North State Journal Vol. 10, Issue 31

Greensboro man guilty of trying to assassinate Trump

Fort Pierce, Fla.

A Greensboro native accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course was found guilty Tuesday. The jury found Ryan Routh guilty on all counts he was facing after two hours of deliberation. Routh, 59, pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended himself in court. Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a ri e through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

House Judiciary to hold hearing in Charlotte over light rail murder

Charlotte Congressman Je Van Drew (R-N.J.) announced that a U.S. House Judiciary eld hearing will be held in Charlotte on Sept. 29 regarding the murder of Iryna Zarutska that took place on the city’s light rail system. The hearing will happen at 10 a.m. and will be held at the Charles. R. Jonas Federal Building in Charlotte. The hearing will be live streamed on the House Judiciary GOP YouTube channel. Zarutska’s murder made national headlines following the release of footage from the light rail train car showing a man stabbing Zarutska not long after she boarded the train for home after her shift at a pizzeria. Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was indicted on rst- degree murder charges Sept. 15. He also faces additional federal charges.

HAVA consent order faces challenges

The Democratic National Committee and North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans led motions

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Democratic National Committee and the NC Alliance for Retired Americans led motions last week asking the federal judge to reconsider his nal approval of a consent order in a lawsuit

brought by the Trump administration against the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

The lawsuit was led by the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) over missing driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers for certain North Carolina voter registrations required by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

The 13-page approval order issued by North Carolina’s Eastern District Chief Judge Richard Myers on Sept. 8 ended the

The governor has asked federal agencies for more than $23 billion to date

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein submitted a new request to the federal government for $13.5 billion in additional relief for counties in the state hit last year by Hurricane Helene.

Stein’s new Sept. 15 request came just ahead of the one-year anniversary of when the storm devastated western counties last Sept. 24. The governor followed up by heading to Washington, D.C., on the anniversary of the storm to press his point.

Stein wants the funds previously granted by Congress in the American Relief Act of 2025 to ow more quickly to the state.

“Nearly a year has passed since Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina, and it’s been nearly nine months since Congress last appropri-

UNC System sees record enrollment gains

“Higher enrollment is good for our universities, of course, but it’s also good for North Carolina.”

Peter Hans, UNC System president

Preliminary data showed a 3.4% increase

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The UNC System saw record student enrollment gains this year, according to a Sept. 17 press release.

Total preliminary student enrollment was reported at 256,438 for 2025, a 3.4% increase over 2024’s total of 247,927. The release did not break down the totals by undergraduate and graduate enrollment, but a nal enrollment report is expected to be released later this year.

“We’re happy to welcome more students than ever at our

state universities,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “We have been focused on providing a ordable, accessible education to all North Carolinians, while raising graduation rates and lowering student debt. Families recognize that the UNC System delivers opportunity and value.”

The 2025 total enrollment count is more than 31,500 higher than it was a decade ago. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, UNC System enrollment dipped between 2021 (244,500) and 2022 (239,663) but rebounded signi cantly in 2023 (256,483). The enrollment increases were credited in part to changes in transfer policies and NC

ated money toward recovery,” Stein said in a press release. “Just like folks in the gulf states, the mid-Atlantic, and Puerto Rico, the people of western North Carolina deserve federal support after a major hurricane, and the time to act is now.

“Western North Carolinians are counting on the federal government for help to rebuild homes, support small businesses, and repair roads. I call on Congress to deliver for western North Carolina its fair share and appropriate an additional $13.5 billion in funding for Helene recovery.”

The total requests made by Stein to Congress come to $23 billion, which includes his new request for $13.5 billion. Stein said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has allocated or obligated $5.17 billion to the state.

Stein’s request includes $8 billion from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR)

COURTESY @NC_GOVERNOR ON X

Gov. Josh Stein, center pointing, went to Washington, D.C., last week in an e ort to get more Hurricane Helene relief funds from the federal government.

the word | The print of the nails

Unless I see the print of the nails in His hands, and put my nger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side — I will not believe it.” John 20:25

Thomas had missed seeing Jesus in the upper room, when He showed His wounded hands to the disciples. He declared that unless he saw the hands for himself and the print of the nails — he would not believe. If the print of the nails had not been in the hands of Him who stood in the midst that night — it would not have been the Christ. Nothing is Christ or of Christ — which does not bear the mark of the nails.

What does the print of the nails stand for? It told the disciples that this man before them was their friend who had died on the cross. It was the mark of identi cation. It also proved that He was risen and alive again. They thought they had lost Him — but now they had Him again. It was the proof, too, that He was the Messiah.

As we look at His hands — what do they tell us? That He was dead! Yes — but why?

The wounds in His hands tell us that He died as our Redeemer. He was the Lamb of God, who took away the sin of the world. “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.” The print of the nails tells us Jesus Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.

Christ wants to see the print of the nails also in us — in our hearts and lives. This does not mean we must be nailed on a cross. There is no need for another sacri ce for sin. Neither does it mean that we must wear actual nail wounds in our esh. What He wishes is the print of the nails in our character, our disposition, our conduct, and our service of others. The cross meant LOVE — love that stopped at no sacri ce. “He gave himself for us.” John writes: “He laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” This may not be required literally — but it is required in spirit and in act.

The nails of the true cross today are those decisions which crucify our sel shness. Whenever we deny ourselves for the love of others, whenever we give up

ease or reputation for the unthankful — we are beginning to bear these sacred marks of the Cruci ed.

One way the print of the nails is shown is in getting on kindly with disagreeable people. A woman de ned Christian love as “Loving people you don’t like.” Another told of struggling with a di cult person in her home. At last she cried out to Christ, who seemed to say, “Can’t you love her for my sake?” She yielded, and peace lled her heart. Or take it in service. Jesus humbled Himself and took upon Him the form of a servant. His whole life was serving. He never said He was too tired to help. He poured out His life in doing good to others, often to those most unworthy and ungrateful. Anybody can serve kind and worthy friends. There is no print of the nails in such service. The good Samaritan served a man who would have spurned him.

Christ wants to see the print of the nails also in our spirit. Do we think of what it is to be Christlike in temper and mood? Some Christians are so touchy their friends must measure every word. Some have no control of their temper. These are not prints of the nails of Christ’s cross.

“The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” by Caravaggio (1601) is a painting in the collection of The Picture Gallery in Potsdam, Germany.

It is not easy to keep sweet, to give the soft answer, to return kindness for unkindness, to overcome evil with good. Yet these are the print of the nails, the true adornment of Christian life. “Love is patient, and is kind.” Love “is not provoked.” Love “seeks not its own.”

We see the print of nails in Christ’s life. He never did a sel sh thing, never spoke a sel sh word. It was not easy, either, for Him — but the love in His heart never failed. It is in doing the hard things of love — that the print of the nails is seen. We show the print of the nails when we prove honest and honorable in our dealings with others even at cost to ourselves.

“How can I learn the lesson?” someone asks. Christ will teach you. He says, “Come unto me, and learn of me.” Our sel sh hearts are capable of being ennobled by the riches of His love, compassion, and sympathy.

J. R. Miller (1840-1912) was a pastor and former editorial superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication from 1880 to 1911. His works are now in the public domain.

Special audit itemizes $305K settlement to Charlotte police chief

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles’ response claimed no wrongdoing

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A special audit report released by the North Carolina O ce of the State Auditor described a $305,000 settlement agreement made between the City of Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chief of Police Johnny Jennings.

The special audit report was conducted to “determine the circumstances and sources of funding for the initially undisclosed $305,000 payment,” according to the N.C. State Auditor’s O ce (OSA).

“We launched this investigation because the people of Charlotte deserve to know how their money is being spent,” said State Auditor Dave Boliek in a press release. “This is the people’s money, and it shouldn’t be kept behind closed doors.

“Our report brought transparency to the City of Charlotte. However, as shown in the mayor’s response, City leadership doesn’t share our interest in being open and transparent about spending the people’s money.”

ve payments to be made to Jennings — four from the General Fund for $175,000 in severance pay, $45,699 in a retention bonus, $45,284 in extra vacation days pay and $14,017 in a retroactive pay increase. The fth payment of $25,000 for legal fees came from the Risk Management Fund.

The special report gave three recommendations to the City of Charlotte: enhancing settlement reporting transparency, timely unsealing of closed-session minutes and reassessing the use of the General Fund for such payments instead of the Risk Management Fund. Lyles, responding for the city, had a di ering view on transparency.

“The City of Charlotte maintains that it is in compliance with the Public Records Act, the Open Meetings Act, and the Personnel Privacy Act, among other applicable laws,” she wrote in a statement.

“We launched this investigation because the people of Charlotte deserve to know how their money is being spent.”

Dave Boliek, state auditor

ees to ensure compliance with state law.”

On the recommendation related to the release of closed session minutes, Lyles stated that the city already maintains minutes for closed sessions, which are reviewed quarterly by the city attorney’s o ce and city clerk’s o ce to determine if they can be made public. She said the city will continue that practice and, e ective immediately, will begin including the approval of closed session minutes on future agendas to enhance public transparency.

Lyles also wrote that the city would review the trust documents for the Risk Loss Fund to assess the appropriate funding source for settlement-related costs with a goal of completing a review within six months from Sept. 8 of this year.

The OSA’s report says $280,000 came from the city’s General Fund and $25,000 came from the Risk Management Fund, which is used to pay claims made against the city. The Risk Management Fund was cited by the OSA as having $27.4 million in expenses for the 2024 scal year.

funds to be used for rebuilding homes and businesses.

Other funding requests in Stein’s $13.5 billion ask include $2 billion from FEMA’s community disaster loans program to aid small towns with their nances, and $2 billion from the U.S. Department of Transportation for road repairs and rebuilds.

On the same day Stein sent his request, FEMA disbursed $64 million for more than two dozen Hurricane Helene recovery projects, drawing praise from Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.).

“After Hurricane Helene hit, our local communities stepped up to deliver urgent clean-up and rebuilding e orts so that the

Boliek said the settlement payment was not made public until he made a request to Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, noting that ve days afterward Jennings an-

people of Western North Carolina could return to some semblance of normalcy,” Budd said in a press release. “These projects incurred signi cant debts that the federal government pledged to reimburse them for, but for too many communities, funding has lagged.”

Budd had threatened to hold up nominees for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unless the funds started moving more quickly. He also laid blame for the slow movement of FEMA funds on the fact that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must sign o on items over $100,000.

“I am thankful for President (Donald) Trump’s strong support for Western North Carolina and personal interest in reducing the

nounced his retirement and released some details about the settlement agreement.

The settlement, allegedly to avoid litigation over text messages from former city councilman Tariq Bokhari, was entered into on May 8 and amended on May 22. The Charlotte Optimist obtained the original separation agreement and the amendment.

The special audit report lists

backlog of projects requiring reimbursement,” said Budd. “As new projects are completed and processed for approval, our work must continue. I will do everything I can to ensure communities in Western North Carolina expeditiously receive the funding they were promised.”

While federal relief money may be lagging, various state appropriations have made their way to the western counties impacted by the storm.

State Treasurer Brad Briner said in a press release that his o ce has “allocated nearly $150 million to communities in need in Western North Carolina” through the Cash ow Loan Program established to “help bridge the gap for communities who are waiting for federal

“The City interpreted the settlement agreement as personnel information, and the entire settlement agreement and related records remain con dential and not subject to public disclosure. However, the City will revisit state law on releasing settlement agreements and revise, if necessary, the internal practice speci cally pertaining to the release of settlements with employ-

Gov. Josh Stein

dollars needed to help with rebuilding and cleanup e orts.”

“Day one of my administration, and even before that, I knew helping those communities devastated by Hurricane Helene needed to be a primary focus,”

“I am pleased the report had no ndings of wrongdoing and con rms the city’s position that we remain in compliance with the Public Records Act, the Open Meetings laws, the personnel privacy statute and all applicable laws,” Lyles wrote in closing her response letter. “Ensuring the public’s trust is critical and I appreciate Mr. Boliek’s attention to this and his team’s work on the report.”

said Briner. “Through two separate appropriations, the General Assembly tasked my team with getting interest-free loans to local governments in need, and in the quickest way possible. Nine months later, we have distributed three rounds of loans, which are already being put to good use.”

A breakout list of the funds by county was included in Briner’s Sept. 16 press release. More relief funding may be a topic as the General Assembly returned to Raleigh this week. Additionally, the legislature’s Governmental Operations Committee’s subcommittee on hurricane response and recovery was slated to meet Thursday at 9 a.m., however, the agenda has not yet been set for that meeting.

Wake superintendent discusses use of arti cial intelligence in K-12

The school system currently bans ChatGPT but allows the use of Google’s Gemini

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The the use of arti cial intelligence in K-12 schools is evolving as rapidly as the technology itself.

Just last month, the use of AI in K-12 has gone national through initiatives launched by the White House.

In late August, rst lady Melania Trump announced the Presidential Arti cial Intelligence (AI) Challenge and encouraged K-12 student and educator participation nationwide. The challenge is part of President Donald Trump’s April 2025 executive order on AI to “establish American global dominance” in the eld.

“The Presidential AI Challenge will be the rst step in preparing our next generation with a base understanding of this important new technology,” said Trump in a press statement.

According to a map created by the website AI for Education, at least 26 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have issued some type of guidance on AI. That map includes North Carolina, speci cally referring to the guidebook created in January 2024 under the leadership of former State Superintendent Catherine Truitt.

North Carolina’s AI guidebook was created to “ensure age-appropriate, safe, and meaningful integration” of the technology in K-12 classrooms. The announcement of the guidebook noted that the state’s Department of Public Instruction was “the fourth state education department in the nation to issue guidance to its schools on the use of this cutting-edge technology.”

The state’s largest district,

Wake County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Taylor says the district is learning how arti cial intelligence can help sta , teachers and students.

the Wake County Public Schools System (WCPSS), had previously prohibited the use of AI, and its school board has been working this year on developing AI policies and a strategy for its use. While WCPSS has currently blocked the use of the popular AI application ChatGPT, it does allow for the use of Google’s AI engine, Gemini. Wake County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Taylor said the district is taking a measured approach to using AI.

“AI is just one of the newest and latest technologies,” said Taylor. “It’s not very di erent than what we’ve seen in the past, but it is what I would call an exponential type of product. … We don’t want policies that restrict; we want policies that help govern.

“Our job as a society is to know and understand that there are things that AI does well and there are things that humans do well.”

Robert Taylor, Wake County Public Schools superintendent

“Our job as a society is to know and understand that there are things that AI does well and there are things that humans do well. And those things that it can do, let’s use it for that purpose.”

WCPSS is currently using Gemini to catalog books in classrooms to share that inven-

tory with parents as required by transparency laws passed by the legislature. WCPSS Communications Director Lisa Luten explained that teachers are photographing the books and feeding the images to Gemini, which creates Excel sheets in Google that serve as a catalog.

Luten noted the process is saving hours of manual work while also teaching AI use.

“That’s the perfect example of how you use AI to say that this is something that AI does well and better than humans,” Taylor said of the book cataloging project. “Snap a picture, boom. And 90% of the work is done in 10 minutes.”

Taylor also addressed critics of using AI in the classroom who aren’t convinced it will improve education.

“I always take people back to the calculators in the 1970s. … There was this idea that calculators are going to ruin education,” said Taylor. “But what we determined is it was just a tool. We still needed to teach kids how to do calculations, but that calculator was a way for them to simply quickly do a calculation that they knew how to do manually.”

Taylor said WCPSS has a responsibility to prepare students for a world with AI, but he sees it as a tool for enhancement of education and not a replacement for traditional teaching. He gave an example of a third grader using AI to nd a way to better phrase a sentence, but Taylor also underscored that students need to be taught to maintain academic integrity by not relying on AI or using it to cheat.

Data privacy is also a concern WCPSS is looking at with their policies.

Shashi Buddula, WCPSS’s chief information o cer, said board and sta work sessions on AI would focus on educating the board about the technology.

“The goal for this series of conversations with our board is to make sure they have a fundamental understanding about what is happening in the AI world,” said Buddula, who added that the district has an agreement with Google on data privacy.

“We want to be careful to make sure that the policies, what we put in place, we have the right guardrails,” Buddula said. “We are kind of taking those calculated steps as we move forward.

“Last year, our students had access to ChatGPT, but it was the Wild West. But now it’s much more de ned boundaries.”

AI isn’t just being discussed for classroom use; it’s also being looked at for school safety.

The North Carolina legislature provided funding for an AI School Safety Pilot Program in Senate Bill 382, which became law last year. The pilot gave $3.2 million to New Hanover County Schools and $2 million to Davidson County Schools for implementing an AI-integrated school safety program into existing “cameras, video management systems, and alerting protocols.”

College Connect, a new program o ering automatic admission to 11 of the UNC System schools participating in the program. The press release said more than 62,000 North Carolina seniors with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or higher were given such o ers this fall.

“Higher enrollment is good for our universities, of course, but it’s also good for North Carolina,” Hans said. “More people pursuing education and opportunity bene ts our state over the long haul.”

Additionally, increased out-of-state student caps, retention e orts and tuition costs being frozen for the ninth year in a row were also cited as factors contributing to enrollment gains.

Historically black universities — Fayetteville State (7.3%), North Carolina A&T (6.7%) and North Carolina Central (6.8%) — saw some of the largest percentage increases.

All but one of the 16 UNC System schools saw gains this year, with UNC Asheville (UNCA) having a 6% decline this fall, attributed partly to the impact of Hurricane Helene.

“Due to a lack of drinking water in the city last fall, the campus was closed for 33 days during the peak of recruitment and campus tours for prospective students,” the UNC System press release stated. “De-

need for further litigation after both parties led a joint motion on Sept. 3 for a consent and judgment order.

In his approval order, Myers stated that both parties “have conferred in good faith and agree that this action should be settled without protracted and costly litigation.”

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans have separate representation. The North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans is represented by Marc Elias, the former attorney for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Dec. 15

Follow-up mail date to voters who haven’t updated their voter registration

The DNC led a memorandum supporting their request that argues that Myers’ approval of the consent order threatens the “privacy interests of Democratic voters” by granting the USDOJ unrestricted access to sensitive voter information that it “cannot otherwise procure,” including driver’s license and par-

tial Social Security numbers.

However, the consent order allows the N.C. State Board of Elections (NCSBE) to seek a protective order to limit data disclosure, and the DNC’s lings seek to intervene to propose similar protections, including restrictions on data use and secure transfer methods.

The DNC argues their request meets the requirements for intervention under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24. The DNC also claims their interests are not adequately represented by the NCSBE and therefore the court is required to continue its jurisdiction to protect voters from potential disenfranchisement. Under the approved con-

spite the challenges, UNCA’s retention rate climbed higher and the campus is fully

sent order, the parties agreed to a remedial plan requiring the NCSBE to use HAVA-compliant forms, conduct training and commit to timely data entry.

The plan includes actions the NCSBE is already undertaking through its Registration Repair project, including mailings to a ected voters that prompted them to update their records by Aug. 31. A follow-up mail will go out by Dec. 15. Voters who fail to update by the next federal election will be allowed to vote provisionally, but those votes will be counted as if they were already eligible to do so.

The agreement requires the NCSBE to continue updating

Students wait in line to vote in the shadow of a monument of the Greensboro Four protesters at the Dudley Building at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro last October. The school’s enrollment increased by 6.7% this year.

operational, thanks in part to strong recovery funding from state policymakers.”

existing records and to submit compliance reports to the court and the Trump administration through June 30, 2027. Myers is the same judge who dismissed part of a HAVA-related lawsuit brought by the Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party last October, just ahead of the November general election. The lawsuit challenged 225,000 voter registrations that were lacking driver’s license and Social Security data. The portion Myers sent back to the lower courts involved the lawsuit’s challenge to overseas votes under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

HAVA from page A1

UNC from page A1

A.P. DILLON / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Tyranny of the present

Are we living in the most discombobulated and dangerous times in American history?

ARE WE LIVING in the most dangerous times in American history, and are the end times upon us?

Recent catastrophes witnessed by millions of Americans on live TV and repeatedly on TikTok and other social media outlets have forced the consideration of the concept pondered by Augustine and Jerome of ancient times and put forth by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in an email to a friend that was made public.

The concept sounds like it could be complicated higher theology, but boiled down to its essence, it simply means that this living generation can see, hear and feel imminent threats to our safety and security to the point it clouds our understanding of what has happened to our forebears in the past and what is to come in God’s Providence in the future.

In several conversations recently, sincere friends and thinkers have stated that we are living in the most discombobulated and dangerous times in American history. If that is their opinion, then our entire education system, both public and private, needs an entire overhaul from kindergarten to graduate schools, and we need a complete rewiring of how our nation came to be and where we are heading next.

For one thing, such a statement ignores that our very parents, grandparents and great-grandparents lived and su ered through the worst economic depression in the 1930s before they were plunged into the widest spread and bloodiest world war in human history. Many were nancially devastated by both and mentally, emotionally and physically dis gured for the rest of their lives. But somehow they survived enough to cobble together the rest of their lives, provide for the boomer generation and set the stage for a free democratic capitalistic system enjoyed by generations ever since and the envy of the world at large.

If you never had the chance to speak with any of the veterans who served in World War II, you missed the chance to learn up close and personal about the courage it took to ght for American values so we could still have them today. But you would have very quickly understood that what they and their families had to work through is far worse than anything we are living through today, as bad and as horrible as we see every day on the news and on social media. There is almost no way to match up life in 2025 in America with life in the U.S. from 1928 to 1945.

The reason why it seems so bad today is that we all know and feel intuitively it could happen to us or any of our friends randomly, which makes it the tyranny of the present.

The Civil War and the slavery period that preceded it was not millennia ago, which would cloud anyone’s memory. Modern movies and television series tend to reduce the brutality of the existential threat our country and forebears experienced, which further distorts our perception of the tyranny and threats we face today.

One question a friend asked was whether our parents were part of “The Greatest Generation,” as coined by Tom Brokaw in the book of the same name.

“So far, they sure seem to be!” was the only retort I could come up with. Going through all of those trials and tribulations and coming out on the other end sure seems to qualify them as being the greatest generation since the Colonial days when that generation fought for American independence. That set up a governmental structure for us to gure out how to maintain and be able to gift it to our children and grandchildren in a form that will be as useful to them as it was when the Greatest Generation bequeathed it to us.

Another Jimmy Kimmel comment that should have given people pause

He believed that people who didn’t share his views on the coronavirus vaccine should be left to die.

ABC’S SUSPENSION of late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel last week has fueled the still-raging debate, which began after Stephen Colbert’s contract wasn’t renewed, over freedom of speech and whether comments made by Trump administration o cials about both hosts in uenced the decisions.

The controversy started on Sept. 15, just ve days after the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk.

During a pretaped monologue on this program, Kimmel proclaimed without evidence, “We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and with everything they can, to score political points from it.”

Except that what was being learned about the alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, at the time was that he appeared to have deeply leftist leanings and was allegedly dating a transgender individual.

Between that and conservative complaints that these were the types of falsehoods that put targets on their backs, the backlash was immediate to the extent that Nexstar Media Group ABC a liates announced they would be preempting Kimmel’s show “for the foreseeable future” over the comments.

Soon after, ABC announced that Kimmel had been suspended inde nitely. In the middle of it all, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr

referenced the Kimmel incident, saying it was time “companies” start “taking action” when such things happen — or else. That prompted leftist critics and even some on the right to accuse Carr of stepping over the line.

As that debate continues, something to keep in mind is that four years ago, almost to the day, Kimmel said something during another broadcast that was absolutely chilling.

The context revolved around the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine mandates and some people opting for alternative treatments in the event they caught the disease.

A lot of folks were understandably disgusted after hearing about Kimmel’s disturbing rant on Sept. 7, 2021, about unvaccinated Americans and how they should be turned away from hospital emergency rooms to die a painful death if they complained of COVID symptoms at a time when the hospital they visited might be short of ICU beds.

“Dr. Fauci said if hospitals get any more overcrowded, they’re going to have to make some very tough choices about who gets an ICU bed,” Kimmel stated. “That choice doesn’t seem so tough to me. Vaccinated person having a heart attack? Yes, come right in, we’ll take care of you. Unvaccinated guy who gobbled horse goo (ivermectin)? Rest in peace, wheezy.”

The audience enthusiastically applauded.

To be fair, part of being a comedian, which Kimmel purports to be, involves not skirting the ne line between acceptable and controversial commentary but instead deliberately stepping over it, ostensibly as a way to get people to think.

With that being said, there still have to be universal agreements sometimes on when someone has gone too far, and in my opinion, that was de nitely one of those moments for Kimmel. I mean, think about it: In a nutshell, he more or less admitted that he believed that people who didn’t share his views on the coronavirus vaccine should be left to die if they got sick and there was a shortage of ICU beds.

It’s always fascinating to me that the same people who routinely act like they have the moral high ground over the rest of us often don’t.

We should not only listen when these people tell us who they really are but also respond accordingly by calling them out because, to them, reputation is everything, and them being fully exposed for the ghoulish hacks they are is not very good for business, as Kimmel very recently found out.

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 | KARL BECKSTEIN

America’s rights are unalienable

The common theme behind all oppressive authoritarian regimes has been their rejection of the idea of unalienable rights.

IF OUR RIGHTS come from Washington, then Washington can take them away. That’s not freedom but a road toward tyranny. The debate on whether rights come from God or government isn’t new, but it was brought back into focus recently by Sen. Tim Kaine. The Virginia Democrat argued it was “extremely troubling” that our rights come from our Creator rather than “from our governments.” Kaine claims rights come from the state, standing worlds apart from his fellow Virginian Thomas Je erson, who wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Je erson’s assertion that rights come from God and therefore cannot be taken away forms the backbone of America’s rise and prosperity.

If our rights don’t come from our Creator and instead come from government, then our rights can be taken away any time the government chooses to do so.

Some may nd Kaine’s remarks reasonable; America isn’t a theocracy after all. He is correct that our rights should be enshrined in law. But if rights exist only because the law says so, then those in power can rewrite the law and strip them away. The past teaches us that those in power often use the government for their own bene t. Responding to Kaine on the Senate oor, Sen. Ted Cruz pointed to slavery, “Slavery was not OK when U.S. law allowed it. It was wrong then, it is wrong now, it is always wrong.” If rights must rest on something stronger and more durable than government, where should we look?

Humans are born in the Imago Dei, or in the image of God, meaning we all have dignity and purpose. Translated into political terms, this means all of us have God-given rights that cannot be taken away. That doesn’t mean some haven’t tried. The common theme behind all oppressive authoritarian regimes has been their rejection of the idea of unalienable rights. History proves the point: Hitler, Stalin and Mao de ned rights however it suited their agendas.

Accepting that we have God-given rights doesn’t require church membership.

Thomas Je erson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and Abraham Lincoln were not Bible-believing Christians, yet they still believed our rights come from God. They understood that freedom in Western

COLUMN | NAN MILLER

civilization relies on the belief that all men are created equal and that our rights must be grounded in something more trustworthy than the state. There comes a sense of humility from acknowledging that ultimate sovereignty lies with the Creator, not with fallible men, vulnerable to corruption. The founders recognized this, adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution to enshrine our rights in a place where those in Washington could not take them away. This understanding of authority, stretching from the pilgrims to our founding to today, continues to shape our laws, virtues and culture.

Ideas matter. In an age of populism and partisanship, it’s crucial we hold onto the principles that have made America the freest and most prosperous country in human history. This means standing up for our Godgiven rights and refusing to let anyone in government deny them.

Martin Luther King Jr. understood this. The Imago Dei informed how he and others in the Civil Rights Movement fought segregation. He explained in his “I Have a Dream” speech:

“When the architects of our republic wrote the magni cent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

President Ronald Reagan was motivated by the same belief in God-given rights. He understood the fundamental di erence between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was our understanding of rights. Reagan contrasted our freedom with their oppression, saying:

“Most of them, even the one of the Soviet Union, contains many of the same guarantees as our own Constitution, and still there is a di erence. The di erence is so subtle that we often overlook it, but it is so great that it tells the whole story. Those other constitutions say, ‘Government grants you these rights,’ and ours says, ‘You are born with these rights; they are yours by the grace of God, and no government on Earth can take them from you.’”

The promise of America has always been that our rights are not gifts from rulers but guarantees from our Creator. That truth has carried us for 250 years, and it can carry us still — if we have the courage to defend it. Karl Beckstein is a businessman from Raleigh.

If God is love, don’t be a jerk

Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer turns away wrath.”

THE FIRST TIME I heard the phrase “Dear John letter,” I was a freshman at Wake Forest being coached by a sophomore on the proper way to write a breakup letter to my high school sweetheart. My mentor advised me to sustain a genial tone throughout and to close with the promise, “We can always be friends.” It worked. My only other experience with a Dear John letter happened recently, but this time my husband and I were on the receiving end of a breakup email from an old friend (coincidentally named John) whose online mentor had urged all “good people” to “sever ties” with known Donald Trump voters — including family members and close friends. In a Substack screed titled “For America’s Survival, His Supporters Must Be Ostracized,” Pastor John Pavlovitz holds Trump voters responsible for “war crimes in Gaza and Ukraine,” for “joyously ripping the lunches from children living in poverty,” for “terrorizing transgender students in their school hallways,” for “accosting pregnant women in emergency rooms” and for supporting a “fascist dictatorship.”

Trump supporters who “come to their senses, those with the humility and empathy to admit their errors” can be forgiven, but Pavlovitz would impose a strict penalty on those who have proven themselves “unreachable with reason, impervious to compassion, and mortally allergic to anything that reasonable human beings value.” When friend John decided that my husband and I belong to the latter camp, he emailed a link to Pavlovitz’s screed, then followed Pavlovitz’s directive to “withhold our friendship, exclude them from our holiday gatherings, cut personal and professional ties, and practically speaking, marginalize them.”

An online search uncovered a probable cause behind Pavlovitz’s mission to have his followers marginalize the likes of my husband and me. Pavlovitz himself has been marginalized ( red) twice — rst from Charlotte “megachurch” Good Shepherd United Methodist, then again in 2013, from North Raleigh Community Church — after he posted “provocative articles” online. Pavlovitz, it seems, has a long history of inciting wrath against conservatives who have “ignored revered journalists” (presumably himself). Pavlovitz, it seems, has forgotten that he once published a book titled “If God Is Love, Don’t Be a Jerk.”

My husband laughed out loud at the sheer lunacy of Pavlovitz’s charges, but I replied to our friend’s email by testing the accuracy

of Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer turns away wrath.” I assured now former friend John that we would miss him but would treasure our memories of a longtime friendship.

Exactly one week later, on impulse, my husband called John, ostensibly to discuss the opening of football season, but really to see if John would pick up. John answered on the rst ring, and the conversation that followed assured us that John had regretted his impulse to marginalize the Millers.

Perhaps it was my soft answer to John’s email that turned away wrath, or perhaps John’s wife had quoted Christ’s directive to “Love your enemies.” Let’s just say that friend John’s change of heart sets an example for all good people to follow, while Pastor John’s spite calls to mind pundit Thomas Sowell’s appraisal of zealots “whose own egos are served by their zealotry in imposing their vision, however costly or counterproductive it may be for others.”

Case closed until late afternoon on Sept. 10, when Pavlovitz posted his reaction to Charlie Kirk’s tragic death. In an article titled “Charlie Kirk and the Value of Empathy,” Pavlovitz condemns the shooter’s “despicable disregard for life,” then pivots to the “countless hours” conservatives have spent “letting us know that they believe compassion is a character aw and a cultural danger, something to drive out and to rid ourselves of.”

Three days later, Pavlovitz posted again, this time to decry “The Shameful Christian Idolatry and Fraudulent Martyrdom of Charlie Kirk” and to censure those who share Kirk’s “racist, phobic, misogynist, Islamophobic antisemitic, supremacist sentiments.” What Pavlovitz has failed to acknowledge is the link between the left’s call to ght against “fascists” and the message etched on the shooter’s bullet: “Hey fascist! CATCH!”

Pavlovitz would do well to note what fellow journalist and fellow leftist Van Jones learned from Kirk the day before he died. Following their online dispute about the connection between crime and race, Kirk reached out to Jones and invited him to have a “respectful conversation” on Kirk’s show. Kirk died before he could have that conversation, but his death inspired Van Jones to implore all Americans to “seek common ground and look for o -ramps from the vitriol — as Kirk was doing with me the day before he died.” Pavlovitz would do well to follow Jones’ lead.

Nan Miller is professor emerita in literature from Meredith College and lives in Raleigh.

The

‘Turning

Point’ is here

I FELT THE SLOW rise of heavy air as I walked across the UNC Wilmington campus earlier this week to attend the candlelight vigil for Charlie Kirk. As our footsteps fell on the freshly fallen pine needles, we watched as handshakes and loudness typically present in this location were replaced with solemn, knowing nods as the unspoken bond we were sharing began to set in.

People rolled in like waves approaching a shoreline as the crowd built and bunched closer and closer to the centerpiece on the stage at the bottom of the amphitheater, where Charlie’s smiling, friendly face appeared in a frame some undergrad had likely bought from HomeGoods earlier in the day.

We stood quietly in line to place roses around his picture, and as my turn approached to place a ower on the pile, I felt something inside. I didn’t know what it was at rst and thought maybe it was nervousness or anxiety, for some reason. But as I dwelled on the feeling for a moment or so, I realized what it was.

Anger.

Rage consumed me as I held my 2-year-old grandson in my arms and looked at Charlie’s picture, thinking about how hard he worked to spread a message of faith and truth to our nation’s young people.

Charlie Kirk had a true calling, and he stood in the breach of a ght for the American soul, a ght for Western civilization, the primary battle eld taking place on college campuses in America.

His death should never have happened but was a predictable outcome from what we know has been the steady ascension of violence and censorship, along with tolerance of mob rule by campus administrations. And I thought about all of this as I stood there, looking at his picture in that frame, and I was mad as hell.

For too long, left-wing activists on many of America’s campuses were emboldened by weak and feckless leaders who allowed one-sided conversations to own public spaces, squelch opposing points of view and adversely possess the sacred right one has to express himself freely.

Conservative students feared reputational damage for expressing themselves, worried they would receive poor grades from liberal professors if they chose to go against the grain and, in some cases, feared for their safety as more students said it was OK with them to commit violence against someone with whom they disagreed.

But things started to change as Charlie, a newage pioneer, blazed his way into the hearts and minds of a growing group of young people.

We remember last fall at UNC Chapel Hill when agitators tore down the American ag and replaced it with a Palestinian ag. Chancellor Lee Roberts, bravely and decisively, marched to the agpole and returned our nation’s Stars and Stripes to its rightful place, and the “frat boys” took shifts over the ensuing days to protect it.

Conservative students have slowly begun to emerge from the shadows and speak up with more frequency, and a growing number of university leaders are supporting these e orts, and the tide has begun to turn. But much work remains to be done, as evidenced by what happened in the wake of the Kirk tribute at UNC Wilmington’s Spirit Rock.

Spirit Rock is located near the center of campus, and for spans of 24 hours, students are allowed to paint or write messages of their choosing. Last week, the Turning Point kids opted to honor Charlie Kirk with an inspiring American ag theme. Witnesses di er on when the painting began and ended and when the 24 hours expired, but what is not in dispute — because it was caught on video and seen by millions — was that left-wing agitators burst onto the scene, took control of the Rock and began dumping paint over Charlie’s face.

The female student depicted in the video, and her fellow agitators, could have waited their turn and ensured the 24-hour period had expired. Better yet, they could have waited a day or two to allow the Turning Point students to grieve and then move on.

Decency suggests they should have taken the latter course of action.

But they didn’t. Instead, they acted with premeditated and deliberate actions to arrive when they did and cause a scene. They meant to be rude, uncivil and provoke the Turning Point students, and what the viewer sees on the video is appalling and disgraceful behavior.

But while the Spirit Rock incident is indicative of the depth of the problem, it also forebodes what I predict is an uprising among conservative youth.

Where once these types of actions went unaddressed and people just looked the other way, now a growing number of students — like these brave TP and College Republican kids — are saying “enough” and showing up with their own buckets of paint and their own messages, which infuriates those who have previously enjoyed a monopoly on campuses with regard to activities such as this.

As the video of the female agitator depicts her smearing blue paint all over the American ag, toward its end, the viewer hears in the female agitator’s voice what this really was all about.

“My friends … are going to think I’m iconic,” she said proudly. I think she is right; she will be iconic, only I hope for reasons entirely di erent from what she thought when she uttered such narcissistic words.

Woody White is from Wilmington, a member of the UNC Board of Governors and a former North Carolina state senator.

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Fall fairs and festivals

Late September in North Carolina

bursts into life with fairs and festivals that highlight harvests, heritage, arts and community. In the western mountains, Mountain Heritage Days in Cullowhee at Western Carolina University celebrates Appalachian culture with music, Cherokee traditions, blacksmithing, quilting and tractor rides. Meanwhile in the east, Benson Mule Days o ers a lively mix of rodeos, mule pulling, carnival rides, bluegrass music and a parade that draws families from across the state. Smaller towns also shine: Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival in Elkin mixes crafts, food vendors, kids’ games, and live entertainment in a relaxed, one-day fall fair atmosphere. For those looking for more, there are numerous agricultural fairs — Wayne Regional, Cleveland County, Robeson County among them — o ering livestock shows, ride competitions, midway games and fair food. Late September is prime-time in N.C.: cooler weather, foliage beginning to shift and strong community avor to be found around the state.

PIEDMONT

Drug bust yields 11 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $100K Alamance County

Pizza & Pub has found a permanent home on Skyland Drive in Sylva after two years of searching. The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce marked the grand opening of Speedy’s Pizza & Pub with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, according to a news release from the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. Speedy’s was forced to move from their original Sylva location in 2023 due to the North Carolina Highway 107 project that was set to expand the road to improve safety. Owners attempted to relocate to Dillsboro, but ultimately, those plans did not work out, and they set up a small operation with a limited menu on campus at Western Carolina University. According to the release, owners Craig and Natalie Szymanski are “carrying forward a legacy of great pizza and community connection, while building upon the strong foundation established by those who came before them.”

NSJ

An Alamance County man was arrested after investigators discovered 11 pounds of cocaine. Last week, the Guilford County Narcotics Task Force teamed up with the Alamance County Narcotics Enforcement Task Force for an investigation, ending with deputies searching an address on Leslee Drive in Graham. Investigators found and seized about 5,000 grams, or just over 11 pounds, of cocaine and $99,995 in U.S. currency. Miquel Angel HerreraCamacho, 31, was arrested and charged with felony tra cking cocaine.

WGHP

WFU o ers free tuition for families making under $200K Forsyth County Wake Forest University announced that admitted undergraduates from North Carolina with annual family incomes less than $200,000 per year can attend tuition-free starting with students admitted for the 2026 fall semester.

“The North Carolina Gateway to Wake Forest University demonstrates our deep commitment to students from our home state,” Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente said. “It says clearly to students and families who may not have considered Wake Forest because of cost: ‘Wake Forest is within your reach.’”

NSJ

Greensboro Science Center to build rainforest biodome

Guilford County The Greensboro Science Center is bringing a new ecosystem to the Piedmont Triad. The center is building a rainforest, complete with animals not found in ecosystems in North America.

Greensboro Science Center o cials hope the project will be educational for people of all ages. The $20 million biodome project will be a place where visitors can learn about how a rainforest ecosystem operates and the process it takes to preserve its habitat, museum o cials say. Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with protected species of animals that are not native to North America. The biodome is scheduled to open to the public in late summer 2027 or early fall 2027. “We’re going to have a clouded leopard exhibit … Galapagos tortoises, our Aldabra tortoises that are currently in our zoo, along with spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys and Indy, the sloth, who will take up residence in the new space,” museum CEO Beth Hemphill said.

WFMY

EAST

Motorcycle chase reaches 180 mph

Lenior County The Lenoir County Sheri ’s O ce Crash Reduction Team partnered with neighboring law enforcement to conduct several enforcement events across the eastern region focused on impaired and reckless driving last weekend. O cials say a high-speed pursuit led to an arrest on Saturday morning on I-795. The rider, who has been identi ed as Christopher Pennington of Kenly, reportedly reached estimated speeds of 180 mph. Pennington’s bike became disabled in a populated section of Goldsboro, and o cers were able to make the arrest.

WITN

Man cited in hit-and-run involving wild horse

Currituck County

A driver was cited after striking a horse last week, authorities said. The Currituck County Sheri ’s Department said the incident occurred when a horse ran into the path of a southbound vehicle on Sand ddler Road. The horse fell but was able to stand and rejoin its group, and it did not sustain serious injuries. The driver — who was charged for not notifying authorities and leaving the scene — pleaded guilty, paid nes and court costs, and was released. WXII

Multiple children escape Raleigh psychiatric hospital

Wake County A massive law enforcement search in east Raleigh on Sunday night was for several children who escaped a psychiatric hospital just o Sunnybrook Road north of Poole Road, police said. The escape of the children happened during a “disturbance” reported just after 8:05 p.m. at the Holly Hill Hospital’s South Campus located near WakeMed, police o cials said in a press statement. The facility is for inpatient and outpatient treatment of psychiatric and addictive diseases. O cers learned that the teens had escaped the facility on foot, and authorities deployed K-9 teams and drones during the search for nearly three hours. By 10:50 p.m., all seven escapees were back in custody, police said. “These juveniles were not considered armed or dangerous, and there was no threat to the surrounding community during this incident,” police said. The incident follows a large brawl involving more than 20 girls in December 2024. Six girls were sent to the hospital during that incident.

NSJ

as well as short two-minute lawmaker video recordings “about why it’s important to remember the semiquincentennial.” Additionally, Kickler described outreach e orts to spread America 250 messages, including op-eds, a Speaker’s Bureau and monthly bell-ringing

CULLOWHEE CLEVELAND COUNTY

NATION & WORLD

Pentagon steps up media restrictions

Unclassi ed information now requires approval before reporting

By Morgan Lee The Associated Press

THE PENTAGON says it will require credentialed journalists at the military headquarters to sign a pledge to refrain from reporting information that has not been authorized for release — including unclassi ed information.

Journalists who don’t abide by the policy risk losing credentials that provide access to the Pentagon, under a 17-page memo distributed Friday that steps up media restrictions imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump.

“Information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing ocial before it is released, even if it is unclassi ed,” the directive states. The signature form includes an array of security requirements for credentialed media at the Pentagon.

Advocates for press freedoms denounced the nondisclosure requirement as an assault on independent journalism. The new Pentagon restrictions arrive as Trump expands threats, lawsuits and government pressure as he remakes the American media landscape.

“If the news about our military must rst be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting. It is getting only what o cials want them to see,” said National Press Club President

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, chairs a Security Council meeting Monday at the Kremlin in Russia.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the POW/ MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon last Friday.

“Any attempt to control messaging and curb access by the government is counter to the First Amendment and against the public interest.”

Matt Murray, The Washington Post executive editor

Mike Balsamo, also national law enforcement editor at The Associated Press. “That should alarm every American.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel personality, highlighted the restrictions in a social media post on X. “The ‘press’ does not run the

Pentagon — the people do. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility,” Hegseth said. “Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home.”

The Pentagon this year has evicted many news organizations while imposing a series of restrictions on the press that include banning reporters from entering wide swaths of the Pentagon without a government escort — areas where the press had access in past administrations as it covers the activities of the world’s most powerful military.

The Pentagon was embarrassed early in Hegseth’s tenure when the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Je rey Goldberg, was inadvertently included in a group chat on the Signal messaging app where the Defense secretary discussed plans for upcoming military strikes in

Yemen. Trump’s former national security adviser, Mike Waltz, took responsibility for Goldberg being included and was shifted to another job.

The Defense Department also was embarrassed by a leak to The New York Times that billionaire Elon Musk was to get a brie ng on the U.S. military’s plans in case a war broke out with China. That brie ng never took place, on Trump’s orders, and Hegseth suspended two Pentagon o cials as part of an investigation into how that news got out.

On Saturday, the Society of Professional Journalists also objected to the Pentagon’s move, calling it “alarming.”

“This policy reeks of prior restraint — the most egregious violation of press freedom under the First Amendment — and is a dangerous step toward government censorship,” it said in a statement Saturday. “Attempts to silence the press under the guise of ‘security’ are part of a disturbing pattern of growing government hostility toward transparency and democratic norms.”

And Matt Murray, executive editor of The Washington Post, said in the paper’s columns Saturday that the new policy runs counter to what’s good for the American public.

“The Constitution protects the right to report on the activities of democratically elected and appointed government ofcials,” Murray said. “Any attempt to control messaging and curb access by the government is counter to the First Amendment and against the public interest.”

Putin: Russia will extend nuclear arms limits for 1 more year

The New START Treaty expires in February

By Vladimir Isachenkov The Associated Press

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow will adhere to nuclear arms limits for one more year under the last remaining nuclear pact with the United States that expires in February, and he urged Washington to follow suit.

Putin said that the termination of the 2010 New START would have negative consequences for global stability and could fuel proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“To avoid provoking a further strategic arms race and to ensure an acceptable level of predictability and restraint, we believe it is justi ed to try to maintain the status quo established by the New START Treaty during the current, rather turbulent period,” Putin said in televised remarks. “Therefore, Russia is prepared to keep adhering to the

central quantitative limitations of the New START Treaty for one year after Feb. 5, 2026.”

He added that “based on our analysis of the situation, we will subsequently make a decision on maintaining these voluntary self-restraints.”

He emphasized that Russia expected the U.S. to follow its example and also stick to the treaty’s limits.

“We believe this measure will only be viable if the United States acts in a similar manner and does not take steps that undermine or disrupt the existing balance of deterrence potentials,” Putin said.

Daryl G. Kimball, the director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, welcomed Putin’s statement on X as “an important and positive move.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he and Putin talked about nuclear weapons during their summit in Alaska last month. Asked to comment in July on a looming expiration of the New START, Trump noted it “is a big problem for the world, when you

take o nuclear restrictions.”

Putin instructed Russian agencies to “closely monitor relevant American activities, particularly with regard to the strategic o ensive arms arsenal,” with a particular emphasis on plans to “expand the strategic components of the U.S. missile defense system, including preparations for the deployment of interceptors in space.”

“The practical implementation of such destabilizing actions could undermine our efforts to maintain the status quo in the strategic o ensive arms sphere,” Putin warned, adding that, in that case, “we will respond accordingly.”

He emphasized that Moscow’s honoring the pact’s limits could “make a signi cant contribution to creating an atmosphere conducive to substantive strategic dialogue with the U.S.,” provided that other e orts are also taken to normalize bilateral relations.

The New START, signed by then U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, limits

Army IDs 4 soldiers killed in Wash. helicopter crash

The Army released the names of four soldiers killed last Wednesday when the military helicopter they were on crashed near a base in Washington state. The victims are chief warrant o cers Andrew Cully and Andrew Kraus, and sergeants Donavon Scott and Jadalyn Good, the Army said Monday in a release. Cully, 35, was from Sparta, Missouri. Kraus, 39, was from Sanibel, Florida. Scott, 25, was from Tacoma, Washington, and Good, 23, was from Mount Vernon, Washington. The cause of the crash, which happened during a routine training mission, remains under investigation.

Caretaker killed by tiger at Okla. preserve

Hugo Okla.

An animal handler was killed by a tiger under his care at a preserve for big cats in southeastern Oklahoma, the organization said Sunday. Growler Pines Tiger Preserve said in a statement that Ryan Easley died Saturday in “an accident” involving a tiger at the property near Hugo, not far from the Texas border. All tours have been canceled until further notice, the statement said. The preserve is a private facility where visitors can book tours to view tigers and see demonstrations on how the animals are trained and cared for, according to its website.

Couple returns to UK after arrest in Afghanistan

London

each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. Its looming expiration and the lack of dialogue on anchoring a successor deal have worried arms control advocates.

The pact also envisaged sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance, but they have been dormant since 2020.

In February 2023, Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the treaty, saying Russia couldn’t allow U.S. inspections of its nuclear sites at a time when Washington and its NATO allies have openly declared Moscow’s defeat in Ukraine as their goal.

At the same time, Russia has emphasized that it wasn’t withdrawing from the pact altogether and pledged to respect the caps on nuclear weapons set under the treaty and keep notifying the U.S. about test launches of ballistic missiles.

Putin’s statement comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and the West, fueling concerns that ghting could spread beyond Ukraine’s borders as European countries rebuked Russia for what they said were provocations. The incidents have included Russian drones landing on Polish soil and Estonia accusing Russian ghter jets of intruding into its airspace.

A British couple held in Afghanistan for more than seven months on undisclosed charges arrived in the U.K. on Saturday after being released by the Taliban. Peter and Barbie Reynolds, 80 and 76, respectively, who were freed on Friday, were pictured smiling and looking to be in good health as they arrived at Heathrow Airport. The couple had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and ran an education and training organization in the country’s central province of Bamiyan, choosing to remain in the country after the Taliban seized power. They had been held in a maximum security prison and faced long periods of separation.

South Sudan’s suspended AP appears in court

Juba, South Sudan

The criminal trial of South Sudan’s suspended vice president began in the capital Monday as Riek Machar appeared in a cage alongside his co - defendants. It was the rst time Machar had been seen in public since he was placed under house arrest in March. President Salva Kiir suspended Machar as his deputy earlier this month after justice authorities led criminal charges for Machar’s alleged role in an attack on a garrison of government troops earlier this year. In addition to treason, Machar and seven others face charges of crimes against humanity, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, destruction of public property and military assets.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

ALEXANDER KAZAKOV / SPUTNIK VIA AP

features

After two big weekends, North American box o ce takes hit

“The Long Walk” and “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” tied at $6.3 million

By Lindsey Bahr The Associated Press

NEITHER A JORDAN

Peele-produced horror nor a Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell romantic drama was enough to continue the September hot streak at the movies. After back-to-back weekends that had lms majorly overperforming — rst “The Conjuring: Last Rights,” followed by the anime “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – In nity Castle” — the North American box o ce slowed signi cantly.

Overall ticket sales were down nearly 50% from last weekend, with the holdover champion “Demon Slayer” edging out the newcomer “Him” for rst place, according to studio estimates Sunday. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures’ “Demon Slayer” added $17.3 million over the weekend, bringing its total to $104.7 million, which makes it the highest-grossing anime lm ever in North America.

The football horror “Him” opened in second place with an estimated $13.5 million in ticket sales. Universal Pictures opened “Him” in 3,168 North American theaters, where the audience was 52% male and 65% over the age of 25.

Produced by Peele’s Monkeypaw and directed by Justin Tipping, “Him” is about a promising young quarterback (Tyriq Withers) who is invited to train with a veteran (Marlon Wayans) at an isolated compound.

“Him” scored with neither critics (it carries a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes) nor audiences, who gave the lm a C- CinemaScore. In his review for The Associated Press, lm writer Jake

Coyle wrote that the lm “was made with the potent premise of bringing the kind of dark, satirical perspective that characterizes a Monkeypaw production to our violent national pastime. But that promise gets fumbled in an allegorical chamber play that grows increasingly tedious.”

“Him” was also nearly upstaged by another horror, “The Conjuring: Last Rights,” which made an estimated $13 million in its third weekend. With a global total of $400 million, it’s now the biggest lm in the Conjuring universe.

They are two of three horror movies in this weekend’s top 10, including “Weapons.” According to data rm Comscore, this year that genre alone has generated $1.1 billion in domestic

‘Him’

falls short on horror, laughs

The lm produced by Jordan Peele takes itself too seriously

By Bob Garver The Sun

JOKES LINKING football and religion, especially Christianity, are common. “One gets Americans to sit attentively for hours every Sunday; the other is religion.” “Christian athletes always thank God when they win, never blame Him when they lose.” And of course, “WW(FSDJ)D? - What Would (Football Star Du Jour) Do?” With “Him,” it’s like writer/director Justin Tipping went and made a whole movie out of these jokes. But there’s a big problem: The movie isn’t supposed to be a comedy; it’s supposed to be a horror movie.

Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) is a promising young quarterback coming o a successful college run, ready to turn pro. Speculation abounds that he could someday be the Greatest of All Time, though the current G.O.A.T. — the reclusive Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) — is still active and winning. One night, Cade is attacked by an assailant in a goat mask (this movie loves its goat/G.O.A.T. jokes), and his career is derailed. He has one hope of recovering in time to be drafted by a pro team: complete an intense weeklong training session led by White himself at his mysterious estate.

It probably goes without saying that the training sessions are absolutely brutal on Cade’s body,

especially considering the recent attack. But Cade has been told his whole life that great men make sacri ces, including White, who has been his hero since childhood. He’s not exactly expecting perfectionist White to be merciful, but his mentor’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, with psychological torment like injuring a training partner over his own mistakes and holding him at gunpoint.

Eventually, the question becomes how much is Cade willing to sacri ce? He’s already sacri ced years of his life, what’s a few more? He’s already sacri ced his body to the point where a single concussion could end his career if not his life, but professional players take those kinds of risks all the time. How about his family? They’re a high priority, but is gridiron greatness an even higher one? What about his very soul? Yeah, this is going to come down to a battle for his soul. Religious imagery and parallels abound. White is a gure of worship, as zealous fans live in makeshift camps outside his house. Some of them reject Cade as some sort of false prophet, even though he’s supposed to be a welcome guest. When Cade rst meets White, the latter is making a homemade football in a clear reference to Jesus’ carpentry. White’s wife Elsie (Julia Fox) covers sins and temptations of the esh. Cade may have, in a way, been sacri ced by his father in the past. Oh, and White plays for a team called the San Antonio Saviors. The bluntness of all the

“Audiences are selective in what they want to see. Negative reviews can create really strong headwinds for original lms with no brand recognition.”

Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore

box o ce receipts, just several million short of the 2017 record driven by “It” and “Get Out.”

“Horror movies have been on a bit of a hot streak,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends.

“It’s going to be a record-breaking year.”

In addition to “Demon Slayer,” Sony had a new lm this weekend as well: The original romance “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” starring Robbie and Farrell, but that zzled with audiences, earning only $3.5 million from 3,300 locations. It also received largely negative reviews and currently has a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Audiences are selective in what they want to see,” Dergarabedian said. “Negative reviews can create really strong headwinds for original lms with no brand recognition.”

In its second weekend, “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” added another $6.3 million, bringing its running total to $31.6 million. The Stephen King adaptation “The Long Walk” is also estimating $6.3

million in weekend two, down only 46% from its opening. Its domestic total of $22.7 million has already exceeded its production budget of $20 million. Ron Howard’s 1995 hit “Apollo 13” played in 200 theaters this weekend for its 30th anniversary as well. It made an estimated $600,000. The 30th anniversary rerelease of “Toy Story,” now in its second weekend, added $1.4 million. Next weekend there is excitement surrounding the new Paul Thomas Anderson lm “One Battle After Another,” although his biggest hit to date remains the 2007 lm “There Will Be Blood,” which made just over $76 million worldwide, not accounting for in ation.

And right on its heels is a very di erent kind of cinema experience: AMC Theaters is hosting a release party for Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” The 90-minute show, aptly titled “The O cial Release Party of a Showgirl,” will play at all 540 AMC theaters in the U.S. from Oct. 3-5.

Top 10 movies by domestic box o ce

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” $17.3 million

2. “Him,” $13.5 million

3. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $13 million

4. (tie) “The Long Walk,” $6.3 million

4. (tie) “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” $6.3 million

6. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” $3.5 million

7. “The Senior,” $2.8 million

8. “Toy Story” (30th Anniversary rerelease), $1.4 million

9. “Sight & Sound Presents: NOAH – Live!” $1.4 million

10. “Weapons,” $1.3 million

religious parallels would be funny if the movie didn’t take itself so seriously. But it keeps insisting that it is rst and foremost a horror movie, and it just can’t compete on that level. The editing is too choppy to make for a suspenseful atmosphere or e ective jump scares. Violent impacts, both blunt and sharp, are unconvincing. And there is nothing scary about all the goat costumes. Not only is this movie not as scary as the successful blending of horror and comedy that was “Scream,” it’s not as

scary as Wayans’ ”Scream” parody, “Scary Movie.” Speaking of blending horror and comedy, ”Him” is produced by successful sketch comedian-turned-extremely successful horror lmmaker Jordan Peele. Peele and Tipping certainly have some overlap in storytelling styles, at least on paper, but Tipping can’t be legitimately scary to save his life. The few comedic scenes fare a little bit better, especially in the nale. The highlight of the movie is the Wayans performance,

which surprisingly works on a level not of horror or comedy but tragedy. I wanted a good horror movie, and I would have settled for a decent comedy, but “Him” is like a cross between a fumble and an o -key hymn.

Grade: C-

“Him” is rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, sexual material, nudity and some drug use. Its running time is 96 minutes.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Director Justin Tipping, left, and Jordan Peele arrive at the premiere of “Him” on Sept. 17 at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie star in “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” which brought in a disappointing $3.5 million at the box o ce.

pen & paper pursuits sudoku solutions

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 In the General Court of Justice Cumberland County Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E001372-250 Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Joyce Elizabeth Barnes, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons,

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

NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NUMBER: 25E001284-250 In the Matter of the Estate of: ELLEN OAKES BILL Deceased.

ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Ellen Oakes Bill, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before December 25, 2025 (which is three (3) months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. THIS the 25th day of September, 2025. Sharon Gray Bill Scott, Administrator of the Estate of Ellen Oakes Bill, Deceased c/o J. Thomas Neville Yarborough, Winters & Neville, P.A. P.O. Box 705 Fayetteville, NC 28302-0705

Publish: 09/25/2025, 10/02/2025, 10/09/2025 and 10/16/2025

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File 23E001229-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE.

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of James George, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the 11th 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 8th day of September 2025. Administrator of the Estate of James George. 5508 Walking Trail Way Hope Mills, NC 28314.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF RUTH JOHNSON BYRD CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E000285-250

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Ruth Johnson Byrd, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 26th 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 22th day of September, 2025. Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of Ruth Johnson Byrd Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm

Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: September 25, October 2, October 9, and October 16, 2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator/ Executor of the Estate of Je rey Wayne Byrd, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before December 25th, 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 25th day of September 2025.

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.

Executor’s Notice IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 25E001375-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of Janice Lee Calvert, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at PO Box 359, Twisp, Washington, 98856, on or before December 29, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 25th day of September 2025. Michael P. Calvert Executor of the Estate of Janice Lee Calvert, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 09/25/2025, 10/02/2025, 10/09/2025, and 10/16/2025 NOTICE In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #23 E 000636-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Carrie Lee Cherry, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 25th day of December, 2025,

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 TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Administer of the Estate of George Washington Hart, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does herby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to undersigned at 251 TIFFANY CIRCLE SPRING LAKE. ON OR BEFORE the 18th day of December 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indepted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 15th day of September 2025. KISHEA HART ADMINISTRATOR OF ESTATE OF GEORGE HART

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E001278-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Arthur J. Hu , late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before December 4, 2025 at 2505 Hunting Bow Drive, Hope Mills, North Carolina 28348, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 4th day of September, 2025 Luther Wayne Hu , Executor of the Estate of Arthur J. Hu , deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC Post O ce Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 (910) 485-8899 09/04/2025, 09/11/2025, 09/18/2025 and 09/25/2025 NOTICE

the Estate of Deloise Martinsus Clayton 1599 Rossmore Drive Fayetteville, North Carolina 28314

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

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

In the general court of justice superior court division before the clerk estate le #25E001231-250 state of North Carolina Cumberland county administrator notice the undersigned having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of Jonathan G. Hu , deceased, late of Cumberland county, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th 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 recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to Sarah Hu at 239 Bent Oak Ct Raeford, NC 28376. This is the 4th of September 2025.

ADMINISTRATORS/EXECUTORS NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Estate File #25E000313-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator og the Estate of James E King, 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 19th day of December 2025 which date is three months after the rst publication of this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. September 18 2025 David Smtih 3636 Gloucester Dr Hope Mills, NC 28348 Administrator of the Estate of James E King

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF RUBY LEIGH MCLEMORE CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E1393-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Ruby Leigh McLemore, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Frances McLemore McCauley, Administrator, at 101 Ham Rd., Hope Mills, MC 28348, on or before the 26th 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 19th day of September, 20225 Frances McLemore McCauley Administrator of the Estate of Ruby Leigh McLemore Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: September 25, October 2, October 9 and October 16, 2025

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice

Superior Court Division Before The Clerk

Estate File # 25E001304-250

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Lessie Gayle Byrd Parker, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 25th day of December, 2025, (of 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 the 15th day of September 2025. Lori Parker Scott Administrator of the Estate of Lessie Gayle Byrd Parker. 505 Woodberry Ct. Raeford NC 28376

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE#25E001335-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Frances Christine Popp, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does herby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 12 Sand Creek Lane, Lillington, NC 27546, on or before December 4, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 31st day of August 2025. Debra L. Baker, Executor of the Estate of Frances Christine Popp

NOTICE

In the matter of the estate of: HELGA SHAW

Executor’s NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the estate of HELGA S. SHAW 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 December 18,2025 (which is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of the recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 15th day of September. William R. Buford 6705 B Irongate Drive Fayetteville, N.C. 28306 Executor of the estate of HELGA S. SHAW deceased.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY In the Matter of the Estate of:

GLYNIS M. SPEIGHT Deceased.

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Glynis M. Speight, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before December 11, 2025 (which is three (3) months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

THIS the 8th day of September, 2025. Derrick Bell, Executor of the Estate of Glynis M. Speight, Deceased c/o J. Thomas Neville Yarborough, Winters & Neville, P.A. P.O. Box 705 Fayetteville, NC 28302-0705 Publish: 09/11/2025, 09/18/2025, 09/25/2025 and 10/02/2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 25E000230-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Delno Thomas Tindale, 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 11, 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 11th day of September, 2025. Michele Averett, Executor of the Estate of Delno Thomas Tindale

NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD

FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR EXECUTOR

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 24E000258-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY The undersigned, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of John Stuard Waller, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 690 Beard Road, Raeford, North Carolina 28376, on or before December 4, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 4th day of September, 2025. Ti any Cheryl Waller Executor of the Estate of John Stuard Waller, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305

09/04/2025, 09/11/2025, 09/18/2025 and 09/25/2025

NEW HANOVER NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Janet B. Pilkington, having quali ed on the 17th day of August, 2025, as Executor of the Estate of Delores Yvonne Averette (25E002097640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 22nd day of December, 2025, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 18th day of September 2025. Janet B. Pilkington Executor ESTATE OF DELORES YVONNE AVERETTE David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: September 18, 2025 September 25. 2025 October 2, 2025 October 9, 2025

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Clay A. Collier, having quali ed on the 25th day of July, 2025, as Executor of the Estate of William J. Baggett (25E001996-640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 8th day of December, 2025, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 4th day of September 2025.

Clay A. Collier

Executor ESTATE OF WILLIAM J. BAGGETT

David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411

Publish: September 4, 2025 September 11, 2025 September 18, 2025 September 25. 2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned,RUDOLF ANTON BLESS AND RICHARD JOSEF BLESS, having quali ed as the Co-Executors of the Estate of MAGDALENA BLESS, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said RUDOLF ANTON BLESS AND RICHARD JOSEF BLESS, at the address set out below, on or before December 19, 2025, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below. This the 12thth day of September. 2025.

RUDOLF ANTON BLESS AND RICHARD JOSEF BLESS Co-Executors of the Estate of MAGDALENA BLESS c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Daniel Y. Escarsega, having quali ed on the 16th day of August, 2025, as Executor of the Estate of Joseph F. Coughlin (25E002071-640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 22nd day of December, 2025, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 18th day of September 2025. Daniel Y. Escarsega Executor ESTATE OF JOSEPH F. COUGHLIN David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: September 18, 2025 September 25. 2025 October 2, 2025 October 9, 2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned,MICHAEL A. GIGLIO, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of PAULINE MARIE GIGLIO, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said MICHAEL A. GIGLIO, at the address set out below, on or before December 12, 2025, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below.

This the 29th day of August, 2025. MICHAEL A. GIGLIO Executor of the Estate of PAULINE MARIE GIGLIO c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned,SUZETTE WEXLER GUTSIN, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of RICHARD ADAM GUTSIN, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said SUZETTE WEXLER GUTSIN, at the address set out below, on or before December 12, 2025, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below. This the 29th day of August, 2025. SUZETTE WEXLER GUTSIN Executor of the Estate of RICHARD ADAM GUTSIN c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY

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. Celia Johnson Harris and Susan Stout Grose Co-Executors Roger D. Stout a/k/a Roger Dean Stout, Estate Richard L. Cox, Attorney Gavin & Cox 113 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 Telephone: 336-629-2600

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

App headed for the blue turf of Boise, B3

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Clark, UCF o ensive line coach, former Appalachian State coach, dead at 50

Orlando, Fla. UCF o ensive line coach

Shawn Clark died Sunday at 50 years old. Clark su ered a medical emergency on Sept. 9 and had been away from the team. Clark joined UCF’s sta this season after ve seasons as head coach at Appalachian State. He went 40-24 in ve seasons there and was 3-1 in bowl games. UCF coach Scott Frost said Clark was “so much more than a coach … remarkable man, husband, and father.”

MLB Raleigh breaks Gri ey’s single-season home run record for Mariners

Houston Seattle’s Cal Raleigh hit his 57th home run of the season to pass Ken Gri ey Jr. for the single-season franchise record. Raleigh smacked a sinker from lefty Framber Valdez into the bullpen in right-center eld to pass the mark Gri ey reached in 1997 and 1998. Raleigh lifted his right arm in celebration as he rounded second base and raised the trident the Mariners use for their home run celebration skyward.

WNBA Clark says she was ned $200 for social media post about referees

Las Vegas Caitlin Clark said referees couldn’t stop her Indiana Fever. The WNBA made her pay for it. The Fever’s star guard, who is sidelined for the postseason, posted on social media that she was ned $200 for tweeting “Refs couldn’t stop us” after Indiana’s Game 2 win over Atlanta in the rst round. The WNBA typically doesn’t post when players are ned.

Panthers play complementary football in dominant win

Carolina won all three phases of the game to return optimism to the sideline

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

A TEAM struggled mightily at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, making embarrassing mistakes in all three phases of the game. It left the team’s fans frustrated and everyone wondering if the young quarterback was the long-term answer for the future.

For one glorious week anyway, that team was not the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers blew out Atlanta 30-0, getting their rst win in a home opener since 2021 and their most lopsided win anywhere since 2015, a time when the Panthers had

a league MVP at quarterback and ended the season in the Super Bowl. Coaches love to talk about

“complementary football.” It is a fancy way to communicate a simple concept: When your offense is good, it helps the de -

Nadeau waiting for chance on stacked Hurricanes

Carolina’s top prospect faces an uphill climb to earn a roster spot

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

MORRISVILLE — For most 19-year-olds, a 30-goal season in the AHL comes with an express ticket to an NHL locker room. For 2023 rst-round pick Bradly Nadeau, that’s probably not the case. The Hurricanes, perennial contenders since Rod Brind’Amour took over as coach in 2018, were already stacked at wing heading into the o season, and the addition of top free agent Nikolaj Ehlers only made the path to Raleigh for Nadeau that much harder.

“I wouldn’t say there’s any frustration,” Nadeau said Friday after the second onice day of training camp. “I

think it’s just you wait for your chance, and you can always use all the time you can get to prepare. So I think when the chance comes, it’s just to really take it. And now it’s just to work hard and do all those

thing right until that chance.” Nadeau has made the most of all his chances in recent years. In his draft year, Nadeau scored 45 times in 54 games, nishing with 113 points with Penticton of the

“It can be something to build o of, but it’s not guaranteed. We have to make sure we earn that.”

fense, and vice versa. A good defense will get turnovers, setting the o ense up with an easy scoring opportunity on a short eld. A good o ense will have long drives, giving the D time to rest. In other words, they complement each other.

Complementary football also meant that, on this particular Sunday, no one was insulting the Carolina Panthers. The team dominated every area of play. The defense had

See PANTHERS, page B3

BCHL in 2022-23. After being picked 30th overall by Carolina, he played one college season at Maine, scoring 19 goals with 46 points in 37 games for the Black Bears.

Then last year, he turned pro and played 64 games for the Chicago Wolves. He again averaged a goal every two games, scoring 32 times to lead all AHL rookies.

Still, there doesn’t appear to be a spot for Nadeau on the Hurricanes’ crowded roster — unless he forces his way in.

“There’s nothing he can do about that,” Hurricanes coach Road Brind’Amour said about the team’s depth. “He can only worry about doing his thing, and then it’s up to us to nd a seat on the bus for him if he deserves it.”

Jackson Blake did exactly that during last year’s training camp, leapfrogging Nadeau and the rest of Carolina’s forward prospects to win a spot in the opening night lineup. Eighty games, 17 goals and 34 points later, Blake has a new eight-year, $45 million contract that will kick in at the start of the 2026-27 season.

“Jackson, we were in the

JAMES JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Hurricanes left wing Bradly Nadeau res a shot during Carolina’s preseason opener.

