thursday to Saturday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. to allow more families and children to attend without disrupting weekday tra c, Crull said.

“I want to bring it back to how it made me feel as a child.”

Melissa Crull

“I want to bring it back to how it made me feel as a child,” said Crull, whose o ce is at 101 N. Main St. “Everyone should get to feel that way.”

The festival, originally called the Turkey Festival, featured homemade goods, turkey races and a Main Street parade that Crull remembers from her childhood growing up near downtown Raeford.

This year’s street festival

will be Oct. 18 on Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring food trucks, vendors selling handmade items, and a car cruise -in starting at 10 a.m. All vehicle makes and models are welcome to park between Donaldson and Prospect avenues.

Other scheduled events

include:

• The Marvin Johnson Golf Tournament on Oct. 10 at Bayonet at Puppy Creek golf course ($400 per team, Captain’s Choice format)

• The Turkey Bowl football game Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m., with Raeford hosting Pine Forest High School

• Senior Bingo on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Senior Center (registration

required at 910 -875 -8588)

A gun ra e will o er three prizes with only 250 tickets sold. First place wins a Browning Maxus 2 Wicked Wing 12-gauge, second place receives a Browning X-Bolt Composite Stalker .270 Win, and third place takes home a Ruger 10/22. Tickets are available at the festival o ce, Raeford Hardware and from board members.

Festival board president Tasha Oldham said planning for the event requires months of coordination from volunteers across Hoke County. For more information, contact the NC Fall Festival o ce at 910 -904 -2424 or ncfallfestivalraeford@gmail.com.

Hoke County Board of Education presented with employee compensation study

The report by HIL Consultants found multiple areas of improvement for HCS

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Schools Board of Education was presented with the ndings of its employee compensation study. Last year, the district hired HIL Consultants to conduct an employee compensation study and the board was presented with those ndings at its Sept. 9 meeting. The consultants held interviews with representatives in each department at the school level and in central o ce, more speci cally data managers, teacher assistants, maintenance sta , custodians, child nutrition sta , bookkeepers, coordinators, directors, human resources, nance

and assistant superintendents.

Hoke County was also compared to cohort districts: Cumberland, Harnett and Moore.

“We know we’re not like Moore County, Cumberland County or any other county,” said Erica Fortenberry, assistant superintendent of human resources. “However, we do want to ensure that we have our people on the correct level based on what we can afford in our system in addition to making sure our people have the quality of life that they do deserve.”

The study found that there were concerns with multiple departments that the district was falling short on in terms of recruitment and retention.

Speci cally, HIL referenced the transportation department, custodians and IT departments as being areas where Hoke County Schools is falling behind in terms of the higher end of the scales.

“If you look at our scale, we start out strong, but then we

“We want to ensure that we have our people on the correct level based on what we can a ord in our system.”

Erica Fortenberry, assistant superintendent of human resources

stop and we don’t move beyond the midpoint and our people never get to the maximum in Hoke County School compared to our cohort,” Fortenberry said. “We’re facing the same things as far as recruitment and retention of our employees and even being competitive outside of the educational setting. We are in competition with our other districts as well as other outside factors.”

In terms of recommendations, HIL Consultants advised the district to adopt a proposed

salary schedule and place employees on the correct levels based on years of state experience, employee consistent practices for placing employees on the salary schedule and the implementation of a 30-step classi ed salary scale with a 1% step di erential.

“We do not want to overspend, but we do want to spend within our limitations,” Fortenberry said. “We put people on scales that we felt they should be on instead of having a scale in place to put people in line, so that their pay scales. So we want to correct that to have a scale for all employees.”

Following the presentation, the board also approved adjusted salary scales for teacher assistants, child nutrition sta and custodians.

“No one is going to get paid less than what they get now,” said Assistant Finance O cer Willena Richardson.

The Hoke County Schools Board of Education will next meet Oct. 14.

THE HOKE COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

ELAINA J. MARTIN FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL NC Fall Festival director Melissa Crull wants to bring the annual event back to its small-town roots.

WEEKLY FORECAST THURSDAY 9.18.25

THURSDAY SEPT. 18

Democratic governors are challenging the FDA’s new vaccine distribution rules

By Geo Mulvihill The Associated Press

THE GOVERNORS OF Ari-

zona, Illinois, Maine and North Carolina on Friday joined the growing list of Democratic ocials who have signed orders intended to ensure most residents can receive COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies without individual prescriptions. Unlike past years, access to COVID-19 vaccines has become complicated in 2025, largely because federal guidance does not recommend them for nearly everyone this year as it had in the past.

Pharmacy chain says shots available in most states without individual prescriptions

CVS Health, the biggest pharmacy chain in the U.S., says its stores are o ering the shots without an individual prescription in 41 states as of midday Friday. But the remaining states —

Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia — require individual prescriptions under the company’s interpretation of state policies.

Arizona, Maine and North Carolina are likely to come o that list as the new orders take e ect there.

“I will not stand idly by while the Trump Administration makes it harder for Maine people to get a vaccine that protects their health and could very well save their life,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in the statement.

“Through this standing order, we are stepping up to knock down the barriers the Trump Administration is putting in the way of the health and welfare of Maine people.”

Democratic governors taking action

At least 14 states — 12 with Democratic governors, plus Virginia, where Republican Glenn Youngkin is governor — have announced policies this month to ease access.

In some of the states that have expanded access — including Delaware and New Jersey

earlier in the week and Illinois on Friday — at least some pharmacies were already providing the shots broadly.

Friday’s orders are expected to change the policy in all three states where they were put into place.

North Carolina’s orders were narrower than most. They apply to everyone age 65 and over and people who are at least 18 and have a risk factor. Other adults would still need prescriptions. O cials said the order takes e ect immediately but that all pharmacies might not have supplies on hand right away.

While most Republican-controlled states have not changed vaccine policy this month, the inoculations are still available there under existing policies.

In addition to the round of orders from governors, boards of pharmacy and other o cials, four states — California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington — have announced an alliance to make their own vaccine recommendations.

Vaccines become politically contentious

In past years, the federal government has recommended the

vaccines to all Americans above the age of 6 months.

This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved them for people age 65 and over but said they should be used only for children and younger adults who have a risk factor such as asthma or obesity.

That change came as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy red the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June, accusing of them of being too closely aligned with the companies that make the vaccines. The replacements include vaccine skeptics.

One state takes another stance on vaccines

Florida’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, announced this month that the state could become the rst to eliminate requirements that children have a list of vaccinations.

Since then, though, the state health department said that the change likely wouldn’t take effect until December and that without legislative action, only some vaccines — including for chickenpox — would become optional. The measles and polio shots would remain mandatory.

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

All Republicans must stop the wind scam

Electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive.

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump absolutely hates wind turbines. He has canceled several projects. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act terminated about $500 billion in subsidies for Green New Scam projects. A post-OBBBA executive order prescribed heightened regulatory scrutiny of wind and solar projects to make it di cult to use the remaining Green New Scam subsidies.

So why are some Republican politicians and a deep red states bent on building them anyway?

Politico reported this week that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is lobbying Trump administration o cials for what would be the largest U.S. o shore wind farm under construction by Dominion Energy o the coast of Virginia. Apparently outgoing Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin can’t convince Trump, so Youngkin and Dominion Energy are trying some sort of end run around the president.

In Arkansas, the only thing holding up a massive project with 600-foot wind turbines is the valiant ght of locals in ve counties who have passed ordinances against the turbine’s erection. And don’t forget that last minute changes to the Senate version of the OBBBA to save Green New Scam subsidies by Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Grassley almost sank the entire bill. It’s important for all Republicans to understand why wind turbines are not MAGA. As a threshold matter, wind turbines have no bona de purpose. They have been marketed as “emissions-free” energy to combat the supposed “climate crisis.” But the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates, for example, that the average of summertime maximum temperatures in the U.S. in 2025 was actually cooler than those of summertime 1901, 124 years ago. Globally, August 2025 was the same temperature as August 1998, despite more than a trillion tons of emissions since 1998. No wonder

Trump calls emissions-driven climate change a “hoax.”

Even if there were some climate or weather problem caused by emissions of greenhouse gases, the simple math of the global situation is that the U.S. could stop emitting today and forever, and the vast majority of global emissions would happen anyway. So there’s no climate crisis, and even if there were, wind turbines in the U.S. would accomplish nothing.

Next, electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive. Wind farms are not built without taxpayers subsidies and additional guarantees by electricity consumers. There is absolutely no evidence that wind energy has lowered electricity prices anywhere in the world.

Wind may be free, but wind farm construction, operation and transmission of electricity is not. Moreover, wind energy requires back-up, usually from fossil fuel or nuclear baseload power plants. This redundancy is just an added cost.

Third, wind turbines are not environmentally friendly. The rare earth minerals needed for their construction largely come from anything-goes strip-mining and processing in Communist China. Westerners rarely see the revolting consequences of these activities.

The construction of onshore wind farms takes up vastly larger spaces, six to 13 times more, than conventional gas power plants. More than just the space, each onshore wind turbine has an immense and essentially permanent concrete and iron rebar foundation. Wind farmland is just ruined. The construction of o shore wind may have produced the dozens of dead whales that washed up on East Coast beaches during 2023-24.

Fourth, wind farms are dangerous to the environment when they operate. Under normal circumstances, they are a hazard to birds and bats. They require special government allowances to kill birds because the nes would be too great for wind farms to operate. The disintegration of

The media’s demonization of the right has consequences

Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

CHARLIE KIRK wasn’t just a colleague. He was a friend. He was someone who showed up, worked hard, and cared deeply about his family and his country. His life mattered. As I process the tragic circumstances of his death, I can’t help but turn to a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: the climate that enabled it.

For decades, America’s media institutions have cultivated a narrative that paints conservatives as dangerous, regressive, even subhuman. Every nightly newscast, every editorial page, every so-called “analysis” drips with disdain for anyone who dares to challenge the progressive orthodoxy. You don’t just disagree with the left anymore; you’re smeared as a bigot, a fascist or worse. This relentless demonization isn’t harmless rhetoric. It creates an atmosphere where hostility toward the right feels not only acceptable but righteous. When the press treats millions of Americans like villains, it should not shock us when some unhinged individual takes that narrative literally and turns it into violence. Words have consequences. The media knows this when it lectures conservatives about “dangerous speech” and “dog whistles.” It never looks in the mirror. When major outlets tell audiences day after day that Republicans are a threat to democracy, when they equate conservative beliefs with extremism, they are not just engaging in biased journalism. They are laying kindling for hatred, and sometimes that hatred combusts.

Consider the language used in mainstream coverage of the right. If you oppose open borders, you are “anti-immigrant.” If you defend parental rights in schools, you are “anti-LGBT.”

If you worry about election integrity, you are a “conspiracy theorist.” When media elites atten every conservative principle into a caricature of cruelty, they strip away the humanity of people like Charlie. Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

That’s what the press has done to the right: It has turned millions of good, law-abiding Americans into cartoon villains in a morality play. For years, conservatives have been warning: When you keep telling people that a whole class of citizens are monsters, don’t be surprised when someone believes you — and acts accordingly.

The hypocrisy is staggering. If the roles were reversed, if left-wing activists were being attacked in the streets, the media would frame it as a national crisis of hate. We’d see around-the-clock coverage, solemn declarations about “the soul of America” and endless op-eds about the dangerous climate of conservative rhetoric. When conservatives are the victims, silence. Or worse — justi cations. “They had it coming,” the subtext suggests, because daring to hold the wrong political beliefs apparently makes you complicit in oppression.

That double standard doesn’t just warp the narrative, it fuels division. Millions of Americans see that bias and conclude, rightly, that the press doesn’t value their lives or their freedoms. That perception breeds alienation. Alienation breeds anger. Anger, left unchecked, can erupt in violence.

No individual act of violence can ever be excused. Personal responsibility matters. Yet individuals do not commit violence in a vacuum. They act within a culture shaped by

an o shore wind turbine blade in 2024 wreaked havoc on Massachusetts beaches. And no one has yet studied the e ects on the environment of the hot (140°F) cables bringing power from the o shore turbines to shore.

Finally, o shore wind turbines are a national security problem. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) issued this statement this week: “Massive o shore wind turbines — rushed through an abbreviated permitting process — could interfere with America’s ability to detect threats from adversaries like Russia and China. Submarines operating o the U.S. coast could gain a critical advantage if detection systems are disrupted, leaving the nation more vulnerable to attack.”

