North State Journal Vol. 10, Issue 38

Thankful for their service

Participants raise an American ag during the Veterans Day parade Tuesday in New York.

Senate approves bill to end shutdown

Washington, D.C.

The Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end as a small group of Democrats rati ed a deal with Republicans despite searing criticism from within their party. The 41- day shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid- September, return to Washington, D.C., to vote on the legislation. President Donald Trump has signaled support for the bill. The nal Senate vote, 60-40, broke a grueling stalemate that lasted more than six weeks as Democrats demanded that Republicans negotiate with them to extend health care tax credits that expire Jan. 1. The Republicans never did, and ve moderate Democrats eventually switched their votes as federal food aid was delayed, airport delays worsened and hundreds of thousands of federal workers continued to go unpaid.

Hospital police o cer shot, killed in Garner emergency room

Garner

Public input sought on election modernization

The systems needing upgrades have been in use for more than two decades

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections and the O ce of the State Auditor are seeking public input on plans to modernize the state’s election management

system and campaign nance software, both of which have been in use for more than two decades.

The State Board of Elections (NCSBE) and the O ce of the State Auditor (OSA) speci cally want the public’s input on what security and reporting features and capabilities should be part of a new system.

“The new election system must be secure and easy to

See ELECTIONS, page A3

NC delegation calls for National Guard in Charlotte

Congressional Republicans urged Gov. Josh Stein to send troops to the city

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Three of North Carolina’s congressional delegation have sent a letter to Gov. Josh Stein urging him to grant a request by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police to send the National Guard into Charlotte.

N.C. Congressman Mark Harris (R-Indian Trail) is leading the e ort and letter, which is signed by Republican colleagues Chuck Edwards (R-Flat Rock) and Pat Harrigan (R-Hickory).

“Governor Stein is deaf to the desperate pleas of Charlotte’s police and residents,” Harris said in a press release.

“He refuses reinforcements

to crush the violent crime surge — exposing him and his party as pro-crime Democrats who coddle criminals while ignoring victims. That’s why my colleagues and I are ghting for millions of North Carolinians, demanding we reclaim the Queen City. Governor Stein: Stop stalling — send in the Guard now.”

The letter cites Stein’s “consistent refusal” to grant the request by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police.

“As you know, the situation in our state’s largest city has become increasingly dire,” wrote the lawmakers. “Recently, the city faced 8 homicides in 7 days. The murder rate in uptown Charlotte is now 200 percent higher than it was a year ago.

“According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal

A police o cer was shot and killed during a struggle in the emergency department lobby at a Garner hospital Saturday. The shooting happened around 9 a.m. at the WakeMed Garner Healthplex, killing WakeMed Campus Police O cer Roger Smith, according to a WakeMed statement. A “person of interest” in the shooting was in custody, said a Garner Police Department statement. See GUARD, page A2

The school system has a $46 million de cit

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — O cials with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools told a state board of education appeals panel that the district’s $3.4 million debt to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is “paid in full” during a hearing last Tuesday. The hearing was a follow-up to a Sept. 2 meeting, at which the appeals panel extended the grace period on the $3.4 million Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) owed to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).

WS/FCS overall budget decit was found to be more than $46 million, according to a state audit.

The three-member panel was chaired by John Blackburn, who was joined by State Board Chair Eric Davis and board member Jill Camnitz.

“As of Oct. 28, we have paid DPI in full,” said WS/FCS School Board Chair Deanna Kaplan. “The nal $3.4 million payment was funded by the Winston-Salem Foundation’s Winston Salem-Forsyth County Schools Futures Fund.”

The full repayment of the debt to NCDPI avoids the district having to pay 0.4% interest on any unpaid balance.

See WS/FCS, page A3

“As of Oct. 28, we have paid DPI in full.” Deanna Kaplan, WS/FCS board chair

YUKI IWAMURA / AP PHOTO

the word | The school of life

The business of noble Christian living is learning. We know nothing when we begin.

Housing project approvals totaled $370 million

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Housing project funding requests from around the state were the focus of approvals by the Local Government Commission at its November meeting held last Tuesday.

The Local Government Commission (LGC), chaired by State Treasurer Brad Briner, approved signi cant expenditures totaling $370 million focusing on affordable housing and retirement home projects around the state. Many of the requests approved involve conduit revenue bonds, and issuers of such bonds lend the bond proceeds “to certain third-party entities at tax-exempt rates.”

The press release issued by Briner’s o ce cites a joint study by the N.C. League of Municipalities and N.C. Association of County Commissioners which says, “The housing a ordability crisis in North Carolina has become increasingly broad, a ecting a range of communities.”

Highlighted housing-related project approvals included a $45.2 million Charlotte urban housing project aimed at ad-

Order of Police, aggravated assaults involving knives and guns have risen from 86 in 2024 to 111 in 2025, and personal strong-arm robberies have increased from 26 to 31 in the same period,” the letter states.

“These are not just numbers — they represent North Carolinians whose lives have been lost or shattered by violent crime.”

The letter includes specific examples of “egregious” cases such as Decarlos Brown, accused in the stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska on the city’s light rail system; Herbert Jordan, who has been arrested 50 times; and a Charlotte teen arrested 111 times in two years but who is not in jail.

“The men and women who wear the badge in Charlotte have sounded an unmistakable cry for help. Yet, you have re -

On the tomb of an English historian is the inscription, “He died learning.” Learning is not con ned to books. Life itself is a school — lessons are continually set for us. Paul tells us of one such lesson: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” We’re glad to know Paul had to learn to be content. We might think he always knew how to live nobly, but even he had to be taught. He was well on in years when he said this, showing it took time and e ort to learn.

Hebrews 5:8 tells us that even Jesus “learned obedience from what He su ered.”

In Gethsemane, we see Him learning submission. His humanity meant He, too, had to learn contentment, patience, and endurance. He learned to return kindness for unkindness, and to accept su ering without resentment.

We are all in Christ’s school. Disciples are learners, and we begin in the lowest grade. Every new experience is a new lesson from the Master Teacher.

Temptation is one of these lessons. When trials come, we may ask why God permits them. The devil tempts us to sin, but God uses temptation to strengthen and prepare us. Jesus, though sinless, was tempted. Because He overcame, He can help us when we are tempted.

One who resists temptation becomes a source of strength to others. A single faithful Christian can inspire many; one failure can discourage many. Knowing others will follow our example should urge us to stand rm. And we need not fail. “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man... God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Sorrow is another lesson. It is not meaningless. If God allows it, it must have a purpose. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

(Matthew 5:4) The comfort God gives makes the sorrow itself a blessing.

dressing housing shortages and a $67.9 million Durham retirement home that will provide specialized care for aging populations aimed at addressing the state’s growing number of senior citizens.

The largest housing-related approval was $101.9 million conduit revenue bond from the North Carolina Medical Care Commission, with proceeds designated for United Methodist Retirement Homes for expansion and renovation work at Croasdaile Village in Durham County and Wesley Pines in Robeson County.

The Raleigh Housing Authority in Wake County secured approval for two conduit revenue bonds totaling more than $56 million to support lowand moderate-income multifamily housing developments.

One bond is for $31.7 million to fund a 160-unit development on Martin Street, and a $24.5 million bond for 146 units across three buildings on Rawls Drive.

Forsyth County received approval for $89.5 million for 400 a ordable units integrated with commercial spaces to foster economic development in underserved areas.

Inlivian, Charlotte’s housing authority in Mecklenburg County, received approval for a

jected their cry,” the lawmakers wrote in closing. “The people of North Carolina deserve to know why their governor has refused help while the o cers sworn to protect them plead for immediate assistance.”

Daniel Redford, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police (CMFOP) gave support to the letter.

“The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police continues to stand by our request for federal assistance,” said Redford. “What is most concerning is that city leaders, many of whom have served multiple terms, have failed to foresee these police shortages and build the ranks of CMPD at a time when attrition was manageable.

“The officers of CMPD are now tasked with the burden of their failures and they grow

We shrink from su ering, but some things are dearer than ease — like faith, love, and spiritual growth. Lessons learned through pain often repay a thousandfold. Some wonder how a loving God could allow so much su ering. But God’s own heart did break — on the cross. From that sorrow came blessing for the world.

Jesus didn’t say mourning is good in itself, but that the comfort of God is blessed. Those who receive His comfort are lifted into a deeper experience of His love. A man who had lived many years caring for a chronically ill wife once said that all that was good in his life came from the sorrow he had borne. He learned to rejoice in the trial. He accepted the lesson — and was blessed.

The Bible tells us that God preserves our tears (Psalm 56:8). Even our sorrows are precious to Him. In heaven, we will see that our best lessons came through our tears.

Christian graces must all be learned. Paul learned contentment — not through ease, but through su ering and lack. He found such fullness in Christ that secondary

$68 million conduit revenue bond to nance a 238-unit multifamily rental development called Vintage on West Boulevard.

The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency was approved for a $55 million conduit revenue bond to support 10 multifamily housing facilities with 640 total units for low- to moderate-income residents across eight counties.

For the town of Clayton (Johnston County), a $45 million conduit revenue bond was approved to nance a 167-unit multifamily rental facility for lower-income households.

The town of Boone (Watauga County) was approved for a $500,000 request to build 20 a ordable low-income family housing units that include water and sewer connection improvements.

Nonhousing related approvals by the LGC included $97 million for two projects in Winston-Salem: $70 million for water and sewer projects as well as infrastructure improvements, and $26.6 million for solid waste management facilities expansion and improvements.

Other business included approvals for various local governments on the “Unit Assistance List,” described in the

more and more exhausted as each day passes.”

The CMFOP made public its request to Charlotte city leaders for National Guard help in an Oct. 4 Facebook post, which included screenshots of their official letter.

“Last night, we delivered an urgent plea to our City Leaders — an official letter asking for federal support, including National Guard deployment, to help pull Charlotte back from the brink,” the CMFOP wrote in the post. “This isn’t politics — it’s a fight for our neighbors’ lives.”

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who was reelected to a fifth term in last week’s election, rejected the idea of sending the National Guard at the time CMFOP made its request.

“No, we do not intend to request the National Guard,” she said in a statement. “Charlotte

things no longer mattered. We might learn this better if we experienced more need. Unbroken comfort doesn’t teach contentment. Sometimes God must remove the sunshine to show us the beauty of the dark.

Patience is another hard lesson. Many of us are impatient — with others, with circumstances. A teacher once rebuked a slow student, who responded, “I am doing the very best I can.” The teacher later regretted his harshness. Impatience often limits our usefulness. Even Moses lost the Promised Land through one outburst of impatience.

Ruskin once wrote to his children: “Keep sweetly calm of temper under all circumstances, recognizing the thing that is provoking you — as coming directly from Christ’s hand.” The more it provokes, the more we should thank Him for trusting us with a hard lesson. If we are inclined to become impatient or harsh, it shows we have not yet learned.

Sickness also brings lessons. When the doctor sends you to rest, it may be God’s way of saying, “Be still and learn.” If people pray for your healing, they should also pray that the sickness accomplishes its mission. It would be tragic to recover physically — but miss the spiritual lesson.

Ask God what He is teaching you through illness or trial. None of it is purposeless. Life becomes sacred when we see it as Christ’s school. The Master is always saying, “Come unto Me, and learn of Me.” Are we learning?

Some make it a rule to learn one new fact each day. Goethe said we should daily see one beautiful thing, hear one sweet sound, or read one ne poem. In Christ’s school, we should aim daily to learn one new lesson, add one new line of beauty to our character.

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. This is an edited version of his original.

press release issued by Briner’s o ce as “a designation that signi cantly lowers the threshold at which LGC approval is required to enter into debt agreements.” Those approvals included:

•$59,586 to Bailey (Nash County) for a Ford Motor Credit Company lease nancing agreement for a police interceptor vehicle

•$136,599 to Stoneville (Rockingham County) for two new police vehicles to replace aging police cars

•$385,151 to Red Springs (Robeson County) for a lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management for seven vehicles for their police, parks and recreation, and electric departments.

•$192,000 — Red Springs (Robeson County) to purchase a bucket truck for the town’s electric department

The LGC designated four

has strong leaders across all sectors who are dedicated to ensuring our community remains safe.”

The same day CMFOP made its request to Charlotte leaders, Stein signed Iryna’s Law, named after Zarutska.

The law ends cashless bail for certain offenders, creates a “violent offense” category mandating a secured bond or GPS-monitored house arrest for those crimes, and limits discretion of magistrates and judges to release a person on a promissory note to reappear.

The governor signed the measure on the last day before it would have become law without his signature, criticizing it by saying it failed “to focus appropriately on the threat that people pose instead of their ability to post bail.”

A spokesperson from

towns as distressed local government units under the state’s Viable Utility Reserve (VUR) legislation. The designations mandate speci c actions by the towns involved, and the designation may qualify the towns for VUR grants.

The towns include Aulander (Bertie County), Candor (Montgomery and Moore counties) and Columbus (Polk County) failed to submit required annual nancial audits for two consecutive years, and Woodland (Northampton County).

The LGC considered resolutions involving two other towns that failed to comply with auditing requirements: Speed (Edgecombe County) and Taylortown (Moore County).

The LGC is sta ed by the Department of State Treasurer and has statutory authority to review and approve most debt issued by local governments and public authorities in the state.

Stein’s office responded to North State Journal’s request for comment on the letter, writing in an email, “Local, well-trained law enforcement officers who live in and know their communities are best equipped to keep North Carolina neighborhoods safe, not military servicemembers. That is why Governor Stein has been working to expand our ranks of well-trained law enforcement officers.”

The spokesperson noted the governor “has called on the General Assembly to fund his plan to extend raises and recruitment and retention bonuses to law enforcement and make investments in mental health to keep everyone safe.”

Stein has asked the legislature to fund the $195 million in public safety initiatives included in his March budget proposal.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

“Christ in the House of Martha and Mary” by Johannes Vermeer (c. 1654) is a painting in the collection of the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Four schools named in rst NC Blue Ribbon awards

The new award replaces the National Blue Ribbon program, which was terminated in August

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Four North Carolina schools have been recognized as inaugural statewide “Blue Ribbon” schools by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

“This recognition re ects the hard work of educators, students, families and communities working together to ensure every child has access to high-quality learning,” State Superintendent Mo Green said in a press release. “We celebrate these schools for their growth, achievement and commitment to student success as North Carolina’s inaugural Blue Ribbon Schools award recipients.”

“Leaders in the ForsythCounty community rallied around Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and they led a fundraising e ort to support our schools and our students,” Kaplan said, adding the fund is raising money speci cally for paying o the debt and fundraising is still ongoing.

Kaplan presented the district’s debt repayment plan alongside interim WF/FCS Superintendent Catty Moore and School Board Vice Chair Alex Bohannon.

“Through Dec. 31, every private dollar spent towards reducing the district’s debt will be matched in debt forgiveness by the county,” Kaplan told the panel. “The payment made by the Futures Fund to DPI last week will also reduce our debt to the county by $3.4 million. So that leaves our current debt to the county at $1.6 million.”

WS/FCS’s estimated debt was $46.1 million for FY 2024 -25, and the presentation given by Kaplan listed total debt to its three largest vendors of more than $15.377 million, broken down by vendor, the district owes ESS (substitute sta ng service) more than $6.1 million, Forsyth County more than $5 million and SSC (custodial ser-

The awards to the schools were based on 2023-24 accountability results, according to a press release by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).

The press release said two categories of schools were considered for the award: Exemplary High Performing and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing. Those categories mirror the National Blue Ribbon award, which has been discontinued.

vices) more than $4.25 million.

Kaplan said they renegotiated the SSC contract to “satisfy our outstanding obligation.” The new 10-year contract will begin Jan. 1, 2026, and comes with a “$4.2 million signing bonus.” She also said the new contract saves the district $1.2 million this year and more than $2.14 million in future years.

“These e orts have resolved more than $22 million of our total debt. This leaves our remaining debt to vendors at $7.7 million,” said Kaplan, adding that continued fundraising will hopefully eliminate the remaining debt to the county.

Kaplan said WS/FCS’s repayment plan will be a “multiyear e ort,” including a goal of identifying $3.5 million in revenues for additional debt repayment within the current scal year and an eye on repaying $2 million to the Child Nutrition Loan Fund.

Kaplan told the panel that personnel changes were made to ensure they were more “closely aligned with state allotments,” and that they have a “balanced budget for this scal year.”

WS/FCS’s scal year budget for 2025-26 includes a resolution for $3.5 million in debt repayment and a $2.1 million reserve fund for “overages” that could

“We celebrate these schools for their growth, achievement and commitment to student success as North Carolina’s inaugural Blue Ribbon Schools award recipients.”

Mo Green,

state superintendent

The schools receiving the new state Blue Ribbon award include two schools in the Wake County Public Schools System, one in Henderson County and one in Moore County:

• Apex Friendship Middle School (Wake County) — Exemplary High Performing and Achievement Gap Closing

• Mills Park Middle School (Wake County) — Exemplary High Performing and Achievement Gap Closing

• Henderson County Early College (Henderson County) —

Exemplary High Performing • Pinehurst Elementary (Moore County) — Exemplary High Performing and Achievement Gap Closing The schools will be recognized for their achievement at the State Board of Education meeting in December.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Madi Biedermann, principal deputy assistant secretary for the O ce of Communications and Outreach, noti ed state education ocials of the end of the National Blue Ribbon award pro -

COURTESY WS/FCS

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools says it has paid o its $3.4 million debt to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

be used to pay down the debt.

“We propose that next scal year we will set aside $4.2 million for debt repayment when we adopt the budget,” said Kaplan, who described monthly payment plans for the vendors, which includes $375,000 to ESS, $125,000 to Child Nutrition and a to-be-determined amount to the county.

Kaplan said should fundraising e orts fail to materialize, debt repayment to the county could be deferred. She also said $350,000 in the 2026-27 budget would be set aside for debt repayment. Kaplan indicated

NCDOT TO HOLD VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR MULTIMODAL CONNECTED VEHICLE PILOT PROJECT IN WAKE COUNTY

STIP PROJECT NO.

HO-0001AA

RALEIGH - The public is invited to a meeting with the N.C. Department of Transportation this month to discuss the pilot project that is exploring State University.

For the project, crews updated road infrastructure, introduced a new mobile app for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers, and used smart transportation systems to evaluate these technologies. The pilot aims to improve safety, mobility and environmental sustainability

A virtual meeting will be held 6 -7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. Interested residents can attend the meeting online or by phone to learn more about the pilot, ask questions and talk with NCDOT representatives. There will be a formal presentation beginning promptly at 6 p.m

Meeting registration and project details, including a map of the pilot area, can be found on the NCDOT project webpage at https://publicinput.com/mmcvp-raleigh.

People may also submit comments by phone, email or mail by Dec. 12, 2025 by contacting NCDOT State Signal Equipment Engineer Keith Mims, PE at 919-8144931; kmmims@ncdot.gov; or 1561 Mail Service Center in Raleigh.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled people who wish to participate in the virtual meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Jamille Robbins, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center in Raleigh; 919-707-6085; or jarobbins@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

Persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.

Aquellas personas que no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-481-6494.

gram in a letter dated Aug. 29.

“In the spirit of Returning Education to the States, USED is ending its role in the program,” Biedermann wrote. “State leaders are best positioned to recognize excellence in local schools based on educational achievements that align with their communities’ priorities for academic accomplishment and improvement.

“Awards conceived by those closest to the communities and families served by local schools will do more to encourage meaningful reforms than a one-size- ts-all standard established by a distant bureaucracy in Washington, D.C.” Since 2021, 17 North Carolina public schools and one private school have received the National Blue Ribbon award. The private school, Durham’s Immaculate Catholic School, received the award in 2024.

“Governor Stein: Stop stalling — send in the Guard now.”

U.S. Rep. Mark Harris (R-Indian Trail)

while reconciling the accounts. Bohannan said a “leadership transition” in the district’s payroll department initially hampered e orts to straighten out what the district may or may not owe to the IRS.

During a question-and-answer period, Davis asked for clari cation on the IRS issues.

they expect to pay o the debt to ESS by July 2027.

Bohannon gave updates on the nancial statement audit for last scal year performed by Forvis Mazars, which “will be substantially completed by Dec. 31” but won’t be nalized until after the state board’s internal controls review concludes.

Bohannon also gave an update on WS/FCS issues pertaining to IRS penalties.

“We are up to date on all federal withholding payments,” Bohannon said, but he noted errors were found in that area in payments to the state

ELECTIONS from page A1

use for the State Board and the 100 county boards of elections,” Sam Hayes, NCSBE executive director, said in a press release. “We also want to make sure the new system can administer elections according to state and federal laws and with public transparency in mind. This RFI is your opportunity to weigh in.”

State Auditor Dave Boliek emphasized the importance of public participation in the process.

“North Carolina voters are the ones casting ballots each year. As the State Board of Elections moves forward with modernization e orts, it’s only right that the public has a voice on this matter,” Boliek said in a separate press statement. “Having transparency is important for voter condence, voter participation, and election integrity. I encourage all North Carolinians to submit their feedback on best approaches to these fundamental systems.”

The two systems the NCSBE and OSA plan to modernize are the Statewide Elections Information Management System (SEIMS) and campaign nance software. The NCSBE manages the software systems being modernized, and the OSA oversees the budgeting process involved. SEIMS serves as the central elections management system that coordinates statewide elections processes, voter registration, canvassing, voter roll list maintenance and reporting of election results. The SIEMS system is used daily by both the NCSBE and all 100 county boards of elections. SIEMS was initially devel-

“We are caught up, and actually we’re showing we’ve overpaid,” Moore replied, adding the district is trying to negotiate with the agency and are having to reconstruct documentation and payments back to 2021 so the IRS and district could agree what is or isn’t due. Moore also gave an example of a $450 penalty that “came o the books just through a phone call.”

Bohannan also recapped “accountability” e orts to prevent a debt issue in the future, including reviewing monthlynancial reports, and the board is considering creating a new audit committee.

oped in 1998, and the NCSBE had outlined a modernization project for the system in November 2023. That outline noted SEIMS consists of “12 separate, decentralized client-based applications and 2 web-based applications.”

The campaign nance reporting software involves the submission and storage of all campaign nance data and related information required by state and federal law. The software also allows the public to access campaign nance reporting and disclosure forms.

The NCSBE developed the campaign nance system in the early 2000s, and the system is maintained by the board.

The public has three options for submitting comments on the planned modernization: through an online portal at auditor.nc.gov/elections; by email to electionsr@ncauditor.gov; and by mail to North Carolina O ce of the State Auditor, 20601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699.

All public input and comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 30.

A website, ncsbe.gov/r , has information on the modernization projects and how to submit suggestions.

The NCSBE and OSA rst issued a Request for Information (RFI) on Oct. 31 to gather public input and suggestions from potential vendors about replacing the aging systems.

The information gathered will be used to create a formal Request for Proposal that will be issued later to select appropriate vendors and contractors to work on the modernization projects.

WS/FCS from page A1

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Sometimes you might get what you don’t want

Would you mind seeing Bill Clinton line up against Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries?

A friend recently took me to get some co ee and leaned over and asked me in an earnest manner: “What is going to happen in the next two elections?”

I appreciated his faith in my prognostication skills, but I asked him why was he so earnest in his demeanor?

“Well,” he started his answer, “I am making plans for the next ve to 10 years on what to do with my next project and phase of life, but I need to know what the political situation is going to look like in North Carolina and Washington so I can make better plans!”

He said he was alarmed by the recent elections, in particular, the New York mayoral election of Zohran Mamdani and the sweep of the top elections in Virginia by very liberal Democrats, including a pickup of 13 seats in the House of Delegates.

“What about 2028?” he nervously jumped into. “Do you think Donald Trump will run again? He sure has been talking about it a lot lately, you know!”

One thing many people forget is that once Trump was reelected to the White House after a brief interruption by the failed Joe Biden presidency, the clock didn’t start ticking again on the two-term limitation imposed by the 22nd Amendment. It doesn’t have to be consecutive terms. Despite his recent comments about running again in 2028, Trump has been elected twice to the White House — albeit in nonconsecutive

terms — so he cannot succeed himself in this current term.

That will make the 2028 elections a crapshoot of Las Vegas proportions. Vice President JD Vance has to be considered the frontrunner due to his incumbency, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio has refound a home in the hearts of many conservatives due to his performance in that role and comments after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

One thing my friend said was there are plenty of things Trump says and does with which he disagrees on a personal level. However, he said he agrees with most of Trump’s policies and strong actions on the domestic and international stages, particularly when it comes to crime control in our major cities and protecting Israel from being annihilated by Hamas and terrorists funded by Iran and others.

“For those reasons,” he said, “it wouldn’t bother me if he does nd a way to run again in 2028”. That led to an interesting interchange I had least expected to come out of this meeting.

“If he could get a constitutional amendment passed and then rati ed by the requisite number of states before 2028, then more power to him,” I said. “But most amendments take decades to mature, get considered and then rati ed, so time is running out on such a constitutional solution.”

Holiday advice: family, friends should come before politics

“Them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family.”

I MAY HAVE WRITTEN about this before, but it’s worth bringing up again because we are approaching the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, a time of year that should bring families and friends together, not tear them apart.

Inevitably, when these holidays roll around, we get a generous helping of articles discussing the wisdom (or lack thereof) of bringing up politics at the dinner table in families where people sitting on opposite sides of the political aisle from one another.

Based on what I can recall of those pieces, the consensus on the left has typically been to bring up political di erences over the holiday meal, even if it makes some at the table uncomfortable or resentful. Conservative writers, on the other hand, seem to share the mindset that it’s best not to bring up politics on these occasions.

If you’re in a family that traditionally has been able to discuss politics without it devolving into a shouting match or an escalating game of one-upmanship, then maybe it’s not a bad idea.

But if you’re in a family where the opinions on each side are particularly strong and each side is prone to dig in, get more animated and maybe a little louder

as the debate goes on, then it’s probably not a good idea to broach certain topics, especially considering there are sharp objects at the table, like forks and the carving knife.

It’s been my experience over the years that family members and friends who have political disagreements with each other do well, as a general rule, at keeping the politicking to a minimum, choosing instead to focus on what they have in common, especially in situations where the di erences in opinion are particularly pronounced. Relatedly, these di erences shouldn’t keep family and friends from being there for each other when need be.

Unfortunately for some families, that doesn’t seem to be possible.

Last week, late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and his wife, Molly McNearney, did a podcast interview where McNearney revealed that disagreements in her extended family over Donald Trump over the years had caused her to distance themselves from some of them.

McNearney, who is also the co-head writer for Kimmel’s show and its executive producer, shared that she grew up in a conservative household where it was automatic that they vote for Republicans.

“Have you considered what else may happen if Donald Trump was allowed to run for a third term in 2028?” I asked him. “Care to guess who else might be lining up to run for their third term in the White House? Would you mind seeing Bill Clinton line up against Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries, with either one having a solid chance to serve another four-year term at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.?”

My friend’s face turned ashen immediately.

“I am not a die-hard Trumper, but my business is still recovering from Obamaera policies and regulations,” he said. “We darn near went under during the Biden administration, which really was the third term of President Obama, if you really think about it”

I honestly hadn’t considered it either until we talked. But to turn the lyrics of one of The Rolling Stones greatest hits on its head, if you are a die-hard Trumper, consider this: “Sometimes, you might just nd, you get what you don’t want” in politics.

Now is not the time to get too clever with constitutional antics for one side of the other. An extended period of political normalcy would do our country a world of wonder and perhaps lead to an era of economic prosperity and peace unlike we have seen in many years.

But once she grew up and moved away from home, she got a di erent perspective and started trying to talk her family out of voting for Trump.

“I’ve sent many emails to my family, like right before the election, saying, ‘I’m begging you. Here’s the 10 reasons not to vote for this guy. Please don’t.’ And I either got ignored by 90% of them or got truly insane responses from a few,” she explained.

“It hurts me so much because of the personal relationships I now have, where my husband is out there ghting this man,” she noted. “Them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family. And I unfortunately have kind of lost relationships with people in my family because of it.”

Reading between the lines, it sounds like McNearney was the aggressive one who couldn’t let things go when family members chose not to take her advice, which she admits has left her “angry all the time,” believing it is her relatives and not her who have been “deliberately misinformed.”

To each their own, but if McNearney truly is “angry” at anyone, it should be at herself over her inability to understand that good and decent people, especially family members, can have di erences in political opinions and still love, respect, care for and be there for each other at the end of the day.

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.

Bill Gates gets mugged by reality

What Gates has done is courageous and praiseworthy.

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD by now the blockbuster news that Microsoft founder Bill Gates, one of the richest people to ever walk the planet, has had a change of heart on climate change. For several decades, Gates poured billions of dollars into the climateindustrial complex and was howling that the end is nigh unless we stop using fossil fuels, cars, air conditioning and general anesthesia.

Now he says he rejects the “doomsday” predictions of the more extreme global warming prophets. Some conservatives have snu ed that Gates has shifted his position on climate change because he and Microsoft have invested heavily in energy-intensive data centers.

What Gates has done is courageous and praiseworthy. There are not many people of his stature who will admit that they were wrong. Al Gore certainly hasn’t. My wife says I never do. Gates still endorses the need for communal action (which won’t work), but he has sensibly disassociated himself from the increasingly radical and economically destructive dictates from the green movement. For that, the left has tossed him out of their tent as a “traitor.”

I wish to highlight several critical insights that should be the starting point for constructive debate that every clear-minded thinker on either side of the issue should embrace.

It’s time to put human welfare at the center of our climate policies. This includes

improving agriculture and health in poor countries.

Countries should be encouraged to grow their economies, even if that means a reliance on fossil fuels like natural gas. Economic growth is essential to human progress.

Although climate change will hurt poor people, it will not be the only or even the biggest threat to the lives and welfare of the vast majority of them. The biggest problems are poverty and disease.

I would add to these wise declarations two inconvenient truths. First, the solution to changing temperatures and weather patterns is technological progress. A much smaller percentage of people die of severe weather events today than did 50 or 100 or 1,000 years ago.

Second, energy is the master resource, and to deny people reliable and a ordable energy is to keep them poor and vulnerable — and this is inhumane.

If Gates were to direct even a small fraction of his foundation funds toward ensuring everyone on the planet has access to electric power and safe drinking water, it would do more for humanity than all the hundreds of billions of dollars that governments and foundations have devoted to climate programs that have failed to change the globe’s temperature.

Stephen Moore is a former Trump senior economic adviser and the cofounder of Unleash Prosperity.

Protecting the right of North Carolinians to earn a living

“Occupational licensing costs (North Carolina) more than 42,500 jobs and $112 million annually.”

RONALD REAGAN famously remarked,

“I believe the best social program is a job.”

Indeed, gainful employment brings countless bene ts both to the employed and to society: the dignity of work, nancial security and independence, opportunity for advancement, productive e ort that contributes to the community and economy, and much more.

So why do state governments, including North Carolina, place unnecessary and often arbitrary burdens on people wanting to earn a living?

The regulation known as occupational licensing makes it illegal for an aspiring worker to start work in a profession before meeting minimum entry requirements set by law. These requirements typically include attaining speci ed levels of education and training, passing exams and paying a fee to the government.

To evaluate the impacts of North Carolina’s occupational licensing laws on its labor market and economy and o er recommendations for how to remove these barriers to entry for workers, the John Locke Foundation commissioned a study earlier this year.

Authored by researchers at the Knee Regulatory Research Center at West Virginia University, the report found that North Carolina makes it illegal to work without rst obtaining a license for 186 occupations, ranking 11th-highest nationally and tied for most in the South Atlantic region.

Making it more di cult to earn a living poses a drag on the economy and job growth. As the report informs us, “Estimates from the Institute for Justice suggest that occupational licensing costs (North Carolina) more than 42,500 jobs and $112 million annually.”

The burdens of occupational licensing fall disproportionately on low-income workers, who can least a ord to pay for the mandatory education and the fees that such regulations require. The result is people being compelled to choose less desirable (but easier to attain) professions or dropping out of the workforce entirely.

“Mandatory education programs, handson training under licensed professionals, and licensing exam requirements create hurdles for aspiring professionals,” the report says.

“The additional time and cost of meeting these entry requirements reduce the number of professionals by an average of 17 to 27 percent.”

With fewer workers available to perform certain jobs, consumers have fewer options and, in turn, are forced to pay more.

According to the report, “Estimates suggest that occupational licensing raises the prices of services by anywhere from 3 to 16 percent.”

But rigorous occupational licensing

BE IN TOUCH

The IRS wants to do your taxes — and make sure you pay more

THE ONGOING government shutdown has the IRS in zombie mode: walk-in Tax Assistance Centers closed, some refunds delayed and about half the agency’s employees on furlough.

Like most bureaucracies, the IRS is constantly trying to accumulate more responsibilities and a larger budget. This shutdown, and the sta ng cuts that have come with it, o ers Congress especially my former committee, the Ways and Means Committee — a unique opportunity to refocus the agency on its core mission. They should ensure the IRS becomes more focused on clearing its backlog of customer service requests by getting rid of unnecessary initiatives and side quests that the agency never should have initiated in the rst place.

They should begin by abolishing the Direct File program, the program where the IRS “assists” taxpayers in preparing and electronically submitting their returns — e ectively putting the collection agency into the role of tax preparer, a function traditionally left to the private sector.

They say death and taxes are inevitable, but at least your doctor isn’t on the Grim Reaper’s payroll. He has an incentive to keep you alive, just like tax preparers have an incentive to get you the biggest refund possible.

The IRS is trying to change that. During Joe Biden’s presidency, the agency launched a pilot program for a new “Direct File” service, which it describes as “a free, simple way to le taxes.”

The only problem? This “free service” would be run by the IRS, the same entity tasked with every interest in ensuring you pay the maximum amount of taxes to the government possible.

There are, of course, already several “free, simple” ways to le taxes, including privatepublic partnerships between tax software companies and the IRS’s Free File program.

requirements protect consumers from unquali ed service providers, increasing quality and safety, right?

That’s the typical justi cation for occupational licensing regimes, after all, but the report points out that their supposed impact on quality is not really the case. The report’s authors found “the vast majority of the 22 studies that have tried to estimate the e ect of licensing on quality did not nd an e ect.”

With so many costs and few — if any — detectible bene ts for the public, why do occupational licensing regulations continue to be so popular?

The main bene ts of licensing accrue to the professionals already practicing these professions, who can most easily a ord the licensing requirements. Creating barriers to entry to a profession protects those professionals from competition, allowing them to charge higher prices and command higher salaries at the expense of consumers. The report nds that “the licensing wage premium is around 17 percent.”

To address the costly burdens — especially on the poor — of occupational licensing, North Carolina legislators have options. Foremost among them is a “Right to Earn a Living Act.”

Under this act, occupational licensing becomes the regulation of last resort and must be justi ed to continue to exist. As the report describes such justi cation, under a Right to Earn a Living Act, licensing laws “must be legitimate, demonstrably necessary, and narrowly tailored to a speci c risk.”

The burden would fall on the licensing boards to prove their requirements are “narrowly tailored to accomplish a compelling government interest.”

Furthermore, the state should create a “licensing budget” that establishes goals for reducing the number of occupations requiring licensure. A commission should also be formed that would regularly review the necessity of existing licensing requirements and closely scrutinize any new licensing requirements being proposed.

Additionally, legislators could adopt “universal recognition” to allow for workers already licensed in other states to work in North Carolina without also ful lling our state’s requirements. Eliminating duplicative education and fees will make North Carolina more hospitable to workers. Currently, 26 states — including Virginia, Georgia and Florida — have universal recognition.

If the best social program is a job, as Reagan believed, then North Carolina should take strides in making it easier to get a job and earn a living.

Brian Balfour is VP of Research at the Locke Foundation in Raleigh.

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

Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com

The di erence is that, under those agreements, a third party informs the taxpayer how much he or she owes the government.

The Direct File program exists because the IRS would rather be the one to tell you. It’s like letting a criminal chair his own parole board or asking a toddler what her bedtime should be.

TurboTax works hard to maximize your refund because they’ll lose business to H&R Block if they don’t (and vice versa). The federal government has no such incentive, only an insatiable appetite for our hard-earned money. Why would they put in extra e ort to help us keep more of it?