JACOB KUPFERMAN / AP PHOTO Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young celebrates after a touchdown by running back Rico Dowdle on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

RUSTY JONES / AP PHOTO

The Carolina Panthers were ready to celebrate after Sunday’s dominating win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Bryce Young

THURSDAY 9.25.25

TRENDING

Bernie Parent:

The Hall of Fame goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers died at 80 A former teammate said Parent died overnight in his sleep. Known for his iconic steel-eyed stare Parent led the Flyers to their only two Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975 His No. 1 jersey was retired by the Flyers and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984

David Malukas:

The 23-year-old will replace Will Power on Team Penske next season Thew decision had been rumored since the IndyCar season-opening race Malukas will drive the No. 12 car with Verizon sponsorship under a multiyear agreement generation Lithuanian American joins his fourth team in four years He was supposed to drive for McLaren Racing in 2024 but was released after a biking accident

Shinomi Koyama:

scored the winning goal in the 89th minute in the North Carolina Courage s 1-0 win over the Pride in Orlando The Courage (7-7-7) moved into eighth

Carolina has won two consecutive games after a six-game winless stretch (0-2-4) Koyama got the winning goal from the center of the box after following up a rebound

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“ That’s probably the problem w ith this wea k-a-cit y is the fair-weather fans ”

Former Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith criticizing Charlotte fans for not suppor ting the team

“Can’t coach at titude and want the w in more than we do ”

Former West Forsy th and Clemson end KJ Henr y now in the NFL , on his college alma mater’s 1-3 star t

NASCAR an emphatic v ictor y for Team Penske at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Blaney,

advance into one of the eight available spots in the third round

Charlotte FC ’ s nine-game w in streak came to an end w ith a 2- 0 loss at New York Cit y New York second game in eight meetings w ith Charlotte Charlotte (17-13-2) clinched post-shootout era record for longest w inning streak

House’s South Law n nex t June as par t of A merica’s 250th bir thday celebration UFC president Dana event and added other details, to 85,000 fans may attend

Interceptions returned for touchdow ns by Lexing ton High senior K amar i McDonald in a 40 - 0 w in over East Dav idson McDonald broke the NCHSA A record for most pick-sixes in a game Thir teen players had t wo in a game

Former NC State w restler Trent Hidlay came back from eight points dow n to w in the world championship at 203 pounds Hidlay beat Russia’s A manula Gadzhimagomedov 13NC State w restler to earn a world championship w restler to do so since 1998 He becomes the four th U S world champion at that weight

Appalachian State prepares for road trip to Boise State

The Mountaineers are coming o a 38-22 loss at Southern Miss

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

BOONE — Appalachian State faces a sti test Saturday night as the Mountaineers travel to Albertsons Stadium to take on Boise State in a matchup that could be a tone setter for the rest of the season.

The contest looms large not just as a nonconference battle but as a measuring stick for where App State (2-1, 0-1 Sun Belt) might stack up as conference play approaches.

Sadly, the game comes less than a week after the program was shaken by the tragic death of former coach Shawn Clark, who died Sunday at the age of 50.

Clark guided the Mountaineers from 2019 to 2024 and was deeply connected to the program as both a former player and longtime member of the coaching sta . His loss has cast a shadow over the week, adding an emotional layer to App State’s preparations.

“You can see in their faces what Coach meant to these guys,” rst-year coach Dowell Loggains said at his Monday press conference, referencing the Mountaineers who were recruited and coached by Clark.

“I know from the community, his old teammates and the people that he’s coached what the impact was that he made on people. You get into coaching to impact young people, and Coach accomplished that mission — he touched so many people. He actually became a good friend to me, and he was great to me through the way he treated me. So it’s a hard day for the App State family, but we’ll get through it together.”

App State opened its 2025 campaign with a 34-11 win over Charlotte and followed that with a 20-13 victory against Lindenwood before su ering their rst loss, falling 38-22 at Southern Miss.

Boise State (2-1, 1-0 Mountain West) began its season with a 34-7 loss at South Florida but bounced back with a 51-14 win over Eastern Washington and a 49-37 victory at Air Force. On the eld, App State has

“You can see in their faces what Coach meant to these guys.”

Appalachian State coach Dowell Loggains on Shawn Clark

leaned on quarterback AJ Swann, who has thrown for 879 yards with ve touchdowns and four interceptions, while running back Rashod Dubinion has added 400 rushing yards on 71 carries. Wide receiver Jaden Barnes has emerged as Swann’s top target with 24 catches for 337 yards and three touchdowns. The Mountaineers have been especially stout against the

run, holding opponents to just 61.7 yards per game, while the defense as a whole allows only 274.3 yards per contest.

Turnovers and penalties have been costly, most notably in the loss to Southern Miss when three giveaways — including a 99-yard interception return — proved decisive.

The challenge grows tougher on the blue turf against the Broncos, who are averaging more than 35 points per game behind quarterback Maddux Madsen and running back Dylan Riley.

The Broncos have shown some defensive vulnerability, giving App State hope if it can establish the run, protect the ball and limit big plays.

A disciplined performance on the road will be crucial as the

Mountaineers look to earn what would be their rst win over Boise State — a result that could boost both their national pro le and Sun Belt aspirations.

Appalachian State and Boise State have met just once before, on Dec. 3, 1994, when the Broncos edged the Mountaineers 17-14.

The two teams are scheduled to meet Saturday as part of a home-and-home series announced in May 2024, with the return game set for Sept. 4, 2027, in Boone.

At the conclusion of his Monday press conference, Loggains was asked how his team will prepare for Boise State and “have their heads in the right place” given the tragic circumstances surrounding the Mountaineers this week.

“Business has to be conducted,” he said. “It’s the next opponent, the next game. I hope that we treat every game as a championship game. And so for us, the most important one is always the one you’re currently getting ready for. It’s a big one, but so were the last three.

“It’s powerful to be a coach, and you understand the responsibility of it. No one did it better than coach Clark with his relationships with these young guys, and they care about him deeply because they knew what this place meant to him. They knew how he treated them, so the next couple days will be hard.”

Kicko between the Mountaineers and Broncos is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday night and will be aired on FS1.

Wake Forest looks to de ne itself against Georgia Tech

The Demon Deacons are hosting their rst ranked opponent in 2025

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

THERE’S PLENTY of words that can be used to describe Wake Forest’s rst three games of 2025 except, of course, the one it lacks.

Consistency.

Every gameday, it’s been a mystery regarding what version of the Demon Deacons (2 -1) will show up. They haven’t stepped foot outside of Winston-Salem, but it seems like the team shows a new face as the opponent, time and magnitude of the moment changes.

Two home games against non-Power 4 opponents to start the year?

One was a nailbiter in which the o ense scored one touchdown and punted seven times. The other was a blowout win in which the o ense recorded more than 500 total yards.

How about a date under the lights against NC State?

They took a 14-0 lead and proceeded to lose by 10 after a scoreless second half.

Coming out of a bye, Wake Forest will be back in the spotlight as it hosts its rst ranked opponent, No. 16 Georgia Tech, Saturday at noon. After over two weeks of preparation, it’s nothing short of an opportunity for the Demon Deacons to de ne who they are.

“I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for our program, our team, our players, our coaches to show what we’ve done over

PANTHERS from page B1

its rst shutout in ve years. The o ense was crisp and ecient, and special teams tacked on a 57-yard eld goal. “When you score in every phase, you give yourself a great chance to win,” said coach Dave Canales.

Granted, there are still areas where the team needs to improve and likely a number of Sundays similar to the one the Falcons endured still on the schedule. One win isn’t a cure -all, but it makes the build more palatable to everyone.

“It felt like the glimpses of what I saw in the rst two games,” said Canales. “We didn’t do that for a full, complete game. And today it showed up.”

“Obviously, it’s great to have something to build,” said Bryce Young, who completed 16 of 24

the course of the last 16 days since we’ve played,” Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert said at his press conference Monday. Historically, it’s been clear what Wake Forest is against Georgia Tech. The Demon Deacons are 8-24 in the all-time series with the Yellow Jackets with a 3-10 series home record. Wake Forest has lost four straight games to Georgia Tech, including a 30-16 loss the last time the teams met in 2023.

Since then, the two programs have seemed to be heading in di erent directions. After nding brief success under former coach Dave Clawson and former standout quarterback Sam Hartman, Wake Forest has since slid back into ACC and national irrelevancy.

Dickert, formerly the head coach at Washington State, was handed the keys in December to help steer the program back in the right direction. He surrounded star running back Demond Claiborne with talent from the transfer portal, including former Washington State receivers Chris Barnes and Carlos Hernandez and former South Carolina quarterback Robby Ashford. Despite the ashes of explosive plays and a solid showing against Western Carolina, the results have been underwhelming so far. The Demon Deacons’ 400 yards of o ense per game rank 12th in the ACC and 66th nationally.

On the individual level, Ashford’s experience hasn’t quite translated as he’s thrown one touchdown and three picks this season. He’s been decent with

passes for 121 yards and scored Carolina’s rst rushing touchdown of the year. “Mondays are always more fun when you win, but it doesn’t entitle us to anything next week. We have to make sure that we have a good week of practice, we execute for next week. It can be something to build o of, but it’s not guaranteed. We have to make sure we earn that.”

With that caveat in mind, there were plenty of encouraging signs for the future.

The defense had three takeaways, including a pick-six by second-year corner Chau Smith-Wade and a shutout-preserving fumble late in the fourth quarter forced by rookie fourth-round pick Luther Ransom.

Rookie second-round pick Nic Scourton also got his rst

his legs, rushing for three touchdowns and breaking multiple runs for more than 10 yards.

But that can’t be celebrated as much when Claiborne, the o ense’s feature back, has two games with less than 50 yards rushing and one score outside of his 193-yard, three-touchdown game against Western Carolina.

Dickert said Claiborne may be playing with too much pressure as if he needs to make a play for his team’s success or his professional stock.

“He’s had a tremendous career,” Dickert said about Claiborne. “He’s going to keep going up the record books. But my focus is on, like, I talk about the play entry and the track and trusting a play when we

career start at edge rusher, as the defense got its shutout despite missing starter Patrick Jones, as well as defensive tackle Turk Wharton.

“Nic lled in on the edge and played really physical,” Canales said. “(He was) expecting Nic to be that high-motor, high-energy guy that he is, you know, he was out there trying to impact the passer.”

On o ense, Young didn’t put up eye-popping numbers, but he led scoring drives on ve of the Panthers’ eight possessions and managed the game while avoiding mistakes. That was no easy task considering the o ensive line was down two starters.

“They did phenomenal,” Young said. “Two new members, you’re getting guys, you’re changing things. We’ve had the same group for a little bit now,

come back to it when it didn’t work the rst time. That’s been the message he’s heard really for the last 10 days, and there’s no secret that we need Demond to be successful to be successful as a team.”

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech has been steadily rising out of mediocrity and is now gaining national respect again.

Dickert and his squad know who they’re going into battle against.

“Coach (Brent) Key obviously has their program rolling in a high capacity,” Dickert said.

“One of the biggest things I look for when looking at an opponent is their identity, and it screams o the tape. Go watch the kicko team, go watch their eld goal block team, go watch

and when you mix things up, it’s di cult. From the outside looking in, I can’t imagine people can understand how tough it is. But they did a great job. Communication was great all day. They did a great job in the run and pass game. I’m super grateful to have them there.”

On special teams, Carolina withstood a fumbled punt from rookie returner Trevor Etienne, but another rookie stole the show. Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald beat out veteran Matthew Wright to replace another vet in Eddy Piniero, but he’s making the team look prescient early on. His 57-yarder Sunday kept him perfect in the NFL. He’s made his rst seven pro kicks.

“How about Ryan Fitzgerald?” said Canales. “Not just the eld goals and PATs, but I really

“We’ve got to go out and prove who we are.”

Jake Dickert

their interior defensive line. It’s physicality and toughness.” Georgia Tech is coming o a 45-24 victory over Temple, its largest win over an FBS opponent this season. The Yellow Jackets once again found success in what they do best, rushing for 330 yards and four touchdowns as a team.

While Georgia Tech’s 249.2 rushing yards per game rank 14th in the country, Wake Forest ranks 60th in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 132.3 yards on the ground per game. After he didn’t play against NC State, starting Wake Forest safety Rushaun Tongue will be out for the rest of the season, which is a huge blow to the Demon Deacons’ defense.

Nevertheless, how Saturday goes will say a lot about Wake Forest’s 2025 team. A win or even a close, competitive loss may be its best chance to show it can make something of this year.

“I think our guys, I mean it, have been really energized to get back out there,” Dickert said. “They have a high level of competitive nature to them, so we’ve got to go out and prove who we are. I think they’ve been really focused on that really the last few weeks. We need to go back out there, start fast again and play a complete 60 minutes.

thought he impacted the game with how he kicked the ball on kicko , gave us some amazing eld position, some di erent kicks that gave them some issues getting the ball on the ground in the landing zone.” Across the board, there were reasons for optimism on a team where that has long been in short supply.

“Obviously, it’s not just going to happen overnight,” said running back Chuba Hubbard. “It takes time for things to happen. This is the NFL, and you are playing against the best in the world. So to see the young guys that had to step up this week with injuries and just the whole o ensive line as a group do a great job, I take my hat o to them. They stepped up in ways you can’t ask, so I’m proud of those guys.”

NELL REDMOND / AP PHOTO

Appalachian State quarterback AJ Swann slides as he carries the football during a game against Charlotte on Aug. 29.

WALT UNKS/THE WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP

Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford scores on a quarterback keeper against NC State.

Costly mistakes becoming too routine as Wolfpack su ers rst loss of season

NC State couldn’t get out of its own way in a 45-33 loss to Duke on Saturday

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

AFTER A 3-0

START, NC

State came crashing back to Earth on Saturday evening in a 45-33 beatdown at the hands of ACC rival Duke.

The Wolfpack had been riding high on the backs of two second-half comebacks thanks to some timely adjustments, but those were nowhere to be seen at Wallace Wade Stadium over the weekend.

Instead, NC State made several mistakes, ultimately surrendering a two-score lead and propelling Duke to its rst FBS win of the season.

“There were a lot of mistakes in that game that hurt us,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said after the loss.

“The bottom line is there were too many turnovers, we gave up too many points, didn’t stop them in certain situations and we just shot ourselves in the foot too many times. It’s disappointing. We’re a better football team than that.”

NC State’s capitulation was really a matter of its own doing.

That was especially true on special teams.

“I thought our special teams really hurt us in that game,” Doeren said. “We were chas-

ing points after missing an extra point, the blocked kick, penalty on the rst punt of the game where we stopped them and then gave them a chance to convert on fourth-and-3. It was something we actually worked a lot on in practice, but as you can see, we didn’t execute.”

While special teams has been less than stellar this season, the biggest issue for the Wolfpack has been their defense, which is currently a far

WHAT IT WAS, WAS FOOTBALL

cry from where NC State’s usual standard.

This season, the Wolfpack’s defense has surrendered an average of 29.25 points per game and 414 yards per game, the 23rd-worst marker amongst all DI programs.

The Wolfpack have also only forced three turnovers on the season, including none at Duke, and have registered just ve sacks on the season.

O ensively, the Wolfpack

“Talk is great, but action is what matters, and we didn’t get it done.”

Dave Doeren, NC State coach

have continued to put up yards and points — 535 total yards of o ense is nothing to sco at — but CJ Bailey’s inexperience was on display with a poor display of ball protection.

Bailey had four turnovers on the day, with three interceptions and a fumble, and it was these turnovers that really put the knife in the Wolfpack.

Because even though the defense did surrender 45 points and 418 yards, Bailey was putting them in no position to succeed.

“Obviously you have to be better on that side of the football,” Doeren said, “You can’t give up that many points. But it’s tough when you turn the ball over that many times too. It doesn’t help you on defense.”

The biggest turning point in the game came right at the end of the rst half with the Wolfpack poised to take a two-score to the locker room.

Instead, a poor read on what the team assumed was a free play o an o sides call wound up going 67 yards the other way, setting up the Blue Devils for an easy score and a rst half lead.

“It’s a hard-count play, and we didn’t even have a play called unless they jumped osides,” Doeren said. “If they jump o side, we snap the ball and take a free shot knowing that we got ve. … It’s a play where CJ in that situation has to see there’s not a ag and throw it away. He was trying to make a play right there. It’s just unfortunate.”

Doeren stated that the only point in lining up there was to see if they could get the Blue Devils to jump, but if they didn’t, he was just going to call a timeout and kick a eld goal. The Wolfpack were really never supposed to go for it there, but it was just one of those games where NC State seemingly couldn’t get out of its own way.

“Our message all week was to be accountable,” Doeren said. “We can’t beat ourselves in this football game. If we just play together and don’t beat ourselves, we’ll win the football game, and we were doing that for a while and then it went the other direction. Talk is great, but action is what matters, and we didn’t get it done.”

Doeren is now 1-4 against Duke in his career and has lost each of the last three meetings with the Blue Devils.

The Wolfpack will try and get back in the win column Saturday evening when they host Virginia Tech.

A look at Week 4 of college football across the state

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

AND THEN THERE was one. Three of North Carolina’s remaining unbeaten teams lost over the weekend, leaving Wingate as the last undefeated team standing. Meanwhile, at the other end of the rankings, ve of the eight winless teams broke through. That scrambled our rankings. Only one of last week’s top ve and two of the top 10 posted wins. On the other hand, three of the bottom ve and ve of the bottom 10 got victories.

THE RANKINGS

North Carolina’s record: 13-15 (54-61 overall)

1. Wingate: 3-0, won 28-7 at UVA Wise

2. Catawba: 3-1, won 21-10 at Newberry

3. UNC Pembroke: 3-1, won 41-14 over Ferrum

4. Duke: 2-2, won 45-33 over NC State

5. App State: 2-1, o week

6. Johnson C. Smith: 3-1, lost 28-10 at Virginia Union

7. NC State: 3-1, lost 45-33 at Duke

8. Wake Forest: 2-1, o week

9. NC Wesleyan, 2-1, lost 33-0 to Sewanee

10. ECU: 2-2, lost 34-13 to BYU

11. Gardner Webb: 2-2, lost 52-35 at Ohio

12. NC Central: 3-2, won 62-20 at NC A&T

13. Greensboro: 1-2, lost 48-0 at Davidson

14. Winston-Salem State: 2-2, lost 34-33 to Virginia State

15. Chowan, 1-1, o week

16. Mars Hill, 2-1, won 21-14 over Anderson

17. UNC: 2-2, lost 34-9 at UCF

18. Lenoir-Rhyne: 2-2, lost 24-7 at Carson Newman

19. Brevard: 2-1, won 38-34 over Erskine

20. Livingstone: 2-1, won 17-16 over Bowie State

21. Elon: 2-2, lost 26-16 at ETSU

22. Fayetteville State: 1-3, won 51-8 at Elizabeth City State

23. Western Carolina: 1-3, won 50-35 over Samford

24. Campbell: 1-3, won 51-48 in double OT at Bryant

25. Shaw: 1-2, won 31-21 at Lincoln, Pa.

26. Guilford: 1-2, lost 35-7 at Washington & Lee

27. Methodist: 0-2, o week

28. Charlotte: 1-3, lost 28-17 to Rice

29. Davidson: 1-3, won 48-0 over Greensboro

30. NC A&T: 1-3, lost 62-20 to NCCU

31. Barton: 0-4, lost 52-14 at West Alabama

32. Elizabeth City State: 0-4, lost 51-8 to Fayetteville State

STATE TITLE STANDINGS

We had four games between North Carolina teams this past week. Davidson beat Greensboro 48-0, Duke beat NC State 45-33, NCCU beat NC A&T in the Eagle-Aggie Classic, and Fayetteville State beat Elizabeth City

State 51-8 in the Down East Viking Football Classic. Next week, we have just one intrastate clash, when Western Carolina heads to Campbell.

• 2-0: Duke, NC Central

• 1-0: Winston-Salem State, App State, Gardner-Webb, Chowan, Wingate, UNC, JC Smith

• 2-1: Elon, NC State

• 1-1: ECU, UNC Pembroke, Wake Forest, Guilford, Davidson, Greensboro

• 1-2: Fayetteville State,

• 0-0: NC Wesleyan, Catawba, Lenoir Rhyne, Livingstone, Shaw, Barton

• 0-1: Mars Hill, Campbell, Methodist, NC A&T

• 0-2: Charlotte,

• 0-3: Western Carolina, Elizabeth City

HOMECOMING

Now that fall is here, it’s time for homecoming season. Duke was the earliest homecoming king in the state, beating the Wolfpack.

North Carolina teams’ homecoming record: 1-0 Homecoming games this week

J.C. Smith (vs. Blue eld), Guilford (Hampden-Sydney)

ALL-STATE PERFORMANCES FOR WEEK 4

Quarterback: Taron Dickens, WCU, 35-46 for 582 yards, 6 TDs

Running backs: Bennett Galloway, Catawba, 147 yards, 3 TDs; Chris Mosley, NCCU, 171 yards, 3 TDs

Receivers: Randall King, Campbell, 8 catches, 142 yards, 4 TDs; Terrell Anderson, NC State, 6 catches, 166 yards, 2 TDs

Defensive line: Kenyon Partridge, WCU, 3 tackles, 2 solo, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 7 QB hits; Christian Smith, NCCU, 6 tackles, 2 solo, 1.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 hurry that led to an intentional grounding safety Linebackers: Tre Freeman, Duke, 9 tackles, 3 solo, 0.5 TFL, 1 interception returned 67 yards; Steven Reed, Mars Hill, 10 tackles, 4 solo, 0.5 TFL, 3 QB hits Defensive backs: Gemoi Brown, Wingate, 7 tackles, 2 solo, 2 pass breakups; Marquis Raspberry, UNC Pembroke, 6 tackles, 3 solos, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup, 1 QB hit

Special teams: Jatavien Taylor, Fayetteville State, blocked punt, blocked PAT

CANES from page B1 same spot last year,” Nadeau said. “And now, obviously, he signed an extension, and he’s doing great for himself. So you never know what can happen. You just have to work hard and hopefully things will go your way.”

While Blake seized his opportunity last year, Nadeau’s rst training camp was, by his characterization, “OK … I could have been better.” But a year in the AHL gave the 5-foot-11, 172-pound sniper more con dence.

The team was impressed with how he played at the Prospects Showcase in Tampa last week, scoring twice in three games and being a consistent threat in the o ensive zone.

“I feel the season last year, the experience I got, kind of changed how I always see the ice now,” he said. “So I think that’s going to be a big factor for me and how I play on the ice. That’s going to help me.”

“He has ability to score goals,” Brind’Amour said, “and especially that shot. … It’s a threat every time he rips one.

So now he’s got to add the other element to his game so he

can be an everyday player.”

Playing a 200-foot game is essential for anyone who wants to have success under Brind’Amour, which is why Nadeau saw time on the penalty kill at the tournament and will try to improve defensively without losing sight of what got him this far.

“It’s really try to limit those mistakes and still play how you can play,” Nadeau said, “and that

way, you’re doing all the things that you’re good at.”

If Nadeau can blend those two things together, he might be able to force the franchise’s hand with a big training camp.

“You want him to keep dominating every step, and that’s what he’s done, right?” Brind’Amour said. “OK, good. And now it’s just one more step, and he’s knocking on the door for that.”

BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO

State head coach Dave Doeren looks toward the scoreboard during the second half of Saturday’s loss at Duke.

BEN MCKEOWN / AP PHOTO

Duke head coach Manny Diaz celebrates after beating NC State last week.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Steven Robert Rhenow, 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 8, 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 Tracy S. Lane Executor of the Estate of Steven Robert Rhenow Marion “Beth” McQuaid, 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

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Betty Virginia Crigger Rice aka Betty Crigger Rice aka Betty V. Rice, 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 TAYLOR B. CALLICUTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW, PO Box 2445, Asheboro, North Carolina 27204, on or before December 4, 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 Angela Beth Briggs, Executor of the Estate of Betty Virginia Crigger Rice aka Betty Crigger Rice aka Betty V. Rice

TAYLOR B. CALLICUTT ATTORNEY AT LAW PO Box 2445 Asheboro, NC 27204 (336) 953-4661

PUBL/DATES: 09/04/25 09/11/25 09/18/25 09/25/25

2025.

Eddie Lynn McPherson, Administrator of the Estate of Bobby Roe McPherson, deceased

TAYLOR B. CALLICUTT

ATTORNEY AT LAW PO Box 2445 Asheboro, NC 27204 (336) 953-4661

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

28027

the City of Concord No. 2 Township, Cabarrus County, North Carolina on the North side of Nolen Avenue, NW on the south side of Village Drive, NW and on the West side of McCurdy Street, NW qand being Lot No. 200 of AFTON VILLAGE , PHASE 4C, along with the common area surrounding said lot and being shown in Map Book 38, Page 89, Cabarrus County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5607 Village Drive Northwest, Concord, North Carolina. Parcel ID Number: 2-29B-200

Which currently has the address of 5607 Village Drive, Concord, North Carolina, 28027

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

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of LEE MONROE MANGES, 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 26, 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 22nd day of September 2025.

ROSE TREAT CHILSON Executor of the Estate of LEE MONROE MANGES

MARION “BETH” MCQUAID, Attorney IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043

PUBL/DATES: 09/25/25 10/02/25 10/09/25 10/16/25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Christine Hussey Allen, 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 29, 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 25th day of September, 2025

Patricia H. Nichols Administrator of the Estate of Christine Hussey Allen Marion “Beth” McQuaid, Attorney IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW

111 Worth Street

Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043

PUBL/DATES: 09/25/25 10/02/25 10/09/25 10/16/25

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

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)

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 NORTH CAROLINA WAKE COUNTY FILE#25E003445-910 The undersigned, SHARON LIPSCOMB, having quali ed on the 15TH Day of SEPTEMBER, 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of CHARLES DENNIS SANDERS, SR., deceased, of Wake 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 25TH 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 25TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025. SHARON LIPSCOMB, ADMINISTRATOR 20 ALTADORE CRESCENT MONCURE, NC 27559 Run dates: S25,O2,9,16p

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

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

purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee

WAKE

to Jennifer Kirby Fincher PLLC, Trustee(s), dated March 26, 2018, and recorded in Book No. 10276, at Page 0074 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

25SP000224-250 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Gary J Lewis to WILLIAM R. ECHOLS, Trustee(s), which was dated January 29, 2014 and recorded on February 3, 2014 in Book 9371 at Page 876, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will 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 October 8, 2025 at 01:30 PM, and will sell

25SP000271-250 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Chad M. Coleman a/k/a Chad Martel Coleman and Terry Latoya Coleman to APRIL BURKETT, A GEORGIA

CORPORATION, Trustee(s), which was dated June 3, 2019 and recorded on June 4, 2019 in Book 10513 at Page 287, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located,

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 designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on October 6, 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: Being all of Lot 142, in a subdivision known as “Village at Rock sh, Phase Two”, which is duly recorded in Book of Plats 136, Page 91, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1912 Harrington Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred

to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

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

Said property is commonly known as 746 Glen Reilly Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28314.

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.

or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on October 8, 2025 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

Being all of Lot No. 31 in a subdivision known as Warrenwood Estates, Section IV according to a plat of the same duly recorded in Book of Plats 42, Page 80 Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 730 Southview Circle, Fayetteville, NC 28311.

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.

on September 30, 2025 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 6, Block “D”, in a subdivision known as Bordeaux, Section 9, and the same being duly recorded in Plat Book 23, Page 32, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Property Address: 1814 Wayne Lane, Fayetteville, NC 28304

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

Said property is commonly known as 1814 Wayne Ln, Fayetteville, NC 28304.

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

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 23 SP 462

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.

Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. 7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty

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 Gary J. Lewis.

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

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 Chad Martel Coleman and spouse, Terry Latoya Coleman.

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

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 Kelsey Alare Carter and All Lawful Heirs of Jonathan L. Blue.

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

dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in

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)].

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”.

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,

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.: 24-04601-FC01

The property listed in this foreclosure is expresly junior to a Deed of Trust in the original principal amount of $13,045.69 recorded on May 10, 2006 in Book 1697 Page 1954, Davidson County Registry. It is encouraged that a title search be conducted prior to bidding on this property as it is being sold “as is, where is”.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Mitchell J. Bratton (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Mitchell J. Bratton and Marcus Bratton and Brandon Setzer and Frazier Delphine Setzer) to Randolph & MoirMark E. Randolph, Trustee(s), dated May 8, 2006, and recorded in Book No. 1697, at Page 1954 in Davidson County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Davidson County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Lexington, Davidson County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:30 AM on October 6, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Thomasville in the County of Davidson, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING Lot Number Ten (10), Block B, Bowerwood Acres, as recorded in Plat Book 12, Page 12, O ce of the Register of Deeds of Davidson County, North Carolina reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 819 Mary James Avenue, Thomasville, North Carolina. Property Address: 819 Mary James Ave., Thomasville NC 27360

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior

Durham, NC 27703 Tax Parcel ID: 231283 Present Record Owners: The Heirs of Robert W. Withers, Jr. The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are The Heirs of Robert W. Withers, Jr. 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

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),

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.

Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Smith eld, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on October 7, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Benson in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Tract 1 containing 1.00 acres, more or less as shown on that map of survey dated August 19, 2002; prepared by Joyner Piedmont Surveying, Dunn, North Carolina and said map recorded in Map Book 61, Page 44 of the Johnston County Registry. Reference to which is hereby made for greater certainty of description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 70 Rambling Lane, Benson, North Carolina. This being a portion of Lot No. 9 containing 7.06 acres as recorded in Deed Book 840, Page 600, Johnston County Registry.

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

directed that the

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

25SP000277-500

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Michael Dobson (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Michael Dobson) to Brock and Scott, Trustee(s), dated June 17, 2021, and recorded in Book No. 5964, at Page 61 in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Smith eld, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on September 30, 2025 and will sell

to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Benson in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Property Description: Lying in Pleasant Grove Township, Johnston County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 14, Stone Gate Subdivision, as depicted in Plat Book 68, Pages 77-78, Johnston County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 47 Billet Court, Benson, North Carolina. Which has the following street address: 47 Billet Court, Benson, NC 27504 Tax Id # 13E04040C 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

in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded

releases.

Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty

dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for

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 New Hanover County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having

The property address and tax parcel identi cation number listed are provided solely for informational purposes.

NOTE: The Company is prohibited from insuring the area or quantity of the land. The Company does not represent that any acreage or footage calculations are correct. Reference to quantity are for identi cation purposes only.

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP000508-500 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Teresa Medlin (Deceased) and Robert Medlin (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Robert Medlin) to Michael Lyon, Trustee(s), dated March 29, 2017, and recorded in Document No. 2017524878, in Book No. 4934, at Page 122 in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Smith eld, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on October 7, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Kenly in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Tax Id Number(s): 10007100A Land Situated in the Town of Kenly in the County of Johnston in the State of NC BEGINNING at a stake Z.A. Earp’s Corner and runs North 55 degrees West 60 feet to a stake; thence North 55 degrees East 43 feet to a stake; thence South 55 degrees East 60 feet to a stake, Z.A. Earp’s Corner; thence South 55 degrees West 43 feet with a Z.A. Earp’s line to the BEGINNING and containing 1/15 of an acre more or less and being a part of the D.H. Bagley Estate. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 6651 US Highway 301 N, Kenly, North Carolina.

Commonly known as: 6651 US Highway 301 North, Kenly, NC 27542-8264

SSF INVESTMENTS, LLC, Plainti , v. DORIS M. RAGSDALE, Defendant. NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION TO: Doris M. Ragsdale, 6248 Stonewick Drive, Jamestown, NC 27282 Doris M. Ragsdale, 107 Toby

directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on September 30, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Wilmington in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Tract “D” of the Mildred Hobbs Heir Division as the same is shown on a map of said division recorded in Map Book 39 at Page 199 of the New Hanover County Registry. Less and except that portion of the property released by instrument recorded in Book 6678, Page 646, New Hanover Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1508 Marsh Cove Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be

The property address and tax parcel identi cation number listed are provided solely for informational purposes.

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

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded

purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee,

NEW HANOVER MOORE

JOHNSTON

the BRIEF this week

Trump tells UN in speech it’s “not even coming close to living up” to potential

President Donald Trump has returned to the United Nations to boast of his second-term foreign policy achievements and lash out at the world body as a feckless institution. He also warned Europe it would be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies. World leaders listened closely to his Tuesday remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his rst eight months in o ce. After his speech, Trump met with Secretary-General António Guterres and told the top U.N. o cial that the U.S. is behind the global body “100%” amid fears among members that he’s edging toward a full retreat.

Secret Service dismantles telecom threat around UN capable of crippling cell service in NYC

The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive hidden telecom network in New York. Investigators say the system could have crippled cell towers and jammed 911 calls. The cache included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards. It was located within 35 miles of the United Nations. The network could have blacked out cellular service, especially during the United Nations General Assembly. O cials have not uncovered a direct plot against the assembly. Authorities suspect nationstate actors.

Capture the ag

Siler City Parks and Recreation’s fall season of youth ag football wrapped up this week at Bray Park, including these youngsters in the age 4-5 division last Wednesday evening. Turn to Sports for more on the burgeoning ag football leagues in Chatham County.

Commissioners consider potential expansion of metal fabrication plant

The rezoning request would allow Bear Creek Fabrication to grow its business

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners met Sept. 15 for its regular business meeting.

The board held three public hearings, with one being for a rezoning request for approximately 10 acres of property located at 1656 Campbell Road from residential to heavy industrial.

“The neighboring property,

where Bear Creek Fabrication is currently located, was initially zoned R1 back in 2016 when we zoned the county,” said planner Hunter Glenn. “In 2018, it was rezoned as heavy industrial as part of a commissioner initiated rezoning for businesses that were formerly in the unzoned portions of the county.”

According to attorney Nick Robinson, who was representing the applicant, the company has been experiencing steady growth and is looking for an opportunity to expand their operations on the parcel northwest of the current metal fabrication plant.

“The parcel that they already own and use is zoned heavy

See PLANT, page A2

Siler City commissioners presented with greenway expansion study

The study indenti ed four major connection upgrades for the Loves Creek Greenway

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners were presented with the nd-

ings from its Loves Creek Greenway Phase 2 and 3 feasibility study at its Sept. 15 meeting.

The study, which was funded through the Central Pines Regional Council and done by

McAdams, looked into the potential expansion of the Loves Creek Greenway, a 1.4-mile paved trail. “Loves Creek Greenway was a project we did many years ago,” said Planning Director Timothy Mack. “It was our rst phase, and we got it completed. Thankfully it was DOT fund-

Ukrainian refugee’s train stabbing death becomes early ashpoint in 2026 Senate race

“It’s pretty simple: A vote for Roy Cooper is a vote for more crime, more violence, more criminals.”

Michael Whatley, GOP candidate

Republicans target Democratic candidates over criminal justice policies

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Republicans in North Carolina and beyond are making a concerted e ort to turn the stabbing death of a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte commuter train into a political liability for Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in his

U.S.

race that is still more than a year away.

GOP candidate Michael Whatley has said Cooper bears “direct responsibility” for the deadly Aug. 22 attack on Iryna Zarutska because of a commission he created in June 2020 to address racial inequity in the criminal justice system. The panel’s unveiling occurred weeks following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. But Cooper’s campaign said Whatley, a recent Republican National Committee chairman, was lying about the task force. Cooper “knows North Carolinians need to be safe in

See RACE, page A10

ed and it was our rst take at greenways.”

“A feasibility study is really a bridge between planning projects and construction projects,” said Will Washam, McAdams senior greenway planner. “The town has done the pedestrian

See GREENWAY, page A7

THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Sept. 15

• Janivis Quondez Wimbush, 33, of Talbotton, was arrested for attempting to obtain property by false pretenses, conspiracy to obtain property by false pretenses and exploiting a disabled or elderly person.

• Randy Scott Holton, 52, of Bear Creek, was arrested for second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

• Terryl Antonio White, 44, of Siler City, was arrested for possession with intent to sell or deliver Schedule II controlled substances, possession with intent to sell or deliver Schedule IV controlled substances and maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances.

• Noah Bryson Jones, 18, of Pittsboro, was arrested for breaking and entering, felony larceny, possession or receiving stolen property and assault on an individual with a disability.

• Eliezer David Tanon, 37, of Goldston, was arrested for assault on a female.

Sept. 16

• Arnold Murray Degra eneraidt, 60, of Goldston, was arrested for involuntary manslaughter, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances and felony possession of cocaine.

• Heather Marie Hopkins, 42, of Moncure, was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

• Dianne Barber Gaster, 74, of Moncure, was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

• Alejandro Aucestovar, 50, of Pittsboro, was arrested for violating a domestic violence protective order.

USDA

o ers $1B in relief to livestock producers a ected by oods

The program will help o set increased feed costs for disasters in 2023 and 2024

Chatham News & Record sta

THE U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide approximately $1 billion in disaster recovery assistance to livestock producers a ected by oods and wild res in 2023 and 2024, Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced.

The Emergency Livestock Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wild re will help eligible producers o set increased supplemental feed costs resulting from qualifying disasters. Sign-ups have started, with applications accepted through Oct. 31. The USDA’s Farm Service

Agency has identi ed counties with qualifying oods and wild res for both years. Chatham County is included on the approved list for ooding from September 2024, when Hurricane Helene impacted the region, meaning local producers won’t need to submit supporting documentation. A full list of eligible counties is available at fsa.usda.gov/elrp.

The program covers weaned beef cattle, dairy cattle, beefalo, bu alo, bison, alpacas, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, ostriches, reindeer and sheep.

Wild re assistance applies to nonfederally managed land for participants who didn’t receive aid through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program or the earlier ELRP drought and wild re program delivered in July.

Eligible producers can re-

ceive up to 60% of one month’s calculated feed costs for wildre damage or three months for ood damage. The program has a $125,000 payment limit for each year, though producers can request an exception to increase the limit to $250,000.

Producers may receive assistance for one or both years and for multiple qualifying disasters but cannot exceed three months of assistance per producer, location and program year.

Applicants must provide documentation supporting their eligible livestock inventories as of the beginning date of the qualifying disaster event.

For more information, producers should contact the Pittsboro Service Center Farm Service Agency O ce at 919 -542-2244, ext. 2. The ofce is located at 1192 U.S. 64 West Business in Pittsboro.

Share with your community!

Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@chathamnewsrecord.com. Weekly deadline is Monday at noon.

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

Sept. 25

Pittsboro Farmers Market

3-6 p.m.

This year-round growers-only market o ers fresh produce, owers, eggs, meats and artisan goods from farms within a 50-mile radius. Live music often accompanies the weekly gathering under the solar panels.

The Plant 220 Lorax Lane Pittsboro

Sept. 26

Live Music at Roost Beer Garden

5-7 p.m.

Enjoy wood- red pizzas and local brews while listening to Bill Baucom perform at Fearrington Village’s outdoor venue. The beer garden o ers a relaxed atmosphere with views of the countryside and resident Belted Galloway cows.

Roost Beer Garden at Fearrington Village 2000 Fearrington Village Center Pittsboro

Sept. 27

Henry David Thoreau: A Yogic Life 1-3 p.m.

Explore the philosophical and spiritual side of the famous naturalist in this free presentation examining Thoreau’s connections to Eastern philosophy and meditation practices. The program includes discussion and Q&A in the library’s meeting room.

Chatham Community Library 197 N.C. Highway 87 N. Pittsboro

Sept.

28

Poetry Reading Series 2-3 p.m.

McIntyre’s Books hosts the monthly North Carolina Poetry Society reading featuring poets Claudine Moreau, Liz Wol Francis and Lola Haskins. The free event celebrates local and regional literary talent in an intimate bookstore setting.

McIntyre’s Books 500 Village Center Fearrington Village

Sept. 30

Public Input Session on Regional Hazards 6 p.m.

Share your concerns and ideas about natural disaster preparedness as the county updates its hazard mitigation plan. Community input helps shape strategies for reducing risks from oods, storms and other potential emergencies.

Chatham County Emergency Operations Center 112 Innovation Way Pittsboro

Hurricane Helene hit a year ago; some students never returned to school

More than 2,500 students became homeless after the storm

By Makiya Seminera, Laura Hackett and Jose Sandoval

The Associated Press

SWANNANOA — When

12-year-old Natalie Briggs visited the ruins of her home after Hurricane Helene, she had to tightrope across a wooden beam to reach what was once her bedroom. Knots of electrical wires were draped inside the skeleton of the house. Months after the storm, light ltered through breaks in the tarps over the windows. “All I could think of was, ‘This isn’t my house,’” said Natalie, who had been staying in her grandparents’ basement.

Thousands of students across western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with some of the most vicious oods, landslides and wind ever seen in the state’s Appalachian region, once considered a “climate haven.” Across the state, more than 2,500 students were identi ed as homeless as a direct result of Helene, according to state data obtained by The Associated Press.

At school, Natalie sometimes had panic attacks when she thought of her ruined home in Swannanoa.

“There were some points where I just didn’t want people to talk to me about the house — or just, like, talk to me at all,” Natalie said.

While storm debris has been mostly cleared away, the impact of the displacement lingers for the region’s children. Schools reopened long before many students returned to their homes, and their learning and well-being have yet to recover.

The phenomenon is increasingly common as natural disasters disrupt U.S. communities more frequently and with more ferocity.

In the North Carolina mountains, the challenge of recovery is especially acute. After all, many families in rural, low-income areas already deal with challenges such as food insecurity and rent a ordability, said Cassandra Davis, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill public policy professor.

“I would almost argue that they don’t get the opportunity to recover,” Davis said.

Finding stable housing became all-consuming

After Helene ooded her rental home in Black Mountain, Bonnie Christine Goggins-Jones and her two teenage grandchildren had to leave behind nearly all their belongings.

“They lost their bed, clothes, shoes, their book bag,” she said.

The family lived in a motel, a leaky donated camper and another camper before moving into a new apartment in June.

Goggins-Jones, a school bus aide at Asheville City Schools, struggled to heat the camper during winter. Her grandchildren kept going to school, but it wasn’t top of mind.

The area around Asheville, western North Carolina’s largest city, still has a signi cant housing shortage a year after the storm.

The family of America Sanchez Chavez, 11, had to split up to nd housing. Helene left their

trailer home in Swannanoa uninhabitable, and money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency wasn’t enough to cover the renovations.

America and some relatives went to stay at her grandmother’s apartment, while her older brother lived at a friend’s house. Eventually, America moved with her mother to a room at a Black Mountain hotel where she works.

America said she is still frightened by rain or thunder.

“At one point when the rain actually got, like, pretty bad ... I did get scared for a while,” she said.

Helene damaged more than 73,000 homes, knocking out electricity and water for weeks if not months. The destruction of local infrastructure also closed schools for large stretches of time, and a barrage of snow days exacerbated the time out of class even more. In rural Yancey County, which has approximately 18,000 residents, students missed more than two months of school last year.

Displaced students spread across North Carolina

After natural disasters, it’s common to see a surge in students living in unstable, temporary arrangements, such as sleeping on a couch, staying in a shelter, or doubling up with another family, according to research from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools. Those arrangements qualify students as homeless under federal law.

In Puerto Rico, more than 6,700 students were identi ed as homeless in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath during the 2017-18 school year, the study found. Hawaii saw a 59% increase in its homeless student population following the 2023 Maui wild res.

In Helene’s aftermath, student homelessness spiked in several hard-hit counties, according to AP’s analysis of data from the North Carolina Homeless Education Program.

Yancey County saw the region’s highest percentage increase. The number of homeless students went from 21 in the 2023-24 school year to 112 last school year. All but 15 were homeless due to Helene.

Some students enrolled in other school systems, at least temporarily. Others never returned.

Terri Dolan of Swannanoa sent her two young children to stay with her parents in Charlotte ahead of the storm. After seeing the extent of the devastation, Dolan had them enroll in school there. They stayed over a month before returning home.

“My job is to make money for our family, and their job is to go

to school,’” Dolan says she’d always told her kids. “Just because the school wasn’t open here, I felt like they needed to go to school and do their job.”

Some districts receive federal money for services such as transporting homeless students to their usual school buildings and providing tutoring under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. But districts must apply in a competitive process, and they can’t request more money immediately after a natural disaster until the next application cycle. Many miss out on McKinney-Vento funding entirely.

Helene-impacted students made up at least a fth of the homeless population in 16 counties, but only six counties received McKinney-Vento money last funding cycle. Nationally, only 1 in 5 school districts receives McKinney-Vento money due to limited funds, said Barbara Du eld, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection, a nonpro t that advocates for homeless students.

“If there’s a disaster, it’s going to involve districts that don’t get money from McKinney-Vento,” Du eld said.

Housing instability has lasting impact

Gwendolyn Bode, a prelaw student at Appalachian State University, had to leave her mudwrecked apartment complex after Helene. Told she couldn’t get campus housing, she found an Airbnb where she could stay at until her FEMA housing application went through, and then she moved into a hotel.

She felt like she was drowning as she tried to keep up with her classes and a part-time job.

“I can’t tell you what I learned,” Bode said. “I can’t even tell you when I went to class because (mentally) I wasn’t there.” She found more stability after moving into an apartment for the spring semester.

For Natalie Briggs, now 13, the grief of losing almost everything, coupled with the tight quarters in her grandparents’ basement, sometimes got to her — and to her mother, Liz Barker. Barker said it felt like a “time with no rules” because there was so much to deal with on top of her job as a health care worker.

The circumstances sometimes led to friction. But Barker said overall, she and Natalie had “done pretty well” together.

“She’s been a little bit more loving since all of this happened,” Barker said, smiling at her daughter.

“I give her hugs and stu ,” Natalie said, “and I’ll tell her I love her, more than I did.”

industrial, so it makes sense that the parcel that they expand onto would have the same zoning,” Robinson said. Also according to Robinson, if approved, the applicants predict that in the next 12-24 months, the business would expand production enough to add an additional 10-15 full-time employees.

There were, however, community concerns raised about the impact of tra c on Campbell Road and the noise generated from the facility.

The item will be further discussed by the Chatham County Planning Board, who the commissioners recommended the item to after the hearing.

The planning board meets on the rst Tuesday of every month.

The second hearing was for the adoption of a resolution certifying its commitment for the provision of $31,000 to Aging Services. The money is a 10% match from the county as part of the application for the North Carolina Department of Transportation 5310 Grant.

“This will enable our department to continue partnering with Chatham Transit Network and providing essential transportation services for individuals 60 years of age or greater,” said Aging Services Deputy Director Zach Deaton. “Services include rides to and from our centers for active living where we o er congregate nutrition and daily wellness programming, grocery trips and medical appointments as funding allows.”

The nal hearing was to further push back the implementation of the Uni ed Development Ordinance by another year to Dec. 31, 2026.

“There has been no movement regarding the legislature on the down-zoning issues that are prohibiting us from implementing our UDO,” said Chance Mullis, assistant planning director. “At this point, there are many other communities in the same boat as us, and we think it’s just the right time to try and move that e ective date yet again.

“This will allow more time to hopefully see some sort of positive repeal of the down-zoning law that is in place.”

The board also was presented with a subdivision rst plat review for the Meadow Pointe Subdivision.

The development is a 40-lot, approximately 202-acre neighborhood located o of N.C. Highway 87.

According to the site plan, the development will also be a gated community that utilizes private roads as well and septic for its water and wastewater.

Following the presentation, the board recommended the item to the planning board for further review.

“I’m concerned about any large development,” said Commissioner Amanda Robertson. “I really want to make sure that we take every opportunity to advocate for greater conservation measures, particularly when we get into the rural parts of the county.”

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will next meet Oct. 20.

CHOOSE: GOD’S SHEEP OR DEVIL’S GOAT

Bible study: Matthew 25:31-46 Church of Living Water; Pastor: James Mitchell.

We are all asking, oh God, how could this happen to such a wonderful servant as Charlie Kirk? He opened so many blinded minds to see what Jesus did for all sinners who truly turn from their evil ways. He was also truly America First, on the right side of life. He brought so many into the MAGA movement. We don’t burn down cities or shoot/kill those who disagree with those on the right side. The extreme left has been taken over by demonic spirits. These evil spirits are laughing, mocking, and rejoicing that Charlie Kirk was assassinated. We have never seen such evil in America as today. God’s Word tells us this will be happening in the last days. God told me, “Charlie had Sleeping Giant has awakened because of Charlie’s service. Those evil left-wing haters will be brought to justice. God said, “Vengeance belongs to Him, and them to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All of you on the left, repent and come to the right side of life before it’s too late. Those on the right will inherit the Kingdom of God. Those on the left will be cursed, into God will forgive you of all your sins! What a loving, merciful Father! So, all mankind can choose to be a sheep serving God or a goat serving the devil. I pray all blind souls see God’s truth, in Jesus’ name

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

Piles of debris sit in front of homes in Swannanoa on Dec. 3, 2024, after damage from Hurricane Helene.

Nicole Schoychid, left, and Rebekah Canu, cofounders of Wildwood Agile Leaning Center, embrace inside the schoolhouse, which was damaged by ooding in Hurricane Helene, as they are surrounded by debris and mud on Dec. 5, 2024, in Boone.

THE CONVERSATION

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

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

On canceling free speech

America today needs voices of civility and humor who seek to ease tensions rather than fan the ame.

I FIRST LEARNED of Charlie Kirk a couple of years ago. I tuned into a podcast, and Kirk made a derogatory comment about Muslims that I considered ignorant and o ensive. He may have been joking, but I didn’t consider it funny. I clicked o the podcast.

But I did not think Kirk should be canceled. In fact, I was originally interested in his platform because I heard he was an advocate for free speech.

Following Kirk’s assassination, there were tasteless and obscene online remarks about his tragic death. The internet can be a cesspool. However, it distresses me that the apparent fallout of Kirk’s killing is the restriction of the First Amendment to free speech and free press, which is not only a fundamental right but also a freedom that, as I’ve already mentioned, Kirk tried to uphold. While conservative commentators may stress they are not calling for more “cancel culture,” methinks they doth protest too much.

America today needs voices of civility and humor who seek to ease tensions rather than fan the ame. As was noted long ago, words are powerful enough to set a forest on re by a small spark (James 3:5). For instance, I can understand how Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue could be perceived as in ammatory, ignorant or o ensive by some.

But at no point do we need a restriction of freedoms. We certainly do not need the chair of the Federal Communications Commission to sound like Tony Soprano: “Look, we can do this the easy way, or we

can do this the hard way.” Sen. Ted Cruz called this statement by FCC Chair Brendan Carr “unbelievably dangerous” and noted it could back re if the opposing political party were to regain power.

Note that before he became a conservative politician, Cruz clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Rehnquist’s most famous (infamous) opinion regarding free speech was the 1988 decision that Larry Flynt of “Hustler Magazine” had the right to parody the Rev. Jerry Falwell. This decision sparked a restorm of protest from the Religious Right, but I don’t believe Rehnquist had sympathies for the publisher of a sex magazine over a pastor. Rehnquist’s 1994 ruling upheld the right of anti-abortion protesters to gather and display signs outside an abortion clinic. Neither ruling sided with one side of a cultural war but sought to uphold the First Amendment. If something o ends you, change the channel, but let’s keep the government out of the censorship business. There is no universal remote that can easily change the whims of the prevailing political party. The ideal of free speech was wonderfully articulated to me years ago by an elderly farmer who said, “I’ll grant you the right to be wrong as long as you’ll give me the same.”

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.

Breakfasts of the past gone with the wind

To combat the urge to skip breakfast or eat at the drivethru, cereal companies are beginning to tout that it’s cheaper to eat at home.

IT’S BEEN SAID we are what we eat.

If that’s so, I’m in trouble.

Although I have been trying recently, albeit not always successfully, to eat just half of a chicken instead of the whole bird, at times the issue has often been not the amount of the meal but its content.

For instance, as a child, one of my favorite dishes was a bologna, peanut butter, cheese and catsup sandwich consumed with a cold bellywasher. Most everyone I mention that to these days usually says something like “Ugh.” I’m not sure if that comment is a re ection of the food or they don’t want to wind up with a gure like mine, created in part by the consumption of a signi cant number of those sandwiches.

While it’s been a while since I’ve had one — or two — of those delightful creations, there are some other combinations no one else in my family seems to like as much as I do. For instance, mixing scrambled eggs, grits, cheese, bacon or sausage and toast in a bowl, topped with catsup, comes to mind as one. I’m beginning to think it may be the love of catsup that other folks don’t have that drives them away. Our friends in Washington say catsup is a vegetable, so I’m sure I’m getting my recommended daily allowance of something.

Anyway, I ran across a story in the Sunday paper a little while back that said a childhood favorite was in the ght of its business life. Cereal, the story said, was in a pitched battle for its life on two fronts: competition from granola bars and yogurt and juice on one, and behavior habits — not everyone gets up in time for a “good breakfast” — on the other.

More and more folks, especially the millennials — those folks between 14 and 32 — are giving up on Cap’n

Crunch and having a bowl of dirt or rocks or whatever is the fad of the day, if they eat breakfast at all. If not that, they’re having a homemade glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice from organic carrots grown in Lower Slobovia by a group of left-handed, bald Philistine monks or driving through their local fast food for whatever is on the dollar menu.

Many of them are not eating at all or waiting until 11. So sitting down with Snap, Crackle and Pop around the breakfast table with Mom and Dad and Billy and Sally and don’t forget Rover — like they did in “Father Knows Best” — isn’t the highlight of the day for them.

Granted, there are a few of the boxes on the cereal aisle that should be named “Tons O’Sugar” or something similar. And I can appreciate the need to avoid so much of that stu as my body, which is now older than my mind, tries to maintain a measure of stability. And I must confess, I nd it hard to pay $8 for a 12-ounce box of crumbs that settled during shipping.

To combat the urge to skip breakfast or eat at the drive-thru, cereal companies are beginning to tout that it’s cheaper to eat at home. But until that $8.00 box starts going for $4.50, that may be a hard sale.

The reality is this: things — taste, cost, tradition — change. If I could still down half a pound of bacon with a setting of eggs, a pan of biscuits and a pot of grits, there’s no doubt what my breakfast habits would be; forget the cost. It’s just that my doctor won’t let me. But so far, catsup is not on the endangered list.

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

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

COLUMN | JAN HUTTON

My personal bandit

Desperation drove my persistence. And, damn, after about a week’s worth of bungee failures, success!

I loved my bird feeder. An incredibly resourceful raccoon also fell in love with my bird feeder. Winter, fewer available food sources, but wait … there’s Jan’s bird feeder!

Oh, whoopee! Easy din-din.

No “whoopee” from my end, though. For almost a month, Ms./Mr. Raccoon put me to shame. Picture me shaking my head in abject frustration, morning after morning, when I discovered the bird feeder dislodged from its deck pole and dragged up to 20 feet away. Twenty feet!

Help!

Oh, wait, maybe I can nd a proper angle to safely secure the bird feeder to the deck railing … but doing so calls for spatial intelligence. Uh oh, I’m absolutely ummoxed by spatial intelligence situations: building or assembling things, seeing in 3D. Please, please, in my next life, may I have the gift of spatial intelligence!

Given the social isolation of the pandemic, my lifelong tactic for coping with spatial intelligence challenges, asking for inperson help from friends, was o the table. Somewhere, the gods were chuckling at my predicament.

I explored Dr. Google every which way for solutions that were not of the spatial intelligence variety. The only good outcome from all those attempts was that I now had an excellent bottle of Sriracha hot sauce, which, fortunately, does have other

| J. MARC WHEAT

applications beyond being smeared on a bird feeder as a (nonproductive) raccoon deterrent. Hey, I take my blessings wherever I can nd them.

Dr. Google options exhausted. Desperate idea! Bungee cords attached to the bird feeder and the deck rail as a raccoon pilfering deterrent. But wait! Using bungee cords and nding the appropriate angles for e ectively attaching them to the bird feeder is spatial intelligence!

Showdown at the Hutton corral! Just me (the spatial intelligence-challenged one), Ms./Mr. Raccoon and the bungee cords.

Desperation drove my persistence. And, damn, after about a week’s worth of bungee failures, success! Ms. Spatially Challenged gured out the bungee cord angle that best inhibited the raccoon from its nightly burglaries. I did it! My smile was as wide as the horizon and bright enough to light up a small village.

Kudos to the raccoon and, yes, that awful pandemic, for nudging (well, actually, shoving) me in a direction I’d been actively resisting for years. Completing a spatial intelligence task on my own. Me, the spatial intelligence-challenged human! Returning to my grin as wide as the horizon …

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

Government lists are a threat to free association

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records.

NO GOVERNMENT o cial needs to know what organizations you nancially support. And no state attorney general should have access to Americans’ sensitive personal information without clearly showing cause or in the absence of criminal proceedings. Yet wielding state power for his own political agenda, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asked a court to force First Choice Women’s Resource Centers to disclose donor information about nearly 5,000 contributions (see AAF’s amicus brief in First Choice Women’s Resource Center v. Platkin).

Similar disclosures in the past have not fared well for Americans. In 2014, Mozilla forced their new chief executive, Brendan Eich, the founder of JavaScript, to resign after discovering that Eich had donated $1,000 six years earlier to a campaign that supported Proposition 8, the voter-approved California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In the late 1950s during the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama attempted to use disclosure requirements to prevent the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from conducting business, which included the Montgomery Bus Boycott and funding programs for African American students wishing to attend the state university (see NAACP v. Alabama).

Today, big government agencies already have large databases on Americans’ private information. Plenty of people have not told their best friend or neighbors how much they earn. Yet the government — only trusted by 22% of Americans to do the right thing always or most of the time — knows.

Thanks to the SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), the federal government also compiles a list linking your every purchase and sale in the stock market to your sensitive, personal information (see AAF’s amicus brief challenging CAT in Davidson v. Gensler). With the Supreme Court tailoring opt-outs for gender ideology in schools to religious exemptions, the government could seize the opportunity to create yet another list, this time of religious parents.

As explained in AAF’s amicus brief in Platkin, “No government o cial should be

able to use his legitimate law enforcement power to pursue those with whom he disagrees politically.” The latter would reduce our constitutional protections to be the “mere parchment barriers” that our framers feared. Regardless of whether the court rules against Platkin, he will have taken time and resources away from First Choice’s mission of helping mothers and saving babies.

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records. Even the threat of disclosure threatens freedom of speech and association, which are the cornerstones of the American tradition.

In America’s earliest days, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the “art of association then becomes … the mother science; everyone studies it and applies it” (quoted in AAF’s amicus brief First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin). Where “all citizens are independent and weak” and “can hardly do anything by themselves,” Americans must coordinate to e ect change. The latter is an intentional feature of our constitutional system that protects minority opinions from suppression and ensures power remains derived from the people.

Platkin is not a uke or merely a result of one bad actor. In October, the Sixth Circuit will hear a similar freedom of association case, Buckeye Institute v. IRS, where the federal government defends its practice compelling nonpro t organizations to disclose private donor information.

President Ronald Reagan said the scariest words in the English language were “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” When the government collects information, Americans are threatened by the abuse of that information. For that reason, the government should only be collecting information it absolutely needs. The courts in these cases must ensure that governments are not storing up information and, in so doing, exposing Americans to harassment by government agents.

Marc Wheat is the general counsel of Advancing American Freedom. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

Charlie Kirk: American patriot and Christian martyr

I WROTE THESE words on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, Sept. 14 — a day meant for rest and worship yet overshadowed by tragedy. It came in the shadow of the cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus. Like millions of others, I nd myself wrestling with anger, sorrow, grief and confusion — searching for meaning in a moment that de es it.

He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity.

We have long known that we live in a fallen, godless and debauched age. Yet two weeks ago, that grim truth was displayed in stark relief on a college campus — an institution that should nurture learning and virtue but instead became the stage for barbarity.

I call Charlie a martyr because he was killed for his convictions — for his un inching defense of truth and his fearless witness to Christ. He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity in a world where woke classrooms and even woke pulpits leave them spiritually starved. Charlie was not an elected o cial, yet he carried himself with a statesman’s brilliance. A masterful debater, he could summon Scripture and the Constitution from memory. Many of us believed he had the intellect, vision and courage that could have carried him to the presidency one day.

The radical left saw the same potential — and feared it. They recognized that Charlie was a singular gure: principled, persuasive and deeply rooted in faith. His integrity and God-given ability to connect with young people threatened the woke ideological stranglehold on our culture. That was a threat his enemies could not tolerate. Now it falls on us to carry forward his ght with sharper minds, stouter hearts and steel spines.

Charlie was vili ed because he loved the Bible, loved his country and stood for objective truth. Above all, he was hated because he followed Jesus Christ. As John’s Gospel reminds us, the world loves darkness and rejects the light. Christ himself warned in John 15 that his followers would be hated and silenced precisely because they proclaim the truth of God’s word.

Across America and around the world, Christians are asking today: What will we do with this moment? How will we respond?

First, pray for Charlie’s wife, Erika, and their children, whose loss is beyond words. They will grow up without their father, unable yet to grasp the hatred that stole him away.

Second, recognize the danger we face. To be a faithful Christian who engages the public square is now to risk one’s life. Charlie’s murder was not random — it was a warning to silence truthtellers. In such times, we must pray for courage and boldness to speak God’s truth without fear.

Third, plead with God for mercy on our broken nation. As Romans 8 declares, creation itself “groans.” We saw that groaning in the vile ood of comments that mocked and even celebrated Charlie’s death.

Fourth, pray for leaders — that they will have the moral clarity to bring justice to the wicked and ful ll their God-given charge to punish evil and protect the righteous.

No single column can capture the life, goodness, and impact of Charlie Kirk. More must be written, and will be. For now, let us bear one another’s burdens and so ful ll the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

May we never again witness such a week in America — or endure another Lord’s Day clouded by such tragedy.

Sam Currin is a former judge, U.S. attorney and law professor. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University, UNC School of Law and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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

COLUMN

obituaries

Mary John Mashburn Scott

March 15, 1948 –Sept. 20, 2025

Mary John Mashburn Scott, 77, of Staley, died Saturday, September 20, 2025.

Mary was born in Chatham County on March 15, 1948, to John Linen Mashburn and Bertha Lewis Mashburn Winslow. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, George Scott; son, Elvis Moser; grandson, Jericho Moser; sisters, Lessie Selig and Mertie Smith; and brother,

Mary Robinson Parks

Aug. 25, 1946 –Sept. 23, 2025

Mary Robinson Parks, 79, of Siler City, went to her Heavenly home on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025, at her home surrounded by family.

Mary was born in Pike County, KY on August 25th, 1946, to the late Rufus and Annie Robinson. She is preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, Terry Lane Parks; her six brothers; and seven sisters.

She was a coal miner’s daughter growing up and loved bluegrass and gospel music. She loved playing the guitar, being outdoors, being at home, and spending time

Woodrow Mashburn.

Mary attended Calvary Faith Baptist Church. She was a hard worker, working many years at Charles Kraft in Siler City and later at Spindale in Sanford. Mary enjoyed gardening and playing card games; her favorite being Bingo.

Mary is survived by her granddaughter, Morgan Moser; sister, Norma Baum; brothers Harold David Mashburn and Jessie Roland Mashburn and wife Karen; special friend Roger Nunnery; and several nieces and nephews.

Mary will lie in repose on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from noon to 5:00 pm at Smith and Buckner Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held on Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 11:00 am, at Carbonton Community Church with Rev. Tony Bra ord o ciating. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is serving the Scott family. Online Condolences may be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com

with her grandbabies and her family. Mary was a truck driver alongside her husband, Terry, for 16 years. She was a member of Moon’s Chapel Baptist Church and loved her church family.

Left to cherish Mary’s memory are her two daughters, Cheryl Ann Green and her husband, Eddie of Mebane, and Christie Michelle Klink and her husband, John of Siler City; her grandchildren, Chelsea Wicker, Austin Wicker, Grayson Green, Garrett Klink, and Carson Klink; and her two sisters, Bessie Dulaney of Ohio, and Helen Adkins of Illinois.

Funeral service will be held Friday, September 26th, 2025, at 2 pm, at Moon’s Chapel Baptist Church. Visitation will be held one hour prior at the church and burial will follow in the church cemetery. Services will be o ciated by Reverend John Klink and Reverend Scott Faw.

Memorials can be made to Moon’s Chapel Cemetery Fund, 175 Moon’s Chapel Rd., Siler City, NC 27344. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Parks family.

Online condolences can be made at www. smithbucknerfh.com

Frances Jean Porter

Oct. 13, 1935 –Sept. 18, 2025

Frances Jean Todd Porter, 89, of Siler City, died Thursday, September 18, 2025, at the First Health Hospice Home in West End.

Mrs. Porter was born October 13, 1935, in Horry County, SC, the daughter of Homer Bert Todd and E e Mae Thompkins Millikan.

For 30+ years, she packaged and shipped apparel at A.J.

Charlene Margaret Gaddy-Elder

Jan. 30, 1962 –Sept. 12, 2025

Charlene Margaret GaddyElder, 63, of Siler City, went to her Heavenly home on September 12th, 2025, at the home of her son.

Charlene was born January 30th, 1962, in Chatham

Shniersons textile plant, until their closing, then went to work at Roses in Siler City, until their closing and nally helped serve meals to kids in the Chatham County School System. Frances was active in her church. On Saturday nights, she made pound cakes and had Sunday dinners ready for her family after church. She was a beautiful, sweet lady who always had a smile.

In addition to her parents, Mrs. Porter was preceded in death by her husband, Wilbur J. Porter, her daughter, Brenda Gail Porter; her granddaughter, Melissa Ann Dixon; her sisters, Merlyn Bass and Betty Ann Benton; and her brothers, Benny Todd, Billy Todd, Clarence Todd, Douglas Edward Todd, Homer B. Todd and Clyde Todd.

She is survived by her daughter, Cindy Dixon (Eddie) of Siler City; her son, Greg (Kim) of Siler City; her grandchildren, Amanda Dixon Thompson (Josh), Adam Dixon (Sophia)

County, to the late Charles Thomas and Margaret Anderson Gaddy. She is preceded in death by her parents; her life partner, Andy Elder; and her brother, Terry Gaddy.

Charlene was a 1980 graduate of Jordan Matthews High School and a 1984 graduate of Louisburg College. She was employed as an O ce Administrator at a Sprinkler Installation business. Charlene played the piano for 25 years and was very talented. She was a member of Piney Grove Methodist Church where she was the church treasurer, youth leader, and was in the church choir. In her spare time, she loved working in her yard and feeding deer and birds. She also loved traveling with youth. Left to cherish her memory are her son, Charles David Elder and his wife, Stephanie of Castle Hayne, NC;

and Ethan Porter; her greatgrandchildren, Kayla Dixon, Dakota Dixon, Taylor Thompson and Logan Thompson; and her sister, Bertie Faye King, of Shallotte, NC.

The family will receive friends 6-8:00 PM, Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Smith & Buckner Funeral Home, 230 North Second Avenue, Siler City, NC 27344. The funeral will be 3:00 PM Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Mt. Vernon Springs Presbyterian Church, 1225 Mt. Vernon Springs Church Rd., Siler City, NC 27344. Elder Jimmy Coore and Dr. William Browder will o ciate the service. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Memorials may be made to Mt. Vernon Springs Presbyterian Church, Building Fund, P.O. Box 971, Siler City, NC 27344 or to First Health Hospice P.O. Box 3000 Pinehurst, NC 28374

Online condolences may be made at www. pughfuneralhome.com.

her grandson, Tatum Elder; and her sister-in-law, Diane Elder Johnson.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Friday, September 19th, 2025, at Piney Grove Methodist Church at 2 pm with Reverend Jim Folks and Reverend Andreas Kjernald o ciating. Inurnment will be at Chatham Memorial Park at a later date. Visitation will be held Wednesday, September 17th and Thursday, September 18th, 2025, from 3-7 pm at Terry and Cindy Ellington’s home, 183 Issac Drive, Siler City, NC 27344. Memorials may be made to Piney Grove Methodist Church Music Fund, PO Box 9, Siler City, NC 27344. Smith & Buckner Funeral Home will be assisting the Gaddy-Elder family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

North Dakota columnist who wrote viral Olive Garden review dead at 99

By Jack Dura The Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D. — Marilyn Hagerty, a North Dakota newspaper columnist whose earnest review of her local Olive Garden restaurant became a social media sensation, died Tuesday. She was 99.

Hagerty died at a hospital in Grand Forks from complications related to a stroke, according to her daughter Gail Hagerty. She remembered her mother as a journalist at heart who was more interested in giving readers an honest assessment of what to expect from a restaurant than in being critical.

Her 2012 Olive Garden piece was “unique and authentic, coming from a grandmother in North Dakota,” Gail Hagerty said.

In the review, she famously wrote in praise of the chain’s chicken Alfredo as “warm and comforting on a cold day.”

“As I ate, I noticed the vases and planters with permanent ower displays on the ledges,” she wrote. “There are several dining areas with arched doorways. And there is a replace that adds warmth to the decor.”