We certainly need more electricity, especially given the rise of AI data centers and Trump’s goal of reindustrializing America. But that electricity should be provided at the lowest cost as determined on a subsidy-free basis. Electricity must be provided reliably, which means not dependent on nature or the weather. It should cause the least environmental damage and should not endanger national security. Wind, onshore or o shore, doesn’t make the cut when compared to coal, natural gas and nuclear power — i.e., Trump’s energy agenda.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has received Trump’s message loud and clear. This week he told a group of European leaders, “Under this administration, there is not a future for o shore wind because it is too expensive and not reliable enough.” All Republicans need to get that message.

Steve Milloy, a biostatistician and lawyer, publishes JunkScience.com. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

institutions, none more in uential than the media. When leading outlets tell the public that conservatives are existential threats to democracy, they normalize hostility against us. When commentators sneer that half the country is made up of racists, misogynists and extremists, they legitimize rage against us.

In this climate, the media is complicit. Its hands are not clean.

Conservatives have been calling for a return to fairness, civility and honest debate. We do not expect journalists to agree with us. We do expect them to recognize our humanity and stop painting us as villains in every story. If this cycle of demonization continues, tragedies like Kirk’s will not be the last.

Kirk deserved far better. He was not someone who kept his head down or played it safe. He stood up for what he believed in, he defended people who were silenced, and he never hesitated to call out injustice. His courage came with a cost, but it also inspired those around him to be braver, stronger and truer to their convictions.

Now there is a gaping void where his voice once was. That loss is not only personal — it is national. We cannot a ord to lose people like Kirk, who put principle above comfort, who saw through the lies of a corrupt media and refused to be cowed. His absence leaves all of us with a responsibility: to speak louder, stand taller and demand an end to the demonization that is tearing this country apart. Kirk’s life was a testament to conviction. His death must be a wake-up call.

Adam Weiss is the CEO of AMW PR, publisher of Impact Wealth magazine and the host of “Media Exposed” on Real America’s Voice News. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | ADAM WEISS

COLUMN | STEVE MILLOY

Indictment charges church leaders with swindling millions in military bene ts

The church exploited soldiers’ bene ts for enrollment pro ts

By Russ Bynum The Associated Press

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Leaders of a Georgia-based church with congregations in ve states have been charged by federal prosecutors with swindling millions of dollars in veterans bene ts from parishioners serving in the military.

An indictment unsealed last Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Savannah charges House of Prayer Christian Churches of America founder Rony Denis and seven other church leaders with conspiring to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, as well as other federal crimes.

Authorities say church leaders exploited soldiers and other congregation members by enrolling them in seminary programs that drained their G.I. Bill education bene ts. They also say church o cials used parishioners’ names on fraudulent mortgage applications to buy homes

that the church then rented to congregation members. “The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith, and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves,” Paul Brown, the agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta o ce, said in a news release.

Prosecutors say church raked in $23 million from veterans bene ts

Prosecutors say they don’t even know the real name of Denis, alleging he assumed that name after stealing another person’s identity in 1983. He founded House of Prayer roughly two decades ago. The church is headquartered in Hinesville, a southeast Georgia city that is home to thousands of veterans and Army soldiers serving at neighboring Fort Stewart. The congregation there grew to as many as 300 members, the indictment says. House of Prayer branched out, opening up to a dozen churches in ve states, often near military bases, according to prosecutors. It also established a liated Bible seminar-

“The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith, and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves.”

Paul Brown, FBI Atlanta o ce agent

ies in Hinesville as well as Fayetteville; Killeen, Texas; and Tacoma, Washington.

The indictment says the church focused on recruiting military service members to join their congregations and pressured them to spend their G.I. Bill education bene ts on enrollment in its seminary programs.

The seminaries in all four states earned House of Prayer leaders $23.5 million in G.I. Bill payments for tuition, fees, books and housing costs from 2013 and 2021, according to the indictment.

Charges against Denis and others stem from just $3.2 million of those bene t payments

made to House of Prayer’s two seminaries in Georgia. That is because the programs operated in Georgia under a religious exemption granted by state regulators. Prosecutors say that exemption prohibited the Georgia seminaries from receiving federal funding — including G.I. Bill bene ts from the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs.

The indictment says church o cials lied to Georgia regulators in annual forms saying the seminaries received no federal money.

Steven Sadow, listed in court records as an attorney for Denis, did not immediately return an email message seeking comment last Thursday.

A group called Veterans Education Success wrote to the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs in 2020, saying former students had complained that the House of Prayer seminaries had drained their benets while providing them with little education. FBI agents served search warrants on several House of Prayer churches in 2022, according to local news outlets.

Income inequality dipped, fewer people moved, according to largest survey of US life

The census data shows demographic shifts and housing trends

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

INCOME INEQUALITY

dipped, more people had college degrees, fewer people moved to a di erent home and the share of Asian and Hispanic residents increased in the United States last year, according to gures released last Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

These year-to-year changes, big and small, from 2023 to 2024 were captured in the bureau’s data from the American Community Survey, the largest annual audit of American life. The survey of 3.5 million households asks about more than 40 topics, including income, housing costs, veterans status, computer use, commuting and education. Here’s a look at how the United States changed last year.

Income inequality dips

Income inequality — or the gap between the highest and lowest earners — in the United States fell nationwide by nearly a half percent from 2023 to 2024, as median household income rose slightly, from $80,002 to $81,604.

Five Midwestern states — Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin — had statis-

tically signi cant dips, along with Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Puerto Rico. North Carolina was the only state to see a statistically signi cant rise in inequality. NC State economist Michael Walden said it re ected the state generating high-paying jobs in tech

and other professional sectors, while the post-pandemic labor shortage which raised wages in lower-paying service jobs had ended.

In South Dakota, which had a leading 4% drop, the inequality dip “could re ect stronger growth in the household income

Integrity Open Arms Residents of the Month

Brad McRae

Robert General has been a resident at Open Arms since August 2021. He was born in South Carolina, relocated to Richmond Virginia and later moved to North Carolina. Robert enjoys BINGO, church and knitting. He is a joy to have here at Open Arms Retirement Center.

“North Carolina was the only state to see a statistically signi cant rise in inequality.”

Michael Walden, NC State economist

among lower and middle income households (or smaller growth in the income of the highest brackets),” state demographer Weiwei Zhang said last Wednesday in an email.

In Nebraska, it could be high employment rates across all demographic groups since “high employment leads to income, thus less income inequality,” said Josie Schafer, director of the Center for Public A airs Research at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

In Massachusetts, one of the traditional strengths of the state’s economy — high-paying jobs in life science, high tech and research — has been sluggish in the past two years, said Mark Melnik, director of economic and public policy research at a University of Massachusetts Amherst institute.

“The typical jobs in this industry are the kind of thing that helps Massachusetts have the highest per capita (income) in the country but also exacerbates some elements of income inequality,” Melnik said.

Church accused of pro ting o rental homes bought with false documents

The indictment says church o cials also used its members as straw buyers to conceal the leaders’ purchase of rental properties. Prosecutors say church leaders falsi ed loan applications and closing documents and forged powers of attorney to buy and transfer homes that were rented to congregation members.

The indictment says House of Prayer received $5.2 million in rent payments between 2018 and 2020, with some of that money being used to pay for Denis’ two homes as well as church leaders’ credit card bills.

Denis was also charged with helping falsify his federal income tax returns for 2018, 2019 and 2020. Last Wednesday, FBI agents and Columbia County sheri ’s deputies arrested the church founder at his mansion in Martinez west of Augusta, WRDW-TV reported.

In a separate case, federal prosecutors also indicted Bernadel Semexant, a pastor at the House of Prayer church in Hinesville. The indictment unsealed last week charges Semexant with sex abuse of a girl between the ages of 12 and 15. William Joseph Turner, listed in court records as the pastor’s attorney, did not immediately return an email message.

Greater diversity, fewer people married

The United States became more demographically diverse, and fewer people were married from 2023 to 2024.

The non-Hispanic white population, who identify with only a single race, dropped from 57.1% to 56.3%, while the share of the nation’s Asian population rose from 6% to 6.3% and the Hispanic population rose from 19.4% to 20%. The rate of the black population stayed the same at 12.1%, as did the American Indian Alaska Native alone population at 1%. In the marriage department, the share of men who have never married increased from 37.2% to 37.6%, and it rose from 31.6% to 32.1% for women.

Fewer people moved, as costs of renting, owning homes rose

Last year, only 11% of U.S. residents moved to another home, compared to 11.3% in the previous year. The decline of people moving this decade has been part of a continuous slide as home prices have skyrocketed in some metros and interest rates have gone up. In 2019, by comparison, 13.7% of U.S. residents moved.

The monthly costs for U.S. homeowners with a mortgage rose to $2,035 from $1,960. Homeowners with a mortgage in California ($3,001), Hawaii ($2,937), New Jersey ($2,797), Massachusetts ($2,755), and the District of Columbia ($3,181) had the highest median monthly costs.

Costs for renters also increased as the median rent with utilities went from $1,448 to $1,487.

Brad has been with Integrity Open Arms off and on for several years. One of the resident’s said, “This might just be your home because you’re always coming back, and you miss us.” The residents love Brad because of his personality and the amount of time he spends with them. Brad’s hobbies include playing basketball, watching sports and being with family.

Mrs. Florence Herbert has been a resident here since May 2021. She moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania to escape the bad weather. Florence enjoys word searches, BINGO, watching TV and spending time with her friends on the Special Care Unit at Integrity Open Arms.

Mrs. Betty Purcell is from Raeford, North Carolina. She moved into our assisted living this past June. Besides being the mother of two, she worked for many years at Burlington Mills. Betty enjoys church, watching youtube and doing word searches.

Integrity would like to THANK YOU for a job well done!

We are happy to discuss your needs or questions. W here to help!

PAMELA HASSELL / AP PHOTO

Pedestrians walk in the rain on 20th Street and First Avenue on July 31 in New York.

HOKE SPORTS

Hoke County volleyball continues to soar

The Bucks have won eight straight and 24 of the last 25 sets

North State Journal sta

Football

Call it the Raeford Road Rivalry or the Grit and Grind Battle of I-95, but Hoke County headed to Fayetteville to face Seventy-First. The Bucks fell behind early and had to play catch-up all night, but the Falcons used two touchdowns from Shon Pone to pull away, 32-15. Despite matching their highest point total in the series since 2019, Hoke lost its fth straight to Seventy-First.

The Bucks are 1-2 and head to Forest Hills on Friday. The Yellow Jackets are 4-0. They won

21-17 at Cuthbertson this past weekend.

Volleyball

The girls’ volleyball team remains red hot. The Bucks won all three matches last week to extend their winning streak to eight in a row.

Hoke opened the week with a 3-0 home win against Overhills. Then the Bucks beat South View 3-0 at home. At that point, Hoke had won 21 straight sets. That streak was snapped when the Bucks dropped the rst set at Pine Forest, but Hoke rebounded to win that match 3-1.

Hoke has an 11-2 record on the year and are tied for the Mid-South 7A/8A lead with a 2-0 conference record.

This week, the Bucks have

three league matches. Hoke hosts Richmond and Pinecrest, then travels to Jack Britt.

Soccer

Hoke had just one match last week, but the Bucks extended their winning streak to two in a row, both over Red Springs. After winning 2-0 at home, Hoke hit the road to complete the home-and-home series. The Bucks took that one, 2-1.

Carson Hewitt and Urijah Jones scored goals for Hoke on assists from Andres Gomez and Alexander Garcia.

Hoke has two games on the schedule this week. The Bucks host St. Pauls then travel to Overhills in the conference opener. The Bucks are 5-2-3 on the year.

Hoke running back Favor Anab (20) celebrates in the end zone.

Bell wins at Bristol

Joe Gibbs Racing completed a rst-round sweep in the Cup playo s

The Associated Press

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joe Gibbs Racing completed a clean sweep of the rst round in the NASCAR Cup Series playo s as Christopher Bell charged to a victory Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bell went from fourth to rst on the nal restart and led the last four laps at the 0.533-mile oval, ending a 24-race winless streak with his fourth victory of the season.

“It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done,” said Bell, who led only 12 laps in his 13th career victory. “We just know that any given week, it could be us, and it hasn’t been for a long time. But

Bristol, baby, tonight it’s us.”

He joined JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe as playo winners with the rst round concluding at Bristol. Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry were eliminated from the 10-race championship run.

“Just so excited about the start to the playo s,” team owner Joe Gibbs said.

Bell nished 0.343 seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski, who was trying to end a 51-race winless streak.

“Just the story of our season,” Keselowski said. “Just a 50-50 shot on the restart, and I got the lane that couldn’t launch. Just frustrating. We had a great car, great strategy, and on the last restart, we just rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.”

Zane Smith nished third,

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Brentley Blumer

Hoke County, boys’ soccer

Brentley Blumer is a junior goalkeeper on the Hoke County boys’ soccer team.