They wouldn’t. And they didn’t. One report found that Direct File failed to list education tax credits for which hundreds of users would have been eligible, according to an inspector general report, costing them up to $2,500 each. If “hundreds” sounds low, that’s because the pilot program wasn’t particularly popular. The IRS website proclaims that more than 500,000 Americans used Direct File, but they seem to be citing the number of sign-ups. The cohort that actually led their taxes through the new service appears to have been much smaller — around 140,000, according to that same IG report.

Direct File also greatly exceeded the pilot program’s $15 million budget, with per- ling costs nearly triple what the IRS estimated.

In short, Democrats’ latest scheme to empower the bureaucracy ticks all the same boxes as the bungled 2013 healthcare.gov rollout. Doesn’t work? Check. Costs way too much? Check. Everyone hates it? Check.

But they aren’t giving up just yet. In a lastditch attempt to save Direct File, Democrats snuck language into Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill requiring a feedback survey for the pilot program. Not a real survey, of course. That would’ve gone badly for them. This pseudosurvey makes no attempt to verify whether you’ve actually used Direct File and has no limits on how many times you can take it. A single bot could easily generate thousands of fake positive responses.

“Government programs, once launched, never disappear,” President Ronald Reagan once said. “Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this Earth.”

Direct File hasn’t achieved immortality just yet, but we’ve seen enough to know just how disastrous that would be. Thousands or even millions of Americans would miss out on tax breaks to which they’re entitled. Meanwhile, the IRS budget would balloon to pay for new bureaucrats tasked with processing Direct File returns.

Republicans compromised earlier this year to get Trump’s tax cuts extended. Now, thanks to the ongoing shutdown stando , they have a chance to drive a stake through its heart before it rises from the co n.

GOP lawmakers should use their leverage to throw out the survey and shut down Direct File for good. If they don’t act soon, we’ll be stuck with it forever.

Jim Renacci is an accountant and former member of Congress from Ohio, serving on the Ways and Means Committee, including its Subcommittee on Tax Policy. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

2025 North Carolina Awards

The North Carolina Awards, the state’s highest civilian honor, will be presented Thursday at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1961 and rst awarded in 1964, the North Carolina Award recognizes exceptional achievements by residents who have made lasting contributions in ne arts,

PIEDMONT

Complaint yields massive drug bust

Randolph County

Truck crash leads to discovery of body Gaston County A crash involving a semitruck in Gastonia led to the discovery of a homicide in a Dallas, North Carolina, home. According to police, o cers went to a crash that happened last week on I-85 North near exit 85 involving a car driven by Marlo Wallace and a semitruck. While at the hospital, Wallace allegedly told police they would nd a dead woman at her home on Greenbrook Trail. There, they found the body of 23-year-old Aaliyah Michelle Fortner. She was living at the home under Wallace’s care, according to police. He was charged with concealment of death from unnatural causes, patient abuse and neglect, and felony assault of an individual with disabilities. He was placed under a $1.5 million bond. The relationship between Wallace and Fortner, as well as how she died, were not immediately made available.

WBTV

night around 11:17 p.m. It was 5.8 miles south southwest of Centerville, South Carolina, with a magnitude of 1.7 and a depth of eight kilometers.

NSJ

Six people were arrested and more than 150 charges led after an investigation into a High Point convenience store, according to a news release. The North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Commission has suspended the permits for the Washington Quick Mart at 200 N. Centennial St. in High Point. After receiving complaints of illegal drug activity and violence from the Quick Mart, ALE special agents seized 261 grams of cocaine, 311 grams of crack cocaine and one gram of fentanyl, along with numerous weapons.

NSJ

N.C. A&T alum celebrates role in new Hulu series

Durham County

Joshua Suiter, a Durham native and North Carolina A&T theater grad, is getting recognition for landing a role in Hulu’s “All’s Fair,” a new series now running on the streaming platform. Suiter, 25, sought out N.C. A&T, one of two HBCUs o ering a bachelor’s degree in theater, to pursue performing. “All’s Fair” is a legal dramedy featuring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy NashBetts, Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close.

WXII

Public opinion sought on new charter airline company Guilford County The Guilford County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room at the Old County Courthouse to gather public input on a proposed grant to support a charter airline company. The company plans to apply for a Building Reuse Grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce for up to $500,000 to renovate an 84,227-squarefoot vacant building at 7306 W. Market St., which is owned by the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority. The grant would require a $25,000 match from county funds, which would be provided as a pass-through loan that is forgivable upon meeting project requirements. The project is expected to create 122 full-time jobs with an average annual wage of $101,836. It involves a total investment of approximately $6.9 million, including construction costs. NSJ

EAST

Active-duty military retreat river house opens near Belhaven Beaufort County Operation Resolute, which supports North Carolina’s active duty military and their families, opened a new ministry location this weekend. Operation Resolute has been creating outdoor ministry opportunities for active-duty service members and their families for more than 13 years, and it opened its rst 6,000-square-foot river house outside of Belhaven. The organization’s leaders say the property will be used for multiple-day activeduty military retreats and outdoor ministry, including hunting, shing and outdoor fellowship.

WITN

FBI joining search for young fugitive

Craven County The FBI is assisting in the search for Dominic Connelly, who is accused of killing his grandmother and stabbing a Craven County sheri ’s deputy. The FBI is o ering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Connelly. A deputy saw a man running across train tracks in the Wilmar area, believed to be Connelly, but he was never found after another search of the surrounding area. WNCT

U.S. Marine, emergency o cials rescue driver from burning vehicle Bertie County A U.S. Marine and Bertie County deputies saved the life of a driver last week who was ejected from a vehicle on re following an accident on Highway 17 near Wakelon Road exit. Lt. J. Parker and Dep. E. Topliss of the Bertie County Sheri ’s O ce were en route to a call in Merry Hill around 8 p.m. when they encountered the crash. The Marine and deputies acted quickly to rescue the driver and provide rst aid until EMS arrived. Upon arriving at the scene, they found the driver had been ejected from the vehicle. The U.S. Marine utilized a rst aid kit to administer aid to the injured driver, who sustained injuries from the collision and was subsequently transported to the hospital for further treatment. Plans are underway to publicly honor the Marine and deputies for their life-saving actions during the incident.

WAVY

Meadows, Guiliani among Trump’s latest pardons NATION & WORLD

The former White House chief of sta and North Carolina congressman was among those charged for trying to overturn the 2020 election

By Alanna Durkin Richer

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

President Donald Trump has pardoned North Carolina congressman and his onetime chief of sta Mark Meadows, former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others accused of backing the Republican’s e orts to overturn the 2020 election.

The “full, complete, and unconditional” pardon applies only to federal crimes, and none of the dozens of Trump allies named in the proclamation were ever charged federally over the bid to subvert the election won by Democrat Joe Biden. It doesn’t impact state charges, though state prosecutions stemming from the 2020 election have hit a dead end or are just limping along.

The move, however, underscores Trump’s continued efforts to promote the idea that the 2020 election was stolen from him even though courts around the country and U.S. o cials found no evidence of fraud that could have a ected the outcome. It follows the sweeping pardons of the hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, including those convicted of attacking law enforcement.

Among those also pardoned were Sidney Powell, an attorney who promoted baseless conspiracy theories about a stolen election; John Eastman, another lawyer who pushed a plan to keep Trump in power; and Je rey Clark, a former Justice Department o cial who championed Trump’s e orts to challenge his election loss. Also named were Republicans who acted as fake electors for Trump and were charged in state cases accusing them of submitting

false certi cates that con rmed they were legitimate electors despite Biden’s victory in those states.

The proclamation, posted online late Sunday by pardon attorney Ed Martin, explicitly says the pardon does not apply to the president himself.

The pardon described e orts to prosecute the Trump allies as “a grave national injustice perpetrated on the American people” and said the pardons were designed to continue “the process of national reconciliation.”

Giuliani and others have denied any wrongdoing, arguing they were simply challenging an election they believed was tainted by fraud.

“These great Americans were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden Administration for challenging an election, which is the cornerstone of democracy,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an emailed statement.

“These great Americans were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden Administration for challenging an election, which is the cornerstone of democracy.”

Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary

Those pardoned were not prosecuted by the Biden administration, however. They were charged only by state prosecutors who operate separately from the Justice Department. Trump himself was indicted on federal felony charges accusing him of working to overturn his 2020 election defeat, but the case brought by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith was abandoned in

Trump administration won’t o er IRS Direct File next year

Nearly 300,000 people used the service to le their 2024 tax returns

By Fatima Hussein The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — IRS Direct File, the electronic system for ling tax returns for free, will not be o ered next year, the Trump administration has con rmed.

An email sent Monday from IRS o cial Cynthia Noe to state comptrollers that participate in the Direct File program said that “IRS Direct File will not be available in Filing Season 2026. No launch date has been set for the future.”

The program developed during Joe Biden’s presidency was credited by users with making tax ling easy, fast and economical. However, it faced criticism from Republican lawmakers — who called it a waste of taxpayer money because free ling programs already exist — and commercial tax preparation companies, which have made billions from charging people to use their software.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is also the current IRS commissioner, told reporters last week there are “better alternatives” to Direct File. “It wasn’t used very much,” he said. “And we think that the private

The IRS’s Direct File service, which more than 300,000 people used to le their taxes for free this year, has been discontinued.

sector can do a better job.”

The Center for Taxpayer Rights led a Freedom of Information Act request for the IRS’s latest evaluation of the program, and the report says 296,531 taxpayers submitted accepted returns for the 2025 tax season through Direct File. That’s up from the 140,803 submitted accepted returns in 2024.

Direct File was rolled out as a pilot program in 2024 after

November after Trump’s victory over Democrat Kamala Harris because of the department’s policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Giuliani, Powell, Eastman and Clark were alleged co-conspirators in the federal case brought against Trump but were never charged with federal crimes.

Giuliani, Meadows and others named in the proclamation had been charged by prosecutors in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin over the 2020 election, but the cases have repeatedly hit roadblocks or have been dismissed. A judge in September dismissed the Michigan case against 15 Republicans accused of attempting to falsely certify Trump as the winner of the election in that battleground state.

Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, was one of the most vocal supporters of Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of large-scale voter fraud after the 2020 election. He has since been disbarred in Washington, D.C., and New York over his advocacy of Trump’s election claims and lost a $148 million defamation case brought by two former Georgia election workers whose lives were upended by conspiracy theories he pushed.

Eastman, a former dean of Chapman University Law School in Southern California, was a close adviser to Trump in the wake of the 2020 election and wrote a memo laying out steps Vice President Mike Pence could take to stop the counting of electoral votes while presiding over Congress’ joint session on Jan. 6 to keep Trump in o ce.

Clark, who is now overseeing a federal regulatory o ce, also is facing possible disbarment in Washington, D.C., over his advocacy of Trump’s claims. Clark clashed with Justice Department superiors over a letter he drafted after the 2020 election that said the department was investigating “various irregularities” and had identi ed “signi cant concerns” that may have impacted the election in Georgia and other states. Clark wanted the letter sent to Georgia lawmakers, but top Justice Department o cials refused.

Clark said in a social media post Monday that he “did nothing wrong” and “shouldn’t have had to battle this witch hunt for 4+ years.”

1 killed, 2 critically injured helicopter crash in Tenn.

Lebanon, Tenn.

A medical helicopter crashed Saturday east of Nashville, Tennessee, killing one crew member and critically injuring two other crew members, authorities said. No patients were on board. The Vanderbilt LifeFlight helicopter went down around 1:45 p.m. between Lebanon and Gallatin, about 22 miles east of Nashville, the Wilson County Sheri ’s O ce said. The helicopter crashed about 12 miles south of the Music City Executive Airport and its base at the Sumner County Emergency Operations Center. The two injured crew members were being treated at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Vanderbilt LifeFlight said in a statement.

NYC re ghter dead after ve-alarm blaze

New York

A New York City re ghter died Saturday after su ering a medical episode while battling a ve-alarm re at a Brooklyn apartment building, authorities said. Patrick D. Brady, 42, went into cardiac arrest while working on the roof of the six-story building in the borough’s East Flatbush neighborhood, the re department said. He was treated by re ghters and paramedics and pronounced dead at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center. Brady had been with the FDNY for 11 years. Brady is the second member of the FDNY to die in the line of duty in the past two weeks.

Sarkozy released from French prison pending appeal

Paris

the IRS was tasked with looking into how to create a “direct le” system as part of the money it received from the In ation Reduction Act signed into law by Biden in 2022. The Democratic administration spent tens of millions of dollars developing the program.

Last May, the agency under Biden announced that the program would be made permanent.

“We think that the private sector can do a better job.”

Scott Bessent, Treasury secretary

But the IRS has faced intense blowback to Direct File from private tax preparation companies that have spent millions lobbying Congress. The average American typically spends about $140 preparing returns each year.

The program had been in limbo since the start of the Trump administration as Elon Musk and the Department of Government E ciency slashed their way through the federal government. But The Associated Press reported in April that the administration planned to eliminate the program, with its future becoming clear after the IRS sta assigned to it were told to stop working on its development for the 2026 tax ling season.

The Direct File website stated last week, “Direct File is closed. More information will be available at a later date.”

The Washington Post and NextGov rst reported on the email to state comptrollers conrming the program would not be o ered next year.

Adam Ruben, a vice president at the liberal-leaning Economic Security Project, said “it’s not surprising” the program was eliminated.

“Trump’s billionaire friends get favors while honest, hardworking Americans will pay more to le their taxes,” he said.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was freed from prison Monday after a Paris appeals court granted him release under judicial supervision, less than three weeks after he began serving a ve-year sentence for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to nance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. Sarkozy, 70, left La Santé prison by car and later quickly stepped into his home in western Paris. The brief scene contrasted with his very public incarceration 20 days earlier, when he walked down the alley near his house hand-in-hand with his wife and former supermodel Carla Bruni-Sarkozy as he waved to supporters.

Canada loses measles elimination status after outbreaks Ottawa, Canada Canada is no longer measles-free because of ongoing outbreaks, international health experts said Monday, as childhood vaccination rates fall and the highly contagious virus spreads across North and South America. The loss of the country’s measles elimination status comes more than a year after the highly contagious virus started spreading. Canada has logged 5,138 measles cases this year and two deaths. Both deaths were babies who were exposed to the measles virus in the womb and born prematurely. Canada eliminated measles in 1998, followed by the United States two years later.

PATRICK SEMANSKY / AP PHOTO

PATRICK SEMANSKY / AP PHOTO

Former North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, pictured in 2020 when he was White House chief of sta , received a federal pardon from President Donald Trump on Monday.

P zer clinches deal for obesity drug developer Metsea

New York

P zer has signed a deal to purchase Metsera Inc., an obesity drugmaker in the development stage, after winning a bidding war against Novo Nordisk. Metsera, based in New York, is developing oral and injectable treatments for obesity and diabetes. On Friday, Metsera announced that P zer will acquire the company for up to $86.25 per share, including cash and contingent value rights. Metsera’s board said it believes this deal o ers the best value and certainty for shareholders.

Wendy’s to close hundreds of U.S. stores

Dublin, Ohio

Wendy’s plans to close hundreds of U.S. restaurants over the next few months in an e ort to boost its pro t.

The Dublin, Ohio-based chain said during a conference call with investors last week that it planned to begin closing restaurants in the fourth quarter of this year. The company said it expected a “mid-single-digit percentage” of its U.S. stores to be a ected. Wendy’s has 6,011 U.S. restaurants. If 5% of those were impacted, it would mean 300 store closures. Wendy’s interim CEO Ken Cook said last Friday that the company believes closing underperforming locations will help improve tra c and pro tability at its remaining U.S. restaurants.

Cybertruck executive Awasthi leaving Tesla

The executive leading Tesla’s Cybertruck business is leaving the Elon Musk-led automaker after eight years. Siddhant Awasthi, the program manager for Tesla’s Cybertruck and Model 3, said on LinkedIn that it wasn’t an easy decision to depart the company. He did not provide details on what he will be doing next. Awasthi said he began as an intern at Tesla and was involved in “ramping up Model 3, working on Giga Shanghai, developing new electronics and wireless architectures, and delivering the once-in-a-lifetime Cybertruck — all before hitting 30. The icing on the cake was getting to dive back into Model 3 work toward the end.”

7 lawsuits claim

ChatGPT drove people to suicide, delusions

OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues. The lawsuits led last Thursday in California state courts allege wrongful death, assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter and negligence. Filed on behalf of six adults and one teenager by the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project, the lawsuits claim that OpenAI knowingly released GPT-4o prematurely, despite internal warnings that it was dangerously sycophantic and psychologically manipulative. Four of the victims died by suicide. OpenAI said it is reviewing the lawsuits.

Bu ett warns ‘Father Time’ catching up, trusts Berkshire Hathaway successor

The investment mogul re ected on his longevity and unveiled $1.3 billion in new charitable gifts

By Josh Funk The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. — Billionaire

Warren Bu ett warned shareholders Monday that many companies will fare better than his Berkshire Hathaway in the decades ahead because of its massive size, though others might say the company’s prospects will dim because “Father Time” is catching up with the 95-year-old icon who plans to step down as CEO in January.

Bu ett re ected on life and his health in a new letter to shareholders, where he announced $1.3 billion in new charitable gifts to the four family foundations run by his children that — along with the Gates Foundation — have been helping steadily give away his fortune since 2006.

Berkshire is known for consistently outperforming the stock market during the past 60 years under Bu ett — which helped earn him legions of fans — although that has become harder to do in recent years because of the huge size of the conglomerate. Berkshire owns Geico insurance, BNSF railroad, several large utilities and a diverse assortment of manufacturing and retail businesses, including such well-known brands as Dairy Queen, See’s Candy and Helzberg Diamonds. But Bu ett also reassured shareholders that he remains con dent in his successor.

Bu ett promised to keep in touch with shareholders through Thanksgiving letters in the future, but he con rmed

that next year Greg Abel will take over Bu ett’s famous yearly letter and answer all the questions at the annual meeting after he becomes CEO in January. Bu ett will remain chairman.

Bu ett said that “through dumb luck, I drew a ridiculously long straw at birth” by being born in Omaha, Nebraska, where he met many lifelong friends — including several who helped shape Berkshire’s fortune — and both his wives after attending public schools. He said he has been fortunate to have his life saved three times by doctors who lived nearby while managing to avoid the kind of calamities that often-cut life short.

Bu ett recounted spending several weeks in the hospital after having his appendix out as a child, where he turned to ngerprinting all the nuns who were taking care of him just in case they turned to a life of crime later. Bu ett previously battled prostate cancer in 2012, but that wasn’t considered life-threatening.

“Those who reach old age need a huge dose of good luck, daily escaping banana peels, natural disasters, drunk or distracted drivers, lightning strikes, you name it,” he wrote.

But now after decades of bene ting from the ckle nature of “Lady Luck,” Bu ett said, “Father Time, to the contrary, now nds me more interesting as I age. And he is undefeated; for him, everyone ends up on his score card as ‘wins.’”

Bu ett said he is moving slowly and now has increasing di culty reading, but he continues to go into the o ce ve days a week to hunt for useful business ideas or deals that could bene t Berkshire.

“Those who reach old age need a huge dose of good luck, daily escaping banana peels, natural disasters, drunk or distracted drivers, lightning strikes, you name it.”

Warren Bu ett

Berkshire shareholders should have faith in Abel because Bu ett said he has consistently met the high expectations he has for him.

“He understands many of our businesses and personnel far better than I now do, and he is a very fast learner about matters many CEOs don’t even

consider,” Bu ett wrote. “I can’t think of a CEO, a management consultant, an academic, a member of government — you name it — that I would select over Greg to handle your savings and mine.” Berkshire’s fortress-like balance sheet, highlighted by the $382 billion cash it holds, ensures the company is unlikely to encounter a devastating disaster, and Bu ett said the board remains conscientious of shareholders’ interests, but still the company will have trouble outperforming.

“In aggregate, Berkshire’s businesses have moderately better-than-average prospects, led by a few non-correlated and sizable gems,” he said. “However, a decade or two from now, there will be many companies that have done better than Berkshire; our size takes its toll.”

Tesla shareholders overwhelmingly approve giant pay package for Musk

The world’s richest person could become history’s rst trillionaire

By Bernard Condon The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The world’s richest man was just handed a chance to become history’s rst trillionaire.

Elon Musk won a shareholder vote last Thursday that will give the Tesla CEO stock worth $1 trillion if he hits certain performance targets over the next decade. The vote followed weeks of debate over his management record at the electric carmaker and whether anyone deserved such unprecedented pay, drawing heated commentary from small investors to giant pension funds and even the pope.

In the end, more than 75% of voters approved the plan as shareholders gathered in Austin, Texas, for their annual meeting.

“Fantastic group of shareholders,” Musk said after the nal vote was tallied, adding, “Hang on to your Tesla stock.”

John D. Rockefeller. The oil ti-

More than 75% of Tesla shareholders approved a plan to grant Elon Musk stock worth $1 trillion if he meets certain performance goals over the next 10 years.

NCDOT CASH REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING NOV. 7

Beginning Cash

$2,793,850,963

Receipts (income)

$164,864,740

Disbursements

$148,803,986

Cash Balance

$2,809,911,717

The vote is a resounding victory for Musk, showing investors still have faith in him as Tesla struggles with plunging sales, market share and pro ts, in no small part due to Musk himself. Car buyers ed the company this year as he has ventured into politics both in the U.S. and Europe and tra cked in conspiracy theories.

The vote came just three days after a report from Europe showing Tesla car sales plunged again last month, including a 50% collapse in Germany. Still, many Tesla investors consider Musk as a sort of miracle man capable of stunning business feats, such as when he pulled Tesla from the brink of bankruptcy a half-dozen years ago to turn it into one

of the world’s most valuable companies.

The vote clears a path for Musk to become a trillionaire by granting him new shares, but it won’t be easy. The board of directors that designed the pay package require him to hit several ambitious nancial and operational targets, including increasing the value of the company on the stock market nearly six times its current level.

Musk also has to deliver 20 million Tesla electric vehicles to the market over 10 years amid new, sti competition, more than double the number since the founding of the company. He also has to deploy 1 million of his human-like robots that he has promised will transform work and home — he calls it a “robot army” — from zero today.

Musk could add billions to his wealth in a few years by partly delivering these goals, according to various intermediate steps that will hand him newly created stock in the company as he nears the ultimate targets.

That could help him eventually top what is now considered America’s all-time richest man,

tan is estimated by Guinness World Records to have been worth $630 billion, in current dollars, at his peak wealth more than 110 years ago. Musk is worth $493 billion, as estimated by Forbes magazine.

Musk’s win came despite opposition from several large funds, including CalPERS, the biggest U.S. public pension, and Norway’s sovereign wealth fund. Two corporate watchdogs, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, also blasted the package, which so angered Musk he took to calling them “corporate terrorists” at a recent investor meeting.

“He has hundreds of billions of dollars already in the company and to say that he won’t stay without a trillion is ridiculous,” said Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at research rm Telemetry who has been covering Tesla for nearly two decades.

Supporters said Musk needed to be incentivized to focus on the company as he works to transform it into an AI powerhouse using software to operate hundreds of thousands of self-driving Tesla cars — many without steering wheels — and

Tesla robots deployed in o ces, factories and homes doing many tasks now handled by humans.

“This AI chapter needs one person to lead it, and that’s Musk,” said nancial analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. “It’s a huge win for shareholders.”

Investors voting for the pay had to consider not only this Musk promise of a bold, new tomorrow, but whether he could ruin things today: He had threatened to walk away from the company, which investors feared would tank the stock.

Tesla shares, already up 80% in the past year, rose on news of the vote in after-hours trading but then attened basically unchanged to $445.44.

For his part, Musk says the vote wasn’t really about the money but getting a higher Tesla stake — it will double to nearly 30% — so he could have more power over the company. He said that was a pressing concern given Tesla’s future “robot army” that he suggested he didn’t trust anyone else to control given the possible danger to humanity.

NATI HARNIK / AP PHOTO

In a letter, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Bu ett, 95, reiterated his trust in his chosen successor.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

Life as a kitten mule

A look inside the lucrative and sketchy world of backyard breeding

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

I’VE DRIVEN on Interstate 95 hundreds of times, but this trip was di erent. I had my usual travel mug of co ee, my box of cheese crackers for road-trip snacking, and a phone lled with podcast downloads.

Only this time, I was also carrying $20,000 worth of rare hairless cats.

They were Sphynx kittens, a breed that retails for up to $6,000 each, according to Google AI. They’re a popular breed of hairless cat, although I’m guessing that’s not based on looks.

“They look like raw chicken,” my daughter texted back when I sent her a photo.

I had four of them. I didn’t know their genders or ages, although they ranged from tiny to nearly cat-sized, so I guessed they weren’t from the same litter. Since we’d be spending seven hours together, I decided to name them — Lucille Bald, Hairless Connick Jr., Alec Baldwin and Alopecia Falk.

I was taking them from a seller in Durham to their new homes: an older doctor in Delaware and — making two assumptions here — a gay couple in northern Pennsylvania.

It’s tough to measure the size of the backyard-breeding market, but estimates put the size of this legal-but-frowned-upon industry at about $3 billion. There could be as many as a quarter-million potential sellers across the country. And I was spending the day muling kittens for one of them. I didn’t know how much they sold for, but given what they o ered me

as a delivery fee, it must have been substantial.

Like eBay, the seller generally handles delivery logistics, but the buyer covers the cost. Each buyer was paying me $400. The doctor, who texted “I’m so excited” when I told her I was on the road, tipped an additional $50. She greeted me at the door with her two Irish Wolfhounds — yes, imported from Ireland. I wondered how much that delivery person got. “Cat people are stingy,” a breeder told me. “The real

‘Predator: Badlands’ delivers action, gore while honoring original

The rst lm featured

By Bob Garver The Sun

“PREDATOR” and I got o on the wrong foot. I’m not talking about the new movie but rather the 1987 original and, by extension, the whole franchise. I rented the lm hoping to enjoy some action-movie interaction between two future governors: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. Unfortunately, there was little to no interaction between the two, and Ventura’s character got picked o by the Predator earlier than I would have liked. I spent the rest of the movie sulking and never really became a fan of the series. Flash forward to 2025. I wasn’t really looking forward to “Predator: Badlands” in and of itself, but after the dismal October we just had at the domestic box o ce, I’ll take a hit wherever I can get it. Which is probably why I liked the movie as much as I did. There’s not a lot for me here, but I needed to get excited about “something,” so the lm’s greatest strength may be its good timing. The lm follows Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), an aspiring young Predator (or “Yautja”) on the faraway planet of Yautja Prime. Dek desperately wants to go on a successful hunt to earn the approval of his father, Njohrr (Reuben De Jong), as well as living privileges because Yautjas who don’t complete successful

“Predator: Badlands” is ne as an action movie for people who could use a half-decent action movie, but just as with Thia’s body, don’t expect it to be more than “half” decent.

hunts are put to death. Njohrr wants relative runt Dek put down anyway, but he ees to the planet Genna, home to the most high-value trophy in the known universe, the Kalisk. He vows not to return without killing the Kalisk for himself. Dek doesn’t fare well on the hostile Genna, but an opportunity presents itself in the form of Thia (Elle Fanning), a synthetic human who had been part of a party trying to nd and exploit the Kalisk for their corporate overlords (I won’t say which corporation, but it’s a big deal). The Kalisk overpowered Thia’s team, leaving her as the sole survivor, and she’s worse for wear, missing the entire lower half of her body. She and Dek make a deal: He’ll help her get her body back and reunite with her also-damaged “sister” Tessa (also Fanning), and she’ll help him take down the Kalisk. Dek and Thia start o as uneasy allies, but as they overcome obstacles together, their bond turns into friendship. All this despite Thia being half of a smart-alecky robot and Dek coming from a race that forbids emotions. Which pres -

“Cat

money is in delivering dogs.”

Indeed, after several trips delivering hairless cats as far as New Orleans, I got the chance to mule dogs. Taking a French bulldog to Boston paid me double — $800. And if I wanted, I could y her up to her new home instead of driving. The buyer pays for both ights — mine and the dog’s — on top of my fee.

“That’s crazy!” I said.

“I mean, they’re paying $5,000 for the dog,” the breeder said. “So this is nothing to them.”

I’m not sure why the price is so high. They don’t seem particularly rare. French bulldogs have been the most-registered purebred at the AKC for the last three years. A breeder explained that, since they have no hair, Sphynx cats are great for animal lovers with allergies. But Frenchies seem to be the opposite of hypoallergenic. They sit, snorting and hu ng, in a cloud of allergens, like Charlie Brown’s friend Pigpen.

As it turned out, the toughest part of the job wasn’t the animals, who mostly slept — except for one kitten that howled all the way to New Orleans. I took it out of its carrier and held it. The cat nuzzled against me — while still howling as loud as ever. At one point, I called the breeder and said I thought something might be wrong.

“Just turn up the radio.”

No, the most frustrating part wasn’t the newborn animals who had never been in a car or mastered bathroom etiquette. It was the people spending what I paid for my rst car to get a new pet DoorDashed to their house.

The New Orleans delivery was set for a Thursday, the only day I could get o work. On Monday the buyer texted, “Is there any way I could get him sooner — tomorrow maybe?” I changed my schedule. She didn’t tip.

On the Boston puppy run, the ight times didn’t work for the buyer’s schedule, so I drove. As instructed, I texted after making it past New York City to say I’d be there in a few hours — around 5 p.m. He immediately called me. It’s easy work. I’ve driven farther for less. But it’s also disheartening. The message is clear: These tiny, ugly animals are immensely valuable. My time? Not so much. Both, however, can be purchased for the right amount and displayed as status symbols. One by acquiring and showing it o . The other by disregarding it entirely.

ents kind of a huge problem for me in that neither character is from a race that I feel is worth preserving. Thia is so arti cial that there’s literally another of her, and even though we ultimately see that there’s some good in Dek, sorry, the universe would probably be better o without kill-obsessed Predators. I know I’m supposed to like “Predator: Badlands” because of the way the alien and the robot learn what it means to be human. Honestly, I was rolling my eyes at those parts. I like

the movie because Thia’s jokes were hitting for me and I liked the action. The upside of all the characters being either robots or aliens is that the lm can be as violent as it wants and still get a PG-13 rating as long as all the gore is in the form of either sparks or slime. “Predator: Badlands” is ne as an action movie for people who could use a half-decent action movie, but just as with Thia’s body, don’t expect it to be more than “half” decent.

Grade: B-

By the way, I later found another movie from 1987 with both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura. In this one, their characters do interact. They even go head-to-head with one another in a ght, where one presumably kills the other. That movie is called “The Running Man,” and wouldn’t you know it; there’s a new version of that property coming out Friday.

“Predator: Badlands” is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong sci- violence. Its running time is 107 minutes.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi and Elle Fanning arrive at the premiere of “Predator: Badlands” on Nov. 3 at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

people are stingy. The real money is in delivering dogs.” Anonymous breeder

SHAWN KREST / NORTH STATE JOURNAL Chopper, my name for the Frenchie pup, sits in his cloud of allergens.

SHAWN KREST / NORTH STATE JOURNAL

“They look like raw chicken.” Except raw chicken won’t cost as much as a semester’s tuition at a state school. A Sphynx kitten will.

Big college football weekend for NC teams, B3

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

PGA

Gri n wins in Mexico for 3rd PGA Tour title of the year

Los Cabos, Mexico Chapel Hill resident and former UNC golfer Ben Gri n won for the third time this year on the PGA Tour. Gri n closed with a 63 to win the World Wide Technology Championship by two shots at El Cardonal at Diamante. Gri n joins Scottie Sche er and Rory McIlroy as three-time winners on the PGA Tour this year and moves to No. 9 in the world.

NFL

Tagliabue, 17-year

NFL commissioner who led era of riches, expansion, dead at 84

New York

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue died at the age of 84 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Tagliabue helped bring labor peace and riches to the league during his 17 years as commissioner but was criticized for not taking stronger action on concussions.

Tagliabue, who had developed Parkinson’s disease, was commissioner from 1989 to 2006. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

MLB

Kurtz, Bailey, Raleigh honored with baseball awards

New York

Wake Forest product Nick Kurtz won a Silver Slugger, honoring the top hitters at each position. The Athletics’ rookie slugger was chosen at American League rst base, while Cullowhee native Cal Raleigh was American League catcher. Greensboro native and NC State product Patrick Bailey was named to the Gold Glove team — honoring the top elders at each position — as National League catcher for the second year in a row.

Tar Heels win showdown with Kansas, lose Trimble

A statement win over the Jayhawks was soured by a broken arm su ered in practice hours later

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

UNC WAS ABLE to celebrate its big win over Kansas for all of a day and a half.

The Tar Heels posted their biggest November win of the Hubert Davis era Friday, when UNC rallied in the second half to beat the No. 19 Jayhawks by 13 in Chapel Hill. It was the Heels’ rst win over Kansas in more than two decades. Prior to that, UNC, under Davis, had been just 1-8 against higher-ranked nonconference opponents in their pre -ACC schedule.

Then, still basking in the afterglow, UNC lost one of its

most important players during a Sunday afternoon team workout when senior guard Seth Trimble broke a bone in his left forearm.

He will undergo surgery this week, at which point the team will have an estimate of just how much time he’ll miss.

“So sad for Seth,” coach Hubert Davis said. “He’s such a great kid and teammate and has worked so hard for his senior year. … The good news is he will be back at some point this year, and I know he will continue to be a great leader for us until he can get back in the lineup.”

It’s a tough blow for a Tar Heels team that was expected to lean heavily on Trimble’s veteran leadership. With 10 newcomers on the roster, Trimble, in his fourth year in Chapel Hill, was the undisputed leader of the team.

He was also the defensive

specialist. Praised regularly by Davis over the last three seasons for his defensive prowess, Trimble made no bones about his role on the team. In addition to leading on the oor and in the locker room, one of his main jobs is to “take away a team’s best player,” he explained at ACC media day.

If anything, Trimble has taken it up a notch so far this young season. In an exhibition game at BYU, he split time guarding freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa and veteran guard Richie Saunders. The pair shot a combined 10 of 25, inclduing 2 of 10 from 3. Saunders hit 52% of his shots from the eld each of his last two

seasons, 43% of his 3-pointers last year. In two games without Trimble on the oor, Dybantsa and Saunders are shooting 27 of 51, 4 of 11 from 3 and averaging 36.5 points combined.

The next exhibition was Winston- Salem State, and Trimble guarded Tyre Boykin, who averaged 15.6 points last season, hitting 46% of his shots and 43% from 3. He nished 4 of 12, 0 of 2 on 3s for 11 points.

Camren Hunter was the assignment against Central Arkansas. The guard averaged 15.5 points in two previous seasons with the team. Trimble held him to 2 of 11, 1 of 4 from 3 and ve points. Then came Kansas and star freshman Darryn Peterson. He had 22 points but didn’t take over the game the way the visiting Jayhawks needed.

“Even though Darryn got o 14 shots, that was a situation where he probably needed to get o 20 or 22 for us to have a realistic shot in here tonight,” said Kansas coach Bill Self, who went on to say Trimble, “blanketed Darryn in a way that, to me, was terri c.”

See UNC, page B3

Carolina’s big o season addition’s con dence is growing

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — If an eight-time 20-goal scorer with a big contract is going to start his time with a new team with an 11-game goal drought, he might as well do it when there are other things to distract the fan base.

The Carolina Hurricanes’ impressive record despite the team being besieged by injuries mostly overshadowed Nikolaj Ehlers’ slow statistical start with his new team, keeping the internet regret ames such a scoring funk would usually elicit to a minimum.

But even though Ehlers felt he was playing well at times, slowly getting his legs under him in an unfamiliar situation after a decade in Winnipeg, the answer is yes — scoring his rst goal with the Hurricanes last Tuesday was a weight o his shoulders.

“Absolutely. I mean, that’s why you’re asking too, right?” said Ehlers, who signed a six-year, $51 million contract this summer. “You know it’s probably a little relief, and it for sure is. You come to a new team, a new city, everything’s completely new besides the playing hockey part that I’ve done since I was 3 years old.

“So yeah, a bit of a rough start production-wise, but I still felt that in some of the games I was feeling pretty good and playing pretty good

hockey. So I’m happy theynally went in.” And it seems things have started to roll downhill for Ehlers since. After ve games without a point to start his Hurricanes career, the 29 -yearold had points in four of six games before nally denting the goal column. That started a four-game point streak that was intact entering Tuesday’s home game against the Capi-

tals. Ehlers has gone from no points in his rst ve games to nine in his last 10.