It spread on social media and drew national media attention to Hagerty.

“She was everywhere and she loved it and it was a wonderful experience, although she had

MARK LENNIHAN / AP PHOTO

Marilyn Hagerty samples a Lays potato chip during an interview with The Associated Press in March 2012 in New York.

to ask my brother what does it mean if you go viral. She didn’t know that,” Gail Hagerty said.

“She used to say that if you were going to have 15 minutes of fame and if you were 86, you had to do it soon. You couldn’t wait.”

The media attention even drew in famed chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain, who defended Hagerty on Twitter from those who ridiculed her embrace of the Olive Garden chain’s food. He met with her and went on to publish a book of her columns, also writing its foreword.

In a 2014 interview conducted by oral historian Teri

Finneman, Hagerty said the response to her review was unbelievable, including countless emails and phone calls as well as TV interviews and a tour of New York City.

“But most of all, it was people feeling in defense and people praising me for the way I write the Eatbeat. And — I wrote that Eatbeat column so fast one day that I never expected it to be repeated all over the country, but that’s what happened,” she said in the interview.

Hagerty was born May 30, 1926, in Pierre, South Dakota. Her newspaper career began while she was in high school, when she assisted the editor of the Pierre Capital Journal and wrote city briefs, according to her oral history.

She earned a journalism degree from the University of South Dakota, of which she was quite proud, her daughter said. She added that Hagerty was a journalist at heart who took the e ort to get to know people and the community and was actively writing for more than 70 years.

Hagerty was beloved in Grand Forks due to her long career and community involvement, and in 2002 a lift station was dedicated and named in her honor. Hagerty arrived at the ceremony on a restaurant owner’s motorcycle, her daughter said.

“I’m going to leave some owers there this evening,” Gail Hagerty said.

Hagerty was writing at least occasionally for the Grand Forks Herald until last year.

The beloved journalist wrote restaurant reviews for more than 70 years

Rome’s airport opens luxurious dog hotel with pampering services

Sta will even meet owners in the airport’s terminals to drop o dogs

By Francesco Sportelli

The Associated Press

FIUMICINO, Italy — Dog owners often face a dilemma before traveling: leave your beloved pet with a sitter or at a kennel? Both require quite some planning and logistics, which can be stressful and time-consuming for fur parents.

Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport has sought to streamline the process by opening one of the rst on-site hotels at a major European airport, following a similar initiative in Frankfurt. Dog Relais’ workers even retrieve pups from the terminal so travelers can proceed straight to their ight.

“This project is tting into a strategy to provide a very immersive experience to passengers,” said Marilena Blasi, chief commercial o cer at Aeroporti di Roma, the company that manages the Italian capital’s two airports. “In this case, we provide services to dogs and the owners of the dogs.”

Basic rooms at the dog hotel cost about €40 ($47) and feature temperature-controlled oors and private gardens. More timid or solitary dogs can

be placed in kennels at the edge of the facility, where they interact with sta rather than other dogs in the common grass pens. At night, ambient music that has a frequency with a low, soft tone — 432 hertz — designed for relaxation is piped in through the rooms’ speakers.

There are optional extras that range from the usual grooming, bathing and cleaning teeth ser-

vices, to the more indulgent, such as aromatherapy with lavender or peppermint scents to help induce calm, or arnica cream rubbed into aching muscles and joints.

Owners unsatis ed with standard-issue webcams for checking in on their canines from afar can spring for a €60 (about $70) premium room equipped with a screen for

‘Dickie’ Bird, charismatic former cricket umpire, dead at age 92

The legendary English o cial was known for eccentricities and warmth

By Steve Douglas The Associated Press

HAROLD “DICKIE” Bird, the charismatic and much-loved former cricket umpire from England who o ciated in 66 test matches and three World Cup nals, has died. He was 92.

Bird’s death was announced Tuesday by English club Yorkshire, his home county where he was made president in 2014. Yorkshire said he died “peacefully” at his home.

Yorkshire called Bird a “national treasure” who was “known not only for his umpiring excellence but also for his eccentricities and warmth.”

“He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy — and a legion of admirers across generations.”

Bird’s rst-class playing career, which included spells with his beloved Yorkshire and Leicestershire, was cut short by injury at the age of 32 with an average of 20.71.

He went on to become arguably the world’s most famous

umpire, standing in an English county match for the rst time in 1970 and his rst test three years later.

In 1975, Bird took charge of the inaugural men’s Cricket World Cup nal. At his nal test in 1996, a guard of honor by the players of England and India at Lord’s reduced him to tears.

“Dickie enjoyed an illustrious career as an umpire,” the Lord’s-based Marylebone Cricket Club said, “and was one of the most popular o cials in the history of the game.”

An umpire long before the introduction of technology to cricket, Bird — whose name resonated beyond the world of cricket — was renowned for being cautious with his decisions and making few clear mistakes, telling the BBC that his parents “installed this mental strength to believe in myself.”

In his pomp — and in his later years — he was as popular as the players he o ciated, never refusing to sign an autograph and often seen waiting patiently to do so even when lines were long. His autobiography chalked up more than a million sales, becoming Britain’s biggest-selling sports book in the process.

It was his idiosyncrasies that made him so loved — the way he raised his nger to give a batter out, his warmth and conversational approach with players, his grin, his stooping gait, how he twitched his arms and tugged at his umpire’s jacket.

Bird listed Gar eld Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards and Dennis Lillee as the best players he ever umpired.

“Remembered for your fairness, integrity, humour, and true Yorkshire spirit,” former India player Dinesh Karthik posted on X. “A legend forever.”

In his post-umpire life as after-dinner speaker and occasional TV personality, he wasn’t short of anecdotes — not least when he was in the middle when the pitch at Yorkshire’s home ground, Headingley, once ooded because of a problem with the drainage system — and he remained a proud Yorkshireman to the end.

His one regret in life, Bird told The Guardian newspaper in 2013, was not having a family.

“I gave my life to cricket, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “I never got married because I was married to the game.”

“Since I’ve been able to bring Nina to this dog hotel, my life, and the balance between my personal and professional life, have changed because it allows me to enjoy my working day and my personal travels in total peace and tranquility.”

Alessandra Morelli

around-the-clock videocalls.

They can even pamper their pet by tossing a treat via an application connected to a dispenser.

The facility not only provides its services to travelers, but also to dog owners who need day care.

Working in human resources for Aeroporti di Roma, Alessandra Morelli regularly leaves her 2-year-old, chocolate-colored Labrador retriever there.

“Since I’ve been able to bring Nina to this dog hotel, my life, and the balance between my personal and professional life, have changed because it allows me to enjoy my working day and my personal travels in total peace and tranquility,” said Morelli, 47.

Dario Chiassarini, 32, said he

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started bringing his Rottweiler puppy, Athena, to Dog Relais for training, another service on o er, because it’s clean, well-organized and its location was easily accessible. And he said he plans to check his beloved pup into the hotel whenever he and his girlfriend need to travel.

“We will rely on them without hesitation and without doubt — both because we got to know the people who work here, which for us is essential, and because of the love they have for animals and the peace of mind of knowing who we are entrusting Athena to,” said Chiassarini, who works in car sales. “It is certainly a service that, if we should need it, we will make use of.”

The dog hotel has proved popular so far. All 40 rooms were occupied in August, when Italians take their customary summer vacation and millions of passengers come through Fiumicino. Occupancy averaged almost two-thirds since doors opened in May, said Blasi.

The same month the dog hotel opened, Italy’s commercial aviation authority changed rules to allow large dogs to y inside plane cabins for domestic ights, provided they are inside secured crates. The rst such ight will take o on Sept. 23, according to transport minister, Matteo Salvini.

Salvini admits that while many are happy with having their pups on the plane, others may feel annoyed. However, at a pet conference on Sept. 16, he said: “We always have to use judgment, but ... for me it’s a source of pride, as well as a step forward from the point of view of civilization.”

master plan and other larger comprehensive planning e orts, so feasibility studies let us dive deep into speci c corridors, understand the opportunities, the constraints and set up for successful construction projects.”

The primary ndings from the study were focused on potential areas for extension of the paved greenway trail, additional access points, bringing more awareness to the greenway along with better and additional signage and branding to help make the greenway feel more like an o cial park.

The rm did have conversations about connecting the trail through the culvert under U.S. 421, which was a popular idea with the public due to the wanted access to Walmart via the greenway, however, the area was too small (not enough vertical clearance) to support an extension.

Instead, McAdams presented four priority projects to the board for consideration in four phases, with the rst being the Downtown Sidewalk Connector.

“Originally, this was not part of the study area, but it was so evident that folks wanted to make this connection to downtown,” Washam said.

The connector would link up the existing half-mile of sidewalks to downtown and add pedestrian signal crossings, signalized intersections, way nding signage, improved crosswalk markings and a new downtown trailhead.

The two potential locations for consideration of the trailhead are Chatham Arts Center and Collins Park.

This phase is priced at about $460,000, but according to Washam, 80% of that cost is associated strictly with tra c signal improvements.

The second phase of the project would be the Jordan Matthews Connector, which would connect the greenway to Jordan-Matthews High School.

The project is projected to have a 2028 build and would cost approximately $2.9 million.

The associated costs include the construction of a new, 100-foot steel and concrete bridge, 225 to 250 feet of boardwalk in the wetland areas behind the school and elevation raising on the existing greenway trail.

The third phase is dubbed the Eastern Extension and involves connecting the greenway from Pony Farm Road to Loves Creek, traveling along the existing sewer easement.

The 0.5-mile expansion is anticipated to cost around $1.3 million, with a build out in 2030.

Finally, the fourth phase would be the U.S. 64 Connection, which would construct a new 165-foot bridge over Loves Creek and connect up to U.S. 64.

“With these top four priority projects, we developed an escalated cost table to make sure projects are funding ready for grants,” Washam said. “We took the construction cost estimates and escalated to a future build year. We all know there’s in ation year after year, so we don’t want these cost estimates to get old. We included the engineering and design services cost estimates, construction, engineering and inspection, and some project contingency.”

Following the presentation, the board endorsed the study, and the recommendations will be considered in future budget cycles.

The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners will next meet Oct. 6.

“It was so evident that folks wanted to make this connection to downtown.” Will Washam, McAdams greenway planner

ANTHONY DEVLIN / PA VIA AP

Former umpire Dickie Bird attends the rst day of the rst Test match at Lord’s cricket ground in London on May 21, 2015.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Manolo Fiorenzi, a dog trainer, caresses Otto, a cocker dog, in one of the rooms of the Dog Relais, a hotel for dogs at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.

REAL ESTATE

LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land Experts, www.learnaboutland.com - 919-362-6999.

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FOR RENT

POWELL SPRINGS APTS. Evergreen Construction introduces its newest independent living community for adults 55 years or older, 1 and 2 bedroom applications now being accepted. O ce hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 919-533-6319 for more information, TDD #1-800-735-2962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible. A2,tfnc

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS now for onebedroom apartments, adults 55 years or older. Water included, appliances furnished, onsite laundry, elevator, keyless entry. Section 8 accepted. No security deposit. Application fee $25 per adult. Call Braxton Manor, 919-663-1877. Handicap accessible. Equal Housing Opportunity. J14,tfnc

YARD SALE

Carbonton Community Center 6953 Carbonton Rd. (Hwy 42 West) Sanford N.C. 27330

Thursday Sept. 25 7am-6pm Friday Sept. 26 7am-6pm

Household items, Linens, Clothes, Shoes, Toys, Furniture, Christmas items, Homemade Baked Goods, and SO MUCH MORE.

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERSEquipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-663-3556, rickyellingtonauctions@yahoo.com. Jy6,tfnc

SERVICES

RAINBOW WATER FILTERED VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919-5484314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available. A26,tfnc

JUNK CARS PICKED UP Free of charge. Due to many months of low steel prices and unstable steel markets, we cannot pay for cars at this time. Cars, trucks, and machinery will be transported and environmentally correctly recycled at no charge. 919-542-2803. A2,tfnc

LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-258-3594. N9,tfnc

CASH PAID FOR JUNK CARS AND PICKUPS –Call - 336-581-3423 S11,18,25,O2p

NOTICE OF ELECTION

CHATHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

The municipal general election for Town of Apex, Town of Cary, Town of Goldston, Town of Pittsboro, and the Town of Siler City will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Voters who lack ID can get one for free from their county board of elections. Find out more at ncsbe. gov/voter-id.

Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Early voting will be held at the following locations from Thursday, October 16, 2025, to Saturday, November 1, 2025:

County Board of Elections o ce In Lieu of Site, Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center, 1192 U.S. Hwy 64 West Business, Pittsboro, NC 27312

New Hope Baptist Church, 581 New Hope Church Rd, Apex, NC 27523

Dates, Hours and Times fo r In Lieu of Site

October 16, 2025 – October 29, 2025 Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm October 30, 2025, - October 31, 2025 8:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Saturday October 25, 2025 & November 1, 2025 8:00 am – 3:00 pm, Sunday, October 26, 2025 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

Dates, Hours and Times for New Hope Baptist Church Site

Opens, October 25, 2025 8:00 am – 3:00 pm Ends Saturday, November 1, 2025 8:00 am – 3:00 pm. Sunday, October 26, 2025 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Monday – Friday, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm. Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters who have requested them beginning October 3, 2025. A voter can ll out an absentee ballot request at votebymail. ncsbe.gov, or by lling out a request form provided by the board of elections. The request must be received through the website or by the Chatham County Board of Elections by 5 p.m. October 21, 2025.

Registered voters who live within the boundaries of Apex, Cary, Goldston, Pittsboro, Siler City, or the Goldston Gulf Sanitary District may vote in the municipal election. Municipal contests include Apex Town Council, Cary Town Council at large, Goldston Mayor, Town Commissioner at large, Town Commissioner Ward 1, Pittsboro Mayor, Town Commissioner, Siler City Mayor, Town Commissioner at-large, Town Commissioner District 1,Town Commissioner District 5, and Goldston Gulf Sanitary District Board Member.

The voter registration deadline for this election is 5 p.m. Friday, October 10, 2025. Eligible individuals who are not registered by that deadline may register and vote at any early voting site during the early voting period. New registrants will be required to provide documentation of their residence. Questions? Call the Chatham County Board of Elections O ce at 919-545-8500 or send an email to elections@chathamcountync.gov.

Tad VanDusan, Chairman Chatham County Board of Elections

TRUST NOTICE

To all persons regarding Mary Anna Andrews, deceased, who died on or about July 18, 2025: You are hereby noti ed that Gail Greogry is the Trustee of the Rolland Andrews and Mary Anna Andrews Revocable trust dated March 3, 2010. Any action to contest the validity of the trust must be brought in the District Court of Chatham County, North Carolina, within the later to occur of four (4) months from the date of second publication of this notice, or thirty (30) days from the date of mailing this notice to all heirs of the decedent, spouse of the decedent, and bene ciaries under the trust whose identities are reasonably ascertainable. Any suit not led within this period shall be forever barred. Notice is further given that any persons indebted to the decedent or to the trust are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned trustee.

Notice is further given that any person or entity possessing a claim against the trust must mail proof of the claim to the trustee at the address listed below via certi ed mail, return receipt requested, by the later to occur of four (4) months from the second publication of this notice or thirty (30) days from the date of mailing this notice if required or the claim shall be forever barred unless paid or otherwise satis ed. Dated this 17th day of September, 2025. Rolland Andrews and Mary Anna Andrews Revocable trust dated March 3, 2010. Gail Gregory, Trustee 125 Bellemont Rd Pittsboro NC 27312 Attorney for Trustee: Vanessa M.Y. Willman Pin# AT0011731 Foss, Kuiken, Cochran, Helling & Willman PC P.O. Box 30 Fair eld, Iowa 52556 Date of second publication: _____ day of _________ 2025.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of FRADYA SARAH BLUESTEIN, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, on the 18th day of September, 2025, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of the attorney for the estate on or before the 27th day of 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 25th day of September, 2024.

John Michael Cullen, Personal Representative, c/o Anthony D. Nicholson, Attorney for the estate, McPherson, Rocamora, Nicholson & Hinkle, PLLC, 3211 Shannon Road, Suite 400, Durham, NC 27707. September 25, October 2, 9, 16 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: drsarahazel@gmail.com

Phone: 602-478-7239

This the 18th day of September, 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

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

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

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

All persons having claims against the estate of Anhelica Maria Mata, of Chatham County, NC, who died on October 6, 2024, are noti ed to present them on or before December 25, 2025 to David Plowman, Administrator, c/o Maitland & Sti er Law Firm, 2 Couch Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Michele L. Sti er MAITLAND & STIFFLER LAW FIRM 2 Couch Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Attorney for the Estate

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Administrator of the Estate of Billy Gene Brewer 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 December, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 18th day of September, 2025.

Patricia S. Brewer, Administrator of The Estate of Billy Gene Brewer 5 Bennett-Siler City Road Siler City, NC 27344 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED, as 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

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

FILE#25E000395-180

The 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, ADMINISTRATOR CTA

382 PINE LAKE DR. SILER CITY, NC 27344 *THE LAW OFFICE OF LEWIS FADELY, PLLC

119 N FIR AVE. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: S18,25,O2,9p

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

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

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

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

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.

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 as Limited Personal Representative of the Estate of June R. Solow, deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of December 10, 2025, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 11th day of September 2025. Christopher Solow Limited Personal Representative Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

FORECLOSURE

23-116053 IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CHATHAM COUNTY 24sp000022-180 IN THE MATTER OF

their communities,” the campaign wrote in a statement, and his career has included “keeping thousands of criminals o the streets and behind bars.” It cites Cooper signing a 2023 law that toughened pretrial release rules.

The clash has sent early signals of just how heated the North Carolina Senate race will be. It already was anticipated to be a key 2026 Senate race for Democrats seeking to claim a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections and now could be among the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history.

Democrats see the popular former governor’s bid for the open North Carolina seat as one of their best pickup opportunities in a landscape that largely favors Republicans. They need four Senate seats to claim a majority.

Tragic ashpoint emerges

Both candidates have expressed sorrow over the death of the 23-year-old Zarutska, whose horri c attack was caught on camera. But public outrage that suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. had been previously arrested more than a dozen times and had been recently released on a charge without bond prompted accusations by Whatley and allies that Cooper has pushed soft-on-crime policies.

“It’s pretty simple: A vote for Roy Cooper is a vote for more crime, more violence, more criminals,” Whatley said in the rst days after the release of the surveillance video.

Cooper pushed back hard.

“I’ve been Attorney General and Governor, dedicating my career to putting violent criminals behind bars and keeping them there,” Cooper, who was the state attorney general for 16 years before eight as governor, wrote on X. In turn, he accused Whatley, also a recent state GOP chairman whom President Donald Trump encouraged to enter the race, of looking to take

advantage of Zarutska’s death.

“Only a cynical DC insider would think it’s acceptable to use her death for political points,” he said on X.

More Republicans soon chimed in on social media, including Vice President JD Vance and Trump, who posted that “her blood is on the hands of the Democrats” and named Cooper speci cally.

The killing, which t neatly into Trump’s tough-oncrime agenda in big cities, gave Whatley a clear opening, said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University.

“People don’t know who he is. He doesn’t have high name recognition,” said Cooper, who is not related to the former governor. “So he is trying to de ne himself for North Carolinians, and he’s trying to rede ne Roy Cooper.”

2 candidates on collision course

Both Cooper and Whatley got in the race this summer, within weeks of GOP Sen. Thom Tillis announcing that he would not seek reelection. Cooper had always been considered a potential Senate candidate in 2026. Whatley announced when Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, declined to jump in.

With no other high-prole candidates currently in the race, the parties’ primaries seem unlikely to head o a Cooper-Whatley general election battle.

Some pundits think spending in next year’s race could reach $1 billion, blowing past the $515.5 million spent overall on a U.S. Senate race in Georgia in 2020 won by Democrat Jon Osso in a runo , according to data from Open Secrets, which tracks political spending.

The campaign pits Cooper, a proven winner for Democrats in a Southern state, against rst-time candidate Whatley. Whatley’s deep loyalty to Trump — who won the state’s electoral votes all three times he ran for president — and fundraising skills make him

a formidable opponent in the closely divided state.

Suspect’s criminal history, release ignite criticism

Brown, who was indicted for rst-degree murder this month in state criminal court, also faces a federal charge in Zarutska’s death. He could face the death penalty if convicted. Calls to the Mecklenburg County public defender’s o ce, seeking someone who could comment on Brown’s behalf, previously were unanswered.

A magistrate earlier this year allowed Brown, who in September 2020 completed more than ve years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon, to be released without bond on a nonviolent misdemeanor charge, according to court records. Brown was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation after his latest arrest.

The panel Cooper established as governor in June 2020, the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, o ered dozens of recommendations, including eliminating the need for people

accused of most misdemeanors to post a cash bond unless doing so would endanger someone else.

But Cooper wasn’t a task force member, and the panel had no authority to enact cash bail recommendations or release people from prison. And the task force’s December 2020 recommendations — most of which were ignored by Republican lawmakers — were released after Brown left prison.

State Senate leader Phil Berger said at a news conference with Whatley earlier this month that task force recommendations reected “an attitude on criminal justice” that informs magistrates to make bond decisions like the one Brown received. The GOP-controlled General Assembly is expected to take up criminal justice reform now that it is back in session.

Whatley also criticized Cooper for a 2021 lawsuit settlement that required his administration to release 3,500 o enders within state custody over several months. The state NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and others had sued to

Homes, Townhomes & Villas

&

address prison conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cooper pushes back on canceled federal grants

Fighting back, Cooper’s campaign has tried to link Whatley to April’s cancellation of hundreds of U.S. Department of Justice grants for programs supporting violence reduction and crime victims. Whatley has expressed broad support for government e ciency e orts in the Trump administration, although there’s nothing to indicate he actively backed these cancellations.

Chris Cooper, the Western Carolina professor, said Whatley’s strategy on crime is likely to be repeated — attempting to connect any order or action in Roy Cooper’s long career to a negative outcome. It should make for a long, drawn-out contest.

“We live in a time of essentially a constant campaign,” Chris Cooper said. “And if anything, the temperature is only going to rise between now and next November.”

GARY D. ROBERTSON AND ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO

Former Gov. Roy Cooper, left, and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley are vying for the open U.S. Senate seat up for vote next fall.

CHATHAM SPORTS

a pass

Chargers’

Girls’ ag football has rst games

Each team picked up a win in the rst week

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

MEBANE — High school football fans don’t have to wait until Friday to see their favorite teams play anymore.

The girls are now bringing the action to Wednesday nights. Jordan-Matthews, Seaforth and Northwood opened their

girls’ ag football seasons at Eastern Alamance on Sept. 17. Each of the teams played two games, battling each other and the league’s two other teams, Eastern Alamance and Southeast Alamance. Thanks to a working connection between quarterback Emma Grace Hill and receiver Annika Johansson, Seaforth won its rst game over Jordan-Matthews in an overtime battle 15-14. Down 14-8 at mid eld with 10 seconds left to play, Johans-

son caught a deep ball from Hill and scored to tie the game at the buzzer.

“We were like, ‘Well, if we go short, they’re all in the middle,’” Hill said. “So they were just going to get the ags. But if we go long, there’s only like two people there.”

Said Johansson, “I ran a post or something. It kind of worked out perfectly because I was right in the middle. Nobody was there.”

The Hawks failed to take the win on the ensuing ex-

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM

Providence Grove’s Nick Straughn runs through the JordanMatthews defense in a 47-8 win over the Jets on Sept. 19.

Jordan-Matthews su ers rst loss, beaten 47-8 by Providence Grove

The Patriots scored 47 unanswered points

“We’ve got three really good backs plus a quarterback that we feel like can run it around too.”

Cody Moran

(3 -2) scored 47 unanswered points to hand the Jets their rst loss of the season 47-8.

“I just made my space, and I just swerved through everybody.”

Noelle Whitaker

tra point. But in the exchange of extra point tries from the 10 -yard line in overtime, Johansson caught a touchdown on the rst try, and the defense sealed the win with a pass

FOOTBALL RECAP

break-up on the Jets’ following attempt.

After giving up two early touchdown runs in a 18-12 loss to Southeast Alamance to start the night, Northwood bounced back with a 14-0 win over Seaforth.

Northwood receiver Noelle Whitaker got things started with a long catch and run for a touchdown to give the Chargers an 8-0 advantage.

“I just made my space, and I

Local teams go 0-4 for the rst time this season

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

North Moore 37, Seaforth 20

North Moore (3-2) dominated Seaforth (1-4) in the run game, rushing for 261 yards while holding the Hawks to 38 yards on the ground.

Senior quarterback Brady Atkinson led the way for the Mustangs with 64 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Senior Joseph Dunn rushed for a team-high 93 yards, and sophomore Micah Morrison also contributed a touchdown.

The game was tied 6-6 at the end of the rst quarter. Seaforth then committed a series of miscues that led to a 27-6 de cit at the half. Early in the second quarter, senior Trace Shaw blocked a punt, and sophomore Blake Pennington took it to the house to give North Moore a 12-6 lead. A mishandled punt snap deep in Seaforth territory set up a Mustangs score, and with two seconds left in the rst half, North Moore capitalized on Kenyen Noah’s rst of two interceptions on the night with another touchdown.

Senior Nick Gregory was a bright spot for Seaforth with a receiving touchdown and a 77-yard kicko return touchdown.

3

Local teams with byes in Week 6

By

Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — The Jets donned camou age jerseys for their military appreciation night Friday, but like any occasion honoring veterans, the moment belonged to the Patriots. After Jordan-Matthews (4-1) marched down the eld on its opening drive and took an early lead thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run by Jakari Blue, Providence Grove

Senior quarterback Jackson Lawver, who rushed for 85 yards, was responsible for three touchdowns, including two on the ground and one in the air to junior Connor Tozer. Yet junior running back Nick Straughn was the engine behind the Patriots’ o ensive success. Straughn rushed for 106 yards on 17 carries, and he scored Providence Grove’s rst touchdown on a 17-yard run in the rst quarter. In the rst half,

Week 6: Bye

North Surry 42, Northwood 15

Northwood (1-4) had no answer for North Surry’s (4-1) senior receiver Fisher Leftwich. Leftwich hauled in ve passes for 139 and two receiving touchdowns, both of which came in the rst half. With the Greyhounds up 14-3 late in the second quarter,

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Northwood’s Ella Hickey (16) throws

during the

rst girls’ ag football game.

Addison Goldston

Chatham Central, volleyball

Chatham Central sophomore Addison Goldston earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Sept. 15.

Goldston helped Chatham Central extend its win streak to four last week with a combined 35 kills in two games. She led the team with 20 kills in a 3-1 win over Western Harnett on Sept. 17, and she followed with 15 kills in a 3-2 win over North Stokes the next day.

As of Sunday, Goldston leads the Bears in kills (156) and digs (189). She’s recorded two games with more than 20 kills twice this season.

Chatham Central, Woods Charter volleyball extend win streaks

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Volleyball

Seaforth won two of its three games last week. The Hawks edged Orange 3-2 on Sept. 16 thanks to a combined 37 kills from senior Josie Valgus (20) and freshman Naomi Stevenson (17). Seaforth’s three-game win streak ended with a 3-0 loss to undefeated 8A opponent Green Level the next day. Stevenson ended the week strong with 18 kills in a 3-0 bounce back win over Carrboro ( fth straight conference win) on Sept. 18.

Woods Charter kept the good times rolling with back-to-back straight-set conference wins over Chatham Charter on Sept. 18 and River Mill on Friday. The Wolves have won 10 games in a row as of Sunday.

Chatham Central extended its win streak to four and climbed back to .500 with a 3-1 victory over Western Harnett on Sept. 17 and a 3-2 win over North Stokes on Sept. 18. Sophomore Addison Goldston led the Bears with a combined 35 kills in the two games.

Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)

Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Uwharrie Charter (14-3, 4-0); 2. North Moore (9-2, 3-1); 3. Southwestern Randolph (9-8, 2-1); T4. Eastern Randolph (3-9, 1-3); T4. Northwood (2-11, 1-3); 6. Jordan-Matthews (4-11, 0-3)

Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Woods Charter (12-1, 8-0); 2. Clover Garden School (11-3, 7-1); 3. River Mill (7-8, 5-4); 4. Chatham Charter (6-9, 3-4); 5. Ascend Leadership (5-6, 3-5); 6. Southern Wake Academy (3-9, 2-6); 7. Central Carolina Academy (1-13, 0-8)

Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Bishop McGuinness (11-2, 6-0); 2. South Stokes (10-6, 6-1); 3. Chatham Central (7-7, 5-1); 4. North Stokes (3-10, 3-4); 5. South Davidson (4-12, 2-4); T6. College Prep and Leadership (1-11, 0-6); T6. Winston-Salem Prep (2-12, 0-6) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Cedar Ridge (13-0, 7-0); 2. Seaforth (10-5, 6-1); 3. Orange (6-7, 4-3); 4. Carrboro (6-8, 3-4); T5. South Granville (4-11, 2-5); T5. Durham School of the Arts (6-9, 2-5); 7. J.F. Webb (7-8, 0-6) Boys’ soccer

Jordan-Matthews dominated Phoenix Academy 9-0 on Sept. 15 and won 2-0 over Lee County on

Kills by Chatham Central’s Addison Goldston in the Bears’ two wins last week

Sept. 18 to extend its win streak to six. As of Sunday, the Jets have shut out ve opponents in a row, and they haven’t given up a goal since Aug. 27. Seaforth opened conference play with a 2-0 loss to Carrboro on Sept. 15. The Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with its rst conference win over Cedar Ridge 3-1 on Sept. 17. After a 1-1 tie with Northern Durham on Sept. 15, Woods Charter picked up another win against American Leadership Academy-Johnston 4-1 on Friday. Northwood struggled in nonconference matchups last week, falling to East Chapel Hill 4-0 on Sept. 16 and Carrboro 2-1 on Friday. The Chargers split the losses with a 3-0 win over Southern Lee on Sept. 18. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Southwestern Randolph (10-1, 0-0); 2. Jordan-Matthews (7-3, 0-0); 3. North Moore (3-1-1, 0-0); 4. Northwood (5-3-3, 0-0); 5. Uwharrie Charter (1-2, 0-0); 6. Eastern Randolph (2-5-2, 0-0) Central Tar Heel 1A: T1. Clover Garden School (9-1, 5-0); T1. Woods Charter (4-1-1, 2-0); 3. Southern Wake Academy (5-3-1, 2-2-1); 4. Chatham Charter (15-1, 1-2); 5. River Mill (2-8, 1-3); T6. Ascend Leadership (3-3-1, 0-1-1); T6. Central Carolina Academy (1-6, 0-3) Big Seven 4A/5A: T1. Carrboro (4-6-1, 2-0); T1. Orange (7-4, 1-0); T3. Seaforth (3-6-1, 1-1); T3. Durham School of the Arts (18-1, 1-1); T3. South Granville (46-1, 1-1); T6. Cedar Ridge (4-5,

Woods Charter huddles up during a win over Clover Garden. The Wolves have won 10 in a row.

0-2); T6. J.F. Webb (4-3, 0-1) Girls’ tennis

Chatham Charter fell to two nonconference opponents last week, losing 8-1 to Burlington Christian Academy on Sept. 15 and 9-0 to Montgomery Central on Sept. 18. The Knights defeated Southern Wake Academy 9-0 on Sept. 17. After a 7-2 loss to Carrboro on Sept. 15, Seaforth won back-to-back games over Cedar Ridge 9-0 and The O’Neal School 7-2. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Uwharrie Charter (4-0, 4-0); 2. Southwestern Randolph (8-3, 3-1); 3. Northwood (2-8, 2-3); 4. North Moore (2-6, 1-2); 5. Jordan-Matthews (2-13, 0-4) Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Chatham Charter (6-4, 4-0); T2. Clover Garden School (2-4, 0-2); T2. Southern Wake Academy (1-4, 0-2) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Carrboro (15-1, 8-0; 2. Seaforth (9-5, 6-2); T3. Durham School of the Arts (7-7, 4-2); T3. Orange (9-2, 4-2); T5. Cedar Ridge (5-6, 1-6); T5. South Granville (1-6, 1-6); 7. J.F. Webb (0-8, 0-6)

Cross-country

Seaforth sophomore Samuel Neil nished 16th out of 286 runners in the boys’ 5,000-meter run at the Adidas XC Challenge in Cary. Northwood junior Ashley Perry nished 17th out of 226 runners in the girls’ race. Neil’s fourth-place nish (senior Waylon Vose also in the top 10) at the Big Seven 4A/5A conference meet on Sept. 16 helped Seaforth nish second as a team. Freshman Madison Putnam, freshman Chloe Freeman and senior Katie Leonard nished in the top three in that order to give Seaforth’s girls the top team score in the conference meet.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Jordan-Matthews gives makeover to gym oor

The new-look court features new colors and touches

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — A major upgrade to the Jordan-Matthews athletic facilities is complete.

Jordan-Matthews unveiled its refurbished basketball court at a reception held in the Frank N. Justice Gymnasium before Friday’s varsity football game.

The court, installed in the early 2000s, was sanded, cleaned and stained by Raleigh-based ooring company Royalwood Associates. The new-look oor features a bright tan color outside of the 3-point arcs and in the keys with a darker, contrasting color inside the 3-point line. There’s a larger “J-M” logo at the half court circle, and the “Jets” logo is printed in front of the free -throw line. A large, capitalized print of “Jordan-Matthews” runs along the sideline near the home stands, and “John Phillips Court” remains on the right side of each half court.

The process started Sept. 2, and the court was ready for use Monday. The project cost around $27,700, and Chatham County Schools covered the majority of the price.

Jordan-Matthews Athletic Director Barry West said he can’t thank Chatham Coun-

Leftwich scored on a 96-yard kicko return.

Senior running back Zamarri Sweatman contributed 105 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Northwood trailed 29-3 at halftime, and Sweatman put the game away with a short run to the end zone early in the third quarter.

Senior running back Leo Mortimer and junior receiver Raje Torres scored the Chargers two touchdowns in the second half.

Without senior running back Robert Tripp, the Chargers struggled getting the ball in scoring range. Northwood has scored less than 20 points in four games this season, all losses.

Week 6: Bye

North Stokes 27, Chatham Central 26

Chatham Central’s (1-4) push for a conference-opening win came just short against North Stokes (1-4) on Friday.

The Vikings took advantage of a Chatham Central coverage bust late in the fourth quarter to take the lead. Chatham Central failed to score on its nal possession.

Former Jordan-Matthews

the school’s new-look oor.

ty Schools Superintendent Anthony Jackson and Assistant Superintendent and District

Athletic Director Chris Blice enough.

“We just put in a request for capital outlay, and the Lord blessed us, and the district approved it,” Jordan-Matthews Athletic Director Barry West said. “It was really a shot in the dark.”

The Bears put on one of their best o ensive performances of the year as sophomore quarterback Brooks Albright completed 23 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 115 yards. Sophomore receiver Gavin Williams hauled in seven passes for 102 yards and two scores, but it wasn’t enough. North Stokes also had themselves a night through the air with senior quarterback Noah Bennett completing 25 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Aiden Bennett (nine receptions), junior Jackson Bodenhamer (three receptions) and sophomore Zach Taitt (three receptions) each caught a touchdown.

The Vikings also forced more negative plays for the Bears’ offense. North Stokes nished the night with six sacks as Bodenhamer led the way with two.

Chatham Central is now 1-2 this season in games decided by one possession.

Week 6: Bye

Week 6: American Leadership Academy-Johnston at Jordan-Matthews (Friday at 7 p.m.)

Jordan-Matthews (4-1) will

and

West said bringing the project to life was a collaborative effort between himself, the boys’ and girls’ basketball coaches, Rodney Wiley and Lamont Piggie, former principal April Burko and current principal Adam Lutterloh.

“We needed to do something,” West said. “The colors were faded. I’m a boomer, so nothing against the ’70s,

but it was very 1970s before.”

That tracks with the general rst impressions of the court from others seeing it for the rst time at the reception. Along with current coaches and sta , those in attendance included former Jordan-Matthews basketball player and coach PJ Lowman, former basketball star and Jets Hall of Famer Terrence Newby and the man after

be the only Chatham County team taking the eld Friday as it hosts 2A opponent American Leadership Academy-Johnston (3-2).

For the Jets, their nal nonconference bout will be a chance to shake o its worst game of the season before the competition really heats up.

The Patriots are coming o back-to-back losses, including a 49-14 defeat to Wake Prep on

Sept. 12 and a 41-21 loss to East Carteret on Friday.

For the most part, ALA-Johnston’s o ense relies on the run game, especially senior running back Anthony Jimenez. Jimenez has rushed for 951 yards and 12 touchdowns in the Patriots’ rst ve games this season, averaging 9.7 yards per carry.

Defensively, stopping the run has been a struggle for the Pa-

“I got here in the fall of 1984, and it’s the best it’s ever looked.”

John Phillips

whom the court is named, former coach and athletic director John Phillips.

“I like it,” Lowman, who coached on the old version of the oor for 12 years, said. “It feels simple and classic, but it’s still a little modern too.”

“It looks more modern. It’s more bright,” Newby said. Said Phillips, “I got here in the fall of 1984, and it’s the best it’s ever looked. So how’s that? And it’s not close.”

Phillips took the honors of making the rst basket on the new oor with a layup. Lowman had the court dedicated to Phillips in 2011.

The new gym oor is one of numerous upgrades to the Jordan-Matthews athletic facilities done since West took over as the athletic director in 2023.

The school has renovated its outdoor track, weight room and installed new scoreboards, wall pads and banners in its gym in the past two years.

“I always feel like I’ve got to give the kids something to be proud of, they can take ownership of,” West said. “Everything we do, everything the coaching sta does is for these kids.”

triots. ALA-Johnston gave up

373 yards (12.4 yards per carry)

Friday and 205 yards (11.4 yards per carry) against Wake Prep.

Just like the Jets, ALA-Johnston has yet to beat a team with a winning record.

To put points on the board, Jordan-Matthews will need a resurgence of its rushing attack led by senior Jakari Blue. That’ll start with controlling the line of scrimmage like the Jets did in their rst four games. Tackling will have to be better for the Jets’ defense in order to prevent another running back from dictating the game.

Power rankings (after Week 5)

1. Jordan-Matthews

2. Seaforth

3. Northwood

4. Chatham Central

Last week’s rankings: 1. Jordan-Matthews; 2. Seaforth; 3. Northwood; 4. Chatham Central

Week 6 score predictions

Jordan-Matthews 34, ALA-Johnston 21 Prediction record (since Week 2): 10-4

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

coach

Athletic Director John Phillips stands behind his name on

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Jordan-Matthews’ Nolan Mitchell runs for extra yards against Providence Grove on Sept. 19.

NASCAR Blaney opens 2nd round of Cup with New Hampshire win

The Penske driver advanced to Round 3

The Associated Press

LOUDON, N.H. — In a race in which Fords were fastest at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney barely was best in class for the second-round opener of the NASCAR Cup Series playo s.

The 2023 Cup champion led 116 laps in his No. 12 Mustang, including the nal 39, but still had to fend o a furious charge by runner-up Josh Berry, who closed within a few car lengths with 10 laps left before overdriving a corner.

Blaney pulled away to win by 0.937 seconds Sunday for his third victory of the season and 16th of his career.

“That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove,” the Team Penske driver said. “I was trying to kind of bide my stu and pull Josh a little bit, then he really started coming. It was all I could do to hold him o , trying new lanes. That was good and clean racing. I appreciate Josh for not throwing me the bumper when he could have.

“What a cool day, what a cool weekend. Super fast car. Really have been strong through the playo s. It’s great to get a win in the rst race of the round.”

Blaney, who is trying to reach the Championship 4 seasonnale for the third consecutive year, became the rst driver to advance into one of the eight available spots in the third round of the Cup playo s.

Berry, whose No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford has a competitive alliance with Penske, overcame a spin on the 82nd lap and rebounded from his rst-round elimination after nishing last in each of the rst three races in the playo s. “It was de nitely an awesome day,” said Berry, who led 10 laps. “Hats o to Ryan at the end. All our cars were really strong, and Ryan did a great job there. I was honestly surprised I was able to keep him honest at the end.

Seaforth’s Annika Johansson throws a pass against JordanMatthews in the girls’ ag football season opener.

“That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove.”

Ryan Blaney

“Just a shame to nish second, but after the last couple of weeks, it feels good. This is denitely what we’re capable of, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

The Fords backed up their impressive performances in qualifying Saturday when Penske star Joey Logano won the pole position to cap a sweep of the top three starting spots with Blaney and Berry. The same trio led 273 of 301 laps Sunday.

William Byron was the highest- nishing Chevrolet driver in third.

“It was a good day overall,” said Byron, who is the highest-ranked driver behind Blaney in the playo standings with two races left in the second round. “Penske guys were super fast. I felt like they were in another ZIP code.”

Logano took fourth after leading a race-high 147 laps in the No. 22 Ford. The Middletown, Connecticut, native started from the pole for the rst time at New Hampshire, which he considers his home track.

“(Blaney) was wicked fast in practice, and he showed that again in the race,” Logano said. “We obviously got a ton of points today, so we did what we needed to do, but I’d rather win. That’s just the greed in me, especially when it’s home.”

After qualifying 27th, last among the 12 playo drivers, Chase Elliott raced to a fth-place nish.

Christopher Bell took sixth as the top nishing Toyota driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, which went undefeated in the rst round of the playo s.

Kyle Larson took seventh, and Ross Chastain was ninth as playo drivers took eight of the top 10 spots on the 1.058-mile oval.

Straughn broke four runs of more than 10 yards, wearing down the Jets’ defense with his physical running style.

“Last week against Eastern Randolph we got away from the run a little bit,” Providence Grove coach Cody Moran said. “Realized we need to get back to it. We’ve got three really good backs plus a quarterback that we feel like can run it around too. So just giving those guys the opportunity, and they made the most of it.”

On the other side of the ball, Providence Grove shut down Jordan-Matthews’ rushing attack and sent constant pressure in the face of senior quarterback Kamarie Hadley. Blue, who rushed for more

than 85 yards in each of the Jets’ rst four games, mustered six yards. Providence Grove recorded ve sacks, including three from sophomore Conner Haithcock. As time expired in the third quarter, Haithcock came away with a sack fumble in the end zone, and Straughn recovered it for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 43-8 lead. Arguably the most important defensive play of the night came in the second quarter. Up 14-8 with just over a minute left in the rst half, the Patriots stopped a driving Jordan-Matthews o ense by recovering a backward pass on the Jets’ 44-yard line. Providence Grove made it down to the 3-yard line with 10 seconds left, and Lawver ran in a score to put the Pa -

triots ahead 21-8 before the break.

“This week, we had a spy call because we knew (Hadley) could run it around pretty good,” Moran said. “Our defensive line and our outside backers played really good.”

From an execution standpoint, Jordan-Matthews had a disastrous night.

Its defense had a chance to force a punt with a thirdand-long on Providence Grove’s rst possession, but Lawver broke multiple tackles on a 19 -yard run and allowed for a short fourth down conversion. The Patriots went on to score on that drive.

The Jets were agged 12 times, including eight penalties in the second quarter. Jordan-Matthews forced a fourth

just swerved through everybody,” Whitaker said.

In the second half, receiver Synai Palmer used her speed to run in a score and extend Northwood’s lead.

The Chargers’ defense excelled at disrupting Seaforth’s pass attempts. Safety Kelis Watson snagged an interception late in the rst half against the Hawks. She also picked o a pass in the loss to Southeast Alamance.

Watson said her ability to pick o those passes came down to watching players’ hips and eyes.

Jordan-Matthews responded well to the heartbreaking loss to Seaforth with a 20-8 win over Eastern Alamance. The Eagles couldn’t keep up with Genesis Granados, who sped around defenders for a rushing touchdown late in the rst half. On the ensuing two -point attempt, Granado ran to her right, changed direction and outran defenders going left to give the Jets a 14-0 lead.

“I de nitely practiced my twirls a lot,” Granados said

down on the Patriots’ second possession of the game, but a roughing the kicker call gave them an automatic rst down and a touchdown later in the drive.

Following a 34-yard completion to freshman Jaden Fisher to put the Jets deep in Providence Grove territory, multiple false starts halted what could’ve been a game-tying drive late in the second quarter. Jordan-Matthews turned the ball over on downs for the second time, coming up empty on the Patriots’ 20-yard line.

Late in the game, two bad snaps over Hadley’s head resulted in two safeties.

“We just couldn’t stack enough good plays,” Jordan-Matthews coach Kermit Carter said.

about evading defenders. “And my karaoke a lot.”

Jordan-Matthews also found success in a trick play in which two hando s were made before a pass down the eld. The rst attempt resulted in a touchdown for receiver Lizzie Alston for a 6-0 lead. The Jets made another huge gain when running the play again during the game.

Alston thinks the team’s chemistry is why the play works so well.

“That’s the main thing we were focused on throughout practices,” Granados said. “And I think we nally got it down because in the rst game, we fooled the girls.” After playing its second round of games at Southeast Alamance on Monday, the local teams will hit the eld again Wednesday at Seaforth. Competition will start at 6:30 p.m. The rest of the schedule includes games on Oct. 8 at Southeast Alamance (7 p.m. start time), Oct. 15 at Northwood (6:30 p.m.) and Oct. 22 at Jordan-Matthews (6:30 p.m.). The playo s will be held on Oct. 29 at Eastern Alamance at 6:30 p.m.

Providence Grove responded well to a blowout loss to Eastern Randolph on Sept. 12 as the Patriots’ 47 points were the most they scored in a game since 2022.

For the rst time this season, the Jets will need a bounce-back performance to clean up the costly mistakes made Friday. The road will only get tougher from here as four of Jordan-Matthews’ next ve opponents have winning records.

“We’re still growing,” Carter said. “We’re still learning stu . We’re going to have these hiccups. We’re still learning and growing.

“We’ve got a lot of young kids, and sometimes you learn a lot of good stu out of getting your butt beat.”

J-M from page B1

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GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

Ryan Blaney celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playo race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA BASKETBALL

Florida restores Maxwell’s college stats, again program’s leading scorer again

Gainesville, Fla.

Florida has formally restored basketball great Vernon Maxwell’s nal two years of college statistics. The move once again makes him the program’s all-time leading scorer. The 60-year-old Maxwell celebrated the turnabout during a program reunion. Maxwell scored 2,450 points during his four seasons at Florida in the late 1980s. But he also was the focus of an NCAA investigation that ultimately placed the Gators on unsanctioned probation. Florida was forced to vacate three NCAA Tournament victories in which Maxwell participated. Then-Florida AD Bill Arnsparger stripped Maxwell’s stats from the record books for those two years.

MLB Kershaw to retire after 18 years with Dodgers, more than 3,000 strikeouts

Los Angeles Clayton Kershaw, a threetime Cy Young Award winner, says he’s retiring at the end of this season, capping an 18-year career all spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 37-year- old left-hander, an 11-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP, won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024. Kershaw has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, leading active major league players. His 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live ball era since 1920.

NHL

Kings captain Kopitar plans to retire after upcoming 20th season

Los Angeles Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire from his 20-year NHL career after the upcoming season. The 38-year-old Kopitar made the announcement last Thursday following the rst practice of training camp with the Kings. The Slovenian center has spent his entire adult life with the Kings since making his NHL debut in October 2006. He is a ve-time NHL All-Star, a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, and a three -time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanlike play.

BOXING

Ali’s unsigned draft card to be auctioned

Muhammad Ali’s refusal to sign his military draft card upended his life and added a powerful voice to the antiwar movement. That piece of history is coming up for sale. The online sale by Christie’s will take place Oct. 10-28. The auction house says the card comes from descendants of Ali. There’s a blank line on the card where Ali was supposed to sign in 1967 but refused to do so as the Vietnam War raged on. It triggered a chain of events that disrupted his boxing career but immortalized him as a champion for peace and social justice.

NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ celebrates 20 years of prime-time

The broadcast has been the top-rated show for 14 straight years

By Joe Reedy The Associated Press

DICK EBERSOL HELPED change comedy and late-night television when he teamed up with Lorne Michaels to create “Saturday Night Live” in 1975.

When it comes to sports television, Ebersol’s creation of “Sunday Night Football” on NBC in 2006 also has had a signi cant impact.

It is tting then that both are celebrating milestones this year. “Saturday Night Live” celebrated its 50th season in February, while “Sunday Night Football” is in its 20th season.

“We were really aware that we weren’t just doing a football game, we were doing an important football game, that we would have all the bells and whistles,” Ebersol said about “Sunday Night Football”.

“Sunday Night Football” has been the highest-rated prime-time show for 14 consecutive seasons. The next closest was “American Idol”, which had a six-year streak from 2005-06 through the 2010-11 television season.

NBC’s rst three games this season — including the Sept. 4 NFL Kicko game — are averaging 24.9 million viewers for its best start since 2015.

The Sunday night package put NBC back in the NFL. NBC was without pro football for eight seasons, from 1998 to 2005, after CBS took over the AFC package.

“I think it’s exceeded everyone’s even very high expectations going in, and they’ve gone through the roof,” said Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution. “They’ve really never stopped innovating and focused on how to make Sunday night feel like a huge event and a great way to end the day.”

Mike Tirico called “Monday Night Football” on ESPN from 2006 through ’15 before joining NBC in 2016. He was the host of “Football Night in America” until taking over as the play-by-play announcer from Al Michaels in 2022. Cris Collinsworth, who got

“I think ‘Sunday Night Football’ has become everything ‘Monday Night Football’ was and more.”

Mike Tirico

his start at NBC after retiring as a player, returned to the network in 2006. He was on the studio show for three years before moving into the booth in 2009 after John Madden’s retirement.

Even though MNF had a 35-plus-year head start as the NFL’s seminal prime-time package, Tirico said it didn’t take long for SNF to supplant it because of the matchups and feel of the broadcast.

“I think ‘Sunday Night Football’ has become everything ‘Monday Night Football’ was and more now in a much more saturated TV environment,” Tirico said. “So I think without Monday night, you don’t have what Sunday night has, but it

took a special group of people, great planning and purpose to get Sunday night to where it is now. This run of being the No. 1 show in prime-time television for almost a decade and a half now, that’s extraordinary.”

Fred Gaudelli, who produced “Sunday Night Football” from 2006 through 2022 after working on “Monday Night Football” for ve years, said the success of Sunday night’s package at the start was due to Ebersol’s constant attention to the game schedule.

“There’s never been a network president, I’m very condent in saying this, that made the schedule a bigger priority than Dick Ebersol did,” said Gaudelli, the executive producer for the past three seasons. “If you check our schedules like the rst ve or six years, I think we had (Tom) Brady versus (Peyton) Manning four of the ve times, and we had all the big Cowboys games. So all of a sudden, every Sunday night is a big game. Monday night was ingrained in the American culture, but literally within two

or three years, we had reversed it.”

Something that Gaudelli sold Ebersol on, though, was having a musical open to the show, especially when Gaudelli mentioned how much NBC could earn from having a sponsor.

Gaudelli went to his iPod, heard Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and started to come up with lyrics that have been a staple of the show. Pink performed “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” before it switched to Faith Hill and now Carrie Underwood.

“I’ve had a front-row seat as the team created a sports presentation that went far beyond sports, with the integration of storytelling, pop culture and a musical show open that has become iconic,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said. NBC has aired Sunday night games from 40 stadiums, with Dallas playing in the most games in the series at 61. The most-viewed game was the 2012 season nale between the Cowboys and Washington, which averaged 30.3 million.

The former Wake Forest golfer will represent the U.S. on a familiar course

By Doug Ferguson The

Associated Press

NAPA, Calif. — Bethpage

Black is a big ballpark on Long Island that made the boy feel even smaller. He was holding his father’s hand on Father’s Day in 2002 as they watched the U.S. Open won by Tiger Woods. It was Cameron Young’s rst glimpse of golf at the highest level.

“That golf course is where our state Open was every year. That was the big tournament for me at that point,” Young said, who in 2017 became the rst amateur to win the New York State Open with a course-record 64 at the Black.

“I knew that golf course was a major championship golf course, and that was my route to play it.”

But a Ryder Cup?

“At the time it was like, ‘That’s where I’d like to be,’” he said, pausing to smile. “So it’s been a long time coming.”

New York homecoming

Young is every bit of New York. He is the son of Sleepy Hollow’s longtime professional. He took

the train to school at Fordham Prep in the Bronx. He was all about the Yankees, Rangers and Giants as a kid who played hockey and baseball when he wasn’t pounding golf balls.

“We’re very proud to have a New Yorker on our team and represent his country at Bethpage Black,” Keegan Bradley said when he announced Young as one of his captain’s pick.

It might have been years in the making, but this really transpired over three months.

Young was at No. 67 in the world at the start of May, not even eligible for the nal two majors of the year. He was nowhere near the conversation to be in the Ryder Cup, yet no less determined for his one shot at a Ryder Cup in his native New York.

Big pressure required small steps.

“Break par for a couple of days in a row, hit some good shots, put together a week,” Young said. “We started doing those little things better and better and built some belief.”

He had his rst top 10 in four months in May at the Truist Championship. A month later as a U.S. Open quali er, he birdied three of his last four holes to get into a 5-for-1 playo and then made a 12-foot birdie to earn his

“This

Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special to me.”

Cameron Young

way to Oakmont, where he tied for fourth. He also tied for fourth in Canada to earn a spot in the British Open. And then came his rst PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August when he won by six shots.

“I had to win something just to put myself in the question,” Young said.

The answer became increasingly obvious when Young followed that win with three strong performances in the postseason. Then came that call from Bradley with the best news of his career, better in

his mind than winning for the rst time on tour.

“This Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special to me,” Young said the day he was chosen. “I’ve been picturing the moment that I can possibly get a call to play on the team for a very, very long time.”

Young is 28, an old soul who doesn’t say much but always gets to the point. He is living in south Florida with his wife and three children, ages 3, 2 and 1. He isn’t on social media and doesn’t bother with it. His phone is primarily used to check his tee times and text his wife.

“I prefer things to be simple,” he said. “My attention is either on my children or on my job.”

Now the attention is on winning Ryder Cup points at Bethpage Black, a course an hour away from where he grew up, a course he rst saw at age 5 and has loved ever since.

BARBARA YOUNG / AP PHOTO

Cameron Young, 5, holds his father’s hand at Bethpage Black during the nal round of the U.S. Open in 2002.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

NBC Sports play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, left, sits next to color commentator Cris Collinsworth before a Sunday night game.

Theater award honoring Philip Seymour Ho man, Adam Schlesinger turns 10

The American Playwriting Foundation gives out the prize

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Many times in his life, playwright David Bar Katz didn’t know how he was going to pay the bills. These days, he’s helping the next generation of artists facing that same dilemma.

Katz oversees The Relentless Award, the largest annual cash prize in American theater to a playwright in recognition of a new play. It’s celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and, as always, seeking submissions that “exhibit fearlessness.” The award also honors musical theater.

“Being able to create undernancial stress is so di cult, and so anything we can do to give artists a little breathing room is what we want,” says Katz.

The award was inspired by Katz’s friend and collaborator Philip Seymour Ho man, the late actor who was described as relentless in his pursuit of truth in his art. A musical theater honor was added after the 2020 death of another of Katz’s friends, Fountains of Wayne co-founder Adam Schlesinger.

“To me, a big aspect of the award — the musical and the straight play — is not merely honoring Phil and Adam, but the idea of expanding their artistic legacies,” says Katz.

Some of the plays that have

“To me, a big aspect of the award — the musical and the straight play — is not merely honoring Phil and Adam, but the idea of expanding their artistic legacies.”

David Bar Katz

been recognized have gone on to great success, like Aleshea Harris’ 2016 winner “Is God Is,” which has been made into a movie starring Janelle Monáe, Vivica A. Fox, Sterling K. Brown and Kara Young.

“Aleshea typi es the whole point of the award,” says Katz.

“I think at a moment in her life where she, like so many of us other artists, had kind of had it, she won the award and that was incredibly meaningful in her career.”

Other successes include Sarah DeLappe’s “The Wolves” and Clare Barron’s “Dance Nation” — joint winners in 2015 — who have gone on to become Pulitzer Prize nalists. “The impact, especially of those three plays, has been profound in theater,” Katz says.

The musical and the playwriting honors alternate each year. The winner this year is Jack D. Coen, who created the musical comedy “Jo Jenkins Before the Galactic High Court of Consciousness.”

Coen will receive $65,000, and his musical — as well as the works of the nalists — will be honored at a ceremony and performance Oct. 12 at Build-

ing for the Arts’ multitheater complex, Theatre Row. Chris Collingwood, of Fountains of Wayne, will be performing as well.

The Relentless Award seeks full-length works by American applicants who haven’t previously been produced. All submissions are judged anonymously.

The Relentless Award’s selection committee this year consisted of Katz, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” co-creator Rachel Bloom, Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown, Emmy Award-winner David Javerbaum, songwriter and producer Sam Hollander, composer and arranger Laura Grill Jaye, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, musician and writer Brontez Purnell and Obie-winning playwright Lucy Thurber.

“The rst step was getting this money to artists that need it and giving them a launching place and some notoriety. But the dream was also then to be able to put it up because that is the hardest thing to get done now,” Katz says. “Everybody has readings, and no one has a production.”

VICTORIA WILL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Actor Philip Seymour Ho man, who died in 2014 at 46, inspired playwright David Bar Katz to create The Relentless Award for his uncompromising pursuit of truth in art.

this week in history

Warren Commission released, penicillin discovered, Ali defeats Frazer in “Thrilla in Manila”

The Associated Press

SEPT. 25

1513: Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and became the rst European to sight the Paci c Ocean from the New World.

1789: The rst U.S. Congress adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution and sent them to the states for rati cation.

1956: The rst trans-Atlantic telephone cable o cially went into service with a threeway ceremonial call between New York, Ottawa and London.

SEPT. 26

1777: British troops occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

1986: William H. Rehnquist was sworn in as the 16th chief justice of the United States, while Antonin Scalia joined the Supreme Court as its 103rd member.

2024: Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, hit Florida’s Big Bend and tore through

the Southeast, unleashing historic ooding in western North Carolina and Tennessee that caused $78 billion in damage and 219 deaths.

SEPT. 27

1779: John Adams was named by Congress to negotiate the Revolutionary War’s peace terms with Britain.

1939: Warsaw, Poland, surrendered after weeks of resistance to invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II.

1940: Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, formally allying the World War II Axis powers.

1964: The government publicly released the report of the Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy.

SEPT. 28

1781: American forces in the Revolutionary War, backed by a French eet, began their successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia.

1924: Three U.S. Army planes landed in Seattle, completing the rst round-theworld trip by air in 175 days.

1928: Scottish medical researcher Alexander Fleming

Johnson signed an act creating the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.

SEPT. 30

1777: The Continental Congress — forced to ee advancing British forces — moved to York, Pennsylvania, after briefly meeting in Lancaster.

1791: Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” premiered in Vienna, Austria.

1947: The World Series was broadcast on television for the rst time, as the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 5-3 in Game 1.

1949: The Berlin Airlift came to an end after delivering more than 2.3 million tons of cargo to blockaded residents of West Berlin over the prior 15 months.

discovered penicillin, the rst broadly e ective antibiotic.

SEPT. 29

1789: Congress o cially established a regular army under the U.S. Constitution.

1938: British, French, German and Italian leaders concluded the Munich Agreement, allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland.

1965: President Lyndon

1955: Actor James Dean was killed at age 24 in a two - car collision.

OCT. 1

1890: Yosemite National Park was established by the U.S. Congress.

1908: Henry Ford introduced his mass-produced Model T automobile to the market. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford would build more than 15 million Model T cars.

Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ release party coming to theaters

The new album drops Oct. 3

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift is heading back to the big screen next month, and fans are already lining up for tickets.

AMC Theatres announced on Friday that it will host a release party for Swift’s 12th studio album, “ The Life of a Showgirl,” which is set to debut Oct. 3.

The nearly-90-minute show, aptly titled “The O cial Release Party of a Showgirl,” will play at all 540 AMC theaters in the U.S. from Oct. 3-5, the company said. AMC will also air the show that weekend in Mexico, Canada and across Europe.

“Looks like it’s time to brush o that Eras Tour out t or orange cardigan,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post, later adding: “Dancing is optional but very much encouraged.”

“The Life of a Showgirl “ follows last year’s “ The Tortured Poets Department” and Swift’s record-breaking tour, which raked in more than $2.2 billion across two years and ve continents, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time.

Following the tour, Swift partnered with AMC and released a concert movie, which had the biggest opening for a concert lm to date. By working directly with AMC The-

“Dancing is optional but very much encouraged.”

Taylor Swift

atres, she circumvented Hollywood studios. This time around, AMC will be releasing a music video for one of her new album tracks, “The Fate of Ophelia.”

Moviegoers will also get to see behind-the-scenes footage of Swift, who is known for creating intricate music videos. Other lyric videos and “Taylor’s never-before-seen personal reections on songs” will also be aired, according to AMC.

Tickets are available online.

“The Life of the Showgirl” is Swift’s rst release since she regained control over her entire body of work. The pop star said in May that she purchased the catalog of recordings of her rst six albums from private equity rm Shamrock Capital, their most recent owner.

Swift’s ancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, helped roll out the new album by hosting her on their podcast “New Heights” in August.

Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement later that month.

solutions

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium in London on June 21, 2024, as part of her Eras Tour. Her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” debuts Oct. 3, and AMC Theatres will host watch parties leading up to the release.

WARNER BROS. VIA WIKIPEDIA

Actor James Dean, pictured in a promotional still for “Rebel Without a Cause,” died in a car crash on Sept. 30, 1955. He was 24.

*Must set up Auto Draft for 2nd Month.

famous birthdays this week

The Associated Press THE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

SEPT. 25

Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown is 92. Actor-producer Michael Douglas is 81. Model Cheryl Tiegs is 78. Actor Mark Hamill is 74. Actor Heather Locklear is 64. Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen is 60. Actor Will Smith is 57. Actor Catherine Zeta-Jones is 56.

SEPT. 26

Country singer David Frizzell is 84. Television host Anne Robinson is 81. Singer Bryan Ferry is 80. Author Jane Smiley is 76. Singer-guitarist Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) is 71. Actor Linda Hamilton is 69. Actor Jim Caviezel is 57. Tennis player Serena Williams is 44.

SEPT. 27

Musician Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) is 82. Actor Liz Torres is 78.

Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt is 76. Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron is 62. Actor Gwyneth Paltrow is 53.

Musician-actor Carrie Brownstein is 51. Musician Avril Lavigne is 41.

SEPT. 28

Actor Brigitte Bardot is 91. Filmmaker John Sayles is 75. Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent is 71. Zydeco musician C.J. Chenier is 68. Actor Mira Sorvino is 58. Actor Naomi Watts is 57.

SEPT. 29

Former NASA administrator and ex-Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is 83. Actor Ian McShane is 83. Jazz musician Jean-Luc Ponty is 83. Retired TV journalist and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel is 77. Rock musician Les Claypool is 62.

SEPT. 30

Actor Angie Dickinson is 94. Singer Johnny Mathis is 90. Actor Len Cariou is 86. Actor Barry Williams is 71. Country musician Marty Stuart is 67. Actor Eric Stoltz is 64. Rock singer

OCT. 1

Actor-singer Julie Andrews is 90. Film director Jean-Jacques Annaud is 82. Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew is 80. Actor Randy Quaid is 75. Retired MLB All-Star Mark McGwire is 62. Actor Zach Gali anakis is 56.

Trey Anastasio (Phish) is 61. Actor Tony Hale is 55. Actor Kieran Culkin is 43.

AMY HARRIS / INVISION / AP PHOTO Tennis champion Serena Williams, pictured at the Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage during the 2025 BottleRock Napa Valley, turns 44 on Friday.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Zach Gali anakis arrives at the premiere of “Only Murders in the Building” at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles in 2024. The actor-comedian and Wilkesboro native turns 56 on Wednesday.

JOHN SALANGSANG / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Cheryl Tiegs arrives at the Global Green USA’s 12th Annual Pre-Oscar Party at the Avalon Hollywood in 2015. The former supermodel turns 78 on Thursday.

the stream

Mariah Carey, ‘Superman,’ ‘Slow Horses,’

Jesse Williams, Cher drops ’02 tour on

“House of Guinness” land on Net ix

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

DOJA CAT’S 15-track album

“Vie” and James Gunn’s “Superman” ying to HBO Max are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: the fth season of the mis t espionage drama “Slow Horses,” a sequel to the 2020 indie megahit video game Hades and Mariah Carey will release her rst new album in seven years.

MOVIES TO STREAM

After notching one of the summer’s biggest box-o ce hauls, Gunn’s “Superman” has own to HBO Max and is available there now. The lm, the rst from a rebooted DC Studios, stars David Cornswet as the Man of Steel, alongside Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terri c. After grossing some $615 million in ticket sales, a sequel has already been greenlit for “Superman.”

In my review, I praised Gunn’s light and earnest touch: “For anyone who found Zack Snyder’s previous administration painfully ponderous, this ‘Superman,’ at least, has a pulse.” Brett Goldstein is better known for another Apple TV+ release, “Ted Lasso,” but in “All of You” (streaming Friday), he stars alongside Imogen Poots in a tender and heartbreaking romance. Goldstein, who co-wrote the script with director William Bridges, is about a pair of best friends who haven’t worked up the courage to confess their feelings to the other. Set in the near future, a matchmaking service that identi es soul mates further complicates matters.

Not much that Nicolas Cage does ies below the radar, but Lorcan Finnegan’s psychological thriller “The Surfer” (Thursday on Hulu) deserved a wider audience. It’s one of Cage’s best recent performances. He plays a man who returns to the Australian beach of his childhood with dreams of buying a house nearby. But after being accosted by pushy local surfers, his world quickly disintegrates. In my review, I wrote: “For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Fin-

negan’s beach-set ‘The Surfer’ simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

Two years ago, the chameleonic Doja Cat released a stellar fourth full-length album, the take-no-prisoners “Scarlet.” It was an aggressive collection, a hard pivot away from the glossy pop of her last two albums, 2021’s “Planet Her” and 2019’s “Hot Pink.” On Friday, she’ll release her fth, the 15-track “Vie.” Little is known about it beyond the single “Jealous Type,” which appears to channel her previous cheeriness. She brought back her disco-pop, now front-loaded with ’80s synths. But is that the direction of the full release?

Only time will tell.

In 2002, Cher embarked on “Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.” At the time, it was the highest grossing tour by a female artist — a massive glob -

al undertaking of 325 shows. A live album, appropriately titled “Live! The Farewell Tour,” was released to CD shortly thereafter. But on Friday, it will hit streaming and receive a vinyl release. Just, you know, newly remastered and with three bonus tracks: “Save Up All Your Tears,” “We All Sleep Alone” and “Di erent Kind of Love Song.” Your eyes are not deceiving you. Carey will release her rst new album in seven years, “Here for It All,” on Friday. Start with “Sugar Sweet,” featuring Shenseea and Kehlani. Or “Type Dangerous,” with its sample of Eric B. & Rakim’s “Eric B. Is President.” Start anywhere — and expect smooth R&B-pop bliss.

SERIES TO STREAM

A fth season of the mist espionage drama “Slow Horses” is on Apple TV+. Based on novels by Mick Herron, it’s about a group of MI-5

agents whose mistakes have sent them to spy purgatory, but they nevertheless nd themselves embroiled in highstakes cases. Their leader is the brash, messy, seemingly uninterested Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman. Critically acclaimed, the show is already renewed through a seventh season.

If you’ve got to work on location, former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams found a pretty sweet deal. His new show, “Hotel Costiera” is set on Italy’s Amal Coast where he plays Daniel De Luca, a “ xer” for a luxury hotel. When the resort’s guests have problems, De Luca solves them. At the show’s recent premiere in Rome, Williams described the show to the AP as “a kind of international, old school, caper show that is smart.” It is streaming now on Prime Video. Net ix’s new historical drama “House of Guinness” tells the story of the famed brewing company. Set in the 19th century, it’s

vinyl

“For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Finnegan’s beach-set

‘The Surfer’ simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil.”

Jake Coyle, AP lm writer

like “Succession”-meets-beer where the Guinness family patriarch had died and his adult children battle over the company. Anthony Boyle, Louis Patridge, James Norton and David Wilmot star. The eight-episode series debuts Thursday.

Also new on Net ix on Thursday is “Wayward,” starring Toni Collette as the leader of Tall Pines Academy, a boarding facility for troubled teens. Its practices come under question after Alex, a former cop (played by creator Mae Martin) moves with his pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon) to her small town. Laura is a former student at the school and has a creepy familial relationship with Collette’s Evelyn. Alex quickly picks up on the weirdness of it all and starts to investigate.