Blumer went the distance in net in Hoke’s 2-1 win over Red Springs last week, making ve saves. In a 2-0 win over Red Springs in the previous game, he contributed a shutout half, making another ve saves. He leads the Mid-South 7A/8A conference in goals against average and is fourth in Class 8A.

but Cindric lost several laps in the pits and reemerged outside the top 30.

His 30th-place nish still was good enough for the 12th and nal transfer spot into the second round.

“Moving on,” Cindric said staying in the championship hunt. “I believe in this team. I believe in myself. I have not been driving as well as I am now in the Cup Series.”

Bowman ran as high as second after rebounding from a spin on the 100th lap. He would have bumped Cindric with a victory but nished eighth and came up 10 points short of advancing.

followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano.

There were a season-high 14 caution ags for 137 laps as drivers and teams struggled to get a handle on a new rightside tire with excessive wear that required more pit stops.

The playo drama spiked with 40 laps remaining when a re erupted under Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford. His team was able to extinguish the ames,

“I don’t think you can really point at something that cost us,” said Bowman, who bene ted from a pit crew overhaul after su ering through some disastrous stops in the past two races. “Our back was against the wall coming in here. We knew it was going to be a tough thing to do.”

Seeking his rst Cup victory, Ty Gibbs led a race-high 201 of

500 laps but bungled while trying to reach the pits for hisnal green- ag stop, losing major time in his No. 54 Toyota. First out

With smoke billowing from the cockpit and ames shooting out from his right-front tire, Berry made an eye-catching exit as the rst driver eliminated. The Wood Brothers Racing driver quali ed 10th and ran as high as third before a re erupted on his No. 21 Ford.

“Man, just so disappointing,” Berry said. “That was going to be a lot of fun. We were moving forward. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but it hasn’t been because of performance. We executed well and ran well, just haven’t had the nishes.” Berry, whose playo debut began with a crash on the rst lap of the Southern 500, nished last in all three races of the rst round. “I don’t think you could ever script three last-place nishes in the ways that we’ve gotten them,” he said.

HAL NUNN FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WADE PAYNE / AP PHOTO

Christopher Bell (20) battles with Ty Gibbs (54) during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Bristol.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Virginia Tech res coach Pry after program’s 1st 0-3 start since 1987

Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech has red football coach Brent Pry after the program stumbled to its rst 0-3 start since 1987. The school announced the move Sunday. That came a day after the Hokies fell behind 31-0 on the way to a 45-26 loss to Old Dominion. In a statement, Pry said “Blacksburg will always hold a special place in our hearts.” O ensive coordinator Philip Montgomery will serve as interim coach.

BOXING

Crawford makes history with victory over Alvarez

Las Vegas Terence Crawford made history by becoming the rst male boxer to capture three uni ed division titles. He defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision to win the super middleweight championship. Two judges scored the match 115-113 and the third 116-112 in Crawford’s favor. The ght took place at Allegiant Stadium before a record crowd of 70,482. It was Alvarez’s rst defeat since May 2022. The event, broadcast on Net ix, attracted signi cant attention and marked a shift from traditional pay-per-view models. The co-main event saw Callum Walsh defeat Fernando Vargas Jr.

MLB Kurtz hits 493-foot grand slam, longest MLB homer of season Sacramento, Calif.

Nick Kurtz launched a 493-foot grand slam — the longest home run in the majors this season — and the Athletics hammered Hunter Greene early in an 11-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Kurtz, the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, has 31 home runs in his rookie season. Kurtz’s 493-foot drive was the longest by an A’s player since Statcast tracking began in 2015. It surpassed Mike Trout’s 484 -foot homer April 19 with the Angels for the longest in the majors this year.

NFL

FanDuel agrees to pay Jaguars roughly $5M to o set losses from ex-employee’s theft Jacksonville, Fla.

FanDuel has agreed to pay the Jacksonville Jaguars roughly $5 million to help o set the nearly $20 million that a former employee stole from the NFL franchise and deposited at the sportsbook. ESPN rst reported the deal, which was nalized earlier this year. It came a year after nancial manager Amit Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million through a virtual credit card system the team used for expenses. Patel is serving a 61⁄2-year sentence in federal prison. He sued FanDuel last year.

UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster watches as his team plays UNLV.

UCLA res coach Foster after 0-3 start to his second season

after national signing day and relatively late in the recruiting process.

By Beth Harris Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — UCLA red second-year football

coach DeShaun Foster after the school’s rst 0-3 start since 2019.

Athletic director Martin Jarmond announced the move two days after the Bruins lost to New Mexico 35-10, their second straight loss to a Mountain West Conference opponent.

“It’s not a decision I made lightly, but it was important to take decisive action,” Jarmond said on a Zoom call with media.

“This serves as a message to our fans that the results we’ve seen so far are simply not acceptable.”

Tim Skipper will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season. Skipper had been special assistant to Foster, and he served as Fresno State’s interim coach last year.

Foster, a Charlotte native and Carolina Panthers running back from 2002-07, was 5-10 since taking over the program from Chip Kelly in February 2024,

“I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten,” Jarmond said. “Getting a start so late really disadvantaged the start of his coaching career.”

Last year, the Bruins nished 5-7 after a 1-5 start in the school’s rst season in the Big Ten. Foster had been the program’s running backs coach from 2017-23 and added the title of associate head coach in 2023 before being promoted to the top job by Jarmond. Foster spent one season on the sta at Texas Tech.

The Bruins were beaten by Utah in their opener and by UNLV a week ago. They trailed at halftime in all three losses, two of them coming at the Rose Bowl, where attendance was sparse and tarps are used to cover wide swaths of seating.

Foster was asked Friday if he was still the person for the job, and he replied: “Most de nitely. Because I can get these boys to play.”

However, even the arrival of highly touted quarterback Nico Iamaleava via the transfer portal couldn’t save Foster.

Hatton, former world champion, dies at 46

The popular British ghter was planning a comeback

By James Robson

The Associated Press MANCHESTER, England

— Ricky Hatton, the former boxing world champion who rose to become one of the most popular ghters in the sport, died at 46.

Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

Friends of Hatton were quick to pay tribute Sunday morning.

“Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton,” former world champion Amir Khan posted on X.

“Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip,” former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said in an Instagram post, with photos of the pair together. “There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. can’t believe this so young.” News of Hatton’s death comes two months after the surprise announcement he would make a return to boxing in December in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai.

He hadn’t fought since losing for the third time in his career, against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.

Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, and at the height of his career he shared the ring with the best boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“He was not only a great ghter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life,” Pacquiao posted on X. “Ricky fought bravely, not just in the ring, but in his journey through life. He truly had a good ght, and we are all blessed to have been part of his wonderful journey.”

Hatton rose through amateur and domestic levels, building up an army of passionate fans who followed him to America for his biggest ghts.

His down-to-earth charm, as well as his tendency to dramatically gain and lose weight between ghts, endeared him to fans across the world.

Hatton was open about the mental health issues he endured upon his retirement from the ring.

“As ghters, we tell ourselves we’re strong — we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest ght

“I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten.”

Martin Jarmond, UCLA athletic director

The sophomore left Tennessee after leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playo last season and didn’t participate in spring camp. Iamaleava defended Foster after Friday’s loss, saying: “We’re not executing as players. It all falls back on the players.”

Iamaleava is among 55 new players in Westwood this season, along with eight new assistants. Over half the defensive line is made up of transfers. Foster hired Tino Sunseri from Indiana as o ensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but the Bruins’ o ense ranks 127th nationally (14.3 points per game) and got outscored 30-0 in the rst quarter of each game this season. The Bruins repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with penalties in the losses, too.

“Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,” Foster said in a statement. “While I am deeply disappointed that we were unable to achieve the success that our players, fans, and university deserve, I am grateful for the opportunity to have led this program.”

The school said the terms of Foster’s contract will be honored by UCLA Athletics, exclusively using department-generated funds.

Kelly’s teams had 0-3 starts in 2018 and 2019, but the losses included Oklahoma and Cincinnati, schools with better football reputations than UNLV and New Mexico.

Foster’s ring opens an immediate 30-day window in which players can enter the transfer portal. Jarmond said he met with the entire team and has not heard from anyone who is considering leaving.

“The team is very focused on really turning this around,” he said. “This is a clean slate. We’re 0-0 in the Big Ten, and this is about getting better. They’re ultimately going to write this season.”

happens in silence, in the mind,” Khan added on X. “Mental health isn’t weakness. It’s part of being human. And we must talk about it. We must reach out. We must lean on each other.”

Top of the sport

Hatton’s all-action style added to his popularity. He built up a passionate following in the UK before truly announcing himself on the world stage with his epic victory against Tszyu for the IBF world super lightweight (light welterweight) title in 2005.

Pound-for-pound great Tszyu had only lost twice before, but was forced to retire on his stool in front of 22,000 fans in Manchester. Hatton later described it as his greatest win, but it was just the start of a period when he fought at the top of the sport, with thousands of fans following him to America for huge ghts. In a post on X, his former

manager, Frank Warren, described him as a “superbly talented ghter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before,” adding he will “rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport.”

Hatton lost for the rst time in his career against Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007.

After a sold-out homecoming at Manchester City’s stadium a year later, he worked his way back to the top of the sport to take on Manny Pacquiao in 2009, losing inside two rounds. Hatton retired after that defeat but made a remarkable comeback four years later after piling on weight and enduring issues with depression and drinking, as well as allegations of drug use.

While he lost to Senchenko, the very fact he managed to return to the ring was seen as a personal triumph.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Ricky Hatton, left, lands a right to the face of Juan Urango in their IBF junior welterweight title bout in 2007.

The former Carolina Panthers running back was 5-10 with Bruins

STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN VIA AP

Mary Ann Dixon

Oct. 13, 1954 – Sept. 9, 2025

Ms. Mary Ann Murphy Dixon was born on October 13, 1954, to the late Mr. Norman Murphy and the late Mrs. Beatrice Murphy in Scotland County, North Carolina. Mary Ann transitioned to her heavenly home on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. She is preceded in death by her grandson, Michael Thomas Murphy and brother, Arthur Murphy.

Mary Ann was very young when she felt the call of her Lord and Savior and joined Rhyne Memorial United Methodist Church. She attended church with her family until her illness prevented her from participating. Mary Ann attended Red Springs High School (Class of 1972), where she excelled at baseball.

For many years, Mary Ann, a homemaker and caregiver, lovingly looked after her mother, Beatrice, until her passing. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. A kind, gentle, and remarkable person in her own way, she enjoyed reading, taking photos, and getting together with her family.

Mary Ann leaves to cherish her memory, one daughter, Sherry Ann Murphy, of the home, one grandson, Marcus Murphy, one granddaughter, Cierra, eight great grandchildren, one brother, Albert N. Murphy, of Red Springs, North Carolina, four sisters, Evelyn Scurlock, of Lumber Bridge, North Carolina, Betty Hocker, of Red Springs, North Carolina, Annie Leggett (Darwin), of Red Springs, North Carolina, Patricia Loftin (Alton) , of Winston–Salem, North Carolina and Norman Jean Murphy (Darryl), of Virginia Beach, Virginia, sister-in-law, Simmeral Murphy, of Winston–Salem, North Carolina, special aunt, Rev. Pauline McAllister, of Red Springs, North Carolina, nieces, nephews, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Iona Oxendine Hodges

Aug. 12, 1944 – Sept. 11, 2025

Mrs. Iona Oxendine Hodges, age 81 of Lumberton, North Carolina, was born on August 12, 1944, to the late Delma Oxendine and the late Magnolia Woods Oxendine in Robeson County, North Carolina. She departed this life for her eternal home on September 11, 2025, at Rivers Edge of Lumberton, North Carolina. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Forrest Hodges; two sons, John Edward Hodges and Steven Brett Hodges; four brothers, Ervin D. Oxendine, Earl S. Oxendine, Delmus Oxendine Jr., and Robert Lynn Oxendine; and one sister, Mazelene Byerly. Mrs. Iona leaves to cherish her memories one son: Andrew Oxendine of Red Springs, North Carolina, two brothers: Ray Oxendine (Paula) of Lumberton, North Carolina, Archie Oxendine of Red Springs, North Carolina, three sisters: Carolyn Locklear and Marilyn Oxendine both of Red Springs, North Carolina, Gladys Lowery (Leonard Jr.) of Lumberton, North Carolina, along with a host of other relatives and friends. In lieu of owers, please contribute to the Alzheimer’s Association.

George W. McCormick Jr.

June 2, 1935 – Sept. 9, 2025

Mr. George W. McCormick Jr., age 90, went home to rest with his Heavenly Father on September 9, 2025. The Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, September 15th, at 1 p.m. at the Pauline T. Buie Chapel.

George will be greatly missed.