While the winger was brought in to be a running mate to center Sebastian Aho on the top line, that experiment was put on hold when he was shifted to a line with Carolina’s small-andshifty combo of Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake.

NOAH K. MURRAY / AP PHOTO

Left wing Nikolaj Ehlers, center, celebrates with teammates Sean Walker (26) and Sebastian Aho (20) after scoring his rst goal with the Hurricanes in Carolina’s 3-0 win over the Rangers on Nov. 4 in New York.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

In your face defense: UNC guard Seth Trimble (7) blocks the way against Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson.

“So sad for Seth.” Hubert Davis, UNC coach

TRENDING

Craig Albernaz:

The former backup catcher for the Durham Bulls was hired as manager by the Baltimore Orioles Albernaz played for the Bulls from 2009 to 2013 Albernaz spent the past two seasons with the Guardians, working as bench coach and then associate manager under Stephen Vogt a former teammate with the Bulls Cleveland won the AL Central each of Albernaz s two seasons there

Rachel Folden:

The former Carolina Diamonds professional fast-pitch softball player was hired by the New York Mets to serve as hitting coach for their Double-A team — the Binghamton Rumble Ponies Folden, a catcher for the Diamonds in 2012 in the National Pro Fastpitch League is one of three women to coach in the minor leagues

Seb Wilkins:

The 6-foot-8 Duke freshman forward will redshirt the season Blue Devils’ coach Jon Scheyer announced after Duke s home opener Wilkins a four-star recruit was initially in the high school class of 2026 but opted to reclassify and enroll at Duke a year early Wilkins in 12 minutes in Duke s two exhibition games before sitting out two regular season contests

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“ This systemic failure ha s happened again and again in the USL Championship.”

Statement from the USL Players’ Association in response to Nor th Carolina FC announcing team nex t season The announcement was made while the team was preparing for a

“College

athletics ha s

never been at the cur rent level of disarray.”

Former Duke AD Kevin White who also said college spor ts were in “utter helplessness” and despair

NUMBER

Points scored by the Miami Heat in the the Charlotte Hornets on Fr iday, a franchise record and the second highest-scor ing opening per iod in NBA histor y It ties for the ninth highest-scor ing quar ter in histor y, games

NFL

where he did “t wo pumps” of his pelv is, an homage to a “Key & Peele” sketch

Michael Key to address the Panthers, say ing “Apparently, I g uess, the r ules that

Former NBA star Tony Parker w ill star t his coaching career w ith France’s Under-17 team The 43-year-old Parker w ill coach at nex t year ’ s U17 World Cup in Turkey Parker is a four-time NBA champion w ith the San A ntonio Spurs His Hornets

The Braves hired bench coach Walt Weiss as their manager Weiss has been a Braves’ coach since 2018 Weiss managed the Colorado Rockies from 201316 The his 14 -season play ing career as a shor tstop w ith Atlanta from 1998-2000

Former U NC Wilming ton and NC State coach Kev in Keatts has star ted working as a studio analyst for college basketball coverage on ESPN and ACC Net work Keatts coached the Wolf pack to an ACC title and Final Four in his eight years at the helm He also spent three seasons coaching the Seahawks, compiling an overall 223-141 record as a college coach

JESSICA

NCA A BASKETBALL

DAVID J PHILLIP / AP PHOTO

Charlotte FC knocked out of MLS playo s in 3-1

home loss

The club lost both of its home playo matchups

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — The most successful campaign in Charlotte FC’s four-year club history came to a close Friday night in the rubber match of a best-of-three, rst-round Eastern Conference playo series.

Playing at Bank of America Stadium where it had one of the strongest home advantages in the MLS this season, No. 4 seed Charlotte FC fell 3-1 to No. 5 seed New York City FC.

The result kept up the trend of all three playo games in the series being won by the road team. Charlotte dropped the rst match 1- 0 to New York on Oct. 28 at home but responded on Nov. 1 with a 7-6 penalty kick shootout win on the road.

On Friday, Charlotte’s o ense couldn’t ever nd its rhythm as it took 16 shots but only had one on goal; New York had eight shots with seven of them were on target.

Shortly before halftime, New York mid elder Nicolas Fernandez scored unassisted as he got in a shot past Charlotte FC

goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina to make it 1- 0 at the break.

In the 50th minute of the match, NYCFC forward Alonzo Martinez gave his club a 2- 0 lead.

Charlotte responded in the 81st minute with its lone goal of the three-game series as 25-year-old rst-year forward Idan Toklomat put his club on the board and within reach of a possible tying goal.

Archie Goodwin and Harry To olo had assists on Toklomati’s rst postseason netter, marking the rst goal contribution for Goodwin and To olo in their rst postseason.

However, Fernandez soon scored his second goal of the night to put New York up two.

Second-year Charlotte coach Dean Smith questioned if Fernandez should have been called for an o sides penalty on the play.

“It would have been nice to see that goal ruled o at the end for o sides to give us another ve minutes to possibly get back in the game,” Smith said. “But I’m proud of the lads in terms of how they played today because I thought our performance was very good. The fans turned up and turned up. Much better performance. Better team on the

“Last year, I don’t think we were set up to win, but this year is disappointing.”

Ashley Westwood, Charlotte FC captain

night, but sometimes sports are cruel. We didn’t get the result that we deserved tonight. We didn’t take our chances, but our intensity was there.”

NYCFC now advances to play No. 1 overall seed Philadelphia on the Union’s eld in the second round, while Charlotte has been sent home from a rst-round playo series for the second year in a row.

“I must apologize for tonight,” Charlotte FC captain Ashley Westwood said after the game. “Well, not just tonight, but the past three games. It’s been below our standards, but it’s been a good year and we will see you all back here next year.”

Charlotte FC had set new club highs with 19 victories and 59 points during the regular season, winning 11 of itsnal 13 games. In the postseason, though, the club struggled

to acclimate following a season-ending knee injury in October to mid elder Pep Biel, an MLS MVP candidate during the rst half of the season. Westwood said that he’s still continuing to see improvement in the club despite its latest setback, although the club will need players to make up for the loss of star defender Adilson Malanda, who will transfer to Middlesbrough FC next season.

“Last year, I don’t think we were set up to win, but this year is disappointing,” Westwood said. “I felt like we had the team to go and challenge for a trophy. Obviously, now we’ve lost Adilson (Malanda), so someone’s going to have to step in with some big shoes to ll. But hopefully get Pep (Biel) back next year. Wilf (Zaha) will still be here, so we’re nearly there. We’re very

close. Last year, I said we’d make the top four. Next year, we’re going for the top.” Malanda, a 23-year-old standout for Charlotte FC since joining the club in 2022, noted that he “wanted to go further” in the playo s, especially knowing his time in the Queen City was limited.

“I think we had the quality and everything to beat them tonight, but it’s football,” Malanda said. “There are things that we did not do that well, but you can’t change now. It’s too late. I’m really disappointed about that, but really proud and really happy to be able to play for the Charlotte Football Club. It was unbelievable. I’ll miss that, to be honest.”

Charlotte will now regroup as it prepares for its fth MLS campaign when the 2026 season begins in late February.

Key football matchups on docket for NC schools

An intrastate showdown and two ranked contests could have big implications for bowl eligibility and the conference championship

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

UNC vs. Wake Forest

The big intrastate matchup this week pits the Tar Heels (2 -3 ACC, 4 -5) against the Demon Deacons (3 -3 ACC, 6 -3) on Military Appreciation Night in Winston- Salem.

It will be the 112th time the two Tobacco Road rivals square o , with UNC holding a 73-36-2 edge. In fact, the Tar Heels have won the last four meetings between the two programs, although every game in that span has been decided by a single possession.

“I got a lot of texts over the last 48 hours, and not very many of them were about UVA,” said Wake Forest coach Jack Dickert. “They were about this game. These Big Four games, they do mean something. I don’t know what it means to them, but it’s important to us, our university, our players and our alumni.”

UNC heads into the game having put together back-to-back wins for just the second time this season after pulling o a 20 -15 win over Stanford last weekend.

“We’ve improved signi cantly over the course of the season,”

CANES from page B1

It’s unlikely Ehlers, at 6 feet, was ever the tallest guy on a line while playing with the Jets, but he can relate to people being skeptical of a smaller player’s ability to make an impact in the NHL.

“They did that to me as well,” Ehlers said of people doubting the 5 -foot-8 Stankoven and 5 -foot-11 Blake. “Those two guys can play hockey. … We’ve got the speed on our line to create some pretty good things.”

In Sunday’s come-from-behind-win in Toronto, they did just that. With the game tied 4 - 4 with under eight minutes left in regulation, Ehlers stole an outlet pass inside the Maple Leafs blue

said UNC coach Bill Belichick.

“Individually and collectively. Our team defense, our team o ense, our kicko coverage, I mean everything. It’s not just one guy or one thing. It’s been a collective e ort.”

After a tough loss to Florida State the week prior, Wake Forest got back on track as well with its rst ranked win of the season and rst since 2022, defeating No. 14 UVA 16-9 to qualify for bowl eligibility.

“The biggest message to the guys is that we have to respond from success,” Dickert said. “We didn’t do it after the SMU game. These guys see it, know it, they learn from it. Another nameless, faceless opponent that we have to go out and be our best against.”

line, motored to the outside of the right circle and passed to fellow newcomer K’Andre Miller in the high slot. Miller made a deceptive backhand feed to Stankoven, who ri ed a shot into the Toronto net for the go-ahead — and winning — goal.

Brind’Amour said after the win that he can sense Ehlers is becoming more comfortable with each game.

“He got a goal a few games ago, and you can just see all of a sudden there’s a little more pep in his step or whatever; a little more comfortable,” said Brind’Amour, who came to Raleigh as a player after eight-plus seasons in Philadelphia. “It’s a lot of pressure when you come to a new team

Consistent o ense has been a bit of a struggle for the Demon Deacons, with only 24 touchdowns on the season, but UNC is one of only two teams in the conference worse than them in that regard.

However, both teams boast some of the best defenses in the ACC, with Wake allowing 20.3 points per game and the Tar Heels allowing 21.3 points per game, so it could be yet another tight matchup.

“They’re very well coached, they’re very sound in what they do and they make you beat them,” Belichick said. “They make you go out and execute to beat them as they don’t make a lot of mistakes nor give up a lot of easy plays.”

Duke vs. No. 20 UVA

The Duke Blue Devils (4 -1 ACC, 5 - 4) will face their second ranked opponent of the year this weekend as they prepare to take on No. 20 UVA.

The Cavaliers boast a strong o ense and defense, and they’ve looked strong this season, so it will be a good challenge for Duke.

The Blue Devils will also be looking to bounce back from a 34 -37 upset loss at the hands of the UConn Huskies.

“It was a loss where in all three phases, we just made too many mistakes to come and beat a quality opponent on the road,” said Duke coach Manny Diaz. “In our locker room, we’re going to fully absorb how horrendous this feels to lose this game and own it.”

Despite the tough defeat, Duke is still well in the hunt for an ACC championship game bid as they only have a single conference loss.

The biggest thing for Duke will be tightening up defensively.

The defense has not played nearly as well as many expected it to this season, especially with the way last year’s group looked. The 29.1 points per game the Blue Devils are surrendering have them ranked 13th in the ACC.

NC State vs. No. 16 Miami

NC State (2-3 ACC, 5- 4) isn’t easing back into their schedule after the bye week with a second straight matchup against a ranked opponent.

“These Big Four games, they do mean something.” Wake Forest Coach Jake Dickert

NC State pulled o a big win over then -No. 8 Georgia Tech at the start of the month and will be hoping for another top -20 win down in Florida as they take on the Hurricanes.

“The bye week gave us an opportunity to not only get healthier,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said, “but to also have a little bit of time to get a headstart on preparing for a really good Miami team.”

Defensive issues still plague the Wolfpack, who are one of the worst teams in the country in yards allowed per game (424.8). If NC State can stay hot on the o ensive side of the ball, the Wolfpack will have a chance to pull o another upset.

Starting quarterback and Miami native CJ Bailey has probably had this game circled for a while, so he’ll be wanting to show his best, and with potentially two capable running backs now in Hollywood Smothers and emerging freshman Duke Scott, the pieces are there to do some damage. Miami, however, has been the stingiest defense in the ACC this season, allowing just 15 points and 285.1 yards per game, so it’ll be a big test for the Wolfpack.

“He’s just unbelievable. He’s a stud.”

Hurricanes

forward Jackson Blake on Nikolaj Ehlers

and all the hype, more so when you’ve been somewhere for a long time. It’s just everything feels di erent.”

Ehlers said Winnipeg and Raleigh haven’t felt all the different, noting how “incredibly nice” everyone has been to him, but he expects to notice a change in that sentiment soon.

“I think I’ll really understand the di erent lifestyle once we get to January,

February where I’m used to the minus 30 Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit),” he said with a laugh. “But you get used to everything, right? … My dog will de nitely appreciate not wearing a jacket and boots every day going for a walk.”

He’s also gotten a crash course in the Hurricanes’ resilience. Carolina has played much of this season with three rookie defensemen in the lineup due to injuries, also losing a pair of forwards and battling some goaltending uncertainty to start the season.

“We had three defensemen go down and not play,” he said, “and we’ve had multiple games where we’ve had only ve; one game four D playing. … The

way that they’ve all bought in and stepped up is something that you need over the course of an 82 -game season, and they’ve done that perfectly.

“It goes to show what we’re willing to do to help this team win, and everybody’s bought into that.”

And even though it took some time for Ehlers to show up in the scoring log, his teammates immediately recognized what adding him could mean to their Stanley Cup hopes.

“He’s just unbelievable,” Blake said. “He’s a stud. I love playing with that guy.”

Brind’Amour, no stranger to new beginnings, added, “I think he’s starting to feel at home now.”

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

New York City FC mid elder Nicolas Fernandez, left, prepares to score past Charlotte FC defender Nathan Byrne, right, during Game 3 of their MLS rst-round playo series.

ROBERT SIMMONS / AP PHOTO

Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford (2) runs for a big gain against Virginia during last week’s upset win in Charlottesville.

Triangle teams eye big wins against quality opponents

The UNC and NC State women take on top programs this weekend

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

AFTER AN entertaining opening week of top 25 matchups in women’s college basketball, the way-too-early madness will continue this week amongst the Triangle teams.

No. 11 UNC will face its rst test of the season against No. 3 UCLA in the WBCA Challenge in Las Vegas on Thursday at 9 p.m.

Then No. 15 Duke will take on West Virginia in the Greenbrier Tip - O on Friday at 6 p.m. inside the Greenbrier resort in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia.

No. 10 NC State will end a weekend of locally ranked showdowns against No. 17 TCU on Sunday at 1 p.m. from Reynolds Coliseum.

Here’s a closer look at what to expect in each of the matchups. UNC vs. UCLA

After two big wins over NC Central and Elon to start the season, the Tar Heels will return from a weeklong break to battle their rst ranked opponent in UCLA, which

was in the Final Four in April. UNC has started the year as expected with a balanced scoring attack. Five players have double - digit scoring averages after two games, with senior Indya Nivar leading the way with 13 points per night. UCLA also has ve double-digit scorers, with senior Gabriela Jaquez leading the way with 18 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and reigning national defensive player of the year Lauren Betts pouring in 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per night as of Sunday. The Bruins will be

battle -tested after a bout with No. 6 Oklahoma on Monday.

UNC showed ashes of being a top team in a 91- 82 loss to No. 2 South Carolina in an exhibition game on Oct. 30. Senior forward Nyla Harris proved she could be an immediate factor with a 14 -point, 10 -rebound double - double in that matchup, while three other Tar Heels, including freshman Nyla Brooks, logged at least 10 points. That level of scoring will be huge in taking down the Bruins, but UNC will need to shoot better from 3.

The Tar Heels are making 26% of their shots from beyond the arc, which falls well below their clip from last season.

Duke vs. West Virginia

Although they’re not ranked, don’t overlook the Mountaineers as a quality opponent for Duke. Coming o a second-round exit in last season’s NCAA Tournament, West Virginia is led by senior guard Sydney Shaw, who’s averaging 17 points, and graduate forward Kierra Wheeler, who’s averaging 15.5 points through two games. Although their guards don’t match up well with the height of the Blue Devils’ back court, the Mountaineers have done well with turning teams over (non-power conference opponents), snatching 17.5 steals per game so far this this season (17th in the nation). Through two games, Duke’s size has come through as expected. Thanks to sophomore forward Toby Fournier and junior forward Jordan Wood, the Blue Devils are third in the country as of Sunday with 9.5 blocks per game. Fournier has been on a tear in other aspects of the game, leading Duke with averages of 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. She put up a 16-point, 10 -rebound double-double in a season-opening loss to No. 7 Baylor. Duke has also found some early success from 3-point land, shooting 38% from beyond the arc while making eight 3s per game.

NC State vs. TCU

NC State has gone through a gauntlet of exceptional compe -

tition early this season and are free throws away from being undefeated against top -25 opponents, not counting its win over No. 9 Maryland in an exhibition game. Sunday’s game against TCU will be a chance to see how the Wolfpack responds when given another chance. The Horned Frogs have yet to play a power conference opponent, but they’re coming with proven re power in Notre Dame transfer guard Olivia Miles, who’s averaging 19 points per game, and junior guard Donovyn Hunter, who has contributed 18.5 points a night. As a team, TCU makes 10.5 3s per game, which is more than any of the Wolfpack’s three opponents this year. The last time Miles faced o against the Wolfpack, she scored 22 points but shot 39% from the oor and committed ve turnovers in a loss.

NC State is coming with its own heat as junior forward Zoe Brooks, junior forward Khamil Pierre (Vanderbilt transfer), sophomore forward Tilda Trygger and sophomore guard Zamareya Jones are all averaging at least 13 points per game. Although the team has underperformed from the eld so far, the Wolfpack look to be a team that can nd other ways to win as they rank 14th in the country in rebounds per game. In front of its home crowd, NC State can bounce back from Sunday’s tough loss to No. 8 USC by getting another big game from its top scorers while limiting Miles’ ability to get hot.

Look at Week 11 of college football across the state

• 2-1 ECU

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

NORTH CAROLINA teams put together back-to-back winning weeks, barely. Wingate remains at the top of the heap, while Charlotte moves into the bottom. Guilford, just out of the cellar, deserves a mention. The Quakers had to forfeit the rest of the season after a postgame ght following the senior day loss to Averett (who is also forfeiting its remaining games).

THE RANKINGS

North Carolina’s record: 12-16 in Week 9, 14-13 in Week 10, 15-14 in Week 11 (143-164 overall)

1. Wingate: 8-2, won 56-10 at Tusculum (Mars Hill)

2. Johnson C. Smith: 9-1, won 26-21 over Livingstone (Virginia Union in CIAA Championships)

3. UNC Pembroke: 8-2, o week (North Greenville in the Conference Carolinas Bowl)

4. Catawba: 7-3, won 4420 over Anderson (at Lenoir-Rhyne)

5. Wake Forest: 6-3, won 16-9 at Virginia(UNC)

6. NC Central: 7-3, won 31-28 over Norfolk State (South Carolina State on Friday)

7. ECU: 6-3, won 48-22 over Charlotte (Memphis)

8. Duke: 5-4, lost 37-34 at UConn (Virginia)

9. Gardner-Webb: 6-4, won 27-24 over Southeast Missouri (at Tennessee State)

11. NC State: 5-4, o week (at Miami)

12. NC Wesleyan, 4-5, lost 38-29 to Greensboro (at Brevard)

13. Lenoir-Rhyne: 5-5, o week (Catawba)

14. Fayetteville State: 6-4, won 31-21 over Winston-Salem State (season complete)

15. Mars Hill, 5-5, won, 60-19 over Virginia Wise (at Wingate)

16. Livingstone: 5-5, lost 26-21 at Johnson C. Smith (season complete)

17. Brevard: 5-4, won 47-20 at Methodist (NC Wesleyan)

18. App State: 4-5, lost 25-23 to Georgia Southern (at James Madison)

19. UNC: 4-5, won 20-15 over Stanford (at Wake Forest)

20.Winston-Salem State: 4-6, lost 31-21 at Fayetteville State (season complete)

21. Chowan, 3-7, lost 40-37 to Ferrum (at Barton)

22. Elon: 4-6, lost 34-20 to Rhode Island (at Campbell)

23. Elizabeth City State: 4-6, won 70-30 over Blue eld (season complete)

24. Barton: 3-7, beat Erskine 37-7 (Chowan)

10. Western Carolina: 6-4, lost 49-47 to Mercer (ETSU in the Blue Ridge Border Battle)

25. Greensboro: 2-7, won 38-29 at NC Wesleyan (Methodist)

26. Campbell: 2-8, lost 30-27 to William & Mary in OT (Elon)

27. Shaw: 2-8, lost 55-7 at Emory & Henry (season complete)

28. Davidson: 2-8, won 14-13 over Presbyterian (at Marist)

UNC from page B1

Self also said Trimble may have been player of the game despite 24 points, seven rebounds and four steals from UNC freshman Caleb Wilson. “The way he guarded Darryn and playing on top of everything,” he said. Self was also impressed with Trimble in transition.

“If he can get ahead of the eld,” Self said, “nobody’s catching him from behind.”

Trimble has also been a bigger factor in UNC’s set o ense. He scored 29 points in his two games, a 2.9 point per game increase over last year’s career high. He’s also dishing out 3.5 assists a night, an increase of more than two per game. Trimble’s absence will take away a playmaker on o ense and spread out the defensive responsibilities to a number of less experienced players on the roster. With Kyan Evans focusing

29. NC A&T: 2-8, lost at Stony Brook, 38-12 (Monmouth)

30. Guilford: 2-8, lost 27-21 to Averett, forfeited next week’s game at Bridgewater (season complete)

31. Methodist: 1-8, lost 47-20 to Brevard (at Greensboro)

32. Charlotte: 1-8, lost 48-22 at ECU (UTSA)

STATE TITLE STANDINGS

Week 9: JC Smith 52, Winston-Salem State 27; UNC Pembroke 42, Chowan 10; Lenoir-Rhyne 45, Mars Hill 0; NC A&T 28, Campbell 24; Fayetteville State 31, Shaw 13; Brevard 34, Greensboro 7 Week 10: Wingate 38, Lenoir Rhyne 37 (OT); JC Smith 17, Fayetteville State 14; UNC Pembroke 34, Barton 17; NC Wesleyan 48, Methodist 17; Livingstone 43, Shaw 13

Week 11: JC Smith 26, Livingstone 21; Greensboro 38, NC Wesleyan 29; ECU 48, Charlotte 22; Brevard 47, Methodist 20; Fayetteville State 31, Winston-Salem State 21

This week, we have seven intrastate clashes:

Mars Hill at Wingate; Catawba at Lenoir-Rhyne; UNC at Wake Forest; NC Wesleyan at Brevard; Chowan at Barton; Elon at Campbell; Methodist at Greensboro

Here are the in-state records for the state’s 32 teams:

• 5-0 JC Smith

• 3-0 Wingate

• 2-0 Duke, NC Central, Brevard

• 1-0 App State, Gardner-Webb, UNC, Elon

• 3-1 NC State, UNC Pembroke

on running the team and Luka Bogavac more of an o ensive threat than defensive specialist, the best candidate to step in as a perimeter defender might be Virginia Tech transfer Jaydon Young, who has played a total of just six minutes in the rst two games. While the team hasn’t speculated on how long Trimble will be out, it appears that six-toeight weeks is the average for an athlete’s recovery time, assum-

• 4-3 Fayetteville State

• 2-2 Greensboro

• 1-1 Wake Forest, Lenoir-Rhyne, Guilford, Davidson, Catawba, Barton, NC Wesleyan, NC A&T

• 1-2 Chowan

• 2-3 Winston-Salem State

• 1-3 Western Carolina, Elizabeth City, Shaw

• 1-4 Livingstone

• 0-3 Charlotte, Methodist, Mars Hill

• 0-4 Campbell

HOMECOMING

North Carolina teams’ homecoming record now stands at 12-17

Week 9: Wake Forest (SMU) and Catawba (Tusculum) won; NC Central (Delaware State), NC Wesleyan (Southern Virginia), Barton (Shorter) and Greensboro (Brevard) lost

Week 10: NC State (Ga. Tech) and Livingstone (Shaw) won

Week 11: ECU (Charlotte) and Elizabeth City (Blue eld) won; Western Carolina (Mercer) and Methodist (Brevard) lost

Homecoming games this week:

• Wingate (Mars Hill)

SENIOR DAY

NC teams are 6-4 on senior day

JC Smith (Livingstone), Catawba (Anderson), Fayetteville State (W-S State), Mars Hill (Virginia Wise), Livingstone (Virginia University of Lynchburg) and Elizabeth City (Blueeld) won NC Wesleyan (Greensboro),

ing he’ll be wearing a protective brace or cast. That would take UNC to late December. Fortunately for the Tar Heels, there is no early ACC game on the schedule this season, so, if he returns before Dec. 3, he won’t miss a conference tilt. The big games where UNC will have to fend without him are a Dec. 2 game at Kentucky, likely to be favored over the Tar Heels, and two toss-up neutral site games against

Chowan (Ferrum), Guilford (Averett) and Methodist (Brevard) lost

This week’s senior day games:

Wingate (Mars Hill), ECU (Memphis), Western Carolina (ETSU), Lenoir-Rhyne (Catawba), Greensboro (Methodist), NC A&T (Monmouth)

ALL-STATE PERFORMANCES FOR WEEK 11:

Quarterback: Cameron Turner, Greensboro, 17 for 24 for 296 yards and four touchdowns passing, 110 yards and a touchdown rushing; Taron Dickens, Western Carolina, 33 for 49, 551 yards, 7 touchdowns

Running backs: Bobby Smith, JC Smith, 164 yards, 1 TD; Traquan Johnson, Elizabeth City 192 yards and 5 touchdowns

Receiver: KJ Brown, Greensboro, 5 catches for 145 yards and 2 TDs; Davyn Reid, Livingstone, 3 catches, 156 yards, 2 TDs

Defensive line: Elihu Lipscomb, Wingate, 4 tackles, 1 solo, 51 and 52-yard fumble returns for touchdowns; Thomas Johnson, NCCU, 3 tackles, 2 solo, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 blocked kick, 4 quarterback hits Linebacker: Diego Aviles, Wingate, 6 tackles, 3 solo, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup; Vincent Hill, JC Smith, 7 tackles, 7 solo, 3 TFL. Defensive back: Evan Simons, Catawba, 6 tackles, 5 solo, 2 TFL, 1 sack; Isaiah Lawson, NCCU, 8 tackles, 8 solo, 2 TFL, 1 sack

Special teams: Jeremyah Lane, Brevard, 50 -yard punt return touchdown and 90 -yard kicko return touchdown

Elizabeth City also gets special mention for having 100 -yard touchdown returns by Shamar Sutton (kicko ) and Solomon Ford (interception).

Michigan State and Ohio State. Still, a best-case return would leave Trimble trying to get back into game shape against ACC opponents, and UNC trying to reintegrate him on both ends of the oor. That’s not ideal but still leaves two months before tournament play to sort things out.

Trimble has developed into a defensive specialist, glue guy and leader. The Tar Heels will be without all three for the foreseeable future.

THIBAULT CAMUS / AP PHOTO

Duke forward Toby Fournier (35) drives on Baylor forward Bella Fontleroy (22) in their matchup in Paris.

NOTICE

CUMBERLAND

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF BROOKS ADCOX

CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 15E000642-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Brooks Adcox, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Betty Adcox, Administrator, at 6321 US Highway 301 S, Parkton, NC 28371, on or before the 24th day of January, 2026 (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 17th day of October, 2025. Betty Adcox Administrator of the Estate of Brooks Adcox. Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: October 23, October 30, November 6 and November 13, 2025 NOTICE

ADMINISTRATOR’S EXECUTOR’S NOTICE In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 25e001673-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Beverly Holmes Berry 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 6th day of February, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 31st day of October, 2025. Joseph W Berry 3933 West Bent Grass Dr Fayetteville NC 28312, Executor of the estate of Beverly Holmes Berry deceased 7/29/2025.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Cumberland County Estate of Sharon Kay Cipriano Deceased Notice is hereby given that Peter Cipriano whose address is 8711 coats road Linden nc 28356 has been appointed as the Executor the estate of Sharon Kay Cipriano deceased, who died on May 3rd, 2025. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present them to the undersigned within by January 30, 2026 which is 3 months after the date of the rst publication(October 30 2025). This notice of the claim may be barred.

Peter Cipriano a Executor for the Estate of Sharon Kay Cipriano 8711 Coats Road Linden NC, 28356.

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In the General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File #25e000923-250 Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Karen Cooper, 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 twenty-third day of January, 2026 or this notice will be pleased in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This twenty-third day of October, 2025. Victor Ayala Executor 1 Carissa Ct.

Address Greensboro, NC, 27407 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Karen Cooper, Deceased ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 25E001659-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of Kathy Diane Averitte Culbreth, 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 262 Rock Hill Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28312, on or before February 13, 2026, 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 13th day of November, 2025. Alex Christopher Culbreth Administrator of the Estate of Kathy Diane Averitte Culbreth, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305

11/13/2025, 11/20/2025, 11/27/2025 and 12/4/2025

NOTICE

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Cumberland County Estate File 25E001386-250 NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Sheila W. Delahunty, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate to present such claims to the undersigned at 113 N. Virginia Ave., Fayetteville, NC 28305 on or before the 6th day of February, 2026, (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 persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This the 29th day of October, 2025. Margaret D. Suraci, Administrator

NOTICE

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIORCOURT DIVISON ESTATE FILE # 22 E 758 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Carolyn E. Epps, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent of exhibit them to the undersigned at 1204 Stans eld Drive Fayetteville, NC 28303 on or before February 13, 2026, 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 10th day of November, 2025.

NOTICE

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

ESTATE FILE 25E001554-250

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: HOYT FAIRCLOTH Administrator’S NOTICE

The undersigned, having qualifed as Administrator of the estate of Hoyt Ray Faircloth, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the under- signed on or before the 23rd day of January, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publica- tion of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immedi- ate payment to the undersigned. This 17th day of October, 2025. Brenda Harrison 2102 Wimberly Woods Dr. Sanford, NC 27330 Administrator of the estate of Hoyt Ray Faircloth, deceased

NOTICE

State of North Carolina In The General Court of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E001678-250 Administrator’s/ Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Keith Edward Garner (AKA Edward Kenneth Gardner), 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 16 day of February, 2026, (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 11 day of November, 2025. Brooks Gardner___ Administrator 1708 Autumn Ridge Dr. Durham, NC 27712 Of the Estate of Keith Edward Garner (AKA Edward Kenneth Gardner), Deceased.

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E001618-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Evelyn Bell Godwin, 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 30th day of January, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

The 30th day of October 2025, David A. Godwin 9612 Dunn Rd. Godwin, NC, 28344 Of the Estate of Evelyn Bell Godwin, Deceased

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #25E001255-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The Undersigned Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Mary Agnes Groves, May 28, 2025 deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all person having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on for before the 30th day of January, 2026, (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 30th day of October 2025. Administrator of the Estate of Mary Agnes Groves Claims can be sent to Danny M Johnson 8848 Clinton Road Stedman, North Carolina 28391

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF ELSIE LEE PHIPPS HALL

CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E001500-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Elsie Lee Phipps Hall, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Sharon Brown, Executor, at 905 Country Club Dr., Fayetteville NC 28301, on or before the 24th day of January, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above. This the 16th day of October, 2025. Sharon Brown Executor of the Estate of Elsie Lee Phipps Hall Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: October 23, October 30, November 6 and November 13, 2025.

ANCILLARY EXECUTOR’S NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 25E001593-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, having quali ed as the Ancillary Executor of the Estate of James Albert Helman, 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 14360 NE 209th Terrace Road, Salt Springs, Florida, 32134, on or before February 06, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 6th day of November, 2025. Barbara Lee Helman

Ancillary Executor of the Estate of James Albert Helman, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 11/06/2025, 11/13/2025, 11/20/2025 and 11/27/2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF DAVID ROBERT KIMBEL

CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 17E000537-250

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against David Kimbel, 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 24th day of January, 2026 (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 16th day of October, 2025. Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of David Robert Kimbel Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: October 23, October 30, November 6 and November 13, 2025.

NOTICE

State of North Carolina County of Cumberland In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File: 2023E000980 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: JANICE KING

ADMINISTRATOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Janice Foy 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 06 of February 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 06 day of November, 2025.

Ti any King 5629 Carson Drive Fayetteville, NC 28303 Administrator of the Estate of Janice Foy King , deceased Executor’s Notice IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 25E001549-250

State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of Weldon F. G. Lewis, 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 412 Island End Court, Wilmington, North Carolina 28412, on or before January 30, 2026, 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 30th day of October, 2025. April Lewis Dehu Executor of the Estate of Weldon F. G. Lewis, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305

10/30/2025, 11/06/2025, 11/13/2025 and 11/20/2025

NOTICE

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Sandra Bledsoe Matthews deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against them to the undersigned on or before the 23nd day of January, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 15th day of October, 2025. Administrator of the Estate of Sandra Bledsoe Matthews 2806 Long Gate Ct, Midlothian VA 23112

Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Mable Catherine Robinson, 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 23rd day of January, 2026, (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 23rd day of October, 2025 Linda Ann Daniels, Executor, 925 Chippenham Avenue, Lancaster SC 29720 Of the Estate of Mable Catherine Robinson, Deceased.

NOTICE

In the General Court Of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File#25E000518-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Cassie M. Thomas, 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 23rd day of January, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in the bar of their discovery. All Debtor of the decedent are requested to make an immediate payment to the undersigned. This 16th day of October 2025 Sarah Thomas Administrator/Executor 7427 Shillinglaw Circle Fayetteville, NC, 28314 Of the Estate of Cassie Mae Thomas, Deceased

On behalf of the estate of James William Thomas, Request for A davit of Publication: File# E001571-250 In The General Court of Justice

Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #25-E001571-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned, having Quali ed as Executor of the Estate of James William Thomas, deceased, of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 23rd of January 2026, (which date is 3 months after the day of the rst publica- tion 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 October 2025. Administrator of the “Estate of James William Thomas” William Michael Thomas Sandra Dianne Thomas 613 Goodyear Drive Spring Lake, NC 28390

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF MARGARET RUTH TOWNSON CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 25E001625-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Margaret Ruth Townson, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to George Townson, Executor, at 707 Regina Dr., Spring Lake, NC 28390, on or before the 7th day of February,

Claims may be mailed to: Toranique Adams 3686 Gabe Smith Rd Fayetteville, NC 28305 Claims may be led with the Clerk of Superior Court at: Clerk of Superior Court, Cumberland County PO Box 363 Fayetteville, NC 28302 The probate case number is 25E001420-250. TORANIQUE ADAMS, Executor First displayed on October 30, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of Scott William Galley, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are hereby noti ed to present their claims to the undersigned Executor, Lourdes Galley, on or before February 13, 2026 (which date is 3 months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Anyone who believes they are owed money by

NOTICE

NOTICE

CAROLINA

STATE OF NORTH

COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, JOHN F SNOW, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of LINDA J SNOW, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said JOHN F SNOW, at the address set out below, on or before February 2, 2026, 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 24th day of October, 2025.

JOHN F SNOW

EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF LINDA J SNOW

c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

New Hanover County THE UNDERSIGNED, Kay Ward Lambert, having quali ed on the 16th day of October 2025, as Executor of the Estate of Guy Lupton Ward, (25E002418-640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at Kay Ward Lambert, 2006 Leith Court, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28405, on or before the 23 day of January, 2026, 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 23rd day of October 2025.