Tsukasa Hojo’s popular manga series from the 1980s called “Cat’s Eye” has been adapted into a new, 12-part anime series for Hulu premiering Friday, Sept. 26. It follows three sisters who run a cafe by day and then steal art at night. One of the sisters also happens to be dating a detective looking into the theft.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY A di erent kind of hell is the setting for Hades II, Supergiant Games’ sequel to its 2020 indie megahit. The protagonist this time is Melinoe, Princess of the Underworld. She’s on a mission to conquer Chronos, the Titan of Time, before he can escape Hades and wage war on Mount Olympus. The witch Hecate is around to teach you how to wield ancient magic, and you can expect guest appearances from other charac

ters in Greek mythology. Fans will want to start digging in as soon as it arrives Thursday on Switch and PC.

-

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Cher, pictured accepting the Icon Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, will release “Live! The Farewell Tour” on streaming and vinyl this week.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION FOR THE TELEVISION ACADEMY / AP CONTENT SERVICES

Actor Gary Oldman participates in the FYC presentation of “Slow Horses” during Televerse 25. The espionage drama is back for its fth season on Apple TV+.

Duplin Journal

State Rep.

Jimmy Dixon announces he won’t seek reelection

from the state House after completing his eighth term

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

LONGTIME North Car-

olina Rep. Jimmy Dixon announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection after completing his eighth term in the General Assembly. Dixon, who has represented House District 4 for 16 years, said his decision comes after “serious and prayerful consideration,” emphasizing a desire to spend more time with his family and church.

“I have always planned to take myself out of the game while I still have some game left,” Dixon told Duplin Journal in an exclusive interview — just weeks after previously signaling his intent to run again.

The decision marks a signi cant shift for the veteran legislator, who has become a well-known gure in the state’s political landscape. Dixon said he remains committed to serving the remainder of his term, which ends in 2026.

“I have enjoyed my service in the people’s House,” said Dixon. “May the Lord bless our e orts and future e orts to conduct their business well.”

Wendell Murphy inducted into National Agricultural Hall of Fame

Duplin County Murphy Family Ventures announced Monday that Wendell Murphy, founder of Murphy Farms, will be inducted into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame on Oct. 23 in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Murphy’s innovation and leadership transformed pork farming, earning him a place alongside agriculture legends like George Washington Carver and John Deere. He will be honored with former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and antique tractor preservationist Michael Hinton.

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — For the second time this month, Duplin County leaders gathered with shovels in hand — this time to break ground on a $3.6 million corporate aircraft hangar they say will elevate the region’s economy and solidify the county airport as a hub for business growth.

Early voting starts Oct. 16

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

WITH EARLY voting for municipal elections less than three weeks away, towns across Duplin County are gearing up for pivotal local races that could shape the future of water infrastructure, econom-

Held at the Duplin County Airport on Sept. 16, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 15,000-square-foot corporate aircraft hangar marked a signi cant milestone for Duplin County.

During the ceremony, Dexter Edwards, chairman of the Duplin County commissioners, called the occasion a “historical event” and credited the late George Futrelle, former airport

director, for his role in laying the groundwork for the project.

“It’s amazing how it started out with a few people getting together and bringing in some of their equipment and doing the work themselves,” Edwards said. “As I’ve had the privilege in my previous job to travel place to place, I’ve never seen an airport that competes with our Duplin County Airport.”

Edwards also praised the current airport director, Joshua Raynor, for the professionalism and hospitality he extends to pilots and company

owners ying into the airport.

Airport Commission Chairman Jack Alphin echoed Edwards’ praise of the airport.

“We think we have as nice a small airport, not only in North Carolina, the nation,” Alphin said.

“If you have a facility, they will come. We think this will bring an individual or a company to Duplin County because this facility is here.”

Airport director Joshua Raynor told the crowd, “This

ic development and public accountability. From uncontested incumbents to ercely contested town board seats, the upcoming election o ers a snapshot of civic engagement and disengagement at a critical time for local leadership.

Now is the time to get informed, as early voting for the Nov. 4 municipal election begins Oct. 16. The political landscape across Duplin County re ects a

blend of stability and emerging changes.

Several towns, including Faison, Mount Olive, Warsaw and Calypso, are experiencing dynamic election cycles.

In Mount Olive, the entire town board and the mayor’s seat are up for election, with several incumbents opting not to seek reelection, leading to signi cant changes in leadership.

The stakes are high in Mount

Duplin advocates join lawsuit against EPA on meat

“Existing technology can dramatically reduce pollution from meat and poultry plants.”

John Rumpler

$2.00

The lawsuit argues the EPA rollback endangers water quality and disproportionately a ects vulnerable communities

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

THE DUPLIN-BASED Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help and Cape Fear River Watch is among a coalition of 10 environmental and public health organizations suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They are challenging the EPA’s decision to withdraw proposed regulations aimed at reducing water pollution from slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities. Th case is particularly significant for Duplin County, where a high concentration of indus-

waste

trial animal operations has contributed to long-standing water pollution concerns. Local advocates argue that the EPA’s rollback of regulations disproportionately a ects low-income communities and communities of color, highlighting persistent problems with elevated bacteria levels in tributaries of the Cape Fear River Basin, which they partly attribute to industrial discharges.

“Existing technology can dramatically reduce pollution from meat and poultry plants,” said John Rumpler, Environment America, Clean Water director. “It’s time for new slaughterhouse rules strong enough to protect America’s rivers, lakes and streams.”

The coalition claims that millions of pounds of nitrogen,

Olive, as the town faces challenges stemming from a recent state audit that revealed nancial mismanagement and struggles with a long-standing sewer moratorium due to repeated wastewater violations and aging infrastructure.

Mayor J. Jerome Newton is running unopposed for reelection. Newcomers Harlie Junior

Representatives from Duplin County, the Airport Commission, and Daniels and Daniels Construction join together to break

on

new $3.6 million corporate aircraft hangar at Duplin County Airport on Sept. 16.

The 15,000-square-foot facility aims to boost regional growth and attract corporate aviation to the area

The veteran lawmaker will retire

Ena Sellers News Editor

Michael Jaenicke Sports Editor

Allison Batts Advertising Representative

Loretta Carey O ce Manager

CONTACT US

O ce Phone: 910 463-1240

To place a legal ad: 919 663-3232; Fax: 919 663-4042

MEAT from page A1

phosphorus and fecal bacteria are discharged annually into already impaired waterways. They argue that the EPA’s decision could negatively impact public health, drinking water quality and ecosystems.

In a press release, Waterkeeper Alliance indicated that the EPA’s decision contradicts its own internal ndings, which indicated that modernizing pollution controls would impose minimal costs on the industry while improving public health and environmental outcomes. Waterkeeper Alliance noted that the EPA cited “economic stressors” as a reason for withdrawing the proposed rule.

The coalition estimates that the proposed regulations could have prevented over 8 million pounds of phosphorus and 9 million pounds of nitrogen, along with other pollutants such as fecal bacteria and grease, from entering U.S. waterways each year. Currently, slaughterhouses and rendering plants are estimated to discharge approximately 112 million pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus annually, contributing to algal blooms and low-oxygen dead zones. These conditions impact more than 60 million people living near polluted rivers and streams.

Locally, environmental issues related to meat processing operations are evident in Warsaw, where the municipal wastewater treatment plant has struggled to manage high levels of organic waste for the past two years, largely due to industrial users. These challenges have overburdened the plant’s capacity and resulted in repeated permit violations.

According to state records, in August, the facility su ered a system failure that led to the release of approximately 9.6 million gallons of wastewater into Stewarts Creek, a tributary of the Cape Fear River. The incident is part of a broader pattern of noncompliance linked to organic overload due to the limited regulation and oversight of industrial discharges from meat processing facilities.

The lawsuit marks the third legal action brought by Waterkeeper Alliance and its partner organizations seeking to compel the EPA to strengthen oversight of wastewater discharges from meat and poultry processing facilities.

THURSDAY SEPT.

Duplin County to launch monthlong food drive

Local organizations help ght food insecurity during October

By Rachel Ezzell For Duplin Journal

THE DUPLIN Coalition for Health is partnering with Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries to host a food collection drive in support of local food pantries. The collection drive will take place throughout October to celebrate World Food Day.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization designated Oct. 16 as World Food Day in 1979. The purpose of the day is to promote global awareness and action for those who su er from hunger and to highlight the need to ensure healthy diets for all.

According to the most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, 13% of adults and 20% of children in Duplin County are considered food insecure. The county’s local food pantries help bridge this gap in need.

The Duplin Coalition for Health is a collaborative, community-based partnership committed to improving the health and well-being of all Duplin County residents. Through the initiative, it brings together community partners across multiple sectors to drive sustainable, locally led solutions that address the root causes of poor health and health disparities. Local leaders, organizations and residents from diverse sectors — health care, education, government, faithbased groups, nonpro ts and businesses — identify and address priority community health concerns, and promote healthy lifestyles, behaviors and environments.

While the food collection drive will accept all donations of food, some of the sug-

AIRPORT from page A1

15,000-square-foot hangar will expand our capacity to attract new business, which will drive the economic development in the county.”

In an interview after the ceremony, Raynor told Duplin Journal the new hangar

The Duplin Coalition for Health and Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries are teaming up for a county-wide food drive this October in honor of World Food Day.

gested items based on need and prioritizing nutrition include: whole grain pasta, rice, water, high-protein canned items (meats), peanut butter, canned beans, dried beans, canned soup or broth, canned fruits and vegetables. Whether donating or purchasing for yourselves, here are a few tips to keep nutrition in mind when shopping for nonperishable items. Reducing sodium. When purchasing canned beans, vegetables, meats, soups or broths (for donation or personal use), it is recommended to opt for low-sodium or nosalt-added food items whenever possible. With canned beans and vegetables that aren’t low-sodium, draining and rinsing can reduce the sodium by up to 40%.

Whole grains. The USDA’s MyPlate Plan recommends that half of the grains consumed come from whole grains. Whole grains are typically higher in ber and nutrients, and research suggests their consumption is linked with reduced risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

will have space large enough to accommodate a corporate aircraft in addition to o ce space. The $3.6 million needed for the hangar construction will come from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Reserve Directed Funds.

Reducing added sugars. When shopping for canned fruits, look for fruits canned in 100% juice or options with the lowest added sugars. In the most recent revision of the nutrition facts labels, products must now be labeled to show how much sugar was added to the product. Interested in supporting the food collection drive? Donated items can be dropped o throughout October at locations across the county, including any Duplin County library, Wallace or Warsaw Parks and Recreation, Piggly Wiggly in Wallace and ECU Health Duplin Hospital. Visit go.ncsu.edu/duplinfood-drive for a complete list of drop-o locations, physical addresses, a printable list of most-requested items, and more information about the Food Bank of CENC, Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries and food assistance in Duplin County.

Rachel Ezzell is a family and consumer sciences agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension Duplin County Center.

According to a report released this year by the North Carolina Division of Aviation, the Duplin County Airport generates $6.3 million in tax revenue and supports 455 jobs in the region, with an estimated economic impact of $146.4 million for Duplin County.

Share with your community! Send your birth, death, marriage, graduation and other announcements to community@duplinjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at noon.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Duplin County.

Sept. 27

Rabies clinic

9 a.m. to noon

Pet Friends of Duplin County is hosting a free/low-cost rabies clinic at Warsaw Animal Hospital. Free rabies shots for up to ve pets (dogs, cats or ferrets) per Duplin County household; $5 per additional pet. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Cats or ferrets must be in a crate. For more information, call 910-271-4709.

1472 N.C. 24 Business, Warsaw

Bow-making class

10 a.m.

Join the Magnolia Community Engagement Committee for a festive bowmaking class at the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department. The $20 fee (cash only, paid at the door) includes all materials, practice ribbon, and a Christmas-themed bow to take home. No experience is needed — participants will learn to create professional-quality bows perfect for holiday décor. Preregistration is required to ensure su cient supplies for everyone. Email magnoliacommunity engagement@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

110 Taylor St, Magnolia

Camo For A Cause

6 to 9 p.m.

Join Camo for a Cause for a powerful evening dedicated to supporting families battling childhood cancer. Come together with the community to raise hope, awareness, and critical funds for those who need it most.

136 Robert Hobbs Road, Faison

Charity School Alumni Association Reunion

6 p.m.

The Charity School Alumni Association presents its annual class reunion at the Lois G. Britt Agricultural Center. Enjoy food, music and entertainment as alumni, friends and families reconnect. Call 910-271-1524 for more information.

165 Agriculture Drive, Kenansville

COURTESY N.C. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION DUPLIN COUNTY CENTER

Magnolia seeks input for revitalization grant

The town explored gym renovations, housing rehab and medical facility as part of the grant application process

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MAGNOLIA

— With hopes of securing up to $950,000 in federal funding, the Town of Magnolia held the rst of two public hearings at their monthly town council meeting, initiating its application process for a Community Development Block Grant for Neighborhood Revitalization.

“I think we can do a lot with that kind of money in this town,” said Town Manager Charles Banks.

The hearings are required to gather community input on how to allocate the funds. Eligible projects include housing rehabilitation or replacement, infrastructure improvements and public facilities. Several potential projects were discussed, including the renovation of the town gym and converting

the old town hall into a medical facility. Banks explained that the ideas are still preliminary, and community members are encouraged to suggest other projects and identify residents who may qualify for housing assistance.

“With one or two di erent things in the town, I think it would really make a big improvement,” Banks added. A second public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14.

During public comment, Banks addressed questions from the audience. One resident raised concerns about the di erence in tax rates between Magnolia and Duplin County and requested clari cation.

The tax rate in Magnolia is currently $0.67 per $100 of property value, which is higher than Duplin County’s rate of $0.58. Banks explained that as a small town, Magnolia has limited revenue streams and xed operational costs.

“Duplin County did go down on theirs a little bit,” said Banks.

He explained that unlike Duplin County, which bene ts from multiple funding sources

and a larger tax base, Magnolia lacks the exibility to reduce its tax rate without compromising essential services.

“But we did not raise the taxes,” he added.

Banks expressed hopes that upcoming improvements and better cost-saving systems might allow for tax relief in the future.

Another resident voiced her ongoing frustration about a blocked storm sewer grate at Carlton and Leaker streets that lls with debris each year. Despite previous requests for cleanup, she stated that the e orts have been inconsistent and ineffective. She shared that last year, someone came to rake around it, but it “completely lled in again immediately,” and nobody returned to ensure that “the water can get into the storm sewer.”

This same resident also expressed concern about recurring issues with dogs running loose and attacking her cats. She inquired about animal control measures and their enforcement.

Banks explained that the town has a protocol in place, however, due to limited sta ng,

UMO launches School of Education in e ort to address teacher shortage

The academic unit aims to strengthen educator preparation and expand leadership programs

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — In response to ongoing teacher shortages and educational leadership gaps across North Carolina, the University of Mount Olive (UMO) has o cially launched a new School of Education, expanding its capacity to train and support future educators and school leaders.

Previously a division within the School of Arts and Sciences, the education department now operates as an independent academic unit under the leadership of Amanda Bullard-Maxwell, appointed as the inaugural dean. The shift allows for more focused decision-making, resource allocation and responsiveness to the state’s evolving educational needs.

UMO President H. Edward Croom called the change both “timely and strategic,” citing the university’s goal to be a central player in preparing highly e ective, classroom-ready teachers for the state.

“With this new structure, UMO will have greater autonomy and focus, positioning us to better respond to the teacher shortage and leadership needs in our state,” Croom said.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT OLIVE

Previously a division within the School of Arts and Sciences, the education department now operates as an independent academic unit.

“We believe in building pipelines that encourage future educators to return to and remain in the communities they know best.”

Amanda Bullard-Maxwell

The new School of Education will encompass UMO’s full range of teaching programs, including undergraduate degrees, online licensure and nonlicensure options, graduate programs, and a newly launched doctoral education degree (Ed.D.) in educational leadership, which provides a pathway to superintendent licensure in North Carolina. The curriculum is tailored to today’s diverse classrooms. Students complete eldwork, including tutoring, observations and practicum teaching, integrated directly into their coursework. The program also prepares students for licensure exams, such as the Praxis, while o ering training in educational technology, collaboration and ethical practices.

“The UMO School of Education will continue to work closely with local districts, including initiatives like our Homegrown Teacher Academy in Duplin County,” said Bullard-Maxwell. “We believe in building pipelines that encourage future educators to return to and remain in the communities they know best, especially in rural areas where teacher shortages are greatest.”

With the launch of the dedicated School of Education, UMO aims to strengthen its teacher preparation programs, expand grant and partnership opportunities, and develop long-term solutions to the state’s education workforce challenges.

“This is more than an academic shift — it’s an investment in the future of our schools and communities,” said Bullard-Maxwell.

enforcement is reactive and relies on residents to report issues directly. If noti ed, the town can set traps with the property owner’s permission. “The guys are doing everything. They do law enforcement and animal control. But we can set a trap if you will call us,” said Banks. “We will try everything we can within a couple of hours to get someone out there with a trap to set it.”

Another resident inquired about renovations at the town library, asking about its future use and the source of the funding. She also asked if there was any possibility of obtaining funding for youth-oriented projects. Banks explained that the building is being transformed into a multiuse community space for events, training and rentals. The renovations were funded through an old insurance policy that had never been claimed, with $13,000 identi ed and used — primarily for a new tin roof. Banks praised local contractors who provided discounted services to help the town stretch the limited funds.

“We’ve done everything you

see with some really good contractors that wanted to help the town because they’d given us cheaper rates than what should have been,” said Banks. “They’ve done a lot of work that they didn’t charge for.”

On the nancial side, Banks reported that Magnolia’s general fund currently totals $472,514, and the day-to-day operating account holds an additional $106,895.

“We’re drawing roughly $1,900 to $2,100 every month in interest. So this is increasing a little bit each month,” said Banks.

He also shared that the town is preparing to switch banking operations from Truist to Southern Bank.

Commissioner Elvenia Wilson provided an update on street repairs, con rming that road patching e orts will begin soon. Between 10 and 15 critical pothole areas have been identi ed, with several located on Sandy Street, which residents have described as particularly rough. Due to limited funding, only the most severe spots are being prioritized at this time.

Grammy-winning songwriter dies in Macon County plane crash

Brent Jamez wrote Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel”

By Kathy Mccormack and Josh Funk The Associated Press

GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING country songwriter Brett James, whose string of top hits includes “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney, died in a plane crash in Franklin, authorities said Friday. He was 57.

The small plane with three people aboard crashed last Thursday afternoon “under unknown circumstances” in the woods in Franklin, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary report. There were no survivors, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a statement.

James was on a Cirrus SR22T, which was registered to him under his legal name of Brett James Cornelius, according to information provided by the FAA. It was not known if he was the pilot. The patrol conrmed his death. The FAA and NTSB said they will investigate the crash.

The other two people on the plane were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, the patrol con rmed.

The plane had taken o from an airport in Nashville.

James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. The organization posted an online statement of mourning.

A native of Oklahoma City, James left medical school to pursue a music career in Nashville, according his biography on the Hall of Fame’s site.

“At my stage in life, I’m not going to write about driving around in pickup trucks, chasing girls.”

Brett James

His rst No. 1 hit was “Who I Am” in 2001, by Jessica Andrews. “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which he co-wrote for Underwood, earned the 2006 Grammy for Best Country Song, among other honors.

James had more than 500 of his songs recorded for albums with combined sales of more than 110 million copies, according to his Grand Ole Opry biography online.

Other artists who sang his songs include Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Nick Jonas and Meghan Trainor.

Additional hits include “Cowboy Casanova” by Underwood, “Out Last Night” by Chesney and “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts.

“Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,” country singer Jason Aldean posted on X. “I had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life. Honored to have met him and worked with him.” James recorded his own album in 2020.

“At my stage in life, I’m not going to write about driving around in pickup trucks, chasing girls,” he was quoted as saying on the Opry site. “It needed to feel more classic, lyrically. They all wound up being love songs, but hopefully love songs with a twist, that haven’t all been written before.”

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

| JIMMY DIXON

A widow’s grace: Forgiveness in the face of evil

“A simple three-word statement astonished everyone everywhere: ‘I forgive him.’”

THOUSANDS UPON thousands of words were used last Sunday afternoon in Arizona during the Memorial Service in memory of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA. Many high-ranking public o cials lled the front row seats in the arena, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. However, the largest group of people present were regular men and women, ordinary Americans, exceeding 75,000. Many millions of interested people watched on television and through internet services around the world.

Vance said, in essence, he has never felt comfortable talking in the public arena about his faith — his Christian faith. He further stated that he had expressed more public thoughts about his faith in Jesus Christ over the last two weeks than he had in the rest of my life. Wow! There is no telling how many elected o cials across this nation thought, “He just described me and my reluctance to express my faith in the public square.”

Why would good men and women elected to public o ce hesitate to express thoughts about their faith or religious a liations? Why would good and faithful ministers hesitate to encourage their parishioners, from the pulpit, to consider the faith characteristics of those seeking elected o ces? There are many possible answers to such questions, but let’s consider the foundational answer.

Satan is the father of all lies, and by his in uence, he has deceived many good people into believing that the founders of our constitutional republic established a

hard, impenetrable wall between church and state.

That deception is based on a true principle that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Thus, with deliberate and cunning precision, he has used the First Amendment to convince many that even acting on religious belief in the public square constitutes the “establishment” of a certain religion.

Thus it has become taboo to express one’s faith, especially one’s Christian faith, in the public square. That standard has been viciously enforced by the “cancel culture” of the left. It is amazing how those who demand tolerance do so in such an intolerant way. The “establishment clause” in our Constitution has been totally misrepresented with the convincing words “separation of church and state.” So schools being classi ed as entities of “the state,” we have accepted the false premise that prayers in schools constitute a violation of the “separation of church and state.”

Additionally, the courthouse, the post o ce, and state and federal buildings, being part of the government, must not display anything religious in nature. How ridiculous. How sad. The United States of America was founded in large measure by valiant, though admittedly sometimes sinful, imperfect Christian men and women. Even Jesus himself did not mandate the establishment of the Christian religion. He just invited all to, “Come, follow me.”

Accolades upon accolades were expressed in sincere e orts to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk from his humble beginnings to his magni cent successes. There was a somber yet joyful spirit that projected itself through all the cameras used to relay the memorial service to the world. Many excellent thoughts were presented, but a simple three-word statement astonished everyone everywhere: “I forgive him.”

With those three words, Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, obviously with great forethought and a genuine conviction to begin to forgive the young man who assassinated her husband, identi ed her most cherished identity. With those words, she declared I am a Christian. The audience, although stunned by her unsel sh charity, rose in unison and joyfully applauded her Christ-like willingness to forgive the unforgivable.

Maybe, just maybe, we are now blessed and privileged to witness the beginning of “a revival” this nation has needed for many, many years. For far too long, very clever e orts by Satan have deceived otherwise good men and women into polluting Christian religious thought with godless secularism.

We the people should make sure that neither we nor our government is ever separated from the love of God and the atonement of his son for our sins.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon represents Duplin and Wayne counties in the N.C. House of Representatives.

Government lists are a threat to free association

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records.

NO GOVERNMENT o cial needs to know what organizations you nancially support. And no state attorney general should have access to Americans’ sensitive personal information without clearly showing cause or in the absence of criminal proceedings. Yet wielding state power for his own political agenda, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asked a court to force First Choice Women’s Resource Centers to disclose donor information about nearly 5,000 contributions (see AAF’s amicus brief in First Choice Women’s Resource Center v. Platkin). Similar disclosures in the past have not fared well for Americans. In 2014, Mozilla forced their new chief executive, Brendan Eich, the founder of JavaScript, to resign after discovering that Eich had donated $1,000 six years earlier to a campaign that supported Proposition 8, the voter-approved California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In the late 1950s during the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama attempted to use disclosure requirements to prevent the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from conducting business, which included the Montgomery Bus Boycott and funding programs for African American students wishing to attend the state university (see NAACP v. Alabama). Today, big government agencies already have large databases on Americans’ private information. Plenty of people have not told their best friend or neighbors how much they earn. Yet the government — only trusted by

22% of Americans to do the right thing always or most of the time — knows. Thanks to the SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), the federal government also compiles a list linking your every purchase and sale in the stock market to your sensitive, personal information (see AAF’s amicus brief challenging CAT in Davidson v. Gensler). With the Supreme Court tailoring optouts for gender ideology in schools to religious exemptions, the government could seize the opportunity to create yet another list, this time of religious parents.

As explained in AAF’s amicus brief in Platkin, “No government o cial should be able to use his legitimate law enforcement power to pursue those with whom he disagrees politically.” The latter would reduce our constitutional protections to be the “mere parchment barriers” that our framers feared. Regardless of whether the court rules against Platkin, he will have taken time and resources away from First Choice’s mission of helping mothers and saving babies.

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records. Even the threat of disclosure threatens freedom of speech and association, which are the cornerstones of the American tradition.

In America’s earliest days, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the “art of association then becomes … the mother science; everyone studies it and applies it”

(quoted in AAF’s amicus brief First Choice Women’s Resource Centers

v. Platkin). Where “all citizens are independent and weak” and “can hardly do anything by themselves,” Americans must coordinate to e ect change. The latter is an intentional feature of our constitutional system that protects minority opinions from suppression and ensures power remains derived from the people.

Platkin is not a uke or merely a result of one bad actor. In October, the Sixth Circuit will hear a similar freedom of association case, Buckeye Institute v. IRS, where the federal government defends its practice compelling nonpro t organizations to disclose private donor information.

President Ronald Reagan said the scariest words in the English language were “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” When the government collects information, Americans are threatened by the abuse of that information. For that reason, the government should only be collecting information it absolutely needs. The courts in these cases must ensure that governments are not storing up information and, in so doing, exposing Americans to harassment by government agents.

Marc Wheat is the general counsel of Advancing American Freedom. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN

COLUMN | J. MARC WHEAT

New housing project signals growth in Magnolia

Town o cials say Magnolia is ready to welcome new residents and businesses

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

MAGNOLIA — Magnolia is preparing for a season of growth, with new housing developments underway and rising interest from businesses, according to Mayor Dawn Ward. From a ordable housing to potential commercial expansion, the town is positioning itself as a welcoming destination for newcomers seeking lower costs and small-town charm.

“I’ve con rmed with the town manager we’ve issued 15 zoning permits since the rst of the scal year (July 1) for new residential housing,” Ward said in an interview with Duplin Journal.

In addition, the town has partnered with a private developer to create an a ordable housing development on 32 acres of town-owned land. The development will contain 100 or more homes.

To make the homes more a ordable, they will be double-wide manufactured homes.

Carmichael and Don Fairman are competing for the at-large seat. Incumbent Commissioner Delreese Simmons is running unopposed in District 2, while newcomers Gena Messer-Knode and Camilla Loftin are vying for the District 3 and District 4 seats.

Warsaw is facing a heated election amid ongoing wastewater treatment violations, including a recent incident in which millions of gallons of partially untreated water spilled into Stewarts Creek and went unreported to the public for several days. Also, the recently adopted $4.1 million budget for FY 2025-26 has stirred controversy. Although the property tax rate saw a modest decrease, water and sewer rates rose, along with sta wages and stipends for elected o cials. Many residents are pushing back, questioning the town’s scal priorities.

In this election, incumbent Mayor A.J. Connors is challenged by political newcomer Wesley Boykin in a rare contested race. The commissioners race is competitive, with ve candidates vying for two seats. Incumbents Al Searles and Ebony Wills-Wells are running against Sheree Shepard, Kiara Smith and Cheryl Smith. Meanwhile, Calypso’s contested mayoral race between Mayor JoAnne Bowden-Wilson and Mayor Pro Tem Marvin “Marty” Taylor re ects a leadership crossroads. Incumbent Larry Cashwell and newcomers Rodney Lambert Jr. and Willie Wilcutt are vying for two town board seats. This lineup suggests possible shifts in leadership, marking one of Calypso’s more engaged election cycles in recent years.

In Faison, while incumbent Mayor Billy Ward is running unopposed, the real action is in the commissioners race, where incumbents Sandy McCarty, Juan Carlos Quintanilla and Ken

Ward emphasized the community will not be what people would consider a trailer park.

The roads in the development will be paved, and there will be a homeowner’s association.

Ward attributed the growth headed in the direction of

IS RUNNING?

WHO

BEULAVILLE

Magnolia to factors ranging from housing costs to lifestyle changes.

“I think probably what we’re seeing is part post-COVID with a lot more people working remotely,” she said. “I think that housing, both purchased

Beulaville has three municipal positions on the ballot, all are running unopposed.

Incumbent Mayor Michael (Hutch) Jones

Incumbent Commissioner Delmas Highsmith

Incumbent Commissioner Gene Wickline

CALYPSO

Calypso voters will decide three seats this year: mayor and two town board positions.

Running for mayor: Incumbent Mayor JoAnne Bowden-Wilson Incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Marvin “Marty” Taylor

Running for commissioner:

Incumbent Larry Cashwell

Newcomer Rodney Lambert Jr.

• Newcomer Willie Wilcutt

FAISON

Faison’s election includes the mayoral seat and three town board positions. Incumbent Mayor Billy Ward is seeking reelection unopposed.

Running for the town board:

Incumbent Commissioner Sandy McCarty

Incumbent Commissioner Juan Carlos Quintanilla

• Incumbent Commissioner Ken Avent Jr.

Newcomer Alane Brewer Floyd

Newcomer Joan Babcock

GREENEVERS

Greenevers voters will fill three town board seats.

• Incumbent Commissioner Gregory Carr

Incumbent Commissioner Timothy Murphy

• Incumbent Commissioner Roszena Devione-Bivens

Avent Jr. aim to retain their positions against challengers Alane Brewer Floyd and Joan Babcock. Wallace also stands out as the town approaches its upcoming municipal election amid signicant changes. Incumbents Mayor Jason Wells, Councilman Jason Davis and Councilwoman Tasha Herring-Redd are all seeking reelection, signaling continuity. At the same time, political newcomer Glen Price adds a twist to the

KENANSVILLE

and rentals, is extraordinarily expensive now.”

Ward explained that many people are now willing to commute longer distances in order to nd more a ordable housing options. Magnolia has also begun to attract early inter-

Kenansville’s election includes the mayoral seat and two town board positions. Mayor Stephen Williamson Jr. is running unopposed.

Running for the town board:

• Incumbent Commissioner Linda Tyson

No candidates have filed for the seat currently held by Commissioner Kirk Bell.

MOUNT OLIVE

Mayor J. Jerome Newton is running unopposed.

Running for commissioner-at-large:

• Newcomer Harlie Junior Carmichael Newcomer Don Fairman

Running for commissioner: Incumbent Delreese Simmons (District 2) Gena Messer-Knode (District 3)

• Camilla Loftin (District 4)

MAGNOLIA

Magnolia has three town board seats up for election.

Incumbent Jeanine Cavenaugh

Incumbent Perry J. Raines Newcomer Michael Glenn Chestnutt

ROSE HILL

Rose Hill’s election features the mayor and two town board seats.

Incumbent Mayor Davy Buckner is running unopposed

race by challenging for a council seat. The election comes at a crucial moment for Wallace, which is experiencing notable growth and infrastructure expansion.

In contrast, neighboring towns like Beulaville, Kenansville, Magnolia and Greenevers are facing minimal competition, with incumbents running unopposed or with just enough candidates to ll the available seats.

In the lead-up to the elec-

est from commercial developers, though no speci c projects have been nalized yet.

“What’s happened is people are moving out of Wilmington, and they’re coming west on I-40,” said Ward, adding that Castle Hayne and Burgaw were the rst to experience people leaving New Hanover County in search of lower housing costs and property taxes.

She emphasized that the town is open to both residential and commercial growth. While she doesn’t anticipate Magnolia growing to the scale of nearby Wallace, she praised that town’s success in managing development and attracting businesses.

“They have done a phenomenal job with the growth they are experiencing,” said Ward. “I think it’s wonderful they have been able to attract the businesses they have there.”

Looking ahead, Ward believes Magnolia is well-positioned for continued expansion over the next ve years.

“I feel like we want to manage (the growth) carefully,” she said. “We are absolutely not opposed to commercial development; we would welcome it, as well as the residential. It would be good for Magnolia.”

Running for commissioner: Incumbent Tashau Mathis Newcomer Perry Tully Newcomer Randy Barrios

TEACHEY

Teachey voters will elect two town board members: Incumbent Patrick Williams Incumbent Ethylen Carlton Powell

• Newcomer Danny Sutton

WALLACE

Wallace has three positions on the ballot: mayor and two council seats.

Incumbent Mayor Jason Wells is running unopposed

Running for town council: Incumbent Jason Davis Incumbent Tasha Herring-Redd

• Newcomer Glen Price

WARSAW

Warsaw’s election includes the mayor and two town board seats.

Running for mayor: Incumbent Anthony J. Connors

• Newcomer Wesley Boykin

Running for commissioner:

• Incumbent Al Searles Incumbent Ebony Wills-Wells Newcomer Sheree Shepard

• Newcomer Kiara Smith Newcomer Cheryl Smith

tion, Duplin Journal is preparing to bring voters in-depth Q&A features with their local candidates. Duplin Journal is also inviting the community to weigh in through a brief survey: Your Voice, Your Town. Tell us what matters most to you and what questions you would like to ask candidates and current leaders. Visit tinyurl.com/duplinvotes25 to take the survey and get your an-

swers before heading to the polls. All candidates are invited to participate in the Q&A. If you are a registered candidate and have not received an invitation to participate, please send your email address to ena@northstatejournal.com to be included. Be sure to include “Candidate Q&A” and your town on the subject headline and we will email you the questions. Participation is completely free.

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Mayor Dawn Ward says Magnolia truly means it when the sign reads, “Welcome to Magnolia.”

With new housing underway and hopes for growing business, Ward envisions a bright, welcoming future for the town.

La Patrona blends community, culture in downtown Warsaw

Deysi Madrid’s cafe is a hub for connection across generations and cultures

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

AT 214 WEST College St. in Warsaw, there is a little slice of heaven and home for the local community.

Deysi Madrid, a U.S. citizen originally from Honduras, has opened a co ee and snack shop called La Patrona. The shop is a little bit of everything. It o ers ice cream and co ee, pancakes and crepes, Mexican snacks and fresh food — all in an atmosphere designed for hanging out and taking your time.

There are pool tables, disc hockey, foosball, darts, photo walls, hanging swings, tables, karaoke, arcade games and other activities, intentionally creating an environment for social interaction.

Madrid opened La Patrona to provide a safe gathering place for teenagers.

“There was nothing out here where teenagers could go that

I felt safe to leave my kids at,”

Madrid said. “Now, young people, instead of staying home on the internet, come here and enjoy themselves in a safe, alcohol-free environment. Some students even come here after school or between classes and drink bobas or co ee while they work on their homework.”

Since its opening a year ago, La Patrona has become popu-

lar among local youth, fostering an environment where they can choose positive activities. The shop is open to people of all ages and backgrounds, featuring mixed groups of customers, from teens singing karaoke in one corner to adults playing pool in another.

“I really love to hear my customers having a fun, healthy, secure time — not out in a club

Fun and safety at Warsaw’s National Night Out

The Warsaw Police Department hosted National Night Out last Friday featuring bouncy houses, water slides, vendor booths and displays of emergency vehicles. A DJ provided music, and kids enjoyed taking swings at a demo car.

partying and getting drunk behind their parents’ backs,” Madrid said.

La Patrona’s menu includes unique food pairings, such as the “Aylin,” a Bisco milkshake paired with pollo con tajadas, the “Edgar,” which is carne asada ceibeňa with an ice white mocha, and the “La Patrona” special, which is a pork chop served with vanilla shaken espresso. Though some things are available year-round, the menu is ever-changing with seasonal items. Right now, all things fall are featured on the menu, including a special Day of the Dead bread.

The co ee shop is particularly noted for its sweet treats, offering mini pancakes, wa es, and crepes topped with Nutella, condensed milk and fruit. Additional snacks like street corn with chicken are also available, catering to customers’ cravings for nostalgic avors from home.

“Most of my customers can’t go back home, so being able to come here and have that little bit of home that we can bring for them is really meaningful,” Madrid told Duplin Journal.

Madrid’s journey to the U.S. began 28 years ago when her mother crossed the border to create a better life for their family.

“My mom came by herself illegally across the border,” Madrid said. “She got married and came back for (Deysi and her brother). She is my hero.”

Madrid learned a lot from and was inspired by her mother. The family worked together to earn their U.S. citizenship and have used their experiences to bring authentic Hondurian and Mexican food to the community.

In addition to La Patrona, Madrid owns Taco Loco, a well-established restaurant featuting traditional food.

“Taco Loco focuses on the food while we do more of the desserts, snacks and drinks,” she said.

The shop also accommodates a diverse clientele, including locals and immigrants from various cultures, re ecting the multicultural community in Warsaw. La Patrona is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Deysi Madrid, second from the left, stands with three of her children, who work alongside her at La Patrona.

PHOTOS BY REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

DUPLIN SPORTS Panthers show fourth-quarter

SO CLOSE IT HURTS

“Penalties and mistakes were key. We were out of sync for where we had been earlier in the season,” Hugh Martin, ND head coach

The Rebels fell to the Leopards in a physical, mistake- lled, action-packed rivalry between top CC schools

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

ROSEBORO — It was both painfully clear and obvious last Friday night that the winner of the North Duplin-Lakewood football game would be the team to possess the ball with enough time to put it in the end zone.

Time wasn’t a friend to the Rebels, who drove to the Leopard 19-yard line before the clock expired, giving Lakewood a 26-22 win in a key Carolina 1A/2A Conference matchup.

Both teams did enough to lose the game, and both had chances to seal the victory for the second consecutive time. The Leopards lead the all-time series 20-14.

“Penalties and mistakes were key,” said ND head coach Hugh Martin. “We were out of sync for where we had been earlier in the season. We’ve got a lot of things to clean up, but credit our kids for scratching and ghting to make things happen when it just wasn’t going well for us.

“Lakewood has a big, strong defensive line and two backs that run hard. The rst score was on me because we didn’t get lined up right and gave up a big run.”

Lakewood scored with 1:23 to play and ND was able to run six plays. Out of timeouts, a eld goal was not an option after Carell Phillips took the ball inside the 20.

Yet ND had an opportunity to run out the clock when Calvin Lacewell (15 -114) dropped the ball on third-and-14 as he was heading to the end zone.

in loss to Cardinals

East Duplin’s rally fell short in a 35-24 loss to Jacksonville

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — East Duplin head coach Battle Holley was satis ed with some aspects or the Panthers’ 35-24 loss to Jacksonville last Friday at Brian Aldridge Field. Yet he feels his team needs to learn some valuable lessons from the nonconference schedule after playing ve physically tough football teams: stay ahead of the chains o ensively and get third-down stops on defense. The combination of the two has gotten the Panthers o to slow beginnings. The

last three games, which included James Kenan and Princeton, the opposition had a 48-9 edge in rst-half points.

“We’ve got to start a little faster even though we played to the end on all our games,” said Holley, whose Panthers are 3-2 and o this week before starting ECC play against Southwest Onslow on Oct. 3.

“We responded in the second half, but really we’ve struggled to score in the rst half for three games now.” Jacksonville (4-0) broke open the game with three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter to lead 28-3 at halftime. Neither team scored in the third. The

Cassandra Stroud was an allconference basketball player for four seasons, and she was all-league in softball and volleyball for three seasons.

James Kenan Hall of Fame nominee Cassandra Stroud showcased her skills in basketball, softball and volleyball

By Bill Rollins For Duplin Journal

WARSAW — Cassandra Stroud was a three-sport terror with the James Kenan Tigers in the mid-1990s, which has earned her a place in the 10th induction class of the James Kenan Sports Hall of Fame.

Stroud will be inducted Oct. 18 with three others.

Stroud, who excelled in basketball, softball and volleyball, was an All-East Central 2A Conference selection for at least three years in all three sports (four in hoops). She was also named to All-Area honors by the Goldsboro News-Argus and Wilmington Star-News.

Her Tigers teams didn’t win conference cham-

pionships but took down Jones Senior in a holiday tournament nal.

The legacy she left in hoops was as a erce competitor, scorer, assist and rebound leader — with similar all-out hustle in softball and volleyball.

“Our basketball teams weren’t tall,” she said, “so coach (Sherman) Futch usually had us playing pressure defense and fast-break o ense.”

Oh, and she hit a fabulous .800 in slow-pitch softball, which is like going 4 for 5 every game. And she shot the out eld gaps for extra-base hits, including home runs on an open eld with no fence. She also played like a vacuum cleaner at shortstop.

In basketball, she was known more for her all- out play as a point guard and relentless defender than even for her game averages of 15 points, 10 rebounds, ve assists and three steals. That’s 10 rebounds at 5-foot-4, growing to 5-53⁄4 her senior year.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

When Noah Bennett, left, and Noah Quintanilla get a hold of a runner rst, Ethan Turnage, right, isn’t far behind.

THURMAN PARKER FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL Gavin Jarman, left, and Bryson Brown take down a Jacksonville runner near the end zone during Friday’s 35-24 loss to the Cardinals.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE

Carell Phillips

North Duplin, football

Carell Phillips never disappoints Rebels fans.

The 6-foot, 165-pound running back ran for 237 yards and a touchdown and caught a pass for another score as ND fell to Lakewood 26-22 in Roseboro.

The senior is second in rushing in Duplin County (80-706) and rst in rushing scores (10).

He ran for 1,913 yards and 31 touchdowns last season and has 3,533 yards and 52 scores during his career.

Double duty: ‘Cito,’

shine in limelight

Two-way threats David Zeleya and Christoper Hill are Tigers the opposition can’t overlook on either side of the ball

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WARSAW — When James Kenan head coach Tim Grady decided to trim the fat from his roster two seasons ago, it forced the Tigers into playing on both sides of the ball.

It’s been a bonus and blessing, and the Tigers have had few injuries to key players in the past two seasons.

It’s also been a time to appreciate the two-way play of split end/corner back Christopher “CJ” Smith and free safety/running back Davis “Cito” Zeleya.

Zeleya hasn’t been used by the Tigers much on offense, but he’s leading the team in tackles and had a 65 -yard pick-six last Friday in JK’s 77-0 smoking of winless and somewhat hopeless Spring Creek, who have gone 1-23 in the past three seasons.

“He’s playing like a mad man, and it’s just unbelievable how he flies up to the line of scrimmage to make plays,” said JK head coach Tim Grady. “Here’s how you describe him: He’s a warrior and is playing selfless football.

“He hates to lose.”

So does Smith, who broke his leg early last fall and missed the season in which JK went 12-2, beat Wallace-Rose Hill and East Duplin and advanced to the fourth round of the 2A playoffs before being bounced by Northeastern.

Hill had three touchdown catches against the Gators and

Stats are one thing, but she was more concerned with team outcomes than personal ones. She took a erce competitive edge into virtually every game in each sport, emulating her sister Cinquetta “Cola” Stroud, who was a senior when Cassandra reached James Kenan.

“My older sister had a huge in uence on both my life and my involvement in sports,” Cassandra said recently. “I wanted to be just like her — competitive, hardworking and uplifting to others. I was fortunate to have the chance to play alongside her when I was a freshman and she was a senior.

“Those experiences not only motivated me to raise my level of play but also strengthened the bond we still share as sisters.”

By the way, Cassandra also had a nickname — “Weasel,” which she said Cola gave her as a baby, and she has carried it to this day.

“It was an honor taking the court with my teammates, three of whom were my best friends: LaQuanta Brinson, Tamika Tillery and Trumanda Raines,” Stroud said.

O ensively, “Weasel” loved driving to the basket to get opponent’s best post player in foul trouble and also stepping out to shoot a three. On fast breaks, she relished pushing the ball up the court, “with a long pass for Trumanda or Tamika” to nish with a quick two in transition.

She also earned a lot of points from the free-throw line. In one game, 14 of her 16

has nabbed seven balls for 206 yards and four scores this fall.

He’s also fourth in tackles.

“CJ’s no surprise to us as a coaching staff,” Grady said.

“He’s got amazing hands and quickness and is the faster shuttle runner on the team.

“He’s fast on defense and is the hidden giant on our team.”

O ensive coordinator John Bert Avent said both were key defenders.

“They’re very important,” he said. “They keep us from breaking and then can make plays. It’s hard, and not many can do what Zeleya does as a free safety, especially playing the way he comes up to play the run.

“Zamarion (Smith) has also stepped up on defense and up to full speed. He’s also a guy we could use on offense. Those three guys make sacrifices and make us a better football team.”

points came on foul shots.

Futch’s o ense was mainly run-and-gun, though he would slow it at times to execute set plays.

Defensively, Stroud’s style was just as aggressive. She thrived on applying pressure, playing tight man-to-man defense and denying the ball.

“Blocking a layup was always an exciting moment,” she said. In softball, Stroud was rstteam all-conference all four years and Tigers MVP her last three. In volleyball she was rst-team all-conference three years and MostOutstanding Defensive Player.

She also gives great credit to her coaches, especially Futch in basketball and Patty Sutherland, the latter who mentored her for three years each in volleyball and softball. Also Jennifer Faison and Je Byrd, who

Tigers notebook

Limiting Zeleya and Smith is happening because of the O-line play of Cal Avent, Alex Vasquez and company, and running backs Jeremiah Hall, who is third in Duplin in yards (34-548) and tied for second in touchdowns (eight), and the arrival of junior Taulil Pearsall (38-309, 5 TDs).

Quarterback Eli Avent (13-19 for 260 yards, 4 TDs) has been nearly awless in delivering and controlling the ball this fall. He threw for 1,022 yards last season and 11 touchdowns. Hall had 1,150 and barring an injury is sure to burn past that mark. JK has punted just one time this fall. Placekicker Ismael Covarrubias is 14 of 15 on PATs. JK (3-1, 1-0) travels to face Rosewood (1-4, 1-0) on Friday. The Eagles beat winless Goldsboro 20-0 last Friday. The Tigers host Midway (4-1, 1-0) on Oct. 3 in their next test.

followed Sutherland as coaches in volleyball and softball.

Stroud also shined away from her games. She was JK homecoming queen as a senior after also being selected for the court her rst three years.

Her senior year also saw her voted Most Athletic and Best Dancer. At her graduation ceremony, she was awarded Female Athlete of the Year. She also was an N.C. Scholar, and she made the Honors Chorus and National Honor Society.

All through her days with the Tigers, Stroud gured if she didn’t play ball, she would pursue a career as a sports journalist. She wrote the sports content for several Tigers yearbooks, still saying today, “I just love sports!”

But she had a change of heart in her senior year.

“I decided to go with physical therapy,” she says, “which eventually changed to physical education and sports management with a minor in business at Methodist University.”

She played all three sports her freshman year at Methodist College, and continued her nal three years in softball and volleyball. In her junior year, the softball team went 32-12 (100 as conference champs) and made the school’s rst appearance in the NCAA Tournament. She still lives in Fayetteville, and now serves Cumberland.

Bill Rollins is a James Kenan and UNC graduate, and a lifelong sports writer who wrote for The Duplin Times and the Charlotte Observer during his 40-plus year career.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

David Zeleya, JK’s leading tackler, returned an interception 63 yards for a score against Spring Creek.

Cassandra Stroud

Crusaders topple Lions in key NCISAA divisional game

Harrells Christian Academy won for the fourth time in ve games

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — Harrells Christian Academy is picking up “playo chips” as it picks up gridiron wins.

Jeremiah Davis ran for 146 yards and scored twice, Reid Strickland red a pair of touchdown passes and Dashaun Mckoy scored from two ways and had an interception during a 41-7 win over Hickory Grove.

“Turnovers hurt us the week before (in the Crusaders’ rst loss of the season to High Point Christian),” said head coach Clayton Hall. “We took care of the football this week and had probably our most complete game this year.”

HCA (4-1) captured a divisional win and will look for another Friday with a trip to Covenant Day (1-4) in Matthews. The Crusaders have played their rst ve games at Murphy-Johnson Stadium.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good position for a really decent seed come playo time,” Hall said.

“We’re in a good spot and feel good about our progress. O ensively, we’re getting better on the line. We controlled the line of

scrimmage and didn’t let them dictate the way the game was played.

“Defensively, we were solid.”

A third quarter score by the Lions stopped HCA from having its third shutout of the season.

HCA had the only other score of the second half and led 35-0 at halftime.

Strickland, who has eight touchdown passes this fall, threw a 21-yard touchdown to Mckoy and also had a 9-yard ip to Riley Falatovich.

Mckoy’s one rushing attempt covered 9 yards to a pay dirt nish.

Jarrod Miller (11-79), Demetrius Jones (7-53), Falatovich (1550) and Davis’ second straight 100-plus game helped the Crusaders compile 361 yards on the ground.

Davis has 382 yards for the season. He’s also caught six passes for 160 yards and three scores. Davis and Jesse Smith added interceptions.

Mckoy made a team-high ve tackles, Noah Tanner four and Amir Moore three, two of which were sacks. Turner and Zayden White recovered fumbles.

HCA jumped in front 14-0 after one quarter.

Conference play starts Oct. 3

The 333-mile roundtrip could

Darryl Jackson and Richlands will need a running attack against Northside Jacksonville to break a four-game skid. The Wildcats lost 49 -20 to Havelock last Friday on their home turf at Brock Ridge Stadium.

earn HCA another playo chip. Covenant Day lost to Trinity 43-6 last Friday and hasn’t won since pushing by Mt. Zion Christian 39-26 on opening night (Aug. 22).

The Matthews team that is also uses the nickname Lions

Battle-tested Bulldogs enter conference play

Swine Valley favorite WRH has a grueling nonconference schedule

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — Before making a critical judgment on the nonconference record of Wallace-Rose Hill soccer team (3-4 -1, 1-0) keep in mind all of its nonconference foes play in higher classi cation.

The Bulldogs’ history of success often blurs the vision of the lens.

Last Thursday, rst-year coach Aaron Murray discovered another school coming like a freight train when Goldsboro took a 3-0 lead.

“We came out a little lackluster and out of focus, and it’s hard to come back from 3-0,” Murray said after his team answered with four goals to emerge with a 4-3 win in the rst Swine Valley Conference game.

“It took us a couple of seconds and then we got back to doing. I’m proud we came back, but I also know we probably shouldn’t have even gotten to that place.”

Steven Acosta’s head in overtime was the game-winner.

Felix Funez scored twice, and Cristian Calderon converted a penalty kick.

“We had close to 20 shots and we have to get balls into the back of the net more, but we pulled one out,” said Murray.

WHR’s focus is now on league matches. This week it has bouts

as favorite

against Princeton (7-2) and Midway (8-2-1, 1-0).

“It will be all new to our kids and interesting to see how we play against some of the schools they wouldn’t normally see,” Murray said. “It will be new for them.”

Midway beat Princeton in overtime and then lost to Spring Creek (4-6, 2-0), which also beat James Kenan (3-4-2, 1-1).

A rough translation is there could be a lot of parity this season in the Swine Valley with Goldsboro (4-6, 0-2) in the basement suite.

Earlier in the week, WRH fell 2-1 to 6A Cape Fear. Acosta drilled in the lone goal.

“We had a heck of a (nonconference) schedule and had to recover from an own-goal, a 38-yard free kick that put us down 2-0 41⁄2 minutes in to go down 3-0. We weren’t expecting that. But we’re nding the back

of the net better than earlier in the season. We also have our defensive rotation down and they are t and excited.

“I like where we are having one of the toughest schedules. We play big and better schools and while we don’t always get the results we want, we get better.”

Panthers also sharpened via test against bigger foes

East Duplin (4-5-1) could say the same about its nonconference schedule as the Panthers open up ECC 3A/4A league play Sept. 29 against Southwest Onslow. League favorite is Clinton. The Dark Horses’ lone loss in 10 matches was to WRH (2-1 on Sept. 3).

Yoskar Canales scored his seventh goal of the season during a 2-2 tie at 6A White Oak (4-4-1).

Richard Reyes pushed in his third score.

Two days later, Hayes Rogers rattled the cage with his rst of the season during a 2-1 loss to 6A Jacksonville.

Two-goal e ort by Covarrubias lifts Tigers

Ismael Covarrubias scored a pair of goals and Jayden Funez added another key score as James Kenan broke a three-game skid with a 3-2 win over Rosewood in the middle of last week.

The win came on the heels of a 1-0 heartbreaking loss to Spring Creek.

JK (3-4-2, 1-1) faces Midway and Goldsboro this week.

lost its next three game to good programs — Cannon-Concord, Metrola Christian and Charlotte Country Day. Covenant Day punched HCA 28-6 in the rst game of the 2024 season. Three of HCA’s next four

Cardinals went in front 35-3 early in the fourth, only to see the Panthers rally with a pair of touchdowns from Dewayne Davis and a returned fumble recovery by Keeshon Mckinnie. While the game might have been out of reach, ED hung in the trenches with a good 6A football team coached by Beau Williams, with former JK grad Pat Byrd the o ensive coordinator. Two lost fumbles by the Panthers also played into the equation. Amari Peterson (21-159) scored from the 8 and 10, and quarterback Anthony Washington (7-11 for 58 yards) red touchdown strikes to SaRonn Thompson and Amaree Betton for the 21-point outburst in the second quarter.

Betton had the game’s opening score in the rst quarter via a 12-yard run. He had runs of 33 and 11 yards during the rst possession of the game. He scored on the 11th snap.

Zachary Ball’s rst of two interceptions set up ED’s eld goal, as did a Jacksonville pass interference call from an incompletion by Branson Norris. Gavin Jarman, who was 3 of 3 on PATs, split the uprights from 30 yards after the Panthers’ drive stalled at the 13.

A 23-yard scamper by Betton set up Jacksonville’s second score. The Cardinals struck one play after ED lost a fumble deep in its own territory.

Yondez Baker’s 37-yard punt return that took the ball to the ED 12 was the key to the fourth Jacksonville parade to the end zone.

Sacks on the rst two series of the second half and a failure on fourth-and-8

games are Big East Conference a airs. The Crusaders travel to North Raleigh Christian on Oct. 3 and Trinity Christian on Halloween night, a week before longtime rival Ravenscroft comes to town. HCA visits Asheville Christian on Oct. 1, a school which also uses a Lion as the mascot.

Rams break out of slump to pound Wildcats

Kaleb Montanye threw a pair of touchdown passes, and Zy’King Patillo and Jayen Howard had long scoring runs as Havelock took out its 0-4 start on Richlands with a 49-20 win in Richlands.

It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Wildcats (1-4, 0-1), who will travel Friday to face Northside Jacksonville (3-1).

Havelock, a perennial power in the East, lost to West Craven (7-0), New Bern (28-7), Tarboro (35-7) and JH Rose (21-14) in its previous games yet will nonetheless be the favorite in the Coastal 5A/6A Conference.

Quarterback CJ Benedetto and receivers Tyler Clouatre, Beau Mills, Chase Boutwell and Cale Wilges take on an explosive Northside (3-1), who is led by signal caller Reginald Gray (5381 for 726 yard, 9 TDs) and running back Gavyn Davis (23-345, 3 TDs).

chewed up the bulk of the third quarter. Jacksonville scored on the rst play of the fourth to up its lead to 35-3.

A 16-yard push by Aaron Hall (12-53) and a 38yard rumble by Shawn Davis (13 -79) moved the pig to the 9 where Dewayne Davis scored. Ball’s pick o Josiah Betton keyed the next Panthers touchdown. Norris got his rst touchdown pass of the season when he found Dewayne Davis for an 8-yard connection. McKinnie’s 55-yard fumble recovery was a highlight as the junior also led ED in tackles with 11.

“I thought we competed against a really good team, and this game will only make us better,” Holley said.

Gridiron notebook

ED was just 1 of 13 on third down and 1 for 5 on fourth down. The Cardinals were 5 of 12 and 1 of 2, respectively. Jacksonville outgained ED 236-143, with many of the Panthers’ yards coming late in the game.

Mckinnie had two sacks. Jacuri Hill added eight tackles, Ayden Lane seven and Shawn Davis, Bryson Brown and Semja Scott six apiece. Ball has four interceptions this fall.

Shawn Davis is third in Duplin in rushing (80-503) and fourth in touchdowns (seven). Hall is fth in rushing (69-414).

The Panthers travel to Clinton (2-3 with a win over Whiteville) and Pender (4 - 0) in back-to-back weeks in October. Both will be key ECC a airs. It seems unlikely Trask (2-3), SWO (0-4) and South Lenoir (0-4) will give ED a serious challenge.

AIDEN TOKONITZ FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

WRH’s Felix Nunez leads his team in goals with nine.

RUSHING

PLAYER (School) Att-Yds TDs

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#25E001250-300

The undersigned, DEBORAH PATE HORRELL, having quali ed on the 25TH DAY of JUNE, 2025, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of BILLY RAY PATE, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 4TH Day of 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. DEBORAH PATE HORRELL, ADMINISTRATOR 134 SUMMER RIDGE DR. WALLACE, NC 28466 Run dates: S4,11,18,25p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#25E001358-300 The undersigned, SHAMIKA PITTMAN-PICKETT, having quali ed on the 16TH DAY of SEPTEMBER, 2025, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of DONNIE VELMA PITTMAN, deceased, of DUPLIN County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 25TH Day of 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 25TH Day of SEPTEMBER 2025.

SHAMIKA PITTMAN-PICKETT, ADMINISTRATOR

431 JOE HOP WILLIAMS RD. BEULAVILLE, NC 28518 Run dates:S25,O2,9,16p

But the Rebels’ o ense sputtered and punted the ball four plays later, and Lakewood took control at the ND 47.

ND took its nal lead with 6:06 left in the third quarter, going 59 yards in 11 plays with Keiz Brock hitting Phillips with a 7-yard pass. It was the junior’s rst touchdown pass. Phillips (34-234), who had his best running game of the season, had a 16-yard chain mover and converted on fourth-and-1 from the 21. Vance Carter (13-39) ran it to the 7. ND chewed up all but 1:53 of the rst-quarter clock on its opening drive, which covered 58 yards in 13 plays and included two fourth-down conversions.

Two delay-of-game penalties made the o ense work harder. Phillips moved the sticks to the 8 on fourth-and-1 and scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1. Lakewood responded to take a 7-6 lead, going 72 yards in ve plays as Donovan Smith (7-77) hit pay dirt from the Rebels 44.

ND countered with a 69 -yard march that featured two rst-down runs by Quan Stevens (10-35) and a score from the 1. Phillips added the 2-point conversion for a 14-7 Rebels lead.

A sack by senior and rst-year player Braylon Lee and the play of defensive end Trashawn Ru n keyed a three-and-out by the ND defense.

But ND’s next drive gave every Rebels fan a few gray hairs as they had four penalties in ve plays and punted deep in their own territory.

Lakewood got the ball at its own 34, getting a rst down at the ND 46, but throwing three incomplete passes. But on fourth-and-10, the Rebels were agged for a roughing the punter penalty.

Then pass interference and roughing the passer calls pushed the Leopards to the ND 5. Donavan Carr scored with 14.4 left on the rst-half clock, but a failed PAT allowed the Rebels to lead 14-13 at the extended intermission. Lakewood scored on the rst snap of the third quarter to go in front 19-14 after ND stumped its conversion attempt.

Phillips, who is second in Duplin in rushing (80-706) and rst in touchdowns (10) has shown progress.

While he always seems faster than the defense, particularly when running outside, the senior has become a more powerful runner between the tackles.

“That became evident a few weeks ago when I watched the tape,” Martin said. “He really runs behind his pads like good runners do. He’s worked at that body lean and hits the hole quick and with a lot of strength where he can bounce o or avoid tacklers.

“Keiz (Brock) has become good at blocking from the quarterback spot, and our other backs have blocked well too.”

Rebels notebook

Martin’s club was agged for 10 penalties for 75 yards. Linebacker Noah Bennett recovered a fumble. Two punts by Carter and another by Noa Quintanilla went for a 35.7 average.

Ethan Turnage, the top defender for ND this season, made 13 tackles. Quintanilla and Ben Kelly had seven apiece, and Lee and Garris Warren combined for eight more takedowns.

ND (4-1, 0-1) beat Lakewood during the regular season in 2024 but lost to the Leopards in the third round of the playo s to nish 10-1. The Rebels will be idle this week and host East Bladen (4-1, 1-0) on Oct. 3.

TOWN CLERK/DEPUTY FINANCE OFFICER BEULAVILLE, NC

The Town of Beulaville is seeking applicants for the position of Town Clerk/ Deputy Finance O cer. Responsibilities: Performs all duties of Town Clerk as required by NC General Statutes and Town Charter. Provides administrative assistance to the Town Manager and Board of Commissioners; and serves as custodian of all o cial Town records, documents, and contracts. Directs the overall nancial management functions of the Town to include general accounting, payroll, accounts receivable and payable, revenue collections, and assistance with the annual audit. Work is performed under the supervision of the Town Manager. Position requires superior organizational and writing skills, and ability to communicate e ectively with citizens, sta , and elected o cials. Requires combination of education and experience equivalent to

ve years responsible administrative experience in a professional setting. A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited community college with major course work in public administration, business administration, accounting, nance, paralegal sciences, o ce management, or related eld recommended. Certi ed Municipal Clerk preferred, or ability to obtain certi cation. Must be able to be bonded. Must possess a valid North Carolina Driver’s License. Salary is DOQ.

Submit a completed Town of Beulaville application and/or resume with references to: Town Manager, Town of Beulaville PO Box 130, Beulaville, NC 28518. Applications/resumes can also be emailed to lwilliams@townofbeulaville. com. Applications are available at the Beulaville Town Hall, 508 East Main Street, Beulaville NC. Position is open until lled. EOE.

ND from page B1

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ND’s Garris Warren goes as low as possible to tackle Lakewood’s Dashaun Carr.

obituaries

Felecia Marie (Horrell) James

April 8, 1962 – Sept. 18, 2025

Felecia Marie Horrell James, 63, of Teachey, North Carolina passed from this earthly life to her eternal rest on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

She was born on April 8, 1962 in Pender County; the daughter of Wade “Bill” Horrell of Teachey and the late Janice Jenkins Horrell who passed on September 3, 2025.

Felecia is survived by her sons Brandon Hall (Kelly) of Wallace and Chris Hall of Wallace; grandchildren, Avery Hall, Rebecca Hall, Emily Hall and Grayson Hall; brother Ricky Horrell and his wife Debbie of Wallace; nephew Joshua Horrell of TN and numerous extended family and friends that loved Felicia dearly.

Felecia was a devoted mother and caring grandmother, daughter and sister. She had a heart full of love and compassion for everyone she knew. Felicia was a people’s person who loved people and was loved in return. Her passion was being a nurse but Felecia was more than just a nurse by name. She was a nurse from the heart; a servant of God. She loved and cared for her patients as if they were her family. She took great pride in caring for each one. Felecia will surely be missed but precious memories will forever remain in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved her.

Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Wallace.

Joyce Verlene Carlton

Feb. 1, 1937 – Sept. 12, 2025

Joyce Verlene Hill Carlton, 88, of Warsaw, NC passed away September 12, 2025 at her residence. Funeral service will be 1:00pm Friday, September 19, 2025 at Hawes Funeral Home - Warsaw. Visitation will be 12 noon - 1:00pm (one hour prior to service). Interment following the service at Hill Family Cemetery in Faison, NC.

Magdaline Covington

Dec. 26, 1960 –Sept. 13, 2025

Magdaline Covington, 64, of Magnolia, NC passed away September 13, 2025 at her residence. There will be a visitation on Saturday, September 20, 2025 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm at Hawes Funeral Home in Warsaw. Interment will follow the visitation at Brinson Family Cemetery in Magnolia, NC.

Glory Ann Hobbs

Feb. 24, 1938 – Sept. 20, 2025

Glory Ann Rogers Hobbs, 87, of Wallace passed from this life to her eternal rest on Saturday, Septemer 20, 2025.

She was born on February 24, 1938 in Detroit, Michigan; the daughter of the late Charles Aaron and Emily Hinckle Rogers. Glory was also preceded in death by her sister Jeanette McGowen and son-in-law Larry T. Hickman.

Glory is survived by her devoted daughter Sherrie Hickman of Holly Ridge, NC; her grandchilldren Charles Hughey and wife Sharon of Erwin, William Hughey and wife Jamie of Sprringlake and Larry Hickman and wiife Deanna of Holly Ridge; her great grandchildren Hunter, Hayley, Kaitlyn and Ashlyn; numerous extended family and friends that loved Glory dearly.

Glory was a loving mother and caring grandmother who loved her family with all her heart. She was a simple lady who enjoyed the simplest things in life but here greatest joy was spending time with her family. Glory will surely be missed but treasured memories of her will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Wallace.

Carolyn Mobley Hines

May 15, 1947 – Sept. 16, 2025

Carolyn Mobley Hines, age 78, died on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at home. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Eleanor Pierce.

She is survived by her husband, Earl Hines; children, Jonathan Pierce and wife Denita, Christy Lanier and husband Joseph, Rhonda Hines, Alvis Earl Hines; grandchildren, Anita Lanier and husband Gerren, Curtis Lanier and wife Sarah, Samantha Benson and husband Eric, Colt Pierce and wife Olivia, Ethan Lanier and wife Casey, Body Williams, Luke Lanier; great grandchildren, Kendall Lanier, Jackson Lanier, Gavin Lanier, Carlie Benson, Madilynn Johnson, Payton Johnson, Hudson Pierce, and Junie Lanier; nieces Tammy Robbins and husband David, Brandi Wash and husband Hank, and Kayla Lanier and husband Joshua.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Jane (Ayers) Knowles

April 5, 1954 – Sept. 20, 2025

With heavy hearts, we share that our beloved mom & wife, Betsy Ayers Knowles, passed away on Saturday, September 20, 2025. There are no words big enough to capture who she was or the love she gave so freely. She was not only our mama and wife, but also our teacher, our cheerleader, and our safe place.

Betsy was born on April 5, 1954 in Wayne County; the daughter of the late Kenneth Aubrey and Ora Jane Grimes Ayers. She was preceded in death by her brother Tommy Ayers.

Surviving to cherish her memory is her devoted husband of 49 years Ivey Knowles of the home; her children John Blanton (Yoly) of Willard, Beth Knowles of Wallace and Casey Knowles and wife Jennifer of Wallace; grandchildren Morgan Blanton, Kelsey Scott and husband Steven, Jordan Bass and husband Quinton, Avery Blanton, Levi Knowles and Jack Knowles; great grandchildren Saylor Scott and Sawyer Scott; sisters Susan Ayers of Wallace, Nancy Hardison and husband Craig of Hampstead and Enid Wells and husband Chris of Deep Gap; brother Ken Ayers and wife Rose of Owensboro, Kentucky; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends that loved Betsy dearly. Betsy’s greatest joy in life was being “Mama” and “Mammy.”

Her grandchildren were truly her pride and joy, and she lit up every time she talked about them or spent time with them. The love she had for her family was immeasurable, and she showed it in countless little ways—whether through her hugs, her words of encouragement, or the quiet strength she carried through every challenge. Betsy leaves behind a legacy of love, faith, and kindness that will continue to guide us even though she is no longer physically here. Our hearts are broken, but we nd comfort knowing she is at peace and that her love will always surround us. We are so grateful for every memory, every laugh, and every lesson she gave us. Though she is gone from our sight, she will never be gone from our hearts.

Memorial service wil be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at Corinth Baptist Church with the Reverend Phil Eakins and the Reverend Shane Cassell o ciating. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

The family request that monetary donations can be made to American Cancer Society Hope Lodge, 930A Welness Drive, Greenville, NC 27834.

Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Wallace.

Karmen Leigh Sasser

July 18, 1986 – Sept. 21, 2025

Karmen Leigh Sasser, 39, passed away on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at her home. She is preceded in death by her father, Rene Du . Arrangements are incomplete at this time. She is survived by her husband, Ben Sasser, mother Kathy Du , sister Kristen Rogers (Jamie), niece Savana Ferguson, all of Beulaville, NC, and her beloved fur babies, Buddy and Charlie.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Sasser and Du family.

Oct. 5, 1945 – Sept. 16, 2025

Mirval Juanita Carr, 79, of Wallace, NC passed away September 16, 2025 at ECU Health Duplin Hospital in Kenansville, NC. Funeral service will be 1:00pm Monday, September 22, 2025 at Rock sh AME Church in Teachey, NC. Visitation will be 12 noon1:00pm (one hour prior to the service). Interment at Rock sh AME Church cemetery.

Mable Outlaw Dixon

June 27, 1930 – Sept. 18, 2025

Mrs. Mable Dixon, 95, of Kenansville, NC passed away September 18, 2025, at Warsaw Health and Rehabilitation Center. Funeral service will be 1:00pm on Saturday September 27, 2025 at Big Zion AME Zion Church in Kenansville, NC. Public viewing will start at 12pm on Saturday before the funeral service and 4:00pm - 6:00pm on Friday, September 26, 2025 at Hawes Funeral Home in Warsaw, NC. Interment following the service at Devotional Gardens, in Warsaw, NC. Left to cherish her precious memories are her children: Mamie Frederick; Rosa Dixon; Evangeline Monk; Melvin Dixon; Rathel “Bob” Dixon (Mary); Grant Dixon; Ronda Dixon; Hermina Eakens, and daughter-in-law Sonya Dixon. She also leaves behind over 115 grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and great, greatgrandchildren.