William “Bill” Johnson

Dec. 23, 1948 –Sept. 11, 2025

With great sadness, we announce the passing of William (Bill) Henry Johnson, 76, who passed away peacefully on September 11, 2025.

His devotion to his Lord, to honor, and to hard work was evident in the life he lived—as a son, brother, father, grandfather, and faithful child of God. His love for his earthly profession as an industrial electrician took him across much of the Eastern Seaboard, where he created countless cherished memories and formed lifelong friendships.

Bill’s call to military service was voluntary—often saying, “I went so you wouldn’t have to”. He rose to the rank of Army Sta Sergeant, having served multiple tours in Vietnam. His service embodied a spirit of sacri ce and leadership. His love for mathematics, the outdoors, and servant leadership guided him into a lifelong career working in industrial and nuclear power plants.

Bill viewed education not only as a path out of poverty, but as a means to serve others. He expected his children to prioritize learning and took immense pride in their academic achievements.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Martha Lee [Oxendine] Johnson; an infant sister, Vickie Jean Johnson; a sister Brenda [Johnson] Moore and two brothers; Ralph Johnson and Ben Johnson.

To cherish his memory, Bill is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Julia (Worriax) Johnson; his daughter, Dr. Larissa Johnson-Lowry (Cory); his son, William Joshua Johnson; and three grandchildren he adored— Ms. Arabella Rhiley Lowry, Ms. Abrielle Rose Lowry, and Mr. Owen Henry Lowry. He is also survived by his three sisters, Linda Johnson, Carolyn Johnson, and Sheila PreVatte (Stephen Alan); and his brother, Kenneth Johnson.

Though our hearts are heavy, we rejoice in knowing that Bill has entered eternal rest, surrounded by the love of his Savior. His life was a testament to faith, service, and unwavering devotion to family. May his memory continue to guide and inspire all who knew him.

A Simple Request In lieu of owers, please consider contributing to: Robeson County Honor Guard Attention: Ms. Stanley Scott 4840 Oxendine School Road Maxton, North Carolina 28364

Robert Redford, Oscar winner who became champion of independent lm, dead at 89

The Hollywood icon helped launch the careers of many unknown lmmakers

By Bob Thomas The Associated Press

ROBERT REDFORD, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89.

Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. No cause of death was provided.

Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ‘70s with such lms as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were,” capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980’s best picture winner, “Ordinary People.”

His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks — whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies.

His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. But his most famous screen partner was his old friend Paul Newman, their lms a variation of their warm, teasing o -screen relationship. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a box-o ce smash from which Redford’s Sundance Institute and festival got its name.

He also teamed with Newman on 1973’s best picture Oscar winner, “The Sting,” which earned Redford a best actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago. Film roles after the ‘70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing and his new role as patriarch of the independent- lm movement.

He starred in 1985’s best picture champion “Out of Africa” and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in “All is Lost,” in which he was the lm’s only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, “The Old Man and the Gun.”

“I gure now as I’m getting into my 80s, it’s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family,” he told The Associated Press at the time.

Redford had watched Hollywood grow more cautious and controlling during the 1970s and wanted to recapture the creative spirit of the early part of the decade. Sundance was created to nurture new talent away from the pressures of Hollywood. The institute and festival based in Park City, Utah, became a place of discovery for such previously unknown lmmakers as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson and Darren Aronofsky.

“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence,’” Redford told the AP in 2018.

“I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me

Robert Redford attends the premiere of “The Old Man and the Gun” at the Paris Theater on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in New York.

eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard.” By 2025, the festival had become so prominent that organizers approved relocating to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027. Redford’s a nity for the outdoors was well captured in “A River Runs Through It” and other lms and through his decades of advocacy for the environment, inspired in part by witnessing the transformation of Los Angeles into a city of smog and freeways. His activities ranged from lobbying for the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to serving on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Born in Aug. 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California, Redford attended college on a baseball scholarship and would later star as a middle-aged slugger in 1984’s “The Natural,” the adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s novel. He had an early interest in drawing and painting and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He debuted on Broadway in the late 1950s before moving into television on such shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Untouchables.”

Redford was married twice, most recently to Sibylle Szaggars. He had four children, two of whom have died — Scott Anthony, who died in infancy, in 1959; and activist and mmaker James Redford, who died in 2020.

Redford also appeared in several political narratives. He satirized campaigning as an idealist running for U.S. senator in “The Candidate” and uttered one of the more memorable closing lines, “What do we do now?” after his character manages to win. He starred as Woodward to Dustin Homan’s Carl Bernstein in 1976’s “All the President’s Men,” the story of the Washington Post reporters whose Watergate investigation helped bring down President Richard Nixon. His biggest lmmaking triumph came with his directing debut on “Ordinary People,” which beat Martin Scorsese’s classic “Raging Bull” at the Oscars.

Redford’s other directing e orts included “The Horse Whisperer,” “The Milagro Bean eld War” and 1994’s “Quiz Show,” the last of which also earned best picture and director Oscar nominations. “The idea of the outlaw has always been very appealing to me. If you look at some of the lms, it’s usually having to do with the outlaw sensibility, which I think has probably been my sensibility. I think I was just born with it,” Redford said in 2018. “From the time I was just a kid, I was always trying to break free of the bounds that I was stuck with, and always wanted to go outside.”

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP

STATE & NATION

Workers commenting on Kirk’s death learn limits of free speech in and out of workplace

Employees face rings over social media posts about the assassination

By Cathy Bussewitz and Wyatte Grantham-Philips The Associated Press

NEW YORK — In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been red for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as o ensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Rightwing in uencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

It’s far from the rst time workers have lost their jobs over things they say publicly — including in social media posts.

But the speed at which the rings have been happening raises questions about worker rights versus employer rights.

In the U.S., laws can vary across states, but overall, there’s very little legal protections for employees who are punished for speech made both in and out of private workplaces.

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace,” said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR Services for Engage PEO. “Most employees in the private sector do not have any protections for that type of speech at work.”

Add to that the prevalence of social media, which has made it increasingly common to track employees’ conduct outside of work and to dox people, or publish information about them online with the intent of harming or harassing them.

Employers have lot of leeway

Protections for workers vary from one state to the next. For example, in New York, if an employee is participating in a weekend political protest but not associating themselves with the organization that employs them, their employer cannot re them for that activity when they return to work.

But if that same employee is at a company event on a weekend and talks about their political viewpoints in a way that makes others feel unsafe or the target of discrimination or harassment, then they could face consequences at work, Matsis-McCready said.

Most of the U.S. defaults to “at-will” employment law — which essentially means employers can choose to hire and re as they see t, including over employees’ speech.

“The First Amendment does not apply in private workplaces to protect employees’ speech,”

said Andrew Kragie, an attorney who specializes in employment and labor law at Maynard Nexsen. “It actually does protect employers’ right to make decisions about employees, based on employees’ speech.”

Kragie said there are “pockets of protection” around the U.S. under various state laws, such as statutes that forbid punishing workers for their political views. But the interpretation of how that gets enforced changes, he notes, making the waters murky.

Steven T. Collis, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin and faculty director of the school’s Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center, also points to some state laws that say employers can’t re their workers for “legal o duty conduct.” But there’s often an exception for conduct seen as disruptive to an employer’s business or reputation, which could be grounds to re someone over public comments or social media posts.

“In this scenario, if somebody feels like one of their employees has done something that suggests they are glorifying or celebrating a murder, an employer might still be able to re them even with one of those laws on the books,” Collis said.

For public employees, which can range from school teachers and postal workers to elected o cials, the process is a bit different. That’s because the First Amendment plays a unique role when the government is the employer, Collis explains. The Supreme Court has ruled that if an employee is acting in a private capacity but speaking on a matter of public concern, they could be protected. Still, he noted that government employers can discipline a worker if they determine

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace.” Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel

such conduct will interfere with the government’s ability to do its job.

Some in the public sector have already worked to restrict speech in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. For instance, leaders at the Pentagon unveiled a “zero tolerance” policy for any posts or comments from troops that make light of or celebrate the killing of Kirk.

The policy, announced by the Pentagon’s top spokesman Sean Parnell on social media last Thursday, came hours after numerous conservative military in uencers and activists began forwarding posts they considered problematic to Parnell and his boss, defense secretary Pete Hegseth.

“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” Parnell wrote Thursday.

Surge of political debate

The ubiquity of social media is making it easier than ever to share opinions about politics and major news events as they’re unfolding. But posting on social media leaves a record, and in times of escalating political polarization, those declarations can be seen as damaging to the reputation of an individual or their employer.

“People don’t realize when they’re on social media, it is the

town square,” said Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certi cation Institute.

“They’re not having a private conversation with the neighbor over the fence. They’re really broadcasting their views.”

Political debates are certainly not limited to social media and are increasingly making their way into the workplace as well.

“The gami cation of the way we communicate in the workplace, Slack and Teams, chat and all these things, they’re very similar to how you might interact on Instagram or other social media, so I do think that makes it feel a little less formal and somebody might be more inclined to take to take a step and say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe this happened,’” Matsis-McCready said.

Employers not ready

In the tense, divided climate of the U.S., many human resource professionals have expressed that they’re unprepared to address politically charged discussions in the workplace, according to the Human Resource Certi cation Institute. But those conversations are going to happen, so employers need to set policies about what is acceptable or unacceptable workplace conduct, Dufrane said.

“HR has got to really drill down and make sure that they’re super clear on their policies and practices and communicating to their employees on what are

their responsibilities as an employee of the organization,” Dufrane said.

Many employers are reviewing their policies on political speech and providing training about what appropriate conduct looks like, both inside and outside the organization, she said. And the brutal nature of Kirk’s killing may have led some of them to react more strongly in the days that followed his death.

“Because of the violent nature of what some political discussion is now about, I think there is a real concern from employers that they want to keep the workplace safe and that they’re being extra vigilant about anything that could be viewed as a threat, which is their duty,” Matsis-McCreedy said.

Employees can also be seen as ambassadors of a company’s brand, and their political speech can dilute that brand and hurt its reputation, depending on what is being said and how it is being received. That is leading more companies to act on what employees are saying online, she said.

“Some of the individuals that had posted and their posts went viral, all of a sudden the phone lines of their employers were just nonstop calls complaining,” Matsis-McCready said.

Still, experts like Collis don’t anticipate a signi cant change in how employers monitor their workers speech — noting that online activity has come under the spotlight for at least the last 15 years.

“Employers are already and have been for a very long time, vetting employees based on what they’re posting on social media,” he said.

MEREDITH SEAVER / COLLEGE STATION EAGLE VIA AP

Charlie Kirk speaks at Texas A&M University as part of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour on April 22 in College Station, Texas.

MOORE COUNTY

Steps toward a cure

The Pinecrest High School Air Force Junior ROTC honor guard presents the colors as Miss North Carolina Sophia Kellstrom sings the national anthem during the opening ceremony of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Sandhills Community College on Saturday. The annual fundraising event brings together the community to support the Alzheimer’s Association’s care, support and research e orts.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Moore County in line for new forensics facility

New York judge tosses terrorism charges against Mangione, lets murder count stand

A judge has dismissed terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione in New York state’s case over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but he kept the state’s second-degree murder charges against him. Judge Gregory Carro ruled Tuesday that although there is no doubt that the killing was not an ordinary street crime, New York law doesn’t consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology. The ruling came as Mangione made his rst court appearance in the state case since February. The 27-yearold Ivy League graduate has attracted a cult following as a stand-in for frustrations with the health insurance industry after Thompson was fatally shot in December.

Trump deploys National Guard to Memphis, says it’s “replica” D.C. crackdown

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis to combat crime, testing the limits of presidential power by using military force in cities. Trump made Monday’s announcement with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, calling it a “replica” of e orts in Washington, D.C. Last month, Trump deployed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital, claiming it reduced crime. Lee supports the deployment, while Memphis Mayor Paul Young opposes it.

$2.00

The commissioners appropriated $4 million toward the project

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

CARTHAGE — The Moore County Board of Commissioners have given their approval for the construction of a new forensic facility for the sheri ’s o ce.

At the board’s Sept. 16 regular business meeting, unanimous approval was given for the creation of a project ordinance for the project.

“We’ve gotten to a point now where it’s time for us to expand,” said Moore County Sheri ’s O ce Chief Deputy Andy Conway. “We have limited space, and we are needing some additional, updated facilities to be able to process not

only digital forensics but physical evidence as well. This facility would be a huge upgrade for not just our county but all the additional municipalities in the county, giving them the benet of being able to process evidence as well.”