Kay Ward Lambert

Executor ESTATE OF GUY LUPTON WARD Kay Ward Lambert 2006 Leith Court Wilmington, North Carolina 28405

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Joseph Darius Carpenter, Jr., deceased, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them, duly veri ed, to the undersigned, care of their attorney, on or before January 30, 2026 (which date is at least three (3) months from the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate settlement with the undersigned, care of their attorney. This the 30th day of October, 2025. Joseph Kevin Carpenter, III, Executor of the Estate of Joseph Darius Carpenter, Jr., Deceased c/o Randall S. Hoose, Jr. Hoose Law, PLLC 705 Princess Street Wilmington, NC 28401-4146 Please publish 10/30, 11/06, 11/13, 11/20

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

700 Charlotte, NC 28284 (For Publication Dates: 10/23/25, 10/30/25, 11/6/25, & 11/13/25)

NEW HANOVER

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, KIMBERLY LEANNE WOMACK, having quali ed as the Executorof the Estate of SHERRY ANN BROOKSHIRE , Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said KIMBERLY LEANNE WOMACK, at the address set out below, on or before January 29, 2026, 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 21 day of October, 2025. KIMBERLY LEANNE WOMACK Executor OF THE ESTATE OF SHERRY ANN BROOKSHIRE c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

The undersigned, AMANDA CAROL RUMSEY, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of CARLYN SHARP DREISBACH, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said AMANDA CAROL RUMSEY, at the address set out below, on or before February 15, 2026, 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 13TH day of November, 2025.

AMANDA CAROL RUMSEY Executor OF THE ESTATE OF CARLYN SHARP DREISBACH c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 25SP001413-640 Yolanda Yvette Rivers, et al. v. Clarence B. Rivers, Jr. TO: Respondent Clarence B. Rivers, Jr., or any other person or entity claiming thereunder: Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above-entitled special proceeding. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: the petitioner, Yolanda Yvette Rivers, John F. Rivers, Sr., Connie Zenobia Scarborough, Norena Elizabeth May, Tila Jurretta Rivers, Daniel Rivers, Carlton Ray Rivers, Clarence Rivers, and Roderick Rivers Sr. has led a special proceeding to partition the parties’ respective interests in the real property situated in New Hanover County, North Carolina, which is more completely described in the Petition for Partition. Clarence B. Rivers, Jr., is a known but unlocated respondent to the special proceeding. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after October 30, 2025 (exclusive of said date) and upon your failure to so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This the 30th day of October, 2025. Scott Donaldson NC Bar No. 60263 Cline Donaldson PLLC 5725 Oleander Drive, Ste. G-3 Wilmington, NC 28403 910 701 0005 - O ce Scott@clinedonaldson.com Counsel for Petitioner Yolanda Yvette Rivers Please publish 10/30, 11/06 and 11/13

RANDOLPH

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of MARVIN M. GALLOWAY aka MARVIN M. GALLOWAY, SR. aka MARVIN MOORE GALLOWAY, aka MARVIN MORRE GALLOWAY, SR., 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 January 23, 2026, 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 23rd day of October 2025. NOLAN ANTHONY GALLOWAY Executor of the Estate of MARVIN M. GALLOWAY aka MARVIN M. GALLOWAY, SR. aka MARVIN MOORE GALLOWAY aka MARVIN MOORE GALLOWAY, SR. S. SCOTT EGGLESTON, Attorney IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043

PUBL/DATES: 10/23/25, 10/30/25, 11/06/25, 11/13/24

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of William Gerald Travers, of Randolph County, NC, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned Administrator at the Law O ce of Andrew J. Weiner, 113 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC 27203 on or before January 22nd 2026, 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 23rd day of October 2025. Bruce Edward Travers, Administrator William Gerald Travers, Estate Andrew J. Weiner, 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 Hazel Dorene York aka Hazel Dorene Brower York aka Hazel Brower York, 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 February 13, 2026, 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 13th

ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043 PUBL/DATES: 11/13/25, 11/20/25, 11/27/25, 12/04/25

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of ROBERT HOWARD ABRAMS, late of Wake County, North Carolina (25E002589-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned

CABARRUS

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY 25 SP 000650-250 Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Raymond Mason and Judith Mason, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $30,000.00, to EMPIRE FUNDING CORP, Mortgagee, dated June 24th, 1998 and recorded on July 2nd, 1998 in Book 4891, Page 738, as instrument number NA, Cumberland County Registry. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina, and

25SP000181-250 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 Ezekiel Simmons and Elicia Montoya to Lewis, Deese, Ditmore and Gregory, LLP., Trustee(s), which was dated July 7, 2023 and recorded on July 10, 2023 in Book 11774 at Page 0393, 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 November 19, 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: BEGINNING at a stake in the middle of the Fayetteville-Cedar Creek Public road, at a point 352 feet Southeastwardly from

17 on South edge of Hilltop Avenue; thence with the South edge of Hilltop Avenue, N. 45 E. 50 feet to the Beginning.

Being the same property conveyed to Hattie Mae Hammonds by Deed from James Hammonds recorded 07/20/64 in Book 341, Page 27 of the Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 293 Hilltop Ave Sw, Concord, NC 28025. A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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 or other usual place of sale in Cumberland County, North Carolina, at 2:00 PM on November 25th, 2025, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Lot 192, Morganton Place, Section Three, according to a plat of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 44, Page 62, Cumberland County Registry Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 158 Brocton Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28303 Tax ID: 9498-56-9669 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount

the intersection of a ditch, and running thence North Eastwardly, at right angles to said road, about 162 feet to the middle of the ditch; thence with said ditch Northwestwardly about 80 feet to a stake; thence Southwestwardly, parallel to the rst line, about 162 feet to the middle of the aforesaid public road; thence with the middle of said road in a Southeastwardly direction 80 feet to the Beginning, it being the intention of this deed to convey a lot 80 feet wide, running back between parallel lines and at right angles to the public road, to the ditch, being part of the home tract of Sidney D. Smith. Being the same property conveyed to Henry H. Burnett and wife Vivian W. Burnett, by deed dated May 27, 1954, duly recorded in the Cumberland County Registry in Book 648, Page 276.

A better description of the foregoing land by actual survey is as follows: BEGINNING at a point on the eastern margin of the Fayetteville-Cedar Creek Public road (said point being 25 feet from the center line of said road), said point being South 17 degrees East 265 feet from the center of the drainage canal which crosses the western line of the 81 acre tract owned by Sidney D. Smith, and running thence with the southern line of a lot previously sold by said Sidney D. Smith to Bell (See Book 519, Page 156) North 73 degrees East 143 feet to the center of a drainage canal; thence with said canal South 17 degrees East 80 feet to the northwest corner of a lot sold to Williams;

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,

of Forty- ve Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. 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. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s)

thence with Williams’ northern line South 73 degrees 143 feet to the eastern margin of the Fayetteville-Cedar Creek Public road; thence with said road North 17 degrees West 80 feet to the Beginning, as per survey made by J. Me. Thompson, Surveyor, in February 1949. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 901 Cedar Creek Road, Fayetteville, NC 28312.

A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after

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 Hattie Mae Hammonds. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the

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 Ezekiel Simmons and Elicia Montoya.

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

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by

If

of the purchaser is the

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE FILE NUMBER: 25SP000565-250 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust executed by CHARLES M. SMITH dated November 21, 2022 in the amount of $157,102.00 and recorded in Book 11621, Page 0254 of the Cumberland County Public Registry by ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, Substitute Trustee, default having been made in the terms of agreement set forth by the loan agreement secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, having been substituted as Successor Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O cial Records of Cumberland County, North Carolina, in Book 12247, Page 192, 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 Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on November 24, 2025 at 11:30 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): 0415-27-0448 ADDRESS: 2611 SEDGEFIELD DR FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28306 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): CHARLES M. SMITH THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 11621, PAGE 0254, AS FOLLOWS: BEING ALL OF LOT 6 IN A SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS “SEDGEFIELD,” AS SHOWN ON A PLAT OF THE SAME DULY RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 33, PAGE 58 OF THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA. PROPERTY ADDRESS: 2611 SEDGEFIELD DRIVE, PAYETTEVILLE, NC 28306 PIN: 0415-27-0448

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 Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the 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 foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice

NC 28311 Tax Parcel ID: 0532-89-7996 This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all

Morris Rd., Suite 450 Alpharetta, GA 30004 Telephone: (470) 321-7112

Substitute Trustee, Defendants” 25CV001460-250 Cumberland County and pursuant to the terms of the judgment, the undersigned Commissioner will o er for sale that certain property as described below. Said sale will be held in the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North

in a subdivision known as KINGS MILL, according to a plat of same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 56, and Page 69, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. 7720 Charring Cross Lane, Fayetteville, NC 28314 Parcel ID: 9487-01-1512. The property is being sold “as is”, without warranties, subject to all taxes, special assessments and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Any assessments, costs or fees resulting from the sale will be due and payable from the purchaser at the sale. A deposit of certi ed funds (no personal check) in the amount of ve percent (5%) of the high bid will be required at the time of the sale. The sale will be held open for ten days for upset bids as required by law. This the 14th day of October, 2025. BY:_C.L. Leader Substitute Trustee Services, Inc., Commissioner Printed Name: C.L. Leader Title: President 201 S. McPherson Church Road, Ste. 201 Fayetteville, NC 28303-4995 FV# 13524912

24-118598

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION DAVIDSON COUNTY 25SP000452-280

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED

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

22-113996 IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION DAVIDSON COUNTY 24sp459 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY WELDON C. IDOL AND LORI C. IDOL DATED APRIL 30, 2003 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 1413 AT PAGE 1348 IN THE DAVIDSON COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA

NOTICE OF SALE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 25 SP 416 Under and by virtue of the

a more particular description of same. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 233 McKenzie Ct, Lexington, NC 27295.

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

expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Davidson County courthouse at 11:00AM on November 20, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Davidson County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Weldon C. Idol and Lori C. Idol, dated April 30, 2003 to secure the original principal amount of $192,091.00, and recorded in Book 1413 at Page 1348 of the Davidson County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 600 Barney Rd, High Point, NC 27265 Tax Parcel ID: 0100600000069 Present Record Owners: Weldon C. Idol

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 Kevin Garcia and wife, Daniella Kim Garcia.

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

The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Weldon C. Idol. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property o ered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00),

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

whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be

to

in or near the center of Sink

thence along or near the center of Sink Farm Road South 14 degrees 10 minutes 45

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 November 19, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Lexington in the County of Davidson, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All the premises in Township Davidson County, North Carolina, describe as follows: BEGINNING at an iron the northwest corner to Mackie Barnes thence along Mackie Barnes line North 90 degrees 00 minutes 00 seconds East 165 feet to an iron; thence South 08

in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the

70.14 feet to a nail, corner to A. Olin Rummage; thence with Rummages, South 90 degrees 00 minutes 00 seconds West 284.96 feet to an iron, in Mackie Barnes Line; thence with Barnes Line North 12 degrees 00 minutes 00 seconds East 152.45 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING containing 0.756 acres more or less and being located in the northwest corner of that tract as referred to in Deed Book 554, Page 305, Davidson County Registry. Being the same property conveyed by fee simple Deed from Lisa R Owens, unmarried to Danny D. Darnell and Sylvia D Darnell, dated 8/31/1988 recorded on 08/31/1988 in Book 692, Page 415 in Davidson County Records, State of NC. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1655 Sink Farm Road, Lexington, 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.

O ce of the Register of Deeds of Durham 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 or other usual place of sale in Durham County, North Carolina, at 10:00 AM on November 26th, 2025, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Lot 221, Andrews Chappel Phase 3B, as shown on Plat Recorded in Plat Book 200, Pages 25-27; Book 200, Pages 190193; and Book 200, Pages 292-295, Durham County Registry. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 1304 White Beach Lane, Durham, NC 27703 Tax ID: 225064 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk

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

of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount of Forty- ve Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. 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. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the

property is 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

property is/are Mikaela Kristen Williams. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be 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 (North Carolina General Statutes §4521.16A(b)(2)). Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under

FORSYTH DURHAM

NORTH CAROLINA, RANDOLPH COUNTY

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP000180-770

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Derrick T. Thorpe and Tanuel Hunt (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Derrick T. Thorpe) to Francis B. Simkins III, Trustee(s), dated June 30, 2015, and recorded in Book No. D 1999, at Page 130 in Robeson County Registry, North Carolina. The Deed of Trust was modi ed by the following: A Loan Modi cation recorded on April 7, 2017, in Book No. D 2081, at Page 185, 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 Robeson 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 Lumberton, Robeson County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 2:30 PM on November 17, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Rowland in the County of Robeson, North Carolina, and being more

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE FILE NUMBER: 25SP001229-770

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust executed by GLENDA J. GILCHRIST dated March 1, 2005 in the amount of $50,000.00 and recorded in Book 1447, Page 378 of the Robeson County Public Registry by ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE

JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, Substitute Trustee, default having been made in the terms of agreement set forth by the loan agreement secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, ANTHONY MASELLI OR GENEVIEVE JOHNSON, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT, having been substituted as Successor Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O cial Records of Robeson County, North Carolina, in Book D 2526, Page 160, 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 Robeson County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on November 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Robeson, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S):

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 25SP001109-770

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Yulese Quick (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Yulese Quick) to Brian Manning, Trustee(s), dated August 25, 2003, and recorded in Book No. 1336, at Page 0343 in Robeson 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 Robeson 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 Lumberton, Robeson County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales,

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

Said property is commonly known as 3572 Maplewood Lane, Climax, NC 27233. 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

particularly described as follows:

All that certain tract or parcel of land lying about 5 1/4 miles southwest of the center of Pembroke, N.C., adjacent to and on the western side of SR 1166 (Cabinet Shop road), about 400 foot south of SR 1153 (Elrod Road) and adjacent to the lands of Lostelle Deese Oxendine (960/104) on the north, Donald Ray Deese (17-Z/246) on the west and Bertha Deese (821/289) and 483/294) on the South and being more particularly described as follows:

BEGINNING at an iron rod (set) in the western right of way line (60 ft. right of way) of SR 1166 (Cabinet Shop Road), said iron rod being located North 74 degrees 30 minutes 27 seconds West 30.0 feet from a mag nail (set) in the center of SR 1166 (Cabinet Shop Road), this mag nail being located South 14 degrees 14 minutes 04 seconds West 254.09 feet from a mag nail (found) in the center of SR 1166 (Cabiney Shop Road) at its intersection with the center of SR 1153 (Elrod Road), the northeast or second corner of the original 5.46 acre tract if which this is a part (Deed Book 960, Page 104) and runs thence from said beginning iron rod with the west right of way line of SR 1166 (Cabinet Shop Road) south 14 degrees 30 minutes 59 seconds West 364.74 feet to a concrete monument (found) in said western right of way line at its intersection with the south line of said original tract; thence with said South line North 78 degrees 55 minutes 00 seconds West 438.03 feet to an iron road (set) in a ditch, the southwest or fth corner of said original tract; thence with the west line of said original tract, North 37 degrees

030131698800 ADDRESS: 502 LAFAYETTE ST LUMBERTON, NC 28358 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): GLENDA GILCHRIST AND SHONIA KAY GILCHRIST THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF ROBESON, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 1447, PAGE 378, AS FOLLOWS: IN THE CITY OF LUMBERTON, ROBESON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, AND BEING ALL OF LOT NOS. SEVENTY-SEVEN (77), SEVENTY-EIGHT (78) AND SEVENTYNINE (79), SHOWN AND DESIGNATED ON A MAP OF “VALLEY VIEW-SUBDIVISION NO. 1”, PREPARED BY W.E. STONE, JR., SURVEYOR, DATED MAY 9, 1953, AND WHICH SAID MAP IS DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF OFFICIAL MAPS NO. 9, AT PAGE 103, ROBESON COUNTY REGISTRY, TO WHICH SAID MAP REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE FOR A MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION AND THE SAME IS INCORPORATED AS A PART HEREOF. FOR REFERENCE SEE DEED FROM CLYDE ENTERPRISES TO ALAN KEITH BRITT AND WIFE, SANDRA G. BRITT AND RECORDED IN BOOK 561, AT PAGE 77, ROBESON COUNTY REGISTRY. THIS PROPERTY HEREIN CONVEYED IS SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS AS SET FORTH IN THAT CERTAIN DEED FROM LUMBER RIVER REAL ESTATE, INC. TO ELLIS JUNIOR STEVENS AND WIFE,

at 2:30 PM on November 20, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Saint Pauls in the County of Robeson, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 3, in a subdivision known as Brison Sands, according to plat of the same duly recorded in Book of Plats 33, Page 43, Robeson County, North Carolina Registry; said property being located at 2620 Shaw Mill Road, St. Pauls, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2620 Shaw Mill Road, Saint Pauls, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

courthouse at 11:00AM on November 25, 2025, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Union County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed John Hance, dated June 13, 2022 to secure the original principal amount of $175,700.00, and recorded in Book 8502 at Page 645 of the Union County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 1002 Crescent Way, Wingate, NC 28174 Tax Parcel ID: 09012113 Present Record Owners: John Hance The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are John Hance. The property to be o ered pursuant to

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

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

An Order for possession of the property may

42 minutes 16 seconds East 430.29 feet to an iron rod (set) in said lint (this iron rod being located South 37 degrees 42 minutes 18 seconds West 71.67 feet from an iron stake (found), the fourth corner of

original tract); thence South 74 degrees 30 minutes 27 seconds East 267.85 feet to the beginning, containing 3.06 acres, more or less. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2082 Cabinet Shop Road, Rowland, North Carolina.

And being part of that 5.46 acre tract conveyed by Lostelle Deese Oxendine to Lostelle Deese Oxendine and Henry Oxendine by deed dated 18 July 1997 and recorded in Deed Book 960, Page 104, Robeson County Registry.

Bearing referenced to Deed Book 960, Page 104. Exempt from the Robeson County Subdivision Ordinance under Article V, Section 501, Item h. 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

FRANCES C. STEVENS, DATED JANUARY 11, 1970 AND DULY RECORDED IN BOOK 17-J, AT PAGE 53, ROBESON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA REGISTRY, TO WHICH REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

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.

this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property o ered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to

be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90

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,

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 Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the 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 foreclosure sale, terminate the rental

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

RUPTCY PROCEEDING, THIS NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU PURSUANT TO STATUTORY REQUIREMENT AND FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT OR AS AN ACT TO COLLECT, ASSESS, OR RECOVER ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THE DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY. Sarah A. Waldron or Terrass Scott Misher, Esq ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorneys for the Substitute Trustee 13010 Morris Rd., Suite 450 Alpharetta, GA 30004 Telephone: (470) 321-7112

and

of

If the sale is set aside for any reason, the

ROBESON

the BRIEF this week

U.S. ight cancellations will continue even after shutdown ends

Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends. The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with deeper cuts to ights at 40 major U.S. airports. After a weekend of thousands of canceled ights, airlines scrapped another 2,300 ights Monday and more than 1,000 for Tuesday. Air tra c controllers have been unpaid for nearly a month. Some have stopped showing up to work, citing the added stress and the need to take second jobs. Controller shortages led to average delays of four hours at Chicago O’Hare on Monday.

Record-low temps

shock Southeast while snowfall blankets parts of Northeast

The southeastern U.S. has plunged into record-low temperatures, a ecting 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The cold spell moved from the Northern Plains and brought an abrupt transition to wintry temperatures. Some daily records were shattered, including a low of 28 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida. In Florida, temperatures led to a “falling iguana advisory” as iguanas froze into survival mode and fell from trees. Meanwhile, parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast experienced signi cant snowfall, causing hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters expected temps to rise by the end of the week.

Grassroots e ort puts vet

crosses along street

By Bob Wachs Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — Sometimes

a chance event leads to big things, and such is the case with the crosses lining West Street (U.S. 64) in Pittsboro from now until Saturday. They’re there in commem-

oration of Veterans Day, a day to remember veterans, both deceased and living, who wore the uniform of the nation’s armed forces whether in war time or peace. Veterans Day is one of three military national holidays celebrating armed forces. It honors those who served and took o the uniform; Armed Forces

Day honors those who still wear the uniform; and Memorial Day honors those who never got to take o the uniform. Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I, and celebrating the signing of that treaty on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

Superintendent speaks on uni ed stipend reductions

The district is working toward a publicly accessible library catalog

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — In response to changes in the district’s unied stipend program, Chatham

County Schools Superintendent Anthony Jackson took time to discuss them at the Chatham County Schools Board of Education’s Nov. 3 meeting.

The uni ed stipend program, which was rst implemented in the spring semester last year, was intended to be inclusive of academics, arts and athletics.

“Some parents came to this

dais and said our teachers are doing things outside of school, can we recognize them and provide some support for them via a stipend of some sort for the time they put in outside of school,” Jackson said. “That was our intent with this.”

However, the initial stipend that was paid to teachers was greater than they were intend-

Siler City submits rst of audit backlog to LGC

“Between the start of 2021 and now, there’s been three di erent nance o cers, which has delayed things signi cantly.”

Jay Sharpe, auditor

The turnover of nance o cers has led to issues with conducting audits for years

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — The Town of Siler City looks to be nally starting to work through its backlog of nancial audits.

At the Siler City Board of Commissioner’s Nov. 3 meeting, the board was updated on the current status of its FY 2022 audit. “Field work has been completed, the nancial statements have been prepared, and the audit has been submitted to the Local Government Com-

mission for their review and approval,” said Jay Sharpe, an audit partner at Sharpe Patel. “Once they do come back with that approval, we’ll be able to issue the June 30, 2022, audit.”

According to Sharpe, the town received an unmodied opinion on their nancial statements, which is the best opinion that they can receive.

However, he did note multiple issues in the ndings.

“Obviously the scope and timing of the audit were not on track,” Sharpe said. “I think you’re already well aware of the signi cant turnover in the nance department. The rst year we conducted the audit for the town was 2021,

The chance event which led to the local crosses which today are for both living and deceased veterans happened last year about this time when two friends, Lydia Karstaedt and Frances Wilson, traveled to Live Oak, Florida, to visit Wilson’s brothers.

“When we rode into town,” Karstaedt said, “the streets were lined with crosses. It was so impressive. We stopped and talked with some local folks and said to each other, ‘Why can’t we do this in Pittsboro?’

“From there,” she said,

ed to be. District sta mistakenly paid stipends based on experience rather than it being just a at rate stipend for all teachers.

This resulted in a $118,000 overage that had to be paid out of fund balance.

In response to this and in order to get the stipend back into a sustainable model, some academic stipend categories were discontinued or reduced. All 51 arts stipends were sustained but at a reduced at rate.

“There’s no ill intent here, but we’re running a $140 million business,” Jackson said. “We can’t run that on emotion.”

/ CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD.

Crosses placed in commemoration of Veterans Day line the side of West Street in Pittsboro.

Nov. 4

• Milton Eugine Clark Jr., 54, of Durham, was arrested for larceny from merchant.

Nov. 5

• Adolph Durand Rush, 61, of Franklinville, was arrested for communicating threats, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and injury to personal property.

• Jason Odell Oldham, 46, of Lillington, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, assault with deadly weapon with serious injury, assault on a female and rst degree kidnapping.

Nov. 7

• Jacori Naisjay Alston, 23, of Siler City, was arrested for simple assault.

Nov. 9

• Phillip Charles Laney Jr., 47, was arrested for possession of rearm by felon.

• Pablo SuarezBaldovinos, 32, of Siler City, was arrested for assault on a female.

• Kasadee Blaine Blackburn, 32, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

Chatham seeks residents for advisory boards

Applications due Nov. 30 for six committees overseeing county issues

Chatham News & Record sta

CHATHAM COUNTY is accepting applications for vacancies on six advisory committees, o ering residents an opportunity to weigh in on county issues.

The application deadline is Friday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. Interested residents can apply online through the county website or request a printed application from Jenifer Johnson at jenifer. johnson@chathamcountync. gov or 919-542-8200.

The Agriculture Advisory Board has one at-large vacancy expiring June 30, 2029. The board advises commissioners on agricultural and land use issues, and it reviews applications for farm properties seeking Voluntary Agriculture District designation.

The Appearance Commis-

Nov. 30

Applications due for board vacancies

sion has an at-large vacancy expiring June 30, 2026. The commission oversees programs to enhance the county’s appearance and reviews nonresidential site plans for business, industrial, conditional zoning districts and conditional use permits.

The Housing Authority has an at-large vacancy expiring Dec. 30, 2028. The authority oversees federal funds to help quali ed low-income residents with rental payments and works with some families to develop ve-year plans toward self-su ciency or homeownership through subsidized mortgages.

The Community Advisory Committee for Nursing and

Adult Care Homes has several vacancies. The committee serves as a central point for fostering increased community involvement in adult care homes and nursing homes.

The Planning Board has a District 4 recommended vacancy expiring Dec. 31, 2026. The board advises county commissioners on planning, zoning and subdivision issues. The Zoning Board of Adjustment has a District 1 recommended vacancy expiring June 30, 2027. The board holds hearings and makes decisions on appeals and variances of county land use and development regulations. Applicants must live outside town limits and extraterritorial districts and commit to extensive training with the county attorney. The board meets as needed, which may be infrequent. Some vacancies are district-speci c. Residents can nd their commissioner district on the county website or N.C. State Board of Elections website.

EVYN MORGAN / THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY VIA AP

The games that will be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2025 include Trivial Pursuit and slime.

Slime, Battleship, Trivial Pursuit enshrined into Toy Hall of Fame

They beat out Catan, Tickle Me

Elmo and snow

By Carolyn Thompson The Associated Press

SLIME, that gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit.

Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play across generations, culling its nalists from among thousands of nominees sent in online. Voting by the public and a panel of experts decides which playthings will be inducted.

Milton Bradley’s Battleship, a strategy game that challenges players to strike an opponent’s warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players’ knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold more than 100 million copies over several decades, according to the Hall of Fame.

AUDIT from page A1

and between the start of that audit and now, there’s been three di erent nance ocers, which has delayed things signi cantly.”

The rm also found a significant de ciency and a material weakness with expenditures and internal controls, which were repeats from prior years.

“Overexpenditure of the budget was a signi cant deciency and the internal controls over nancial reporting was a material weakness, and that was a nding because of the delays of being able to conduct the audit, and this is

Battleship started as a pencil-and-paper game in the 1930s, but it was Milton Bradley’s 1967 plastic edition with fold-up stations and model ships that became a hit with the public. Its popularity crested when Universal Pictures and Hasbro, which now owns Milton Bradley, released the 2012 movie “Battleship,” loosely based on the game. Battleship was also among the rst board games to be computerized in 1979, according to the Hall of Fame, and now there are numerous, electronic versions.

Trivial Pursuit lets players compete alone or in teams as they maneuver around a board answering trivia questions in exchange for wedges in a game piece. Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott came up with the game in 1979 and eventually sold the rights to Hasbro. Frequently updated, specialty versions have emerged for young players, baby boomers and other segments and an online daily quiz keeps players engaged, chief curator Chris Bensch said.

a repeat nding from 2021,” Sharpe said.

According to Assistant Town Manager Kimberly Pickard, the town has also been working closely with the Local Government Commission (LGC) to ensure that those recommended internal controls have been put into place.

Siler City currently sits on the LGC’s watchlist due to late audit reports, and that has led to a withholding of portions of sales tax distribution for the town.

The town appealed this decision but was denied earlier this year.

However, Siler City is hoping

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

Nov. 14

Where the Stars, Stripes and Eagles Fly 9:30-10:15 a.m.

This program, designed for children ages 3-5, is part of the Chatham America 250 celebration. Participants will be introduced to patriotic symbols through craft and story time, which will explain how these things came to be associated with U.S. history and identity. Registration, which is required and costs $7, is now open and closes on Nov. 3. Contact 919-642-7086.

Chatham Grove

Community Center 1301 Andrews Store Road Pittsboro

Run & Roam Fridays at The Plant 3-9 p.m.

Family-friendly fun to kick o your weekend with bubbles, games, hula hoops, refreshments and more.

220 Lorax Lane Pittsboro

Nov. 15

Mill Town Yarns presents the Regional NC Storytellers Showcase at BFP

7-8:30 p.m.

An evening of professional storytelling by members of the NC Storytelling Guild: Ron Jones, Cynthia Brown, Steven Tate, Willa Brigham, Peg Helminski and Robin Kitson. No admission, but donations are encouraged.

Front Porch, Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum

Slime’s appeal is more about squish than skill. It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has been manufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a do-it-yourself project. The internet o ers a variety of recipes using ingredients like baking soda, glue and contact lens solution.

“Though slime continues to carry icky connotations to slugs and swamps — all part of the fun for some — the toy o ers meaningful play,” curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer said, adding that it’s also used for stress relief and building motor skills.

The honorees will be on permanent display at the Hall of Fame inside The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

This year’s inductees were voted in over other nominees including the games Catan and Connect Four, the Spirograph drawing device, the “Star Wars” lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo. They also beat out classics including scooters, cornhole and snow.

to get all caught up before too long.

“I just want to thank you for a job well done and for getting us into a good place, and hopefully once the LGC goes in and gives that approval, we can move on to the next one,” said Mayor Donald Matthews. “I also want to thank John (O’Keefe) for getting us to a good place. I do understand that it was rough trying to put all this together and get it into the auditors hands, especially when you didn’t have anything to do with it previously.”

The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners will next meet Nov. 17.

Nov.

16

Third Annual Chestnut Carnival Noon to 6 p.m.

A day dedicated to celebrating the chestnut with roasted and shelled chestnuts o ered for sale along with themed beverages, including chestnut beer and cocktails. Vendors will be on hand o ering a range of items for purchase. The event will also feature live musical performances.

The Plant 220 Lorax Lane Pittsboro

Nov.

18

Yoga at BFP

6-7 p.m.

Yoga class for all tness levels. Bring your own mat. Free to attend; suggested donation of $15.

Front Porch, Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum

accolades

Chris Black, store manager of the Food Lion in Siler City, wrote in to share that customer Leonard Arsenault, a Vietnam-era veteran, and his daughter Ida Bailey have for the third consecutive year purchased $1,000 worth of Holiday Hunger Boxes to donate to CORA Food Pantry. The 182 boxes, which Arsenault purchased on Veterans Day, are given in memory of Marie Casper, Arsenault’s late wife, and Johnnie Delissio, Bailey’s late mother-in-law. Arsenault and Bailey are pictured with their 2024 donation.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles speaks during a campaign event for Kamala Harris in Charlotte, last September.

Charlotte reelects Lyles despite fallout over train stabbing

The mayor won reelection comfortably with more than 70% of the vote

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Voters in North Carolina’s largest city reelected their Democratic mayor, keeping her in place even as safety concerns in Charlotte have risen since the August stabbing death of a young Ukrainian woman on a commuter train.

Vi Lyles won comfortably on Tuesday over Republican and Libertarian challengers in a city that hasn’t elected a GOP mayor since 2007.

“I am just so grateful for the voters — for the people that helped me be here tonight — to be able to say that I have the opportunity to serve the city once more,” Lyles told WBTV on Tuesday evening.

The Aug. 22 killing of 23-yearold Iryna Zarutska on a light-rail car sparked outrage from President Donald Trump and other Republicans about violent crime and pretrial release decisions. It also sharpened campaigning in Charlotte, where Republican candidate Terrie Donovan,

a real estate agent, had made crime her top issue even before the stabbing.

Decarlos Brown Jr., the suspect in Zarutska’s stabbing, had previously been arrested more than a dozen times, and he was released earlier this year by a magistrate on a misdemeanor count without any bond. Public anger intensi ed with the release of security video showing what appeared as a random attack.

The GOP-controlled state legislature passed a law in late September that, in part, tightened pretrial release rules. Lyles, who easily won the Democratic mayoral primary, has highlighted additional safety measures for the light rail system, including a greater presence of transit system o cers.

Lyles, a former longtime municipal employee, said Tuesday that city o cials need to follow the lead of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on what public safety improvements are needed “instead of trying just to say, ‘Well, we’ll just throw something out there.’”

City leaders announced just last week the hiring of recent

Democrats on the 12-person city council

Raleigh police chief Estella Patterson as Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s next chief. Current Chief Johnny Jennings is retiring at year’s end.

Brown is charged with rst-degree murder in state court and was indicted on a federal count in connection with Zarutska’s death. Both crimes can be punishable by the death penalty. Brown’s next state court hearing is scheduled for April.

Democrats outnumber Republicans by over 2-1 in voter registration in Charlotte, which has well over 900,000 residents. But the number of registered una liated voters is nearly on par with Democrats.

The mayor and 11 elected ofcials comprise Charlotte’s city council. With Tuesday’s elections, Democrats will soon hold 10 of the 11 other seats.

Bible study: Romans 2:1-13, Church of Living Water; Pastor/Bishop James Mitchell. Don’t be ashamed of God’s Holy Word! These Democrats today have turned into socialists/ communists, anti-Christian, haters of Jews, and anti-America. California, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia are run by radical/anti-America Democrats. New York just voted in a socialist/ communist Democrat. Virginia just voted in a DA who said he had A bullet for the Republican and death for his children. You who vote for evil will reap what you have done. For God’s wrath is upon all evil-doers. Republicans, we need to stand strong in God’s power! The Democrats have shut down food supplies for our needy American citizens. Democrats want 1.5 trillion dollars to spend on these illegals/criminals for their votes. Since the Democrat Party is anti-law enforcement, leave these Democratstates, where we’re thankful for your duty. To all the evil doers, repent; you must be born again!

HELP WANTED CHATHAM MONUMENT CO.

227 N 2ND AVE. SILER CITY, NC 27344 (919) 663-3120

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• Normal Working Hours – Monday –Friday – 8:00 – 4:30

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• Competitive Wage and Supplement

Apply in person at 227 N. 2nd Ave, Siler City

NELL REDMOND / AP PHOTO

COURTESY

THE CONVERSATION

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

On Veterans Day

We recognized veterans last Sunday in church by asking them to stand. The congregation broke into applause, quite unlike the frozen chosen.

VETERANS DAY IS spelled without an apostrophe because the holiday does not belong to a speci c group of veterans but is set aside to honor all of them. This would distinguish the commemoration from Father’s or Mother’s Day, which is for personal recognition. That said, any recognition is abstract unless there is a personal connection.

We recognized veterans last Sunday in church by asking them to stand. The congregation broke into applause, quite unlike the frozen chosen.

Every year on Veterans Day, my friend Jim makes a point to call every veteran he knows and thank each one of them. He has inspired me to do the same. In addition to the older veterans in my congregation, I speak with young men who had fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. They carry scars, both physical and mental, from those deployments. There is nothing abstract about any personal experience.

Veterans carry plenty of memories. As Tim O’Brien wrote, “They carried all they could bear, and then some.” There are some things that are never put down. A veteran enters a room and still checks the trash can for bombs. Veterans speak of friends who have lost their limbs, vision or even lives. “Sometimes when I close my eyes,” one veteran told me, “I see him lying on the ground with blood pooling around his body.”

War is hell. No one knows this more personally than a veteran.

War is also used for political purposes. Recently, President Donald Trump rebranded our Department of Defense as the Department of War. Our newly minted Secretary of War frequently calls for a “warrior ethos.” However, this warrior ethos cannot be the only narrative. As veteran and writer Phil Klay put it, women and men join the armed forces because they were “raised in our American democracy with its love of liberty, strong civic institutions and glorious past.” In turn, Klay claims that the rest of America should take heart from their example and commit ourselves “with equal vigor to sustaining American civil society.” Taking the recent federal government shutdown as an example, I see little evidence that our elected o cials are supporting “strong civic institutions.” This de ciency is shortsighted.

Kurt Vonnegut lamented that America has no “Secretary of the Future.” I pray that our elected o cials and citizens will use every ounce of energy, intelligence and imagination to seek nonviolent solutions, which lead to reconciliation and a vision of peace taught by every world religion. After talking with veterans who have experienced the horrors of war, I believe that pursuing peace is a tting commitment for every single day.

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.

Where are the rats going when they do all that racing?

That sort of behavior behind the wheel is a bit unnerving because there’s still slow-moving farm equipment up and down our road, sometimes piloted by me.

DEEP DOWN inside my insides, I really don’t think I’m antisocial, and I don’t think I’ve exhibited deviant behavior through the years unless you count tying a june bug to a string and making an airplane out of him until setting him free. But sometimes, once in awhile, I can sort of understand why some folks decide to move to the forests of Idaho or somewhere similar and live without the rat race of life.

I get that way when more and more folks turn the little road we live on into the portion of Interstate 40 near Statesville where the posted speed limit is 70, and if that’s as fast as you go there, then you run the risk of being turned into a pancake. I remember years ago when Shirley was bugging me to get married and I’d come up to visit her at her folks who lived on our little road. We’d sit out in the yard, often times with a freezer of homemade ice cream, and it was somewhat of a special occasion when a car or truck went by and we tried to gure out if we knew who was behind the wheel.