Cecil Brent Kennedy

April 12, 1948 – Sept. 18, 2025

Cecil Brent Kennedy, 77, passed away on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at his home. A graveside service: will be held Wednesday, September 24, 2025, at noon at East Duplin Memorial Gardens in Beulaville, NC. Visitation will take place on the graveside.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Kennedy, of Pink Hill; daughters Christal Wood (Frankie), of Kenansville, and Carrie Kennedy, of Pink Hill; sister: Carol Gri n, of Pink Hill; and grandchildren Zachary and Ethan Wood.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Kennedy family.

Donald Delaney Wells

Aug. 21, 1946 – Sept. 18, 2025

Donald Delaney Wells went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at home.

He was born on August 21, 1946, in Duplin County to the late Lucian Whit eld Wells and Thelma Wells Wells. After graduating from WallaceRose Hill in 1964, he graduated from King’s Business college with a degree in Business. In 1967 Donald joined the Army and was stationed in Germany for 3 years. He received several honors during his service. He retired after 30 years of service with General Electric in Wilmington, NC.

Donald was a loyal and supporting son to his mother for many years until her death. For many years Donald was a member of Rock sh Presbyterian Church, where he served on several committees.

Donald is survived by his beloved siblings Jean Wells Marshburn (Earl) of Jacksonville, William J. Wells (Lavoice), James Milton Wells (Geraldine), and Douglas Wade Wells (Linda), sister-in-law Faye D. Wells all of Wallace and brother-in-law Dodson Wells of Rose Hill He was predeceased by siblings Lucian W. Wells Jr. (Buddy) and Sherry W. Wells.

Also surviving are nieces and nephews Stewart Wells (Carmen), Beverly Page (friend Tim Lindsay), Greg Marshburn (Jan), James Milton Wells Jr., Julie Wells, Laura Meyer (Jason), Jason Wells (Tabatha), Amanda Sholar (Je rey) and Michael Wells (Lauren). He was predeceased by Lynne W. Williams. In lieu of owers, the family requests donations be made to Rock sh Presbyterian Church cemetery. The address is PO Box 532 Rose Hill, NC 28458.

Mirval Juanita Carr

Bulldogs-Panthers spikers brace for rivalry clash

WRH and ED won’t care about conference standings when they play for the second time this season

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — The Wallace-Rose Hill volleyball team will face three foes in six days that are good enough to make deep playo runs in their respective classi cations.

The Bulldogs (13-2, 6-1) face Princeton (7-6, 4-3) and Midway (9-3, 8-0) this week in key Swine Conference matches before traveling to face ECC 4A foe and Duplin County rival East Duplin.

The Panthers (11-2, 3-0) and would like nothing better than avenging a 3-1 loss earlier this season to snap their seven-game skid against the Kevin Williams-coached Bulldogs.

ED’s last win in the series came Oct. 12, 2021, though it should be mentioned the Panthers owned the Bulldogs “for 15, 20 years,” according to Williams, an assistant under current ED coach Susan Raynor when she was at WRH.

“Susan will always have her girls ready, and it will be a great match if we play like we’re capable of playing,” said Williams said. “East Duplin’s defense is awesome, and it keeps them in a match. Our offense keeps us in matches.”

The Panthers have gone 10-1 since falling to the Bulldogs.

“We’ve turned the corner and are playing together pretty well,” Raynor said. “Our defense is doing good things, and facing Wallace will be good for us heading into the playo s. It’s going to be a good game.”

Zoe Turner had six kills and three aces and Zoe Cavanaugh added nine kills last week as ED slipped by Trask in three competitive sets (26-24,

25 -15, 27-25) last Tuesday.

Two days later, the Panthers whipped Clinton (25-23, 25 -18, 25-19) to move to the top of the ECC standings.

Turner led the way with ve kills, six aces and seven digs.

Cavanaugh had ve aces, Kinsey Cave ve kills and Karsyn Parker 11 digs.

ED faces a revenge challenge against Liberty Christian (who beat the Panthers 3-1 on Sept. 9) and less serious confrontations against Pender (1-9, 0-3) and South Lenoir (3-9, 1-2) before hosting the Bulldogs.

Week of big numbers

Williams won his 100th match last week, Mattie Gavin got her 1,000th assist and Angelina Cavallaro, the two-time Ms. Volleyball in Duplin County, posted her 1,000th kill.

WRH beat Goldsboro 3-1 (25-14, 25-12, 19-25, 25-16) in its lone match last week. The win came after su ering its second loss of the season to 6A Jacksonville as the Bulldogs played without senior setter Mattie Gavin following a fall in a previous match.

“She dictates how we play,” said Williams, who said

Gavin is ne to return to the court. “She’s a go-getter and a coaches’ dream who will run through a wall for you.”

Rebels settle into third in CC

A North Duplin team short on experience has found its comfort zone at 9-4 overall and 5-2 in Carolina Conference play with six matches left in the regular season. The Rebels fell 3-1 to East Columbus (10-1, 6-1), who is tied with Hobbton (8-3, 6-1) atop the league standings, after whipping Lakewood earlier in the week. ND was 12-9 last season and is in line to have back-to -back .500-plus seasons for the rst time.

Maggie Brown and Carrly Strickland each had ve kills when ND dusted the Leopards (25-17, 25-14, 25-12). Gracie Higginbotham contributed four kills and four aces and Lilly Fulghum 15 assists. Brown had eight kills and eight digs against the Gators.

Though all but out of the title chase, ND has a two-game edge over fourth-place East Bladen.

COURTESY HARRELLS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

At halftime of Harrells Christian’s football game on Sept. 5, Coach Clayton Hall was honored with a special award recognizing values of leadership, hard work and discipleship.

Harrells Christian Academy honors 25 years of Will Johnson’s legacy

Coach Clayton Hall was recognized for embodying the spirit and values of Will Johnson

Duplin Journal sta

HARRELLS — For 25 years, Harrells Christian Academy has honored the life and faith of Will Johnson, a student whose commitment to Christ and community left an indelible mark on all who knew him.

The recent Legacy 25-25 celebration, held Sept. 4-8, brought together generations of family, friends, teammates and school leaders to re ect on Johnson’s inspiring example of faith, leadership and perseverance.

The week began with a message from Pastor Ross Cavanaugh of Genesis Church, who reminded students and sta that the best way to honor Johnson’s legacy is by embracing a person-

al relationship with Jesus. His poem, shared with the Johnson family years ago, set a reverent tone for the days to come. Central to the celebration was the “Will Walk,” a tradition led by HCA Athletic Director Clayton Hall, Johnson’s longtime teammate and close friend. Participants, including current players and cheerleaders, surrounded the “Will statue” and placed yellow roses as a symbol of lasting friendship and dedication — not only to the sport but to living a Christ-centered life. The presence of four generations of Johnson’s family underscored the enduring impact of his spirit.

The celebration culminated during halftime of Friday’s football game, with re ections from Johnson’s mother, Luanne Johnson, and a special award presented to Hall for embodying Johnson’s values of leadership, hard work and discipleship.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ED coach Susan Rayner, left, will use defense to try to break a seven-match skid against WRH.

Stanly NewS Journal

“Our

ag was still there”

The ags of the United States and North Carolina y in front of Locust City Hall earlier this month.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Trump tells UN in speech it’s “not even coming close to living up” to potential

President Donald Trump has returned to the United Nations to boast of his second-term foreign policy achievements and lash out at the world body as a feckless institution. He also warned Europe it would be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies. World leaders listened closely to his Tuesday remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his rst eight months in o ce. After his speech, Trump met with Secretary-General António Guterres and told the top U.N. o cial that the U.S. is behind the global body “100%” amid fears among members that he’s edging toward a full retreat.

Secret Service

dismantles telecom threat around UN capable of crippling cell service in NYC

The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive hidden telecom network in New York. Investigators say the system could have crippled cell towers and jammed 911 calls. The cache included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards. It was located within 35 miles of the United Nations. The network could have blacked out cellular service, especially during the United Nations General Assembly. O cials have not uncovered a direct plot against the assembly. Forensic analysis is ongoing, and authorities suspect nation-state actors.

Stanly school board reviews grant application with county commissioners

The funding would pay for two major capital projects

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Education and Stanly County Board of Commissioners met in Albemarle for a special-called joint session Monday night to discuss a grant application that could fund major facility improvement projects.

The meeting focused on Stanly County Schools’ plan to pursue a Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund grant from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction that would provide up to $52 million for construction funding. In order for the application process to move forward, the grant requires a 5% local match approved by the county commissioners.

The school board voted at its Sept. 11 work session to apply for the grant, with the overall goal of building a new elementary school to replace Oakboro

Albemarle introduces new assistant city manager

Zach Ollis began his new role Sept. 15

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Assistant City Manager Zach Ollis is ofcially on the job after beginning his duties last week with the city of Albemarle.

At the Albemarle City Council meeting on Sept. 15, City Manager Darren Rhodes introduced Ollis, who was hired in August following a competitive search that drew more than 100 applicants.

“Zach has been a town manager at three separate municipalities, and he’s been successful at every point in his career,” Rhodes said. “He’s

a proven leader, and he’s really the perfect t here for the city of Albemarle to work with our fantastic team. We’re really looking forward to working with Zach. He’s a servant leader and he’s a perfect member of the team.”

Ollis brings over a decade of local government experience in North Carolina, overseeing services that have included public safety, planning and development.

“He’s really the most qualied individual that we’ve ever hired for the assistant city manager position that I can tell,” Rhodes added. “That speaks not only to Zach’s ability and talent, but it also speaks to the city and its leadership. It

“I think that I can be here for a very long time.”

Zach Ollis, new assistant city manager

THE STANLY

MY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

COURTESY STANLY COUNTY SCHOOLS

The Stanly County Board of Education and Board of Commissioners held a joint meeting on Monday night in Albemarle.

“Join

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

25

FRIDAY SEPT. 26

SATURDAY SEPT. 27

SUNDAY SEPT. 28

reunion

The Albemarle High School Class of 1958 gathered on Saturday, Sept. 13, for a reunion marking 67 years since graduation.

First row: Tommy Murrell, Jerry Reid, Rita Morris Morgan, Kay Swindell Cochran, Peggy Smith Grigg, Emma Lynn Morton Burleson, Eddie Burleson, Diane Watkins Earnhardt. Second row: Barbara Hoey Pinion, Sue Winn Harris, Martha Barbee Eudy, Judy E rd Murrell, Carolyn Nicholds Fitzgerald, Molly Holbrook Thomas, Evelyn Underwood Farrar, Gail Buck Josey, Bill Hartsell, Pat Starnes Bramlett, Stan Lawhon. Third row: Carolyn Butler Tindall, T A Gri n, Barbara Smith Johnson, Kenneth Helderman, Reggie Crowell, Larry Mullis, Ronnie Morris, Norris Je rey, Wade McSwain, Martha Huckabee Lowder, Roger Eudy. Not Pictured: Libbie Hatley Rodgers, Roger Whitley.

Sept. 15

• Debra Jean Hartsell, 33, was arrested for felony possession of schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor larceny, second degree trespass, and possession of methamphetamine.

• Shantel Ceara Cole, 34, was arrested for possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver methamphetamine, maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for controlled substances, tra cking in opium or heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, conspiracy to tra c opium/heroin, and possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver schedule II controlled substance.

• Yoka Michelle McIntyre, 42, was arrested for tra cking in opium or heroin, maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for controlled substances, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, conspiracy to tra c opium/ heroin, and possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver schedule II controlled substance.

Sept. 16

• Carla Jo Garris, 49, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.

• Jazmyne Luria Thomas, 32, was arrested for resisting a public o cer, rst degree trespass, and communicating threats.

• Whitney Nichole Hathcock, 36, was arrested for felony possession of schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Dorothy Elizabeth Hayman, 48, was arrested for possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of open container/ consuming alcohol in passenger area, and expired registration.

Sept. 17

• Jessie Houston Bullock, 38, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

• William Franklin Bailey, 46, was arrested for communicating threats and violation of court order.

• Jared Ashley Hatley, 38, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Rankin Patrick Lee Welch, 34, was arrested for obtaining property by false pretense and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sept. 18

• Johnny C Knotts, 62, was arrested for possession of rearm by felon, simple possession of schedule VI controlled substance, and third degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

• Jeremy Taylor Little, 30, was arrested for felony possession of cocaine.

Sept. 21

• Bradley Matthew Olsen, 40, was arrested for assault by pointing a gun, assault on a female, communicating threats, misdemeanor domestic violence, false imprisonment, resisting a public o cer, carrying a concealed gun, failure to heed light or siren, assault with a deadly weapon, civil order for arrest for child support, injury to personal property, larceny of a rearm, and possession of stolen rearm.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County.

Sept. 25

An Evening with Mike Wiley: One Noble Journey 7 p.m.

The Stanly County Historical Society presents Mike Wiley’s acclaimed one-man performance “One Noble Journey: The Box Marked Freedom.” This powerful evening of theatre and history is presented in partnership with the Arts Council and America 250 Committee.

Albemarle Neighborhood Theatre 219 E. North St. Albemarle

Sept.

27

Stanly County Fall Fest 3-7 p.m.

The festival includes a vendor market, food trucks and live music for community members to enjoy. It also o ers a kid’s zone and areas for adults to relax with beverages alongside family and friends.

Loping Crow Distillery 24030 Endy Road Albemarle

Summer Concert Finale with The Tams 7-10 p.m.

The event features a live beach music performance by The Tams, followed by a reworks display. Food trucks, vendors, a bounce house and a rock climbing wall provide additional options for families attending.

Locust Town Center Park 288 Market St. Locust

COURTESY PAM BRAMLETT

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Charlie Kirk: American patriot and Christian martyr

He spoke for millions of young people desperate for

I WROTE THESE words on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, Sept. 14 — a day meant for rest and worship yet overshadowed by tragedy. It came in the shadow of the cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus. Like millions of others, I nd myself wrestling with anger, sorrow, grief and confusion — searching for meaning in a moment that de es it.

We have long known that we live in a fallen, godless and debauched age. Yet two weeks ago, that grim truth was displayed in stark relief on a college campus — an institution that should nurture learning and virtue but instead became the stage for barbarity.

I call Charlie a martyr because he was killed for his convictions — for his un inching defense of truth and his fearless witness to Christ. He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity in a world where woke classrooms and even woke pulpits leave them spiritually starved.

Charlie was not an elected o cial, yet he carried himself with a statesman’s brilliance. A masterful debater, he could summon Scripture and the Constitution from memory. Many of us believed he had the intellect, vision and courage that could have carried him to the presidency one day.

The radical left saw the same potential — and feared it. They recognized that Charlie was a singular gure: principled, persuasive and deeply rooted in faith. His integrity and God-given ability to connect with young people threatened the woke ideological stranglehold on our culture. That was a threat his enemies could not tolerate. Now it falls on us to carry forward his ght with sharper minds, stouter hearts and steel spines.

Charlie was vili ed because he loved the Bible, loved his country and stood for objective truth. Above all, he was hated because he followed Jesus Christ. As John’s Gospel reminds us, the world loves darkness and rejects the light. Christ himself warned in John 15 that his followers would be hated and silenced precisely because they proclaim the truth of God’s word.

Across America and around the world, Christians are asking today: What will we do with this moment? How will we respond?

First, pray for Charlie’s wife, Erika, and their children, whose loss is beyond words. They will grow up without their father, unable yet to grasp the hatred that stole him away.

Second, recognize the danger we face. To

be a faithful Christian who engages the public square is now to risk one’s life. Charlie’s murder was not random — it was a warning to silence truth-tellers. In such times, we must pray for courage and boldness to speak God’s truth without fear.

Third, plead with God for mercy on our broken nation. As Romans 8 declares, creation itself “groans.” We saw that groaning in the vile ood of comments that mocked and even celebrated Charlie’s death.

Fourth, pray for leaders — that they will have the moral clarity to bring justice to the wicked and ful ll their God-given charge to punish evil and protect the righteous.

No single column can capture the life, goodness, and impact of Charlie Kirk. More must be written, and will be. For now, let us bear one another’s burdens and so ful ll the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

May we never again witness such a week in America — or endure another Lord’s Day clouded by such tragedy.

Sam Currin is a former judge, U.S. attorney and law professor. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University, UNC School of Law and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Government lists are a threat to free association

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records.

NO GOVERNMENT o cial needs to know what organizations you nancially support. And no state attorney general should have access to Americans’ sensitive personal information without clearly showing cause or in the absence of criminal proceedings. Yet wielding state power for his own political agenda, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asked a court to force First Choice Women’s Resource Centers to disclose donor information about nearly 5,000 contributions (see AAF’s amicus brief in First Choice Women’s Resource Center v. Platkin).

Similar disclosures in the past have not fared well for Americans. In 2014, Mozilla forced their new chief executive, Brendan Eich, the founder of JavaScript, to resign after discovering that Eich had donated $1,000 six years earlier to a campaign that supported Proposition 8, the voter-approved California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In the late 1950s during the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama attempted to use disclosure requirements to prevent the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from conducting business, which included the Montgomery Bus Boycott and funding programs for African American students wishing to attend the state university (see NAACP v. Alabama). Today, big government agencies already have large databases on Americans’ private information. Plenty of people have not told their best friend or neighbors how much they earn. Yet the government — only trusted by 22% of Americans to do the right thing

always or most of the time — knows.

Thanks to the SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), the federal government also compiles a list linking your every purchase and sale in the stock market to your sensitive, personal information (see AAF’s amicus brief challenging CAT in Davidson v. Gensler). With the Supreme Court tailoring opt-outs for gender ideology in schools to religious exemptions, the government could seize the opportunity to create yet another list, this time of religious parents.

As explained in AAF’s amicus brief in Platkin, “No government o cial should be able to use his legitimate law enforcement power to pursue those with whom he disagrees politically.” The latter would reduce our constitutional protections to be the “mere parchment barriers” that our framers feared. Regardless of whether the court rules against Platkin, he will have taken time and resources away from First Choice’s mission of helping mothers and saving babies. Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records. Even the threat of disclosure threatens freedom of speech and association, which are the cornerstones of the American tradition.

In America’s earliest days, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the “art of association then becomes … the mother science; everyone studies it and applies it” (quoted in AAF’s amicus brief First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin). Where “all citizens are independent and weak” and “can hardly do

anything by themselves,” Americans must coordinate to e ect change. The latter is an intentional feature of our constitutional system that protects minority opinions from suppression and ensures power remains derived from the people.

Platkin is not a uke or merely a result of one bad actor. In October, the Sixth Circuit will hear a similar freedom of association case, Buckeye Institute v. IRS, where the federal government defends its practice compelling nonpro t organizations to disclose private donor information.

President Ronald Reagan said the scariest words in the English language were “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” When the government collects information, Americans are threatened by the abuse of that information. For that reason, the government should only be collecting information it absolutely needs. The courts in these cases must ensure that governments are not storing up information and, in so doing, exposing Americans to harassment by government agents.

Marc Wheat is the general counsel of Advancing American Freedom. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

BE IN TOUCH

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 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.

COLUMN | J. MARC WHEAT

COLUMN | SAM CURRIN

clarity.

Trump o cials praise Charlie Kirk’s faith, mark on the conservative movement

The memorial service drew thousands, including Vice President JD Vance

By Jonathan J. Cooper, Eugene Garcia, Aamer Madhani and Meg Kinnard The Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. — President Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as he and other prominent conservatives gathered Sunday evening to honor the slain conservative political activist whose work they say they must now advance.

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration ofcials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old rebrand.

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”

Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.

“For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has set o a erce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division.

The shooting has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justi cation to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.

Those close to Kirk prayed and the oors at the home of the

MEETING from page A1

and a remaining funding gap of nearly $30 million.

The plan would rebuild Oakboro as a 700-student elementary campus and redistrict students from Locust, Stan eld, Endy and Aquadale, while West Stanly Middle would be expanded to hold 950 students — a capacity larger than some county high schools.

Initial plans project both school upgrades would be completed by 2028.

Commissioners raised questions about the proposal, particularly the monetary gap that

NFL’s Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.

Longtime worship leader Chris Tomlin opened the service and was joined later by other big names in contemporary Christian music, including Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham. Near the end, as Trump took the stage, Lee Greenwood

would require additional taxpayer-backed loans.

“I’m not going to put a $33 million tax debt on the people of the county until they have a say so, whether it be a referendum vote or speaking out,”

Commissioner Chair Mike Barbee said. “I think most of the problems that we have capacity-wise have been created by the school system moving kids around from one school to the other for special programs and stu like that.”

Some also questioned why Ridgecrest Elementary — closed for a decade — was not part of the plan despite being

sang a live rendition of the president’s campaign walk-on song, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight and speakers delivered their tributes from behind bullet-proof glass.

The 63,400-seat stadium quickly lled with people dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.

in slightly better condition than Oakboro. School o cials noted that Oakboro had previously been reopened in response to community needs, while Ridgecrest had not received similar support.

“The needs are huge across the county, and we do have to start somewhere,” Commissioner Patty Crump said. “I have a lot of thinking to do. I have an entire county to represent with my vote, but we have needs that have to be addressed. I don’t want to kick the can down the road anymore, so I want to just put that on the record. I do appreciate

The mood in the stadium ebbed and owed throughout a service that stretched more than ve hours. Mourners were patient and cordial, even after waiting hours to enter and then an hour or more for food in stadium concession lines.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was nding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.

“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” said Erika Kirk, who is taking over as Turning Point’s leader.

She added, “I forgive him.”

Trump, who closed out the service, remarked that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his opponents” and “wanted the best for them,” an attribute he found hard to understand.

“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said. “I’m sorry, I am sorry Erika.”

Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others who he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.

Dozens of people, from jour-

the time and the e ort that you put into this.”

With the deadline for grant applications set for Oct. 3, the school board has requested anal decision from commissioners by Friday.

“We need a decision from you by the end of this week because that’s going to give us time to know what direction we need to go in,” Board Member Glenda Gibson said.

“I guess the question is, do you want to help us build new schools and give us what our county and students need?” Gibson asked. “Or are we going to stay idle for another 23

nalists to teachers to late show host Jimmy Kimmel, have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration o cials target comments about Kirk that they deem o ensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment.

Some speakers at the memorial said Kirk was battling evil and referred to a vague “they” as the enemy. Others were blunt.

“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened, you have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic,” said White House deputy chief of sta Stephen Miller.

Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader.

A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk’s hatred.

Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.

The crowd was a testament to the in uence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people. And the service brought together a veritable who’s who of the Republican Party, with numerous current and former lawmakers in the crowd. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and former top adviser to Trump, was spotted sitting with Trump for part of the service.

Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot.

Speaker after speaker, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed awe at Kirk’s ability to go into what many conservatives saw as the lion’s den to make the conservative case: college campuses.

“Why don’t you start somewhere easier,” Rubio recalled thinking when he rst heard about Kirk years ago. “Like, for example, communist Cuba?”

years and leave this problem for the next generation? Because that’s what it’s going to be if we don’t do something now. Our students can’t wait another decade, and our buildings can’t wait another decade. We are at a stopping point where we have to make some decisions about our facilities.” No public comment period was included in Monday’s meeting.

Earlier this month, resolutions backing the school district’s grant application were passed by the Oakboro Board of Commissioners, Stan eld Town Council and Locust City Council.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

People listen as Erika Kirk speaks at a memorial for her late husband conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

How faith-based support is helping Scouting America stabilize

Religious organizations provide crucial backing despite past controversies

By David Crary

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — For the Boy Scouts of America — recently renamed Scouting America — the past 12 years have been arduous. Opening its programs to gay people and later to girls sparked dismay in some quarters. Its 2020 bankruptcy declaration led to prolonged wrangling over compensation for thousands of men claiming they were sexually abused as scouts.

Yet the 115-year-old organization — though serving far fewer youths than at its peak decades ago — seems to be stabilizing, with a slight uptick in membership last year. A key factor is the abiding loyalty of major religious denominations that still view scouting’s mission as uniquely in tune with their own.

“I tell parents this is the best time to be involved with Scouting America, and the best time to be involved through a Catholic unit,” said Bill Guglielmi, who chairs the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. “There is a hunger out there now for nding a values-based organization.”

Guglielmi and others who are engaged in faith-based scouting praise the manner in which time-honored scouting programs — such as camping and expeditions — have been blended with newfangled activities such as indoor skydiving and an arti cial-intelligence merit badge. But foremost, they value the organization’s continued commitment to communal prayer.

“Worship is a big deal here,” said Bill McCalister, who served more than 40 years as scoutmaster of Troop 285 in San Antonio under sponsorship of a United Methodist church.

“Every campout, we have a formal worship service. Sometimes we serve Communion,” he said. “Many scouts come to me and say, ‘Mr. Mac, this is my church.’”

A diversity of faiths in scouting

According to Scouting America’s latest data, faith-based organizations account for 42% of

OLLIS from page A1 speaks to the fact that we’re an attractive community for someone of his caliber.”

Most recently, Ollis served as Cramerton’s town manager in Gaston County, overseeing an $8 million budget and nearly 100 employees. Under his leadership, the town secured about $5 million in state grants and completed more than $3 mil-

the nearly 40,000 units operated by chartered organizations. The Catholic Church and its afliates are No. 1 — overseeing 3,514 units serving more than 87,100 of the roughly 1 million boys and girls now active in scouting.

Other major sponsors include the United Methodists, the Episcopal Church and various Lutheran and Presbyterian denominations. Nearly 250 units, serving more than 6,500 scouts, are sponsored by Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist organizations.

“It really speaks to the alignment of the mission, vision and values that our organization has and what those organizations have,” Roger Krone, Scouting America’s president and CEO, told The Associated Press. “It’s character development, it’s spiritual growth, it’s community service.”

The Boy Scouts lifted a ban on openly gay youth members in 2013 and began accepting girls in 2018 — steps Krone depicted as a message of welcome to any family considering scouting.

One step the organization will not take, Krone said, is abandoning the religious credo at the core of its mission. The famed Scout Oath begins, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God,” while the Scout Law’s concluding message is: “Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the belief of others.”

“There are some places today where you’re not encouraged to

lion in improvements, including streetscapes, park upgrades and public art.

“I’m extremely excited to be here,” Ollis told the council.

“Darren has been great to meet and learn from, and this leadership team is really something special. My rst job out of college was as an intern in Troy, so I fell in love with this area probably 11 years ago and I’ve paid attention to it ever since. This is

talk about spiritual growth and what may be going on outside your little bubble,” Krone said. “In our organization, it’s been core to our principles for years and years and will continue to be core.”

Krone acknowledges that some nonreligious families, while admiring aspects of scouting, might be uncomfortable with the “Duty to God” pledge. He encourages them to try scouting nonetheless.

“You are all welcome in our organization,” he said. “But I want people to know when you come to scouting, there’s this concept of reverence and spiritual growth and saying prayers and being thoughtful.”

“The parent can come and be a volunteer and go through a couple meetings and a couple of campouts and watch what we do, see what e ect the way we deal with duty to God and reverence has on the youth of your child’s age, and then make a decision,” Krone said. “Don’t dismiss us out of hand.”

How it’s done by Troop 228

That welcoming approach is fully practiced by Troop 228, chartered by St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita, according to one of its adult leaders, Christine Tezai. She estimates that less than half the troop’s 40-plus scouts are Catholic, yet all participate in occasional religion-themed events, including an annual Mass at which religious awards are presented.

a place that not only I can bring my skill set to, but I can learn from. I think that I can be here for a very long time.”

Ollis also has six years of experience as town manager in Tryon in Polk County, where he developed a $15 million capital improvement plan, guided an information technology upgrade and oversaw a downtown streetscape project.

He began his career as town

“It doesn’t matter if you’re Catholic,” Tezai said. “A scout is reverent — it doesn’t matter how you’re reverent. You don’t have to say prayers. … You know what we do by showing kindness and being helpful.”

Her 17-year-old son, Mykhail Tezai, entered Cub Scouts in the rst grade. Now, as a high school senior, he’s on track to become an Eagle Scout.

He said several fellow scouts don’t identify with a speci c faith but feel comfortable in a church-chartered troop.

“They’re very curious about my religion and being Catholic,” he said. “They want to know how it works.”

Some faith groups broke away

After the 2013 decision to admit gay youth, some disgruntled conservatives formed a new group, Trail Life USA, which created its own ranks, badges and uniforms. It now claims 65,000 youth members, participating in church-run units aligned with “biblical Christian principles.”

The biggest blow came at the start of 2020, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — then the Boy Scouts’ largest faith-based partner — withdrew more than 400,000 scouts in favor of new programs of its own.

Krone said many Latter-day Saints families remain fond of Boy Scout programming and now place their children in units una liated with their church.

“We would love to have more Mormon youth in our program,” Krone said. “They can have their own program … but also maybe embrace Scouting America more than they have the last couple of years to gain the bene ts of the program we’ve developed.”

As for Trail Life, Krone acknowledged that its conservative Christian outlook has strong appeal for some families.

“But our program will prepare you better for life,” he said. “Once you get out of high school … you need to learn to get along with others in the world as it is today, outside of the environment that you grew up in.”

The loss of many units a liated with the Latter-day Saints and conservative Christian churches was part of a broad-

manager in Wilson’s Mills in Johnston County, helping to establish the public safety department and directing a $5 million sewer project funded through grants and loans.

Ollis, a past president of the Appalachian State University Local Government Alumni Association, holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from the university.

er shrinkage experienced by the Boy Scouts, which served more than 4 million boys in the 1970s. The COVID-19 pandemic and the bankruptcy process were major factors as membership dwindled. In all, more than 82,000 people led claims alleging they were sexually abused as scouts. Leading faith-based sponsors of scout units, including Catholic dioceses and Methodist churches, contributed to a $2.4 billion reorganization plan that took e ect in 2023, allowing the Boy Scouts to keep operating while compensating abuse survivors.

For those who stayed, a deep commitment

Steven Scheid, director of the United Methodists’ Center for Scouting Ministries, sees some upsides for scouting after its previous di culties. He cited rigorous child-protection policies that he views as e ective in curtailing sex abuse.

“The lessons we can gain out of the mistakes of the past can make a better, stronger community, a safer one,” he said.

Back in 2013, the United Methodists accounted for almost 350,000 youth members in the Boy Scouts. The gure now is 52,600.

While Christian churches account for the vast majority of Scouting America’s faith-based units, there are more than 3,500 scouts in Muslim-sponsored units and about 1,560 in Jewish-a liated units.

“Muslims in America are searching for their identity, and there’s nothing more American than scouting,” said Rashid Abdullah, executive director of the executive director of the National Association of Muslim Americans on Scouting. “It’s aligning perfectly with the values of our faith.”

Abdullah is also a lead organizer of scout units chartered to the Islamic Center of Northern Virginia Trust and the father of three sons who — like himself — made Eagle Scout.

Another Eagle Scout of long standing is Ricky Mason, a bankruptcy attorney who helped negotiate the reorganization plan and who next year will become the second Jewish chair of the Scouts’ National Executive Committee. His mother foresightedly told Mason when he was 7 that he would become an Eagle Scout through their synagogue-sponsored troop in Richmond, Virginia.

“In addition to the having fun part, scouting is really about character and leadership development,” Mason said. “This organization is needed now more than ever.”

Additionally, he is a credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association and serves on multiple leadership boards with the North Carolina City and County Management Association.

The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

KRYSTA FAURIA / AP PHOTO

Scout Troop 228 participates in the U.S. ag retirement ceremony for Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Church during the annual Patriots Day observance at the church in Santa Clarita, California, on Sept. 11.

Joann Furr Bullins

Dec. 19, 1941 – Sept. 18, 2025

JoAnn Furr Bullins, 83, of Oakboro, passed away Thursday, September 18, 2025 at her home.

JoAnn was born December 19, 1941 in Stanly County, North Carolina to the late John Spurgeon Sasser and the late Essie Velma Hatley Sasser. She was also preceded in

OBITUARIES

death by husband, David Bullins and son, John Reece Furr.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Survivors include children, Patty Furr Randolph (Scott) of Concord, NC and Steven Barry Furr (Denise) of Harrisburg, NC; grandchildren, Jon Almond (Ashley) and Rebecca Randolph, Nicholas Furr and Sarah Furr; and great-grandchildren, Miller and Mason Almond.

JoAnn was a lifelong member of Big Lick Baptist Church. When she was younger, she was involved with Scouting and the Parents without Partners Group where she met David Bullins. JoAnn loved her dogs, her books, and her co ee. She had a huge heart and was unendingly generous.

Memorials may be made to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Midland is serving the Bullins family.

Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ northstatejournal.com

IN MEMORY

‘Dickie’ Bird, charismatic former cricket umpire, dead at age 92

The legendary English o cial was known for eccentricities and warmth

By Steve Douglas The Associated Press

HAROLD “DICKIE” Bird, the charismatic and much-loved former cricket umpire from England who o ciated in 66 test matches and three World Cup nals, has died. He was 92.

Bird’s death was announced Tuesday by English club Yorkshire, his home county where he was made president in 2014. Yorkshire said he died “peacefully” at his home.

Yorkshire called Bird a “national treasure” who was “known not only for his umpiring excellence but also for his eccentricities and warmth.”

“He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy — and a legion of admirers across generations.”

Bird’s rst-class playing career, which included spells with his beloved Yorkshire and Leicestershire, was cut short by injury at the age

of 32 with an average of 20.71. He went on to become arguably the world’s most famous umpire, standing in an English county match for the rst time in 1970 and his rst test three years later.

In 1975, Bird took charge of the inaugural men’s Cricket World Cup nal. At his nal test in 1996, a guard of honor by the players of England and India at Lord’s reduced him to tears.

“Dickie enjoyed an illustrious career as an umpire,” the Lord’s-based Marylebone Cricket Club said, “and was one of the most popular o cials in the history of the game.”

An umpire long before the introduction of technology to cricket, Bird — whose name resonated beyond the world of cricket — was renowned for being cautious with his decisions and making few clear mistakes, telling the BBC that his parents “installed this mental strength to believe in myself.”

In his pomp — and in his later years — he was as popular as the players he o ciated, never refusing to sign an

ALICE LORRAINE TURNER

NOV. 1, 1947 – SEPT. 22, 2025

Alice Lorraine Turner, 77, of Norwood gained her wings Monday, September 22nd, 2025; at Forrest Oaks in Albemarle. She will lie in state on Sunday, September 28th, from 12-6 P.M.; at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood.

Alice was born on November 1, 1947 in Stanly county to the late Walter Hall and Maria Turner. She graduated from Kingsville High School and began working in the textile industry. She was a member of Bennettsville AME Zion Church in Norwood.

Alice was preceded in death by her son, Trevor Turner.

She was survived by her son: Terence Turner, of the home; brother, Delano Turner Sr. ,Daughter, Lisa Gasque (Que) of Concord; of the home; grandchildren: Sh-Mira Dumas, Jayden Dumas, Curtis Turner (Sylvia), Trevor “Bug” Turner (Stacey), Odell Quaries III; nieces and nephews: Delano “Chub” Turner Jr. and Shawana Long (Anthony); great nieces and nephews: Ace and Avana Long; and a host of beloved great-nieces and nephews, and cousins.

The family will be at the home of Terence and Delano Turner, in Norwood.

CHADWICK LEE SMITH

MAY 1, 1972 – SEPT. 18, 2025

Chadwick Lee Smith, 53, of Oakboro, passed away Thursday, September 18, 2025. A funeral service to celebrate his life will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Bethel Baptist Church in Locust with Pastor Brian Bolding o ciating. Burial will follow in the Oakboro Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Saturday evening from 5:00 until 7:00 PM at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.

Born May 1, 1972, in Mecklenburg County, Chad was the beloved son of Roy Lee Smith and Carolyn Morton Smith of Oakboro, and beloved husband of Ellie Smith. He was a retired Geology Technician with the NC Department of Transportation and was the proud owner and operator of Good Life Grading. A lifelong member of Bethel Baptist Church, Chad’s faith guided his life and was evident in the way he cared for others.

Chad’s family remembers him as a devoted husband, loving father, faithful son and brother, and a steadfast friend. His family meant everything to him. He was the rock everyone leaned on— faithful, helpful, funny, and always providing for those he loved. He had a passion for the outdoors and especially enjoyed hunting duck, turkey, dove, and deer. He loved grilling, relaxing by the pool, listening to bluegrass and old country music, and being surrounded by family and friends.

Known for his quick wit and humor, Chad’s “Chadisms” brought many smiles—phrases like “104,” “hanging out like hair in a biscuit,” “out of here like a Washburn in a Spelling Bee,” and calling everyone “Bubba.” When faced with life’s challenges, his simple but powerful reminder was always, “Give it to God.” He had a gift for storytelling—often standing up to act out his tales with laughter and energy. Above all, he adored his wife Ellie, whom he lovingly called “Baby,” and their children.

Chad is survived by his wife of 28 years, Ellie Smith; his parents, Roy Lee and Carolyn Smith of Oakboro; three children, Dawson Smith (Brooke Helms) of Oakboro, Carson Smith of Oakboro, and Mylee Smith of Oakboro; and his sister, Karla Aldridge (Kelly) of Oakboro.

BENSON FRANKLIN KIMREY JR JULY 1, 1945 – SEPT. 18, 2025

Benson Franklin Kimrey, Jr., 80, of Albemarle, passed away at his home on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

A funeral service to honor his life will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Jerry Mabry o ciating. Burial will follow at Union Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday evening from 5:00 until 7:00 PM at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.

Born July 1, 1945, in Stanly County, Benson was the son of the late Benson Franklin Kimrey, Sr. and Jenner Cooper Kimrey. He was co-owner of K & S Floor Covering until his retirement and a member of West Albemarle Baptist Church.

A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Benson was known for his deep faith and quiet prayers, his compassion, and his unwavering dedication to his family. He worked hard and lived simply, always putting the needs of others before his own. He loved cheering for the Atlanta Braves and the Carolina Tar Heels, and he found joy in life’s everyday blessings.

Benson is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Janice Deese Kimrey; his daughter, Christy Kimrey Martin of Albemarle; his son, Derrick B. Kimrey (Eddie McDaniel) of Raleigh; granddaughter, Meredith Russell (Mitchell) of Albemarle; and two great-grandchildren, Luella Mae Russell and Salah Jordan Russell.

He was preceded in death by his grandson, Jordan Anthony Martin, and his sisters, Emma Marie Kimrey and Janette Kimrey Harward.

Benson will be remembered as a spiritual, hardworking, and sel ess man who gave generously of himself and leaves behind a legacy of love and devotion to his family.

autograph and often seen waiting patiently to do so even when lines were long. His autobiography chalked up more than a million sales, becoming Britain’s biggest-selling sports book in the process. It was his idiosyncrasies that made him so loved — the way he raised his nger to give a batter out, his warmth and conversational approach with players, his grin, his stooping gait, how he twitched his arms and

tugged at his umpire’s jacket. Bird listed Gar eld Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards and Dennis Lillee as the best players he ever umpired.

“Remembered for your fairness, integrity, humour, and true Yorkshire spirit,” former India player Dinesh Karthik posted on X. “A legend forever.”

In his post-umpire life as after-dinner speaker and occasional TV personality, he wasn’t short of anecdotes — not least

Former umpire

Dickie Bird attends the rst day of the rst Test match at Lord’s cricket ground in London on May 21, 2015.

DEVLIN / PA VIA AP

when he was in the middle when the pitch at Yorkshire’s home ground, Headingley, once ooded because of a problem with the drainage system — and he remained a proud Yorkshireman to the end. His one regret in life, Bird told The Guardian newspaper in 2013, was not having a family.

“I gave my life to cricket, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “I never got married because I was married to the game.”

ANTHONY

STANLY SPORTS

South Stanly football improves to 3-1 with 47-0 home shutout win

The Bulls racked up 34 rst-half points

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

NORWOOD — South Stan-

ly’s varsity football team welcomed Hunterville’s Bonnie

Cone Leadership Academy to K.L. Young Stadium in Norwood with a 47-0 shutout victory Friday night.

It was a lopsided a air where the home team scored early and never looked back.

The Rowdy Rebel Bulls (3-1) used three rst-quarter touch-

downs to build a quick lead over the Eagles (0-4), who allowed South to enter halftime with a 34-0 lead and eventually climb up to 47 unanswered points for its second consecutive win.

It marked the Bulls’ second shutout of the season following a season-opening 27-0 road win at West Stanly and the team’s highest scoring output since a 66-0 home shutout over South Davidson last Sept. 12. Facing a winless BCLA team, South quarterback Kaleb Richardson completed 5 of 10 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, pacing a Bulls o ense

North Stanly looks to stay unbeaten in road matchup

South Stanly has the county’s other winning record

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — As the halfway mark of the high school football season approaches, this week’s action brings the beginning of conference play for two Stanly teams. For the two other local squads, Week 6 presents their nal nonconference matchups of the regular season before a heavy dose of league play begins next week.

North Stanly at Thomas Je erson Classical Academy

For the rst time in ve years, North Stanly has a 5-0 record in its sights as the Comets (4-0) enter Yadkin Valley Conference play by traveling to face the TJCA Gryphons (3-1, 1-0 YVC). After winning each of their rst three games of the season by one score or less, the Comets thrashed Mountain Island Charter 51-21 at home last

weekend to move to 4-0 on the year. North has continued to thrive this season with a balanced approach, spreading the ball around between wide receiver Jaylon McKoy and a trio of running backs. Against the Gryphons, the Comets will challenge a dual-threat quarterback-led team that has outscored its opponents 107-6 in its three wins this season.

South Stanly at Union Academy

Following three straight home matchups in Norwood, South Stanly will take a two -game winning streak on the road to Union Academy to begin league play against the Cardinals (2-2, 0-1 YVC).

The Rowdy Rebel Bulls (3-1) blasted Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy in a 47-0 shutout last weekend, while the Cardinals fell 49-7 at home to North Rowan in their rst loss since their season opener. Last season, the Bulls went 2-3 in YVC play but managed to pull out a victory in theirnal conference matchup of the 2024 campaign: a 20-14 victory over the Cardinals at home.

that often got down the eld with ease.

Senior running back Carter Callicutt had 96 yards and two touchdowns on four carries, while freshman Andre Dockery rushed the ball eight times for a team-best 98 yards and a score.

South sophomore running back Nate Poplin added a touchdown of his own for the Bulls.

Senior wideout Jayden Woods had a team-best 51 receiving yards and a touchdown to go along with his explosive performance on the other side of the eld as a cornerback, where he had four interceptions and a pick-six.

Team-high rushing yards for freshman Andre Dockery

Woods’ rst score of the night arrived in the rst quarter to put the Bulls up 21-0 following an extra point; his pick-six in the second quarter made it a 34-0 game.

Senior wide receiver Wyatt

Crawford added two catches for 40 yards as Callicut added 44 receiving yards of his own.

Coming o their rst winning season since 2018, the Bulls are now matching the record they had through four games in last year’s 6-5 (2-3 Yadkin Valley) campaign.

Through four games, South has outscored its opponents 140-71, a stretch that includes two blowout wins, a close victory and a narrow Aug. 29 home loss to Piedmont (33-27).

Following three straight home matchups in Norwood, South Stanly will next take a two-game winning streak on the road to Union Academy in Monroe to begin conference play against the Cardinals (2-2, 0-1 YVC).

The Bulls, who are averaging 35 points a game, will be up against a Cardinals defense that has allowed 26.3 points per contest.

Union Academy will be looking for revenge Friday night as South heads to Monroe.

Albemarle at Mountain Island Charter

Hoping to recover from backto-back losses, the Albemarle Bulldogs (2-2, 0-1 YVC) will need more help from their o ense Friday as they head to Mount Holly to face the Mountain Island Charter Raptors (1-3).

The Bulldogs have only scored 13 points in their past two performances after scoring 97 points in their rst two games of the season. In a 20-6 home loss against TJCA on Fri-

day, marking the Bulldogs’ YVC opener, Albemarle picked up 117 yards of o ense on the ground but only 38 passing yards.

A quick detour back into nonconference play with the Raptors provides Albemarle a chance to regain its early-season momentum with ve more conference opponents awaiting in October.

Eastern Randolph at West Stanly

In a 35-14 loss at Central in South Carolina on Sept. 12, West Stanly came back down to earth after delivering a 43-7 blow to Albemarle a week before.

The Colts (1-3) are now rested up for their nal nonconference contest of the regular season as they host Eastern Randolph this week. The Wildcats (3-2) have lost two of their past three games and are coming o a 20-13 home loss to Asheboro.

West will head into Rocky River Conference play coming o a win if they can now take down a Wildcats team that has been vulnerable to strong rushing attacks. Led by junior quarterback Dominik Danzy, the Colts racked up 304 rushing yards at Albemarle but were held to 110 at Central.

COURTESY SOUTH STANLY ATHLETICS

South Stanly delivered the crowd inside Norwood’s K.L. Stadium its second home win of the 2025 season with a 47-0 shutout over BCLA on Sept. 19.

COURTESY NFHS NETWORK

North Stanly’s defense prepares for a Mountain Island Charter drive during the rst quarter of the Comets’ 55-21 home win on Sept. 19.

NASCAR Blaney opens 2nd round of Cup with New Hampshire win

led 10 laps. “Hats o to Ryan at the end. All our cars were really strong, and Ryan did a great job there. I was honestly surprised I was able to keep him honest at the end.

LOUDON, N.H. — In a race in which Fords were fastest at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney barely was best in class for the second-round opener of the NASCAR Cup Series playo s.

The 2023 Cup champion led 116 laps in his No. 12 Mustang, including the nal 39, but still had to fend o a furious charge by runner-up Josh Berry, who closed within a few car lengths with 10 laps left before overdriving a corner.

Blaney pulled away to win by 0.937 seconds Sunday for his third victory of the season and 16th of his career.

“That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove,” the Team Penske driver said.

“I was trying to kind of bide my stu and pull Josh a little bit, then he really started coming. It was all I could do to hold him o , trying new lanes. That was good and clean racing. I appreciate Josh for not throwing me the bumper when he could have.

“What a cool day, what a cool weekend. Super fast car. Really have been strong through the playo s. It’s great to get a win in the rst race of the round.”

Blaney, who is trying to reach the Championship 4 season nale for the third consecutive year, became the rst driver to advance into one of the eight available spots in the third round of the Cup playo s.

Berry, whose No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford has a competitive alliance with Penske, overcame a spin on the 82nd lap and rebounded from his rst-round elimination after nishing last in each of the rst three races in the playo s.

“It was de nitely an awesome day,” said Berry, who

“Just a shame to nish second, but after the last couple of weeks, it feels good. This is de nitely what we’re capable of, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

The Fords backed up their impressive performances in qualifying Saturday when Penske star Joey Logano won the pole position to cap a sweep of the top three starting spots with Blaney and Berry. The same trio led 273 of 301 laps Sunday.

William Byron was the highest- nishing Chevrolet driver in third.

“It was a good day overall,” said Byron, who is the highest-ranked driver behind Blaney in the playo standings with two races left in the second round. “Penske guys were super fast. I felt like they were in another ZIP code.”

Logano took fourth after leading a race-high 147 laps in the No. 22 Ford. The Middletown, Connecticut, native started from the pole for the rst time at New Hampshire, which he considers his home track.

“(Blaney) was wicked fast in practice, and he showed that again in the race,” Logano said. “We obviously got a ton of points today, so we did what we needed to do, but I’d rather win. That’s just the greed in me, especially when it’s home.”

After qualifying 27th, last among the 12 playo drivers, Chase Elliott raced to a fth-place nish.

Christopher Bell took sixth as the top nishing Toyota driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, which went undefeated in the rst round of the playo s. Kyle Larson took seventh, and Ross Chastain was ninth as playo drivers took eight of the top 10 spots on the 1.058 -mile oval.

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

Ryan Blaney celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playo race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Local teams snap losing streaks with conference wins

Stanly News Journal sta

South Stanly volleyball, 5-9, 3-2 in Yadkin Valley 2A/3A

Last week’s scores Won 3-1 vs. Gray Stone Day

This week’s schedule

Sept. 23 vs. Albemarle

Sept. 25 vs. North Rowan

Sept. 30 at North Stanly

The Rowdy Rebel Bulls snapped a three-match losing streak last week, moving over .500 in conference.

South Stanly boys’ soccer, 2-5, 0-3 in Yadkin Valley 2A/3A

Last week’s scores Lost 4-3 to North Stanly Lost 12-0 to Union Academy

This week’s schedule Sept. 24 vs. Gray Stone Day Sept. 29 vs. West Stanly

The Rowdy Rebel Bulls have now lost ve in a row. Making things more frustrating for the team, four of the losses were in games during which South Stanly scored three goals.

West Stanly volleyball, 14-3, 8-0 in Rocky River

4A/5A

Last week’s scores Lost 3-0 vs. Cox Mill

Won 3-0 at Central Won 3-1 at Gray Stone Day

This week’s schedule Sept. 17 vs. Cox Mill Sept. 18 at Central Sept. 22 at Gray Stone Day

After winning four straight and sweeping 12 sets in a row, the Colts fell in a nonconference game against Cox Mill. They recovered, winning their next two outings.

West Stanly boys’ soccer, 3-8-1, 1-3-1 in Rocky River 4A/5A

Last week’s scores Tied 2-2 at Forest Hills Lost 10-1 at Sun Valley

This week’s schedule

Sept. 24 vs. Anson Sept. 25 vs. Piedmont

Sept. 29 vs. South Stanly

The Colts scored for the rst time in three games but had to settle for a tie. Their winless streak is now up to four matches.

North Stanly volleyball, 10-9, 5-1 in Yadkin Valley

Last week’s scores Won 3-0 at Albemarle Won 3-1 vs. Union Academy Lost 3-1 vs. Mount Pleasant

This week’s schedule: Sept. 25 at Gray Stone Day Sept. 29 at Cox Mill

Sept. 30 vs. South Stanly

The Comets won three in a row to move over .500 for the rst time this season.

North Stanly boys’ soccer, 4-7, 1-1 in Yadkin Valley

Last week’s scores

Won 4-3 at South Stanly

This week’s schedule

Sept. 24 at Albemarle

The Comets snapped a fourgame losing streak and a scoreless streak of the same length. Oddly, the 4-3 win over South was just North Stanly’s second game this season during which both teams scored.

Albemarle volleyball, 5-4, 1-4 in Yadkin Valley

Last week’s scores Lost 3-0 vs. North Stanly Won 3-1 vs. South Davidson

This week’s schedule

Sept. 23 at South Stanly Sept. 25 vs. Union Academy Sept. 29 vs. North Rowan

The Bulldogs split two matches last week to remain a game over .500.

Albemarle boys’ soccer, 5-7, 0-2 in Yadkin Valley

Last week’s scores

Won 3-2 at North Rowan Lost 3-0 vs. West Davidson Lost 3-0 vs. Gray Stone Day

This week’s schedule

Sept. 24 vs. North Stanly Sept. 25 at Math and Science Academy

The Bulldogs won one of three games last week. Moi Carrillo, Nick Yang and Paul Mendikute scored goals for Albemarle.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

RUSHING (all stats courtesy of MaxPreps, may be incomplete)

AJ Butler (Albemarle): 49-356, 5 TDs

Carter Callicutt (South Stanly): 40-323, 6 TDs

Dominik Danzy (West Stanly): 52-283, 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): 9-101, 1 TD

Ikey Holt (South Stanly): 29-97, 1 TD

Joneil Cabrera Arroyo (Albemarle): 8-96, 2 TDs

*Brady Lowder (North Stanly): 13-83, 0 TDs

A. Dockery (South Stanly): 8-98, 1 TD

Carter Shaw (West Stanly): 28-80, 0 TDs

Ray Blakeney (Albemarle): 20-49, 2 TDs

*stats not reported from most recent game

RECEIVING

Jasiah Holt (South Stanly): 20-375, 5 TDs

Jayden Woods (South Stanly): 16-273, 3 TDs

*Kylan Dockery (North Stanly): 10-185, 2 TDs

Javier Padilla (West Stanly): 12-130, 1 TD

Wyatt Crawford (South Stanly): 9-121, 1 TD

Jaymi Campbell (Albemarle): 9-114, 2 TDs

Carter Callicutt (South Stanly): 4-107, 0 TDs

Zayden Thomas (West Stanly): 6-99, 0 TDs

*Racere Bruton (North Stanly): 3-65, 0 TDs

*Solomon Hudson (North Stanly): 5-48, 1 TD

*stats not reported from most recent game

PASSING

Kaleb Richardson (South Stanly): 47-81 for 878, 11 TDs

*Brady Lowder (North Stanly): 22-38 for 336, 4 TDs

Dominik Danzy (West Stanly): 22-40 for 240, 2 TDs

Ray Blakeney (Albemarle): 16-32 for 190, 1 TD

*stats not reported from most recent game

Yadkin Valley 2A/3A

Thomas Je erson: 3-1, 1-0

North Rowan:1-3, 1-0

Union: 2-2, 0-1

Albemarle: 2-2, 0-1

North Stanly: 4-0, 0-0

South Stanly: 3-1, 0-0

Games last week Sept. 19

West Stanly (Open)

South Stanly 47, Bonnie Cone 0

North Stanly 51, Mountain Island Charter 21

Thomas Je erson 20, Albemarle 6

Rocky River 4A/5A

Forest Hills: 5-0

Mount Pleasant: 3-2

West Stanly: 1-3

Monroe: 1-3

Parkwood: 1-4

Anson: 0-4

Games this week Sept. 26

North Stanly at Thomas Je erson

South Stanly at Union Academy Albemarle at Mountain Island Charter

Eastern Randolph at West Stanly

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NOTICES

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY DISTRICT COURT DIVISION Jamie Hartsell Glover vs. Ricky Dale Glover 25CV000702-830 ATTENTION: Ricky Dale Glover TAKE NOTICE that a COMPLAINT in the above-entitled civil action has been led against you at: Civil District Court at Stanly County Courthouse, Albemarle, NC. The Nature of the relief sought is as follows: Absolute Divorce You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than November 7, 2025; and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This the 18th day of September, 2025.

Jeremy D. Gri n Attorney at Law PO Box 422 Locust, NC 28097

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE No. 25E000424-830 NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as EXECUTRIX of the estate of RICHARD C. LEONARD, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said RICHARD C. LEONARD to present them to the undersigned on or before December 3, 2025, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 3rd day of September, 2025.

Executrix: Millicent Leonard 2033 Sprucewood Street Albemarle, NC 28001

Erin L. Basinger Attorney at Law PO Box 65 Albemarle, NC 28002 (704) 322-2800

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 TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY FILE#25E000439-830

The undersigned, RONDA GAY FISHER, having quali ed on the 4TH Day of SEPTEMBER, 2025 as EXECUTRIX, of the Estate of LADRICK URIAH HARRIS, deceased, of Stanly 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 17TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2025. RONDA GAY FISHER, EXECUTRIX 1009 JEFFERY DEAN CT. ALBEMARLE, NC 28001

NOTICE

OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHESTERFIELD

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000508-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Mary Horton Pemberton, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Mary Horton Pemberton to present them to the undersigned on or before December 18, 2025 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 17th day of September, 2025. Robert Joe Horton 315 Martin Luther King Drive Apt. A Albemarle, NC 28001

PUBLISHED NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the ESTATE OF CLAY THOMAS KENDALL, SR, late, of Stanly County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them in care of the undersigned attorney on or before the 17th 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. SAUNDRA KENDALL (EXECUTOR) DSR Legal, PLLC PO Box 51596 Durham, NC 27717 Sept. 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8

NOTICE 25SP000038-830

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH

Mariah Carey, ‘Superman,’ ‘Slow Horses,’

Jesse Williams, Cher drops ’02 tour on vinyl

“House of Guinness” land on Net ix

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

DOJA CAT’S 15-track album

“Vie” and James Gunn’s “Superman” ying to HBO Max are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: the fth season of the mis t espionage drama “Slow Horses,” a sequel to the 2020 indie megahit video game Hades and Mariah Carey will release her rst new album in seven years.

MOVIES TO STREAM

After notching one of the summer’s biggest box-o ce hauls, Gunn’s “Superman” has own to HBO Max and is available there now. The lm, the rst from a rebooted DC Studios, stars David Cornswet as the Man of Steel, alongside Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terri c. After grossing some $615 million in ticket sales, a sequel has already been greenlit for “Superman.”

In my review, I praised Gunn’s light and earnest touch: “For anyone who found Zack Snyder’s previous administration painfully ponderous, this ‘Superman,’ at least, has a pulse.”

Brett Goldstein is better known for another Apple TV+ release, “Ted Lasso,” but in “All of You” (streaming Friday), he stars alongside Imogen Poots in a tender and heartbreaking romance. Goldstein, who co-wrote the script with director William Bridges, is about a pair of best friends who haven’t worked up the courage to confess their feelings to the other. Set in the near future, a matchmaking service that identi es soul mates further complicates matters.

Not much that Nicolas Cage does ies below the radar, but Lorcan Finnegan’s psychological thriller “The Surfer” (Thursday on Hulu) deserved a wider audience. It’s one of Cage’s best recent performances. He plays a man who returns to the Australian beach of his childhood with dreams of buying a house nearby. But after being accosted by pushy local surfers, his world quickly disintegrates. In my review, I wrote: “For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Fin-

negan’s beach-set ‘The Surfer’ simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

Two years ago, the chameleonic Doja Cat released a stellar fourth full-length album, the take-no-prisoners “Scarlet.” It was an aggressive collection, a hard pivot away from the glossy pop of her last two albums, 2021’s “Planet Her” and 2019’s “Hot Pink.” On Friday, she’ll release her fth, the 15-track “Vie.” Little is known about it beyond the single “Jealous Type,” which appears to channel her previous cheeriness. She brought back her disco-pop, now front-loaded with ’80s synths. But is that the direction of the full release?

Only time will tell.

In 2002, Cher embarked on “Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.” At the time, it was the highest grossing tour by a female artist — a massive glob -

al undertaking of 325 shows. A live album, appropriately titled “Live! The Farewell Tour,” was released to CD shortly thereafter. But on Friday, it will hit streaming and receive a vinyl release. Just, you know, newly remastered and with three bonus tracks: “Save Up All Your Tears,” “We All Sleep Alone” and “Di erent Kind of Love Song.” Your eyes are not deceiving you. Carey will release her rst new album in seven years, “Here for It All,” on Friday. Start with “Sugar Sweet,” featuring Shenseea and Kehlani. Or “Type Dangerous,” with its sample of Eric B. & Rakim’s “Eric B. Is President.” Start anywhere — and expect smooth R&B-pop bliss.

SERIES TO STREAM

A fth season of the mist espionage drama “Slow Horses” is on Apple TV+. Based on novels by Mick Herron, it’s about a group of MI-5

agents whose mistakes have sent them to spy purgatory, but they nevertheless nd themselves embroiled in highstakes cases. Their leader is the brash, messy, seemingly uninterested Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman. Critically acclaimed, the show is already renewed through a seventh season.

If you’ve got to work on location, former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams found a pretty sweet deal. His new show, “Hotel Costiera” is set on Italy’s Amal Coast where he plays Daniel De Luca, a “ xer” for a luxury hotel. When the resort’s guests have problems, De Luca solves them. At the show’s recent premiere in Rome, Williams described the show to the AP as “a kind of international, old school, caper show that is smart.” It is streaming now on Prime Video. Net ix’s new historical drama “House of Guinness” tells the story of the famed brewing company. Set in the 19th century, it’s

“For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Finnegan’s beach-set

‘The Surfer’ simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil.”

Jake Coyle, AP lm writer

like “Succession”-meets-beer where the Guinness family patriarch had died and his adult children battle over the company. Anthony Boyle, Louis Patridge, James Norton and David Wilmot star. The eight-episode series debuts Thursday.

Also new on Net ix on Thursday is “Wayward,” starring Toni Collette as the leader of Tall Pines Academy, a boarding facility for troubled teens. Its practices come under question after Alex, a former cop (played by creator Mae Martin) moves with his pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon) to her small town. Laura is a former student at the school and has a creepy familial relationship with Collette’s Evelyn. Alex quickly picks up on the weirdness of it all and starts to investigate.

Tsukasa Hojo’s popular manga series from the 1980s called “Cat’s Eye” has been adapted into a new, 12-part anime series for Hulu premiering Friday, Sept. 26. It follows three sisters who run a cafe by day and then steal art at night. One of the sisters also happens to be dating a detective looking into the theft.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY A di erent kind of hell is the setting for Hades II, Supergiant Games’ sequel to its 2020 indie megahit. The protagonist this time is Melinoe, Princess of the Underworld. She’s on a mission to conquer Chronos, the Titan of Time, before he can escape Hades and wage war on Mount Olympus. The witch Hecate is around to teach you how to wield ancient magic, and you can expect guest appearances from other charac

ters in Greek mythology. Fans will want to start digging in as soon as it arrives Thursday

and PC.

-

on Switch

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Cher, pictured accepting the Icon Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, will release “Live! The Farewell Tour” on streaming and vinyl this week.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION FOR THE TELEVISION ACADEMY / AP CONTENT SERVICES

Actor Gary Oldman participates in the FYC presentation of “Slow Horses” during Televerse 25. The espionage drama is back for its fth season on Apple TV+.

Solution to this week’s puzzles

Playing the villain

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Trump tells UN in speech it’s “not even coming close to living up” to potential

President Donald Trump has returned to the United Nations to boast of his second-term foreign policy achievements and lash out at the world body as a feckless institution. He also warned Europe it would be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies. World leaders listened closely to his Tuesday remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his rst eight months in o ce. After his speech, Trump met with Secretary-General António Guterres and told the top U.N. o cial that the U.S. is behind the global body “100%” amid fears among members that he’s edging toward a full retreat.

Secret Service

dismantles telecom threat around UN capable of crippling cell service in NYC

The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive hidden telecom network in New York. Investigators say the system could have crippled cell towers and jammed 911 calls. The cache included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards. It was located within 35 miles of the United Nations. The network could have blacked out cellular service, especially during the United Nations General Assembly. O cials have not uncovered a direct plot against the assembly. Authorities suspect nation-state actors.

Winston-Salem approves incentive package for chemical manufacturer

ReAgent proposes to bring 30 new jobs and $5.6 million in taxable capital investments

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM

— The Winston-Salem City Council has authorized an incentive package as a sweetener for a potential new manufacturing partner. At its Sept. 15 meeting, the council approved the provision of up to approximately $57,000 in performance-based economic development assistance funding to ReAgent, a United Kingdom based company that manufactures laboratory and specialty chemicals for a variety of industries.

The performance-based incentives represent 50% of the net, new property taxes expected to be generated over the rst ve years.

“They’ve identi ed a strong, potential market in the United States and are looking to locate a facility in the Southeast,” said Economic Development Director Ken Millett. “If they relocate, the taxable capital investment is expected to total over $5.6 million over ve years.”

ReAgent would construct a 20,000-square-foot building in Winston-Salem and would create 30 new jobs at an average wage of around $59,000.

“The project has sought opportunities in Winston-Salem because of our region’s proximity to customers and suppliers, our skilled manufacturing workforce and the communi-

ties overall connectivity,” said Greater Winston-Salem Inc. Vice President of Economic Development Ellis Keifer.

According to Keifer, ReAgent also plans to partner with Forsyth Tech for workforce development if Winston-Salem is selected.

“All the research that I was able to do, saw that (ReAgent) had a clean bill of environmental policies, so I’m happy to support this,” said council member Scott Andree-Bowen.

The board also approved moving forward with the initial steps to borrow $70 million in revenue bonds for various water and sewer projects.

“These projects are in the capital plan already and this is one way we nance our water and sewer projects,” said Chief Financial O cer Kelly Latham. “We also nance quite a few projects with Paygo, but periodically we do have very large projects, so we supplement that by borrowing funds.”

According to Latham, the $70 million for the water and sewer fund is repaid by user fees.

“When everyone is paying their bimonthly water and sewer bills, we’re using those funds

See INCENTIVE, page A2

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Republicans in North Carolina and beyond are making a concerted e ort to turn the stabbing death of a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte commuter train into a political liability for Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in his bid to win a key U.S. Senate race that is still more than a year away. GOP candidate Michael Whatley has said Cooper bears “direct responsibility” for the deadly Aug. 22 attack on Iryna Zarutska because of a commission he created in June 2020 to address racial inequity in the criminal justice

their communities,” the campaign wrote in a statement, and his career has included “keeping thousands of criminals o the streets and behind bars.” It cites Cooper signing a 2023 law that toughened pretrial release rules.

The clash has sent early signals of just how heated the North Carolina Senate race will be. It already was anticipated to be a key 2026 Senate race for Democrats seeking to claim a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections and now could be among the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history. Democrats see the popular

page A2

CHARLES BILCONISH FOR TWIN CITY HERALD

Bishop McGuinness beat Winston-Salem Prep 40-6 in Kernersville on Friday, led by quarterback Tristan Styers (3) who totaled four touchdowns, three through the air and one on the ground.

GARY D. ROBERTSON AND ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO

Gov. Roy Cooper, left, and Republican National

Chairman Michael Whatley are vying for the open U.S. Senate seat up for vote next fall.

“Join the conversation”

North

Trip

Former NC State athletes accuse school of negligence in 2nd sexual abuse lawsuit

Athletes sued the

school for negligence

The Associated Press

David

REZONING from page A1

to pay o the debt,” Latham said. The board also approved an installment purchase contract with the North Carolina Municipal Leasing Corporation to nance certain facilities and capital assets.

“We have a lot of large projects in the solid waste fund, so again, this is going to create a lot of expenditures that are due in a short time period,” Latham said. “Given the timeframe of these projects and how much money would be needed to get these projects done, debtnancing is just one of the ways we can fund projects like this, which are needed.”

The city will borrow $26 million in limited obligation bonds, with the debt to be paid from the solid waste fund revenues.

“Both these items have to be approved by the Local Government Commission, which is headed up by the state treasurer,” said council member Robert Clark. “It’s an additional check and balance when we borrow money. We have to show them our nances and prove to them that we are nancially responsible and can pay them back.”

The Winston-Salem City Council will next meet Oct. 6.

RALEIGH — The 14 former NC State male athletes who led a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medi-

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: forsythcommunity@ northstatejournal.com

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

cine are also suing the school for negligence.

The group led a second lawsuit last week with the North Carolina Industrial Commission against the school as a public entity.

Last Wednesday, those athletes, most as “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, sued in Wake County Superior Court alleging conduct

such as improper touching of the genitals during massage treatments by Robert Murphy Jr. That lawsuit was against Murphy along with eight current and former school ocials individually, tied to their oversight roles. This complaint against NC State echoes those allegations.

An NC State spokesman said last Thursday the school wouldn’t comment on pending litigation. An attorney for Murphy — who was at NC State from 2012-22 — said the former head trainer is falsely accused and there hasn’t been “one scrap of credible evidence that he assaulted anyone.”

Rome’s airport opens luxurious dog hotel with pampering services

Sta will even meet owners in the airport’s terminals to drop o dogs

By Francesco Sportelli The Associated Press

FIUMICINO, Italy — Dog owners often face a dilemma before traveling: leave your beloved pet with a sitter or at a kennel? Both require quite some planning and logistics, which can be stressful and time-consuming for fur parents.

Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport has sought to streamline the process by opening one of the rst on-site hotels at a major European airport, following a similar initiative in Frankfurt. Dog Relais’ workers even retrieve pups from the terminal so travelers can proceed straight to their ight.

“This project is tting into a strategy to provide a very immersive experience to passengers,” said Marilena Blasi, chief commercial o cer at Aeroporti di Roma, the company that manages the Italian capital’s two airports. “In this case, we provide services to dogs and the owners of the dogs.”

Basic rooms at the dog hotel cost about €40 ($47) and feature temperature-controlled oors and private gardens. More timid or solitary dogs can be placed in kennels at the edge of the facility, where they interact with sta rather than other dogs in the

RACE from page A1

largely favors Republicans. They need four Senate seats to claim a majority.

Tragic ashpoint emerges

Both candidates have expressed sorrow over the death of the 23-year-old Zarutska, whose horri c attack was caught on camera. But public outrage that suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. had been previously arrested more than a dozen times and had been recently released on a charge without bond prompted accusations by Whatley and allies that Cooper has pushed soft-on-crime policies.

“It’s pretty simple: A vote for Roy Cooper is a vote for more crime, more violence, more criminals,” Whatley said in the rst days after the release of the surveillance video.

Cooper pushed back hard.

“I’ve been Attorney General and Governor, dedicating my career to putting violent criminals behind bars and

common grass pens. At night, ambient music that has a frequency with a low, soft tone — 432 hertz — designed for relaxation is piped in through the rooms’ speakers.

There are optional extras that range from the usual grooming, bathing and cleaning teeth services, to the more indulgent, such as aromatherapy with lavender or peppermint scents to help induce calm, or arnica cream rubbed into aching muscles and joints.