According to the sheri ’s o ce’s request, the new facility — which is intended to be located near the Rick Rhyne Public Safety Center — would have dedicated areas for forensic evidence and vehicle processing, long-term controlled storage, drug testing and digital forensics with future possibilities of integrating DNA testing, and advanced capabilities in latent print analysis through a modern Automated Fingerprint Identi cation System with national database access.

“We employ one of seven people in the state of North

Carolina right here in Moore County that can do ngerprints, and he’s an expert in that eld,” Conway said. “We need to be able to give him the tools to do the job that he needs not only for Moore County citizens but for our municipalities as well because they reach out to him very often.” Conway stated that the facility would help expedite justice and allow cases to be moved more quickly to trial, and that future plans could potentially include providing services to surrounding counties for a fee in order to generate a bit of revenue to help support the facility.

“Technology is rapidly changing, and it’s our focus to keep up with that change,” Conway said.

The project ordinance creation also came with the allocation of $4 million from the general fund, of which a large portion is set to come from interest and debt payments collected from the courthouse project bonds.

“This facility has the chance to really almost pay for itself,” said Vice Chair Nick Picerno.

“The demand is there.”

“I believe that law is part of infrastructure and this is probably the easiest infrastructure to vote on because it’s very

“It’s going to be doing a service for every single law-abiding citizen in Moore County.”

Board Chair Kurt Cook.

needed and very warranted,” said Board Chair Kurt Cook. “It’s going to be doing a service for every single law-abiding citizen in Moore County. We’ll be a hub of liberty, and having that here would be amazing for Moore County.”

The board also approved a contract with DataWorks Plus for the purchase of two Livescan systems for the sheri ’s o ce.

“The Livescan devices are what we use to ngerprint people,” Conway said. “We currently employ the use of three of them, but two of their lifespans are up, and this is the renewal for them.”

According to Conway, the systems would be primarily utilized at the detention center and the department’s o ce.

The total cost for both systems is approximately $52,000. The Moore County Board of Commissioners will next meet Oct. 7.

Stein’s administration says $5.2 billion in federal funds have already been allocated or obligated to western North Carolina for Helene relief, in contrast to the estimated $60 billion damage and costs incurred from the September 2024 storm and related ooding. Ofcials said there were more Stein requests $13.5B more from Congress for Hurricane Helene recovery

saying additional help is needed from Washington to address record amounts of damage and to get funds to the region quicker. The proposal also asks the

federal government to distribute an additional $9.4 billion in federal funds that the state has already requested or is expecting but rst needs additional action from U.S. agencies.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein speaks during an interview at West Henderson High School after meeting with health science students on Aug. 20 in Fletcher.

“Join the conversation”

Appeals court rules felony o enders can’t be prosecuted for voting unlawfully by mistake

The law targeted black voters disproportionately, according to judges

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A federal appeals court has ruled that a North Carolina law that made it a crime for felony o enders who vote before they have completed their sentences without knowing they were breaking the law is unconstitutional.

A panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last Friday unanimously upheld a trial judge’s decision that found the law was discriminatory and harmed black ex-defendants disproportionately.

na A. Phillip Randolph Institute, praised the ruling, saying it con rms “that this law was born out of racism and has been wielded to intimidate and disenfranchise black voters.”

The decision means “this remnant of Jim Crow can no longer be used as a weapon against our communities,” he added.

Sept. 8

• Claude Christopher Miles, 49, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for felony possession of cocaine.

Sept. 9

• Cindy Lynn Britt, 47, was arrested by Moore County Sheri ’s O ce for possession of methamphetamine.

• Conrad Mor n, 56, was arrested by MCSO for possession of methamphetamine.

• Amanda Lynn Taylor, 38, was arrested by MCSO for possession of methamphetamine.

Sept. 10

• Anthony Brock Duncan, 38, was arrested by MCSO for domestic violence.

Sept. 11

• Shannon Nicole Chavis, 36, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for abuse of disabled or elderly person with injury.

• Lo-Ren Robert Ellis, 46, was arrested by MCSO for driving while license revoked.

• Steve Koaron-Kalliou Hancock, 18, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for possession of rearm by felon.

• Michael Tyrone Ryner, 47, was arrested by MCSO for possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine.

Sept. 12

• Theresa Ashley Denton, 36, was arrested by MCSO for resisting public o cer.

• Alexis Danielle Mcneill, 24, was arrested by MCSO for eeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle.

• Martin Roy Nieves, 32, was arrested by MCSO for driving while impaired.

Sept. 13

• Darrick Wayne Davis, 47, was arrested by Pineblu PD for possession, manufacture, sale or delivery of methamphetamine.

• Elder Lopez Najera Omar, 35, was arrested by MCSO for driving while impaired.

Sept. 14

• Jonathan Lee Amaral, 41, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for simple assault.

• Jessica Anne Chriscoe, 38, was arrested by Robbins PD for domestic violence.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: moorecommunity@northstatejournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon North

• Savion Tyriq Guinn, 24, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for domestic violence. CRIME LOG

At issue was a law against voting by felony o enders who were still serving sentences. In 2023, lawmakers updated the law so that, starting in January 2024, a person convicted of a felony had to know it was against the law to vote for it to be considered a crime.

But the old law wasn’t repealed and became the focus of the lawsuit originally led in 2020. The plainti s — groups representing poor residents and black union members — said people could still be subject to prosecution for voting before 2024 under the old rules.

Melvin Montford, executive director of the North Caroli-

STEIN from page A1

than 100 storm-related deaths in the state.

“We are grateful for every federal dollar that we have received because it brings us closer to recovery. But we need more help,” Stein during a news conference at Blue Ridge Community College in Henderson County, about 30 miles south of Asheville. “The next stage of recovery is going to require a new commitment from Congress and from the administration to not forget the people of western North Carolina.”

Stein, who said he plans to take his request to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, has tried to nd a balance between building rapport with President Donald Trump’s administration on recovery activities and criticizing delays. On Monday, he cited “extra layers of bureaucratic review” slowing down reimbursements to local governments. More relief money has been permitted for distribution in recent weeks.

“Recovery costs money, more money than any city or county in western North Carolina can manage even from a cash ow standpoint,” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, who cochairs an Helene recovery advisory commission, said Monday.

The state constitution says a person convicted of a felony can’t vote until their rights of citizenship are restored “in the manner prescribed by law.” A felony o ender can’t vote again until they complete their punishments, which include incarceration, probation, parole and other close supervision. Their rights are then automatically restored, but a person must reregister to vote.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs sided in April 2024 with the plainti s and blocked enforcement of the pre-2024 law. The State Board of Elections, a lawsuit defendant, appealed, and oral arguments at the 4th Circuit were held in Richmond, Virginia.

The 4th Circuit panel found as credible arguments by the plainti s that the pre-2024 law requires them to use time and resources to educate people eligible to vote but remain fearful about reregistering again for fear of prosecution.

Evidence was presented showing the law had originat-

The Democratic governor and his Helene recovery o ce has often cited a bar chart they say shows relatively meagernancial assistance received so far from the federal government as a percentage of total storm-related costs compared to what was provided for other recent U.S. hurricanes.

“Western North Carolina has not received anywhere near what it needs, nor our fair share,” he said.

About $8.1 billion of the $13.5 billion that Stein is requesting would go to the state’s already approved disaster recovery block grant program. More than one-third of that portion would help rebuild or replace thousands of homes and businesses, provide rental assistance and perform storm mitigation activities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development already has awarded $1.65 billion of these block grants to the state and to Asheville. Other block grant money requested Monday would go to fund forgivable loans for small business, the construction of private and municipal bridges, and support for homeless individuals.

Other newly requested funds would include nearly $1.6 billion to increase re -

ed in 1877, placing harsh penalties on disenfranchised felony o enders. State attorneys acknowledged the state’s racially biased history. But they contended the rati cation of a new North Carolina Constitution in the early 1970s — with several race-related provisions eliminated — created “a legally signi cant historical break” from the original 1877 statute and a reenactment in 1899.

But U.S. Circuit Judge DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, writing the opinion, still found that the law retained a discriminatory taint — its origins dating to the decade after the Civil War when black voting had initially been expanded.

There’s been no substantive change to the pre-2024 law since 1899, and the elections board has conceded the 1899 law is “indefensible,” Benjamin wrote.

“The fact that prosecutions under the Challenged Statute could not be brought for future conduct is of no consequence,” she added. Circuit Judges Jim Wynn and Pamela Harris joined Friday’s opinion. The three 4th Circuit judges were nominated to their current positions by Democratic presidents.

A state Department of Justice spokesperson said Monday the agency is reviewing the decision. Appeals to the full 4th Circuit or U.S. Supreme Court are possible.

imbursements to rebuild major roads, including Interstate 40 and I-26; and $1.75 billion toward “Special Community Disaster Loans” to help local governments provide essential services.

The state legislature and state agencies already have provided another $3.1 billion toward Helene recovery since last fall.

It’s unclear how Monday’s broad proposal — addressed to Trump and North Carolina’s congressional delegation — will be received by the president and Congress in full. When Stein made a pitch for supplemental recovery funds from the federal government earlier this month, a White House spokesperson said the request was evidence that he is un t to run a state.”

Meanwhile, the region’s tourist economy received a boost on Monday when the National Park Service announced that a 27-mile stretch of a popular scenic route has reopened with the completion of two projects that repaired damage from a landslide. The opening also provides transportation access to the adjoining Mount Mitchell State Park that features the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River.

moore happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County.

Sept. 18

“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” 4-6 p.m.

Final movie of the three-part series. Tickets are $15 each.

Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines

Sept. 18-20

Moore County Historical Association: Shaw House and Property Tours 1-4 p.m.

The Moore County Historical Association’s grounds and properties are open for tours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons. Tours are free and open to all ages. Enjoy learning about the impressive history of Moore County.

Shaw House 110 Morganton Road

Southern Pines

Sept. 19

Chicago tribute band, Chi-Town Transit Authority

7 p.m.

Live musical performance. Tickets range from $35 for regular admission to $49 for VIP early admission and meet and greet with the artists before the show.

Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines

Sept. 20

Moore County Farmers Market

8 a.m. to noon

A vast and varied selection of fresh produce and canned goods, including honey and fruit preserves and baked goods, has earned this producers-only farmers market a reputation as one of the best in the region. Visitors are treated to musical performances and complimentary appetizers prepared by local chefs using fresh, regional ingredients every Saturday throughout the summer.

156 SE Broad St. Southern Pines

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end,

publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

All Republicans must stop the wind scam

Electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive.

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump absolutely hates wind turbines. He has canceled several projects. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act terminated about $500 billion in subsidies for Green New Scam projects. A post-OBBBA executive order prescribed heightened regulatory scrutiny of wind and solar projects to make it di cult to use the remaining Green New Scam subsidies.

So why are some Republican politicians and a deep red states bent on building them anyway?

Politico reported this week that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is lobbying Trump administration o cials for what would be the largest U.S. o shore wind farm under construction by Dominion Energy o the coast of Virginia. Apparently outgoing Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin can’t convince Trump, so Youngkin and Dominion Energy are trying some sort of end run around the president.

In Arkansas, the only thing holding up a massive project with 600-foot wind turbines is the valiant ght of locals in ve counties who have passed ordinances against the turbine’s erection. And don’t forget that last minute changes to the Senate version of the OBBBA to save Green New Scam subsidies by Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Grassley almost sank the entire bill. It’s important for all Republicans to understand why wind turbines are not MAGA. As a threshold matter, wind turbines have no bona de purpose. They have been marketed as “emissions-free” energy to combat the supposed “climate crisis.” But the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates, for example, that the average of summertime maximum temperatures in the U.S. in 2025 was actually cooler than those of summertime 1901, 124 years ago. Globally, August 2025 was the same temperature as August 1998, despite more than a trillion tons of emissions since 1998. No wonder

Trump calls emissions-driven climate change a “hoax.”

Even if there were some climate or weather problem caused by emissions of greenhouse gases, the simple math of the global situation is that the U.S. could stop emitting today and forever, and the vast majority of global emissions would happen anyway. So there’s no climate crisis, and even if there were, wind turbines in the U.S. would accomplish nothing.

Next, electricity from o shore wind is among the most expensive. Wind farms are not built without taxpayers subsidies and additional guarantees by electricity consumers. There is absolutely no evidence that wind energy has lowered electricity prices anywhere in the world.

Wind may be free, but wind farm construction, operation and transmission of electricity is not. Moreover, wind energy requires back-up, usually from fossil fuel or nuclear baseload power plants. This redundancy is just an added cost.

Third, wind turbines are not environmentally friendly. The rare earth minerals needed for their construction largely come from anything-goes strip-mining and processing in Communist China. Westerners rarely see the revolting consequences of these activities.