Now it’s more like if I could set up a toll booth, I wouldn’t care what happens to Social Security; I’d never need any additional money. The thing is I don’t mind the people so much as some of the behavior they bring with them. On our not-so-wide road where you de nitely couldn’t do three-wide at Talladega, too many folks drive like there’s no tomorrow.

For some of them, because of the way they drive, that’s going to become a self-ful lling prophecy.

That sort of behavior behind the wheel is a bit unnerving because there’s still slow-moving farm equipment up and down our road, sometimes piloted

by me. There are also lots of dogs and deer and neighborhood children and school busses. I’ve had people pull right up behind a trailer load of round bales of hay to the point I can’t see them. I wonder if they are either planning to get onto the load or if they think a 4-foot-by-5-foot roll of hay won’t atten their Honda’s hood. It bothers me when I’m riding along like that and give a left-turn hand signal and Clarabelle the Clown thinks I’m motioning for her to come around and she almost T-bones me as I turn.

Is it possible that the ve or 10 minutes it would take to wait is really that critical? And then I realize that often I’m in the same predicament, and that’s when it becomes really tempting to chuck it all.

There’s a line in the movie “The Hunt for Red October,” a thriller about a cat-and-mouse game with American and Russian submarines, where one of the Russian o cers has been fatally wounded. With his last breath he tells his friend, “I would like to have seen Montana.”

Sometimes that’s how I feel. Plenty of books. Plenty of food and co ee. Lots and lots of wood since, I’m told, it gets cold in Montana. And enough time to enjoy it all. That seems like a prescription worth lling.

I wonder if the family doc would write one … or if he could get folks to slow down and not turn the beauty of Mother Nature into a blur, especially as pretty as her colors are and have been this time of year.

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

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

COLUMN

Riding to my rescue

I was born with an over-developed sense of “should.”

In quiet moments, and those times during blustery

North Carolina weather, I’m relaxed and calm. Should-free.

WHAT IS IT about rain that removes the onus from doing something, relieving me of my ever-gnawing shoulds? It’s dark outside, I hear the rain increasing and decreasing, lulling me whichever way it falls. Relaxed. Sure, there’s that ever present to-do list, but somehow it’s been banished to the back burner. Such a relief. There’s a freedom inherent in rain. A reprieve from DOING. A rare reprieve … or perhaps I should say a rare reprieve from my own, lifelong, pernicious shoulds. Rain is my “get out of shoulds pass.” (Should I move to Seattle?) I was born with an over-developed sense of “should.” In quiet moments, and those times during blustery North Carolina weather, I’m relaxed and calm. Should-free.

As per usual, my lifelong shoulds sneak right back up on me. Shouldn’t I be doing something more worthwhile? Worthwhile, worthwhile? (I think I hate this question …) Impacting the world in constructive ways. It’s a hurtin’ world out there. Okey-doke, let’s talk impacting-theworld. What if my rain experience of feeling peaceful and calm does impact the world? But what if I can’t perceive

COLUMN | HARRY ROTH

substantial or even small changes in the world around m, during my should-free states of peace and calm?

Oh God, it now sounds like I’m implying my hoped-for, should-free, states lead to a thirsty and unnurtured world. Geez, already … I’m turning myself into an emotional pretzel! Stop, already. You got it? Just stop! This has really gone on too long. Enough with the belief that shoulds are my only e ective tool for making change in our world. Does my peaceful state arising from enjoying the rain mean nothing? Does that make me solely a bump on a log? (Not that I, of course, have anything against bumps on logs.)

Oh, thank heavens, a 20th-century Quaker philosopher, Douglas Steere, comes riding to my rescue. To be more exact, a rescue from my pernicious shoulds.

“The mysterious thing of it all is that there are no ‘little’ things. Everything matters and everything leads to something else.”

Ah, the rain is beginning to fall again …

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

Federal and state governments are rooting out DEI & ESG

It’s all a scheme to package the woke Left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse.

FOLLOWING PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s executive orders to root out and eliminate ESG and DEI policies from government agencies and departments, it might be easy to think the war against these destructive ideas is won.

Radical leftists are losing voter support for ESG and DEI at the ballot box, in legislative chambers around the country and in public opinion. But sadly, any attempt to declare victory regarding the end of ESG or DEI would be wrong. Ultraleft activists and entrenched government bureaucrats who support these polices are working overtime to rename ESG and DEI rules so they attract less attention but are still enforced.

ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) sound innocent, and that’s the point. Nestled within these two seemingly innocuous acronyms (who could be against inclusion?) are radical, insidious and antiAmerican agendas.

Going through the letters “ESG,” the realities become apparent. “Environmental” really means climate alarmism and eliminating the safest, most a ordable and most reliable energy sources in favor of solar and wind, which are as unreliable as they are una ordable. “Social” is where DEI lives with racial quotas for hiring, discriminating based on skin color and the worst elements of gender ideology. And “governance” underpins it all by manipulating our free enterprise system to take control of companies and turn them into tools for the woke.

It’s all a scheme to package the woke left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse, making it unrecognizable. It is moving us from a meritocracy that values hard work and rewards success to a kakistocracy. Particularly insidious is that this allows the left to implement the worst elements of its agenda without winning elections, without passing laws in Congress or state legislatures, and without any of us having a say in our nation’s future.

There is, however, positive momentum. Many state policymakers have been sounding the alarm for years, but this year the movement against ESG and DEI achieved critical mass. Trump has issued three executive orders targeting DEI (Executive Order 14151, Executive Order 14173, and Executive Order 14168) and two targeting ESG (Executive Order 14154 and Executive Order 14259). These orders terminated all DEI positions in the federal government, banned contractors from using it in hiring, directed the Department of Justice to investigate civil rights violations related to

IN TOUCH

BE

COLUMN

JENNY BETH MARTIN

It’s time to impeach Judge Boasberg

PUBLIC TRUST IN THE impartiality of our judiciary is one of the crown jewels of the American republic. Federal judges, unlike politicians, do not stand for election, and the power they wield is immense precisely because it is supposed to be restrained by duty, precedent and the Constitution. When that restraint fails, the remedy is clear: impeachment. Judge James E. Boasberg’s conduct in approving sweeping subpoenas and gag orders as part of the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation shows a breach of trust serious enough to merit that remedy.

Start with the facts: Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently disclosed that the FBI’s Arctic Frost probe — launched under the Biden administration and later folded into Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe — was far broader than the public was led to believe. The investigation targeted not just a few Trump allies or campaign gures but “the entire Republican political apparatus.” Agents sought records from at least 430 individuals, groups and businesses tied to the GOP, issuing some 197 subpoenas in the process. Among those ensnared were Republican senators, former Trump o cials and conservative organizations such as Turning Point USA.

That level of sweep might be understandable, and tolerable, if justi ed by credible evidence of criminal conspiracy. But Grassley’s review found no probable cause linking this many targets to an identi able crime. Instead, the evidence points to what Grassley called “the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends.” In short, Arctic Frost appears to have been less an investigation into wrongdoing than an exercise in political surveillance.

its use in the private sector, directed the U.S. attorney general to block enforcement of state and local ESG laws, and rescinded all Biden ESG and DEI executive orders.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to weed out DEI and ESG from both the public and private sectors, ending programs and cutting funding. The Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport lost more than $37 million in grants when it refused to end DEI. The Trump administration also halted $18 billion in funding for infrastructure projects in New York City due to concerns about the city’s DEI policies.

State governments have also acted. So far, 22 states have banned or restricted DEI and ESG. Earlier this year, nancial o cers from 21 states sent a warning letter to the nation’s largest banks, urging them to end woke investing policies.

Texas enacted a parental bill of rights that ends DEI and bans instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in public K-12 schools. In Indiana, State Attorney General Todd Rokita moved to block state contracts with law rms that have DEI initiatives following an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun.

Before stepping down in August to become a deputy director of the FBI, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued IBM and Starbucks for their discriminatory DEI policies and launched an investigation into two foreign-owned proxy advisory rms for promoting ESG. Despite all this progress, victory celebrations would be premature. Sal Nuzzo, executive director of Consumers Defense, which works to protect American consumers from ESG and woke companies, warns:

“ESG isn’t dead, it’s simply rebranding. The radicals on the Left are publicly proclaiming that they have seen the light while at the same time simply changing the terms to things like ‘sustainability’ and ‘transparency’ in the hopes of waiting out the current momentum. We forget this to our detriment.”

ESG and DEI aren’t just bad ideas — they are destructive forces that must be eradicated. They harm our economy, divide our country, and increasingly violate state and federal laws. Those who want to change the very fabric of America will not simply concede and surrender. We all must remain vigilant to recognize the next iterations of ESG and DEI and continue to root them out.

Harry Roth is director of outreach for Save Our States. This column was rst published by The Daily Signal.

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

Boasberg’s role was not tangential. As chief dudge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, he personally approved the subpoenas and the gag orders that kept their existence secret. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, whose phone metadata was sought, revealed that AT&T had been forbidden by court order to inform him of the subpoena for at least one year. “If a judge signs an order reaching a factual conclusion for which there is no evidence whatsoever,” Cruz said, “that judge is abusing his power.” Cruz is right.

Judges are not grand jurors, nor are they partisan gatekeepers. Their constitutional duty is to test the government’s assertions before granting its requests to intrude on private citizens. A judge’s signature carries the force of law only because it represents independent judgment. When that independence is abandoned — when a judge becomes a rubber stamp for politically charged investigations — the separation of powers itself begins to erode.

Boasberg’s defenders note that the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit routinely handled classi ed or grand jury matters and that his approvals may have been routine. That is precisely the problem. What should never be “routine” is secret surveillance of political actors without clear, nonpartisan justi cation. Impeachment is not to be taken lightly. The Constitution reserves it for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which historically includes serious abuses of o ce. A judge who repeatedly fails to exercise due scrutiny over politically sensitive investigations ts that description.

Some will object that impeachment of a sitting federal judge risks politicizing the judiciary further. That argument reverses cause and e ect. It is precisely because the judiciary must remain apolitical that accountability is essential when a judge steps into politics. Congress impeached and removed Judge Alcee Hastings in 1989 for falsifying evidence and perjuring himself. It impeached and removed Judge Thomas Porteous in 2010 for corruption. Judicial independence is not immunity. The same principle must apply when a judge’s conduct facilitates the weaponization of justice for partisan ends.

The larger question is whether Americans still believe the law applies equally. The Arctic Frost a air is a troubling episode that lends weight to the argument that the law is applied unequally. When subpoenas reach across entire political parties while evidence of actual criminality is not made available for public review, citizens cannot be blamed for suspecting the system is tilted.

Congress cannot restore that trust merely by complaining in hearings or issuing press releases. It must act. The House of Representatives has the authority — and the obligation — to investigate Boasberg’s role, to subpoena the Justice Department’s submissions for his approval and to determine whether he violated his oath to “administer justice without respect to persons.” If the evidence shows that he violated his oath, the House should pass articles of impeachment, and the Senate should hold a trial. No other mechanism will su ce to reassert the principle that even judges are accountable under the Constitution.

The strength of America’s republic depends on the restraint of those who wield power — especially those who wield it for life. If Boasberg believed it was appropriate to sign orders allowing the FBI and DOJ to harvest the communications of elected lawmakers and political organizations without solid cause, then he has demonstrated precisely the kind of judgment that the Founders feared. The time has come for Congress to redraw the line. Judicial independence requires it. So does the Constitution.

Jenny Beth Martin is honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

obituaries

David Elvin Gri n

Jan. 18, 1955 – Nov. 2, 2025

David Elvin Gri n, 70, of Bear Creek, passed away at his home on Sunday, November 2nd, 2025.

David was born in Lee County on January 18th, 1955, to John Tim Gri n and Shelby Elkins Spence. He is preceded in death by his father.

David attended Wayden Whitley High School. He worked at Pizza Hut in Sanford and Smith eld in Siler City. He enjoyed watching basketball

Nov. 24, 1958 –Oct. 30, 2025

Julie Glasser Harrison, 66, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, passed away on October 30th, 2025, surrounded by her family.

Julie was born on November 24th, 1958, in Siler City, North Carolina. She attended Jordan Matthews High School and graduated from East Carolina University with her Bachelor of Education in 1981. She spent her career pouring into the minds of elementary school students across Durham and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public Schools. Julie brought a special magic to her classroom—a magic that was continually shared when we ran into her former students around town.

Julie knew no stranger. She

and playing cards. He enjoyed playing golf and watching TV. David was a big NC State fan. He loved seeing his daughter and going to Colorado. Left to cherish David’s memory is his mother, Shelby Elkins Spence; his daughter, Carrie Shearman and her partner, Jonathan of Aurora, CO; his three halfsisters, Janet Sweptson and her husband, Leroy of Pittsboro, Dawn G. Williams and her husband Jamie Ellis of Bear Creek, and Amy Gri n of Bear Creek; and two granddaughters, Hannah & Hayley Gri n. Memorials can be made to Chatham Animal Rescue & Education, wl.donorperfect. net/weblink/weblink. aspx?name=E347622&id=2 There will be no services at this time.

Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is assisting the Gri n family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

had a knack for making friends and spreading joy everywhere she went. Julie loved animals, game nights, music, and anything that involved being with her beloved family. Her greatest joy in life was being a mom, grandmother, sister, and daughter.

Julie was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Harrison; father Howard Glasser; and mother Jean Merriman Glasser. She is survived by her children, Sarah Chadwick (Gabe) and Benjamin Harrison (Cara); grandson, Beau Chadwick; siblings, Ann Milligan (Shaun), Lynn Glasser (Jackie), and Nell Smith (Bo); and lastly, her rescue kitty, Lilly. A private Celebration of Life will be held at the coast in the new year.

Julie valued education and loved her grandson deeply. In lieu of owers, please consider donating to Beau’s college education fund. Contributions can be made through the following link: https://gifting. my oridaprepaid.com/s/?cod e=ejPEjh5jpmhvMr5djhEuetcj xU1eG8%2F7ONkwpl3q%2BX I%3D Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is assisting the Harrison family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

MARCUS R. COLLINS NOVEMBER 7TH, 2025

Mr. Marcus R. Collins, 47, of Siler City, North Carolina entered into eternal rest on Friday, November 7, 2025. Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Sanford, North Carolina.

He was the de facto chief operating o cer of the George W. Bush presidency

By Calvin Woodward The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dick Cheney, the hard-charging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, has died at 84.

Cheney died Monday due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said Tuesday.

The quietly forceful Cheney led the armed forces as defense secretary during the Persian Gulf War under President George H.W. Bush before returning to public life as vice president under Bush’s eldest son, George W. Bush.

Cheney was, in e ect, the chief operating o cer of the younger Bush’s presidency. He often had a commanding hand in implementing decisions most important to the president and some of surpassing interest to himself — all while living with decades of heart disease and, post-administration, a heart transplant. Cheney consistently defended the extraordinary tools of surveillance, detention and inquisition employed in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“History will remember him as among the nest public servants of his generation — a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held,” Bush said.

Years after leaving o ce, Cheney became a target of President Donald Trump, especially after his daughter Liz Cheney became the leading Republican critic and examiner of Trump’s attempts to stay in power after his 2020 election defeat and his actions in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Trump said nothing about Cheney publicly in the hours after his death was disclosed. The White House lowered ags to half-sta in remembrance of him but without the usual announcement or proclamation praising the deceased.

Cheney said last year he was voting for Democrat Kamala Harris for president against Trump.

For all his conservatism, Cheney was privately and publicly supportive of his daughter

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

Mary Cheney after she came out as gay, years before same-sex marriage was broadly supported. “Freedom means freedom for everyone,” he said.

In his time in o ce, no longer was the vice presidency merely a ceremonial afterthought. Instead, Cheney made it a network of back channels from which to in uence policy on Iraq, terrorism, presidential powers and energy.

A hard-liner on Iraq, Cheney was proved wrong about the rationale for the Iraq War, a point he didn’t acknowledge.

He alleged links between the 9/11 attacks and prewar Iraq that didn’t exist. He said U.S. troops would be welcomed as liberators; they weren’t.

He declared the Iraqi insurgency in its last throes in May 2005, when 1,661 U.S. service members had been killed, not even half the toll by the war’s end.

Cheney and Bush struck an odd bargain, unspoken but well understood. Shelving ambitions he might have had to succeed Bush, Cheney was accorded extraordinary power.

His penchant for secrecy had a price. He came to be seen as a Machiavelli orchestrating a bungled response to criticism of the Iraq War. And when he shot a hunting companion with an errant shotgun blast in 2006, he and his coterie were slow to disclose that episode. The victim, his friend Harry Whittington, recovered and forgave him.

Bush asked Cheney to lead a search for his vice president, eventually deciding the job should go to Cheney himself. Their election in 2000 was ultimately sealed by the Supreme Court after a protracted legal ght.

On Capitol Hill, Cheney lobbied for the president’s programs where he had once served as a deeply conservative member of Congress and the No. 2 Republican House leader. On Sept. 11, 2001, with Bush out of town, the president gave Cheney approval to authorize the military to shoot down hijacked planes. By then, two airliners had hit the World Trade Center and a third was bearing down on the capital. A Secret Service agent burst into the West Wing room, grabbed Cheney by the belt and shoulder and led him to a bunker underneath the White House.

Cheney’s career in Washington started with a congressional fellowship in 1968. He became a protégé of Rep. Donald Rumsfeld (R-Ill.), serving under him in Gerald Ford’s White House before he was elevated to chief of sta , the youngest ever, at age 34.

He later returned to Casper, Wyoming, and won the state’s lone congressional seat, the rst of six terms.

In 1989, Cheney became defense secretary and led the Pentagon during the 1990 -91 Persian Gulf War. Between the two Bush administrations, Cheney led Dallas-based Halliburton Corp., an oil industry services company.

Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, son of a longtime Agriculture Department worker. Senior class president and football co-captain in Casper, he went to Yale on a full scholarship for a year but failed out. He moved back to Wyoming and renewed a relationship with high school sweetheart Lynne Anne Vincent, marrying her in 1964. He is survived by his wife and daughters.

Julie Glasser Harrison

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

Vice President Dick Cheney gestures while speaking at the Charlotte Chamber in 2008.

Sally

Kirkland, stage and screen star who earned

an Oscar nomination in ‘Anna,’ dead at age 84

She appeared in numerous lms, including a cameo in “Blazing Saddles”

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Sally Kirkland, a one-time model who became a regular on stage, lm and TV, best known for sharing the screen with Paul Newman and Robert Redford in “The Sting” and her Oscar-nominated title role in the 1987 movie “Anna,” has died. She was 84.

Her representative, Michael Greene, said Kirkland died Tuesday morning at a hospice in Palm Springs, California.

Friends established a GoFundMe account this fall for her medical care. They said she had fractured four bones in her neck, right wrist and left hip. While recovering, she also developed infections, requiring hospitalization and rehab.

“She was funny, feisty, vulnerable and self deprecating,” actor Jennifer Tilly, who costarred with Kirkland in “Sallywood,” wrote on X. “She never wanted anyone to say she was gone. ‘Don’t say Sally died, say Sally passed on into the spirits.’ Safe passage beautiful lady.”

Kirkland acted in such lms as “The Way We Were” with Barbra Streisand, “Revenge”

with Kevin Costner, “Cold Feet” with Keith Carradine and Tom Waits, Ron Howard’s “EDtv,” Oliver Stone’s “JFK,” “Heatwave” with Cicely Tyson, “High Stakes” with Kathy Bates, “Bruce Almighty” with Jim Carrey and the 1991 TV movie “The Haunted,” about a family dealing with paranormal activity.

She had a cameo in Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles.”

Her biggest role was in 1987’s “Anna” as a fading Czech movie star remaking her life in the United States and mentoring to a younger actor, Paulina Porizkova. Kirkland won a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar

nomination along with Cher in “Moonstruck,” Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction, Holly Hunter in “Broadcast News” and Meryl Streep in “Ironweed.”

“Kirkland is one of those performers whose talent has been an open secret to her fellow actors but something of a mystery to the general public,” The Los Angeles Times critic wrote in her review. “There should be no confusion about her identity after this blazing comet of a performance.”

Kirkland’s small-screen acting credits include stints on “Criminal Minds,” “Roseanne” and “Head Case,” and she

was a series regular on the TV shows “Valley of the Dolls” and “Charlie’s Angels.”

Born in New York City, Kirkland’s mother was a fashion editor at Vogue and Life magazine who encouraged her daughter to start modeling at age 5. Kirkland graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and studied with Philip Burton, Richard Burton’s mentor, and Lee Strasberg, the master of the Method school of acting. An early breakout was appearing in Andy Warhol’s “13 Most Beautiful Women” in 1964. She appeared naked as a kidnapped rape victim in Terrence McNally’s o -Broadway “Sweet Eros.”

Some of her early roles were Shakespeare, including the lovesick Helena in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for New York Shakespeare Festival producer Joseph Papp and Miranda in an o -Broadway production of “The Tempest.”

“I don’t think any actor can really call him or herself an actor unless he or she puts in time with Shakespeare,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1991. “It shows up, it always shows up in the work, at some point, whether it’s just not being able to have breath control, or not being able to appreciate language as poetry and music, or not having the power that Shakespeare automatically instills you with

STREET from page A1

“when we got home, we started talking about it, and it just snowballed.”

Wilson remembers that her friend’s enthusiasm was contagious.

“Lydia said we just had to do this,” she said, “so we began talking and got in touch with VFW commander C.P. Short and DAV commander Mike Jackson, and they helped a lot.”

The crosses, with the veteran’s name and branch of service, sell for a one-time cost of $100. They are made of PVC material and will last indenitely. Once the crosses are taken down, they will be placed in secure storage for display next year or the purchaser may take them home. Any proceeds from the sale of the crosses becomes

REDUCTIONS from page A1

The district wasn’t able to swallow those additional costs either due to reductions in funding from all three levels of government or just overall increased costs.

“I can’t control what the federal government does,” Jackson said. “I can’t control what the state does. I do know though that we have to make sure that we pay insurance for every employee. I do know that I have to make sure our children have a teacher standing in front of them. We’re doing the best we can in a situation we cannot control on a day-to-day basis.”

The board was also given an update on the district’s work to get in line with House Bill 805.

Per the bill, which was enacted at the end of July, local boards of education were required to make school library content accessible to the public through a searchable, web-based catalog and allow for parents/guardians to be able to identify any library books that may not be borrowed by a student.

“We have an online catalog for our school libraries that parents can go online and search, and they can also plug in their email address and it will email them a code and then with that, they can log in and see the books that their students currently have checked out, search the catalog and then they can say whether certain books cannot be checked out by their students,” said Mark Samberg, chief technology and school accountability o cer.

The district is currently working toward establishing a database for individual classroom libraries, as the bill

when you take on one of his characters.”

Kirkland was a member of several New Age groups, taught Insight Transformational Seminars and was a longtime member of the a liated Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, whose followers believe in soul transcendence.

She reached a career nadir while riding nude on a pig in the 1969 lm “Futz,” which a Guardian reviewer dubbed the worst lm he had ever seen. “It was about a man who fell in love with a pig, and even by the dismal standards of the era, it was dismal,” he wrote.

Kirkland was also known for disrobing for so many other roles and social causes that Time magazine dubbed her “the latter-day Isadora Duncan of nudothespianism.”

Kirkland volunteered for people with AIDS, cancer and heart disease, fed homeless people via the American Red Cross, participated in telethons for hospices and was an advocate for prisoners, especially young people.

The actors union SAG-AFTRA called her “a fearless performer whose artistry and advocacy spanned more than six decades,” adding that as “a true mentor and champion for actors, her generosity and spirit will continue to inspire.”

a fundraiser for the local DAV and VFW posts.

A signi cant amount of work and e ort went into displaying the crosses.

“We got in touch with the Florida folks,” Wilson said, “and learned what to do. Then we he got in touch with a California company — My Nativity — and they were kind and helpful and gave us a good discount so we could do this. I ordered one as a sample to show, and a total of 83 crosses were purchased. Then we had to put them together and put them up.”

The group — Chatham Veterans Memorial — has a website and a Facebook page. Information on the group, their e ort and an order form for the crosses can be found there.

stipulates that those too must be in compliance with the new mandates, however, sta has acknowledged the challenges related to that due to the amount of time it will take to categorize and catalog every one in the district.

“We can’t just slap a barcode on them, put them in the library system and call it a day because they’re not necessarily our books,” Samberg said.

“This is the law, so we have to do what we have to do, but this is a pretty tall task that, once again, I’m not sure Raleigh understands,” said board member David Hamm. “I understand the premise behind it, but this is going to be tough on the teachers.”

The board was also given an update on the NC College Connect program, which is a streamlined college admission process for students who meet speci c GPA and academic criteria.

“If a student meets these criteria in the summer between their 11th and 12th grade year, they get a letter saying ‘Congratulations. You’re admitted to this list of colleges automatically,’” Samberg said. “They don’t have to do anything. It just comes in the mail.”

Participating schools include all 58 North Carolina Community Colleges as well as an assortment of 40 public and private universities.

The program requires a GPA of at least 2.8, and while it doesn’t require the common app nor application fees, some institutions may require additional information such as test scores.

The Chatham County Schools Board of Education will next meet Dec. 8.

MARK TERRILL / AP PHOTO

Sally Kirkland stands next to a poster of her lm “Anna” in Los Angeles in 1988.

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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 919-5336319 for more information, TDD #1-800-735-2962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible. A2,tfnc

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS now for one-bedroom apartments, adults 55 years or older. Water included, appliances furnished, on-site laundry, elevator, keyless entry. Section 8 accepted. No security deposit. Application fee $25 per adult. Call Braxton Manor, 919-663-1877. Handicap accessible. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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2 B/R, 2 Bath - Mobile Home with Deck. No Pets or Smoking, in Bonlee and Chatham Central School District. Leave Phone # and Message. 919-837-5689. 2tp

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERS - Equipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-6633556, 13 Jy6,tfnc

ESTATE SALE

Across from Brush Creek Baptist Church on Airport Rd., Siler City – Friday, Nov.14th, 10am – 5pm, and Saturday, Nov.15th, 10am – 4pm – Follow the Signs! Camping, shing items, Kitchen utilities and cutlery, Christmas decorations, a tv, Lots of Women’s clothing, shoes, purses, winter coats, etc. and a lot of other miscellaneous items. Cash Only! Also, a utility trailer and 2 vehicles. –Something for everyone! 1tp

YARD SALE

Multi-Family Yard FRIDAY, November 14th - 8:003:00. Located at 219 Chatham Square behind LAM Bu et. Lots of Furniture, clothes, household items, and Christmas items. Cheap Prices! Three Families SERVICES

RAINBOW WATER FILTERED VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919-548-4314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available.

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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.

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LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-258-3594. N9,tfnc

IN SEARCH OF SOMEONE

I met you at Dollar Tree in Siler City, you paid for a Birthday Gift Bag. I want to meet you again to thank you. I live on Hwy.902 at 11348, Bear Creek, NC. My phone # is 919-837-5280.

WANTED

I am wanting to buy a used 25’ Motor Home. Please call 919-548-2943.

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY

All persons, individuals and companies, having claims against Gerald M. Bernstein, deceased, Chatham County le no. 25E000373-180, are noti ed to present them to the executor named below, on or before January 23, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. Marc Bernstein, 220 Amber Wood Run, Chapel Hill NC 27516, 910-446-8028.

NOTICE

CHATHAM COUNTY PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN

SEEKING BIDS: The Chatham County Partnership for Children is seeking competitive bids for the provision of speci c FAMILY SUPPORT services meeting Smart Start evidence-based/evidence-informed program requirements. Services to be provided in Chatham County, NC between July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. Open to all interested human service agencies and organizations. A Bidder’s Conference will be held on Friday, December 5th 2025 via Ring Central from 9:30-11:30 AM. ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY FOR ELIGIBILITY to submit a bid. Additional information is available at www.chathamkids.org or by emailing liz@ chathamkids.org.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

24E001488-180 NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY The undersigned, Daphne Hill, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Albert Roland Cooke, Jr., deceased, late of Chatham County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the day of January 21, 2026, 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 23rd day of October 2025.

Daphne Hill Executor Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 28th day of October 2025, as Executor of the Estate of Mary Catherine Green, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of February 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment. This is the 29th day of October 2025. Keith Robert Green, Executor of the Estate of Mary Catherine Green PO Box 485 Pittsboro, NC 27312

Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330

Publish On: November 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th 2025.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold a quasijudicial hearing for the following request at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West: Haw River Christian Academy is proposing a K-12 Christian Charter School on parcels 0061873 and 0068572 currently owned by Pittsboro Baptist Church. Site is located on US Highway 501. The school is permitted by Special Use Permit in the RA zoning district. The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. A ected parties with standing must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of James Mack Gee 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 11th day of February, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 5th day of November, 2025. Henry Gee, Executor of the Estate Of James Mack Gee 2544 Siler City Glendon Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344

MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

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

4tp NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Helen Grace Oldham 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 11th day of February, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 5th day of November, 2025.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Probate #25E000556-180

All persons, rm and corporations having claims against Carolyn Herberta Huckshorn , late of Chatham County, North Carolina are hereby noti ed to present them to Kristin Rae Huckshorn, as Executor of the decedent’s estate in care of Kendall H. Page, Attorney, 210 N Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 on or before the 6th day of February, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. Kendall H. Page 210 N Columbia Street Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Bar # 14261

Notice to Run: 11/13/2025, 11/20/2025, 11/27/2025 & 12/04/2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Patricia A. Milburn, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, on the 24th day of October, 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 8th day of February, 2026, or this Notice will be pled in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 6th day of November, 2025. Susan M. Meier, Personal Representative, c/o Christina G. Hinkle, Attorney for the Estate, McPherson, Rocamora, Nicholson, & Hinkle, PLLC; 3211 Shannon Road, Suite 400, Durham, NC 27707. Chatham News: 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 11/27

Notice to Creditors

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Victoria Carol Stephan, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before February 15, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 13th day of November, 2025. Kevin Stephan Limited Personal Representative c/o W. Thomas McCuiston 200 Towne Village Drive Cary, NC 27513

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 January 29, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 22nd day of October, 2025. Diane T. Campbell, Executrix 1982 Epps Clark Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344 (919) 663-2533

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Duane Lee Fraser All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Duane Lee Fraser, late of Chatham, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Joseph Duane Fraser as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before January 31, 2026, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 30th day of October, 2025. Joseph Duane Fraser, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Barbara Russell Hardin All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Barbara Russell Hardin, late of Chatham, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Paul Russell Hardin as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before February 14, 2026, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 13th day of November 2025. Paul Russell Hardin, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty.

TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF EDGAR J. HARLOW All persons, rms and corporations having claims against EDGAR J. HARLOW, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Gregory Herman-Giddens or James Wynkoop as Co-Executors of the decedent’s estate on or before February 16, 2026 c/o Gregory HermanGiddens, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named CoExecutors. This the 13th day of November 2025. Gregory Herman-Giddens, Co-Executor c/o Gregory Herman-Giddens, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Rosemond Rocco All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Rosemond Rocco, late of Chatham, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to Kathleen Rocco as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before January 24, 2026, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 23rd day of October 2025. Kathleen Rocco, Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000574-180

The undersigned, MICHAEL J. WERNER, having quali ed on the 29th Day of OCTOBER 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of IRENE PATRICIA WERNER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 6th Day OF FEBRUARY 2026, 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 6th DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2025. MICHAEL J. WERNER, ADMINISTRATOR 115 WILLOWCREST DRIVE WINSTON SALEM, NC 27107 Run dates: N6,13,20,27p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25000587-180

The undersigned, MARSHAY A. PRICE, having quali ed on the 24th Day of OCTOBER 2025 as

ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of JIMMY LOUIS PRICE, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 30th Day OF JANUARY 2026, 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 30th DAY OF OCTOBER 2025.

MARSHAY A PRICE, ADMINISTRATOR 803 NEW YORK AVE. SILVER SPRING, MD 20910 Run dates: O30,N6,13,20p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000570-180

The undersigned, JENNIFER MORLEY, having quali ed on the 13th Day of OCTOBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of NANNETTE MARIE BURGER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 6th Day OF FEBRUARY 2026, 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 6th DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2025.

JENNIFER MORLEY, EXECUTOR 178 MORLEY WAY SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: N6,13,20,27p

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION

CHATHAM COUNTY FILE NO. 13CvD000477-180

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION COUNTY OF CHATHAM

Plainti , vs. The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of J. N. RIVES a/k/a J. N. RIEVES a/k/a JOHN NATHANIEL RIVES, et al Defendants.

TO: The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of J. N. RIVES a/k/a J. N. RIEVES a/k/a JOHN NATHANIEL RIVES and spouse, if any, which may include CHARLENE LUNSFORD and spouse, if any, VANESSA A. MCBROOM A/K/A VANESSA ANITA FERGUSON’S SPOUSE, IF ANY, WAYNE GREEN and spouse, if any, STEPHEN J. GREENE and spouse, if any, AUSTIN O. RHODA, JR. and spouse, if any, JAMES HOPKINS and spouse, if any, BARBARA BROWN and spouse, if any, MARIE YVONNE FOUST and spouse, if any, KARRIE RIGGSBEE and spouse, if any, DELORES LUNSFORD and spouse, if any, LINDA BROWN and spouse, if any, EDWARD J. WALKER and spouse, if any, and JEMAL WALKER and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder

A pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above-entitled action and notice of service of process by publication began on November 13, 2025.

The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Foreclosure on tax parcel(s) more completely described in the Complaint, to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes (assessments). Plainti seeks to extinguish any and all claim or interest that you may have in said property.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after the date of the rst publication of notice stated above, exclusive of such date, being forty (40) days after November 13, 2025, or by December 23, 2025, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service of process by publication will apply to the Court for relief sought.

This the __4th____ day of November, 2025.

ZACCHAEUS LEGAL SERVICES

Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill

Attorney for Plainti NC Bar #12852/56782

310 W. Jones St. P. O. Box 25 Trenton, North Carolina 28585 Telephone: (252) 448-4541

Publication dates: November 13, 2025 November 20, 2025 November 27, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Warner Smith Rackley, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned, whose mailing address is c/o CharlotteAnne T. Alexander, Colombo Kitchin Attorneys, 1698 E. Arlington Blvd, Greenville, NC 27858 on or before the 23rd day of January, 2026, 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 23rd day of October, 2025. Warner Cooper Rackley, Executor of the Estate of Warner Smith Rackley

Colombo Kitchin Attorneys c/o Charlotte-Anne T. Alexander 1698 E. Arlington Blvd. Greenville, NC 27858 CHARLOTTE-ANNE T. ALEXANDER COLOMBO, KITCHIN, DUNN, BALL & PORTER, LLP

Attorneys at Law 1698 E. Arlington Blvd. Greenville, NC 27858

NOTICE OF TAX FORECLOSURE SALE

Under and by virtue of an order of the District Court of Chatham County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action entitled COUNTY OF CHATHAM vs. LEWIS L. MARSH and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of LEWIS L. MARSH and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF FAYE M. MCDONALD

claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned at their address, 386 Old Siler City Road, Pittsboro, North Carolina, 27312, on or before the 30th day of January, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons

PLLC

P. O. Box 880 Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312-0880 October 30, November 6, 13, 20

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000304-180 The undersigned, JEFFREY SCOTT KLINKER, having quali ed on the 5th Day of OCTOBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of CAROLYN SUE KLINKER, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 13th Day OF FEBRUARY 2026, 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 13th DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2025.

JEFFREY SCOTT KLINKER, EXECUTOR 2197 LAUREL LAKE RD. SALEMBURG, NC 28385 Run dates: N13,20,27,D4p

order of the District Court of Chatham County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action entitled COUNTY OF CHATHAM vs. THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF WILLIE LEE FOUSHEE, SR. and spouse, if any, which may include BARRY E. FOUSHEE and spouse, if any, THOMAS L. FOUSHEE and spouse, if any, NETTIE M. TRUSELL and spouse, if any, DONNIE J. FOUSHEE and spouse, if any, CLAREATHA Y. HOOKER and spouse, if any, THE HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND DEVISEES OF WILLIE L. FOUSHEE, JR. and spouse, if any, which may include ADESHA M. CONWAY and spouse, if any, MEDERRA D. FAIRLEY and spouse, if any, and FELICIA M. CONWAY and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, et al, 16CVD000536180, the undersigned Commissioner will on the 26th day of November, 2025, o er

Prices and availability for Wegovy and Zepbound could fall with the new deal.