The week’s lawsuits expand a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete three years ago.

tal peace and tranquility,” said Morelli, 47.

Dario Chiassarini, 32, said he started bringing his Rottweiler puppy, Athena, to Dog Relais for training, another service on o er, because it’s clean, well-organized and its location was easily accessible. And he said he plans to check his beloved pup into the hotel whenever he and his girlfriend need to travel.

“We will rely on them without hesitation and without doubt — both because we got to know the people who work here, which for us is essential, and because of the love they have for animals and the peace of mind of knowing who we are entrusting Athena to,” said Chiassarini, who works in car sales. “It is certainly a service that, if we should need it, we will make use of.”

The dog hotel has proved popular so far. All 40 rooms were occupied in August, when Italians take their customary summer vacation and millions of passengers come through Fiumicino. Occupancy averaged almost two-thirds since doors opened in May, said Blasi.

keeping them there,” Cooper, who was the state attorney general for 16 years before eight as governor, wrote on X.

In turn, he accused Whatley, also a recent state GOP chairman whom President Donald Trump encouraged to enter the race, of looking to take advantage of Zarutska’s death.

“Only a cynical DC insider would think it’s acceptable to use her death for political points,” he said on X.

More Republicans soon chimed in on social media, including Vice President JD Vance and Trump, who posted that “her blood is on the hands of the Democrats” and named Cooper speci cally.

The killing, which t neatly into Trump’s tough-on-crime agenda in big cities, gave Whatley a clear opening, said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University.

“People don’t know who he is. He doesn’t have high name recognition,” said Cooper, who is not related to the former

Working in human resources for Aeroporti di Roma, Alessandra Morelli regularly leaves her 2-year-old, chocolate-colored Labrador retriever there.

“Since I’ve been able to bring Nina to this dog hotel, my life, and the balance between my personal and professional life, have changed because it allows me to enjoy my working day and my personal travels in to -

Owners unsatis ed with standard-issue webcams for checking in on their canines from afar can spring for a €60 (about $70) premium room equipped with a screen for around-the-clock videocalls. They can even pamper their pet by tossing a treat via an application connected to a dispenser. The facility not only provides its services to travelers, but also to dog owners who need day care.

governor. “So he is trying to de ne himself for North Carolinians, and he’s trying to rede ne Roy Cooper.”

2 candidates on collision course

Both Cooper and Whatley got in the race this summer, within weeks of GOP Sen. Thom Tillis announcing that he would not seek reelection. Cooper had always been considered a potential Senate candidate in 2026. Whatley announced when Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-inlaw, declined to jump in. With no other high-pro le candidates currently in the race, the parties’ primaries seem unlikely to head o a Cooper-Whatley general election battle. Some pundits think spending in next year’s race could reach $1 billion, blowing past the $515.5 million spent overall on a U.S. Senate race in Georgia in 2020 won by Democrat Jon Osso in a runo , according to data from Open

The same month the dog hotel opened, Italy’s commercial aviation authority changed rules to allow large dogs to y inside plane cabins for domestic ights, provided they are inside secured crates. The rst such ight will take o on Sept. 23, according to transport minister, Matteo Salvini. Salvini admits that while many are happy with having their pups on the plane, others may feel annoyed. However, at a pet conference on Sept. 16, he said: “We always have to use judgment, but ... for me it’s a source of pride, as well as a step forward from the point of view of civilization.”

Secrets, which tracks political spending.

The campaign pits Cooper, a proven winner for Democrats in a Southern state, against rst-time candidate Whatley. Whatley’s deep loyalty to Trump — who won the state’s electoral votes all three times he ran for president — and fundraising skills make him a formidable opponent in the closely divided state.

Suspect’s criminal history and release ignite criticism

Brown, who was indicted for rst-degree murder this month in state criminal court, also faces a federal charge in Zarutska’s death. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

A magistrate earlier this year allowed Brown, who in September 2020 completed more than ve years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon, to be released without bond on a nonviolent misdemeanor charge, according to court records.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Manolo Fiorenzi, a dog trainer, caresses Otto, a cocker dog, in one of the rooms of the Dog Relais, a hotel for dogs at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Charlie Kirk: American patriot and Christian martyr

He spoke for millions of young people desperate for

I WROTE THESE words on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, Sept. 14 — a day meant for rest and worship yet overshadowed by tragedy. It came in the shadow of the cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus. Like millions of others, I nd myself wrestling with anger, sorrow, grief and confusion — searching for meaning in a moment that de es it.

We have long known that we live in a fallen, godless and debauched age. Yet two weeks ago, that grim truth was displayed in stark relief on a college campus — an institution that should nurture learning and virtue but instead became the stage for barbarity.

I call Charlie a martyr because he was killed for his convictions — for his un inching defense of truth and his fearless witness to Christ. He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity in a world where woke classrooms and even woke pulpits leave them spiritually starved.

Charlie was not an elected o cial, yet he carried himself with a statesman’s brilliance. A masterful debater, he could summon Scripture and the Constitution from memory. Many of us believed he had the intellect, vision and courage that could have carried him to the presidency one day.

COLUMN | J. MARC WHEAT

The radical left saw the same potential — and feared it. They recognized that Charlie was a singular gure: principled, persuasive and deeply rooted in faith. His integrity and God-given ability to connect with young people threatened the woke ideological stranglehold on our culture. That was a threat his enemies could not tolerate. Now it falls on us to carry forward his ght with sharper minds, stouter hearts and steel spines.

Charlie was vili ed because he loved the Bible, loved his country and stood for objective truth. Above all, he was hated because he followed Jesus Christ. As John’s Gospel reminds us, the world loves darkness and rejects the light. Christ himself warned in John 15 that his followers would be hated and silenced precisely because they proclaim the truth of God’s word.

Across America and around the world, Christians are asking today: What will we do with this moment? How will we respond?

First, pray for Charlie’s wife, Erika, and their children, whose loss is beyond words. They will grow up without their father, unable yet to grasp the hatred that stole him away.

Second, recognize the danger we face. To

be a faithful Christian who engages the public square is now to risk one’s life. Charlie’s murder was not random — it was a warning to silence truth-tellers. In such times, we must pray for courage and boldness to speak God’s truth without fear.

Third, plead with God for mercy on our broken nation. As Romans 8 declares, creation itself “groans.” We saw that groaning in the vile ood of comments that mocked and even celebrated Charlie’s death.

Fourth, pray for leaders — that they will have the moral clarity to bring justice to the wicked and ful ll their God-given charge to punish evil and protect the righteous.

No single column can capture the life, goodness, and impact of Charlie Kirk. More must be written, and will be. For now, let us bear one another’s burdens and so ful ll the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

May we never again witness such a week in America — or endure another Lord’s Day clouded by such tragedy.

Sam Currin is a former judge, U.S. attorney and law professor. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University, UNC School of Law and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Government lists are a threat to free association

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records.

NO GOVERNMENT o cial needs to know what organizations you nancially support. And no state attorney general should have access to Americans’ sensitive personal information without clearly showing cause or in the absence of criminal proceedings. Yet wielding state power for his own political agenda, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asked a court to force First Choice Women’s Resource Centers to disclose donor information about nearly 5,000 contributions (see AAF’s amicus brief in First Choice Women’s Resource Center v. Platkin). Similar disclosures in the past have not fared well for Americans. In 2014, Mozilla forced their new chief executive, Brendan Eich, the founder of JavaScript, to resign after discovering that Eich had donated $1,000 six years earlier to a campaign that supported Proposition 8, the voter-approved California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In the late 1950s during the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama attempted to use disclosure requirements to prevent the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from conducting business, which included the Montgomery Bus Boycott and funding programs for African American students wishing to attend the state university (see NAACP v. Alabama). Today, big government agencies already have large databases on Americans’ private information. Plenty of people have not told their best friend or neighbors how much they earn. Yet the government — only trusted by 22% of Americans to do the right thing always

or most of the time — knows.

Thanks to the SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), the federal government also compiles a list linking your every purchase and sale in the stock market to your sensitive, personal information (see AAF’s amicus brief challenging CAT in Davidson v. Gensler). With the Supreme Court tailoring opt-outs for gender ideology in schools to religious exemptions, the government could seize the opportunity to create yet another list, this time of religious parents.

As explained in AAF’s amicus brief in Platkin, “No government o cial should be able to use his legitimate law enforcement power to pursue those with whom he disagrees politically.” The latter would reduce our constitutional protections to be the “mere parchment barriers” that our framers feared. Regardless of whether the court rules against Platkin, he will have taken time and resources away from First Choice’s mission of helping mothers and saving babies. Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records. Even the threat of disclosure threatens freedom of speech and association, which are the cornerstones of the American tradition.

In America’s earliest days, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the “art of association then becomes … the mother science; everyone studies it and applies it” (quoted in AAF’s amicus brief First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin). Where “all citizens are independent and weak” and “can hardly do

anything by themselves,” Americans must coordinate to e ect change. The latter is an intentional feature of our constitutional system that protects minority opinions from suppression and ensures power remains derived from the people.

Platkin is not a uke or merely a result of one bad actor. In October, the Sixth Circuit will hear a similar freedom of association case, Buckeye Institute v. IRS, where the federal government defends its practice compelling nonpro t organizations to disclose private donor information.

President Ronald Reagan said the scariest words in the English language were “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” When the government collects information, Americans are threatened by the abuse of that information. For that reason, the government should only be collecting information it absolutely needs. The courts in these cases must ensure that governments are not storing up information and, in so doing, exposing Americans to harassment by government agents.

Marc Wheat is the general counsel of Advancing American Freedom. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

BE IN TOUCH

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 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.

COLUMN | SAM CURRIN

clarity.

Hurricane Helene hit a year ago; some students never returned to school

More than 2,500 students became homeless after the storm

By Makiya Seminera, Laura Hackett and Jose Sandoval

The Associated Press

SWANNANOA — When 12-year-old Natalie Briggs visited the ruins of her home after Hurricane Helene, she had to tightrope across a wooden beam to reach what was once her bedroom.

Knots of electrical wires were draped inside the skeleton of the house. Months after the storm, light ltered through breaks in the tarps over the windows. “All I could think of was, ‘This isn’t my house,’” said Natalie, who had been staying in her grandparents’ basement.

Thousands of students across western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with some of the most vicious oods, landslides and wind ever seen in the state’s Appalachian region, once considered a “climate haven.” Across the state, more than 2,500 students were identi ed as homeless as a direct result of Helene, according to state data obtained by The Associated Press.

At school, Natalie sometimes had panic attacks when she thought of her ruined home in Swannanoa.

“There were some points where I just didn’t want people to talk to me about the house — or just, like, talk to me at all,” Natalie said.

While storm debris has been mostly cleared away, the impact of the displacement lingers for the region’s children. Schools reopened long before many students returned to their homes, and their learning and well-being have yet to recover.

The phenomenon is increasingly common as natural disasters disrupt U.S. communities more frequently and with more ferocity.

In the North Carolina mountains, the challenge of recovery is especially acute. After all, many families in rural, low-income areas already deal with challenges such as food insecurity and rent a ordability, said Cassandra Davis, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill public policy professor.

“I would almost argue that they don’t get the opportunity to recover,” Davis said.

Finding stable housing became all-consuming

After Helene ooded her rental home in Black Mountain,

Bonnie Christine Goggins-Jones and her two teenage grandchildren had to leave behind nearly all their belongings.

“They lost their bed, clothes, shoes, their book bag,” she said.

The family lived in a motel, a leaky donated camper and another camper before moving into a new apartment in June.

Goggins-Jones, a school bus aide at Asheville City Schools, struggled to heat the camper during winter. Her grandchildren kept going to school, but it wasn’t top of mind.

The area around Asheville, western North Carolina’s largest city, still has a signi cant housing shortage a year after the storm.

The family of America Sanchez Chavez, 11, had to split up to nd housing. Helene left their trailer home in Swannanoa uninhabitable, and money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency wasn’t enough to cover the renovations.

America and some relatives went to stay at her grandmother’s apartment, while her older brother lived at a friend’s house. Eventually, America moved with her mother to a room at a Black Mountain hotel where she works.

America said she is still frightened by rain or thunder.

“At one point when the rain actually got, like, pretty bad ... I did get scared for a while,” she said.

Helene damaged more than 73,000 homes, knocking out electricity and water for weeks if not months. The destruction of local infrastructure also closed schools for large stretches of time, and a barrage of snow days exacerbated the time out of class even more. In rural Yancey

County, which has approximately 18,000 residents, students missed more than two months of school last year.

Displaced students spread across North Carolina

After natural disasters, it’s common to see a surge in students living in unstable, temporary arrangements, such as sleeping on a couch, staying in a shelter, or doubling up with another family, according to research from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools. Those arrangements qualify students as homeless under federal law.

In Puerto Rico, more than 6,700 students were identi ed as homeless in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath during the 2017-18 school year, the study found. Hawaii saw a 59% increase in its homeless student population following the 2023 Maui wild res.

In Helene’s aftermath, student homelessness spiked in several hard-hit counties, according to AP’s analysis of data from the North Carolina Homeless Education Program.

Yancey County saw the region’s highest percentage increase. The number of homeless students went from 21 in the 2023-24 school year to 112 last school year. All but 15 were homeless due to Helene. Some students enrolled in other school systems, at least temporarily. Others never returned.

Terri Dolan of Swannanoa sent her two young children to stay with her parents in Charlotte ahead of the storm. After seeing the extent of the devastation, Dolan had them enroll in school there. They stayed over a month before returning home.

“My job is to make money for our family, and their job is to go to school,’” Dolan says she’d

always told her kids. “Just because the school wasn’t open here, I felt like they needed to go to school and do their job.”

Some districts receive federal money for services such as transporting homeless students to their usual school buildings and providing tutoring under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. But districts must apply in a competitive process, and they can’t request more money immediately after a natural disaster until the next application cycle. Many miss out on McKinney-Vento funding entirely.

Helene-impacted students made up at least a fth of the homeless population in 16 counties, but only six counties received McKinney-Vento money last funding cycle. Nationally, only 1 in 5 school districts receives McKinney-Vento money due to limited funds, said Barbara Du eld, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection, a nonpro t that advocates for homeless students.

“If there’s a disaster, it’s going to involve districts that don’t get money from McKinney-Vento,” Du eld said.

Housing instability has lasting impact

Gwendolyn Bode, a prelaw student at Appalachian State University, had to leave her mudwrecked apartment complex after Helene. Told she couldn’t get campus housing, she found an Airbnb where she could stay at until her FEMA housing application went through, and then she moved into a hotel.

She felt like she was drowning as she tried to keep up with her classes and a part-time job.

“I can’t tell you what I learned,” Bode said. “I can’t even tell you when I went to class because (mentally) I wasn’t there.” She found more stability after moving into an apartment for the spring semester.

For Natalie Briggs, now 13, the grief of losing almost everything, coupled with the tight quarters in her grandparents’ basement, sometimes got to her — and to her mother, Liz Barker. Barker said it felt like a “time with no rules” because there was so much to deal with on top of her job as a health care worker.

The circumstances sometimes led to friction. But Barker said overall, she and Natalie had “done pretty well” together.

“She’s been a little bit more loving since all of this happened,” Barker said, smiling at her daughter.

“I give her hugs and stu ,” Natalie said, “and I’ll tell her I love her, more than I did.”

STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

Nicole Schoychid, left, and Rebekah Canu, co-founders of Wildwood Agile Leaning Center, embrace inside the schoolhouse, which was damaged by ooding in Hurricane Helene, as they are surrounded by debris and mud on Dec. 5, 2024, in Boone. The school had to compete against many other organizations and businesses vying for their own space in Boone after Helene damaged the town, creating a “bottleneck” from demand, Schoychid says.

STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

Gwendolyn Bode looks at the hotel room where she is temporarily living in Boone on Dec. 5, 2024, after being displaced from her apartment that was damaged during the storm.

STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

Piles of debris sit in front of homes in Swannanoa on Dec. 3, 2024, after damage from Hurricane Helene.

Forsyth SPORTS

14 former NC State athletes le lawsuit alleging abuse by ex-head trainer

By Aaron Beard

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Fourteen for-

mer NC State male athletes have led a civil lawsuit in state court alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine, expanding a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete three years ago.

The lawsuit led Wednesday evening in Wake County Superior Court alleges years of misconduct by Robert Murphy Jr., including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Murphy, who was at NC State from 2012-22, is among the nine defendants named individually. The others are school o cials accused of negligence in their oversight roles in preventing it or adequately responding to concerns raised to them about Murphy’s conduct.

Twelve athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named. One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. Two other athletes had followed with their own federal lawsuits in February and April 2023.

The Associated Press typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly, which Locke has done.

Durham-based attorney Kerry Sutton, who has represented plainti s in the previous and new lawsuits, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction — though now with 11 additional plainti s.

The new lawsuit outlines similar allegations in terms of Murphy’s conduct and the school’s response, including that concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached

action after being informed of complaints about inappropriate behavior.

former athletic director Debbie Yow and other senior athletics o cials but nothing substantive was done to prevent misconduct or Murphy continuing to work with athletes.

“These 14 athletes have come forward together hoping to encourage others abused by Rob Murphy to see it wasn’t just them, they did nothing wrong, and NCSU should have protected them,” Sutton said in a statement.

“A culture of fear in the NCSU athletics department led to this tragic set of circumstances. Athletes afraid of losing their scholarship or their spot on the team, trainers afraid of reporting their boss, coaches afraid of getting involved, directors afraid of harming NCSU’s reputation.

Murphy took advantage of those fears to get away with abusing what we believe may turn out to be hundreds of former Wolfpack athletes.”

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney working with Murphy in the earlier cases, didn’t immediately return messages from the AP requesting comment Thursday. An attorney who previously worked with Murphy said in 2022 that Murphy o ered “appropriate” medical procedures but “nothing that was ever of a sexual nature.”

NC State didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Yow declined to comment, deferring to NC State, in a text message to the AP on Thursday morning.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Ben Stewart

Bishop McGuinness, football

Ben Stewart is a senior running back on the Bishop McGuinness football team. He has also played linebacker for the Villains. Bishop McGuinness improved to 4-1 with a 40-6 win over Winston-Salem Preperatory Academy. Stewart led the way with three touchdowns. He gained 87 yards on 12 carries, scoring twice. He added a 17-yard touchdown catch. For the season, Stewart leads the Villains in rushing and touchdowns.

Blaney opens 2nd round of Cup with New Hampshire win

The Penske driver advanced to Round 3

The Associated Press

LOUDON, N.H. — In a race in which Fords were fastest at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney barely was best in class for the second-round opener of the NASCAR Cup Series playo s.

The 2023 Cup champion led 116 laps in his No. 12 Mustang, including the nal 39, but still had to fend o a furious charge by runner-up Josh Berry, who closed within a few car lengths with 10 laps left before overdriving a corner.

Blaney pulled away to win by 0.937 seconds Sunday for his third victory of the season and 16th of his career.

“That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove,” the Team Penske driver said. “I was trying to kind of bide my stu and pull Josh a little bit, then he really started coming. It was all I could do to hold him o , trying new lanes. That was good and clean racing. I appreciate Josh for not throwing me the bumper when he could have.

“What a cool day, what a cool weekend. Super fast car. Really have been strong through the playo s. It’s great to get a win in the rst race of the round.”

Blaney, who is trying to reach the Championship 4 seasonnale for the third consecutive year, became the rst driver to advance into one of the eight available spots in the third round of the Cup playo s. Berry, whose No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford has a competitive alliance with Penske, overcame a spin on the 82nd lap and rebounded from his rst-round elimination after nishing last in each of the

rst three races in the playo s.

“It was de nitely an awesome day,” said Berry, who led 10 laps.

“Hats o to Ryan at the end. All our cars were really strong, and

Ryan did a great job there. I was honestly surprised I was able to keep him honest at the end.

“Just a shame to nish second, but after the last couple of

weeks, it feels good. This is denitely what we’re capable of, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

The Fords backed up their impressive performances in

“That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove.”

Ryan Blaney

qualifying Saturday when Penske star Joey Logano won the pole position to cap a sweep of the top three starting spots with Blaney and Berry. The same trio led 273 of 301 laps Sunday.

William Byron was the highest- nishing Chevrolet driver in third.

“It was a good day overall,” said Byron, who is the highest-ranked driver behind Blaney in the playo standings with two races left in the second round. “Penske guys were super fast. I felt like they were in another ZIP code.”

Logano took fourth after leading a race-high 147 laps in the No. 22 Ford. The Middletown, Connecticut, native started from the pole for the rst time at New Hampshire, which he considers his home track.

“(Blaney) was wicked fast in practice, and he showed that again in the race,” Logano said. “We obviously got a ton of points today, so we did what we needed to do, but I’d rather win. That’s just the greed in me, especially when it’s home.”

After qualifying 27th, last among the 12 playo drivers, Chase Elliott raced to a fth-place nish.

Christopher Bell took sixth as the top nishing Toyota driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, which went undefeated in the rst round of the playo s. Kyle Larson took seventh, and Ross Chastain was ninth as playo drivers took eight of the top 10 spots on the 1.058-mile oval.

CHARLES BILCONISH FOR TWIN CITY HERALD)

GERRY BROOME / AP PHOTO

A lawsuit claims former NC State athletics director Debbie Yow and other senior athletic o cials at the school didn’t take

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO

Ryan Blaney celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playo race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

NASCAR

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA BASKETBALL

Florida restores Maxwell’s college stats, again program’s leading scorer again

Gainesville, Fla.

Florida has formally restored basketball great Vernon Maxwell’s nal two years of college statistics. The move once again makes him the program’s all-time leading scorer. The 60-year-old Maxwell celebrated the turnabout during a program reunion. Maxwell scored 2,450 points during his four seasons at Florida in the late 1980s. But he also was the focus of an NCAA investigation that ultimately placed the Gators on unsanctioned probation. Florida was forced to vacate three NCAA Tournament victories in which Maxwell participated. Then-Florida AD Bill Arnsparger stripped Maxwell’s stats from the record books for those two years.

MLB Kershaw to retire after 18 years with Dodgers, more than 3,000 strikeouts

Los Angeles Clayton Kershaw, a threetime Cy Young Award winner, says he’s retiring at the end of this season, capping an 18-year career all spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 37-year- old left-hander, an 11-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP, won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024. Kershaw has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, leading active major league players. His 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live ball era since 1920.

NHL

Kings captain Kopitar plans to retire after upcoming 20th season

Los Angeles Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire from his 20-year NHL career after the upcoming season. The 38-year-old Kopitar made the announcement last Thursday following the rst practice of training camp with the Kings. The Slovenian center has spent his entire adult life with the Kings since making his NHL debut in October 2006. He is a ve-time NHL All-Star, a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, and a three -time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanlike play.

BOXING

Ali’s unsigned draft card to be auctioned

Muhammad Ali’s refusal to sign his military draft card upended his life and added a powerful voice to the antiwar movement. That piece of history is coming up for sale. The online sale by Christie’s will take place Oct. 10-28. The auction house says the card comes from descendants of Ali. There’s a blank line on the card where Ali was supposed to sign in 1967 but refused to do so as the Vietnam War raged on. It triggered a chain of events that disrupted his boxing career but immortalized him as a champion for peace and social justice.

NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ celebrates 20 years of prime-time

The broadcast has been the top-rated show for 14 straight years

By Joe Reedy The Associated Press

DICK EBERSOL HELPED change comedy and late-night television when he teamed up with Lorne Michaels to create “Saturday Night Live” in 1975.

When it comes to sports television, Ebersol’s creation of “Sunday Night Football” on NBC in 2006 also has had a signi cant impact.

It is tting then that both are celebrating milestones this year. “Saturday Night Live” celebrated its 50th season in February, while “Sunday Night Football” is in its 20th season.

“We were really aware that we weren’t just doing a football game, we were doing an important football game, that we would have all the bells and whistles,” Ebersol said about “Sunday Night Football”.

“Sunday Night Football” has been the highest-rated prime-time show for 14 consecutive seasons. The next closest was “American Idol”, which had a six-year streak from 2005-06 through the 2010-11 television season.

NBC’s rst three games this season — including the Sept. 4 NFL Kicko game — are averaging 24.9 million viewers for its best start since 2015.

The Sunday night package put NBC back in the NFL. NBC was without pro football for eight seasons, from 1998 to 2005, after CBS took over the AFC package.

“I think it’s exceeded everyone’s even very high expectations going in, and they’ve gone through the roof,” said Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution. “They’ve really never stopped innovating and focused on how to make Sunday night feel like a huge event and a great way to end the day.”

Mike Tirico called “Monday Night Football” on ESPN from 2006 through ’15 before joining NBC in 2016. He was the host of “Football Night in America” until taking over as the play-by-play announcer from Al Michaels in 2022. Cris Collinsworth, who got

“I think ‘Sunday Night Football’ has become everything ‘Monday Night Football’ was and more.”

Mike Tirico

his start at NBC after retiring as a player, returned to the network in 2006. He was on the studio show for three years before moving into the booth in 2009 after John Madden’s retirement.

Even though MNF had a 35-plus-year head start as the NFL’s seminal prime-time package, Tirico said it didn’t take long for SNF to supplant it because of the matchups and feel of the broadcast.

“I think ‘Sunday Night Football’ has become everything ‘Monday Night Football’ was and more now in a much more saturated TV environment,” Tirico said. “So I think without Monday night, you don’t have what Sunday night has, but it

took a special group of people, great planning and purpose to get Sunday night to where it is now. This run of being the No. 1 show in prime-time television for almost a decade and a half now, that’s extraordinary.”

Fred Gaudelli, who produced “Sunday Night Football” from 2006 through 2022 after working on “Monday Night Football” for ve years, said the success of Sunday night’s package at the start was due to Ebersol’s constant attention to the game schedule.

“There’s never been a network president, I’m very condent in saying this, that made the schedule a bigger priority than Dick Ebersol did,” said Gaudelli, the executive producer for the past three seasons. “If you check our schedules like the rst ve or six years, I think we had (Tom) Brady versus (Peyton) Manning four of the ve times, and we had all the big Cowboys games. So all of a sudden, every Sunday night is a big game. Monday night was ingrained in the American culture, but literally within two

or three years, we had reversed it.”

Something that Gaudelli sold Ebersol on, though, was having a musical open to the show, especially when Gaudelli mentioned how much NBC could earn from having a sponsor.

Gaudelli went to his iPod, heard Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and started to come up with lyrics that have been a staple of the show. Pink performed “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” before it switched to Faith Hill and now Carrie Underwood.

“I’ve had a front-row seat as the team created a sports presentation that went far beyond sports, with the integration of storytelling, pop culture and a musical show open that has become iconic,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said. NBC has aired Sunday night games from 40 stadiums, with Dallas playing in the most games in the series at 61. The most-viewed game was the 2012 season nale between the Cowboys and Washington, which averaged 30.3 million.

The former Wake Forest golfer will represent the U.S. on a familiar course

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

NAPA, Calif. — Bethpage

Black is a big ballpark on Long Island that made the boy feel even smaller. He was holding his father’s hand on Father’s Day in 2002 as they watched the U.S. Open won by Tiger Woods. It was Cameron Young’s rst glimpse of golf at the highest level.

“That golf course is where our state Open was every year. That was the big tournament for me at that point,” Young said, who in 2017 became the rst amateur to win the New York State Open with a course-record 64 at the Black.

“I knew that golf course was a major championship golf course, and that was my route to play it.”

But a Ryder Cup?

“At the time it was like, ‘That’s where I’d like to be,’” he said, pausing to smile. “So it’s been a long time coming.”

New York homecoming

Young is every bit of New York. He is the son of Sleepy Hollow’s longtime professional. He took

the train to school at Fordham Prep in the Bronx. He was all about the Yankees, Rangers and Giants as a kid who played hockey and baseball when he wasn’t pounding golf balls.

“We’re very proud to have a New Yorker on our team and represent his country at Bethpage Black,” Keegan Bradley said when he announced Young as one of his captain’s pick.

It might have been years in the making, but this really transpired over three months.

Young was at No. 67 in the world at the start of May, not even eligible for the nal two majors of the year. He was nowhere near the conversation to be in the Ryder Cup, yet no less determined for his one shot at a Ryder Cup in his native New York.

Big pressure required small steps.

“Break par for a couple of days in a row, hit some good shots, put together a week,” Young said. “We started doing those little things better and better and built some belief.”

He had his rst top 10 in four months in May at the Truist Championship. A month later as a U.S. Open quali er, he birdied three of his last four holes to get into a 5-for-1 playo and then made a 12-foot birdie to earn his

“This

Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special

to me.”

Cameron Young

way to Oakmont, where he tied for fourth. He also tied for fourth in Canada to earn a spot in the British Open. And then came his rst PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August when he won by six shots.

“I had to win something just to put myself in the question,” Young said. The answer became increasingly obvious when Young followed that win with three strong performances in the postseason. Then came that call from Bradley with the best news of his career, better in

his mind than winning for the rst time on tour.

“This Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special to me,” Young said the day he was chosen. “I’ve been picturing the moment that I can possibly get a call to play on the team for a very, very long time.”

Young is 28, an old soul who doesn’t say much but always gets to the point. He is living in south Florida with his wife and three children, ages 3, 2 and 1. He isn’t on social media and doesn’t bother with it. His phone is primarily used to check his tee times and text his wife.

“I prefer things to be simple,” he said. “My attention is either on my children or on my job.”

Now the attention is on winning Ryder Cup points at Bethpage Black, a course an hour away from where he grew up, a course he rst saw at age 5 and has loved ever since.

BARBARA YOUNG / AP PHOTO

Cameron Young, 5, holds his father’s hand at Bethpage Black during the nal round of the U.S. Open in 2002.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

NBC Sports play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, left, sits next to color commentator Cris Collinsworth before a Sunday night game.

the stream

Mariah Carey, ‘Superman,’

‘Slow Horses,’

Jesse Williams, Cher drops ’02 tour on vinyl

“House of Guinness” land on Net ix

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

DOJA CAT’S 15-track album

“Vie” and James Gunn’s “Superman” ying to HBO Max are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: the fth season of the mis t espionage drama “Slow Horses,” a sequel to the 2020 indie megahit video game Hades and Mariah Carey will release her rst new album in seven years.

MOVIES TO STREAM

After notching one of the summer’s biggest box-o ce hauls, Gunn’s “Superman” has own to HBO Max and is available there now. The lm, the rst from a rebooted DC Studios, stars David Cornswet as the Man of Steel, alongside Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terri c. After grossing some $615 million in ticket sales, a sequel has already been greenlit for “Superman.”

In my review, I praised Gunn’s light and earnest touch: “For anyone who found Zack Snyder’s previous administration painfully ponderous, this ‘Superman,’ at least, has a pulse.”

Brett Goldstein is better known for another Apple TV+ release, “Ted Lasso,” but in “All of You” (streaming Friday), he stars alongside Imogen Poots in a tender and heartbreaking romance. Goldstein, who co-wrote the script with director William Bridges, is about a pair of best friends who haven’t worked up the courage to confess their feelings to the other. Set in the near future, a matchmaking service that identi es soul mates further complicates matters.

Not much that Nicolas Cage does ies below the radar, but Lorcan Finnegan’s psychological thriller “The Surfer” (Thursday on Hulu) deserved a wider audience. It’s one of Cage’s best recent performances. He plays a man who returns to the Australian beach of his childhood with dreams of buying a house nearby. But after being accosted by pushy local surfers, his world quickly disintegrates. In my review, I wrote: “For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Fin-

negan’s beach-set ‘The Surfer’ simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

Two years ago, the chameleonic Doja Cat released a stellar fourth full-length album, the take-no-prisoners “Scarlet.” It was an aggressive collection, a hard pivot away from the glossy pop of her last two albums, 2021’s “Planet Her” and 2019’s “Hot Pink.” On Friday, she’ll release her fth, the 15-track “Vie.” Little is known about it beyond the single “Jealous Type,” which appears to channel her previous cheeriness. She brought back her disco-pop, now front-loaded with ’80s synths. But is that the direction of the full release?

Only time will tell. In 2002, Cher embarked on “Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.” At the time, it was the highest grossing tour by a female artist — a massive glob -

al undertaking of 325 shows. A live album, appropriately titled “Live! The Farewell Tour,” was released to CD shortly thereafter. But on Friday, it will hit streaming and receive a vinyl release. Just, you know, newly remastered and with three bonus tracks: “Save Up All Your Tears,” “We All Sleep Alone” and “Di erent Kind of Love Song.” Your eyes are not deceiving you. Carey will release her rst new album in seven years, “Here for It All,” on Friday. Start with “Sugar Sweet,” featuring Shenseea and Kehlani. Or “Type Dangerous,” with its sample of Eric B. & Rakim’s “Eric B. Is President.” Start anywhere — and expect smooth R&B-pop bliss.

SERIES TO STREAM

A fth season of the mist espionage drama “Slow Horses” is on Apple TV+. Based on novels by Mick Herron, it’s about a group of MI-5

agents whose mistakes have sent them to spy purgatory, but they nevertheless nd themselves embroiled in highstakes cases. Their leader is the brash, messy, seemingly uninterested Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman. Critically acclaimed, the show is already renewed through a seventh season.

If you’ve got to work on location, former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams found a pretty sweet deal. His new show, “Hotel Costiera” is set on Italy’s Amal Coast where he plays Daniel De Luca, a “ xer” for a luxury hotel. When the resort’s guests have problems, De Luca solves them. At the show’s recent premiere in Rome, Williams described the show to the AP as “a kind of international, old school, caper show that is smart.” It is streaming now on Prime Video. Net ix’s new historical drama “House of Guinness” tells the story of the famed brewing company. Set in the 19th century, it’s

“For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Finnegan’s beach-set ‘The Surfer’ simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil.”

Jake Coyle, AP lm writer

like “Succession”-meets-beer where the Guinness family patriarch had died and his adult children battle over the company. Anthony Boyle, Louis Patridge, James Norton and David Wilmot star. The eight-episode series debuts Thursday.

Also new on Net ix on Thursday is “Wayward,” starring Toni Collette as the leader of Tall Pines Academy, a boarding facility for troubled teens. Its practices come under question after Alex, a former cop (played by creator Mae Martin) moves with his pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon) to her small town. Laura is a former student at the school and has a creepy familial relationship with Collette’s Evelyn. Alex quickly picks up on the weirdness of it all and starts to investigate.

Tsukasa Hojo’s popular manga series from the 1980s called “Cat’s Eye” has been adapted into a new, 12-part anime series for Hulu premiering Friday, Sept. 26. It follows three sisters who run a cafe by day and then steal art at night. One of the sisters also happens to be dating a detective looking into the theft.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

A di erent kind of hell is the setting for Hades II, Supergiant Games’ sequel to its 2020 indie megahit. The protagonist this time is Melinoe, Princess of the Underworld. She’s on a mission to conquer Chronos, the Titan of Time, before he can escape Hades and wage war on Mount Olympus. The witch Hecate is around to teach you how to wield ancient magic, and you can expect guest appearances from other characters in Greek mythology. Fans will want to start digging in as soon as it arrives Thursday

and

on Switch

PC.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Cher, pictured accepting the Icon Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, will release “Live! The Farewell Tour” on streaming and vinyl this week.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION FOR THE TELEVISION ACADEMY/ AP CONTENT SERVICES

Actor Gary Oldman participates in the FYC presentation of “Slow Horses” during Televerse 25. The espionage drama is back for its fth season on Apple TV+.

STATE & NATION

Trump o cials praise Charlie Kirk’s faith, mark on the conservative movement

The memorial service drew thousands, including Vice President JD Vance

By Jonathan J. Cooper, Eugene Garcia, Aamer Madhani and Meg Kinnard The Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. — President Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as he and other prominent conservatives gathered Sunday evening to honor the slain conservative political activist whose work they say they must now advance.

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration ofcials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old rebrand.

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”

Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.

“For Charlie, we will remem-

ber that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has set o a erce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division.

The shooting has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justi cation to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.

Those close to Kirk prayed and the oors at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.

Longtime worship leader

Chris Tomlin opened the service and was joined later by other big names in contemporary Christian music, including Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham. Near the end, as Trump took the stage, Lee Greenwood sang a live rendition of the president’s campaign walk-on song, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight and speakers delivered their tributes from behind bullet-proof glass.

The 63,400-seat stadium quickly lled with people

US bars Iran’s diplomats from shopping at Costco without permission

The state department determined that memberships in wholesale clubs are a “bene t” requiring approval

By Matthew Lee

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Trump administration has barred Iranian diplomats based in or visiting New York from shopping at wholesale club stores like Costco and purchasing luxury goods in the United States without speci c permission from the State Department.

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York while the Iranian people endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and dire shortages of water and electricity,” the department said in a statement.

In notices to be published this week in the Federal Register, the department’s O ce of Foreign Missions determined that diplomatic memberships in wholesale club stores as well as diplomats’ ability to buy items such as watches, furs, jewelry, handbags, wallets, perfumes, tobacco, alcohol and cars are a “bene t” requir-

dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.

The mood in the stadium ebbed and owed throughout a service that stretched more than ve hours. Mourners were patient and cordial, even after waiting hours to enter and then an hour or more for food in stadium concession lines.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was nding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.

“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” said Erika Kirk, who is taking over as Turning Point’s leader. She added, “I forgive him.”

Trump, who closed out the service, remarked that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his oppo-

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York.”

U.S. State department statement

ing U.S. government approval.

However, the only country whose diplomats were specically targeted is Iran. Stores like Costco have been a favorite of Iranian diplomats posted to and visiting New York because they are able to buy large quantities of products not available in their economically isolated country for relatively cheap prices and send them home.

“By preventing Iranian regime o cials from exploiting diplomatic travel to the UN as a means to obtain goods unavailable to the Iranian public, we are sending a clear message: When the United States says it stands with the people of Iran, we mean

nents” and “wanted the best for them,” an attribute he found hard to understand.

“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said. “I’m sorry, I am sorry Erika.”

Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others who he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.

Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers to late show host Jimmy Kimmel, have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration o cials target comments about Kirk that they deem o ensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment.

Some speakers at the memorial said Kirk was battling evil and referred to a vague “they” as the enemy. Others were blunt.

“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened, you have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic,” said White House deputy chief of sta Stephen Miller.

Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader.

A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Author-

it,” the State Department said.

The move is another step in the Trump administration’s crackdown on visas, including for leaders and diplomats seeking to serve as representatives at the United Nations. While world leaders are gathering this week for the high-pro le annual meeting at the international body, the new U.S. restrictions permanently apply to any Iranian diplomats representing their country at the U.N. year-round.

The determinations, which were posted online Monday and to be printed Tuesday, said Iranian diplomats and their dependents must “obtain approval from the Department of State prior to: obtaining or otherwise retaining membership at any wholesale club store in the United States, to include but not limited to Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s Wholesale Club, and acquiring items from such wholesale club stores through any means.”

In addition, Iranian diplomats in the U.S. must also receive permission to purchase luxury items valued at more than $1,000 and vehicles valued

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom. I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie.”

President Donald Trump

ities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk’s hatred.

Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.

The crowd was a testament to the in uence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.

And the service brought together a veritable who’s who of the Republican Party, with numerous current and former lawmakers in the crowd. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and former top adviser to Trump, was spotted sitting with Trump for part of the service.

Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot.

Speaker after speaker, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed awe at Kirk’s ability to go into what many conservatives saw as the lion’s den to make the conservative case: college campuses.

“Why don’t you start somewhere easier,” Rubio recalled thinking when he rst heard about Kirk years ago. “Like, for example, communist Cuba?”

at more that $60,000, said Clifton Seagroves, the head of the O ce of Foreign Missions.

The items de ned as “luxury goods” include watches, leather apparel and clothing accessories, silk apparel and clothing accessories, footwear, fur skins and arti cial furs, handbags, wallets, fountain pens, cosmetics, perfumes and toilet waters, works of art, antiques, carpets, rugs, tapestries, pearls, gems, precious and semi-precious stones or jewelry containing them, precious metals, electronics and appliances, recreational sports articles, musical instruments, cigarettes and cigars, wine, spirits and beer.

Earlier this month, U.S. ocials said they were considering the restrictions, which Seagroves signed on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18.

The Trump administration has already denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his large delegation to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In addition to Iran, the administration also was considering restrictions to be imposed on delegations from Sudan, Zimbabwe and Brazil.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Randolph record

For hope and healing

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Trump tells UN in speech it’s “not even coming close to living up” to potential

President Donald Trump has returned to the United Nations to boast of his second-term foreign policy achievements and lash out at the world body as a feckless institution. He also warned Europe it would be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies. World leaders listened closely to his Tuesday remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his rst eight months in o ce. After his speech, Trump met with Secretary-General António Guterres and told the top U.N. o cial that the U.S. is behind the global body “100%” amid fears among members that he’s edging toward a full retreat.

Secret Service dismantles telecom threat around UN capable of crippling cell service in NYC

The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive hidden telecom network in New York. Investigators say the system could have crippled cell towers and jammed 911 calls. The cache included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards. It was located within 35 miles of the United Nations. The network could have blacked out cellular service, especially during the United Nations General Assembly. O cials have not uncovered a direct plot against the assembly. Forensic analysis is ongoing, and authorities suspect nation-state actors.

$2.00

Randolph County Schools receives last year’s school accountability data

The district saw improvements across the board in terms of performance and growth

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Schools Board of Education was presented with the district’s 2024-25 school performance data at its Sept. 15 meeting.

The data, which is provided by the state, measures the academic performance and growth of each school in North Carolina and gives them a school performance grade based on a 15-point scale.

Randolph County Schools had one “A” school (Randolph Early College High School), two “B” schools, 16 “C” schools, 12 “D” schools and one “F” school (The

Virtual Academy at Randolph, which has since been closed).

Compared to last year, the district had four schools increase their letter grade and 23 schools increase their overall numerical grade.

“We have a lot of work to do, but we made a lot of progress this year,” said Superintendent Stephen Gainey.

In terms of growth, which compares all schools within the state, the district had 21 schools meet or exceed expected growth, compared to 2023-24, where they had 14.

“I’m very excited about our growth and really excited about where some of the schools are sitting right now,” Gainey said.

However, 13 schools were designated as low-performing schools, meaning that they received either a “D” or “F” school performance grade while also not exceeding expected growth,

“We have a lot of work to do, but we made a lot of progress this year.”

Stephen Gainey, superintendent

although the district did have 15 of those last year.

“We continue to push down the number of low-performing schools,” Gainey said. “It says 13, but really what we’re dealing with is 12 because one of the 13 is the school that was closed. We also had two schools, one increased their number grade by 11, the other 12, and they still couldn’t get out of that range. When you start bumping your number grade up ve, six points or more, I think that’s signi cant.”

Gainey also stated the dis-

trict had four low-performing schools that were just one point away from getting out of the low-performing designation.

“When these schools are just one point away, that could really be exciting next year,” said Board Chair Gary Cook.

In terms of long-term federal goals, the district is falling a bit behind, with no schools currently meeting the metrics in reading or math.

“The federal long-term goals are actually levels four and ve, and the baseline was set in 2015-16 with targeted goals for schools to reach for completion by 2027-28,” said Director of Testing and Accountability Meredith Weipert.

“We’ll continue to work hard to keep getting better,” Gainey said.

The Randolph County Schools Board of Education will next meet Oct. 20.

Asheboro is one of a handful of cities in the state needing primaries for the municipal elections

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — When early voting for the City of Asheboro primaries began last week, some turnout numbers seemed interesting. For last Thursday and Friday — the rst two days — the Randolph County Board of Elections reported there were 101 voters each day.

Asheboro voters are tasked with trimming the eld of candidates for mayor and city council. Asheboro is among several cities holding primaries for this fall’s municipal elections. There are 14 municipalities holding primaries in the state, based on information from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Aside from Asheboro, primaries are being conducted in Dobbins Heights, Durham, Elizabeth City, Erwin, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Henderson, Hickory, Jamestown, Louisburg, New Bern, Rocky Mount and Roxboro.

In Asheboro, the primary early voting will be held only on weekdays through Oct. 3 and then from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. The hours for weekday voting are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voting will take place at the

Randolph County Board of Elections on North Fayetteville Street. The primary’s Election Day is from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, when voters must vote at their assigned precinct. Primary voters can make one selection for mayor among Jennyfer Bucardo, Eddie Burks, Brett Thompson and Joey Trogdon. Burks and Trogdon are members of the city council. The top two in the primary advance to November’s general election. For city council, voters can make four selections from a list of 14. The candidates are Phillip Cheek, Kevin Garcia Cordova, Jimmy E rd, Kelly Heath, Al LaPrade, Bill McCaskill, Joel McClosky, Aaron McLendon, Mary Joan Pugh, Phil Skeen, Katie Snuggs, Dave Thomas, Pamela Vuncannon and Timothy Woodle. The top eight will be on the November ballot. There are four seats available, including two currently occupied by Heath and McCaskill.

Dozens of community members came together Monday night at Bicentennial Park in Asheboro for a prayer vigil for humility and healing in memory of Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death earlier this month during a college campus rally in Utah.

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

A Super Tuesday voter walks past a sign requiring a photo ID at a polling location on March 5, 2024, in Mount Holly.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

THURSDAY 9.25.25

RCC collects branding honor at state conference

Randolph Record sta SPINDALE — Randolph

Community College’s O ce of College Marketing made a strong debut at the annual Public Relations, Information, and Marketing Association’s North Carolina Conference last week at Isothermal Community College.

RCC earned an award for branding in the inaugural PRIMA NC Awards competition.

“This award speaks volumes about the innovation and dedication of our Marketing and Communications

CRIME LOG

Sept. 13

• Thomas Jordan Williamson II, 43, was arrested by RCSO for second degree burglary, larceny after breaking and entering, two counts of larceny of a dog, resisting a public o cer, driving while license revoked, possession of marijuana up to half an ounce, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession of a Schedule II substance, and communicating threats.

Sept. 14

• Jorbin Jar Hernandez Rosales, 26, was arrested by RCSO for assault by strangulation, assault on a female, assault in icting serious injury, and injury to personal property.

• Camryn Jacob Culler, 19, was arrested by RCSO for larceny of a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

Sept. 15

• Garret Chad Gri n, 31, was arrested by RCSO for possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sept. 16

• Jeremy Dewayne Roberts, 39, was arrested by RCSO for breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, possession of stolen goods or property, and obtaining property by false pretense.

• Jessie Lee Jones, 58, was arrested

THURSDAY SEPT. 25

FRIDAY SEPT.

Brent James wrote Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel”

By Kathy Mccormack

and Josh Funk The Associated Press

GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING country songwriter

Brett James, whose string of top hits includes “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney, died in a plane crash in Franklin, authorities said Friday. He was 57. The small plane with three people aboard crashed last Thursday afternoon “under unknown circumstances” in the woods in Franklin, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary report. There were no survivors, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a statement. James was on a Cirrus SR22T, which was registered to him under his legal name of Brett James Cornelius, accord-

team,” RCC president Shah Ardalan said in a statement from the school. “They have moved RCC from simply participating in statewide conversations to leading them. This recognition proves that when we combine strategy with creativity, we can shape not just perceptions, but futures — for our students, for our college, and for the entire region.”

The PRIMA NC Awards celebrate excellence in marketing, communications and public relations across the North Carolina Community College System and recognize

by RCSO for two counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle with theft and two counts of possession of stolen goods or property.

Sept. 18

• Stephen Kyle Barzdins, 44, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Eric Dale Tucker was arrested by RCSO for possession of a rearm by a felon, possession of cocaine, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for controlled substances, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule IV controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Stephanie Annette Pallas was arrested by RCSO for possession of cocaine, identity theft, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting a public o cer, and probation violation.

• Quincy Quintez Julius was arrested by RCSO for possession of a rearm by a felon, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Danny Ray Saunders was arrested by RCSO for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Marcell Pierre Alsbrook was arrested by RCSO for possession of drug paraphernalia.

work based on strategy, execution, creativity and measurable results.

The RCC team garnered recognition for branding with its submission of the college’s mobile outreach unit design and wrap designed by multimedia designer coordinator Hunter Crutch eld.

The marketing team at RCC also includes Wesley Britt, marketing and communications specialist, Megan Crotty, associate director of marketing and communications, and Micki Bear, senior director of marketing and communications.

• Justin Dwayne Greene was arrested by RCSO for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, and simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance.

Sept. 19

• Hunter Blake Overby, 36, was arrested by RCSO for possession of a Schedule II substance.

Sept. 20

• Jason Randall Monnett, 43, was arrested by RCSO for possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Buren Scott Andrews, 63, was arrested by RCSO for possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving left of center.

Sept. 21

• Kirby Elton Sessoms, 48, was arrested by RCSO for obtaining property by false pretense and larceny.

• Carol Marie Smith, 56, was arrested by RCSO for possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Crystal Beth Snider, 41, was arrested by RCSO for possession of a controlled substance on jail premises and possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance.

Randolph Guide

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

Sept. 26

Liberty Antiques Festival - Day One

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Four hundred dealers from over 25 states display authentic 18th to 20thcentury furniture, pottery, glass, folk art and Americana across 100 acres. This twiceyearly event draws collectors and casual shoppers seeking genuine antiques with no reproductions or crafts allowed.

Pike Family Farm 2855 Pike Farm Rd. Staley

Sept. 27

Downtown Asheboro Farmers Market

7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Shop for fresh local produce, homemade baked goods and plants from Randolph County growers at this weekly growers-only market. Vendors from diverse backgrounds o er everything from seasonal vegetables to fresh owers and homemade treats.

Downtown Asheboro

134 S Church St. Asheboro

Liberty Antiques Festival - Day Two

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The festival continues for its second and nal day with dealers o ering everything from military memorabilia to vintage toys and quilts. Early birds often nd the best treasures at this acclaimed Mid-Atlantic antiques show.

Pike Family Farm 2855 Pike Farm Rd.

ing to information provided by the FAA. It was not known if he was the pilot. The patrol con rmed his death. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board said they will investigate the crash.

The other two people on the plane were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, the patrol con rmed.

The plane had taken o from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville.

James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. The organization posted an online statement of mourning.

A native of Oklahoma City, James left medical school to pursue a music career in Nashville, according his biography on the Hall of Fame’s site.

His rst No. 1 hit was “Who I Am” in 2001, by Jessica Andrews. “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which he co-wrote for Underwood, earned the 2006 Grammy for Best Country Song, among other honors.

James had more than 500 of his songs recorded for albums with combined sales of more

than 110 million copies, according to his Grand Ole Opry biography online.

Other artists who sang his songs include Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Nick Jonas and Meghan Trainor.

Additional hits include “Cowboy Casanova” by Underwood, “Out Last Night” by Chesney and “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts.

“Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,” country singer Jason Aldean posted on X. “I had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life. Honored to have met him and worked with him.”

James recorded his own album in 2020.

“At my stage in life, I’m not going to write about driving around in pickup trucks, chasing girls,” he was quoted as saying on the Opry site. “It needed to feel more classic, lyrically. They all wound up being love songs, but hopefully love songs with a twist, that haven’t all been written before.”

Staley

“Grease” Opening Night

7:30 p.m.

The beloved musical about Rydell High’s class of 1959 opens for a two-week run featuring all the classic songs. Danny and Sandy’s romance comes to life with favorites like “Summer Nights” and “We Go Together.”

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

The Bellamy Brothers in Concert

7-9 p.m.

The country music duo brings over 40 years of hits including “Let Your Love Flow” to this intimate venue. The historic theater continues its tradition of hosting nationally known musicians in an up-close setting.

Liberty Showcase Theater 101 S Fayetteville St. Liberty

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Charlie Kirk: American patriot and Christian martyr

He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity.

I WROTE THESE words on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, Sept. 14 — a day meant for rest and worship yet overshadowed by tragedy. It came in the shadow of the cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus. Like millions of others, I nd myself wrestling with anger, sorrow, grief and confusion — searching for meaning in a moment that de es it.

We have long known that we live in a fallen, godless and debauched age. Yet two weeks ago, that grim truth was displayed in stark relief on a college campus — an institution that should nurture learning and virtue but instead became the stage for barbarity.

I call Charlie a martyr because he was killed for his convictions — for his un inching defense of truth and his fearless witness to Christ. He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity in a world where woke classrooms and even woke pulpits leave them spiritually starved.

Charlie was not an elected o cial, yet he carried himself with a statesman’s brilliance. A masterful debater, he could summon Scripture and the Constitution from memory. Many of us believed he had the intellect, vision and courage that could have carried him to the presidency one day.

COLUMN | J. MARC WHEAT

The radical left saw the same potential — and feared it. They recognized that Charlie was a singular gure: principled, persuasive and deeply rooted in faith. His integrity and God-given ability to connect with young people threatened the woke ideological stranglehold on our culture. That was a threat his enemies could not tolerate. Now it falls on us to carry forward his ght with sharper minds, stouter hearts and steel spines.

Charlie was vili ed because he loved the Bible, loved his country and stood for objective truth. Above all, he was hated because he followed Jesus Christ. As John’s Gospel reminds us, the world loves darkness and rejects the light. Christ himself warned in John 15 that his followers would be hated and silenced precisely because they proclaim the truth of God’s word.

Across America and around the world, Christians are asking today: What will we do with this moment? How will we respond?

First, pray for Charlie’s wife, Erika, and their children, whose loss is beyond words. They will grow up without their father, unable yet to grasp the hatred that stole him away.

Second, recognize the danger we face. To

be a faithful Christian who engages the public square is now to risk one’s life. Charlie’s murder was not random — it was a warning to silence truth-tellers. In such times, we must pray for courage and boldness to speak God’s truth without fear.

Third, plead with God for mercy on our broken nation. As Romans 8 declares, creation itself “groans.” We saw that groaning in the vile ood of comments that mocked and even celebrated Charlie’s death.

Fourth, pray for leaders — that they will have the moral clarity to bring justice to the wicked and ful ll their God-given charge to punish evil and protect the righteous.

No single column can capture the life, goodness, and impact of Charlie Kirk. More must be written, and will be. For now, let us bear one another’s burdens and so ful ll the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

May we never again witness such a week in America — or endure another Lord’s Day clouded by such tragedy.

Sam Currin is a former judge, U.S. attorney and law professor. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University, UNC School of Law and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Government lists are a threat to free association

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records.

NO GOVERNMENT o cial needs to know what organizations you nancially support. And no state attorney general should have access to Americans’ sensitive personal information without clearly showing cause or in the absence of criminal proceedings. Yet wielding state power for his own political agenda, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asked a court to force First Choice Women’s Resource Centers to disclose donor information about nearly 5,000 contributions (see AAF’s amicus brief in First Choice Women’s Resource Center v. Platkin). Similar disclosures in the past have not fared well for Americans. In 2014, Mozilla forced their new chief executive, Brendan Eich, the founder of JavaScript, to resign after discovering that Eich had donated $1,000 six years earlier to a campaign that supported Proposition 8, the voter-approved California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In the late 1950s during the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama attempted to use disclosure requirements to prevent the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from conducting business, which included the Montgomery Bus Boycott and funding programs for African American students wishing to attend the state university (see NAACP v. Alabama). Today, big government agencies already have large databases on Americans’ private information. Plenty of people have not told their best friend or neighbors how much they earn. Yet the government — only trusted by 22% of Americans to do the right thing always

or most of the time — knows.

Thanks to the SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), the federal government also compiles a list linking your every purchase and sale in the stock market to your sensitive, personal information (see AAF’s amicus brief challenging CAT in Davidson v. Gensler). With the Supreme Court tailoring opt-outs for gender ideology in schools to religious exemptions, the government could seize the opportunity to create yet another list, this time of religious parents.

As explained in AAF’s amicus brief in Platkin, “No government o cial should be able to use his legitimate law enforcement power to pursue those with whom he disagrees politically.” The latter would reduce our constitutional protections to be the “mere parchment barriers” that our framers feared. Regardless of whether the court rules against Platkin, he will have taken time and resources away from First Choice’s mission of helping mothers and saving babies. Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records. Even the threat of disclosure threatens freedom of speech and association, which are the cornerstones of the American tradition.

In America’s earliest days, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the “art of association then becomes … the mother science; everyone studies it and applies it” (quoted in AAF’s amicus brief First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin). Where “all citizens are independent and weak” and “can hardly do

anything by themselves,” Americans must coordinate to e ect change. The latter is an intentional feature of our constitutional system that protects minority opinions from suppression and ensures power remains derived from the people.

Platkin is not a uke or merely a result of one bad actor. In October, the Sixth Circuit will hear a similar freedom of association case, Buckeye Institute v. IRS, where the federal government defends its practice compelling nonpro t organizations to disclose private donor information.

President Ronald Reagan said the scariest words in the English language were “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” When the government collects information, Americans are threatened by the abuse of that information. For that reason, the government should only be collecting information it absolutely needs. The courts in these cases must ensure that governments are not storing up information and, in so doing, exposing Americans to harassment by government agents.

Marc Wheat is the general counsel of Advancing American Freedom. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

BE IN TOUCH

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 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.

COLUMN | SAM CURRIN

Hurricane Helene hit

More than 2,500 students became homeless after the storm

By Makiya Seminera, Laura Hackett and Jose Sandoval

The Associated Press

SWANNANOA — When

12-year-old Natalie Briggs visited the ruins of her home after Hurricane Helene, she had to tightrope across a wooden beam to reach what was once her bedroom.

Knots of electrical wires were draped inside the skeleton of the house. Months after the storm, light ltered through breaks in the tarps over the windows. “All I could think of was, ‘This isn’t my house,’” said Natalie, who had been staying in her grandparents’ basement.

Thousands of students across western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with some of the most vicious oods, landslides and wind ever seen in the state’s Appalachian region, once considered a “climate haven.” Across the state, more than 2,500 students were identi ed as homeless as a direct result of Helene, according to state data obtained by The Associated Press.

At school, Natalie sometimes had panic attacks when she thought of her ruined home in Swannanoa.

“There were some points where I just didn’t want people to talk to me about the house — or just, like, talk to me at all,” Natalie said.

While storm debris has been mostly cleared away, the impact of the displacement lingers for the region’s children. Schools reopened long before many students returned to their homes, and their learning and well-being have yet to recover.

The phenomenon is increasingly common as natural disasters disrupt U.S. communities more frequently and with more ferocity.

In the North Carolina mountains, the challenge of recovery is especially acute. After all, many families in rural, low-income areas already deal with challenges such as food insecurity and rent a ordability, said Cassandra Davis, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill public policy professor.

“I would almost argue that they don’t get the opportunity to recover,” Davis said.

Finding stable housing became all-consuming

After Helene ooded her rental home in Black Mountain, Bonnie Christine Goggins-Jones and her two teenage grandchildren had to leave behind nearly all their belongings.

“They lost their bed, clothes,

shoes, their book bag,” she said.

The family lived in a motel, a leaky donated camper and another camper before moving into a new apartment in June.

Goggins-Jones, a school bus aide at Asheville City Schools, struggled to heat the camper during winter. Her grandchildren kept going to school, but it wasn’t top of mind.

The area around Asheville, western North Carolina’s largest city, still has a signi cant housing shortage a year after the storm.

The family of America Sanchez Chavez, 11, had to split up to nd housing. Helene left their trailer home in Swannanoa uninhabitable, and money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency wasn’t enough to cover the renovations.

America and some relatives went to stay at her grandmother’s apartment, while her older brother lived at a friend’s house. Eventually, America moved with her mother to a room at a Black Mountain hotel where she works.

America said she is still frightened by rain or thunder.

“At one point when the rain actually got, like, pretty bad ... I did get scared for a while,” she said.

Helene damaged more than 73,000 homes, knocking out electricity and water for weeks if not months. The destruction of local infrastructure also closed schools for large stretches of time, and a barrage of snow days exacerbated the time out of

class even more. In rural Yancey County, which has approximately 18,000 residents, students missed more than two months of school last year.

Displaced students spread across North Carolina

After natural disasters, it’s common to see a surge in students living in unstable, temporary arrangements, such as sleeping on a couch, staying in a shelter, or doubling up with another family, according to research from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools. Those arrangements qualify students as homeless under federal law.

In Puerto Rico, more than 6,700 students were identi ed as homeless in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath during the 2017-18 school year, the study found. Hawaii saw a 59% increase in its homeless student population following the 2023 Maui wild res.

In Helene’s aftermath, student homelessness spiked in several hard-hit counties, according to AP’s analysis of data from the North Carolina Homeless Education Program.

Yancey County saw the region’s highest percentage increase. The number of homeless students went from 21 in the 2023-24 school year to 112 last school year. All but 15 were homeless due to Helene.

Some students enrolled in other school systems, at least temporarily. Others never returned.

Terri

Dolan of Swannanoa

sent her two young children to stay with her parents in Charlotte ahead of the storm. After seeing the extent of the devastation, Dolan had them enroll in school there. They stayed over a month before returning home.

“My job is to make money for our family, and their job is to go to school,’” Dolan says she’d always told her kids. “Just because the school wasn’t open here, I felt like they needed to go to school and do their job.”

Some districts receive federal money for services such as transporting homeless students to their usual school buildings and providing tutoring under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. But districts must apply in a competitive process, and they can’t request more money immediately after a natural disaster until the next application cycle. Many miss out on McKinney-Vento funding entirely.

Helene-impacted students made up at least a fth of the homeless population in 16 counties, but only six counties received McKinney-Vento money last funding cycle. Nationally, only 1 in 5 school districts receives McKinney-Vento money due to limited funds, said Barbara Du eld, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection, a nonpro t that advocates for homeless students.

“If there’s a disaster, it’s going to involve districts that don’t get money from McKinney-Vento,” Du eld said.

Housing instability has lasting impact

Gwendolyn Bode, a prelaw student at Appalachian State University, had to leave her mud-wrecked apartment complex after Helene. Told she couldn’t get campus housing, she found an Airbnb where she could stay at until her FEMA housing application went through, and then she moved into a hotel.

She felt like she was drowning as she tried to keep up with her classes and a part-time job.

“I can’t tell you what I learned,” Bode said. “I can’t even tell you when I went to class because (mentally) I wasn’t there.” She found more stability after moving into an apartment for the spring semester.

For Natalie Briggs, now 13, the grief of losing almost everything, coupled with the tight quarters in her grandparents’ basement, sometimes got to her — and to her mother, Liz Barker. Barker said it felt like a “time with no rules” because there was so much to deal with on top of her job as a health care worker.

The circumstances sometimes led to friction. But Barker said overall, she and Natalie had “done pretty well” together.

“She’s been a little bit more loving since all of this happened,” Barker said, smiling at her daughter.

“I give her hugs and stu ,” Natalie said, “and I’ll tell her I love her, more than I did.”

STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

Nicole Schoychid, left, and Rebekah Canu, co-founders of Wildwood Agile Leaning Center, embrace inside the schoolhouse, which was damaged by ooding in Hurricane Helene, as they are surrounded by debris and mud on Dec. 5, 2024, in Boone. The school had to compete against many other organizations and businesses vying for their own space in Boone after Helene damaged the town, creating a “bottleneck” from demand, Schoychid says.

obituaries

Inez Yow Burrow

Oct. 5, 1940 – Sept. 16, 2025

Vera (Inez) Yow Burrow, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother, passed peacefully on September 16, 2025, at the age of 84.

A Funeral Service will be held at 1:30 PM on Monday, September 22, 2025 at the Lo in Funeral Home Chapel in Ramseur with Pastor Thomas Schultz o ciating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memorial Park in Asheboro.

The family will receive friends for a time of visitation from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Sunday evening at Lo in Funeral Home and other times at the residence.

Born on October 5, 1940, Inez was one of eight children and from an early age learned the value of family, faith, and hard work. These lessons shaped the life she built and the love she shared so generously with others.

For 66 years she was the devoted wife and best friend of Clayton Burrow, creating a home lled with faith, laughter, and warmth. She was the proud and loving mother of Terry Burrow (Dianne) of Seagrove, NC; Pansy Burrow of Seagrove, NC; Tom Burrow (Julie) of Lynchburg, VA; Tim Burrow of Seagrove, NC; and Amy Fracheur (Steven) of Seagrove, NC. Her greatest joy was her family, and she delighted in her eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, each of whom brought her immeasurable pride and happiness.

Inez’s life was a beautiful blend of strength and gentle spirit. A faithful member and deaconess of Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA), she found great joy in sharing her love of music by playing the piano—whether lling the church with hymns or bringing loved ones together around the familiar melodies she played at home. Her music, like her presence, was a source of comfort and joy to everyone around her.

Known for her unwavering kindness and quiet resilience, Inez was always ready to lend a listening ear or a helping hand. She would drop everything when someone needed her, and her life stands as a lasting example of faith, compassion, and devotion to family.

Inez’s legacy of love, music, and faith will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew her. Her family and friends will forever cherish the lessons she taught through her words, her music, and the way she lived her life.

Arrangements by Lo in Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur.

Francis Paul Lochner

Jan. 24, 1944 – Sept. 14, 2025

Francis Paul Lochner, age 81, of Asheboro passed away Sunday, September 14, 2025 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born January 24, 1944 in Rochester, New York the son of the late Gerard Lochner and Mary McLean Lochner. Also preceding him in death are his brothers, Robert Lochner, Gerard Lochner, John Lochner and Rick Lewis.

Francis, a man who lived life by his own rules, left an indelible mark on all who knew him, has gone to the big casino in the sky. From the moment he was expelled from Je erson High School for keeping a friend’s secret, it was clear that Francis had a sense of loyalty as steadfast as his sarcasm was sharp. After answering the call of duty with the United States Army, Francis returned to Rochester to become not just any bartender, but one who could mix both drinks and quick wit with equal air. His humor, often peppered with his favorite expletive, the “F” bomb, would have made even the most stoic of patrons crack a smile. He married Mary Ann Long, and for 49 wonderful years, they crafted a life together lled with adventure, love, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting. Their road trips along the east coast were legendary, especially when there was a casino involved. Francis was a man of many talents; whether it was casting a line on serene waters in his younger years or chasing that elusive perfect game on the golf course. Francis could often be found cheering for his Miami Dolphins, a testament to his steadfast devotion, even in the face of adversity. Above all else, he ercely cherished his grandchildren, serving as their devoted cheerleader and occasional co-conspirator in harmless antics. As we raise a glass in memory of Francis, let’s remember his life as one lived fully: with loyalty, laughter, and, of course, a sprinkle of irreverence.

Left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife, Mary Ann Lochner; children, Kaley Snyder (Brian), Megan Lochner (G.P) and Francis “F.J.” Lochner; grandchildren, Tori, Jonathan, and Zoey; great granddaughter, Ava; daughter-in-law, Alison Goodlein; brothers, David Lochner and Donald Lochner (Lynda); sister, Mary Lochner; brothers-in-law, Michael Thrall and Roger Knowlton; and numerous other beloved family and friends. The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date. Memorials may be made to Wounded Warriors.

Daniel Thomas Stalker

July 22, 1950 – Sept. 16, 2025

Daniel “Danny” Thomas Stalker, age 75, of Asheboro passed away September 16, 2025. He was born July 22, 1950 in Randolph County, North Carolina the son of the late Millard Gri n Stalker and Gladys Foster Mathis. In addition to his parents, he is also preceded in death by a brother, Tony E. Ewing.

Danny, a man whose dedicated service to our country, thirst for knowledge and humor left an indelible mark on all who knew him. Danny proudly served his country for 18 years in the United States Army, where he played a crucial role in the Missile Systems Department. His work with the Nike and Patriot Missile companies allowed him to not only enhance his expertise but also to travel the world, embracing diverse cultures and forging connections. After his honorable military service, Danny embarked on a new journey as a truck driver. Whether it was car hauling, repo jobs, or working as a tow truck driver, he approached every task with dedication and a sense of purpose. Regardless of the role he found himself in, Danny’s commitment and diligence were unwavering. A lifelong learner, Danny’s passion for history was matched only by his love for reading. His insatiable curiosity led him to explore countless historical documentaries, and his vast knowledge made him an engaging conversationalist. Those fortunate enough to engage in discussions with Danny would often nd themselves captivated by his intelligent insights and infectious sense of humor. Never without a quick wit, Danny’s love for goodnatured pranks brought smiles to the faces of all around him.

Danny shared a special bond with his sisters, Susie and Jane. The closeness they fostered from childhood remained a source of strength and joy throughout his life. Beyond family, he was also fascinated by the intricacies of electronics and the marvel of ight, pursuits that fueled his inventive spirit. Though he has left this world, Danny’s laughter, kindness, and unyielding quest for knowledge continue to inspire those who were lucky enough to call him a friend. His legacy is one of service, perseverance, and an enduring zest for life.

Left to cherish his memory are his son, Wayne Stalker and wife Krystal of Greenwood, IN; daughter, Danielle Luther of Quitman, TX; grandchildren, Joslyn Bundy, Jacob Bundy, Trinityy Stalker, and Holten Stalker; great grandchild, Cymbalinu Prado; sisters, Patti Eakes, Jane Connor and Susan Cranford; and numerous other beloved family and friends.