The construction of onshore wind farms takes up vastly larger spaces, six to 13 times more, than conventional gas power plants. More than just the space, each onshore wind turbine has an immense and essentially permanent concrete and iron rebar foundation. Wind farmland is just ruined. The construction of o shore wind may have produced the dozens of dead whales that washed up on East Coast beaches during 2023-24.

Fourth, wind farms are dangerous to the environment when they operate. Under normal circumstances, they are a hazard to birds and bats. They require special government allowances to kill birds because the nes would be too great for wind farms to operate. The disintegration of

The media’s demonization of the right has consequences

Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

CHARLIE KIRK wasn’t just a colleague. He was a friend. He was someone who showed up, worked hard, and cared deeply about his family and his country. His life mattered. As I process the tragic circumstances of his death, I can’t help but turn to a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: the climate that enabled it.

For decades, America’s media institutions have cultivated a narrative that paints conservatives as dangerous, regressive, even subhuman. Every nightly newscast, every editorial page, every so-called “analysis” drips with disdain for anyone who dares to challenge the progressive orthodoxy. You don’t just disagree with the left anymore; you’re smeared as a bigot, a fascist or worse. This relentless demonization isn’t harmless rhetoric. It creates an atmosphere where hostility toward the right feels not only acceptable but righteous. When the press treats millions of Americans like villains, it should not shock us when some unhinged individual takes that narrative literally and turns it into violence. Words have consequences. The media knows this when it lectures conservatives about “dangerous speech” and “dog whistles.” It never looks in the mirror. When major outlets tell audiences day after day that Republicans are a threat to democracy, when they equate conservative beliefs with extremism, they are not just engaging in biased journalism. They are laying kindling for hatred, and sometimes that hatred combusts.

Consider the language used in mainstream coverage of the right. If you oppose open borders, you are “anti-immigrant.” If you defend parental rights in schools, you are “anti-LGBT.”

If you worry about election integrity, you are a “conspiracy theorist.” When media elites atten every conservative principle into a caricature of cruelty, they strip away the humanity of people like Charlie. Once someone is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify targeting them.

That’s what the press has done to the right: It has turned millions of good, law-abiding Americans into cartoon villains in a morality play. For years, conservatives have been warning: When you keep telling people that a whole class of citizens are monsters, don’t be surprised when someone believes you — and acts accordingly.

The hypocrisy is staggering. If the roles were reversed, if left-wing activists were being attacked in the streets, the media would frame it as a national crisis of hate. We’d see around-the-clock coverage, solemn declarations about “the soul of America” and endless op-eds about the dangerous climate of conservative rhetoric. When conservatives are the victims, silence. Or worse — justi cations. “They had it coming,” the subtext suggests, because daring to hold the wrong political beliefs apparently makes you complicit in oppression.

That double standard doesn’t just warp the narrative, it fuels division. Millions of Americans see that bias and conclude, rightly, that the press doesn’t value their lives or their freedoms. That perception breeds alienation. Alienation breeds anger. Anger, left unchecked, can erupt in violence.

No individual act of violence can ever be excused. Personal responsibility matters. Yet individuals do not commit violence in a vacuum. They act within a culture shaped by

an o shore wind turbine blade in 2024 wreaked havoc on Massachusetts beaches. And no one has yet studied the e ects on the environment of the hot (140°F) cables bringing power from the o shore turbines to shore.

Finally, o shore wind turbines are a national security problem. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) issued this statement this week: “Massive o shore wind turbines — rushed through an abbreviated permitting process — could interfere with America’s ability to detect threats from adversaries like Russia and China. Submarines operating o the U.S. coast could gain a critical advantage if detection systems are disrupted, leaving the nation more vulnerable to attack.”

We certainly need more electricity, especially given the rise of AI data centers and Trump’s goal of reindustrializing America. But that electricity should be provided at the lowest cost as determined on a subsidy-free basis. Electricity must be provided reliably, which means not dependent on nature or the weather. It should cause the least environmental damage and should not endanger national security. Wind, onshore or o shore, doesn’t make the cut when compared to coal, natural gas and nuclear power — i.e., Trump’s energy agenda.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has received Trump’s message loud and clear. This week he told a group of European leaders, “Under this administration, there is not a future for o shore wind because it is too expensive and not reliable enough.” All Republicans need to get that message.

Steve Milloy, a biostatistician and lawyer, publishes JunkScience.com. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

institutions, none more in uential than the media. When leading outlets tell the public that conservatives are existential threats to democracy, they normalize hostility against us. When commentators sneer that half the country is made up of racists, misogynists and extremists, they legitimize rage against us.

In this climate, the media is complicit. Its hands are not clean.

Conservatives have been calling for a return to fairness, civility and honest debate. We do not expect journalists to agree with us. We do expect them to recognize our humanity and stop painting us as villains in every story. If this cycle of demonization continues, tragedies like Kirk’s will not be the last.

Kirk deserved far better. He was not someone who kept his head down or played it safe. He stood up for what he believed in, he defended people who were silenced, and he never hesitated to call out injustice. His courage came with a cost, but it also inspired those around him to be braver, stronger and truer to their convictions.

Now there is a gaping void where his voice once was. That loss is not only personal — it is national. We cannot a ord to lose people like Kirk, who put principle above comfort, who saw through the lies of a corrupt media and refused to be cowed. His absence leaves all of us with a responsibility: to speak louder, stand taller and demand an end to the demonization that is tearing this country apart. Kirk’s life was a testament to conviction. His death must be a wake-up call.

Adam Weiss is the CEO of AMW PR, publisher of Impact Wealth magazine and the host of “Media Exposed” on Real America’s Voice News. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | ADAM WEISS

COLUMN | STEVE MILLOY

The church exploited soldiers’ bene ts for enrollment pro ts

By Russ Bynum The Associated Press

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Leaders of a Georgia-based church with congregations in ve states have been charged by federal prosecutors with swindling millions of dollars in veterans bene ts from parishioners serving in the military.

An indictment unsealed last Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Savannah charges House of Prayer Christian Churches of America founder Rony Denis and seven other church leaders with conspiring to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, as well as other federal crimes.

Authorities say church leaders exploited soldiers and other congregation members by enrolling them in seminary programs that drained their G.I. Bill education bene ts. They also say church o cials used parishioners’ names on fraudulent mortgage applications to buy homes

that the church then rented to congregation members. “The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith, and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves,” Paul Brown, the agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta o ce, said in a news release.

Prosecutors say church raked in $23 million from veterans bene ts

Prosecutors say they don’t even know the real name of Denis, alleging he assumed that name after stealing another person’s identity in 1983. He founded House of Prayer roughly two decades ago. The church is headquartered in Hinesville, a southeast Georgia city that is home to thousands of veterans and Army soldiers serving at neighboring Fort Stewart. The congregation there grew to as many as 300 members, the indictment says. House of Prayer branched out, opening up to a dozen churches in ve states, often near military bases, according to prosecutors. It also established a liated Bible seminar-

“The

Paul Brown, FBI Atlanta o ce agent

ies in Hinesville as well as Fayetteville; Killeen, Texas; and Tacoma, Washington.

The indictment says the church focused on recruiting military service members to join their congregations and pressured them to spend their G.I. Bill education bene ts on enrollment in its seminary programs.

The seminaries in all four states earned House of Prayer leaders $23.5 million in G.I. Bill payments for tuition, fees, books and housing costs from 2013 and 2021, according to the indictment.

Charges against Denis and others stem from just $3.2 million of those bene t payments

made to House of Prayer’s two seminaries in Georgia. That is because the programs operated in Georgia under a religious exemption granted by state regulators. Prosecutors say that exemption prohibited the Georgia seminaries from receiving federal funding — including G.I. Bill bene ts from the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs.

The indictment says church o cials lied to Georgia regulators in annual forms saying the seminaries received no federal money.

Steven Sadow, listed in court records as an attorney for Denis, did not immediately return an email message seeking comment last Thursday.

A group called Veterans Education Success wrote to the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs in 2020, saying former students had complained that the House of Prayer seminaries had drained their benets while providing them with little education. FBI agents served search warrants on several House of Prayer churches in 2022, according to local news outlets.

Church accused of pro ting o rental homes bought with false documents

The indictment says church o cials also used its members as straw buyers to conceal the leaders’ purchase of rental properties. Prosecutors say church leaders falsi ed loan applications and closing documents and forged powers of attorney to buy and transfer homes that were rented to congregation members.

The indictment says House of Prayer received $5.2 million in rent payments between 2018 and 2020, with some of that money being used to pay for Denis’ two homes as well as church leaders’ credit card bills.

Denis was also charged with helping falsify his federal income tax returns for 2018, 2019 and 2020. Last Wednesday, FBI agents and Columbia County sheri ’s deputies arrested the church founder at his mansion in Martinez west of Augusta, WRDW-TV reported.

In a separate case, federal prosecutors also indicted Bernadel Semexant, a pastor at the House of Prayer church in Hinesville. The indictment unsealed last week charges Semexant with sex abuse of a girl between the ages of 12 and 15. William Joseph Turner, listed in court records as the pastor’s attorney, did not immediately return an email message.

and fewer people were married from 2023 to 2024.

The census data shows demographic shifts and housing trends

By Mike Schneider The Associated Press

INCOME INEQUALITY

dipped, more people had college degrees, fewer people moved to a di erent home and the share of Asian and Hispanic residents increased in the United States last year, according to gures released last Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

These year-to-year changes, big and small, from 2023 to 2024 were captured in the bureau’s data from the American Community Survey, the largest annual audit of American life. The survey of 3.5 million households asks about more than 40 topics, including income, housing costs, veterans status, computer use, commuting and education. Here’s a look at how the United States changed last year.

Income inequality dips

Income inequality — or the gap between the highest and lowest earners — in the United States fell nationwide by nearly a half percent from 2023 to

2024, as median household income rose slightly, from $80,002 to $81,604. Five Midwestern states — Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin — had statistically signi cant dips, along with Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Puerto Rico. North Carolina was the only state to see a statistically signi cant rise in inequality. NC State economist Michael Walden said it re ected the state generating high-paying jobs in tech and other professional sectors, while the post-pandemic labor shortage which raised wages in

lower-paying service jobs had ended.

In South Dakota, which had a leading 4% drop, the inequality dip “could re ect stronger growth in the household income among lower and middle income households (or smaller growth in the income of the highest brackets),” state demographer Weiwei Zhang said last Wednesday in an email.

In Nebraska, it could be high employment rates across all demographic groups since “high employment leads to income, thus less income inequality,” said Josie Schafer, director of

Michael Walden, NC State economist

the Center for Public A airs Research at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

In Massachusetts, one of the traditional strengths of the state’s economy — high-paying jobs in life science, high tech and research — has been sluggish in the past two years, said Mark Melnik, director of economic and public policy research at a University of Massachusetts Amherst institute.

“The typical jobs in this industry are the kind of thing that helps Massachusetts have the highest per capita (income) in the country but also exacerbates some elements of income inequality,” Melnik said.

Greater diversity, fewer people married

The United States became more demographically diverse,

The non-Hispanic white population, who identify with only a single race, dropped from 57.1% to 56.3%, while the share of the nation’s Asian population rose from 6% to 6.3% and the Hispanic population rose from 19.4% to 20%. The rate of the black population stayed the same at 12.1%, as did the American Indian Alaska Native alone population at 1%.

In the marriage department, the share of men who have never married increased from 37.2% to 37.6%, and it rose from 31.6% to 32.1% for women.

Fewer people moved, as costs of renting, owning homes rose

Last year, only 11% of U.S. residents moved to another home, compared to 11.3% in the previous year. The decline of people moving this decade has been part of a continuous slide as home prices have skyrocketed in some metros and interest rates have gone up. In 2019, by comparison, 13.7% of U.S. residents moved.

The monthly costs for U.S. homeowners with a mortgage rose to $2,035 from $1,960. Homeowners with a mortgage in California ($3,001), Hawaii ($2,937), New Jersey ($2,797), Massachusetts ($2,755), and the District of Columbia ($3,181) had the highest median monthly costs.

Costs for renters also increased as the median rent with utilities went from $1,448 to $1,487.

PAMELA HASSELL / AP PHOTO

Pedestrians walk in the

MOORE SPORTS

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

North Moore, Pinecrest

both win in Week 4

North State Journal sta

North Moore

North Moore 48, Chatham Central 14

Chatham Central struggled to protect sophomore quarterback Brooks Albright in a 48-14 loss to North Moore. The Mustangs came away with numerous sacks in the rst half, including a sack fumble and recovery on the Bears’ rst play from scrimmage.

The negative plays continuously backed Chatham Central deep into its own territory, setting up favorable eld position for the Mustangs’ o ense. North Moore took a 28-0 lead in the rst quarter and never looked back.