Trump unveils deal to expand coverage, lower costs on GLP-1 obesity drugs

Coverage will expand to Medicare patients starting next year

By Tom Murphy, Aamer Madhani and Jonel Aleccia

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy.

The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years.

But access to the drugs has been a consistent problem for patients because of their cost — around $500 a month for higher doses — and insurance coverage has been spotty.

Coverage of the drugs for obesity will expand to Medicare patients starting next year, according to the administration, which said some lower prices also will be phased in for patients without coverage. Starting doses of new, pill versions of the treatments also will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

“(It) will save lives, improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” said Trump, in an Oval O ce announcement in which he referred to GLP-1s as a “fat drug.”

Thursday’s announcement is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to rein in soaring drug prices in its efforts to address cost-of-living concerns among voters. Drugmakers P zer and AstraZeneca recently agreed to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid after an executive order in May set a deadline for drugmakers to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.

As with the other deals, it’s not clear how much the price drop will be felt by consumers. Drug prices can vary based on the competition for treatments and insurance coverage.

Obesity drugs increasingly popular but costly

The obesity drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that a ect appetite and feelings of fullness. In clinical trials, they helped people shed between 15% and 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases.

Patients taking these drugs usually start on smaller doses and then work up to larger amounts, depending on their needs. Because of obesity being considered a chronic disease, they need to take the treatment inde nitely or risk regaining weight, experts say.

The fast-growing treatments have proven especially lucrative for drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Novo Nordisk. Lilly said recently that sales of Zepbound have tripled so far this year to more than $9 billion.

But for many Americans, their cost has made them out of reach.

“Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Health and Human Services

Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Medicare, the federally funded coverage program mainly for people ages 65 and over, hasn’t covered the treatments for obesity. President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule last November that would have changed that. But the Trump administration nixed it last spring.

Few state and federally funded Medicaid programs, for people with low incomes, o er coverage. And employers and insurers that provide commercial coverage are wary of paying for these drugs in part because of the large number of patients that might use them.

The $500 monthly price for higher doses of the treatments also makes them una ordable for those without insurance, doctors say.

Medicare now covers the cost of the drugs for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease but not for weight loss alone.

Trump showing he’s in touch with cost- of-living concerns

The e ort to lower costs barriers to popular GLP-1 drugs comes as the White House is looking to demonstrate that Trump is in touch with Americans’ frustrations with rising costs for food, housing, health care and other necessities.

“Trump is the friend of the forgotten American,” said Health and Human Services

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Thursday’s announcement. “Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Kennedy had previously expressed skepticism to GLP-1s in ghting obesity and diseases related to the condition. But he was full of praise for Trump for pushing to help a broader segment of Americans have access to the drug.

The announcement came after Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia faced a drubbing in Tuesday’s election in which dour voter outlook about the economy appeared to be an animating factor in the races.

Roughly half of Virginia voters said “the economy” was the top issue, and about 6 in 10 of these voters picked Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor, powering her to a decisive win, according to an AP voter poll.

In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won about two -thirds of voters who called “the economy” the top issue facing the state, the poll found.

TAKE NOTICE

NOTICE

TOWN OF SILER CITY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RESOLUTION OF INTENT TO PERMANETLY CLOSE SPEEDWAY STREET WHEREAS, Section 160A-299 of the North Carolina General Statutes prescribes the procedure to be followed by a city in order to permanently close a street or alley; and WHEREAS, Speedway Street is located within the municipal corporate limits of the Town of Siler City and shown on a plat recorded in the Chatham County Register of Deeds in Plat Cabinet EN Slide 25; and WHEREAS, Speedway Street has not been constructed nor is the right-of-way maintained by the Town of Siler City; and WHEREAS, Jerry and Deborah Siler Alston. are fee simple owners of certain real property located adjacent to Speedway Street. The owners acquired said property via Warranty Deed, in Deed Book 488,

She defeated a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli. More than half of New York City voters said the cost of living was the top issue facing the city. The Democratic mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won about two-thirds of this group.

The White House sought to diminish the e ort by the previous Democratic administration as a gift to the pharmaceutical industry because the proposal did not include adequate price concessions from drug makers.

Trump, instead, consummated a “belt and suspenders” deal that ensures Americans aren’t unfairly nancing the pharmaceutical industry’s innovation, claimed a senior administration o cial, who briefed reporters ahead of Thursday’s Oval O ce announcement by Trump.

Another senior administration o cial said coverage of the drugs will expand to Medicare patients starting next year. Those who qualify will pay $50 copays for the medicine.

Lower prices also will be phased in for people without coverage through the administration’s TrumpRx program, which will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. starting in January.

The o cials said lower prices also will be provided for state and federally funded Medicaid programs. And starting doses of new, pill versions of the obesity treatments will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

The o cials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Doctors applaud price drop

Dr. Leslie Golden says she has roughly 600 patients taking one of these treatments, and 75% or more struggle to a ord them. Even with coverage, some face $150 copayments for re lls.

“Every visit it’s, ‘How long can we continue to do this? What’s the plan if I can’t continue?,’” said Golden, an obesity medicine specialist in Watertown, Wisconsin. “Some of them are working additional jobs or delaying retirement so they can continue to pay for it.”

Both Lilly and Novo have already cut prices on their drugs. Lilly said earlier this year it would reduce the cost of initial doses of Zepbound to $349.

Dr. Angela Fitch, who also treats patients with obesity, said she hoped a deal between the White House and drugmakers could be the rst step in making the treatments more a ordable.

“We need a hero in obesity care today,” said Fitch, founder and chief medical ofcer of knownwell, a weightloss and medical care company. “The community has faced relentless barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications, which has ultimately come down to the price, despite the data we have supporting their e ectiveness.”

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 25SP000148-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF THE DEED OF TRUST OF AVERY SPEY WOOTEN AND TRENTON JAMES WOOTEN, Mortgagors, to TIM TURNER, Trustee; WESLEY L. DEATON, Substitute Trustee, BOOK 2485, PAGE 879 Peoples Bank, Mortgagee. Dated October 20, 2023, recorded in Book 02386, at Page 0338 Securing the original amount of $131,250.00 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Avery Spey Wooten and Trenton James Wooten, described above, in the Chatham County Public Registry; default having been made in the payment of the indebtedness thereby secured and the said Deed of Trust being by the terms thereof subject to foreclosure; and the holder of the indebtedness thereby secured having demanded a foreclosure thereof for the purpose of satisfying said indebtedness; and under and by virtue of an order entered in the within entitled and numbered action by the Clerk of Superior Court of Chatham County, North Carolina on the 14th day of October, 2025, the undersigned Trustee will o er for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash at the Courthouse door in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 12:00 PM on Tuesday the 18th day of November, 2025, the land conveyed in said Deed of Trust, the same lying and being in Chatham County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an iron stake, Wilbert Johnson’s corner in Campbell’s line and being the Northeast corner of the land hereby conveyed; running thence South 7 degrees 30 minutes East 1113 feet and 9 inches to a stone, Johnson’s corner; thence with Johnson’s line South 85 degrees East 392 feet to a stone; thence South 4 degrees 30 minutes West 338 feet to a stone, Johnson’s corner; thence with Johnson’s line South 78 degrees 434 feet and 9 inches to a stone; thence South 4 1/2 degrees West 230 feet to the Southern margin of S.R. 2189; thence with the right of way of said road South 74 degrees West 342 feet to the corner of that 4.85 acre tract of land conveyed to Dewey Dale Hefner,

default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon the 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. This the 14th day of October, 2025. Wesley L. Deaton, Substitute Trustee P.O. Box 2459 Denver, North Carolina 28037 (704) 489-2491

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION CHATHAM COUNTY FILE NO. 08CvD000422-180 COUNTY OF CHATHAM Plainti , NOTICE OF SERVICE OF vs. PROCESS BY PUBLICATION The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of JESSE SADDLER, JR., et al Defendants.

TO: The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of JESSE SADDLER, JR. and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of SAM SADDLER and spouse, if any, which may include the HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of JIMMY T. SADDLER and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of BILL SADDLER and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of SUDIA CROSBY and spouse, if any, which may include VICKIE V. UNDERWOOD a/k/a VICKIE VANETTA SMITH’S SPOUSE, IF ANY, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of SOCIAL ARNOLD and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder; and The HEIRS, ASSIGNS and DEVISEES of RUSHIA CHAMBERS and spouse, if any, which may include GERTRUDE F. CHAMBERS and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder

A pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above-entitled action and notice of service of process by publication began on November 6, 2025. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Foreclosure on tax parcel(s) more completely described in the Complaint, to collect delinquent ad valorem taxes (assessments). Plainti seeks to extinguish any and all claim or interest that you may have in said property.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after the date of the rst publication of notice stated above, exclusive of such date, being forty (40) days after November 6, 2025, or by December 16, 2025, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service of process by publication will apply to the Court for relief sought.

This the 29th day of October, 2025.

ZACCHAEUS LEGAL SERVICES

Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill Attorney for Plainti NC Bar #12852/56782

310 W. Jones St. P. O. Box 25 Trenton, North Carolina 28585 Telephone: (252) 448-4541

Publication dates: November 6, 2025 November 13, 2025 November 20, 2025

JONEL ALECCIA / AP PHOTO

CHATHAM SPORTS

last week’s

Local teams establish identities and goals ahead of the winter

Local teams establish identities and goals ahead of the winter

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record Northwood

(3A, Four Rivers 3A/4A conference)

Last year: 30-3, Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference champion, 2A state runner up

With the departure of a talented senior class of guards and a 6-foot-10 rim protector in Chad Graves, Northwood

has reloaded its championship aspirations with the next up and new additions.

Alongside its primary scorer in senior Cam Fowler and a sharpshooting point guard in Josiah Brown, the Chargers added a versatile forward in Bakari Watkins, who averaged 17.8 points per game at Carrboro last season, with his ability to score in multiple ways. Freshman Tolson O’Daniel, who stands at 6-foot-7, is another big who can stretch the oor with his ability to shoot from the outside. A deep group of guards and wings, including

returning juniors Grant Locklear, Asher Brooks, Raje Torres and Nivan Lauano, will also add a multitude of fresh bodies that can score and defend without much drop o in rotations.

Northwood coach Matt Brown said his team will play in a “new way” with a multitude of options and looks on both sides of the ball.

First game: Tuesday at Southeast Alamance (7:30 p.m.) Seaforth (5A, Big Seven 4A/5A conference)

Last year: 15-13, fourth in

Northwood holds a practice ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Local teams get ready for a new season

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Northwood (3A, Four Rivers

3A/4A conference)

Last year: 18-8, third in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, 2A playo s rst round exit

With ve seniors and 10 total players returning from last year’s team, this winter will be about doing “more” for Northwood. Northwood coach Kerri Stubbs wants her team to play with more toughness and aggressiveness while also improving its nishing and shooting percentage.

County teams with winning records last year

First game: at Southeast Alamance (6:00 p.m.)

Seaforth (5A, Big Seven 4A/5A conference)

Last year: 28-3, Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference champion, 2A playo s regionalnal exit

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, 2A playo s second round exit Seaforth’s guard-heavy roster looks to speed things up this season. The Hawks will be a team that turns an aggressive, pesky defensive approach into quick o ense in transition. They’ll return “bigger and stronger” versions of senior guards Campbell Meador and Declan Lindquist while bringing back versatile guards in junior Duncan Parker, senior Patrick Miller and senior Nick Gregory from football. Ju-

5

County teams made the playo s last season

nior guard Cole Davis, a scrappy newcomer, looks to make a big impact with his ability to create turnovers and points from di erent areas of the oor. Senior Davis Peeples will look to provide an inside presence for Seaforth.

First game: Nov. 21 vs. Middle Creek (7:30 p.m.)

Jordan-Matthews (4A, Four Rivers 3A/4A conference)

Last year: 9-15, sixth in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, missed playo s

Boys’ soccer season ends in Chatham County

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record Football

“This comeback shows the heart, love and belief these boys have in each other and themselves.”

Tolbert Matthews

back shows the heart, love and belief these boys have in each other and themselves. A true brotherhood and family that has been cultivated through a mentality of every day being a work day.”

Stubbs expects a more condent game from talented sophomore guard Noelle Whitaker, who had to ll in for her sister last year.

The team will without a doubt have strong chemistry as a senior core of Neah Henry, Alyia Roberts, Shaylah Glover, Mikaylah Glover and Amari Bullet have played plenty of varsity minutes together.

Seaforth is entering a new era without former star Gabby White and another impactful senior in Peyton Collins. Nevertheless, there’s still great talent and a championship culture that hasn’t left. The Hawks will return a sharpshooting backcourt of

WITH ITS BACK against the wall, No. 20 Seaforth pulled o its most crucial response to adversity to win the school’s rst playo game Friday. The Hawks trailed No. 13 South Brunswick 28-14 with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter when a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Duncan Parker to senior Nick Gregory, followed by a successful two-point conversion, brought them within one score. After Seaforth recovered the ensuing onside kick, Parker hit senior Patrick Miller in the end zone to tie the game with 18 seconds left. The successful PAT sealed a 29-28 win and a trip to the second round of the 5A East playo s. “It means everything to me,” Miller said. “We’ve never had a winning record in our school’s history. New coaches, you know, it just feels good to do something new.” Said Seaforth coach Tolbert Matthews, “This come-

Seaforth (6-5) will go back to the coast to take on No. 4 Croatan (9-1). The Cougars have won three straight games and come with a balanced offensive attack led by junior running back Andrew Boucher (124 rushing yards per game) and junior quarterback Kannon McBride (26 touchdown passes). The rest of Chatham County came up short in the rst round. In the 4A East bracket, No. 16 Jordan-Matthews, hosting its rst playo game since 2009, fell 37-12 to No. 17 Red Springs. The Jets nished their best season in more than

See SEAFORTH, page B4 See GIRLS, page B3

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Chatham Central huddles up during

Siler City basketball jamboree.

Patrick Miller

Seaforth, football

Seaforth senior Patrick Miller earns athlete of the week for the week of Nov. 3.

Miller caught the game-tying touchdown with 18 seconds left to help Seaforth complete a comeback and win its rst ever playo game. Throughout the season, Miller has come up big for the Hawks as a receiver and a safety.

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

The weekly deadline is Monday at noon.

Instincts carry Albright through medical emergency, back to court

The girls’ basketball coach su ered massive blood clots in August

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

BEFORE A BEACH trip over the summer, Chatham Central girls’ basketball coach Aedrin Albright su ered from pain around her eyes.

Her history with the symptoms pointed to a sinus infection, something she’d dealt with in the past, and she treated it as usual with Sudafed.

“There was no coughing, no drainage,” Albright said. “Nothing like that.”

When headaches and instability while walking began to bother her on the beach trip, she went to urgent care, and even the doctor agreed with her initial self-diagnosis. However, she didn’t have any congestion.

While sitting at home Aug. 7, a few days after the beach trip, Albright’s body gave the full conrmation of her condition. Her ailment wasn’t a sinus infection — instead it was multiple massive blood clots in her brain.

That day, Albright, at home with just herself and her oldest son, Reid, felt something unusual in the back of her head. Shortly after, her right hand and the right side of her limp went numb. Albright felt “wobbly” in her legs when she tried to stand up.

“I felt like Jell-O,” Albright said. “I said, ‘Reid, something’s not right.’ So I called my husband, and he said, ‘Have him take you to the emergency room.’ I said, ‘I’m going to wait for a second.’ And then, I had another episode of it.” Albright went to the emergency room at UNC Health Chatham where a blood clot was rst discovered in her brain.

“The doctor said I’ve never seen this in a patient,” Albright said.

She was then transported to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, and there, she learned the severity of her condition. Albright was su ering from cerebral and sinus vein thrombosis, a rare blood clot that a ects about 1,500 people in the United State per year, according to the American Heart Association Journals. Three blood clots went down vein in the middle of her head, and one went down her jugular vein.

Doctors at UNC called her the “happiest” patient they ever had because she was still aware and herself, which isn’t usually the

Chatham Central senior guard

“Listen to your body no matter what”

Aedrin Albright

case with people experiencing brain complications.

“I had started reading stories on it where people just thought it was a sinus infection and then they ended up with an aneurysm,” Albright said. “It was no stroke, no aneurysm or anything like that, but I think if I had ignored it, that was going to happen within the next couple of days.”

Said Albright, “As soon as my hand went numb and I couldn’t pick my hand up, (doctors) said I did the right thing by going to the hospital.” Albright spent four days in the hospital and received medication to treat the blood clots.

Not much, even blood clots, can throw Albright o her duties. Her recovery came with fogginess and fatigue, which, at the beginning, caused concern and calls to go home from her students. Yet Albright only missed the rst work day. With her medical emergency happening before the school year, her ability to coach wasn’t in jeopardy. She takes it as a “privilege” to be out on the court with her girls after what she went through.

“De nitely just very happy that she was able to come back because we are so used to her coaching style and her motivation and want to get us better,”

Sydney Sellers said. The side e ects of the medication and the caution around her medical emergency will make for a less loud and ery Albright than usual on the sidelines this season.

But the one thing that really bothered Albright during her hospital stay was being there for her sons. She didn’t tell her kids, Reid, Brooks and Turner, who are all tough like her, all that she was going through in the beginning because she didn’t want them to worry. Losing a parent at a young age was something Albright already lived through as her mother, Patricia Phillips Murray, died from colon cancer when Albright was 22.

“When I was in the hospital, I did kind of have a breakdown because I started thinking, I was 22,” Albright said. “Reid’s 18, going to be 19. Not far from the age when my mother (died), and that feeling of growing older without that mother gure, I didn’t want my kids to go through that.”

Albright believed God was with her during her medical emergency.

She shared her journey to her Facebook page, detailing her condition and thanking the friends and family who supported her in her recovery.

And like the teacher, and mother, that she is on a daily basis, she left Facebook with a message.

“Listen to your body no matter what,” Albright said. “You know your body better than anyone else.”

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Chatham Central girls’ basketball coach Aedrin Albright coaches a game during the 2024-25 season. She will be back on the sideline for the Bears’ 2025-26 campaign.

Former basketball standouts begin collegiate seasons

Look where to follow Chatham’s own on the next level

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

FORMER LOCAL basketball standouts have hit the hardwood to the start the 2025-26 college basketball season. Here’s a look at where to follow Chatham County’s own.

MEN

Seaforth

Jarin Stevenson (UNC, junior)

Stevenson averaged four points and 3.5 rebounds in the Tar Heels’ rst two games.

Northwood

Kenan Parrish (Harvard, rst-year)

Parrish scored nine points and grabbed ve rebounds in the Crimson’s season-opening win over MIT Friday.

Max Frazier (Central Connecticut State, junior)

Frazier recorded eight points and seven rebounds in the Blue Devils’ season-opening loss to Quinnipiac on Nov. 6.

Fred Whitaker (East Tennessee State, redshirt freshman)

Chatham Central

Brennen Oldham (Catawba Valley CC, freshman)

Oldham averaged 6.7 points and shot over 80% from the oor in Catawba Valley’s rst three games.

Reid Albright (Central

seniors Katie Leonard, a Cornell commit, and Mia Moore. Juniors Abigail Morgan, Lariah Rodgers and Annika Johansson will also look to ll out the Hawks’ deep back court as they look to make another deep playo run.

First game: Nov. 21 vs. Middle Creek (6 p.m.)

Chatham Central (1A, Greater Triad 1A/2A conference)

Last year: 16-10, fourth in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, 1A playo s second round exit

With the departure of standouts Karaleigh Dodson and Chloe Scott, Chatham Central will reload with some old and new.

The Bears will return key pieces in senior forward Sydney Sellers, junior guard Lizzy Murray, sophomore for-

Points for Gabby White in her Virginia debut

Carolina CC, freshman)

Albright averaged six points, 3.5 rebounds and three assists in the Cougars’ rst two games (started both games).

Chatham Charter

Jonah Ridgill (Guilford, sophomore)

Ridgill played two games for Guilford in 2024.

WOMEN

Seaforth

Gabby White (Virginia, freshman)

White recorded six points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in her collegiate debut against Morgan State on Nov. 4. She scored 11 points in a win over Bucknell Sunday.

Hannah Ajayi (Guilford, sophomore)

Ajayi averaged two points per outing in 14 games (7.1 minutes per game) for Guilford last season.

Northwood

Olivia Porter (Marquette, senior) Porter, a starter, averaged 6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and two steals in her rst two games of the season.

TeKeyah Bland (NC Cen-

ward Addison Goldston, junior wing Belle Douglass and junior wing Addison Overman. They also added junior guard Ansley Preslar, a transfer from North Moore who averaged 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Mustangs last season.

Chatham Central coach Aedrin Albright wants to be a better shooting team while maintaining a high level of intensity of defense. Because this team lacks signi cant size, the Bears look to play fast and use their speed to their advantage.

First game: Friday vs. Ascend Leadership (6 p.m.)

Jordan-Matthews (4A, Four Rivers 3A/4A conference)

Last year: 4-20, seventh in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, missed playo s For Jordan-Matthews, this season will be about growth. The Jets’ youth from last year

UNC forward Jarin Stevenson (15) pulls down a rebound during the

Kansas.

tral, sophomore) Bland returns to the court after playing her freshman year at Howard.

Skylar Adams (Shaw, sophomore) Adams made 11 starts and

will look to apply their greater knowledge of the system and feel for the game to win more games than the previous season. Jordan-Matthews coach Lamont Piggie has seen improvements in sophomore Lizzie Alston’s o ensive game, and sophomore Zuri Nava has stepped up as a leader.

The team will have to play small for the rst month or two with standout forward Jada Scott being sidelined due to injury. When she’s back, Piggie hope she can command interior attention and create open looks on the perimeter.

First game: Friday at Lee County (4 p.m.)

Woods Charter (1A, Central Tar Heel 1A conference)

Last year: 11-9, fourth in Central Tar Heel 1A conference, 1A playo s rst round exit Woods Charter returned numerous key pieces from last

averaged 4.6 points per game as a freshman. McKenna Snively (Christopher Newport, senior) Snively recorded 4.9 points per game in 24 appearances last season.

year’s roster and is now looking to take another step toward success. According to coach Carmen Wood, the key will be mastering the system.

The Wolves look to be a team built on sel essness with the basketball with “exceptional” passer Paige Apolito setting up her teammates, especially Wesley Oliver, with open looks. Wood sees Oliver as one of the most dynamic players in the conference as she’s poised for a big season based on her improvements and expected accolades.

Woods Charter hopes to have more balanced scoring and in improved transition game on both sides of the ball. Three di erent players (Oliver, senior Anna Robards and sophomore Valentina Podolyanskaya) nished in double-digit scoring in the Wolves’ season-opening win Friday.

Record as of Sunday: 1-0

Chatham Charter (1A,

Sydney Ballard (North Greenville, freshman)

Chatham Central

Chloe Scott (Meredith, freshman)

Central Tar Heel 1A conference)

Last year: 12-15, Central Tar Heel 1A conference champion, 1A playo s rst round exit

Chatham Charter returned a lot from last year’s young roster led by now sophomore guard Peyton York.

The Knights look to turn the greater experience into more wins this winter. In their rst three games, York has once again led the way, scoring in double gures each night. Junior forward Camille Alston (four points per game) and senior center Judy Shreef (3.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game) have also been key contributors so far.

Although the team may take some bumps in nonconference play, the Knights should be optimistic about once again being one of the top teams in their conference.

Record as of Sunday: 1-2

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

Tar Heels’ home win over

GIRLS from page B1

Coach buyouts piling up beyond $150M, raising questions

Changes to college football have raised expectations on coaches

By Maura Carey The Associated Press

MERELY THREE WEEKS into the season, UCLA’s DeShaun Foster and Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry were out of a job. Seven weeks later, a half-dozen more coaches were added to the list of midseason rings.

A quarter of the SEC’s coaches who started the season are gone. So are longtime coaches James Franklin of Penn State and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy.

It’s not as simple as an uncomfortable conversation and launching a search for the new coach. Universities are on the hook for millions of dollars for coaches they’re no longer employing.

By Week 10, buyout totals for assistant and head coaches have climbed to approximately $185 million, a gure that raises the question of whether athletic departments spending their way out of a headache is still a feasible route to take, especially when higher education fund-

SEAFORTH from page B1

a decade with a 5-6 record.

No. 18 Northwood lost to No. 15 Hertford County 26-14 in the 3A East rst round. The Chargers closed out the year with a 3-8 record, dropping three straight games by two possessions or less.

In the 1A West bracket, No. 11 Chatham Central lost a rematch with No. 6 Winston-Salem Prep 30-12. The Bears, limited with crucial injuries during the season, nished the year with a 1-10 record.

Score prediction: Croatan 35, Seaforth 28 Prediction record: 19-13 (since Week 2 and excluding forfeited games)

Boys’ soccer

In the 4A East playo s, No. 1 Southwestern Randolph ended No. 8 Jordan-Matthews season with a 4-0 third-round win Monday.

Senior Chris Betancourt notched a hat trick in the rst half, including a penalty kick 10 minutes before halftime. Senior Aaron Avina knocked in the nal goal early in the second half.

Experience and familiarity can go a long way for Jordan-Matthews this season.

The Jets are returning their top three scorers from last year, including sophomore guard Nolan Mitchell, junior forward Zaeon Auguste and senior guard Kamarie Hadley. Last season’s team relied on multiple freshmen and sophomores to help lead the way, but now Jordan-Matthews coach Rodney Wiley hopes a better feel for the game and a “more connected” group can lead to better results.

Wiley wants his team to play up-tempo and with an emphasis on creating space for driving lanes. The Jets, who hope to shoot better this winter, are thin in the frontcourt, but they want to exploit mismatches with their long, athletic wings and crafty guards.

First game: Friday at Lee County (5:30 p.m.)

Chatham Central (1A, Greater Triad 1A/2A conference)

Last year: 23-5, third in Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, 1A playo s third round exit

After graduating a senior class of multiple college-level athletes and losing the presence of coach Robert Burke, Chatham Central is entering a new era.

Stacey Harris, the former associate head coach at Northeast Guilford, is taking over as the new leader of Bears basket-

If you hired a coach and don’t think he’s the right coach for you, that’s part of it. You got to pay him. That’s just the way it works.”

Steve Sarkisian

ing is under increasing pressure and schools are already sending athletes millions in revenue for the rst time.

“It’s not a sustainable pattern,” said Michael LeRoy, a labor and employment relations expert at Illinois. “Even without revenue sharing, it would be challenging. These gures have been growing exponentially over the past ve to 10 years. Power conference coaching contracts are in this escalating spiral that involves larger buyouts, longer terms and more restrictions on terminating contracts.”

While costs build, so do expectations. Making the 12-team College Football Playo is considered the minimum seasonal goal for some programs. And leverage largely remains in the

hands of highly sought-after coaches, the same ones who will inevitably be in talks for some of the top positions in college football at LSU, Florida and Penn State.

So how does the cycle of ring, rehiring and spending stop? It probably doesn’t, according to LeRoy.

“I don’t think schools have the willpower,” he said. “They’re always going to be concerned about what their rivals are doing, and there’s always going to be a rival that will break the bank to hire the best coach.”

LSU head coach Brian Kelly was red earlier this season, joining a large group of highpro le dismissals.

LeRoy’s answer is in line with Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s philosophy. His annual salary this year is $10.8 million and his current buyout cost exceeds $60 million. The fth-year coach says it’s just the cost of doing business.

“Sometimes you’ve got to pay the guy that’s leading the ship,” Sarkisian said. “That’s the price you pay. If you hired a coach and don’t think he’s the right coach for you, that’s part of it. You got to pay him. That’s just the way it works. ... So if you’re not willing to pay a coach and what his

“We had a couple of chances to put goals on them in the rst half as a response after their rst goal,” Jordan-Matthews coach Paul Cuadros said. “We didn’t do that. That was our M.O. this season. And that reects the youth of this squad.”

ball. Except for returning seniors Jeremiah Young, Simon Sabbagh and Miguel Ramirez, along with new senior Westley Brower, the team is quite young. Harris wants his team to play hard defensively and emphasize rebounding. Offensively, he wants to take advantage of the team’s shooting abilities by playing fast and creating open looks.

Outside of the seniors, sophomore guard Turner Albright and sophomore Gavin Williams look to step up as impactful young pieces. First game: Friday vs. Ascend Leadership (7:30 p.m.)

Chatham Charter (1A, Central Tar Heel 1A conference)

Last year: 20-11, second in Central Tar Heel 1A conference, 1A playo s second round exit Chatham Charter has a team full of sophomores this season with many playing varsity for the rst time. Kymani Wagner-Jatta, the lone senior, will look to lead this inexperienced group after averaging 4.7 points last year. Chatham Charter coach Jason Messier said his o ensive condence has grown, and that has shown with his 13.5 points per game in the Knights rst two outings.

Messier also expects sophomore Ryder Murphy, who averaged 4.6 points per game last year, and sophomore Breylan Harris, who averaged 6.8 points and 4.7 rebounds last year, to step up in a huge way. Record as of Sunday: 1-2

With its third loss to the Cougars this season, Jordan-Matthews ended the year with a 16-8 record. The Jets defeated No. 9 Randleman 4-0 in the second round. Despite graduating 11 seniors in 2024, the Jets matched their

win total from that season.

“There’s no doubt we’re coming into a period of promise for the Jets,” Cuadros said. “The question is, can you work hard? I mean, developmental toughness. Can we come together to really ful ll that promise?”

contract is, well, you’re probably not going to get the coaches you thought you might get.”

The evolving economics in college athletics are rewriting the job description for a modern coach. The criteria for success isn’t what it once was with revenue-sharing, NIL compensation and the transfer portal taking over.

“A coach who had been successful 10 or 15 years ago under a model of recruiting high schools across the country for ve-star players, that isn’t the same model as today,” LeRoy said. “These hires are retrospective in nature, so you’re in e ect hiring a coach who was successful under a di erent business model for coaching success, and therefore, when the coach doesn’t produce the way he had produced in the past, pressure builds really quickly to re him.”

One way or another, the schools already searching for their next hire will all be taking a gamble.

“These coaching contracts are somewhat like buying a Powerball ticket in the millions of dollars in the hopes that you will cash in. Somebody does cash in, but a lot of people are out of a lot of money,” LeRoy said.

In the third round of the 3A East bracket, No. 8 Northwood fell to No. 1 NCSSM-Durham 2-1 in double overtime Monday. The Chargers, led by their talented underclassmen this season, nished with a 13 -7- 5 record. Prior its nal loss, Northwood beat No. 24 Louisburg 3-0 in the second round. Woods Charter, the fth seed in the 1A East bracket, fell to No. 4 Cape Hatteras 1-0 after four overtimes in the third round. The Wolves nished the season with a 14-4-1 record, reaching the most wins since 2016. The defeated No. 12 River Mill 2-1 in the second round. No. 14 Chatham Charter in the 1A West bracket lost to No. 3 Leadership Academy 4-0 in the second round. The Knights dominated No. 19 Winston-Salem Prep 10-2 in the rst round and ended their season with a 7-13-1 record. In the 5A East bracket, No. 12 Seaforth fell to conference foe No. 5 Orange 4-1 in the second round. The Hawks advanced out of the rst round with a 3-1 win over No. 21 Southern Guilford. Seaforth ended its season with a 10-10 -3 record.

Woods Charter (1A, Central Tar Heel 1A conference)

Last year: 13-9, third in Central Tar Heel 1A conference, 1A playo s rst round exit Woods Charter looks to take another step forward as a program this winter.

After back-to-back playo appearances, the Wolves are returning a core of junior guard Alden Phelps (10.2 points per game last season), versatile junior forward Levi Haygood (8.3 points per game last season), senior forward Maxwell Carr and senior forward Jackson Morris. Junior Idris Abdullah looks to bring a defensive presence down low, while junior Daniel Sabbagh will bring playmaking and an ability to score from di erent levels of the court. The Wolves want to play a fast brand of basketball with improvements in their ability to handle physicality and adversity throughout an entire game. The weight

BOYS from page B1

Chatham Central’s Turner Albright

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

COURTESY SEAFORTH ATHLETICS

Seaforth takes a team photo celebrating the program’s rst football playo win on Nov. 7.

GERALD HERBERT / AP PHOTO

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Big Ten says USC should have been penalized on fake punt

Rosemont, Ill.

The Big Ten has announced that Southern California should have received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during its game against Northwestern. This was due to a reserve quarterback wearing the same number as the Trojans’ regular punter while executing a fake punt. Early in the second quarter, Sam Huard completed a pass that led to a touchdown ve plays later. The Big Ten stated that USC should have been penalized under the NCAA’s Unfair Tactics rule. The conference plans to continue reviewing the situation with both schools.

NFL White House: Naming new Commanders stadium after Trump would be “beautiful”

West Palm Beach, Fla.

The White House says it would be “beautiful” to name the new stadium for Washington’s NFL team after President Donald Trump. The remarks on Saturday came following an ESPN report that an intermediary has told the Commanders’ ownership group that he wants it to bear his name. Trump attended the Commanders’ game against Detroit, becoming the rst sitting president since 1978 to attend a regular-season NFL game. Only two other times did a president go to an NFL game during the regular season while in o ce: Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978.

NBA Miami Heat coach Spoelstra grateful for support after re destroys home

Miami Miami coach Erik Spoelstra has expressed gratitude for the support he received after a re destroyed his home. His children were not at home, and no one was injured. Spoelstra praised the rst responders for their e orts, even though the house couldn’t be saved. He declined time o o ered by the Heat. Spoelstra also thanked the Heat family for their support, noting that some players’ families are helping his children. The cause of the re remains under investigation.

MLB Dodgers’ Vesia, who missed World Series for personal reasons, says baby daughter has died Los Angeles Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia has shared the news that his daughter, Sterling, has died. Vesia and his wife, Kayla, expressed their grief and love for their daughter in an Instagram post. Vesia missed the World Series due to what the team initially described as a “deeply personal family matter.” Both team’s pitchers wore Vesia’s No. 51 on their caps in tribute. The Vesias thanked the medical sta and both teams for their support. The Dodgers won the World Series in seven games against Toronto.

Kneeland’s death highlights need of mental health resources for athletes

The Dallas Cowboys defensive end died in an apparent suicide

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press

LIKE THE REST of society, the NFL has come a long way in addressing mental wellness, an evolution aimed at reducing the stigma associated with the issue. It’s a discussion that is returning to the forefront as the NFL mourns the loss of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.

Police in a Dallas suburb say the 24-year-old Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide this week after evading authorities in his vehicle and eeing the scene of an accident on foot. As authorities were looking for Kneeland, a dispatcher told o cers that people who knew him had received a group text from Kneeland “saying goodbye. They’re concerned for his welfare,” according to recordings from Broadcastify, which archives public safety radio feeds.

The NFL has put an emphasis in recent years on all aspects of player health.

Players are encouraged to prioritize their mental well-being. They’re told to seek professional support if needed. They have more resources available to them now. The NFL and NFL Players Association in 2019 made it a requirement to have a licensed behavioral health clinician on the sta of each team.

“It’s tough. It’s a hard job. But it’s hard to be a person sometimes.”

Micah Parsons

“We don’t all understand what happened to 9-4 (Kneeland) in the instance, but mental health is important about being there for each other, whether we’re going through hard times or whatever it may be,” Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons said. “It’s tough. It’s a hard job. But it’s hard to be a person sometimes. I think sometimes people evade that you are human. They try to go away from that.”

Many former and current players have opened up about their personal struggles in an e ort to raise more awareness about a topic that used to be a silent illness.

Former Eagles star Brian Dawkins used the platform of his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 to talk publicly about his battle with depression. Dawkins overcame suicidal thoughts to become one of the greatest safeties in the history of the sport. Now he’s on a crusade to educate people about mental wellness.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott lost his older brother, Jace, by suicide in 2020. Teammate Solomon Thomas’ older sister Ella took her life in January 2018 at 24 years old.

The death hit hard for play-

ers and coaches across the league.

“It hurts your heart,” Buccaneers veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard said in Tampa Bay’s locker room. “This game is great and everything; it is one of everybody’s childhood dreams to come and play at this level, but that is the real-life stu people go through. You just never know, so (it) puts things in perspective for you every day that you walk into this building, being grateful and just checking on your brothers as well, make sure everything is OK with them mentally. This game is a lot on us and people tend to forget the real-life aspect of it.” Parsons discussed the difculty of trying to prepare for a game while mourning the-

loss of his former teammate.