A graveside service will be held 2:00 PM on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at Asheboro City Cemetery, 208 W. Salisbury Street, Asheboro NC 27203. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association.

Aaron Conley Clifton

April 23, 1966 – Sept. 17, 2025

Aaron Conley Clifton, born on April 23, 1966, in Washington, D.C., passed away on September 17, 2025, at the age of 59, at Randolph Hospice House after a courageous battle with cancer.

Aaron was a dedicated and hardworking individual who spent many years working as a property manager in the healthcare industry. His commitment to his profession was only matched by his love for his family and his passion for his hobbies. He enjoyed cooking, spending time working in the yard, doing home improvements, and watching football.

Aaron was a former alumnus of Randleman High School. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Tonya Clifton; his parents, Vance and Mary Welch Clifton; and his brother-in-law, Fred Pack, Jr.

Barbara Eastridge Warren

Nov. 21, 1960 – Sept. 17, 2025

Barbara Eastridge Warren, 64, of Ramseur passed away on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro.

Barbara enjoyed the simple things in life and her family has honored her wishes and will have a Graveside Service at 11:00 AM on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Community Baptist Church Cemetery in Siler City with Rev. Michele Hill o ciating.

Barbara was a native of Chatham County and a longtime resident of Ramseur. She was a beautiful person on the outside as well as the inside.

Barbara had a humble spirit and was a friend to everyone she met. She enjoyed watching game shows and the thing that brought her the most joy was going on a shopping spree. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Warren, her children, Tom Michael Warren and Tara Ann Warren, as well as her parents, John and Nellie Carter Eastridge.

Barbara is survived by her siblings, David Eastridge, of Siler City, Tammy Livingston, of Liberty, Rosa Thompson, of Asheboro, her nieces and nephews, Terry, Alisha, Lexa and Donald “DJ”, as well as her great-nephews, Rylan, Adam and great-niece, Holly. Arrangements by Lo in Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur.

He is survived by his cherished daughters, Ryan Ortiz and her husband Hector, and Ashlyn Tomberlin and her husband Michael. He was a loving grandfather to Riley, Brooklyn, Bryan, Benjamin, and Jack. Aaron also leaves behind his sister, Robin Rogers and her husband Mark; his brother, Anthony Clifton and his partner Dan; and his mother and father-in-law, Jane and Fred Pack. He will be dearly missed by his brother-in-law, William Pack; his niece, Ashley Johnson and her husband Tony; and his nephew, Zac Rogers. Aaron’s loyal canine companions, Lana and Miles, also mourn his loss. He held dear his special friend, Stacy Little eld, who supported him through both joyful times and challenges.

A celebration of Aaron’s life will be held by the family on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the home of Ryan and Hector Ortiz, in Asheboro. Friends and family are invited to join in remembering and honoring Aaron’s life, his warmth, and the joy he brought to those around him. Please contact Ryan or Ashlyn for the address.

Aaron will be remembered for his kindness, strength, and unwavering dedication to his loved ones.

He will be profoundly missed but will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service is honored to assist the family of Mr. Aaron Conley Clifton.

Jimmy Evans

Dec. 18, 1963 –Sept. 22, 2025

Jimmy Dean Evans, 61, of Asheboro, passed away Monday, September 22, 2025 at Randolph Health in Asheboro after a long and di cult battle with his health.

Funeral Services, 3:00 PM, Thursday, September 25, 2025, at Lo in Funeral Home Chapel, Ramseur.

O ciating, Pastor Brad Forrest.

Burial, Harmony Baptist Church, Ramseur. Jimmy was born in Sparta, NC and was a longtime resident of Randolph County. He was a truck driver and a member of Lakeside Park Church of God in Ramseur. Jimmy loved his family, his dogs, “Spike and Rowdy”, his motorcycle, going to Flea Markets, and most of all, he loved his Lord and Savior.

Jimmy was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents who raised him, Thomas Edison Evans and Oda Roberts Evans as well as his mother, Mary Nell Evans.

Survivors: wife, Barbara Evans, of the home, stepdaughter, Kimberly Moon, of the home, step-son, John Franklin Moon and wife, Danielle, of Franklinville, grandchildren, Chloe Hollingsworth, Brody Uhlig, Layne Moon, Millicent Moon, Pixley Moon, Rizzah Moon, and Ray West.

Visitation, 1:30 PM to 2:45 PM, Thursday, Lo in Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur. Arrangements by Lo in Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur.

STATE & NATION

Trump o cials praise Charlie Kirk’s faith, mark on the conservative movement

The memorial service drew thousands, including Vice President JD Vance

By Jonathan J. Cooper, Eugene Garcia, Aamer Madhani and Meg Kinnard The Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. — President Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as he and other prominent conservatives gathered Sunday evening to honor the slain conservative political activist whose work they say they must now advance.

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration ofcials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old rebrand.

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”

Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.

“For Charlie, we will remem-

ber that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has set o a erce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division.

The shooting has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justi cation to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.

Those close to Kirk prayed and the oors at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.

Longtime worship leader

Chris Tomlin opened the service and was joined later by other big names in contemporary Christian music, including Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham. Near the end, as Trump took the stage, Lee Greenwood sang a live rendition of the president’s campaign walk-on song, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight and speakers delivered their tributes from behind bullet-proof glass.

The 63,400-seat stadium quickly lled with people

US bars Iran’s diplomats from shopping at Costco without permission

The state department determined that memberships in wholesale clubs are a “bene t” requiring approval

By Matthew Lee The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Trump administration has barred Iranian diplomats based in or visiting New York from shopping at wholesale club stores like Costco and purchasing luxury goods in the United States without speci c permission from the State Department.

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York while the Iranian people endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and dire shortages of water and electricity,” the department said in a statement.

In notices to be published this week in the Federal Register, the department’s O ce of Foreign Missions determined that diplomatic memberships in wholesale club stores as well as diplomats’ ability to buy items such as watches, furs, jewelry, handbags, wallets, perfumes, tobacco, alcohol and cars are a “bene t” requir-

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.

The mood in the stadium ebbed and owed throughout a service that stretched more than ve hours. Mourners were patient and cordial, even after waiting hours to enter and then an hour or more for food in stadium concession lines.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was nding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.

“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” said Erika Kirk, who is taking over as Turning Point’s leader. She added, “I forgive him.”

Trump, who closed out the service, remarked that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his oppo-

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York.”

U.S. State department statement

ing U.S. government approval.

However, the only country whose diplomats were specically targeted is Iran. Stores like Costco have been a favorite of Iranian diplomats posted to and visiting New York because they are able to buy large quantities of products not available in their economically isolated country for relatively cheap prices and send them home.

“By preventing Iranian regime o cials from exploiting diplomatic travel to the UN as a means to obtain goods unavailable to the Iranian public, we are sending a clear message: When the United States says it stands with the people of Iran, we mean

nents” and “wanted the best for them,” an attribute he found hard to understand.

“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said. “I’m sorry, I am sorry Erika.”

Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others who he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.

Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers to late show host Jimmy Kimmel, have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration o cials target comments about Kirk that they deem o ensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment.

Some speakers at the memorial said Kirk was battling evil and referred to a vague “they” as the enemy. Others were blunt.

“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened, you have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic,” said White House deputy chief of sta Stephen Miller.

Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader.

A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Author-

it,” the State Department said.

The move is another step in the Trump administration’s crackdown on visas, including for leaders and diplomats seeking to serve as representatives at the United Nations. While world leaders are gathering this week for the high-pro le annual meeting at the international body, the new U.S. restrictions permanently apply to any Iranian diplomats representing their country at the U.N. year-round.

The determinations, which were posted online Monday and to be printed Tuesday, said Iranian diplomats and their dependents must “obtain approval from the Department of State prior to: obtaining or otherwise retaining membership at any wholesale club store in the United States, to include but not limited to Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s Wholesale Club, and acquiring items from such wholesale club stores through any means.”

In addition, Iranian diplomats in the U.S. must also receive permission to purchase luxury items valued at more than $1,000 and vehicles valued

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom. I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie.”

President Donald Trump

ities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk’s hatred.

Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.

The crowd was a testament to the in uence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.

And the service brought together a veritable who’s who of the Republican Party, with numerous current and former lawmakers in the crowd. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and former top adviser to Trump, was spotted sitting with Trump for part of the service.

Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot.

Speaker after speaker, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed awe at Kirk’s ability to go into what many conservatives saw as the lion’s den to make the conservative case: college campuses.

“Why don’t you start somewhere easier,” Rubio recalled thinking when he rst heard about Kirk years ago. “Like, for example, communist Cuba?”

at more that $60,000, said Clifton Seagroves, the head of the O ce of Foreign Missions.

The items de ned as “luxury goods” include watches, leather apparel and clothing accessories, silk apparel and clothing accessories, footwear, fur skins and arti cial furs, handbags, wallets, fountain pens, cosmetics, perfumes and toilet waters, works of art, antiques, carpets, rugs, tapestries, pearls, gems, precious and semi-precious stones or jewelry containing them, precious metals, electronics and appliances, recreational sports articles, musical instruments, cigarettes and cigars, wine, spirits and beer.

Earlier this month, U.S. ocials said they were considering the restrictions, which Seagroves signed on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18.

The Trump administration has already denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his large delegation to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In addition to Iran, the administration also was considering restrictions to be imposed on delegations from Sudan, Zimbabwe and Brazil.

RandolpH SPORTS

Connor

Blue Comets knock o Eastern Randolph

The clash came with several big plays as Asheboro defeated a longtime nemesis

Randolph Record sta

RAMSEUR — Asheboro came up with late-game plays to defeat host Eastern Randolph 20-13 in a football showdown Friday night.

Connor Brinton’s 48-yard touchdown run capped the scoring, extending a one-point lead.

Asheboro (5-0) added to its best start to a season in two decades. The Blue Comets, who didn’t lead until the third quarter, defeated Eastern Randolph for the rst time since 2017.

Eastern Randolph (3-2) has its rst regular season with more than one loss since falling twice in 2019. Longtime

Wildcats coach Burton Cates lost for just the third time to Asheboro across nearly three decades worth of games covering two stints.

Britton racked up 135 rushing yards on 16 carries. Dallas

Brinton also ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to Garrison Cheek. Eastern Randolph’s Cade McCallum threw two touchdown passes to Caden Revelle. Kobe Walker’s 67 yards on 23 carries led the Wildcats on the ground.

Trailing 14-7, McCallum threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Revelle with 2:57 remaining to complete a 10-play drive, but Asheboro blocked the extra-point attempt to maintain a 14-13 lead.

Connor Britton responded on its second play from scrimmage with a 48-yard scoring run. A

CARAWAY SPEEDWAY

two-point conversion run failed.

The Wildcats moved into Asheboro territory in thenal minute before a failed fourth- down pass play.

Revelle nished with 152 receiving yards on seven catches. McCallum threw for 231 yards.

Southwestern Randolph 40, Wheatmore 6: At Asheboro, Brody Sheppard scored ve touchdowns and added a two-point conversion run in the home victory.

Sheppard was charted for 245 rushing yards on 18 carries.

The Cougars (3-2) had 285 rushing yards. Wheatmore fell to 0-5.

Randleman 41, High Point Andrews 20: At Randleman, Kayden Saunders and John Kirkpatrick each ran for two touchdowns in the Piedmont Athletic Conference opener.

Kirkpatrick red a touchdown

Applegate, Fose split results

Matthew Smith and Tyler Bush added to their victory totals at the track

Randolph Record sta

SOPHIA — Bryce Applegate and Michael Fose were the winners in Limited Late Models on Saturday at Caraway Speedway. Applegate claimed the rst of the two 40-lap features, winning for the second time this year at the track. Fose was the runner-up. In the second feature in the division, Fose nabbed the victory, while Applegate made it to second place after beginning in the sixth spot following a redraw. Bryson Brinkley took third place in the rst feature and then, while driving Jacob Heafner’s ride, placed fourth in the second race.

• The Chargers Division

victory went to Matthew Smith, who won for the eighth time this year at the speedway. Richard Sho ner placed second, one spot ahead of fast qualier Blake Shupe. Greg Story and Tommy Raino had the next two positions.

• In Mini Stocks, Tyler Bush’s fth victory of the season came in the 20-lap race, ahead of Austin Long and Brandon Crotts.

• For UCARs, Jimmy Cooper captured a spirited race with several contenders. Ron Mock was the runner-up, with Tito Clapp, Jeremy Kidd and Jamie Vance rounding out the top ve. In the powder pu race for women connected to the UCARs division, Lileigh Payne used Clapp’s car to win across 10 laps, with Cassie Smith the runner-up.

Matthew Smith

CARAWAY SPEEDWAY

FRIDAY’S GAMES

• McMichael at Southwestern Randolph Eastern Randolph at West Stanly

Randleman at Lexington

pass to Tate Andrews. Owen Leonard booted two eld goals (31, 24 yards) for the host Tigers (3-2). High Point Andrews fell to 4-1 under rst-year coach Mook Reynolds.

Providence Grove 47, Jordan-Matthews 8: At Siler City, Jackson Lawyer had two carries for touchdowns and threw for a score as the visiting Patriots rolled.

Nick Straughn compiled 106

rushing yards and a touchdown run on 17 carries, and he also recovered a fumble in the end zone. Jacob Flinchum also had a touchdown run, and Connor Tozer made a touchdown reception. Providence Grove (3-2) also scored twice on safeties.

Jordan-Matthews (4-1) had 165 yards of total o ense. The Jets had allowed a total of 27 points prior to Friday.

Trinity 48, Surry Central 28: At Trinity, Khad’n Fuller scored three rushing touchdowns and threw for a touchdown, and the Bulldogs got untracked o ensively for their rst victory under coach Mark Raynor, an alum of the school.

Zaire Gill scored on a kicko return and a reception for Trinity (1-4), which had scored 36 points in its rst four games combined.

Surry Central is 0-5.

Southwestern Randolph’s soccer team won by a pair of shutouts

dan-Matthews in a sweep as Carly Rush had seven kills and four aces.

Also, UCA wiped out visiting Southern Alamance in three sets as Sadie Upchurch made 10 digs and Caroline Way delivered six aces.

• Hunter Jordan won for the rst time in the speedway’s Legends division by going 25 laps. Nicholas Bulkeley, Samuel Macedo, Cameron White and Jerreld White also notched top- ve nishes.

• In Bandoleros, Paxton Smith was the winner ahead of fast quali er Charlie Evans.

• For Crown Vics, Eric Sutton prevailed ahead of Steven Collins in the 12-lap event. Bennett Deal, Cody Mullen and Rileigh Hathcock held the next three spots.

Randolph Record sta CONFERENCE PLAY picked up for area volleyball teams last week, and Uwharrie Charter Academy was among the big winners. UCA breezed in a pair of Four Rivers Conference matches. The Eagles knocked down host Eastern Randolph in three sets as Emory Johnson had 38 assists and nine digs. They topped visiting Jor-

• Southwestern Randolph also won in the Four Rivers Conference by socking visiting Northwood as Cheyenne Dixon racked up 10 kills and Madilyn Baker recorded four aces. The Cougars swept visiting Southwest Guilford as Stella Brown posted 12 service points.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Asheboro’s

Brinton runs for a late touchdown against Eastern Randolph during Friday night’s football game in Ramseur.

Chris Betancourt

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Southwestern Randolph, boys’ soccer

On the Cougars’ high-scoring team, Betancourt has provided regular production.

Through 11 games, Southwestern Randolph averaged more than ve goals per game while racking up 10 victories.

Betancourt is one of several seniors in the lineup. He regularly shows up on the scoresheet.

He had a goal and an assist in a game last week against Randleman. He had an three-goal game earlier this month against East Davidson.

This week marks the beginning of Four Rivers Conference play for the Cougars. Next week is slated to begin with Monday night’s visit from Uhwarrie Charter Academy.

Snipes seeks more success in college

The former Randleman player’s team is back in North Carolina again this week

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

FORMER RANDLEMAN

football player Ja’Quan Snipes will be scheduled to play in his home state for the nal time as a college player Saturday afternoon.

If he’s recovered from an injury, the Hampton running back will try to lead the Pirates in their Coastal Athletic Association game at Elon’s Rhodes Stadium.

Described as the center piece of Hampton’s o ense, Snipes missed last weekend’s game vs. Howard with a leg injury.

Before the season, Snipes noted that there are often hurdles.

“Since I’ve been here, there has always been a little adversity,” he said, pointing to injuries getting in the way.

So entering that season, showing durability was one of his objectives.

“Getting ready to play the whole season, that’s one of my goals,” he said.

NCAA BASKETBALL

While there has been a glitch in that regard, there should be more opportunities ahead.

Snipes and his teammates turned out to be part of one of the top rushing attacks in the CAA last season. The Pirates are looking to expand on that.

“It’s very fun. It’s a bit of a challenge, but I’m up for the challenge,” Snipes said. “We are trying to transfer our game into being a more dynamitic passing team also.”

Snipes has been his team’s top running back with 234 rushing yards. With three touchdowns, he’s the only Pirate with more than one TD this year.

Hampton (1-3, 0-1 CAA) defeated Elon (2-2, 0-0) last year in a home game.

Snipes’ recent venture close

Florida restores Maxwell’s college stats, again program’s leading scorer again

Gainesville, Fla.

Florida has formally restored basketball great Vernon Maxwell’s nal two years of college statistics. The move once again makes him the program’s all-time leading scorer. The 60-yearold Maxwell celebrated the turnabout during a program reunion. Maxwell scored 2,450 points during his four seasons at Florida in the late 1980s. But he also was the focus of an NCAA investigation that ultimately placed the Gators on unsanctioned probation. Florida was forced to vacate three NCAA Tournament victories in which Maxwell participated. Then-Florida AD Bill Arnsparger stripped Maxwell’s stats from the record books for those two years.

MLB

Kershaw to retire after 18 years with Dodgers, more than 3,000 strikeouts

Los Angeles Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, says he’s retiring at the end of this season, capping an 18-year career all spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 37-year- old left-hander, an 11-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP, won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024. Kershaw has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, leading active major league players. His 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live ball era since 1920.

NHL

Kings captain Kopitar plans to retire after upcoming 20th season

Los Angeles Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire from his 20-year NHL career after the upcoming season. The 38-year-old Kopitar made the announcement last Thursday

ROUNDUP from page B1

• Randleman took down three Piedmont Athletic Conference foes to move to 7-0 in league play.

The Tigers stopped visiting North Davidson in four sets, and then won in three-set sweeps at High Point Central and High Point Andrews.

• Providence Grove swept visiting East Davidson with Callie Hodges providing 20 digs, while Lara Wiseman and Adalyn Whitaker both smacking eight kills.

The Patriots won another Central Carolina 3-A Conference match by upending host Wheatmore in three sets.

• Trinity edged visiting Central Davidson in ve sets with Mya Hooker’s 18 kills, Avery Mo tt’s 17 kills and Bryn Holden’s 17 digs among the highlights.

The Bulldogs had a smoother time in a sweep of visiting Thomasville before losing at West Davidson.

“There has always been a little adversity.”

Ja’Quan Snipes, former Randleman athlete

to home didn’t end well. Hampton was stunned two weeks ago with a 33-30 double-overtime loss to North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. That came with the Aggies wiping out a 10-point de cit in the nal minute of regulation.

Previously, Snipes was chosen to the 20-player preseason watch list for the Stats Perform HBCU National Player of the Year Award. The award will honor the outstanding player from the 21 HBCU programs in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Snipes stepped into a starting role midway through last season after several injuries in the Pirates’ back eld and rushed for a team-best 531 yards and six touchdowns. He ran for at least 80 yards in four games, including 117 yards and 2 touchdowns against Howard and 106 yards and a touchdown vs. Elon. Snipes started ve games for Hampton in 2024.

following the rst practice of training camp with the Kings. The Slovenian center has spent his entire adult life with the Kings since making his NHL debut in October 2006. He is a ve-time NHL All-Star, a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, and a three -time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanlike play.

BOXING

Ali’s unsigned draft card to be auctioned

Muhammad Ali’s refusal to sign his military draft card upended his life and added a powerful voice to the antiwar movement. That piece of history is coming up for sale. The online sale by Christie’s will take place Oct. 10-28. The auction house says the card comes from descendants of Ali. There’s a blank line on the card where Ali was supposed to sign in 1967 but refused to do so as the Vietnam War raged on. It triggered a chain of events that disrupted his boxing career but immortalized him as a champion for peace and social justice.

TENNIS

Italian rapper Fedez accused of inciting racial hatred for lyrics targeting Sinner

Bolzano, Italy

Italian rapper Fedez has been accused of inciting racial hatred for publishing musical lyrics saying that top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner speaks with “Adolf Hitler’s accent.” Fedez recently posted an Instagram story featuring lyrics of a new song that said in Italian: “Italian has a new idol named Jannik Sinner. Pure-blooded Italian with Adolf Hitler’s accent.” A city council member in Bolzano presented a formal complaint based on an article in Italy’s penal code that sanctions inciting racial hatred and propaganda. Bolzano is the capital of the German-speaking province of Alto Adige, where Sinner is from.

• Asheboro had home successes in the Triad Area Athletic Conference, drilling Eastern Guilford in three sets, allowing a total of 23 points, as Cora Little had 11 kills and Emma Little notched 16 digs. The Blue Comets also blasted Northeast Guilford in three sets with Lia George’s 11 kills and four aces and Eva Vuncannon’s 12 assists and six aces helping the cause.

Boys’ soccer

Southwestern Randolph’s 7-0 road victory against Randleman came with two goals apiece from Gri n Hall and Fernando Hernandez. The Cougars then traveled to Greensboro Page for a 3-0 triumph with Hernandez, Aaron Avina and Yael Rebollar-Ortiz scoring. Randleman was back on track a couple of nights later by trouncing host High

Point Andrews 9-2 with Owen Leonard scoring three times and supplying four assists.

• Asheboro had mixed results, nipping visiting Reagan 1-0 on Henry Martinez Cruz’s goal and falling 1-0 at West Forsyth.

• Wheatmore controlled visiting Lexington in a 5-0 victory with two goals apiece from Grayson Carter and Easton DeWitt. The Warriors lost later in the week by 6-1 at Southeast Guilford.

• Providence Grove had goals from Kevin Bautista and Saul Cortes in a 2-2 draw with host Eastern Guilford before defeating host Western Guilford 2-1 on goals from Giovanny Arellano and Bautista.

• Trinity’s 4-3 home victory against Eastern Randolph came with Jacob Elorza’s penalty kick and other goals from Alfredo Huerta Rangel, Mario Tellez-Garcia and Trey Groves. Trinity had a 1-1 tie with visiting Southern Guilford.

COURTESY OF HAMPTON

Ja’Quan Snipes

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Warren Commission released, penicillin discovered, Ali defeats Frazer in “Thrilla in Manila”

The Associated Press

SEPT. 25

1513: Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and became the rst European to sight the Paci c Ocean from the New World.

1789: The rst U.S. Congress adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution and sent them to the states for rati cation.

1956: The rst trans-Atlantic telephone cable o cially went into service with a three-way ceremonial call between New York, Ottawa and London.

SEPT. 26

1777: British troops occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

1986: William H. Rehnquist was sworn in as the 16th chief justice of the United States, while Antonin Scalia joined the Supreme Court as its 103rd member.

2024: Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, hit Florida’s Big Bend and tore through the Southeast, unleashing historic ooding in western North Carolina and Tennessee that caused $78 billion in damage and 219 deaths.

SEPT. 27

1779: John Adams was named by Congress to negotiate the Revolutionary War’s peace terms with Britain.

1939: Warsaw, Poland, surrendered after weeks of resistance to invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II.

1940: Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, formally allying the World War II Axis powers.

1964: The government publicly released the report of the Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy.

SEPT. 28

1781: American forces in the Revolutionary War, backed by a French eet, began their successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia.

1924: Three U.S. Army planes landed in Seattle, completing the rst round-theworld trip by air in 175 days.

1928: Scottish medical researcher Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the rst broadly e ective antibiotic.

SEPT. 29

1789: Congress o cially established a regular army under the U.S. Constitution.

1938: British, French, German and Italian leaders concluded the Munich Agreement, allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland.

1965: President Lyndon Johnson signed an act creating the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.

SEPT. 30

1777: The Continental Congress — forced to ee advancing British forces — moved to York, Pennsylvania, after briefly meeting in Lancaster.

1791: Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” premiered in Vienna, Austria.

1947: The World Series was broadcast on television for the rst time, as the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 5-3 in Game 1.

Actor James Dean, pictured in a promotional still for “Rebel Without a Cause,” died in a car crash on Sept. 30, 1955. He was 24.

1949: The Berlin Airlift came to an end after delivering more than 2.3 million tons of cargo to blockaded residents of West Berlin over the prior 15 months.

1955: Actor James Dean was killed at age 24 in a two - car collision.

OCT. 1

1890: Yosemite National Park was established by the U.S. Congress.

1908: Henry Ford introduced his mass-produced Model T automobile to the market. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford would build more than 15 million Model T cars.

1949: Mao Zedong, leader of the communist People’s Liberation Army, proclaimed the People’s Republic of China during a ceremony in Beijing.

1971: Walt Disney World opened near Orlando, Florida.

1975: Muhammad Ali defeated Joe Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manila,” the last of their three boxing bouts for the heavyweight championship.

WARNER BROS. VIA WIKIPEDIA

AP PHOTO

On Oct. 1, 1908, Henry Ford introduced the mass-produced Model T, which went on to sell more than 15 million cars by 1927.

Theater award honoring Philip Seymour Ho man, Adam Schlesinger turns 10

The American Playwriting Foundation gives out the prize

By Mark Kennedy

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Many times in his life, playwright David Bar Katz didn’t know how he was going to pay the bills. These days, he’s helping the next generation of artists facing that same dilemma.

Katz oversees The Relentless Award, the largest annual cash prize in American theater to a playwright in recognition of a new play. It’s celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and, as always, seeking submissions that “exhibit fearlessness.” The award also honors musical theater.

“Being able to create under nancial stress is so di cult, and so anything we can do to give artists a little breathing room is what we want,” says Katz.

The award was inspired by Katz’s friend and collaborator Philip Seymour Ho man, the late actor who was described as relentless in his pursuit of truth in his art. A musical theater honor was added after the 2020 death of another of Katz’s friends, Fountains of Wayne co-founder Adam Schlesinger.

“To me, a big aspect of the award — the musical and the straight play — is not merely honoring Phil and Adam, but the idea of expanding their artistic legacies,” says Katz.

Some of the plays that have been recognized have gone on to great success, like Aleshea Harris’ 2016 winner “Is God Is,” which has been made into a movie starring Janelle Monáe, Vivica A. Fox, Sterling K. Brown and Kara Young.

“Aleshea typi es the whole point of the award,” says Katz. “I think at a moment in her life where she, like so many of us other artists, had kind of had it, she won the award and that was incredibly meaningful in her career.”

Other successes include Sarah DeLappe’s “The Wolves”

VICTORIA WILL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Actor Philip Seymour Ho man, who died in 2014 at 46, inspired playwright David Bar Katz to create The Relentless Award for his uncompromising pursuit of truth in art.

“To me, a big aspect of the award — the musical and the straight play — is not merely honoring Phil and Adam, but the idea of expanding their artistic legacies.”

David Bar Katz

and Clare Barron’s “Dance Nation” — joint winners in 2015 — who have gone on to become Pulitzer Prize nalists. “The impact, especially of those three plays, has been profound in theater,” Katz says.

The musical and the playwriting honors alternate each year. The winner this year is Jack D. Coen, who created the musical comedy “Jo Jenkins Before the Galactic High Court of Consciousness.”

Coen will receive $65,000, and his musical — as well as the works of the nalists — will be honored at a ceremony and performance Oct. 12 at Building for the Arts’ multitheater complex, Theatre Row. Chris Collingwood, of Fountains of Wayne, will be performing as well.

The Relentless Award seeks full-length works by American applicants who haven’t previously been produced.

SOLUTIONS FOR THIS WEEK

All submissions are judged anonymously.

The Relentless Award’s selection committee this year consisted of Katz, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” co-creator Rachel Bloom, Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown, Emmy Award-winner David Javerbaum, songwriter and producer Sam Hollander, composer and arranger Laura Grill Jaye, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, musician and writer Brontez Purnell and Obie-winning playwright Lucy Thurber.

“The rst step was getting this money to artists that need it and giving them a launching place and some notoriety. But the dream was also then to be able to put it up because that is the hardest thing to get done now,” Katz says. “Everybody has readings, and no one has a production.”

Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ release party coming to theaters

LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift is heading back to the big screen next month, and fans are already lining up for tickets.

AMC Theatres announced on Friday that it will host a release party for Swift’s 12th studio album, “ The Life of a Showgirl,” which is set to debut Oct. 3.

The nearly-90-minute show, aptly titled “The O cial Release Party of a Showgirl,” will play at all 540 AMC theaters in the U.S. from Oct. 3-5, the company said. AMC will also air the show that weekend in Mexico, Canada and across Europe.

“Looks like it’s time to brush o that Eras Tour out t or orange cardigan,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post, later adding: “Dancing is optional but very much encouraged.”

“The Life of a Showgirl “ follows last year’s “ The Tortured Poets Department” and Swift’s record-breaking tour, which raked in more than $2.2 billion across two years and ve continents, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time.

Following the tour, Swift partnered with AMC and released a concert movie, which had the biggest opening for a concert lm to date. By working directly with AMC Theatres, she cir-

cumvented Hollywood studios. This time around, AMC will be releasing a music video for one of her new album tracks, “The Fate of Ophelia.”

Moviegoers will also get to see behind-the-scenes footage of Swift, who is known for creating intricate music videos. Other lyric videos and “Taylor’s never-before-seen personal reections on songs” will also be aired, according to AMC. Tickets are available online.

“The Life of the Showgirl” is Swift’s rst release since she regained control over her en-

tire body of work. The pop star said in May that she purchased the catalog of recordings of her rst six albums from private equity rm Shamrock Capital, their most recent owner. Swift’s ancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, helped roll out the new album by hosting her on their podcast “New Heights” in August. Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement later that month.

The new album drops Oct. 3

The Associated Press

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium in London on June 21, 2024, as part of her Eras Tour. Her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” debuts Oct. 3, and AMC Theatres will host watch parties leading up to the release.

famous birthdays this week

The Associated Press THE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

SEPT. 25

Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown is 92. Actor-producer Michael Douglas is 81. Model Cheryl Tiegs is 78. Actor Mark Hamill is 74. Actor Heather Locklear is 64. Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen is 60. Actor Will Smith is 57. Actor Catherine Zeta-Jones is 56.

SEPT. 26

Country singer David Frizzell is 84. Television host Anne Robinson is 81. Singer Bryan Ferry is 80. Author Jane Smiley is 76. Singer-guitarist Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) is 71. Actor Linda Hamilton is 69. Actor Jim Caviezel is 57. Tennis player Serena Williams is 44.

SEPT. 27

Musician Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) is 82. Actor Liz Torres is 78. Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt is 76. Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron is 62. Actor Gwyneth Paltrow is 53. Musician-actor Carrie Brownstein is 51. Musician Avril Lavigne is 41.

SEPT. 28

Actor Brigitte Bardot is 91. Filmmaker John Sayles is 75. Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent is 71. Zydeco musician C.J. Chenier is 68. Actor Mira Sorvino is 58. Actor Naomi Watts is 57.

SEPT. 29

Former NASA administrator and ex-Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is 83. Actor Ian McShane is 83. Jazz musician Jean-Luc Ponty is 83. Retired TV journalist and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel is 77. Rock musician Les Claypool is 62.

SEPT. 30

Actor Angie Dickinson is 94. Singer Johnny Mathis is 90. Actor Len Cariou is 86. Actor Barry Williams is 71. Country musician Marty Stuart is 67. Actor

Eric Stoltz is 64. Rock singer Trey Anastasio (Phish) is 61. Actor Tony Hale is 55. Actor

the stream

Mariah Carey, ‘Superman,’

‘Slow Horses,’ Jesse Williams, Cher drops ’02 tour on vinyl

“House of Guinness” land on Net ix

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

DOJA CAT’S 15-track album

“Vie” and James Gunn’s “Superman” ying to HBO Max are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: the fth season of the mis t espionage drama “Slow Horses,” a sequel to the 2020 indie megahit video game Hades and Mariah Carey will release her rst new album in seven years.

MOVIES TO STREAM

After notching one of the summer’s biggest box-o ce hauls, Gunn’s “Superman” has own to HBO Max and is available there now. The lm, the rst from a rebooted DC Studios, stars David Cornswet as the Man of Steel, alongside Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terri c. After grossing some $615 million in ticket sales, a sequel has already been greenlit for “Superman.”

In my review, I praised Gunn’s light and earnest touch: “For anyone who found Zack Snyder’s previous administration painfully ponderous, this ‘Superman,’ at least, has a pulse.”

Brett Goldstein is better known for another Apple TV+ release, “Ted Lasso,” but in “All of You” (streaming Friday), he stars alongside Imogen Poots in a tender and heartbreaking romance. Goldstein, who co-wrote the script with director William Bridges, is about a pair of best friends who haven’t worked up the courage to confess their feelings to the other. Set in the near future, a matchmaking service that identi es soul mates further complicates matters.

Not much that Nicolas Cage does ies below the radar, but Lorcan Finnegan’s psychological thriller “The Surfer” (Thursday on Hulu) deserved a wider audience. It’s one of Cage’s best recent performances. He plays a man who returns to the Australian beach of his childhood with dreams of buying a house nearby. But after being accosted by pushy local surfers, his world quickly disintegrates. In my review, I wrote: “For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Fin-

negan’s beach-set ‘The Surfer’ simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

Two years ago, the chameleonic Doja Cat released a stellar fourth full-length album, the take-no-prisoners “Scarlet.” It was an aggressive collection, a hard pivot away from the glossy pop of her last two albums, 2021’s “Planet Her” and 2019’s “Hot Pink.” On Friday, she’ll release her fth, the 15-track “Vie.” Little is known about it beyond the single “Jealous Type,” which appears to channel her previous cheeriness. She brought back her disco-pop, now front-loaded with ’80s synths. But is that the direction of the full release?

Only time will tell. In 2002, Cher embarked on “Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.” At the time, it was the highest grossing tour by a female artist — a massive glob -

al undertaking of 325 shows. A live album, appropriately titled “Live! The Farewell Tour,” was released to CD shortly thereafter. But on Friday, it will hit streaming and receive a vinyl release. Just, you know, newly remastered and with three bonus tracks: “Save Up All Your Tears,” “We All Sleep Alone” and “Di erent Kind of Love Song.” Your eyes are not deceiving you. Carey will release her rst new album in seven years, “Here for It All,” on Friday. Start with “Sugar Sweet,” featuring Shenseea and Kehlani. Or “Type Dangerous,” with its sample of Eric B. & Rakim’s “Eric B. Is President.” Start anywhere — and expect smooth R&B-pop bliss.

SERIES TO STREAM

A fth season of the mist espionage drama “Slow Horses” is on Apple TV+. Based on novels by Mick Herron, it’s about a group of MI-5

agents whose mistakes have sent them to spy purgatory, but they nevertheless nd themselves embroiled in highstakes cases. Their leader is the brash, messy, seemingly uninterested Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman. Critically acclaimed, the show is already renewed through a seventh season.

If you’ve got to work on location, former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams found a pretty sweet deal. His new show, “Hotel Costiera” is set on Italy’s Amal Coast where he plays Daniel De Luca, a “ xer” for a luxury hotel. When the resort’s guests have problems, De Luca solves them. At the show’s recent premiere in Rome, Williams described the show to the AP as “a kind of international, old school, caper show that is smart.” It is streaming now on Prime Video. Net ix’s new historical drama “House of Guinness” tells the story of the famed brewing company. Set in the 19th century, it’s

“For a long, sun-addled stretch, Lorcan Finnegan’s beach-set ‘The Surfer’ simmers as a deliciously punishing nightmare, driving Nicolas Cage into his most natural state: a boil.”

Jake Coyle, AP lm writer

like “Succession”-meets-beer where the Guinness family patriarch had died and his adult children battle over the company. Anthony Boyle, Louis Patridge, James Norton and David Wilmot star. The eight-episode series debuts Thursday.

Also new on Net ix on Thursday is “Wayward,” starring Toni Collette as the leader of Tall Pines Academy, a boarding facility for troubled teens. Its practices come under question after Alex, a former cop (played by creator Mae Martin) moves with his pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon) to her small town. Laura is a former student at the school and has a creepy familial relationship with Collette’s Evelyn. Alex quickly picks up on the weirdness of it all and starts to investigate.

Tsukasa Hojo’s popular manga series from the 1980s called “Cat’s Eye” has been adapted into a new, 12-part anime series for Hulu premiering Friday, Sept. 26. It follows three sisters who run a cafe by day and then steal art at night. One of the sisters also happens to be dating a detective looking into the theft.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

A di erent kind of hell is the setting for Hades II, Supergiant Games’ sequel to its 2020 indie megahit. The protagonist this time is Melinoe, Princess of the Underworld. She’s on a mission to conquer Chronos, the Titan of Time, before he can escape Hades and wage war on Mount Olympus. The witch Hecate is around to teach you how to wield ancient magic, and you can expect guest appearances from other characters in Greek mythology. Fans will want to start digging in as soon as it arrives Thursday

on Switch and PC.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Cher, pictured accepting the Icon Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, will release “Live! The Farewell Tour” on streaming and vinyl this week.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION FOR THE TELEVISION ACADEMY / AP CONTENT SERVICES

Actor Gary Oldman participates in the FYC presentation of “Slow Horses” during Televerse 25. The espionage drama is back for its fth season on Apple TV+.

HOKE COUNTY

For hope and healing

Members of the community came together at McLaughlin Park in Raeford on Saturday for

Pastor Trent Haywood of Hillcrest Baptist Church. More than 100 people attended.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Commissioners move forward with rezoning for potential major subdivision

Trump tells UN in speech it’s “not even coming close to living up” to potential

President Donald Trump has returned to the United Nations to boast of his second-term foreign policy achievements and lash out at the world body as a feckless institution. He also warned Europe it would be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies. World leaders listened closely to his Tuesday remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his rst eight months in o ce. After his speech, Trump met with Secretary-General António Guterres and told the top U.N. o cial that the U.S. is behind the global body “100%” amid fears among members that he’s edging toward a full retreat.

Secret Service dismantles telecom threat around UN capable of crippling cell service in NYC

The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive hidden telecom network in New York. Investigators say the system could have crippled cell towers and jammed 911 calls. The cache included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards. It was located within 35 miles of the United Nations. The network could have blacked out cellular service, especially during the United Nations General Assembly. O cials have not uncovered a direct plot against the assembly.

The developers still need to submit a site plan to the board for nal approval

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Commissioners is moving forward with rezoning for potentially its nal major subdivision, at least for a little while.

At its Sept. 15 meeting, the board continued a rezoning request submitted by Raeford Development for approximately 15 acres of property located on Townsend Road from Residential Agricultural (RA-20) to Residential High Density (R-8). The board previously held a public hearing on the matter on June 16, but the item was tabled

in order to allow more time for neighbors and the developer to discuss concerns raised at the meeting.

Public concern was raised at that meeting related to preserving local property values, the new development tting into the aesthetics of the area and the current capacity of local utilities.

At the time, the developers were proposing a 35-lot, gated community with homes ranging in price from $500,000$700,000 and between 2,500 and 3,000 square feet, but with the item before the board just being for a rezoning, none of that is binding.

“The only thing in front of the board with this application is to rezone the property,” said county attorney Grady Hunt.

“We know we have about two or three more steps in this process before it gets to the nal stages approximately two years from now.”

Vice Chair Harry Southerland

or three more steps in this process before it gets to the nal stages approximately two years from now,” said Vice Chair Harry Southerland. “I don’t think we can do anything now as a board other than talk about the rezoning. We can’t put conditions on the rezoning.”

However, any potential construction plans would rst have to be approved by the board, which adds an additional failsafe for the commissioners to make sure the development meets their standards.

“We know we have about two

“There’s nothing as far as any development or anything like that. It’s just giving the landowner a right to now, if it’s rezoned, produce a plan with the R-8 requirements.”

“There are things, where if you left this property as RA-20, that would create issues for people concerned about things like property value,” said Planning Director Jackie Lowery. “The biggest issue when you’re looking at a rezoning is actually looking at what you’re allowing in an area versus what you won’t allow in an area, and then all these other things can be addressed when a plat is actually brought back.”

Following the hearing, the

Ukrainian refugee’s train stabbing death becomes early ashpoint in 2026 Senate race

Republicans target Democratic candidates over criminal justice policies

By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Republicans in North Carolina and beyond are making a concerted e ort to turn the stabbing death of a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte commuter train into a political liability for Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in his bid to win a key U.S. Senate race that is still more than a year away. GOP candidate Michael Whatley has said Cooper bears “direct responsibility” for the deadly Aug. 22 attack on Iryna Zarutska because of a commission he created in June

2020 to address racial inequity in the criminal justice system. The panel’s unveiling occurred weeks following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

But Cooper’s campaign said Whatley, a recent Republican National Committee chairman, was lying about the task force. Cooper “knows North

in

their communities,” the campaign wrote in a statement, and his career has included “keeping thousands of criminals o the streets and behind bars.” It cites Cooper signing a 2023 law that toughened pretrial release rules.

The clash has sent early signals of just how heated the North Carolina Senate race will be. It already was anticipated to be a key 2026 Senate race for Democrats seeking to claim a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections and now could be among the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history.

Democrats see the popular former governor’s bid for the open North Carolina seat as one of their best pickup opportunities in a landscape that

Carolinians need to be safe

THE HOKE COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

a prayer vigil to honor Charlie Kirk, organized by

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

GARY D. ROBERTSON AND ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO

Former Gov. Roy Cooper, left, and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley are vying for the open U.S. Senate seat up for vote next fall.

THURSDAY

9.25.25

WEEKLY FORECAST

THURSDAY

RACE from page A1

largely favors Republicans. They need four Senate seats to claim a majority.

Tragic ashpoint emerges

Both candidates have expressed sorrow over the death of the 23-year-old Zarutska, whose horri c attack was caught on camera. But public outrage that suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. had been previously arrested more than a dozen times and had been recently released on a charge without bond prompted accusations by Whatley and allies that Cooper has pushed soft-on-crime policies.

“It’s pretty simple: A vote for Roy Cooper is a vote for more crime, more violence, more criminals,” Whatley said in the rst days after the release of the surveillance video. Cooper pushed back hard.

“I’ve been Attorney General and Governor, dedicating my career to putting violent crim-

REZONING from page A1

board approved the rezoning.

According to county sta at that June 16 meeting, the item is the last remaining major subdivision that will come before

inals behind bars and keeping them there,” Cooper, who was the state attorney general for 16 years before eight as governor, wrote on X. In turn, he accused Whatley, also a recent state GOP chairman whom

President Donald Trump encouraged to enter the race, of looking to take advantage of Zarutska’s death.

“Only a cynical DC insider would think it’s acceptable to use her death for political points,” he said on X.

More Republicans soon chimed in on social media, including Vice President JD Vance and Trump, who posted that “her blood is on the hands of the Democrats” and named Cooper speci cally.

The killing, which t neatly into Trump’s tough-oncrime agenda in big cities, gave Whatley a clear opening, said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University.

“People don’t know who he is. He doesn’t have high name recognition,” said Cooper, who

the board since the commission paused all major subdivision development while they address water availability.

“People who are concerned about growth, we’ve solved that problem,” said Commission-

is not related to the former governor. “So he is trying to de ne himself for North Carolinians, and he’s trying to rede ne Roy Cooper.”

2 candidates on collision course

Both Cooper and Whatley got in the race this summer, within weeks of GOP Sen. Thom Tillis announcing that he would not seek reelection. Cooper had always been considered a potential Senate candidate in 2026. Whatley announced when Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-inlaw, declined to jump in.

With no other high-prole candidates currently in the race, the parties’ primaries seem unlikely to head o a Cooper-Whatley general election battle.

Some pundits think spending in next year’s race could reach $1 billion, blowing past the $515.5 million spent overall on a U.S. Senate race in Georgia in 2020 won by Democrat Jon

er Allen Thomas at that June meeting. “It’s going to take years to really see it because you’re going to see subdivisions still going up over the next year or so, but we have stopped major subdivisions from coming

Osso in a runo , according to data from Open Secrets, which tracks political spending.

The campaign pits Cooper, a proven winner for Democrats in a Southern state, against rst-time candidate Whatley. Whatley’s deep loyalty to Trump — who won the state’s electoral votes all three times he ran for president — and fundraising skills make him a formidable opponent in the closely divided state.

Suspect’s criminal history and release ignite criticism

Brown, who was indicted for rst-degree murder this month in state criminal court, also faces a federal charge in Zarutska’s death. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

A magistrate earlier this year allowed Brown, who in September 2020 completed more than ve years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon, to be released without bond on a nonviolent misdemeanor charge, according to court records.

to Hoke County as we continue to do what you all have asked, which is get our infrastructure together.”

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet Oct. 6.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Charlie Kirk: American patriot and Christian martyr

He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity.

I WROTE THESE words on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, Sept. 14 — a day meant for rest and worship yet overshadowed by tragedy. It came in the shadow of the cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus. Like millions of others, I nd myself wrestling with anger, sorrow, grief and confusion — searching for meaning in a moment that de es it.

We have long known that we live in a fallen, godless and debauched age. Yet two weeks ago, that grim truth was displayed in stark relief on a college campus — an institution that should nurture learning and virtue but instead became the stage for barbarity.

I call Charlie a martyr because he was killed for his convictions — for his un inching defense of truth and his fearless witness to Christ. He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity in a world where woke classrooms and even woke pulpits leave them spiritually starved.

Charlie was not an elected o cial, yet he carried himself with a statesman’s brilliance. A masterful debater, he could summon Scripture and the Constitution from memory. Many of us believed he had the intellect, vision and courage that could have carried him to the presidency one day.

The radical left saw the same potential — and feared it. They recognized that Charlie was a singular gure: principled, persuasive and deeply rooted in faith. His integrity and God-given ability to connect with young people threatened the woke ideological stranglehold on our culture. That was a threat his enemies could not tolerate. Now it falls on us to carry forward his ght with sharper minds, stouter hearts and steel spines.

Charlie was vili ed because he loved the Bible, loved his country and stood for objective truth. Above all, he was hated because he followed Jesus Christ. As John’s Gospel reminds us, the world loves darkness and rejects the light. Christ himself warned in John 15 that his followers would be hated and silenced precisely because they proclaim the truth of God’s word.

Across America and around the world, Christians are asking today: What will we do with this moment? How will we respond?

First, pray for Charlie’s wife, Erika, and their children, whose loss is beyond words. They will grow up without their father, unable yet to grasp the hatred that stole him away.

Second, recognize the danger we face. To

be a faithful Christian who engages the public square is now to risk one’s life. Charlie’s murder was not random — it was a warning to silence truth-tellers. In such times, we must pray for courage and boldness to speak God’s truth without fear.

Third, plead with God for mercy on our broken nation. As Romans 8 declares, creation itself “groans.” We saw that groaning in the vile ood of comments that mocked and even celebrated Charlie’s death.

Fourth, pray for leaders — that they will have the moral clarity to bring justice to the wicked and ful ll their God-given charge to punish evil and protect the righteous.

No single column can capture the life, goodness, and impact of Charlie Kirk. More must be written, and will be. For now, let us bear one another’s burdens and so ful ll the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

May we never again witness such a week in America — or endure another Lord’s Day clouded by such tragedy.

Sam Currin is a former judge, U.S. attorney and law professor. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University, UNC School of Law and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Government lists are a threat to free association

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records.

NO GOVERNMENT o cial needs to know what organizations you nancially support. And no state attorney general should have access to Americans’ sensitive personal information without clearly showing cause or in the absence of criminal proceedings. Yet wielding state power for his own political agenda, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asked a court to force First Choice Women’s Resource Centers to disclose donor information about nearly 5,000 contributions (see AAF’s amicus brief in First Choice Women’s Resource Center v. Platkin). Similar disclosures in the past have not fared well for Americans. In 2014, Mozilla forced their new chief executive, Brendan Eich, the founder of JavaScript, to resign after discovering that Eich had donated $1,000 six years earlier to a campaign that supported Proposition 8, the voter-approved California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In the late 1950s during the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama attempted to use disclosure requirements to prevent the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from conducting business, which included the Montgomery Bus Boycott and funding programs for African American students wishing to attend the state university (see NAACP v. Alabama). Today, big government agencies already have large databases on Americans’ private information. Plenty of people have not told their best friend or neighbors how much they earn. Yet the government — only trusted by 22% of Americans to do the right thing always

or most of the time — knows.

Thanks to the SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), the federal government also compiles a list linking your every purchase and sale in the stock market to your sensitive, personal information (see AAF’s amicus brief challenging CAT in Davidson v. Gensler). With the Supreme Court tailoring opt-outs for gender ideology in schools to religious exemptions, the government could seize the opportunity to create yet another list, this time of religious parents.

As explained in AAF’s amicus brief in Platkin, “No government o cial should be able to use his legitimate law enforcement power to pursue those with whom he disagrees politically.” The latter would reduce our constitutional protections to be the “mere parchment barriers” that our framers feared. Regardless of whether the court rules against Platkin, he will have taken time and resources away from First Choice’s mission of helping mothers and saving babies. Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records. Even the threat of disclosure threatens freedom of speech and association, which are the cornerstones of the American tradition.

In America’s earliest days, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the “art of association then becomes … the mother science; everyone studies it and applies it” (quoted in AAF’s amicus brief First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin). Where “all citizens are independent and weak” and “can hardly do

anything by themselves,” Americans must coordinate to e ect change. The latter is an intentional feature of our constitutional system that protects minority opinions from suppression and ensures power remains derived from the people.

Platkin is not a uke or merely a result of one bad actor. In October, the Sixth Circuit will hear a similar freedom of association case, Buckeye Institute v. IRS, where the federal government defends its practice compelling nonpro t organizations to disclose private donor information.

President Ronald Reagan said the scariest words in the English language were “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” When the government collects information, Americans are threatened by the abuse of that information. For that reason, the government should only be collecting information it absolutely needs. The courts in these cases must ensure that governments are not storing up information and, in so doing, exposing Americans to harassment by government agents.

Marc Wheat is the general counsel of Advancing American Freedom. This column≈was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

BE IN TOUCH

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 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.

COLUMN | J. MARC WHEAT

COLUMN | SAM CURRIN

Hurricane Helene hit a year ago; some students never returned to school

More than 2,500 students became homeless after the storm

By Makiya Seminera, Laura Hackett and Jose Sandoval

The Associated Press

SWANNANOA — When

12-year-old Natalie Briggs visited the ruins of her home after Hurricane Helene, she had to tightrope across a wooden beam to reach what was once her bedroom.

Knots of electrical wires were draped inside the skeleton of the house. Months after the storm, light ltered through breaks in the tarps over the windows. “All I could think of was, ‘This isn’t my house,’” said Natalie, who had been staying in her grandparents’ basement.

Thousands of students across western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with some of the most vicious oods, landslides and wind ever seen in the state’s Appalachian region, once considered a “climate haven.” Across the state, more than 2,500 students were identi ed as homeless as a direct result of Helene, according to state data obtained by The Associated Press.

At school, Natalie sometimes had panic attacks when she thought of her ruined home in Swannanoa.

“There were some points where I just didn’t want people to talk to me about the house — or just, like, talk to me at all,” Natalie said.

While storm debris has been mostly cleared away, the impact of the displacement lingers for the region’s children. Schools reopened long before many students returned to their homes, and their learning and well-being have yet to recover.

The phenomenon is increasingly common as natural disasters disrupt U.S. communities more frequently and with more ferocity.

In the North Carolina mountains, the challenge of recovery is especially acute. After all, many families in rural, low-income areas already deal with challenges such as food insecurity and rent a ordability, said Cassandra Davis, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill public policy professor.

“I would almost argue that they don’t get the opportunity to recover,” Davis said.

Finding stable housing became all-consuming

After Helene ooded her rental home in Black Mountain, Bonnie Christine Goggins-Jones and her two teenage grandchildren had to leave behind nearly all their belongings.

“They lost their bed, clothes, shoes, their book bag,” she said.

The family lived in a motel, a leaky donated camper and another camper before moving into a new apartment in June.

Goggins-Jones, a school bus

aide at Asheville City Schools, struggled to heat the camper during winter. Her grandchildren kept going to school, but it wasn’t top of mind.

The area around Asheville, western North Carolina’s largest city, still has a signi cant housing shortage a year after the storm.

The family of America Sanchez Chavez, 11, had to split up to nd housing. Helene left their trailer home in Swannanoa uninhabitable, and money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency wasn’t enough to cover the renovations.

America and some relatives went to stay at her grandmother’s apartment, while her older brother lived at a friend’s house. Eventually, America moved with her mother to a room at a Black Mountain hotel where she works.

America said she is still frightened by rain or thunder.

“At one point when the rain actually got, like, pretty bad ... I did get scared for a while,” she said.

Helene damaged more than 73,000 homes, knocking out electricity and water for weeks

if not months. The destruction of local infrastructure also closed schools for large stretches of time, and a barrage of snow days exacerbated the time out of class even more. In rural Yancey County, which has approximately 18,000 residents, students missed more than two months of school last year.

Displaced students spread across North Carolina

After natural disasters, it’s common to see a surge in students living in unstable, temporary arrangements, such as sleeping on a couch, staying in a shelter, or doubling up with another family, according to research from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools. Those arrangements qualify students as homeless under federal law.

In Puerto Rico, more than 6,700 students were identi ed as homeless in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath during the 2017-18 school year, the study found. Hawaii saw a 59% increase in its

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.

homeless student population following the 2023 Maui wild res.

In Helene’s aftermath, student homelessness spiked in several hard-hit counties, according to AP’s analysis of data from the North Carolina Homeless Education Program. Yancey County saw the region’s highest percentage increase. The number of homeless students went from 21 in the 2023-24 school year to 112 last school year. All but 15 were homeless due to Helene.

Some students enrolled in other school systems, at least temporarily. Others never returned.

Terri Dolan of Swannanoa sent her two young children to stay with her parents in Charlotte ahead of the storm. After seeing the extent of the devastation, Dolan had them enroll in school there. They stayed over a month before returning home.

“My job is to make money for our family, and their job is to go to school,’” Dolan says she’d always told her kids. “Just because the school wasn’t open here, I felt like they needed to go to school and do their job.”

Some districts receive federal money for services such as transporting homeless students to their usual school buildings and providing tutoring under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. But districts must apply in a competitive process, and they can’t request more money immediately after a natural disaster until the next application cycle. Many miss out on McKinney-Vento funding entirely.

Helene-impacted students made up at least a fth of the homeless population in 16 counties, but only six counties received McKinney-Vento money last funding cycle. Nationally, only 1 in 5 school districts receives McKinney-Vento money due to

limited funds, said Barbara Duield, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection, a nonprofit that advocates for homeless students.

“If there’s a disaster, it’s going to involve districts that don’t get money from McKinney-Vento,” Du eld said.

Housing instability has lasting impact

Gwendolyn Bode, a prelaw student at Appalachian State University, had to leave her mudwrecked apartment complex after Helene. Told she couldn’t get campus housing, she found an Airbnb where she could stay at until her FEMA housing application went through, and then she moved into a hotel.

She felt like she was drowning as she tried to keep up with her classes and a part-time job.

“I can’t tell you what I learned,” Bode said. “I can’t even tell you when I went to class because (mentally) I wasn’t there.” She found more stability after moving into an apartment for the spring semester.

For Natalie Briggs, now 13, the grief of losing almost everything, coupled with the tight quarters in her grandparents’ basement, sometimes got to her — and to her mother, Liz Barker. Barker said it felt like a “time with no rules” because there was so much to deal with on top of her job as a health care worker.

The circumstances sometimes led to friction. But Barker said overall, she and Natalie had “done pretty well” together.

“She’s been a little bit more loving since all of this happened,” Barker said, smiling at her daughter.

“I give her hugs and stu ,” Natalie said, “and I’ll tell her I love her, more than I did.”

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!

to discuss your needs or questions. W here to help!

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

Nicole Schoychid, left, and Rebekah Canu, co-founders of Wildwood Agile Leaning Center, embrace inside the schoolhouse, which was damaged by ooding in Hurricane Helene, as they are surrounded by debris and mud on Dec. 5, 2024, in Boone. The school had to compete against many other organizations and businesses vying for their own space in Boone after Helene damaged the town, creating a “bottleneck” from demand, Schoychid says.

Gwendolyn Bode looks at the hotel room where she is temporarily living in Boone on Dec. 5, 2024, after being displaced from her apartment that was damaged during the storm.

HOKE SPORTS

Hoke County volleyball, soccer add to win streaks

The Bucks have won 10 straight on the court and four in a row on the pitch

North State Journal sta Football

Hoke dropped its second straight road game, falling at Forest Hills 21-0 to drop to 1-3 on the year. The Bucks had no answer for Kylan Polk, who rushed for 108 yards and scored twice. Josiah Oxendine threw for 198 yards and a touchdown.

Hoke returns home this Friday to wrap up nonconference play against Middle Creek. The Mustangs are 4-1 and have won their last two, scoring 104 points in the process Volleyball

The Lady Bucks cannot be stopped. The Hoke girls’ volleyball team won twice last week to run their winning streak to 10 in a row. It’s the longest hot streak in recent memory — the Bucks have only had two seasons since 2007 where they reached 10 wins for the year.

Hoke beat Richmond 3-1 and Pinecrest 3-2 last week to im-

prove to 13-2, 4-0 in conference.

After spending the last week at home, the Bucks will try to keep it going on the road with games at Jack Britt, Seventy-First and Overhills.

Soccer

Hoke soccer is also blazing hot. The Bucks won twice last week to move to 7-2-3 and extend their winning streak to four consecutive.

Hoke shut out St Pauls at home 5-0. Kim Morales, Ayden

Flynn, Carson Hewitt, Der-

rick Patricio and Josiah Jacobs scored goals. Smayther Velasquez had two assists and Pedro Ramos one. The Bucks then went to Overhills and returned with a 5-2 win in the conference opener. Hewitt and Fitzroy Williams each had two goals, and Ramos added one. Ramos, Jacobs and Josiah Miles all had assists.

The Bucks stay in conference this week with a pair of home matches, against Pine Forest and Richmond.

14 former NC State athletes le lawsuit alleging abuse by ex-head trainer

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Fourteen for-

mer NC State male athletes have led a civil lawsuit in state court alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine, expanding a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete three years ago.

The lawsuit led Wednesday evening in Wake County Superior Court alleges years of misconduct by Robert Murphy Jr., including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Murphy, who was at NC State from 2012-22, is among the nine defendants named individually. The others are school ocials accused of negligence in their oversight roles in preventing it or adequately responding to concerns raised to them about Murphy’s conduct.

Twelve athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named. One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. Two other athletes had followed with their own federal lawsuits in February and April 2023. The Associated Press typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually as-

GERRY BROOME / AP PHOTO

A lawsuit claims former NC State athletics director

Debbie Yow and other senior athletic o cials at the school didn’t take action after being informed of complaints about inappropriate behavior.

saulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly, which Locke has done.

Durham-based attorney Kerry Sutton, who has represented plainti s in the previous and new lawsuits, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction — though now with 11 additional plainti s. The new lawsuit outlines similar allegations in terms of Murphy’s conduct and the school’s response, including that concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached former athletic director Debbie Yow and other senior athletics o cials but nothing

substantive was done to prevent misconduct or Murphy continuing to work with athletes.

“These 14 athletes have come forward together hoping to encourage others abused by Rob Murphy to see it wasn’t just them, they did nothing wrong, and NCSU should have protected them,” Sutton said in a statement.

“A culture of fear in the NCSU athletics department led to this tragic set of circumstances. Athletes afraid of losing their scholarship or their spot on the team, trainers afraid of reporting their boss, coaches afraid of getting involved, directors afraid of harming NCSU’s reputation. Murphy took advantage of those fears to get away with abusing what we believe may turn out to be hundreds of former Wolfpack athletes.”

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney working with Murphy in the earlier cases, didn’t immediately return messages from the AP requesting comment Thursday. An attorney who previously worked with Murphy said in 2022 that Murphy o ered “appropriate” medical procedures but “nothing that was ever of a sexual nature.”

NC State didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Yow declined to comment, deferring to NC State, in a text message to the AP on Thursday morning.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Carson Hewitt

Hoke County, boys’ soccer

Carson Hewitt is a senior mid elder on the Hoke County boys’ soccer team.

The Bucks have won four straight, including a pair of victories last week.

Hewitt scored two goals on three shots in a 5-2 win against Overhills. He also scored in a 5-0 win over St. Pauls. He’s now found the net in three straight matches. He currently leads the Mid-South 7A/8A conference in goals and points.

HAL NUNN FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The Bucks huddle for pregame instructions before opening conference play against Overhills.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA BASKETBALL

Florida restores Maxwell’s college stats, again program’s leading scorer again

Gainesville, Fla.

Florida has formally restored basketball great Vernon Maxwell’s nal two years of college statistics. The move once again makes him the program’s all-time leading scorer. The 60-year-old Maxwell celebrated the turnabout during a program reunion. Maxwell scored 2,450 points during his four seasons at Florida in the late 1980s. But he also was the focus of an NCAA investigation that ultimately placed the Gators on unsanctioned probation. Florida was forced to vacate three NCAA Tournament victories in which Maxwell participated. Then-Florida AD Bill Arnsparger stripped Maxwell’s stats from the record books for those two years.

MLB Kershaw to retire after 18 years with Dodgers, more than 3,000 strikeouts

Los Angeles Clayton Kershaw, a threetime Cy Young Award winner, says he’s retiring at the end of this season, capping an 18-year career all spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 37-year- old left-hander, an 11-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP, won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024. Kershaw has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, leading active major league players. His 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live ball era since 1920.

NHL

Kings captain Kopitar plans to retire after upcoming 20th season

Los Angeles Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire from his 20-year NHL career after the upcoming season. The 38-year-old Kopitar made the announcement last Thursday following the rst practice of training camp with the Kings. The Slovenian center has spent his entire adult life with the Kings since making his NHL debut in October 2006. He is a ve-time NHL All-Star, a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, and a three -time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanlike play.

BOXING

Ali’s unsigned draft card to be auctioned

Muhammad Ali’s refusal to sign his military draft card upended his life and added a powerful voice to the antiwar movement. That piece of history is coming up for sale. The online sale by Christie’s will take place Oct. 10-28. The auction house says the card comes from descendants of Ali. There’s a blank line on the card where Ali was supposed to sign in 1967 but refused to do so as the Vietnam War raged on. It triggered a chain of events that disrupted his boxing career but immortalized him as a champion for peace and social justice.

NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ celebrates 20 years of prime-time

The broadcast has been the top-rated show for 14 straight years

By Joe Reedy The Associated Press

DICK EBERSOL HELPED change comedy and late-night television when he teamed up with Lorne Michaels to create “Saturday Night Live” in 1975.

When it comes to sports television, Ebersol’s creation of “Sunday Night Football” on NBC in 2006 also has had a signi cant impact.

It is tting then that both are celebrating milestones this year. “Saturday Night Live” celebrated its 50th season in February, while “Sunday Night Football” is in its 20th season.

“We were really aware that we weren’t just doing a football game, we were doing an important football game, that we would have all the bells and whistles,” Ebersol said about “Sunday Night Football”.

“Sunday Night Football” has been the highest-rated prime-time show for 14 consecutive seasons. The next closest was “American Idol”, which had a six-year streak from 2005-06 through the 2010-11 television season.

NBC’s rst three games this season — including the Sept. 4 NFL Kicko game — are averaging 24.9 million viewers for its best start since 2015.

The Sunday night package put NBC back in the NFL. NBC was without pro football for eight seasons, from 1998 to 2005, after CBS took over the AFC package.

“I think it’s exceeded everyone’s even very high expectations going in, and they’ve gone through the roof,” said Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution. “They’ve really never stopped innovating and focused on how to make Sunday night feel like a huge event and a great way to end the day.”

Mike Tirico called “Monday Night Football” on ESPN from 2006 through ’15 before joining NBC in 2016. He was the host of “Football Night in America” until taking over as the play-by-play announcer from Al Michaels in 2022. Cris Collinsworth, who got

“I think ‘Sunday Night Football’ has become everything ‘Monday Night Football’ was and more.”

Mike Tirico

his start at NBC after retiring as a player, returned to the network in 2006. He was on the studio show for three years before moving into the booth in 2009 after John Madden’s retirement.

Even though MNF had a 35-plus-year head start as the NFL’s seminal prime-time package, Tirico said it didn’t take long for SNF to supplant it because of the matchups and feel of the broadcast.

“I think ‘Sunday Night Football’ has become everything ‘Monday Night Football’ was and more now in a much more saturated TV environment,” Tirico said. “So I think without Monday night, you don’t have what Sunday night has, but it

took a special group of people, great planning and purpose to get Sunday night to where it is now. This run of being the No. 1 show in prime-time television for almost a decade and a half now, that’s extraordinary.”

Fred Gaudelli, who produced “Sunday Night Football” from 2006 through 2022 after working on “Monday Night Football” for ve years, said the success of Sunday night’s package at the start was due to Ebersol’s constant attention to the game schedule.

“There’s never been a network president, I’m very condent in saying this, that made the schedule a bigger priority than Dick Ebersol did,” said Gaudelli, the executive producer for the past three seasons. “If you check our schedules like the rst ve or six years, I think we had (Tom) Brady versus (Peyton) Manning four of the ve times, and we had all the big Cowboys games. So all of a sudden, every Sunday night is a big game. Monday night was ingrained in the American culture, but literally within two

or three years, we had reversed it.”

Something that Gaudelli sold Ebersol on, though, was having a musical open to the show, especially when Gaudelli mentioned how much NBC could earn from having a sponsor.

Gaudelli went to his iPod, heard Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and started to come up with lyrics that have been a staple of the show. Pink performed “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” before it switched to Faith Hill and now Carrie Underwood.

“I’ve had a front-row seat as the team created a sports presentation that went far beyond sports, with the integration of storytelling, pop culture and a musical show open that has become iconic,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said. NBC has aired Sunday night games from 40 stadiums, with Dallas playing in the most games in the series at 61. The most-viewed game was the 2012 season nale between the Cowboys and Washington, which averaged 30.3 million.

The former Wake Forest golfer will represent the U.S. on a familiar course

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

NAPA, Calif. — Bethpage Black is a big ballpark on Long Island that made the boy feel even smaller. He was holding his father’s hand on Father’s Day in 2002 as they watched the U.S. Open won by Tiger Woods. It was Cameron Young’s rst glimpse of golf at the highest level.

“That golf course is where our state Open was every year. That was the big tournament for me at that point,” Young said, who in 2017 became the rst amateur to win the New York State Open with a course-record 64 at the Black.

“I knew that golf course was a major championship golf course, and that was my route to play it.”

But a Ryder Cup?

“At the time it was like, ‘That’s where I’d like to be,’” he said, pausing to smile. “So it’s been a long time coming.”

New York homecoming

Young is every bit of New York. He is the son of Sleepy Hollow’s longtime professional. He took

the train to school at Fordham Prep in the Bronx. He was all about the Yankees, Rangers and Giants as a kid who played hockey and baseball when he wasn’t pounding golf balls.

“We’re very proud to have a New Yorker on our team and represent his country at Bethpage Black,” Keegan Bradley said when he announced Young as one of his captain’s pick.

It might have been years in the making, but this really transpired over three months.

Young was at No. 67 in the world at the start of May, not even eligible for the nal two majors of the year. He was nowhere near the conversation to be in the Ryder Cup, yet no less determined for his one shot at a Ryder Cup in his native New York.

Big pressure required small steps.

“Break par for a couple of days in a row, hit some good shots, put together a week,” Young said. “We started doing those little things better and better and built some belief.”

He had his rst top 10 in four months in May at the Truist Championship. A month later as a U.S. Open quali er, he birdied three of his last four holes to get into a 5-for-1 playo and then made a 12-foot birdie to earn his

“This

Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special to

me.”

Cameron Young

way to Oakmont, where he tied for fourth. He also tied for fourth in Canada to earn a spot in the British Open. And then came his rst PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August when he won by six shots.

“I had to win something just to put myself in the question,” Young said.

The answer became increasingly obvious when Young followed that win with three strong performances in the postseason. Then came that call from Bradley with the best news of his career, better in

his mind than winning for the rst time on tour.

“This Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special to me,” Young said the day he was chosen. “I’ve been picturing the moment that I can possibly get a call to play on the team for a very, very long time.”

Young is 28, an old soul who doesn’t say much but always gets to the point. He is living in south Florida with his wife and three children, ages 3, 2 and 1. He isn’t on social media and doesn’t bother with it. His phone is primarily used to check his tee times and text his wife.