Albright nished the night with 13-of-28 passing with 184 yards and two touchdowns, both to sophomore Gavin Williams.

Week 5: Seaforth at North Moore (Friday at 7 p.m.)

Seaforth (1-3) will look to win two games in a row for the second time in school history when it travels to former Mid-Caroli-

na 1A/2A conference foe North Moore (2-2) Friday.

North Moore is 3-0 all-time against Seaforth.

The Hawks are coming o an impressive second-half offensive performance against Northwood in which junior quarterback Duncan Parker hit numerous receivers for big gains. Seaforth is averaging 29 points per game, while North Moore has allowed 30 points per outing.

However, the Mustangs’ defensive line, led by senior DJ Morehead and junior Cruz Moore, proved to be very disruptive against Chatham Central.

As Seaforth has struggled to run the ball this season, keeping a clean pocket for Parker will be crucial against the Mustangs. Defensively, the Hawks will have to keep their eyes disciplined for North Moore’s misdirection and the moving parts of its run-heavy o ense.

Union Pines

The Vikings had the week o

to fume over the season’s rst loss. Now 2-1 Union Pines travels to West Johnston. The Wildcats are 1-2 after losing to Clayton at home, 55-2.

Pinecrest

The Patriots won their third straight, beating South View 41-13. Chris Najm ran for 203 yards and scored three times, as Pinecrest wiped out an early de cit with 21 second-quarter points. This week, Pinecrest hosts Scotland. The Scots are 3-1 and have won two straight, most recently 49-26 over Overhills.

Moore County Week 5

High School Schedule:

• Friday Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m., Pinecrest Patriots (3-1) home vs. Scotland Scots (3-1)

• Friday Sept. 19, 7 p.m., North Moore Mustangs (2-2) home vs. Seaforth Hawks (1-3)

• Friday Sept. 19, 7 p.m., Union Pines Vikings (2-1) at West Johnston Wildcats (1-2)

Bell wins at Bristol

Joe Gibbs Racing completed a rst-round sweep in the Cup playo s

The Associated Press

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joe Gibbs Racing completed a clean sweep of the rst round in the NASCAR Cup Series playo s as Christopher Bell charged to a victory Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bell went from fourth to rst on the nal restart and led the last four laps at the 0.533-mile oval, ending a 24-race winless streak with his fourth victory of the season.

“It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done,” said Bell, who led only 12 laps in his

13th career victory. “We just know that any given week, it could be us, and it hasn’t been for a long time. But Bristol, baby, tonight it’s us.”

He joined JGR teammates

Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe as playo winners with the rst round concluding at Bristol. Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry were eliminated from the 10-race championship run.

“Just so excited about the start to the playo s,” team owner Joe Gibbs said.

Bell nished 0.343 seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski, who was trying to end a 51-race winless streak.

“Just the story of our season,” Keselowski said. “Just a 50-50

Union Pines defensive back Jonah Thienel (1) tries to break up a pass in the end zone during the Vikings’ most recent game against Eastern Randolph.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Ashley Lee

Pinecrest, girls’ golf

Ashley Lee is a rising sophomore on the Pinecrest girls’ golf team. In addition to being a part of the defending state champions on the links, he also plays softball for the Patriots.

In July, the Pinecrest girls nished third in the National High School Golf Invitational, which the school hosted. Lee tied for third place overall, two strokes o the tournament lead. She shot a rst-round 72, a second-round 67 and nished with a 68 on the nal day.

First out

shot on the restart, and I got the lane that couldn’t launch. Just frustrating. We had a great car, great strategy, and on the last restart, we just rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.”

Zane Smith nished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano.

There were a season-high 14 caution ags for 137 laps as drivers and teams struggled to get a handle on a new rightside tire with excessive wear that required more pit stops.

The playo drama spiked with 40 laps remaining when a re erupted under Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford. His team was able to extinguish the ames, but Cindric lost several laps in the pits and reemerged outside the top 30.

His 30th-place nish still was good enough for the 12th and nal transfer spot into the second round.

“Moving on,” Cindric said

staying in the championship hunt. “I believe in this team. I believe in myself. I have not been driving as well as I am now in the Cup Series.”

Bowman ran as high as second after rebounding from a spin on the 100th lap. He would have bumped Cindric with a victory but nished eighth and came up 10 points short of advancing.

“I don’t think you can really point at something that cost us,” said Bowman, who bene ted from a pit crew overhaul after su ering through some disastrous stops in the past two races. “Our back was against the wall coming in here. We knew it was going to be a tough thing to do.”

Seeking his rst Cup victory, Ty Gibbs led a race-high 201 of 500 laps but bungled while trying to reach the pits for hisnal green- ag stop, losing major time in his No. 54 Toyota.

With smoke billowing from the cockpit and ames shooting out from his right-front tire, Berry made an eye-catching exit as the rst driver eliminated. The Wood Brothers Racing driver quali ed 10th and ran as high as third before a re erupted on his No. 21 Ford.

“Man, just so disappointing,” Berry said. “That was going to be a lot of fun. We were moving forward. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but it hasn’t been because of performance. We executed well and ran well, just haven’t had the nishes.”

Berry, whose playo debut began with a crash on the rst lap of the Southern 500, nished last in all three races of the rst round. “I don’t think you could ever script three last-place nishes in the ways that we’ve gotten them,” he said.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PJ WARD-BROWN / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WADE

Christopher Bell (20) battles with Ty Gibbs (54) during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Bristol.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Virginia Tech res coach Pry after program’s 1st 0-3 start since 1987

Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech has red football coach Brent Pry after the program stumbled to its rst 0-3 start since 1987. The school announced the move Sunday. That came a day after the Hokies fell behind 31-0 on the way to a 45-26 loss to Old Dominion. In a statement, Pry said “Blacksburg will always hold a special place in our hearts.” O ensive coordinator Philip Montgomery will serve as interim coach.

BOXING

Crawford makes history with victory over Alvarez

Las Vegas Terence Crawford made history by becoming the rst male boxer to capture three uni ed division titles. He defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision to win the super middleweight championship. Two judges scored the match 115-113 and the third 116-112 in Crawford’s favor. The ght took place at Allegiant Stadium before a record crowd of 70,482. It was Alvarez’s rst defeat since May 2022. The event, broadcast on Net ix, attracted signi cant attention and marked a shift from traditional pay-per-view models. The co-main event saw Callum Walsh defeat Fernando Vargas Jr.

MLB Kurtz hits 493-foot grand slam, longest MLB homer of season Sacramento, Calif.

Nick Kurtz launched a 493-foot grand slam — the longest home run in the majors this season — and the Athletics hammered Hunter Greene early in an 11-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Kurtz, the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, has 31 home runs in his rookie season. Kurtz’s 493-foot drive was the longest by an A’s player since Statcast tracking began in 2015. It surpassed Mike Trout’s 484 -foot homer April 19 with the Angels for the longest in the majors this year.

NFL

FanDuel agrees to pay Jaguars roughly $5M to o set losses from ex-employee’s theft Jacksonville, Fla.

FanDuel has agreed to pay the Jacksonville Jaguars roughly $5 million to help o set the nearly $20 million that a former employee stole from the NFL franchise and deposited at the sportsbook. ESPN rst reported the deal, which was nalized earlier this year. It came a year after nancial manager Amit Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million through a virtual credit card system the team used for expenses. Patel is serving a 61⁄2-year sentence in federal prison. He sued FanDuel last year.

UCLA

DeShaun Foster watches as his team plays UNLV.

UCLA res coach Foster after 0-3 start to his second season

after national signing day and relatively late in the recruiting process.

By Beth Harris Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — UCLA red second-year football

coach DeShaun Foster after the school’s rst 0-3 start since 2019.

Athletic director Martin Jarmond announced the move two days after the Bruins lost to New Mexico 35-10, their second straight loss to a Mountain West Conference opponent.

“It’s not a decision I made lightly, but it was important to take decisive action,” Jarmond said on a Zoom call with media.

“This serves as a message to our fans that the results we’ve seen so far are simply not acceptable.”

Tim Skipper will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season. Skipper had been special assistant to Foster, and he served as Fresno State’s interim coach last year.

Foster, a Charlotte native and Carolina Panthers running back from 2002-07, was 5-10 since taking over the program from Chip Kelly in February 2024,

“I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten,” Jarmond said. “Getting a start so late really disadvantaged the start of his coaching career.”

Last year, the Bruins nished 5-7 after a 1-5 start in the school’s rst season in the Big Ten. Foster had been the program’s running backs coach from 2017-23 and added the title of associate head coach in 2023 before being promoted to the top job by Jarmond. Foster spent one season on the sta at Texas Tech.

The Bruins were beaten by Utah in their opener and by UNLV a week ago. They trailed at halftime in all three losses, two of them coming at the Rose Bowl, where attendance was sparse and tarps are used to cover wide swaths of seating.

Foster was asked Friday if he was still the person for the job, and he replied: “Most de nitely. Because I can get these boys to play.”

However, even the arrival of highly touted quarterback Nico Iamaleava via the transfer portal couldn’t save Foster.

Hatton, former world champion, dies at 46

The popular British ghter was planning a comeback

By James Robson

The Associated Press MANCHESTER, England

— Ricky Hatton, the former boxing world champion who rose to become one of the most popular ghters in the sport, died at 46.

Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

Friends of Hatton were quick to pay tribute Sunday morning.

“Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton,” former world champion Amir Khan posted on X.

“Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip,” former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said in an Instagram post, with photos of the pair together. “There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. can’t believe this so young.” News of Hatton’s death comes two months after the surprise announcement he would make a return to boxing in December in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai.

He hadn’t fought since losing for the third time in his career, against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.

Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, and at the height of his career he shared the ring with the best boxers of his generation, including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“He was not only a great ghter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life,” Pacquiao posted on X. “Ricky fought bravely, not just in the ring, but in his journey through life. He truly had a good ght, and we are all blessed to have been part of his wonderful journey.”

Hatton rose through amateur and domestic levels, building up an army of passionate fans who followed him to America for his biggest ghts.

His down-to-earth charm, as well as his tendency to dramatically gain and lose weight between ghts, endeared him to fans across the world.

Hatton was open about the mental health issues he endured upon his retirement from the ring.

“As ghters, we tell ourselves we’re strong — we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest ght

“I regret putting DeShaun in that position as we were going into the Big Ten.”

Martin Jarmond, UCLA athletic director

The sophomore left Tennessee after leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playo last season and didn’t participate in spring camp. Iamaleava defended Foster after Friday’s loss, saying: “We’re not executing as players. It all falls back on the players.”

Iamaleava is among 55 new players in Westwood this season, along with eight new assistants. Over half the defensive line is made up of transfers. Foster hired Tino Sunseri from Indiana as o ensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but the Bruins’ o ense ranks 127th nationally (14.3 points per game) and got outscored 30-0 in the rst quarter of each game this season. The Bruins repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with penalties in the losses, too.

“Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,” Foster said in a statement. “While I am deeply disappointed that we were unable to achieve the success that our players, fans, and university deserve, I am grateful for the opportunity to have led this program.”

The school said the terms of Foster’s contract will be honored by UCLA Athletics, exclusively using department-generated funds.

Kelly’s teams had 0-3 starts in 2018 and 2019, but the losses included Oklahoma and Cincinnati, schools with better football reputations than UNLV and New Mexico.

Foster’s ring opens an immediate 30-day window in which players can enter the transfer portal. Jarmond said he met with the entire team and has not heard from anyone who is considering leaving.

“The team is very focused on really turning this around,” he said. “This is a clean slate. We’re 0-0 in the Big Ten, and this is about getting better. They’re ultimately going to write this season.”

happens in silence, in the mind,” Khan added on X. “Mental health isn’t weakness. It’s part of being human. And we must talk about it. We must reach out. We must lean on each other.”

Top of the sport

Hatton’s all-action style added to his popularity. He built up a passionate following in the UK before truly announcing himself on the world stage with his epic victory against Tszyu for the IBF world super lightweight (light welterweight) title in 2005.

Pound-for-pound great Tszyu had only lost twice before, but was forced to retire on his stool in front of 22,000 fans in Manchester. Hatton later described it as his greatest win, but it was just the start of a period when he fought at the top of the sport, with thousands of fans following him to America for huge ghts. In a post on X, his former

manager, Frank Warren, described him as a “superbly talented ghter who inspired a generation of young boxers and fans in a way very few had done before,” adding he will “rightly go down as one of the modern greats of this sport.”

Hatton lost for the rst time in his career against Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2007.

After a sold-out homecoming at Manchester City’s stadium a year later, he worked his way back to the top of the sport to take on Manny Pacquiao in 2009, losing inside two rounds. Hatton retired after that defeat but made a remarkable comeback four years later after piling on weight and enduring issues with depression and drinking, as well as allegations of drug use.