“I’ve got former teammates that are devastated,” Parsons said. “They can’t comprehend it. Losing a teammate is like a brother. This is someone — people don’t realize how much we’re actually together, like time spent. That’s the challenge. Like regardless, the NFL is like a brotherhood. It doesn’t matter who it is. If you’re breaking sweat, breaking blood with someone, whether it’s opposite team or same team, it’s a brotherhood.”

A second-round pick in 2024, Kneeland scored a touchdown after recovering a blocked punt on Monday night against Arizona. It was a highlight moment in what seemed to be a promising career. Now, he’s gone.

NCAA revokes eligibility of 6 more basketball players

Arizona State, New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State players are involved in the gambling probe

By Doug Feinberg

The Associated Press

THE NCAA REVOKED the eligibility of six men’s college basketball players as a result of three separate sports-betting cases that involved a power-conference school and allegations of players throwing games to lose by more points than the spread.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions released ndings from an investigation that concluded Chatton “BJ” Freeman at Arizona State; Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short and Jamond Vincent at New Orleans, and Donovan Sanders and Alvin Stredic at Mississippi Valley State either manipulated their performances to lose games, not cover bet lines or ensure certain prop bets were reached, or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024 -25 regular season.

The NCAA said last month it was investigating at least 30 current or former players for gambling allegations. The NCAA also banned three college basketball players in September for betting on their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State.

Arizona State is the only power-conference school involved in the recent announcements. Freeman became implicated in the investigation when the NCAA reviewed text messages between him and a player banned in September, Mykell Robinson, who played at Fresno State. Records on Robinson’s phone indicated that on four separate occasions between November and December 2024, Freeman knowingly provided information to Robinson, who was betting on Freeman through daily fantasy sports accounts.

Freeman also knowingly provided information on at least two occasions to his then-girlfriend, who was also betting on Freeman. In one instance, Freeman provided information to Robinson to bet the over on Freeman’s turnover total against Florida on Dec. 14, 2024, ac-

cording to the NCAA. Arizona State entered the game 8-1. The Sun Devils lost 83-66 to the ninth-ranked Gators and went on to nish the season 13-20. Freeman had one turnover in the game.

The violations at New Orleans against Hunter, Short and Vincent came to light after the NCAA received a tip about game manipulation. The NCAA said a student-athlete overheard the three players discuss a third party placing a bet on their game against McNeese State on Dec. 28, 2024. New Orleans lost 86-61.

That same student-athlete reported that during a timeout near the end of the game, Short instructed him not to score any more points. New Orleans suspended all three student-athletes for the remainder of the season while it investigated the allegations.

The NCAA investigation showed that the three players manipulated their perfor-

mances in seven games from December through January to lose by more points than the spread for that game.

The NCAA reached out to an integrity monitoring service to review Mississippi Valley State games after a related but separate NBA gambling ring that was uncovered earlier this year showed potential ties to college basketball, including the school.

The service indicated betting trends for the Mississippi Valley State games on Jan. 6 against Alabama A&M were suspicious. Mississippi Valley State lost 79-67.

During an interview with the NCAA, a men’s basketball student-athlete said that before the team’s Dec. 21, 2024, game, he overhead Sanders on the phone with an unknown third party talking about “throwing the game.” Sanders asked the student-athlete to participate in the call because the third par-

ty had told Sanders the individual intended to bet on the game and wanted to know that another of Sanders’ teammates would participate in the scheme.

The student-athlete denied altering his performance or receiving money from Sanders or any other individuals. Sanders texted the same student-athlete after that game and told him to delete their messages.

During a second interview, Sanders could not explain the student-athlete’s account of the events or the text messages. He did say, however, that he and Stredic were o ered money to throw the team’s Jan. 6 game by another anonymous caller, who instructed them to perform poorly in the rst half.

The enforcement sta demonstrated that Sanders knowingly provided information to a third party for the purposes of sports betting for two games and Stredic did the same for one game.

DARRYL WEBB / AP PHOTO Arizona State guard BJ Freeman shoots during a January game against Iowa State.

RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ / AP PHOTO

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland walks o the eld after a preseason game.

Mysteries solved with internet, modern tech in new Agatha Christie show

The six-part drama premiers next year on BritBox

By Hilary Fox

The Associated Press

LONDON — The scene: Outside a stately English home, a man and a woman attempt to solve a mystery. What’s unusual about this picture? They’re using the internet.

In a departure from what could be the logline for many a cozy English mystery before it, “Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence” marks the rst time Agatha Christie’s work has been modernized for an English-speaking TV audience. In this six-part drama premiering next year, there are phones, social media and TikTok alongside the usual murky secrets, red herrings and nefarious crimes.

Speaking in late October on the set of the BritBox contemporary series shooting in the U.K., writer and executive producer Phoebe Eclair-Powell says the makers were thrilled to get permission from Christie’s estate and have been careful not to “simplify” solving classic puzzles like a locked room mystery with new tech.

“We have used it but carefully, sparingly and when we think actually that it’s en-

“We have used it but carefully, sparingly and when we think actually that it’s enhanced the original story that it’s adapted from.”

hanced the original story that it’s adapted from,” Eclair-Powell explains.

She says it’s been a “tricky” part of the process but one they hope Christie herself would approve of.

In Japan, Korea, India and Sweden, there have already been Christie characters living in the modern age, but this is the rst contemporary adaptation in the author’s native language.

“Phoebe came to us with a brilliant take on the stories which put them in the modern day and because of the energy & vitality of these characters it felt completely natural to say yes!” Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard, who manages the literary rights to her estate, wrote in an email.

The Associated Press joined stars Antonia Thomas (“The Good Doctor”) and Josh Dylan (“The Buccaneers”) in the library of a 17th-century man-

sion. Thomas is delighted to appear in this modern mystery program, her rst as a title character, and says fans will enjoy the interpretation because while it’s “grounded and modern,” she and Dylan are still “capering in a classic Agatha Christie way.”

She also hopes it will attract new viewers who would normally be put o by the period setting of a more traditional Christie crime drama.

Dylan describes the modernization as having a “looseness” and “freshness” that makes the miniseries feel “di erent.”

Readers of the “Queen of Crime” will recognize Tommy and Tuppence as featuring in short stories and four novels spanning from 1922 to 1973 — their stories were favorites of the author and aged alongside Christie in each appearance according to her estate.

In this version, Tommy is a crime writer and Tuppence struggles as an actor, so both are amateur sleuths, and a will they-won’t-they vibe permeates their relationship.

Also featuring Imelda Staunton as Tommy’s Aunt Ada, production on “Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence” continues throughout November and the show is expected to air on BritBox in 2026.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Antonia Thomas and Josh Dylan star in the Agatha Christie series “Tommy & Tuppence,”

lmed in Beacons eld, England.

2nd

this week in history

“Moby Dick” published, Oklahoma joins the union, Schwarzenegger becomes Calif. governor

The Associated Press NOV. 13

1775: During the Revolutionary War, American forces under Continental Army Gen. Richard Montgomery captured Montreal.

1956: The U.S. Supreme Court a rmed a lower court ruling that struck down Alabama’s bus segregation laws as illegal.

1971: The U.S. space probe Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars, becoming the rst spacecraft to orbit another planet.

NOV. 14

1851: Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick; Or The Whale” was published in the United States, almost a month after its release in Britain.

1889: Journalist Nellie Bly began her attempt to travel around the world in 80 days; she would complete the journey in a little more than 72 days by ships, trains and other means of transport.

1960: Ruby Bridges, 6, under escort by federal marshals,

became the rst black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. NOV. 15

1806: Explorer Zebulon Pike sighted the mountain now known as Pikes Peak in present-day Colorado.

1864: Late in the U.S. Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman began their “March to the Sea” from Atlanta.

1959: Four members of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, were found murdered in their home; two men were later convicted and hanged in a case made famous by Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

1969: A quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in Washington against the Vietnam War.

NOV. 16

1907: Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.

1914: The newly created Federal Reserve Banks opened in 12 cities.

1973: President Richard Nixon signed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act into law, authorizing construction of an 800-mile oil pipeline from the Alaska North Slope to the port of Valdez.

Arnold Schwarzenegger smiles to the crowd as he arrives for his swearing in as the 38th governor of California in Sacramento on Nov. 17, 2003.

NOV. 17

1869: The Suez Canal opened in Egypt.

1973: President Richard Nixon told a gathering of Associated Press managing editors at a televised news conference in Orlando, Florida, “People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.”

1989: An estimated 10,000

to 15,000 Czechoslovakian students demonstrated in Prague against Communist rule, sparking the nonviolent “Velvet Revolution.”

2003: Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-born actor who had become one of America’s biggest movie stars, was sworn in as the 38th governor of California.

NOV. 18

1928: “Steamboat Willie,” the rst cartoon with synchronized sound and the debut of Mickey Mouse, premiered at the Colony Theater in New York.

1978: U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan of California and four others were killed on an airstrip in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple; the attack was followed by a night of mass murder and suicide that left more than 900 cult members dead.

NOV. 19

1863: President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of a national cemetery on the Civil War battle eld in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

1977: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the rst Arab leader to visit Israel.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Which stars to see this year?

Marching bands from seven states will participate

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Ciara, Foreigner, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Busta Rhymes, Mickey Guyton and Teyana Taylor will feature in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will also cement “KPop Demon Hunters” as a pop culture phenomenon with appearances by the movie’s singers on the ground and cute characters in balloons overhead.

An eclectic group of stars — from ballet dancer Tiler Peck to YouTube’s “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans — will join the annual holiday kick-o , highlighted by Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X, the ctional girl group at the heart of the Net ix K-pop hit.

The trio are behind the lm’s soundtrack, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and recently went platinum. Two characters from the movie — Derpy Tiger and Sussie — will join the parade lineup as a mid-sized balloon and the adorably named balloonicle.

The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 27 in all time zones and feature 32 balloons, three ballonicles, 27 oats, 33 clown groups and 11 marching bands — all leading the way for Santa Claus. The familiar

31M

Television viewers last year

TV hosts — Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker from the “Today” show — will return on NBC and Peacock. More stars will be announced later.

Broadway, Buzz Lightyear and Debbie Gibson

Broadway will be represented by cast members from “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time” and “Ragtime,” while the Radio City Rockettes will be there and some serious athletes — three-time U.S. national champion gure skater Ilia Malinin and U.S Paralympian Jack Wallace.

Every year, spectators line up a half-dozen deep along the route to cheer the oats, entertainers and marching bands.

Last year, more than 31 million people tuned in on NBC and Peacock, up 10% from the previous year and marking the biggest audience ever for the parade.

This year, four new featured character balloons will debut, including Buzz Lightyear, Pac-Man, Mario from Super Mario Brothers and a 32-foot-tall balloon onion

solutions

carriage featuring eight characters from the world of “Shrek.” Ahead of next year’s 100th anniversary of the parade, organizers are also including balloons from previous marches, including Rainbow trout, the Happy Hippo Triple Stack, Wigglefoot and Freida the Dachshund.

Some of the stars on hand will be Jewel, Debbie Gibson, Drew Baldridge, Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Meg Donnelly, Christopher Jackson, Darlene Love, Roman Mejia, Taylor Momsen, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith and Luísa Sonza.

The marching bands will hail from South Carolina, California, Texas, Arizona, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Santiago, Panama. The New York Police Department’s marching band will also join.

YUKI IWAMURA / AP PHOTO

Parade performers lead the Tom Turkey oat down Central Park West at the start of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York on Nov. 28, 2024.

PAUL KITAGAKI JR. / AP PHOTO

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famous birthdays this week

Whoopi Goldberg is 70, King Charles III turns 77, Martin Scorsese is 83, Dick Cavett hits 89

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

NOV. 13

Actor Joe Mantegna is 78. Hockey Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault is 75. Actor Frances Conroy is 73. Actor Chris Noth is 71. Actor-comedian Whoopi Goldberg is 70. Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska is 61. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is 58.

NOV. 14

Britain’s King Charles III is 77. Filmmaker Zhang Yimou is 75. Musician Yanni is 71. Five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault is 71. Basketball Hall of Famer Jack Sikma is 70. Rapper Joseph Simmons (Reverend Run of Run-D.M.C.) is 61.

NOV. 15

Singer Petula Clark is 93. Actor Sam Waterston is 85. Classical conductor Daniel Barenboim is 83. Pop singer Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad (ABBA) is 80. Fashion designer Jimmy Choo is 77. Actor Beverly D’Angelo is 74.

NOV. 16

Actor Miguel Sandoval is 74.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte is 69. Former MLB All-Star pitcher Dwight Gooden is 61. Jazz singer Diana Krall is 61. Actor Lisa Bonet is 58. Actor Martha Plimpton is 55. Actor Maggie Gyllenhaal is 48.

NOV. 17

Film director Martin Scorsese is 83. Actor-model Lauren Hutton is 82. Actor-director Danny DeVito is 81. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim is 81. “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels is 81. Basketball Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes is 80.

NOV. 18

Author Margaret Atwood is 86. Actor Linda Evans is 83. Actor Delroy Lindo is 73. Comedian Kevin Nealon is 72. Actor Elizabeth Perkins is 65. Rock

Kirk Hammett (Me-

is 63. Actor Owen Wil-

NOV. 19

Talk show host Dick Cavett is 89. Media mogul and philanthropist Ted Turner is 87. Fashion designer Calvin Klein is 83. Poet Sharon Olds is 83. Sportscaster and former NFL wide receiver Ahmad Rashad is 76. Actor Meg Ryan is 64. Actor- lmmaker Jodie Foster is 63.

musician

tallica)

son is 57.

TEMILADE ADELAJA / POOL PHOTO VIA AP Britain’s King Charles III turns 77 on Friday.

ALASTAIR GRANT / AP PHOTO

Margaret Atwood, Canadian author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” turns 86 on Tuesday.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION VIA AP Actor-comedian Whoopi Goldberg turns 70 on Thursday.

the stream

pose for photographers at the premiere of the lm ‘Freakier Friday’ in London. The body swap comedy is streaming now on

‘Freakier Friday,’ NF, ‘Landman,’ ‘Palm Royale,’ Black Ops 7

Soul powerhouse Summer Walker drops “Finally Over It”

The Associated Press

JAMIE LEE CURTIS and Lindsay Lohan re-teaming as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo in “Freakier Friday” and albums from 5 Seconds of Summer and the rapper NF 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: Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys team up for the new limited-series thriller “The Beast in Me,” gamers get Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Apple TV’s star-studded “Palm Royale” is back.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Richard Linklater’s love letter to the French New Wave and the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” “Nouvelle Vague,” will be streaming on Net ix on Friday. In his review, Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle writes that, “To a remarkable degree, Linklater’s lm, in French and boxed into the Academy ratio, black-and-white style of ‘Breathless,’ has fully imbibed that spirit, resurrecting one of the most hallowed eras of movies to capture an iconoclast in the making. The result is something endlessly stylish and almost absurdly uncanny.” Curtis and Lohan are back as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo in “Freakier Friday,” a sequel to their 2003 movie, now streaming on Disney+. In her review, Jocelyn Noveck writes, “The chief weakness of ‘Freakier Friday’ — an amiable, often joyful and certainly chaotic reunion — is that while it hews overly closely to the structure, storyline and even dialogue of the original, it tries too hard to up the ante. The comedy is thus a bit more manic, and the plot machinations more overwrought (or sometimes distractingly silly).”

Ari Aster’s latest nightmare “Eddington” is set in a small, ctional New Mexico town during the coronavirus pandemic, which becomes a kind of microcosm for our polarized society at large with Joaquin Phoenix as the sheri and Pedro Pascal as its mayor. In my review, I wrote that, “it is an anti-escapist symphony of masking debates, conspiracy theories, YouTube proph-

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton attend the “Landman” Season 2 screening in October in Los Angeles. The show returns to Paramount+ on Sunday.

CJ RIVERA / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Martin Scorsese speaks during a 2024 panel discussion for “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” in New York. The series returns to Fox Nation on Sunday.

ets, TikTok trends and third-rail topics in which no side is spared.”

MUSIC

TO

STREAM

ogy; a release centered on transformation and autonomy. That’s evident from the dreamy throwback single, “Heart of A Woman,” in which the song’s protagonist is disappointed with her partner — but with striking self-awareness.

Consider him one of the biggest artists on the planet that you may not be familiar with. NF, the musical moniker of Nate Feuerstein, emerged from the Christian rap world as a modern answer to Eminem only to top the mainstream, all-genre Billboard 200 chart twice, with 2017’s “Perception” and 2019’s “The Search.”

SERIES TO STREAM

Apple TV’s star-studded “Palm Royale” is back just in time for a new social season.

Starring Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Kaia Gerber, Ricky Martin AND Carol Burnett, the show is campy, colorful and fun, plus it has great costumes. The rst episode premiered Wednesday, and one will follow weekly into January.

“(‘Freakier Friday’) is thus a bit more manic, and the plot machinations more overwrought (or sometimes distractingly silly).”

Jocelyn Noveck, AP Film Writer

have left the religion. All three episodes are streaming now on Peacock.

Thanks to “Homeland” and “The Americans,” Danes and Rhys helped put the prestige in the term prestige TV. They grace the screen together in a new limited series for Net ix called “The Beast in Me.” Danes plays a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who nds a new subject in her nextdoor neighbor, a real estate tycoon who also may or may not have killed his rst wife. Howard Gordon, who worked with Danes on “Homeland,” is also the showrunner and an executive producer of “The Beast in Me.” It premieres Thursday.

David Duchovny and Jack Whitehall star in a new thriller on Prime Video called “Malice.” Duchovny plays Jamie, a wealthy man vacationing with his family in Greece. He hires a tutor (played by Whitehall) named Adam to work with the kids who seems likable, personable and they invite him into their world. Soon it becomes apparent that Adam’s charm is actually creepy. Something is up. As these stories go, getting rid of an interloper is never easy. All six episodes drop Friday.

“Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” returns to Fox Nation on Sunday for a second season. The premiere details the story of Saint Patrick. The show is a passion project for Scorsese who executive produces, hosts and narrates the episodes.

Billy Bob Thornton has struck oil in the second season of “Landman” on Paramount+. Created by Taylor Sheridan, the show is set-in modern-day Texas in the world of Big Oil. Sam Elliott and Andy Garcia have joined the cast, and Demi Moore also returns. The show returns Sunday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The R&B and neo soul powerhouse Summer Walker has returned with her third studio album and rst in four years. “Finally Over It,” out Friday, is the nal chapter of her “Over It” tril-

An incurable cancer diagnoses might not be the most obvious starting place for a funny and a rming lm, but that is the magic of Ryan White’s documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light,” about two poets — Andrea Gibson, who died in July, and Megan Falley — facing a difcult reality together. It will be on Apple TV on Friday.

“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” cast member Heather Gay has written a book called “Bad Mormon” about how she went from a devout Mormon to leaving the church. Next, she’s fronting a new docuseries that delves into that too called “Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay.” The reality TV star also speaks to others who

The Call of Duty team behind the Black Ops subseries delivered a chapter last year — but they’re already back with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The new installment of the bestselling rst-person shooter franchise moves to 2035 and a world “on the brink of chaos.” (What else is new?) Publisher Activision is promising a “reality-shattering” experience that dives into “into the deepest corners of the human psyche.” Lock and load Friday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis

Disney+.

Duplin Journal

Detours in place as Powers Road closes for work

Wallace A section of Powers Road near Wallace-Pender Airport is closed for construction until Dec. 15. The closure runs from Willard Road to Wallace Airport Road/Old Mill Road as crews build a tie-in for the relocated Wallace Airport Road. Detours are in place via Willard Road and Wallace Airport Road. Local tra c will be able to access Powers Road from Willard Road. A second detour will begin Dec. 8 while crews connect the relocated Wallace Airport Road to the existing one. Both roads are expected to reopen Dec. 15, weather permitting. Drivers are advised to use caution and follow all posted signs near the work zone.

Tra c stop leads to multiple arrests

Beulaville

A tra c stop in Beulaville on Nov. 6 led to the seizure of drugs and the arrest of three men. According to law enforcement, a tra c stop on N. Brown Road led to a search that uncovered about 32 grams of crystal meth, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The driver, David Deering, and passengers Michael Dew and Joseph Thompson were arrested and taken to the Duplin County Jail. According to authorities, all three face drug tra cking and possession with intent to sell or deliver charges. Deering was also charged with driving while license revoked. Deering’s bond was set at $160,000, Dew’s at $150,000 and Thompson’s at $151,500.

Duplin County holiday closures

Duplin County Duplin County o ces will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27-28, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Fall Food and Coat Drive underway

Wallace Royalty Funeral Home is hosting a Fall Food and Coat Drive now through Nov. 30 to support community members in need. Donations of nonperishable food, as well as new socks and new or gently used coats, hats, gloves and blankets are greatly appreciated. Drop - o times at 513 S. Norwood St. in Wallace, are Monday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Please do not leave items outside during nonbusiness hours.

Rose Hill’s streets come alive for Poultry Jubilee

Downtown Rose Hill buzzed with excitement as the annual Poultry Jubilee drew crowds for a two-day celebration of the town’s rich poultry heritage. Families enjoyed fried chicken cooked by the Rose Hill Fire Department in the World’s Largest Frying Pan, while others wandered among rows of vendor booths, food trucks and enjoyed carnival rides. Turn to B6 for more.

Uno cial Duplin County election results show tight races, new faces

Several towns saw races decided by just a handful of votes as Duplin logged a modest 19.7% voter turnout

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Duplin

County voters turned out in modest numbers for last week’s municipal elections, with uno cial results showing a 19.7% turnout — 1,479 ballots cast out of 7,509 registered voters. Last Friday, the Duplin County Board of Elections (DCBOE) held its provisional ballot meeting, approving 16 of 22 provisional ballots submitted during the election.

Carrie Sullivan, DCBOE director, said updated results have been posted to the State Board of Elections dashboard and conrmed that no additional ballots remain to be counted. Since no military or overseas absentee ballots were requested, the current totals are likely to re ect the nal certi ed results.

“Where the votes lie now is pretty close to what we anticipate the nal totals to be,” Sullivan told Duplin Journal.

The Duplin County Board of Elections will meet Nov. 14 at

11 a.m. to o cially canvass and certify the results.

Among the tightest contests was Calypso’s mayoral race, where Mayor Pro Tem Marvin “Marty” Taylor edged out JoAnne Bowden-Wilson by three votes, 39 to 36. The town’s two-seat commissioner race was similarly close, with Larry Cashwell leading at 43 votes, followed by Rodney Lambert Jr. with 31 and Willie Wilcutt with 30. In Warsaw, a shift in leadership is on the horizon as newcomer Wesley Boykin secured 57.54% of the vote, leading with 206 votes, while longtime Mayor A.J. Connors received 151 votes.

The two commissioner seats also

drew strong competition. Cheryl Smith led with 192 votes, followed by incumbent Ebony Wills-Wells at 168. Al Searles, Sheree Shepard and Kiara Smith trailed with 113, 97, and 70 votes, respectively.

Voters in Wallace turned out in greater numbers than most towns. Mayor Jason Wells was reelected with 308 votes, while newcomer Glenn Price led the race for two council seats with 218 votes, followed by incumbents Jason Davis with 210 and Tasha Herring-Redd with 165. In Beulaville, residents opted for consistency, reelecting

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

that a Wallace boy was injured in an accident Nov. 6, after running onto U.S. Highway 117.

playing outside when his soccer ball rolled toward the roadway near the intersection of Jennifer Road and U.S. 117. As the child chased after the ball, the boy ran into the side of a passing vehicle.

condition, Crayton said. Police did not release the child’s name or specify which hospital he was taken to.

Journal

WALLACE — Last week, Wallace Police Chief Jimmy Crayton con rmed to Duplin

Crayton told Duplin Journal that the child, believed to be about 5 years old, had been

The child was transported to a hospital for treatment. At last check, he remained in stable

Airpark project completion delayed until early December

The board voted on contract adjustments and heard updates on new infrastructure

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

THE DUPLIN COUNTY Economic Development Board received the news at their regular meeting last Friday morning of yet another delay in the completion of the development work at the Airpark industrial center. Originally scheduled to be completed in July, it is now estimated the current project will not be nished until the rst or second week of December.

The project has been plagued with delays caused by several factors, including weather and a series of change order requests by contractors involved in the project. In addition, coordinating work between contractors within the same workspace has proved a challenge. Despite the delays, Duplin Economic Development Director Scotty $2.00

Crayton told Duplin Journal that the driver will not face any charges, explaining that there was nothing the driver could have done to avoid the accident.

REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

The child was hit by vehicle while chasing a soccer ball

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Duplin County Economic Development Director Scotty Summerlin updated the board on progress at several

complexes.

Ena

Patsy Teachey

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

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — It’s the biggest, and most expensive, problem plaguing the town of Mount Olive for years — water. Speci cally, stormwater, wastewater and the treatment of wastewater. The topic again dominated discussion during Monday’s meeting of the Mount Olive Board of Commissioners.

During one of three public hearings, engineers David Honeycutt and Cameron Long of McGill Associates, a Raleigh-based rm, presented key ndings from the town’s newly completed 186 -page Stormwater Master Plan Report.

The study identi ed three major areas in Mount Olive that experience signi cant ooding during rain events. Beyond property damage and safety concerns, the ooding may also be contributing to in ltration into the town’s wastewater system, which remains under a state-imposed moratorium due to repeated over ows into state waters. The moratorium prohibits any additional wastewater ow, halting both residential and commercial development until the town achieves compliance. According to the report, bringing stormwater issues under control could be a crucial step toward resolving the wastewater treatment plant’s de ciencies. The report recommends major improvements in three ood-prone areas — near Piggly Wiggly, the Mount Olive Family Medical Center and the 100 block of North Church Street — with estimated construction

costs exceeding $34 million.

Commissioners expressed frustration that previous studies dating back to 2006 had already identi ed several problem areas, yet no major repair work has ever been completed.

Commissioner Delreese Simmons questioned why earlier recommendations for the Maple Street area were never acted upon, while Commissioner Danny Keel noted that the town has spent substantial sums on studies over the years without seeing tangible results.

That frustration carried into later discussions, when the board was asked to both approve the new Stormwater Master Plan presented by McGill and authorize $4.7 million in grant-funded partial improvements to the wastewater treatment plant, to be completed by Bowen Engineering. The board ultimately voted to table both measures until the three newly elected commissioners take o ce in January.

Although Interim Town Manager Glenn Holland was absent due to illness, his written report read aloud by Town Clerk Sherry Davis revealed that Mount Olive self-reported a moratorium violation to the state in July. The report also con rmed that the town had missed two deadlines in making required repairs to specific parts of the wastewater collection and treatment system, resulting in nes of $100 per day for ve days, escalating to $500 per day for continued noncompliance.

In addition, the town received a notice of violation for exceeding allowable weekly averages of ammonia nitrogen in treated wastewater.

Mayor Jerome Newton stat-

ed the issue was traced to illegal dumping by a company in Calypso, which discharges into Mount Olive’s wastewater system.

In other business

In a separate public hearing, the board considered a request from Fun House Café to extend operational hours for electronic gaming businesses to 24 hours daily. Current town regulations limit gaming operations to Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to midnight, and Sundays, 10 a.m. to midnight.

Several residents spoke out against approving the request citing concerns that in addition to the three known gaming operations in town, several others were operating in the shadows and in violation of town ordinances. Commissioner Tommy Brown, a seasoned law enforcement ocer, also spoke out against the request.

“From my experience, these businesses attract a certain criminal element,” Brown said. The board voted to maintain the current hour restrictions on electronic gaming operations in town.

Prior to the public hearings, Town Attorney Carroll Turner made a rare request to speak during the public comment period. Turner said he made the request as a citizen and not in his o cial capacity as the town’s attorney. Turner praised the town’s police and re departments for quickly responding when his sta reported a possible re at his o ce. When emergency crews arrived, they discovered the smoke was coming from an unvented stove in the next-door building, which also housed an illegal gaming operation and alcohol.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in

Nov. 15

Holiday Vendor Market

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Join Chestnutt Farms for the fourth annual Holiday Vendor Market. Enjoy delicious food, unique vendors, and a festive community atmosphere.

428 S. N.C. 11 and 903, Kenansville

Nov.

22

Christmas at Twilight 4-8 p.m.

Kick o the holiday season with a magical small-town celebration in historic downtown Wallace. Stroll through festive streets lled with carolers, craft vendors and local shopping, enjoy delicious food, and experience the Christmas Tree Lighting. Santa Claus will be making a special visit too. Bring the whole family to the Wallace Train Depot for an enchanting evening lled with holiday cheer.

206 Southwest Railroad St., Wallace

Nov. 25

Annual Bake Sale 9 a.m.

Duplin County DSS will hold its annual bake sale at the Duplin County Courthouse. Visitors can enjoy a delicious selection of cookies, cakes, and biscuits while supporting a great cause.

112 Duplin St., Kenansville

Nov. 26

Thanksgiving Resource & Food Box Event

Noon

Families and community members in need are invited to the Thanksgiving Resource & Food Box Event to help them celebrate the holiday season. This rstcome, rst-serve drive-thru will provide food boxes and

Duplin County.

Beulaville board hears community concerns

The board addressed ditch work, public safety incidents and infrastructure improvements

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — Residents and town o cials gathered at the Beulaville Town Board meeting on Nov. 3 to discuss ongoing town projects and community concerns.

An issue raised during public comments involved work on a ditch behind a local resident’s home. Marie Evans expressed concern that recent work, which included tree removal and widening of the ditch, has negatively impacted her property’s appearance and value.

Evans’ sisters, Dale and Ver-

nia, echoed her concerns, citing potential erosion and a loss of privacy, as the ditch sits just a few feet from their 79-year-old sister’s home. Dale described the open ditch as “an ugly sight” and urged the board to explore possible solutions.

Evans, the owner of the house, said she was told that she had to sign some forms, and she was led to believe the town was going to cover the ditch. “I would never have consented to my property being damaged and devalued the way it is now,” Evans said. Neighbor Steve Wallace said he did not recall previous issues with the

ditch and expressed concern that recent work may have lowered property values.

The board said it would review the matter further.

Public Works Director Ricky Raynor provided an update on the town’s stormwater project, noting that paving is expected to be completed by the end of the week, with the overall project nished within approximately a week and a half.

Interim Town Manager Lori Williams reported on efforts to upgrade communication systems for town wells due to unreliable connections with Brightspeed. The board approved the installation of a wireless alarm system for the wells.

Historic banners, park safety highlight Faison’s meeting

club’s charitable work, including assistance during sickness and natural disasters, and encouraged the board to support membership growth.

versary — including a Ferris wheel, fun house and swings — was tabled pending deposit and rain-day contingency clari cation.

Williams also discussed bids for a town-owned property and plans to replace banners and lights for year-round use. The board decided to use existing banners for the upcoming Christmas season and order new hardware and banners for next year.

Police Chief Jamie Rogers reported a busy October for the department, highlighting several major cases:

• A stolen vehicle recovered in South Carolina, with the suspect apprehended.

• A robbery involving an 85-year-old man resulting in ve suspects being charged, including two from Georgia.

• A breaking-and-entering suspect captured after eeing.

• Over 240 pounds of pre -

scription pills collected and o the streets.

Code Enforcement sta praised residents for maintaining properties and staying current on payments. Williams also provided updates on town sales reports, the upcoming Christmas Parade, and community events including Chili with the Chief and Toys for Tots. She announced that the town’s nance position has been lled internally.

After serving eight years as interim, Williams requested the word “interim” be removed from her title. The board approved the change, and Mayor Hutch Jones apologized for not making the update sooner, and the meeting adjourned shortly after the approval.

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

FAISON — From historic banners to community service, the Faison Town Board tackled a wide range of local priorities at its Nov. 5 meeting, highlighting e orts to celebrate the town’s 250th anniversary and ensure safety in public parks.

Jerry Williams of the Lions Club presented a ag to Mayor Billy Ward and discussed the organization’s history and service. The club is now striving to grow in Faison.

“Small towns have legacies of great people,” said Williams. “The club was set to close, but we fought hard to keep it open. The club started in 1939 with 12 members. If the club dies, it will take 20 members to start it up.”

Williams highlighted the

The Faison Improvement Group (F.I.G.) shared plans for banners to celebrate the town’s 250th anniversary. The project includes replacing 20 cloth banners with 30-by-60 vinyl banners honoring local businesses, historical sites and notable residents. Banners will be installed near corresponding locations and serve as murals throughout town. Designs will also be used to make shirts and other merchandise for sale during anniversary events next year. The board approved welcome banners at town entrances and historical banners throughout Faison.

Ward noted recreation is in a downtime period until basketball begins in January. The board approved longevity pay increases. Discussion of amusement rides for the 250th anni-

The board addressed an incident where two juveniles were skating on the tennis courts despite signs posted prohibiting skating and refused to leave until the police were called. The board voted to ban both individuals from the park until December 2026.

Commissioner Carolyn Kenyon noted the tennis courts require maintenance and repair; Ward will coordinate with Jimmy Tyndall, who was absent from the meeting.

Ward announced that an opioid meeting will take place in Kenansville on Nov. 18.

Jasmine Banes presented her Girl Scouts Gold Award project to create a designated helicopter landing zone for EMS ights. The board approved supporting the project once a location is determined.

Kenansville board welcomes new commissioner

The board approved funding for police body cameras and adopted a new event permit policy

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Alex Padgett was sworn in as a new member of the Kenansville Board of Commissioners at the board’s meeting on Nov. 4. Padgett lls the seat previously held by Nelson Baker, who died in April. He was sworn in by Kenansville Town Clerk Madison Jones, with his family attending the ceremony.

Immediately after the swearing in ceremony, Padgett joined the board in taking up town business, which included reappointing Je rey Whitehead to another term as a representative on the ABC Board.

During Town Manager Anna West’s report, the board approved her request for a budget amendment to allocate $8,200 from the general fund for the recent purchase of body cameras for the Kenansville Police Department.

West advised the board that the town’s annual audit, required by the state, is progressing, but a request by the auditors for information on town employee vacation and comp time needed to be prepared. West said she was still con dent the audit could be completed by Dec. 1.

During department reports, Police Chief Jackie Benton informed the board that a request had been made for a permit to

hold a “No Kings Rally” in January at the courthouse. Benton presented a proposed permit request form for the board to adopt as part of town policy. The board approved the form, which had been created by the town clerk based on similar permits other communities in the state had adopted. The permit request for the rally will be taken up at a later meeting after the group completes the new form. Benton noted the group would also need a permit from Duplin County to hold the event on courthouse grounds. Benton also advised the board of road closures and preparations for upcoming holiday events. The Kenansville Christmas Parade, co-sponsored by the town and the Kenansville Chamber of Commerce, will take place Nov. 29 at 11 a.m. The town’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held Sunday, Nov. 30, from 5-8 p.m.

Kenansville Parks and Recreation Director Courtney Brown shared with the board that progress was being made in preparing the site at Kenan Park for the new $500,000 playground project. Brown said deliveries for playground equipment are expected to begin arriving shortly after the rst of the year. Funding for the project comes from grants and private gifts.

In other reports, Garry Benson, the town public works director, informed the board that the state has noti ed him of an upcoming inspection of the town’s wastewater treatment plant.

The board banned twp juveniles from the town’s tennis courts

REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Jerry Williams of the Lions Club, left, presents a ag to Mayor Billy Ward highlighting the organization’s long history of community service and e orts to grow in Faison.

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Alex Padgett, left, is sworn in by Kenansville Town Clerk Madison Jones, right, to serve on the Kenansville Board of Commissioners. Padgett’s wife, Marley, held the Bible for the ceremony.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Federal and state governments are rooting out DEI & ESG

It’s all a scheme to package the woke Left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse.

FOLLOWING PRESIDENT Donald

Trump’s executive orders to root out and eliminate ESG and DEI policies from government agencies and departments, it might be easy to think the war against these destructive ideas is won.

Radical leftists are losing voter support for ESG and DEI at the ballot box, in legislative chambers around the country and in public opinion. But sadly, any attempt to declare victory regarding the end of ESG or DEI would be wrong. Ultra-left activists and entrenched government bureaucrats who support these polices are working overtime to rename ESG and DEI rules so they attract less attention but are still enforced.

ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) sound innocent, and that’s the point. Nestled within these two seemingly innocuous acronyms (who could be against inclusion?) are radical, insidious and anti-American agendas.