“I prefer things to be simple,” he said. “My attention is either on my children or on my job.”

Now the attention is on winning Ryder Cup points at Bethpage Black, a course an hour away from where he grew up, a course he rst saw at age 5 and has loved ever since.

BARBARA YOUNG / AP PHOTO

Cameron Young, 5, holds his father’s hand at Bethpage Black during the nal round of the U.S. Open in 2002.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

NBC Sports play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, left, sits next to color commentator Cris Collinsworth before a Sunday night game.

obituaries

Clarence G. Wilkerson

March 17, 1946 –Sept. 19, 2025

Clarence Gregory Wilkerson passed away on Friday, September 19, 2025, at the age of 79.

He was born on March 17, 1946, to the late Clarence Junius and Mary Edith Wilkerson.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Joan Leach Wilkerson.

Greg is survived by his daughter, Paula Crowder(Chris) of Raeford, one grandson, Tyler Crowder of Raeford, his former wife Margaret Stevens Hathaway of Raeford, one sister, Sandra Ross of Lexington, SC, one nephew, Cli ord Ross(Jody) of Lexington, SC, nieces Thesa Briggs(Mark) of Lexington, SC, and Betsy Kamoro (Allen)of Beaufort,SC, and one nephew and several nieces from his former marriage(Margaret Hathaway), and many great nieces and nephews.

Greg was born in McColl, S.C where he lived until he graduated high school. After graduation he served in the U. S. Army, where he was Sergeant in the Service Battery 1st Battalion 35th Artillery 24th Infantry Division from 19651967.

After returning home from the army, Greg resided in Bennettsville, S.C., where he and Margaret lived when his daughter Paula was born. Soon after, the family moved to Aiken, S.C. for a while before making Raeford their home.

Greg was a man of many hobbies in his younger years, including his love of cars, motorcycles, and dirt track racing. He and his father had an interest with horses, and they would ride them around McColl in covered buggies and two seater carts. Greg had a passion for fast cars, especially muscle cars. Many weekends were spent at Lake Waccamaw where he enjoyed boating and water skiing with family and friends. Greg also loved racing, whether asphalt or dirt track, even partnering with a few friends, where they enjoyed racing at local dirt tracks on Saturday nights.

Greg also worked in retail where he was manager of B.C. Moore & Sons in Aiken, S.C. and in Raeford. He also had a couple of convenience stores in Hoke county, that he was certain had the coldest drink coolers around. Greg & Joan married soon after his retirement, and from there, Greg enjoyed working in his yard & growing owers.

In Greg’s later years, he enjoyed shing and boating with his grandson, his continued passion for muscle cars, and spending time with his daughter and her family.

Greg lived life to the fullest, and loved his family. He spent his nal days surrounded by his family, as they recounted many happy memories until he was called home to be with his Lord and Savior.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

May

1951 –Sept. 20, 2025

Mr.

Baptist Church. Henike will be greatly missed.

Margie L. Barnes

Jan. 15, 1947 – Sept. 20, 2025

Margie L. Barnes, of Raeford, NC went to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the age of 78.

She was born on January 15, 1947, to the late Elton and Dorothy Miller. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Barbara Nesbitt; and her brother, Elton Miller, Jr.

Margie was a member of Sandy Grove Church in Raeford, NC. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, and taking care of her family. She loved her grandbabies, great grandbabies, and her puppies.

She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Bernard Barnes, Sr.; her three children, Bambi Hayward (Danny), of Raeford, Dorothy Jordan, of Raeford, and Bernard Barnes, Jr. (Pamie), of Raeford; her grandchildren, Annette, Kira, Anthony, Crystal, Amanda, David, Thomas, Kristen, and Joseph; and many great grandchildren.

A visitation will be held from 12:00-2:00 pm on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at Sandy Grove Church 6800 Arabia Rd, Lumber Bridge, NC 28357. The Celebration of Life will follow at 2:00 with Pastor Terry Dooley o ciating.

Burial will be in the Highland Biblical Gardens Cemetery 601 Scott Currie Rd, Raeford, NC 28376.

Gregory Mark Chance

March 18, 1956 –Sept. 17, 2025

Mr. Gregory Mark Chance passed away on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at the age of 69.

He was born in Troy, Alabama on March 18, 1956, to the late Andrew and Arnetta Chance. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Jesse James Chance; his in-laws, Oscar and Carole Schweitz; and his brothers in law, Gerald O. Schweitz and Steven Schweitz.

Greg was an air tra c controller in the U.S. Army before medically retiring. He enjoyed shing, and was an avid guitar player, songwriter, and poet. He loved to ride his Harley motorcycle and was a big Roll Tide Alabama fan.

Greg is survived by his wife of 40 years, Cindy Schweitz Chance; his daughter, Sarah Emma Thompson and her husband, John; his brothers, Kenneth and Steven Chance; his brothers in law, John E. Schweitz (Carol) and Thomas R. Schweitz (Pamela); his sister-in-law, Kathleen J. O’Connell (Ed); and several nieces and nephews. Services will be announced at a later date.

Annie Ree Hammonds

Dec. 18, 1933 – Sept. 21, 2025

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our Matriarch Mrs. Annie Ree Hammonds who left us on September 21, 2025. Mrs. Annie was born on December 18, 1933, to the late William Council and Lillie Ivory Hammonds. Mrs. Annie is preceded in death by her parents William Council and Lillie Ivory Hammonds, two sons, Mark Hammonds and Billy Ray Hammonds, three brothers, Waitus Hammonds, Burley Hammonds and Alton Hammonds, one sister, Lucille Hunt, two grandchildren, Ronald Hammonds and Anne Marie Hammonds, one great grandchild Issac Hammonds and two daughters-in-law Dawn Hammonds (Timmy) and Rebecca Hammonds (Billy). Mrs. Annie lived a life lled with love, wisdom, and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know her.

Mrs. Annie was a devoted wife,

Jose Martin Alpuche

Jan. 28, 2006 –Sept. 13, 2025

Jose Martin Alpuche age 19 of Red Springs, North Carolina was born on January 28, 2006, to Donna Elizabeth Sanchez in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He departed this life on September 13, 2025. In regard to his father Jose Esteban Alpuche, we want to thank him for making it possible for us to have Jose. He was preceded in death by his grandma Sonja Ingle, uncle David Ingle, his nephew Kelly Lee Jr., his niece Angie Celenia and a Cousin Ben Willis.

Jose leaves to cherish his memories his mother: Donna Elizabeth Sanchez, siblings: Elizabeth Sanchez, Kelly Lee, Lil John (Hevan), Theresa “Sookie” (Eduardo), his uncles: Jonathan, John (Kristy), Timbo, Ricky, his aunt: Dorothy “Tia”, his nieces and nephews: Blanca, Bubba, Daniel, Conception, Emiliano, Devon, Kalani, Zander, his cousins: Breanna, Celena, Joseph, Nathaniel, Nakayden, Natalie, Ian, Jonathan Jr., Rebecca, Cheyanne, Samantha, Mickey, second cousins: Elija, Yobinni, Eathan, Eric, Sonja Alice, Jimmy, Stella, Javier, Maria, Janessa, Josiah, Jodiel, Joel, Luis, along with a host of other relatives and friends.

Donna Sanchez, Jose’s mother was so proud of him, when he told her he was going to do something, it was done. Jose was a strong young man for his mother and was starting his steps into life and was proud to be doing it. Jose was a person full of life, full of love and full of laughter. He truly never met a stranger. He made a connection with everyone. Jose had a heart of gold, and his loyalty ran deeper than the ocean. You would have thought that young man had a hole in his belly, the way he ate, he could really eat. Jose wanted everything out of life and had started working with his uncle Jonathan and Mr. Harold since a very young age. Recently he started a journey at Beard Brothers Heating and Cooling and he was proud to be a member of their team. Jose was respectful, loving, genuine, and beautiful inside and out. Don’t forget he thought he was the nest thing to grace earth. He will be loved and truly missed by everyone.

mother, grandmother, a cherished friend, and an accomplished seamstress. Her dedication to her family and friends was a testament to the depth of her character.

Above all, Mrs. Annie was known for her home cooked meals. With a sixth-grade education, Mrs. Annie learned the skills needed for mothering and homemaking. Mrs. Annie cared for siblings at an early age, while her mother and father tended the farm. Mrs. Annie later married her husband James and began her career in a textile plant where those homemaking skills were put to good use. Mrs. Annie worked twenty plus years at Jasper’s Textile Mill. On Saturday early in the morning you’d nd Mrs. Annie in her yard ensuring the beauti cation and, in the evenings, you could nd her in the kitchen preparing Sunday dinner for her family.

Entering Mrs. Annie’s home on Sunday’s, you would gather round the table to nd a full spread prepared before you, but not before Jimmy and John’s chicken breast, Sarah’s potato salad, Wilbert’s sweetened with Slenda tea, and Katherine and Dawn’s corner of the tater bread had been set to the side.

Throughout the week, once her garden and yard had been tended too, and the soap operas had been watched, you could catch Mrs. Annie with her truest best friend and only daughter Lora “burning the roads up”. Lora was not only Mrs. Annie’s only daughter but also her lifelong caregiver.

Mrs. Annie was the embodiment of the perfect mother and

Wilbert

“Bossy” Julian Barefoot

Aug. 6, 1947 – Sept. 18, 2025

Wilbert Julian Barefoot (Bossy) passed away on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at the age of 78.

He was born in Hoke County, NC on August 06, 1947, to the late James and Lizzie Barefoot.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Barefoot; brothers, Charles, Earnest, Thomas, and Robert; and his sisters, Doris Skinner and Edna Hiatt.

Wilbert was a member of Christian Church and was the supervisor for Burlington for many years before moving on to retire from Hoke Correctional as a Correctional O cer. He was a loving person with a big heart, never judged anyone, and always put his family rst. His hobbies included shing, gol ng, yardwork and being outdoors. He loved going to church, the beach, old cars, joking, dancing, and having fun.

Wilbert is survived by his daughters, Beth Barefoot and Morgan Barefoot, both of Raeford, NC; his brother, James Barefoot and his wife, Betty, of Raeford, NC; his nephew Richard Butler, of the home; his grandchildren, Taylor Barefoot, of Oklahoma, Joe (Night) Locklear, of Red Springs, NC, Mason Locklear, of Raeford, NC, and Alana Pate, of Raeford, NC; and several nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 7:00-9:00 pm at Crumpler Funeral Home of Raeford 131 Harris Avenue with Pastor Tylar Jayne and Pastor Melinda Yule o ciating. A service will be held on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 2:00 pm at Crumpler Funeral Home. The burial will be held in the Raeford City Cemetery.

grandmother; there was never a need that she didn’t address. Mrs. Annie was an excellent source of unfaltering wisdom; she was a con dante and was the best support system. By means of compassion, she displayed an unwavering agape love to everyone. Yet let’s be honest she could set you straight with a smile and in the drop of a hat.

The innate nurturing characteristic that Mrs. Annie possessed created a love to care for everyone and if you ever crossed her path, you were fortunate to know she always had an open door, listening ears, and a little something sweet with a glass of sweet tea or a cup of co ee that awaited you. She enriched the lives of countless individuals, providing support, solace, and joy whenever it was needed most.

Mrs. Annie is survived by her sons, Jimmy (Catherine) of Shannon, Wilbert (Wendy) of Georgia, Marvin of Lumberton, Timmy of Fayetteville, one daughter Lora (Bobby) of Shannon, eighteen grandchildren, thirty great grandchildren and ten great great grandchildren. Mrs, Annie also leaves to cherish her memory, one very special friend Mrs. Audrey Bullard and very special granddaughter Sarah Locklear (John). A special son Marty Jacobs (Ti any). Mrs. Annie’s memory will forever be cherished by everyone who had the privilege to share in any part of her journey.

Our Moma, Grandma, Great Grandma, Great Great grandma was a true testament of the Proverbs 31 woman.

Johnny Lee Scott

May 2, 1947 – Sept. 20, 2025

Mr. Johnny Lee Scott, age 78, of Shannon, North Carolina, was born on May 2, 1947, in Hoke County to the late Joe Herman Scott and Louise McMillian Scott. He peacefully passed away on September 20, 2025, at First Health Hospice House in West End, North Carolina. In addition to his father, Johnny was preceded in death by three brothers: Billy Scott, Gary Scott, Jerry Scott Sr and a great nephew Jerry Arnold Scott III. Johnny was a man of the land and the outdoors, a true country soul. He found great joy in farming and was never happier than when he was outside, feeling the sun on his face and the earth beneath his feet. He had a deep passion for hunting and shing, nding peace and purpose in the quiet moments spent in the woods or by the water. Whether it was the thrill of the hunt or the calm of casting a line, those simple joys brought him comfort throughout his life. He also loved riding motorcycles, the open road giving him a sense of freedom and adventure. But above all, Johnny loved his family ercely and unconditionally. His loyal pet, Baby, was never far from his side and held a special place in his heart.

He leaves to cherish his memory: his loving mother, Louise Scott; his devoted sister, Juanita Salinas; his cherished pet, Baby; and his lifelong friend, Jackie Thompson. He is also survived by two nephews, Bunky Oldham and Jerry Scott Jr. (Melissa); and ve greatnephews: Austin D. Oldham, Conner Oldham, Brayden Oldham, Jordan Oldham, and Jacob Scott. Johnny’s love extended far and wide to many dear friends and family members, too numerous to name but each one held a special place in his heart.

Johnny’s warmth, laughter, and generous spirit touched everyone he met. His presence will be deeply missed, but his memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

Henike Harris

26,

Henike Harris age, 74 went home to rest with his Heavenly Father on Saturday, September 20, 2025. The Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, September 28th; 2:00 PM at Piney Grove Missionary

STATE & NATION

Trump o cials praise Charlie Kirk’s faith, mark on the conservative movement

The memorial service drew thousands, including Vice President JD Vance

By Jonathan J. Cooper, Eugene Garcia, Aamer Madhani and Meg Kinnard

The Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. — President Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as he and other prominent conservatives gathered Sunday evening to honor the slain conservative political activist whose work they say they must now advance.

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration ofcials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old rebrand.

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”

Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.

“For Charlie, we will remem-

ber that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has set o a erce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division.

The shooting has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justi cation to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.

Those close to Kirk prayed and the oors at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.

Longtime worship leader Chris Tomlin opened the service and was joined later by other big names in contemporary Christian music, including Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham. Near the end, as Trump took the stage, Lee Greenwood sang a live rendition of the president’s campaign walk-on song, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight and speakers delivered their tributes from behind bullet-proof glass.

The 63,400-seat stadium quickly lled with people

US bars Iran’s diplomats from shopping at Costco without permission

The state department determined that memberships in wholesale clubs are a “bene t” requiring approval

By Matthew Lee The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Trump administration has barred Iranian diplomats based in or visiting New York from shopping at wholesale club stores like Costco and purchasing luxury goods in the United States without speci c permission from the State Department.

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York while the Iranian people endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and dire shortages of water and electricity,” the department said in a statement.

In notices to be published this week in the Federal Register, the department’s O ce of Foreign Missions determined that diplomatic memberships in wholesale club stores as well as diplomats’ ability to buy items such as watches, furs, jewelry, handbags, wallets, perfumes, tobacco, alcohol and cars are a “bene t” requir-

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.

The mood in the stadium ebbed and owed throughout a service that stretched more than ve hours. Mourners were patient and cordial, even after waiting hours to enter and then an hour or more for food in stadium concession lines.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was nding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.

“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” said Erika Kirk, who is taking over as Turning Point’s leader. She added, “I forgive him.”

Trump, who closed out the service, remarked that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his oppo-

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York.”

U.S. State department statement

ing U.S. government approval.

However, the only country whose diplomats were specically targeted is Iran. Stores like Costco have been a favorite of Iranian diplomats posted to and visiting New York because they are able to buy large quantities of products not available in their economically isolated country for relatively cheap prices and send them home.

“By preventing Iranian regime o cials from exploiting diplomatic travel to the UN as a means to obtain goods unavailable to the Iranian public, we are sending a clear message: When the United States says it stands with the people of Iran, we mean

nents” and “wanted the best for them,” an attribute he found hard to understand.

“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said. “I’m sorry, I am sorry Erika.”

Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others who he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.

Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers to late show host Jimmy Kimmel, have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration o cials target comments about Kirk that they deem o ensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment.

Some speakers at the memorial said Kirk was battling evil and referred to a vague “they” as the enemy. Others were blunt.

“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened, you have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic,” said White House deputy chief of sta Stephen Miller. Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader.

A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Author-

it,” the State Department said.

The move is another step in the Trump administration’s crackdown on visas, including for leaders and diplomats seeking to serve as representatives at the United Nations. While world leaders are gathering this week for the high-pro le annual meeting at the international body, the new U.S. restrictions permanently apply to any Iranian diplomats representing their country at the U.N. year-round.

The determinations, which were posted online Monday and to be printed Tuesday, said Iranian diplomats and their dependents must “obtain approval from the Department of State prior to: obtaining or otherwise retaining membership at any wholesale club store in the United States, to include but not limited to Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s Wholesale Club, and acquiring items from such wholesale club stores through any means.”

In addition, Iranian diplomats in the U.S. must also receive permission to purchase luxury items valued at more than $1,000 and vehicles valued

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom. I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie.”

President Donald Trump

ities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk’s hatred.

Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.

The crowd was a testament to the in uence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.

And the service brought together a veritable who’s who of the Republican Party, with numerous current and former lawmakers in the crowd. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and former top adviser to Trump, was spotted sitting with Trump for part of the service.

Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot.

Speaker after speaker, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed awe at Kirk’s ability to go into what many conservatives saw as the lion’s den to make the conservative case: college campuses.

“Why don’t you start somewhere easier,” Rubio recalled thinking when he rst heard about Kirk years ago. “Like, for example, communist Cuba?”

at more that $60,000, said Clifton Seagroves, the head of the O ce of Foreign Missions.

The items de ned as “luxury goods” include watches, leather apparel and clothing accessories, silk apparel and clothing accessories, footwear, fur skins and arti cial furs, handbags, wallets, fountain pens, cosmetics, perfumes and toilet waters, works of art, antiques, carpets, rugs, tapestries, pearls, gems, precious and semi-precious stones or jewelry containing them, precious metals, electronics and appliances, recreational sports articles, musical instruments, cigarettes and cigars, wine, spirits and beer.

Earlier this month, U.S. ocials said they were considering the restrictions, which Seagroves signed on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18.

The Trump administration has already denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his large delegation to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In addition to Iran, the administration also was considering restrictions to be imposed on delegations from Sudan, Zimbabwe and Brazil.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

MOORE COUNTY

“In the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane…”

A member of the All-Veteran Group parachute team descends with ags representing branches

Appreciation Night before Pinecrest’s 36-21 victory over Scotland on Friday night. The

football jerseys, helped deliver the game ball and American ag to the eld.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Trump tells UN in speech it’s “not even coming close to living up” to potential President Donald Trump has returned to the United Nations to boast of his second-term foreign policy achievements and lash out at the world body as a feckless institution. He also warned Europe it would be ruined if it doesn’t turn away from a “double-tailed monster” of ill-conceived migration and green energy policies. World leaders listened closely to his Tuesday remarks at the U.N. General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish U.S. support for the world body in his rst eight months in o ce. After his speech, Trump met with Secretary-General António Guterres and told the top U.N. o cial that the U.S. is behind the global body “100%” amid fears among members that he’s edging toward a full retreat.

Secret Service

dismantles telecom threat around UN capable of crippling cell service in NYC

The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive hidden telecom network in New York. Investigators say the system could have crippled cell towers and jammed 911 calls. The cache included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards. It was located within 35 miles of the United Nations. The network could have blacked out cellular service, especially during the United Nations General Assembly. O cials have not uncovered a direct plot against the assembly.

the

Ukrainian refugee’s stabbing death becomes Senate race ashpoint

Republicans target Democratic candidates over criminal justice policies

By Gary D. Robertson

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Republicans in North Carolina and beyond are making a concerted e ort to turn the stabbing death of a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte commuter train into a political liability for Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in his bid to win a key U.S. Senate race that is still more than a year away.

GOP candidate Michael Whatley has said Cooper bears “direct responsibility” for the deadly Aug. 22 attack on Iryna Zarutska because of a commission he created in June

2020 to address racial inequity in the criminal justice system. The panel’s unveiling occurred weeks following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

But Cooper’s campaign said Whatley, a recent Republican National Committee chairman, was lying about the task force. Cooper “knows North Carolinians need to be safe in their communities,” the campaign wrote in a statement, and his career has included “keeping thousands of criminals o the streets and behind bars.” It cites Cooper signing a 2023 law that toughened pretrial release rules.

The clash has sent early signals of just how heated the North Carolina Senate race will be. It already was antici-

See RACE, page A2

Former NC State athletes accuse school of negligence in 2nd sexual abuse lawsuit

Athletes sued the school for negligence

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — The 14 former NC State male athletes who led a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine are also suing the school for negligence.

The group led a second lawsuit last week with the North Carolina Industrial Commission against the school as a public entity.

Last Wednesday, those athletes, most as “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, sued in Wake County Superior Court alleging conduct such as improper touching of the genitals during massage treatments by Robert Murphy Jr. That lawsuit was against Murphy along with eight current and former school o cials individually, tied to their oversight roles. This complaint against NC State echoes those allegations.

cused and there hasn’t been “one scrap of credible evidence that he assaulted anyone.” The week’s lawsuits expand a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete three years ago.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

of

Armed Forces during Military

three parachutists, who jumped wearing Patriots

THE MOORE COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

GARY D. ROBERTSON AND ERIK VERDUZCO / AP PHOTO

Former Gov. Roy Cooper, left, and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley are vying for the open U.S. Senate seat up for vote next fall.

KARA DURRETTE / AP PHOTO

Flags y at the Reynolds Coliseum at NC State in Raleigh.

“Join the conversation”

North

Trip

POSTMASTER:

Sept. 14

• Trent Allen Stimmerman, 32, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for intoxicated and disruptive.

• Savion Tyriq Guinn, 24, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for misdemeanor domestic violence.

Sept. 15

• Brittany Elizabeth Marsh, 34, was arrested by MCSO for possess methamphetamine.

• Cameron Antonio Person, 32, was arrested by MCSO for failure to report online identity changes.

• Paul Lawrence McRae, 29, was arrested by MCSO for failure to report online identity changes.

• Terry Gene Lucas, 64, was arrested by MCSO for interfering with electronic monitoring device.

Sept. 16

• Morgan Thomas Shaw, 36, was arrested by MCSO for larceny of motor vehicle.

• Roger Lee McLaurin, 49, was arrested by MCSO for breaking or entering motor vehicle.

Sept. 17

• Junior Nieves Ovalles, 27, was arrested by Taylortown PD for assault by strangulation.

• Christopher Aaron Moore, 21, was arrested by MCSO for possession of rearm by felon.

• Stacy Marie Andrews, 43, was arrested by MCSO for possess stolen property.

Sept. 18

• Allen Wayne Martin, 38, was arrested by MCSO for tra cking in opium or heroin.

Sept. 19

• Shakeanma Takelia Hubbard, 39, was arrested by MCSO for accessory after the fact.

Sept. 20

• Brian Keith Gilmore, 54, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for habitual larceny.

THURSDAY SEPT. 25

FRIDAY SEPT. 26

SEPT. 29

Grammy-winning songwriter dies in Macon County plane crash

Brent James wrote Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel”

By Kathy Mccormack and Josh Funk The Associated Press

GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING country songwriter

Brett James, whose string of top hits includes “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney, died in a plane crash in Franklin, authorities said Friday. He was 57.

The small plane with three people aboard crashed last Thursday afternoon “under unknown circumstances” in the woods in Franklin, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary report. There were no survivors, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a statement.

James was on a Cirrus SR22T, which was registered to him under his legal name of Brett James Cornelius, accord-

Musician Brett James and his wife, Sandy, appear at a pre-CMA Awards event in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006.

ing to information provided by the FAA. It was not known if he was the pilot. The patrol con rmed his death. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board said they will investigate the crash.

The other two people on the plane were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, the patrol con rmed.

The plane had taken o from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville.

James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. The organization posted an online statement of mourning.

A native of Oklahoma City, James left medical school to pursue a music career in Nashville, according his biography on the Hall of Fame’s site.

His rst No. 1 hit was “Who I Am” in 2001, by Jessica Andrews. “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which he co-wrote for Underwood, earned the 2006 Grammy for Best Country Song, among other honors.

James had more than 500 of his songs recorded for albums with combined sales of more

than 110 million copies, according to his Grand Ole Opry biography online.

Other artists who sang his songs include Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Nick Jonas and Meghan Trainor.

Additional hits include “Cowboy Casanova” by Underwood, “Out Last Night” by Chesney and “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts.

“Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,” country singer Jason Aldean posted on X. “I had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life. Honored to have met him and worked with him.”

James recorded his own album in 2020.

“At my stage in life, I’m not going to write about driving around in pickup trucks, chasing girls,” he was quoted as saying on the Opry site. “It needed to feel more classic, lyrically. They all wound up being love songs, but hopefully love songs with a twist, that haven’t all been written before.”

RACE from page A1

pated to be a key 2026 Senate race for Democrats seeking to claim a Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections and now could be among the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history.

Democrats see the popular former governor’s bid for the open North Carolina seat as one of their best pickup opportunities in a landscape that largely favors Republicans. They need four Senate seats to claim a majority.

Tragic ashpoint emerges

Both candidates have expressed sorrow over the death of the 23-year-old Zarutska, whose horri c attack was caught on camera. But public outrage that suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. had been previously arrested more than a dozen times and had been recently released on a charge without bond prompted accusations by Whatley and allies that Cooper has pushed soft-on-crime policies.

“It’s pretty simple: A vote for Roy Cooper is a vote for more crime, more violence, more criminals,” Whatley said in the rst days after the release of the surveillance video.

Cooper pushed back hard.

“I’ve been Attorney General and Governor, dedicating my career to putting violent criminals behind bars and keeping them there,” Cooper, who was the state attorney general for

16 years before eight as gov-

ernor, wrote on X. In turn, he accused Whatley, also a recent state GOP chairman whom President Donald Trump encouraged to enter the race, of looking to take advantage of Zarutska’s death.

“Only a cynical DC insider would think it’s acceptable to use her death for political points,” he said on X.

More Republicans soon chimed in on social media, including Vice President JD Vance and Trump, who posted that “her blood is on the hands of the Democrats” and named Cooper speci cally.

The killing, which t neatly into Trump’s tough-oncrime agenda in big cities, gave Whatley a clear opening, said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University.

“People don’t know who he is. He doesn’t have high name recognition,” said Cooper, who is not related to the former governor. “So he is trying to de ne himself for North Carolinians, and he’s trying to rede ne Roy Cooper.”

2 candidates on collision course

Both Cooper and Whatley got in the race this summer, within weeks of GOP Sen. Thom Tillis announcing that he would not seek reelection. Cooper had always been considered a potential Senate candidate in 2026. Whatley announced when Lara Trump,

the president’s daughter-inlaw, declined to jump in. With no other high-prole candidates currently in the race, the parties’ primaries seem unlikely to head o a Cooper-Whatley general election battle.

Some pundits think spending in next year’s race could reach $1 billion, blowing past the $515.5 million spent overall on a U.S. Senate race in Georgia in 2020 won by Democrat Jon Osso in a runo , according to data from Open Secrets, which tracks political spending.

The campaign pits Cooper, a proven winner for Democrats in a Southern state, against rst-time candidate Whatley. Whatley’s deep loyalty to Trump — who won the state’s electoral votes all three times he ran for president — and fundraising skills make him a formidable opponent in the closely divided state.

Suspect’s criminal history and release ignite criticism

Brown, who was indicted for rst-degree murder this month in state criminal court, also faces a federal charge in Zarutska’s death. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

A magistrate earlier this year allowed Brown, who in September 2020 completed more than ve years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon, to be released without bond on a nonviolent misdemeanor charge, according to court records.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

Sept. 25

Dvorák: New World Symphony

7:30-9:30 p.m.

The North Carolina Symphony performs Dvorák’s beloved Symphony No. 9 as part of their Moore County Series. The masterwork captures both European classical traditions and American folk in uences.

Owens Auditorium at Pinehurst Resort 80 Carolina Vista Drive Pinehurst

Sept.

26

Arts Council Gallery Opening 6-8 p.m.

Meet artists Jo Tomsick, Josiah King and Luke Huling at the opening reception for “Entanglements.”

The exhibition explores connections between humanity and nature through varied artistic perspectives. Campbell House Galleries 482 E. Connecticut Ave. Southern Pines

Sept. 27

Sandhills Farmers Market

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Saturday market o ers the week’s best selection of fresh produce and goods. Early shoppers nd the best selection of seasonal fruits, vegetables and popular baked items.

Tufts Memorial Park 105 Cherokee Road Pinehurst

Country Line Dancing

7-9 p.m.

Buckles & Boots Line Dancers lead beginner-friendly lessons followed by open dancing. No partner or experience needed for this fun evening of country music and dancing.

Hatchet Brewing Company 490 SW Broad St. Southern Pines

Sept. 28

Sunday Jazz at Southern Pines Brewing

2-5 p.m.

Local jazz musicians perform in the brewery’s outdoor beer garden for a relaxed Sunday afternoon. Families and dogs are welcome at this free concert featuring craft beer and rotating food trucks. Southern Pines Brewing Company

140 W. Pennsylvania Ave. Southern Pines

JEFF CHRISTENSEN / AP PHOTO

THE CONVERSATION

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

Charlie Kirk: American patriot and Christian martyr

He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity.

I WROTE THESE words on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, Sept. 14 — a day meant for rest and worship yet overshadowed by tragedy. It came in the shadow of the cold-blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus. Like millions of others, I nd myself wrestling with anger, sorrow, grief and confusion — searching for meaning in a moment that de es it.

We have long known that we live in a fallen, godless and debauched age. Yet two weeks ago, that grim truth was displayed in stark relief on a college campus — an institution that should nurture learning and virtue but instead became the stage for barbarity.

I call Charlie a martyr because he was killed for his convictions — for his un inching defense of truth and his fearless witness to Christ. He spoke for millions of young people desperate for clarity in a world where woke classrooms and even woke pulpits leave them spiritually starved.

Charlie was not an elected o cial, yet he carried himself with a statesman’s brilliance. A masterful debater, he could summon Scripture and the Constitution from memory. Many of us believed he had the intellect, vision and courage that could have carried him to the presidency one day.

COLUMN | J. MARC WHEAT

The radical left saw the same potential — and feared it. They recognized that Charlie was a singular gure: principled, persuasive and deeply rooted in faith. His integrity and God-given ability to connect with young people threatened the woke ideological stranglehold on our culture. That was a threat his enemies could not tolerate. Now it falls on us to carry forward his ght with sharper minds, stouter hearts and steel spines.

Charlie was vili ed because he loved the Bible, loved his country and stood for objective truth. Above all, he was hated because he followed Jesus Christ. As John’s Gospel reminds us, the world loves darkness and rejects the light. Christ himself warned in John 15 that his followers would be hated and silenced precisely because they proclaim the truth of God’s word.

Across America and around the world, Christians are asking today: What will we do with this moment? How will we respond?

First, pray for Charlie’s wife, Erika, and their children, whose loss is beyond words. They will grow up without their father, unable yet to grasp the hatred that stole him away.

Second, recognize the danger we face. To

be a faithful Christian who engages the public square is now to risk one’s life. Charlie’s murder was not random — it was a warning to silence truth-tellers. In such times, we must pray for courage and boldness to speak God’s truth without fear.

Third, plead with God for mercy on our broken nation. As Romans 8 declares, creation itself “groans.” We saw that groaning in the vile ood of comments that mocked and even celebrated Charlie’s death.

Fourth, pray for leaders — that they will have the moral clarity to bring justice to the wicked and ful ll their God-given charge to punish evil and protect the righteous.

No single column can capture the life, goodness, and impact of Charlie Kirk. More must be written, and will be. For now, let us bear one another’s burdens and so ful ll the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

May we never again witness such a week in America — or endure another Lord’s Day clouded by such tragedy.

Sam Currin is a former judge, U.S. attorney and law professor. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University, UNC School of Law and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Government lists are a threat to free association

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records.

NO GOVERNMENT o cial needs to know what organizations you nancially support. And no state attorney general should have access to Americans’ sensitive personal information without clearly showing cause or in the absence of criminal proceedings. Yet wielding state power for his own political agenda, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asked a court to force First Choice Women’s Resource Centers to disclose donor information about nearly 5,000 contributions (see AAF’s amicus brief in First Choice Women’s Resource Center v. Platkin). Similar disclosures in the past have not fared well for Americans. In 2014, Mozilla forced their new chief executive, Brendan Eich, the founder of JavaScript, to resign after discovering that Eich had donated $1,000 six years earlier to a campaign that supported Proposition 8, the voter-approved California constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In the late 1950s during the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama attempted to use disclosure requirements to prevent the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from conducting business, which included the Montgomery Bus Boycott and funding programs for African American students wishing to attend the state university (see NAACP v. Alabama). Today, big government agencies already have large databases on Americans’ private information. Plenty of people have not told their best friend or neighbors how much they earn. Yet the government — only trusted by 22% of Americans to do the right thing always

or most of the time — knows.

Thanks to the SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), the federal government also compiles a list linking your every purchase and sale in the stock market to your sensitive, personal information (see AAF’s amicus brief challenging CAT in Davidson v. Gensler). With the Supreme Court tailoring opt-outs for gender ideology in schools to religious exemptions, the government could seize the opportunity to create yet another list, this time of religious parents.

As explained in AAF’s amicus brief in Platkin, “No government o cial should be able to use his legitimate law enforcement power to pursue those with whom he disagrees politically.” The latter would reduce our constitutional protections to be the “mere parchment barriers” that our framers feared. Regardless of whether the court rules against Platkin, he will have taken time and resources away from First Choice’s mission of helping mothers and saving babies.

Without clearly showing cause, no government o cial should have the power to scour a private organization’s records. Even the threat of disclosure threatens freedom of speech and association, which are the cornerstones of the American tradition.

In America’s earliest days, Alexis de Tocqueville noted the “art of association then becomes … the mother science; everyone studies it and applies it” (quoted in AAF’s amicus brief First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin). Where “all citizens are independent and weak” and “can hardly do

anything by themselves,” Americans must coordinate to e ect change. The latter is an intentional feature of our constitutional system that protects minority opinions from suppression and ensures power remains derived from the people.

Platkin is not a uke or merely a result of one bad actor. In October, the Sixth Circuit will hear a similar freedom of association case, Buckeye Institute v. IRS, where the federal government defends its practice compelling nonpro t organizations to disclose private donor information.

President Ronald Reagan said the scariest words in the English language were “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” When the government collects information, Americans are threatened by the abuse of that information. For that reason, the government should only be collecting information it absolutely needs. The courts in these cases must ensure that governments are not storing up information and, in so doing, exposing Americans to harassment by government agents.

Marc Wheat is the general counsel of Advancing American Freedom. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

BE IN TOUCH

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 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.

COLUMN | SAM CURRIN

Hurricane Helene

More than 2,500 students became homeless after the storm

By Makiya Seminera, Laura Hackett and Jose Sandoval

The Associated Press

SWANNANOA — When

12-year-old Natalie Briggs visited the ruins of her home after Hurricane Helene, she had to tightrope across a wooden beam to reach what was once her bedroom.

Knots of electrical wires were draped inside the skeleton of the house. Months after the storm, light ltered through breaks in the tarps over the windows. “All I could think of was, ‘This isn’t my house,’” said Natalie, who had been staying in her grandparents’ basement.

Thousands of students across western North Carolina lost their homes a year ago when Helene hit with some of the most vicious oods, landslides and wind ever seen in the state’s Appalachian region, once considered a “climate haven.” Across the state, more than 2,500 students were identi ed as homeless as a direct result of Helene, according to state data obtained by The Associated Press.

At school, Natalie sometimes had panic attacks when she thought of her ruined home in Swannanoa.

“There were some points where I just didn’t want people to talk to me about the house — or just, like, talk to me at all,” Natalie said.

While storm debris has been mostly cleared away, the impact of the displacement lingers for the region’s children. Schools reopened long before many students returned to their homes, and their learning and well-being have yet to recover.

The phenomenon is increasingly common as natural disasters disrupt U.S. communities more frequently and with more ferocity.

In the North Carolina mountains, the challenge of recovery is especially acute. After all, many families in rural, low-income areas already deal with challenges such as food insecurity and rent a ordability, said Cassandra Davis, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill public policy professor.

“I would almost argue that they don’t get the opportunity to recover,” Davis said.

Finding stable housing became all-consuming

After Helene ooded her rental home in Black Mountain, Bonnie Christine Goggins-Jones and her two teenage grandchildren had to leave behind nearly all their belongings.

“They lost their bed, clothes,

shoes, their book bag,” she said.

The family lived in a motel, a leaky donated camper and another camper before moving into a new apartment in June.

Goggins-Jones, a school bus aide at Asheville City Schools, struggled to heat the camper during winter. Her grandchildren kept going to school, but it wasn’t top of mind.

The area around Asheville, western North Carolina’s largest city, still has a signi cant housing shortage a year after the storm.

The family of America Sanchez Chavez, 11, had to split up to nd housing. Helene left their trailer home in Swannanoa uninhabitable, and money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency wasn’t enough to cover the renovations.

America and some relatives went to stay at her grandmother’s apartment, while her older brother lived at a friend’s house. Eventually, America moved with her mother to a room at a Black Mountain hotel where she works.

America said she is still frightened by rain or thunder.

“At one point when the rain actually got, like, pretty bad ... I did get scared for a while,” she said.

Helene damaged more than 73,000 homes, knocking out electricity and water for weeks if not months. The destruction of local infrastructure also closed schools for large stretches of time, and a barrage of snow days exacerbated the time out of

class even more. In rural Yancey County, which has approximately 18,000 residents, students missed more than two months of school last year.

Displaced students spread across North Carolina

After natural disasters, it’s common to see a surge in students living in unstable, temporary arrangements, such as sleeping on a couch, staying in a shelter, or doubling up with another family, according to research from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools. Those arrangements qualify students as homeless under federal law.

In Puerto Rico, more than 6,700 students were identi ed as homeless in Hurricane Maria’s aftermath during the 2017-18 school year, the study found. Hawaii saw a 59% increase in its homeless student population following the 2023 Maui wild res.

In Helene’s aftermath, student homelessness spiked in several hard-hit counties, according to AP’s analysis of data from the North Carolina Homeless Education Program.

Yancey County saw the region’s highest percentage increase. The number of homeless students went from 21 in the 2023-24 school year to 112 last school year. All but 15 were homeless due to Helene.

Some students enrolled in other school systems, at least temporarily. Others never returned.

Terri

Dolan of Swannanoa

sent her two young children to stay with her parents in Charlotte ahead of the storm. After seeing the extent of the devastation, Dolan had them enroll in school there. They stayed over a month before returning home.

“My job is to make money for our family, and their job is to go to school,’” Dolan says she’d always told her kids. “Just because the school wasn’t open here, I felt like they needed to go to school and do their job.”

Some districts receive federal money for services such as transporting homeless students to their usual school buildings and providing tutoring under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. But districts must apply in a competitive process, and they can’t request more money immediately after a natural disaster until the next application cycle. Many miss out on McKinney-Vento funding entirely.

Helene-impacted students made up at least a fth of the homeless population in 16 counties, but only six counties received McKinney-Vento money last funding cycle. Nationally, only 1 in 5 school districts receives McKinney-Vento money due to limited funds, said Barbara Du eld, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection, a nonpro t that advocates for homeless students.

“If there’s a disaster, it’s going to involve districts that don’t get money from McKinney-Vento,” Du eld said.

Housing instability has lasting impact

Gwendolyn Bode, a prelaw student at Appalachian State University, had to leave her mud-wrecked apartment complex after Helene. Told she couldn’t get campus housing, she found an Airbnb where she could stay at until her FEMA housing application went through, and then she moved into a hotel.

She felt like she was drowning as she tried to keep up with her classes and a part-time job.

“I can’t tell you what I learned,” Bode said. “I can’t even tell you when I went to class because (mentally) I wasn’t there.” She found more stability after moving into an apartment for the spring semester.

For Natalie Briggs, now 13, the grief of losing almost everything, coupled with the tight quarters in her grandparents’ basement, sometimes got to her — and to her mother, Liz Barker. Barker said it felt like a “time with no rules” because there was so much to deal with on top of her job as a health care worker.

The circumstances sometimes led to friction. But Barker said overall, she and Natalie had “done pretty well” together.

“She’s been a little bit more loving since all of this happened,” Barker said, smiling at her daughter.

“I give her hugs and stu ,” Natalie said, “and I’ll tell her I love her, more than I did.”

STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

Nicole Schoychid, left, and Rebekah Canu, co -founders of Wildwood Agile Leaning Center, embrace inside the schoolhouse, which was damaged by ooding in Hurricane Helene, as they are surrounded by debris and mud on Dec. 5, 2024, in Boone. The school had to compete against many other organizations and businesses vying for their own space in Boone after Helene damaged the town, creating a “bottleneck” from demand, Schoychid says.

MOORE SPORTS

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP

All three schools get Week 5 wins

North State Journal sta North Moore 37, Seaforth 20

North Moore (3-2) dominated Seaforth (1-4) in the run game, rushing for 261 yards while holding the Hawks to 38 yards on the ground.

Senior quarterback Brady Atkinson led the way for the Mustangs with 64 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Senior Joseph Dunn rushed for a team-high 93 yards, and sophomore Micah Morrison also contributed a touchdown.

The game was tied 6-6 at the end of the rst quarter. Seaforth then committed a series of miscues that led to a 27-6 decit at the half. Early in the second quarter, senior Trace Shaw blocked a punt, and sophomore Blake Pennington took it to the

house to give North Moore a 12-6 lead. A mishandled punt snap deep in Seaforth territory set up a Mustangs score, and with two seconds left in the rst half, North Moore capitalized on Kenyen Noah’s rst of two interceptions on the night with another touchdown.

Senior Nick Gregory was a bright spot for Seaforth with a receiving touchdown and a 77-yard kicko return touchdown.

North Moore travels to 1-3

Thomasville this week. The Bulldogs have lost two straight.

Union Pines 38, West Johnston 6

The Vikings returned to the eld after a week o and beat West Johnston 38-6 on the road. The Vikings are now 3-1, 1-0 in the Carolina Pines 6A and win-

ners of two straight. Union Pines returns to Johnston County this week with a road game at South Johnston.

Pinecrest 36, Scotland 21

The Patriots won their fourth straight, beating Scotland 36-21. Chris Najm ran for 193 yards and scored four touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

This week, Pinecrest has a week o before playing Jack Britt the rst Friday in October.

Moore County Week 6 high school schedule

Friday Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m., North Moore Mustangs (3-2) at Thomasville Bulldogs (1-3)

Friday Sept. 26, 7 p.m., Union Pines Vikings (3-1) at South Johnston Trojans (2-2) Pinecrest Patriots (4-1) o week

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Pinecrest celebrates a fourth straight win to head into its o week on a high note.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Blake Pennington

North Moore, football

Blake Pennington is a sophomore on the North Moore football team. He has also played basketball and golfed for the Mustangs.

North Moore beat Seaforth 30-20, and Pennington led the defensive e ort. He had a team-high 12 tackles and three tackles for loss. He also recovered a fumble for a touchdown. Pennington leads the Four Rivers 3A/4A conference in tackles.

NASCAR Blaney opens 2nd round of Cup with New Hampshire win

The Penske driver advanced to Round 3

The Associated Press

LOUDON, N.H. — In a race in which Fords were fastest at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney barely was best in class for the second-round opener of the NASCAR Cup Series playo s.

The 2023 Cup champion led 116 laps in his No. 12 Mustang, including the nal 39, but still had to fend o a furious charge by runner-up Josh Berry, who closed within a few car lengths with 10 laps left before overdriving a corner.

Blaney pulled away to win by 0.937 seconds Sunday for his third victory of the season and 16th of his career.

“That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove,” the Team Penske driver said. “I was trying to kind of bide my stu and pull Josh a little bit, then he really started coming. It was all I could do to hold him o , trying new lanes. That was good and clean racing. I appreciate Josh for not throwing me the bumper when he could have.

“What a cool day, what a cool weekend. Super fast car. Really have been strong through the playo s. It’s great to get a win in the rst race of the round.”

Blaney, who is trying to reach the Championship 4 seasonnale for the third consecutive year, became the rst driver to advance into one of the eight available spots in the third round of the Cup playo s.

Berry, whose No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford has a competitive alliance with Penske, overcame a spin on the 82nd lap and rebounded from his rst-round elimination after nishing last in each of the rst three races in the playo s.

“It was de nitely an awesome

day,” said Berry, who led 10 laps.

“Hats o to Ryan at the end. All our cars were really strong, and Ryan did a great job there. I was

honestly surprised I was able to keep him honest at the end.

“Just a shame to nish second, but after the last couple of

weeks, it feels good. This is denitely what we’re capable of, and hopefully we can keep it going.” The Fords backed up their

“That was probably the hardest 20 laps that I drove.”

Ryan Blaney

impressive performances in qualifying Saturday when Penske star Joey Logano won the pole position to cap a sweep of the top three starting spots with Blaney and Berry. The same trio led 273 of 301 laps Sunday.

William Byron was the highest- nishing Chevrolet driver in third.

“It was a good day overall,” said Byron, who is the highest-ranked driver behind Blaney in the playo standings with two races left in the second round. “Penske guys were super fast. I felt like they were in another ZIP code.”

Logano took fourth after leading a race-high 147 laps in the No. 22 Ford. The Middletown, Connecticut, native started from the pole for the rst time at New Hampshire, which he considers his home track.

“(Blaney) was wicked fast in practice, and he showed that again in the race,” Logano said. “We obviously got a ton of points today, so we did what we needed to do, but I’d rather win. That’s just the greed in me, especially when it’s home.”

After qualifying 27th, last among the 12 playo drivers, Chase Elliott raced to a fth-place nish.

Christopher Bell took sixth as the top nishing Toyota driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, which went undefeated in the rst round of the playo s. Kyle Larson took seventh, and Ross Chastain was ninth as playo drivers took eight of the top 10 spots on the 1.058-mile oval.

CHARLES KRUPA / AP PHOTO Ryan Blaney celebrates after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playo race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA BASKETBALL

Florida restores Maxwell’s college stats, again program’s leading scorer again

Gainesville, Fla.

Florida has formally restored basketball great Vernon Maxwell’s nal two years of college statistics. The move once again makes him the program’s all-time leading scorer. The 60-year-old Maxwell celebrated the turnabout during a program reunion. Maxwell scored 2,450 points during his four seasons at Florida in the late 1980s. But he also was the focus of an NCAA investigation that ultimately placed the Gators on unsanctioned probation. Florida was forced to vacate three NCAA Tournament victories in which Maxwell participated. Then-Florida AD Bill Arnsparger stripped Maxwell’s stats from the record books for those two years.

MLB Kershaw to retire after 18 years with Dodgers, more than 3,000 strikeouts

Los Angeles Clayton Kershaw, a threetime Cy Young Award winner, says he’s retiring at the end of this season, capping an 18-year career all spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 37-year- old left-hander, an 11-time All-Star and 2014 NL MVP, won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024. Kershaw has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, leading active major league players. His 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live ball era since 1920.

NHL

Kings captain Kopitar plans to retire after upcoming 20th season

Los Angeles Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar says he will retire from his 20-year NHL career after the upcoming season. The 38-year-old Kopitar made the announcement last Thursday following the rst practice of training camp with the Kings. The Slovenian center has spent his entire adult life with the Kings since making his NHL debut in October 2006. He is a ve-time NHL All-Star, a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, and a three -time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanlike play.

BOXING

Ali’s unsigned draft card to be auctioned

Muhammad Ali’s refusal to sign his military draft card upended his life and added a powerful voice to the antiwar movement. That piece of history is coming up for sale. The online sale by Christie’s will take place Oct. 10-28. The auction house says the card comes from descendants of Ali. There’s a blank line on the card where Ali was supposed to sign in 1967 but refused to do so as the Vietnam War raged on. It triggered a chain of events that disrupted his boxing career but immortalized him as a champion for peace and social justice.

NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ celebrates 20 years of prime-time

The broadcast has been the top-rated show for 14 straight years

By Joe Reedy The Associated Press

DICK EBERSOL HELPED change comedy and late-night television when he teamed up with Lorne Michaels to create “Saturday Night Live” in 1975.

When it comes to sports television, Ebersol’s creation of “Sunday Night Football” on NBC in 2006 also has had a signi cant impact.

It is tting then that both are celebrating milestones this year. “Saturday Night Live” celebrated its 50th season in February, while “Sunday Night Football” is in its 20th season.

“We were really aware that we weren’t just doing a football game, we were doing an important football game, that we would have all the bells and whistles,” Ebersol said about “Sunday Night Football”.

“Sunday Night Football” has been the highest-rated prime-time show for 14 consecutive seasons. The next closest was “American Idol”, which had a six-year streak from 2005-06 through the 2010-11 television season.

NBC’s rst three games this season — including the Sept. 4 NFL Kicko game — are averaging 24.9 million viewers for its best start since 2015.

The Sunday night package put NBC back in the NFL. NBC was without pro football for eight seasons, from 1998 to 2005, after CBS took over the AFC package.

“I think it’s exceeded everyone’s even very high expectations going in, and they’ve gone through the roof,” said Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution. “They’ve really never stopped innovating and focused on how to make Sunday night feel like a huge event and a great way to end the day.”

Mike Tirico called “Monday Night Football” on ESPN from 2006 through ’15 before joining NBC in 2016. He was the host of “Football Night in America” until taking over as the play-by-play announcer from Al Michaels in 2022. Cris Collinsworth, who got

“I think ‘Sunday Night Football’ has become everything ‘Monday Night Football’ was and more.”

Mike Tirico

his start at NBC after retiring as a player, returned to the network in 2006. He was on the studio show for three years before moving into the booth in 2009 after John Madden’s retirement.

Even though MNF had a 35-plus-year head start as the NFL’s seminal prime-time package, Tirico said it didn’t take long for SNF to supplant it because of the matchups and feel of the broadcast.

“I think ‘Sunday Night Football’ has become everything ‘Monday Night Football’ was and more now in a much more saturated TV environment,” Tirico said. “So I think without Monday night, you don’t have what Sunday night has, but it

took a special group of people, great planning and purpose to get Sunday night to where it is now. This run of being the No. 1 show in prime-time television for almost a decade and a half now, that’s extraordinary.”

Fred Gaudelli, who produced “Sunday Night Football” from 2006 through 2022 after working on “Monday Night Football” for ve years, said the success of Sunday night’s package at the start was due to Ebersol’s constant attention to the game schedule.

“There’s never been a network president, I’m very condent in saying this, that made the schedule a bigger priority than Dick Ebersol did,” said Gaudelli, the executive producer for the past three seasons. “If you check our schedules like the rst ve or six years, I think we had (Tom) Brady versus (Peyton) Manning four of the ve times, and we had all the big Cowboys games. So all of a sudden, every Sunday night is a big game. Monday night was ingrained in the American culture, but literally within two

or three years, we had reversed it.”

Something that Gaudelli sold Ebersol on, though, was having a musical open to the show, especially when Gaudelli mentioned how much NBC could earn from having a sponsor.

Gaudelli went to his iPod, heard Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and started to come up with lyrics that have been a staple of the show. Pink performed “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” before it switched to Faith Hill and now Carrie Underwood.

“I’ve had a front-row seat as the team created a sports presentation that went far beyond sports, with the integration of storytelling, pop culture and a musical show open that has become iconic,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said. NBC has aired Sunday night games from 40 stadiums, with Dallas playing in the most games in the series at 61. The most-viewed game was the 2012 season nale between the Cowboys and Washington, which averaged 30.3 million.

The former Wake Forest golfer will represent the U.S. on a familiar course

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

NAPA, Calif. — Bethpage

Black is a big ballpark on Long Island that made the boy feel even smaller. He was holding his father’s hand on Father’s Day in 2002 as they watched the U.S. Open won by Tiger Woods. It was Cameron Young’s rst glimpse of golf at the highest level.

“That golf course is where our state Open was every year. That was the big tournament for me at that point,” Young said, who in 2017 became the rst amateur to win the New York State Open with a course-record 64 at the Black.

“I knew that golf course was a major championship golf course, and that was my route to play it.”

But a Ryder Cup?

“At the time it was like, ‘That’s where I’d like to be,’” he said, pausing to smile. “So it’s been a long time coming.”

New York homecoming

Young is every bit of New York. He is the son of Sleepy Hollow’s longtime professional. He took

the train to school at Fordham Prep in the Bronx. He was all about the Yankees, Rangers and Giants as a kid who played hockey and baseball when he wasn’t pounding golf balls.

“We’re very proud to have a New Yorker on our team and represent his country at Bethpage Black,” Keegan Bradley said when he announced Young as one of his captain’s pick.

It might have been years in the making, but this really transpired over three months.

Young was at No. 67 in the world at the start of May, not even eligible for the nal two majors of the year. He was nowhere near the conversation to be in the Ryder Cup, yet no less determined for his one shot at a Ryder Cup in his native New York.

Big pressure required small steps.

“Break par for a couple of days in a row, hit some good shots, put together a week,” Young said. “We started doing those little things better and better and built some belief.”

He had his rst top 10 in four months in May at the Truist Championship. A month later as a U.S. Open quali er, he birdied three of his last four holes to get into a 5-for-1 playo and then made a 12-foot birdie to earn his

“This

Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special to

me.”

Cameron Young

way to Oakmont, where he tied for fourth. He also tied for fourth in Canada to earn a spot in the British Open. And then came his rst PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August when he won by six shots.

“I had to win something just to put myself in the question,” Young said.

The answer became increasingly obvious when Young followed that win with three strong performances in the postseason. Then came that call from Bradley with the best news of his career, better in

his mind than winning for the rst time on tour.

“This Ryder Cup in particular — in New York, at Bethpage — is so special to me,” Young said the day he was chosen. “I’ve been picturing the moment that I can possibly get a call to play on the team for a very, very long time.”

Young is 28, an old soul who doesn’t say much but always gets to the point. He is living in south Florida with his wife and three children, ages 3, 2 and 1. He isn’t on social media and doesn’t bother with it. His phone is primarily used to check his tee times and text his wife.

“I prefer things to be simple,” he said. “My attention is either on my children or on my job.”

Now the attention is on winning Ryder Cup points at Bethpage Black, a course an hour away from where he grew up, a course he rst saw at age 5 and has loved ever since.

BARBARA YOUNG / AP PHOTO

Cameron Young, 5, holds his father’s hand at Bethpage Black during the nal round of the U.S. Open in 2002.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

NBC Sports play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, left, sits next to color commentator Cris Collinsworth before a Sunday night game.

Roger Bene eld

June 30, 1936 –Sept. 20, 2025

Roger Bene eld, 89, of Southern Pines, NC, formerly of Munroe Falls, OH, passed away on Sept. 20, 2025 at FirstHealth Hospice Care in Pinehurst. He was born to John and Elline Bene eld in New Concord, OH

Nov. 27, 1946 – Sept 16, 2025

Sheila Louise Williams of Southern Pines, NC passed on September 16, at First Health Hospice.

She had been dealing with Dementia for some time and fell, breaking both arms. The combination of dementia and pain was just too much.

Sheila was born in Tulsa, Okla. On November 27, 1946, to Eula Faye Moss and Haskel L. Miley who preceded her in death.

Sheila was rst and foremost, a great Mom to her two children, Son, Brett Williams and daughter Michele Fogleman. She loved her grandchildren deeplySpencer and Laurie Fogleman, and Hunter Williams. Sheila also found time to become a talented, self-taught interior decorator, which was a great help to her husband’s building business. Sheila was active in Vacation Bible School and choir at Community Presbyterian Church.

Sheila Miley of Tulsa, OK and Densel Williams of Forsyth, Missouri were married in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 26, 1965, and recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

A Celebration of life service will be at Community Presbyterian Church on September 27, 2025, at 2:00 PM. The family requests that any donations be made to the National Alzheimer’s Association Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

in the summer of 1936. During his youth, he spent most of his childhood in New Concord with family and friends and it remained one of his favorite places to visit throughout his life.

Roger is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Ann Lawrentz of Cuyahoga Falls OH. He was a loving father to sons Dr. Randal Bene eld (Margo) of Raleigh, NC and Greg Bene eld (Susan) of Southern Pines, NC. He was grandfather to Jon Bene eld, Emily Meznar (Michael) and Matthew Bene eld.

Roger and his family lived in various towns in Ohio and West Virginia during his early years as his father was transferred with Greyhound Bus Lines. They eventually settled in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, where he was a graduate of Cuyahoga Falls High School, class of 1954. He married the former Joyce Clair,

Aug. 24, 1924 –Sept. 19, 2025

Janine Virlouvet McGregor was born on August 24, 1924 in Caen, Normandy, France and passed away on September 19, 2025 in Southern Pines, NC.

She was married to Col. William “Mac” McGregor, the love of her life for 53 years. Their journey started in Rabat, Morocco, where they were married while working at the US airbase. Their next stop was Omaha, NE, where their only child, Catrine McGregor, was born in 1953. Mac and Janine enjoyed their travels throughout the world before retiring in Pinehurst, NC. Janine McGregor is survived by her daughter, Catrine McGregorUnger, her son-in-law Robert Unger, her grandson Julien McGregor, his wife Jennifer McGregor and their six children: Hailey, Erina, Mika, Ren, Hinata and William as well as two greatgreat grandchildren. She will be joining her husband at Arlington Cemetery.

also of Cuyahoga Falls, where they began a journey through life together. After high school he joined the Ohio National Guard and was assigned to the US Army’s surface to air missile defense forces, operating at the Warrensville Heights NIKE site near Cleveland. He spent several years traveling between Cleveland and Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX for training before being honorably discharged as a CW2 in 1957.

Exiting the National Guard, he worked at Square D in Cleveland and then in 1969 began employment in Human Resources at Kent State University, retiring after 30 years as Director of Non-Academic Personnel. At the university Roger made many lifelong friends and was highly regarded by all who knew him. He earned his BS

Jan 24, 1943 - Sept. 18, 2025

Jon Alan Russell, age 82, of Whispering Pines, NC, passed away at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital on September 18, 2025. Jon was born in Miami, FL, on January 24th, 1943, to George Russell and Elaine Andrews Russell.

Jon had a long career in Washington D.C. at both Verizon and the Government Accountability O ces. Throughout his life, he enjoyed an active lifestyle. In his younger years, he loved working out at the gym, especially as a Spin instructor, and motorcycling. In 2011 he married Marcia Lenz where they spent several years in Manassas, VA. He traded in the Harley for a golf cart in 2013 and laid retirement roots in Whispering Pines (NC).

He loved to golf (especially with Ernie, Jack and Mike), use his pontoon boat, sh, and take long walks around the area with his beloved dog Bailey. Jon liked to volunteer in the Whispering Pines community, especially with the Muckrakers (cleaning the surrounding lakes), helping to maintain the park across the street with Marcia, parking for village events and entertaining the neighborhood children

Jon is survived by his wife, Marcia Russell; daughters Bridget and Jennifer (Garry), son Michael (Tori), sisters Mary (Greg) Stanley, Kris Cicio, brother Jerry (Donna) Russell, niece Michelle Russell and nephews Scot (John) Stanley and Eric Russell; stepdaughter Melee Jameson, stepson Rocky (Joy) Jameson, his cherished step-granddaughter Marisol, and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. Jon was preceded in death by his sons Mark Russell and Joseph Russell, and his Parents.

In lieu of memorial contributions, Jon would want his friends to teach a child to golf.

in Industrial Management from Akron University and his MA Degree from Central Michigan University.

Roger was a longtime member of the Munroe Falls Lions Club, he was the founder of the Bulldog Dads Booster Club when his sons were active in sports at Stow High School, and having been born and raised in rural Ohio, he was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and shing during his life. He was also an accomplished woodworker, making many pieces of furniture, cabinetry and even playhouses for his family. He was a loving caretaker for Joyce during the past several years of his life.

Roger’s remains will be interred at a later date in the family plot in Akron, Ohio. Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines.

April 25, 1937 –Sept. 18, 2025

William Andrew Beard, 88, of Pineblu , NC, passed away on September 18, 2025, at First Health Hospice House.

Bill was born on April 25, 1937, in Fayetteville, NC, to William Malcolm and Martha Jane Beard.

Bill proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, and the Army Reserves. He was a veteran of both the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, dedicating many years of his life to military service with honor and courage.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Make and Janie Beard, and his brother, Jerry Beard.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Kay Beard; children, Andrew Beard (Lisa McNeely) of Polk City, FL, Kristi Hinnant (Matt) of Emerald Isle, NC, and Kahne Kraft (Jonathan) of Pinehurst, NC; grandchildren, Landon (Lauren), Conor, Tyler, Abby, Anna Ryan, Addison, Will, and Jackson; great-grandchild, Ellis; sisters, Wilma Johnson and Sue McKenzie; and his brother, Jimmy Beard; along with many extended family members and friends who loved him dearly.

A service will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines, NC, at 3 PM. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1:00 - 3:00PM at the funeral home and burial will follow the service at Pineblu Cemetery.

In lieu of owers, the family requests donations to First Health Hospice House or the Lions Club of Aberdeen.

Richard Norman LaPorte

April 24, 1954 –Sept. 16, 2025

Richard Norman LaPorte, 71, of Pinehurst, NC passed away on September 16, 2025. Richard was born in Hartford, CT on April 24, 1954 to the late Norman and Loretta LaPorte.

Richard had a lifelong passion for cars, speci cally Corvettes, whether admiring their design, keeping them in immaculate showroom condition, or enjoying the occasional car show or road trip. That same spirit carried into his love for his family and travel, as he delighted in exploring new places and sharing adventures with family and friends. He was a positive presence wherever he was and will be missed deeply.

Richard is survived by his wife, Suzanne, daughter, Jacqueline, son, Shawn, son-in-law, Aaron Zankel, and granddaughter, Madeleine Zankel. He is also survived by his sisters Cheryl Gauvin and Linda Bouchard.

Family will receive friends Monday, September 22, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Boles Funeral Home, Southern Pines. Mass of Christian burial will be held Tuesday, September 23, 2025 at 9:30 AM at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Southern Pines.

Jon Alan Russel

Janine Virlouvet McGregor

Sheila Louise Williams

William Andrew Beard

STATE & NATION

Trump o cials praise Charlie Kirk’s faith, mark on the conservative movement

The memorial service drew thousands, including Vice President JD Vance

By Jonathan J. Cooper, Eugene Garcia, Aamer Madhani and Meg Kinnard The Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. — President Donald Trump praised Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” for freedom as he and other prominent conservatives gathered Sunday evening to honor the slain conservative political activist whose work they say they must now advance.

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration ofcials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old rebrand.

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”

Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.

“For Charlie, we will remem-

ber that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

Kirk’s assassination at a Sept. 10 appearance on a Utah college campus has set o a erce debate about violence, decency and free speech in an era of deep political division.

The shooting has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justi cation to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.

Those close to Kirk prayed and the oors at the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals shook from the bass of Christian rock bands, as the memorial started with the feel of a megachurch service before veering into something more akin to a political rally.

Longtime worship leader

Chris Tomlin opened the service and was joined later by other big names in contemporary Christian music, including Brandon Lake and Phil Wickham. Near the end, as Trump took the stage, Lee Greenwood sang a live rendition of the president’s campaign walk-on song, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

People began lining up before dawn to secure a spot inside State Farm Stadium west of Phoenix, where Kirk’s Turning Point organization is based. Security was tight and speakers delivered their tributes from behind bullet-proof glass.

The 63,400-seat stadium quickly lled with people

US bars Iran’s diplomats from shopping at Costco without permission

The state department determined that memberships in wholesale clubs are a “bene t” requiring approval

By Matthew Lee

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Trump administration has barred Iranian diplomats based in or visiting New York from shopping at wholesale club stores like Costco and purchasing luxury goods in the United States without speci c permission from the State Department.

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York while the Iranian people endure poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and dire shortages of water and electricity,” the department said in a statement.

In notices to be published this week in the Federal Register, the department’s O ce of Foreign Missions determined that diplomatic memberships in wholesale club stores as well as diplomats’ ability to buy items such as watches, furs, jewelry, handbags, wallets, perfumes, tobacco, alcohol and cars are a “bene t” requir-

dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested.

The mood in the stadium ebbed and owed throughout a service that stretched more than ve hours. Mourners were patient and cordial, even after waiting hours to enter and then an hour or more for food in stadium concession lines.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, in her own address said in the midst of her grief she was nding comfort that her husband left this world without regrets. She said she forgives the man who is charged with killing him.

“My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” said Erika Kirk, who is taking over as Turning Point’s leader. She added, “I forgive him.”

Trump, who closed out the service, remarked that Charlie Kirk “did not hate his oppo-

“We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to have a shopping spree in New York.”

U.S. State department statement

ing U.S. government approval.

However, the only country whose diplomats were specically targeted is Iran. Stores like Costco have been a favorite of Iranian diplomats posted to and visiting New York because they are able to buy large quantities of products not available in their economically isolated country for relatively cheap prices and send them home.

“By preventing Iranian regime o cials from exploiting diplomatic travel to the UN as a means to obtain goods unavailable to the Iranian public, we are sending a clear message: When the United States says it stands with the people of Iran, we mean

nents” and “wanted the best for them,” an attribute he found hard to understand.

“That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them,” Trump said. “I’m sorry, I am sorry Erika.”

Trump has blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death and threatened to go after liberal organizations and donors or others who he feels are maligning or celebrating Kirk’s death.

Dozens of people, from journalists to teachers to late show host Jimmy Kimmel, have faced suspensions or lost their jobs as prominent conservative activists and administration o cials target comments about Kirk that they deem o ensive or celebratory. The retaliation has in turn ignited a debate over the First Amendment.

Some speakers at the memorial said Kirk was battling evil and referred to a vague “they” as the enemy. Others were blunt.

“You have no idea the dragon you have awakened, you have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic,” said White House deputy chief of sta Stephen Miller.

Kirk was a provocateur who at times made statements that some called racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant and transphobic. That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few select moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader.

A 22-year-old Utah man, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with killing Kirk and faces the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges. Author-

it,” the State Department said.

The move is another step in the Trump administration’s crackdown on visas, including for leaders and diplomats seeking to serve as representatives at the United Nations. While world leaders are gathering this week for the high-pro le annual meeting at the international body, the new U.S. restrictions permanently apply to any Iranian diplomats representing their country at the U.N. year-round.

The determinations, which were posted online Monday and to be printed Tuesday, said Iranian diplomats and their dependents must “obtain approval from the Department of State prior to: obtaining or otherwise retaining membership at any wholesale club store in the United States, to include but not limited to Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s Wholesale Club, and acquiring items from such wholesale club stores through any means.”

In addition, Iranian diplomats in the U.S. must also receive permission to purchase luxury items valued at more than $1,000 and vehicles valued

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom. I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie.”

President Donald Trump

ities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but prosecutors say Robinson wrote in a text to his partner following the shooting that he “had enough” of Kirk’s hatred.

Turning Point, the group Kirk founded to mobilize young Christian conservatives, became a multimillion-dollar operation under his leadership with enormous reach.

The crowd was a testament to the in uence he accumulated in conservative America with his ability to mobilize young people.

And the service brought together a veritable who’s who of the Republican Party, with numerous current and former lawmakers in the crowd. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and former top adviser to Trump, was spotted sitting with Trump for part of the service.

Kirk was a MAGA celebrity with a loyal following that turned out to support or argue with him as he traveled the country for the events like the one at Utah Valley University, where he was shot.

Speaker after speaker, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed awe at Kirk’s ability to go into what many conservatives saw as the lion’s den to make the conservative case: college campuses.

“Why don’t you start somewhere easier,” Rubio recalled thinking when he rst heard about Kirk years ago. “Like, for example, communist Cuba?”

at more that $60,000, said Clifton Seagroves, the head of the O ce of Foreign Missions.

The items de ned as “luxury goods” include watches, leather apparel and clothing accessories, silk apparel and clothing accessories, footwear, fur skins and arti cial furs, handbags, wallets, fountain pens, cosmetics, perfumes and toilet waters, works of art, antiques, carpets, rugs, tapestries, pearls, gems, precious and semi-precious stones or jewelry containing them, precious metals, electronics and appliances, recreational sports articles, musical instruments, cigarettes and cigars, wine, spirits and beer.

Earlier this month, U.S. ocials said they were considering the restrictions, which Seagroves signed on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18.

The Trump administration has already denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his large delegation to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In addition to Iran, the administration also was considering restrictions to be imposed on delegations from Sudan, Zimbabwe and Brazil.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.