While he lost to Senchenko, the very fact he managed to return to the ring was seen as a personal triumph.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Ricky Hatton, left, lands a right to the face of Juan Urango in their IBF junior welterweight title bout in 2007.

The former Carolina Panthers running back was 5-10 with Bruins

STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN VIA AP

head coach

Roy Lawson Weller

Jan. 18, 1945 – Sept. 5, 2025

Roy Lawson Weller, 80 of Whispering Pines, passed away on September 5, 2025 at his home. He was born on January 18, 1945, in Monrovia, Maryland, to the late Franklin and Eva Weller.

He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend to everyone he met. He was kind, generous, and caring, always placing the needs of others before his own. He will truly be missed for his absolute love of life, humor, dedication to others, and his incredibly gregarious personality.

After growing up on a farm, he joined the United States Air Force out of high school, and proudly served his country including multiple tours in Vietnam. Throughout his dedicated and hard working life, Roy enjoyed gol ng, working outdoors, and socializing with his family, friends, and neighbors. He was also an extremely talented craftsman who could design, build, or x virtually anything.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Frederick Weller, Ruth Houck, and Franklin Weller.

He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Dee Ann Weller; two sons, Joseph C. Weller and wife Tammy, Christopher J. Weller and wife Regina; and his grandchildren; Cora, Kaitlin, Monica, Audrey, Julie, and Anna.

Services will be held in Maryland at a later date.

In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to Tunnels to Towers Foundation or Pipe Hitter Foundation.

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

Grady Hoover Hussey

Sept. 13, 1928 – Sept. 9, 2025

Grady Hoover Hussey, 97, passed away on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at his home, surrounded by family.

Mr. Hussey was born in Moore County on September 13, 1928, to the late Levi and Aggie Maness Hussey. Grady graduated from Westmoore High School. He served his country in the United States Army during the Korean War. Grady loved the Lord and was a faithful member of Smyrna Church, as part of the Men’s Sunday School class and Smyrna Men’s Fellowship. He was a retired USDA Meat Inspector.

Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Smyrna Church, with the Reverend Farrell Hussey o ciating. Burial, with Military honors will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends following the service in Smyrna Family Life Center.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Doris Wilkes Hussey and brothers: Clarence, Cranford, Clyde Hussey; sister: Daisy Dunn; niece: Peggy Hussey; nephews: Ron Hussey, Jack Hussey, Terry Hussey.

He is survived by niece: Lisa Brown (Ken) and nephews: Joe Ford of Hamlet, Eric Dunn (Teresa) of Star, Darrell Dunn (Emily) of Star, Randy Hussey (Claire) of Carthage, Philip Hussey, Steven Hussey (Annie) of Robbins, Marguerite Hussey of Aiken, SC and many friends. In lieu of owers, memorials may be given to the Smyrna Church Cemetery Fund, 203 Smyrna Church, Robbins, NC 27325.

Kennedy Funeral Home is honored to serve the Hussey family.

Gary Alan Moon

May 1, 1951 – Sept. 10, 2025

Gary Alan Moon, Age 74, of Aberdeen, N.C., passed away on September 10, 2025. Alan was born in Pinehurst, N.C. on May 1, 1951, to Lynwood Newton Moon and Doris Garner Moon.

Alan was a member of the last graduating class of Aberdeen High School in 1969, where he played football, basketball, and ran track. He played on the North Carolina East-West AllStar football team. He graduated from Wake Forest University, and went on to receive a Master of Business Administration degree from Emory University.

Alan was deeply dedicated to his career at Aberdeen CocaCola and Mid-South Food Service. Under his fty years of leadership both companies were able to thrive and make contributions to the local community. Carrying the family businesses through its third generation was something he held dear.

Alan was a quiet supporter of many people and organizations in the community. He helped in various areas such as education, youth, and sports programs. His sole priority was helping the cause and often refused recognition. As a lifelong member of Bethesda Presbyterian, he helped in the restoration of Faith Church, which was originally built in 1894. He found joy in sel ess giving, not in receiving credit.

Alan was devoted to his faith, his family, and his community. He is survived by his wife, Claudeen Pack Moon, their two sons: Gary Alan Moon Jr. (Susie, and their three children Augustus, Montgomery, and Lynwood) and Mark Lynwood Moon (Carrie, and their children Ava Grace, Leo, and Ezra), and his sister, Diana Moon Adams (Kenneth, and their daughter Christina).

A family service will be held at Old Bethesda Cemetery.

Service arrangements are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home.

Danny Lonnie Cheek

Oct. 31, 1947 – Sept. 12, 2025

Danny Lonnie Cheek, age 77, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 12, 2025, at FirstHealth Hospice House, surrounded by his family.

A lifelong resident of Moore County, Danny was the son of the late Lonnie Thomas and Annie Marie Lewis Cheek. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Genieve Jackson and granddaughter, Georgia Kate Wright. Danny proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, where he was awarded the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign and Service Medal. For more than 30 years, Danny was the owner and operator of Midway Auto. After retirement, he devoted much of his time to farming, where he found great joy in baling hay and tending to his cows. He was also an avid deer hunter and cherished time outdoors. Danny was a faithful member of Community Friends Church, where his presence will be deeply missed.

Danny is survived by his wife of 15 years, Debbie Cheek of Carthage; daughters, Paula Cheek (Jason) of Robbins and Laurie Wright of Carthage; sons, Bronson Wright (Amy) of Eagle Springs and Andy Frye of Carthage; sister, Mary Ann Poe (Johnny) of Robbins; beloved grandchildren, Colt Cox (Kayley), Jakob Garner (Courtney), Haylee Ratli , Kaydence Wright, Jada Carlyle, Kamron Wright, Keller Maples, Lee Gri n, Jada Norton, Abilene Wright, and Easton Wright; great-grandchildren, Everleigh, Laney, and Raelyn; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and friends. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at Community Friends Church, 3879 US-501, Carthage, NC 28327. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, September 15, 2025, at Kennedy Funeral Home. Burial and military honors will take place at the church cemetery following the service.

The family would like to give a special thank you to the sta at FirstHealth Hospice House for the care and compassion they provided Danny.

In lieu of owers, donations may be made to Community Friends Church at 3879 US-501 Carthage, NC 28327.

Nancy Collins

Aug. 14, 1950 – Sept.12, 2025

Nancy Spriggle Collins, age 75, of Carthage, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 12, 2025, at her home.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 4 p.m. at Cox Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Bill Maness o ciating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the funeral home.

Nancy was born in Pennsylvania on August 14, 1950, to the late Sterling Spriggle and Helen Holtzapple Spriggle. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Jimmy L. Collins, son in law, Randy Hardy, sisters, Betsy, Patricia, brother, Richard.

She is survived by her children, Melissa Hardy of Carthage, Christopher Collins (Catherine) of Ellerbe, Rodney Collins of Carthage, Wendy Mabe (Ricky) also of Carthage; seven grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren; sister, Connie Adee of Carthage and many nieces and nephews.

Nancy loved her children and grandchildren and dearly loved her husband, Jimmy Collins. She enjoyed shopping at thrift stores, estate sales, yard sales, and also cooking and baking for her family. She will be greatly missed.

STATE & NATION

Workers commenting on Kirk’s death learn limits of free speech in and out of workplace

Employees face rings over social media posts about the assassination

By Cathy Bussewitz and Wyatte Grantham-Philips The Associated Press

NEW YORK — In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been red for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd.

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as o ensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers. Rightwing in uencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

It’s far from the rst time workers have lost their jobs over things they say publicly — including in social media posts.

But the speed at which the rings have been happening raises questions about worker rights versus employer rights.

In the U.S., laws can vary across states, but overall, there’s very little legal protections for employees who are punished for speech made both in and out of private workplaces.

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace,” said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR Services for Engage PEO. “Most employees in the private sector do not have any protections for that type of speech at work.”

Add to that the prevalence of social media, which has made it increasingly common to track employees’ conduct outside of work and to dox people, or publish information about them online with the intent of harming or harassing them.

Employers have lot of leeway

Protections for workers vary from one state to the next. For example, in New York, if an employee is participating in a weekend political protest but not associating themselves with the organization that employs them, their employer cannot re them for that activity when they return to work.

But if that same employee is at a company event on a weekend and talks about their political viewpoints in a way that makes others feel unsafe or the target of discrimination or harassment, then they could face consequences at work, Matsis-McCready said.

Most of the U.S. defaults to “at-will” employment law — which essentially means employers can choose to hire and re as they see t, including over employees’ speech.

“The First Amendment does not apply in private workplaces to protect employees’ speech,”

said Andrew Kragie, an attorney who specializes in employment and labor law at Maynard Nexsen. “It actually does protect employers’ right to make decisions about employees, based on employees’ speech.”

Kragie said there are “pockets of protection” around the U.S. under various state laws, such as statutes that forbid punishing workers for their political views. But the interpretation of how that gets enforced changes, he notes, making the waters murky.

Steven T. Collis, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin and faculty director of the school’s Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center, also points to some state laws that say employers can’t re their workers for “legal o duty conduct.” But there’s often an exception for conduct seen as disruptive to an employer’s business or reputation, which could be grounds to re someone over public comments or social media posts.

“In this scenario, if somebody feels like one of their employees has done something that suggests they are glorifying or celebrating a murder, an employer might still be able to re them even with one of those laws on the books,” Collis said.

For public employees, which can range from school teachers and postal workers to elected o cials, the process is a bit different. That’s because the First Amendment plays a unique role when the government is the employer, Collis explains. The Supreme Court has ruled that if an employee is acting in a private capacity but speaking on a matter of public concern, they could be protected. Still, he noted that government employers can discipline a worker if they determine

“Most people think they have a right to free speech … but that doesn’t necessarily apply in the workplace.” Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel

such conduct will interfere with the government’s ability to do its job.

Some in the public sector have already worked to restrict speech in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. For instance, leaders at the Pentagon unveiled a “zero tolerance” policy for any posts or comments from troops that make light of or celebrate the killing of Kirk.

The policy, announced by the Pentagon’s top spokesman Sean Parnell on social media last Thursday, came hours after numerous conservative military in uencers and activists began forwarding posts they considered problematic to Parnell and his boss, defense secretary Pete Hegseth.

“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” Parnell wrote Thursday.

Surge of political debate

The ubiquity of social media is making it easier than ever to share opinions about politics and major news events as they’re unfolding. But posting on social media leaves a record, and in times of escalating political polarization, those declarations can be seen as damaging to the reputation of an individual or their employer.

“People don’t realize when they’re on social media, it is the

town square,” said Amy Dufrane, CEO of the Human Resource Certi cation Institute.

“They’re not having a private conversation with the neighbor over the fence. They’re really broadcasting their views.”

Political debates are certainly not limited to social media and are increasingly making their way into the workplace as well.

“The gami cation of the way we communicate in the workplace, Slack and Teams, chat and all these things, they’re very similar to how you might interact on Instagram or other social media, so I do think that makes it feel a little less formal and somebody might be more inclined to take to take a step and say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe this happened,’” Matsis-McCready said.

Employers not ready

In the tense, divided climate of the U.S., many human resource professionals have expressed that they’re unprepared to address politically charged discussions in the workplace, according to the Human Resource Certi cation Institute. But those conversations are going to happen, so employers need to set policies about what is acceptable or unacceptable workplace conduct, Dufrane said.

“HR has got to really drill down and make sure that they’re super clear on their policies and practices and communicating to their employees on what are

their responsibilities as an employee of the organization,” Dufrane said.

Many employers are reviewing their policies on political speech and providing training about what appropriate conduct looks like, both inside and outside the organization, she said. And the brutal nature of Kirk’s killing may have led some of them to react more strongly in the days that followed his death.

“Because of the violent nature of what some political discussion is now about, I think there is a real concern from employers that they want to keep the workplace safe and that they’re being extra vigilant about anything that could be viewed as a threat, which is their duty,” Matsis-McCreedy said.

Employees can also be seen as ambassadors of a company’s brand, and their political speech can dilute that brand and hurt its reputation, depending on what is being said and how it is being received. That is leading more companies to act on what employees are saying online, she said.

“Some of the individuals that had posted and their posts went viral, all of a sudden the phone lines of their employers were just nonstop calls complaining,” Matsis-McCready said.

Still, experts like Collis don’t anticipate a signi cant change in how employers monitor their workers speech — noting that online activity has come under the spotlight for at least the last 15 years.

“Employers are already and have been for a very long time, vetting employees based on what they’re posting on social media,” he said.

MEREDITH SEAVER / COLLEGE STATION EAGLE VIA AP

Charlie Kirk speaks at Texas A&M University as part of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour on April 22 in College Station, Texas.