Going through the letters “ESG,” the realities become apparent. “Environmental” really means climate alarmism and eliminating the safest, most a ordable and most reliable energy sources in favor of solar and wind, which are as unreliable as they are una ordable. “Social” is where DEI lives with racial quotas for hiring, discriminating based on skin color and the worst elements of gender ideology. And “governance” underpins it all by manipulating our free enterprise system to take control of companies and turn them into tools for the woke.

It’s all a scheme to package the woke left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse, making it unrecognizable. It is moving us from a meritocracy that values hard work

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

and rewards success to a kakistocracy. Particularly insidious is that this allows the left to implement the worst elements of its agenda without winning elections, without passing laws in Congress or state legislatures, and without any of us having a say in our nation’s future. There is, however, positive momentum. Many state policymakers have been sounding the alarm for years, but this year the movement against ESG and DEI achieved critical mass. Trump has issued three executive orders targeting DEI (Executive Order 14151, Executive Order 14173, and Executive Order 14168) and two targeting ESG (Executive Order 14154 and Executive Order 14259).

These orders terminated all DEI positions in the federal government, banned contractors from using it in hiring, directed the Department of Justice to investigate civil rights violations related to its use in the private sector, directed the U.S. attorney general to block enforcement of state and local ESG laws, and rescinded all Biden ESG and DEI executive orders.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to weed out DEI and ESG from both the public and private sectors, ending programs and cutting funding. The Harts eldJackson Atlanta International Airport lost more than $37 million in grants when it refused to end DEI. The Trump administration also halted $18 billion in funding for infrastructure projects in New York City due to concerns about the city’s DEI policies. State governments have also acted. So far, 22 states have banned or restricted DEI and ESG. Earlier this year, nancial o cers from 21 states sent a warning letter to the nation’s largest banks, urging them to end woke investing

policies. Texas enacted a parental bill of rights that ends DEI and bans instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in public K-12 schools. In Indiana, State Attorney General Todd Rokita moved to block state contracts with law rms that have DEI initiatives following an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun.

Before stepping down in August to become a deputy director of the FBI, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued IBM and Starbucks for their discriminatory DEI policies and launched an investigation into two foreign-owned proxy advisory rms for promoting ESG.

Despite all this progress, victory celebrations would be premature. Sal Nuzzo, executive director of Consumers Defense, which works to protect American consumers from ESG and woke companies, warns:

“ESG isn’t dead, it’s simply rebranding. The radicals on the Left are publicly proclaiming that they have seen the light while at the same time simply changing the terms to things like ‘sustainability’ and ‘transparency’ in the hopes of waiting out the current momentum. We forget this to our detriment.” ESG and DEI aren’t just bad ideas — they are destructive forces that must be eradicated. They harm our economy, divide our country, and increasingly violate state and federal laws. Those who want to change the very fabric of America will not simply concede and surrender. We all must remain vigilant to recognize the next iterations of ESG and DEI and continue to root them out.

Harry Roth is director of outreach for Save Our States. This column was rst published by The Daily Signal.

North Carolina public education

The average North Carolina teacher is $13,738 less than the national average of $72,030.

THE DOWNFALL OF North Carolina public education began at least 20 years ago with the passage of the North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL).

Let’s take a quick look back. In 2005, the NCEL was passed under Democratic leadership, with Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue casting the tie vote while two Republican legislators were absent. The understanding was that the lottery funds would supplement the general fund allocation to the public schools, but it is the consensus that the lottery funds replaced the educational funds in the general budget. The initial plan was to allocate 35% of the lottery funds to education. However, that plan was scrapped in 2007 and “changed to a guideline, removing legislation that safeguarded lottery funds strictly for educational purposes.” The allocation of lottery funds to public education since 2007 has averaged 20%-plus. In 2023-2024, the lottery brought in $5.38 billion in sales and allocated 20.3% to education, $1.09 billion, but 35% would have been $1.88 billion, a

di erence of an additional $790 million to public education. The balance of the lottery revenue, 79.7%, was spent on lottery prizes, administrative costs and retailer commissions. In 2024, the average lottery salary was $83,293, and the highest salary was $281,460. Can you even believe these salaries compared to the average North Carolina teacher salary of $58,292 for year 2024 for teachers who have taught from one to 30plus years? The average North Carolina teacher is $13,738 less than the national average of $72,030. North Carolina’s average teacher pay dropped to 43rd in the nation. I think that the lottery operational cost must be reduced to 65% and 35% be reinstated for education and teacher pay. The original sales pitch for the NCEL was to fund public education. Our legislature continues to reduce teacher pay by removing longevity pay (2014-15), removing the master’s degree pay for new hires (2014-15), failing to fully fund health insurance for public school personnel, and removing health insurance bene ts following retirement

for individuals hired after Jan. 1, 2001. NCEL funds have also been used to fund the State Department of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, a shortfall in Medicaid and the North Carolina Scholarship Program (NCSP), which was initiated by the legislature in 2013 to provide families with limited nances to attend private schools. Now the NCSP funds are available to families with no nancial restrictions. To date, approximately $500 million has been sent to private schools for the NCSP. It is estimated that by 2032-33, $7 billion will be sent to private schools while North Carolina Public Schools serve 84% of the students and are the lowestfunded public schools in the nation. Unbelievable. One more fact, the Republican legislature has been in power for several years and still cannot pass a budget by July 1 of each year. Unbelievable.

Alice Smith Scott Pink Hill, North Carolina

COLUMN | HARRY ROTH

Duplin County Schools begins new chapter with Tyndall at helm

Nearly $6.4 million in fund balance provides the foundation for student-focused initiatives

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — The Duplin County Public Schools Board of Education held its regular meeting Nov. 6.

Crystal Strickland from the Clerk of Courts administered the oath of o ce to Daren Tyndall, the new district superintendent. Principals from across the county attended to witness the swearing in. Board members praised Tyndall, calling the transition “the easiest” due to his longstanding

involvement with the district.

“I’m humbled and honored for this opportunity,” Tyndall said during his remarks. “I am thankful for all of you and for all that you do every day for children and for what Dr. Obasohan laid the foundation for.”

Following the swearing in, the CPA rm Anderson, Smith, and Wike presented the 2025-26 audit. The auditors con rmed that DCPS remains in a strong nancial position despite statewide challenges in managing post-COVID funds.

The district currently maintains nearly $6.4 million in its fund balance, providing a solid foundation for Tyndall and the board to continue investing in student success. Board Chairman Brent Davis led a

round of applause to the Finance Department for its diligent work.

The board then approved a consent agenda including contract services, fundraiser requests and eld trips across the county. A closed executive session addressed topics including emergency responses and school safety improvement plans. Upon returning, the board approved personnel recommendations and School Improvement Plans presented by principals throughout Duplin County.

The board acknowledged two graduate research projects focused on teacher retention and attrition, as well as a revised drone policy. The meeting was subsequently adjourned.

AgPrime invests in farmers growth

The grant program o ers up to $10K to support innovative,

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MOUNT OLIVE — The University of Mount Olive’s Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center and the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission recently announced that the application period for the 2026 AgPrime Cost-Share Grant Program is now open through Dec. 15.

The AgPrime program provides up to $10,000 in funding for farmers and agribusiness

owners to develop creative, income-generating projects that strengthen farms and rural communities. Duplin County is among 33 counties across central and eastern North Carolina eligible to participate in the program.

Edward Olive, director of the Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center, said the program is designed to help strengthen rural economies that have been affected by changes in the tobacco industry.

“We are excited to be part of helping those farms and agribusinesses attain capital to reach the next level within their business plan,” he said. AgPrime funding supports

projects that help producers explore new markets, adopt innovative practices, and diversify operations. Priority is given to applicants who earn at least 50% of their personal income from farming or agribusiness, as well as to current or former tobacco growers and quota holders.

“The success of the AgPrime program depends on the innovative ideas for replicable projects that will help farmers expand and diversify their enterprise with the continued transition of tobacco production,” Olive said.

For assistance with applications, call 252-526-1587 or 910290-1002.

Veteran educator returns to Duplin

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Duplin County Schools is welcoming back a familiar face to its leadership team. Last week the Board of Education announced the board approved Superintendent Daren Tyndall’s recommendation to appoint Felicia Brown as assistant superintendent for human resources.

Brown, a longtime educator and leader, brings nearly three decades of experience in public education, including a decade of service in Duplin County Schools. She most recently served as director of human resources for Wayne County Public Schools, where she led strategic initiatives to support recruitment, retention and professional development.

According to Duplin County Schools o cials, before her tenure in Wayne County, Brown held multiple leadership positions within Duplin County Schools from 2007 to 2017, including principal, executive director of human resources, chief o cer, and assistant superintendent for human resources and leadership de-

Felicia Brown

velopment. Her leadership at Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School and Duplin Early College High School left a lasting mark on both students and sta .

“Brown is an experienced leader who understands our district’s values and dedication to serving students, sta , and families,” said Superintendent Daren Tyndall. “We are thrilled to welcome her back to Duplin County Schools. Her deep understanding of our culture, combined with her proven expertise in human resources, will be invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen our district team.” Brown will assume her new role following her transition from Wayne County Public Schools.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Anita Marie Savage, Duplin County Register of Deeds issued 31 marriage licenses for the month ending on Oct. 31, 2025.

• Michael Jerome Butler, Wallace, and Joanna Elizabeth Whitfield, Wallace;

• Matthew Jefferson Bryan, Clayton, and Jayde Christine Collins, Clayton;

• Daniel Velazquez Nucamendi, South Carolina, and Maria Teresa De Paz Arriola, Dudley;

• Errol Josue Varela, Rose Hill, and Olivia Hope Rouse, Rose Hill;

• William Nash Cruse, Albertson, and Michaela Jade Frederick, Albertson; Abigail Hailey King, Beulaville, and Gavin Ellis Lee, Warsaw;

• Joseph Clinton Bennetts, Wallace, and Meghan Patricia Hood, Wallace;

• Sallie Jo Grant, Albertson, and Randy Johnson Jr, Albertson;

• Sarah Elizabeth Frank, Albertson, and Stephen Rey Gomez, Albertson;

Tony Lee Bryant, Kenansville, and Vickie Teresa Goodman, Kenansville;

James Arthur English, Wallace;

• Baillie Storm Alphin, Mount Olive, Jamison Ray Outlaw, Mount Olive;

• Jeremy Lee Rouse, Mount Olive, and Emilee Dawn Mercer, Mount Olive; Hanna Mackaelyn Arendt, Spring Lake, and Leo Thomas Bavaro, Spring Lake;

• Amie Roslin Jacobs, Wallace, and Devin Robert Williamson, Wallace;

• Martin Gonzales Leon, Pink Hill, Maria Borja Sanchez, Pink Hill;

• Roberto Carlos Ecalera Quinones, La Grange, and Michelle Bernadette Santiago Torres, La Grange;

• Michael Jermaine Best, Rose Hill, and Youngville Kaye Simpson, Burgaw;

• Lillian Rosanna Bostic, Beulaville, and Joseph Michael Baron, Kinston; Joseph Owen Perks, Connecticutt, and Haylie Noel Moore, Connecticutt;

• Cesar Augusto Trejo Navarro, Rose Hill, and Yeni Larissa Matute Rose Hill;

• Robert Aaron Makenzie, Rose Hill, and Marrionna Mischelle Matthews, Rose Hill;

• Colby Lee Bass, Kenansville, and Savannah Nicole Farabee, Kenansville;

• Guy Colon Griffin Iii, Pink Hill, and Pamela Jones Lewis Pink Hill;

• Lance Michael Davis, Mount Olive, and Bailey Grace Sutton Mount Olive;

• Zachary Lee Johnson, Pink Hill, and Kristen Carolyn Tyndall, Pink Hill; Anna Louise Casteen, Wallace, and Skylar

• Chance Takota Blue, Beulaville, andsydney Marie Lanier, Chinquapin; Adam Lee O’connell, Wallace, and Christopher Cory Pair, Wallace;

• Caitlyn Rae Moffett, Wallace, and Steven Allen Jacobs Jr., Wallace;

• Seergio Jesus Cruz Jr., Mount Olive, and Stephanie Flores Perez, Albertson; Jose Ramon Aguinaga Cruz, Magnolia, and Katie Hernandez Palacios, Magnolia.

REBECCA

Daren Tyndall, left, is sworn in as the new Duplin County Schools Superintendent by Crystal Strickland of the Clerk of Courts during the Nov. 5 Board of Education meeting.

Felicia Brown returns to DCS as assistant superintendent for HR

Pickles, Pigs & Swigs returns to Mount Olive

Downtown Mount Olive came alive with the sounds of music, good food, fun and vendors during the annual Pickles, Pigs & Swigs held on Saturday.

Visitors from the event came from as far away as at least the northeastern part of the country. Duplin Journal spoke with a couple from New Hamshire who decided to attend the event while visiting family in the area.

A few vendors said attendance this year appeared to be down slightly, but it didn’t a ect the spirit of the people attending the event.

Here are some of the sights from Saturday’s activities.

AIRPARK from page A1

Summerlin told the board he is con dent things are nally getting close to completion.

“Things are really starting to speed up now,” Summerlin told the board before they voted to accept an additional contract change request for an additional 26 days to complete some of the work.

The Airpark project includes adding new roadways and other infrastructure, as well as water and sewer lines, and electrical service. Construction is also underway on a new 50,000-square-foot shell building. Projects in the near future include an additional shell building and the construction of several short-term rental homes within the Airpark. The board voted to proceed with a request for proposals to clear the land for the rental units and they agreed to explore using pre-

ELECTION from page A1

all incumbents. Mayor Michael “Hutch” Jones secured another term with 103 votes, while commissioners Delmas Highsmith and Gene Wickline held their seats with 98 and 89 votes, respectively.

Faison voters also favored familiar faces. Mayor Billy Ward was reelected with 97 votes, and the race for three commissioner seats shows Ken Avent Jr. on the lead with 85 votes, San-

fab homes in building the units. The board also heard from an engineer involved in the Airpark project that in ow and in ltration issues had been discovered in the new sewage system being

dy McCarty follows with 82 and Juan Carlos Quintanilla with 80. Joanie Babcock and Alane Brewer Floyd trailed with 24 and 21 votes.

Greenevers also saw all incumbents return for the three commissioner seats, with Gregory Carr and Roszena Devione-Bivens each earning 48 votes and Timothy Murphy receiving 36.

Kenansville also saw steady support for its current leadership. Mayor Stephen William-

constructed at the Airpark.

“I’m counting on you to hold their feet to the re,” Economic Development Board Chairman Charley Farrior told the engineer, referring to the engineer

son Jr. was reelected with 94 votes, while Linda Tyson led the commissioner race with 69 votes. The town recorded 86 total write-ins, with Michael Maddox receiving 52, James Costin 21 and Brandon Hobbs 13.

Magnolia’s three-commissioner seat race shows incumbent Perry J. Raines kept his seat with 55 votes, followed by incumbent Jeanine Cavenaugh with 44 and write-in candidate Janice Wilson capturing

encouraging the contractor involved in the sewer project to resolve the issues quickly.

Summerlin had more positive news for the board regarding two other projects. Construction on the new 50,000 -square-foot shell building in the SouthPark Industrial Center near Wallace was ahead of schedule. He also said construction of the new N.C. Forest Service Region One Headquarters is scheduled to begin in early December. The building is being constructed across from two large hangars the N.C. Forest Service already occupies at the Duplin County Airport. The Region One headquarters is being moved from Kinston to Duplin County.

In other business involving construction at the airport, the board approved spending $1,500 to improve an asphalt patch at a driveway to an existing hangar that had to be cut during the new construction.

37 out of the 51 write-in votes cast. Michael Glenn Chestnutt trailed behind with 23 votes.

In Rose Hill, Mayor Davy Buckner was comfortably reelected with 140 votes. For the two commissioner seats, Perry Tully leads with 94 votes, followed by Tashau Mathis with 69 and Randy Barrios with 64.

Newcomer Danny Sutton and incumbent Patrick Williams tied at 38 votes each in Teachey’s commissioner race for two seats, leaving Ethylen

Summerlin also updated the board on plans to build new signage on the Airpark property that will be located on the northeast corner of Airport Road and Airpark Drive. Summerlin is currently seeking bids for the sign that should be completed in February or March of next year. The signage is being funded by a grant from North Carolina’s Southeast Partnership, a public-private economic development organization.

The board also approved spending $25,500 to perform routine annual maintenance on the rail spur into Westpark in Warsaw.

“The rail folks actually did the inspection and prompted us it was time to take on this work,” Summerlin told the board.

The contract with Shanes Railwork, Inc. calls for the replacement of 100 cross ties and other maintenance work on the spur.

Carlton Powell behind with 25 votes.

Duplin County’s results remain uno cial until the Board of Elections meets to complete its canvass and con rm the winners.

“There are a few things that we are looking at right now, like deaths and felony convictions, to make sure that no one showed up on those lists in the last week of election that would have been ineligible to vote,” Sullivan told Duplin Journal.

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Despite delays, progress is happening in the Airpark Industrial Complex at Duplin County Airport. The frame is going up on the rst of two 50,000-square-foot shell buildings being constructed on the property.

Above, Zack Lee, of Mount Olive, and his band perform on the center stage at the annual Pickles, Pigs & Swigs event last Saturday. Left, the downtown park in Mount Olive became a popular place to hang out, enjoy food and beverage, as well as play a few games during the annual Pickles, Pigs & Swigs event.

Above, the North Carolina Pickle Festival had a tent set up during Pickles, Pigs & Swigs in downtown Mount Olive on Saturday to sell T-shirts and promote the annual event. Right, who says ax throwing is not safe for kids? This version, an in atable unit with in atable axes, was very popular with kids during Pickles, Pigs & Swigs.

PHOTOS BY MARK BRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

DUPLIN SPORTS

Lackluster ’Dawgs overcome Rams behind 5 TDs from Lamb

Greene Central gave WRH all it wanted before falling 36-35 in rst round of 3A playo s

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — Jamarae Lamb provided seven answers last Friday during a 37-36 win over Greene Central in the rst round of the 3A playo s at the Jack Holley Football Complex.

Lamb scored ve times and added a pair of 2-point conversions while running the ball 37 times for 239 yards.

He got help from running back Jamari Carr, who had his most productive game of the season with 90 yards on 12 carries.

Yet WRH (5-4) played lackluster, falling behind twice in the rst half and letting Greene Central (5-6) come to within a point twice in the second half.

The No. 13 Bulldogs travel to No. 1 James Kenan on Friday for a rematch against the Tigers, who they beat 28-21 on Halloween for the Swine Valley Conference title.

“We played our absolutely worst game defensively and didn’t execute,” said WRH head coach Kevin Motsinger. “The o ensive line was not that bad since Pender. We made so many mental mistakes.

“On the positive side, it was the rst team we played all year that wasn’t scared of us, and they found out we weren’t scared of them. But we were impersonating the walking dead.”

WRH took the lead for good early in the fourth quarter when Lamb got 30 yards o a pass from Matthew Wells, had runs of 14 and six yards and scored from the 2 on the seventh play of the drive. Lamb’s untouched walk into the end zone for the 2-point conversion forged a two -score lead of 29-20.

But on the rst snap following the kicko , Green Central scored on a 48-yard pass reception from Joshua Cetnar (16-19 for 229 yards, 3 TDs).

Dejuan Cobb (14-100) ran in the two-point conversion, and WRH’s lead was cut to 29-28.

Lamb then toted the pig on nine of the next 11 plays as the Bulldogs went 61 yards. Lamb got both the touchdown and conversion

JK and WRH clash for the second time in three weeks, while ED and ND burn inferior foes

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WARSAW — A week between rivalry games causes an awful lot of angst as coaches, players and fans have yet to stop talking about a big game when another is happening in a week.

Welcome to the pigskin worlds of James Kenan and Wallace-Rose Hill, which will clash on Bill Taylor Field on Friday in the second round of the 3A playo s.

Yet these two familiar foes come into the playo s on di erent levels.

The Tigers, who slipped to a 28-21 win over their rival on Halloween, is 9-1 and the No. 1 seed in the East. JK returns many players from its 2024 squad, which advanced to the fourth round before falling to Northeastern.

The Bulldogs (6-5) are the 16th seed, yet as everyone in Duplin County knows, never discount WRH, which last season won its 600th football game. James Kenan is within a

The N.C. Volleyball Coaches Association honored the senior trio

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — Three volleyball players who led Wallace-Rose Hill to consecutive conference championships and a four-year mark of 77-18 were named to the North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association’s 3A allstate team.

Exiting with the highest of honors following Sunday’s announcement are Angelina Cavallo, Jansley Page and Mattie Gavin.

No player from East Duplin

(4A), North Duplin (2A) or James Kenan (3A) made the all-state cut in their respective classi cation. WRH went 21-5 this fall, which included a win over powerhouse Midway to snap the Raiders’ 53-match conference winning streak.

Midway’s Kaedyn Moran, Gracyn Hall and Ella Clark were also on the rst team, as were Ayden-Grifton’s Ashlynn Overby and Lainey Evans.

The Chargers beat the Raiders in the East Region nal and then took the state title by stumping Pine Lake Prep.

Eighteen players were selected for the all-state squad.

Cavallaro and Page were twin scoring towers.

Cavallaro’s 435 kills were sec-

ond-most in 3A and 18th among all classi cations.

Page’s 433 spikes were fourth in 3A and 19th among all players in the state. Her 53 aces were 43rd in 3A and 66 blocks were 18th.

Page added 156 digs and 56 as-

sists to a resume she will take to Fayetteville Tech next fall.

Cavallaro, who has yet to decide on a college choice, had 46 aces and 129 digs.

Gavin, the heart of the middle and back line for WRH, had 775 kills, which was fourth high-

est in 3A and 17th statewide. She added 139 digs.

All three are seniors.

WRH started the season with eight wins before falling to Midway. Four wins followed and then a loss to 5A Jacksonville in which Gavin did not play due to an injury as head coach Kevin Williams left her on the sideline as a precautionary measure. He later cringed at the idea of his team without its quarterback.

The Bulldogs stumped Midway three matches later. The Raiders got revenge in the fourth round of the playo s.

Expect all three WRH players to be in the running for marquee individual awards when the Duplin Journal announces its all-county squad.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Head coach and o ensive coordinator Kevin Motsinger has watched running back Jamarae Lamb destroy every team WRH has faced this season.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL Trashawn Ru n-led ND is a heavy favorite to pick up a win against Southside-Chocowinity.

Gavin Cavallaro Page

Davis, Mille, Falatovich spark Crusaders past Lions

HCA recovers from a tough loss to end its regular season with a 31-21 triumph over Hickory Grove Christian in the rst round of the NCISAA’s 2A playo s

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

HARRELLS — Turnovers determine outcomes in football

Forcing and avoiding them leads to winning.

These critical mistakes are generally the mark of the losing side.

Harrells Christian Academy knows the rules and last Friday also limited turnovers during a 31-21 win over Hickory Grove Christian in the rst round of the NCISAA’s 2A playo s.

“I feel like we made all of ours in our two losses,” said Crusader head coach Clayton Hall.

“You can’t have turnovers and penalties and beat a No. 1 seed.”

And that sums up the Crusaders’ approach before heading to top-seeded and unbeaten High Point Christian on Friday for a semi nal matchup in Guilford County.

“They have a running back (Jaylen Moore) who has run all over people (246-1,889, 30 TDs) and is going to Cornell, who is extremely tough to tackle.”

HCA fell to the Cougars 56 -35 on Sept. 12 and were coming o a heartbreaking 29 -20 setback to Trinity in its regular season nale, committed eight turnovers in its losses.

“They are not going to try to air it out but rather run it right at you, but in a di erent style than what we do,” Hall said.

“They are real big up front.”

HCA (9-2) adjusted its offensive line after losing center Landon Toler to an injury, as Hall went to sophomore Caven

from the same spot on the eld.

And with 2:17 to play, Greene Central needed less than a minute to respond, as WRH dropped back its linebackers and secondary deeper.

Cetnar hit JoJo Sanders for a score on second-and-5, and Cobb annexed the conversion with a plunge into the end zone.

WRH ran out the nal 1:10 on the clock to ensure it won’t have a losing record this fall. The last time that happened was 2008 for the longest streak in Duplin County. East Duplin and James Kenan were under .500 in 2020, and North Duplin fell below the break-even threshold in 2021.

While Greene Central didn’t have the line play it needed, the Rams’ running backs and other skill position players tested WRH at every turn and in the rst half were the aggressors.

Two penalties killed the Bulldogs’ opening drive. The Rams moved the ball on their rst possession and got WRH to jump o sides on fourth-and-3 to keep the march alive.

Three plays later, Cetnar found Trey Byrum (3-100) for a 29-yard scoring strike.

WRH chewed o more than seven minutes of the clock to go in front 7-6.

Lamb started the action with a 21-yard scamper via a sweep. Adrian Glover (4-28) had a pair six-yard runs and Lamb went for six-, ve-, 11- and ve-yard pushes into the line.

Chambers, a 6-foot, 155-pound two-way lineman.

“He did a heck of a job in a big spot,” Hall said. “He stepped up, and we moved the ball. Look, he’s got a lot to learn, but he did what you have to do here: play when you get called.”

Jarrod Miller scored four times, Jeremiah Davis went over the 1,000-yard mark and Riley Falatovich made nine tackles in HCA’s sixth win in eight tries at Murphy-Johnson Field.

HCA went in front 14-0 in the rst quarter and led 27-2 by halftime in a game similar to the Crusaders’ 41-7 win on Sept. 29 on the same turf.

Davis passes plateau, Miller scores four times

Davis, who was limited to 20 yards on six carries against Trinity, galloped for 167 and two scores to up his season total to 1,238 yards and 14 touchdowns. It was his fth 100 yard-plus game of the fall. He also has 190 yards in receptions and four scores.

“He emerged as a special playmaker,” said Hall of his senior who can take it to the house and not get caught in the open eld. “And we’re fortunate to have a bunch of really athletic backs.”

His biggest play might have been a 74-yard rumble.

Miller, meanwhile, lumbered for 185 yards on 18 carries and picked up a sack on the defensive side of the ball.

He had his best game as a runner, though he did score

Carr got it to the 1 by converting on third-and-4. Lamb scored, and following Dorlin Bonilla’s PAT it was 7-6.

Following the kicko , Cobb sprinted 47 yards to make it 14 -7.

Carr was the “quarterback” of WRH’s Chicken Wing attack the next series, giving Lamb a break until the ball entered the red zone.

Carr jittered his was to three rst-down runs, one of which included a 15-yard personal foul ag on Greene Central.

Defensive plays by Azaryon Clibbons, Aspen Brown, Adrian Glover and lineman Adrian Allen forced a three-and-out.

Lamb raced 52 yards to forge a 21-14 lead.

A Will Brooks sack on third-and-4 ended any hope for the Rams in the nal minutes of the rst half.

Greene Central e ectively moved the ball to start the third quarter but turned it over on downs at the WRH 30 after failing on fourth-and-7.

WRH su ered the same fate, marching to the Rams 23 before stalling out at the Greene Central 23.

Three pass plays and Cobb’s 20-yard touchdown came in a span of ve plays. Cobb ran into a wall on the conversion as WRH maintained the lead at 21-20.

Gridiron notebook

Lamb (245-2,281, 29 TDs) is third in rushing in all classi cations, though he’ll have a hard

twice in a win over North Raleigh Christian and had 136 yards and a score in a triumph over Covenant Day.

Defensively, McKoy, Davis Bradshaw and Xander Garcia each had ve tackles. Miller and Jesse Smith each made four. Davis, Bradshaw and Drake Smith had fumble recoveries.

Hall, the o ensive coordinator, watched HCA roll to 430 yards on the ground.

Reid Strickland’s one completion in ve attempts went to

Demetrius Jones for 20 yards. And why pass when Davis and Miller are averaging a rst down, 11.9 and 10.3 per carry, respectively?

Yet to beat the Cougars, a diversi ed attack might be needed.

Strickland (40-70 for 785, 13 TDs) threw for 212 yards and scores to Davis and Dashaun McKoy in the regular season encounter. But HCA will need to avoid the 35-6 hole it dug against the Cougars (10-0).

High Point logged its sec -

ond straight and fourth overall shutout to end the regular season and have allowed just 10.8 points per game, while scoring 45.1.

Quarterback Amsterdam Knox (53-94 for 783, 9 TDs, 8 interceptions) has also had shining moments to complement the running of Moore, who has rushed for 3,535 yards and 49 touchdowns with 494 receiving yards and 6 more scores in his sophomore and junior seasons. He ran for 236 yards and three scores with two catches for 20 yards against HCA. Trinity (8-2) hosts the Asheville School (6-2-1) in the other semi nal a air.

Havelock sends Wildcats into o season

Kaleb Montayne threw three touchdown passes and Jayden Howard ran for three scores as No. 12 Havelock slammed No. 21 Richlands 47-0 in the rst round of the 5A playo s. Montayne had short touchdown passes to Aluric Jackson (1-3) and Lloyd Jones (1-8), plus a 25-yard heave to Zy’King Patillo, while Howard toted the pig 11 times for 112 yards.

The Rams, who were an uncharacteristic 6-5, travel to face No. 5 Currituck County (8-2), where a win could pit them against Coastal Conference foe Croatan, the fourth seed.

Quarterback CJ DiBenedetto, who threw for 117 yards and two scores in a 49-20 loss to the Rams on Sept. 19 in Richlands, was 5 of 15 for 43 yards.

Richlands, which will graduate 17 seniors in June, won two of its nal three games to nish 3-8. The Wildcats were 9-2 in 2024.

time catching Dixon’s JJ Gulat (319-3,138), the senior. The Duplin County record is 3,511 by the Bulldogs’ Kanye Roberts in 2021. That same season, Antwon Montgomery ran for 1,723 yards and Kamound Far-

rior 1,084 as WRH fell to Shelby 55-34 in the 2A title game in Chapel Hill. Darrius McCrimmon had eight tackles. Brooks and Wells had six apiece and Lamb ve. Motsinger’s decisions to go

for 2-point conversions were justi ed as the Bulldogs needed both to win.

No. 3 Midway plays No. 14 Kinston in an interesting matchup of teams that WRH lost to by a touchdown.

WRH from page B1

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

The WRH defense held its ground just enough late in the game to beat Greene Central.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

HCA’s Davis Bradshaw, left, and Xander Garcia didn’t let Hickory Grove Christian get comfortable o ensively during the Crusaders’ rst-round playo win.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE

Funez, Acosta, Flores delivering scoring punches for Bulldogs

WRH, winner of 13 straight matches, is three wins from a berth in the East Region nal

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — Entering this week, the Wallace-Rose Hill soccer team hadn’t lost a match in nearly two months.

And Aaron Murray’s rst Bulldogs team found its way during a 13-game winning streak that started in Swine Valley Conference play and continued with a 6-1 rout of No. 18 Eastern Randolph last week during a second-round playo game.

No. 2 WHR (15-4-1) hosted No. 7 Trinity (11-8-3) early this week in a match that is a steppingstone to a possible third-round clash with the winner of No. 3 Greene Central (15-4-2) if the Rams can get past No. 6 Princeton (15-7). If that sounds like looking forward too much, remember that WRH is briming with a con dence that started following a 2-1 loss to Cape Fear on Sept. 16.

The Bulldogs were 2-4-1 in nonconference play as Murray’s inexperienced team learned what it was like to play with a scoring sensation as Alex Zepeda, an all-state striker whose 48 goals before graduating in June.

Murray didn’t get in a hurry as two seniors and a freshman became the three-prong spear for the o ense.

Felix Funez, Steven Acosta, Wilmer Flores each came into their own during the two -month period.

Funez has been the most consistent scorer throughout the campaign, while Acosta and Flores blossomed during the conference matches. Flores has 22 goals and 11 assists, and he is second in Duplin County in points behind East Duplin’s Yoskar Canales (24 goals, 11 assists).

Classmate Acosta, who had eight goals last season, has 14 scores, including 13 in his past 13 matches.

Freshman Wilmer Flores also has 14 scored with 13 coming during the same span.

All told it equates to 41 scores, and while short of the total Zepeda posted when sending WRH to a 22-win campaign in a bigger classication, it’s not allowed the opposition to zone in on one player as was done against Zepeda.

“They’ve gotten better and are working better together,” Murray said. “They got past the ‘I got a goal so we won’t lose lose” by pushing for goals to put teams away. They’ve proven what they can do.”

Murray said Cristian Calderon has returned to form following an injury and a slow start after breaking his tibia eight months ago. Calderon knows how to move the ball into scoring position from his spot in mid eld.

“He got past the mental block on an injury and is really giving us energy as a connection to our Big 3,” Murray said. “He’s 100% healthy after being a step slow early on. I see him trusting his steps and moves now.”

Yet the improvement of goalie Angel Sevilla and the Bulldogs’ defense also ranks highly in the success of WRH.

“Of the 21 goals, only ve are on him,” Murray said. “He’s really holding down the back line and the net. He’s battled through two injuries. His condence is high, and I think he’s at 100% in the postseason.”

Cergio Acosta, D’Angelo Pineda, Dorlin Andrande and center back Bryan Sanchez have become comfortable in front of Sevilla.

“I’m really starting to see that group progress,” Murray said. “We need some tougher, closer games for them to refocus. They’re ready to play and ready to win.”

Murray is pushing for more from a young Bulldogs team that beat Clinton (2-1) earlier this season. The Dark Horses (23-2) are the No. 2 seed in 4A, and WRH won’t have to go through Clinton as it has when both were 2A schools.

No. 3 Greene Central (15-4 -2) has also won 13 straight and has not lost to a 3A foe this fall.

No. 1 North Carolina School of Science and Math (18-1-2) is the big gun on the top half of the bracket and is expected to be in the East Region nal.

Bulldogs league foe Midway (15-6) might have the best shot of knocking o the Unicorns.

Everyone involved in second-round triumph

Seven players had at least a point during the conquest of the Wildcats after WRH’s rst-round bye.

Funez had a pair of scores, with Steven Acosta, Junior Ayestas and Sanchez adding goals.

Flores, Pineda, Cergio Acosta and Gabriel Cubas had assists. It was Cubas’ team-high 12th assist.

“Feeling good going into the third round, spirits are at an all-time high,” Murray said.

“We’re con dent, but not overcon dent. It’s nice to be at home.”

Jaguars clip Panthers

East Duplin and Carrboro had each given up three goals in their previous six matches entering last week’s second round 4A playo encounter.

Joseu Sepulvedo-Nazario and Alex Ramirez connected for scores as the No. 10 Jaguars beat No. 7 East Duplin 2-1 in Beulaville. Osiris Mendoza knocked in the Panthers goal in the second half after ED trailed 1-0 at haltime.

ED (14-8-2) drew a bye in the rst round. Carrboro (14 -8-1) faces No. 2 Clinton in the third round.

The Panthers, who were 15 -7-1, had back-to-back winning seasons for the rst time since 2017 and 2018.

Princeton slips past Tigers

Josh Coley scored a rst-half goal and Princeton and goalie Thomas Crews held o James Kenan for a 1-0 win in the second round of the 3A playo s.

Crew had 11 saves for the No. 6 Bulldogs (15-7), who beat No. 11 JK 4-3 and 5-1 during the regular season.

JK (10-10-2) made sure it would not have a losing season by taking down No. 22 Whiteville 4-1 in the opening round in Warsaw earlier in the week.

Tigers head coach Mitchell Quinn (193-64-11) is seven wins shy of 200 and has not had a losing season since taking over in 2013.

Vikings roar past Rebels

Voyager Academy banged in ve- rst half goals to cruise past North Duplin 7-0 last week in rst-round action in the 2A playo s. The Vikings (10-10-1) shut the door on the Rebels’ top-scoring duo of Emanuel Mendez and Sergio Garcia. ND lost six of its nal seven matches to nish 3-10-2.

Jeremiah Davis

HCA, football

Jeremiah Davis went over the 1,000-yard mark last Friday during Harrells Christian Academy’s 41-21 win over Hickory Grove Christian.

Davis hit for 167 yards and scored twice, averaging 11.4 yards each time he touched the football.

The junior has come a long way since 2024 when 35 carries got him 235 yards and his lone score came via a pass.

The Crusaders’ go-to back has 1,138 yards and 14 touchdowns, including a season-high 207 yards against North Raleigh Christian.

His six games of 100 or more yards have helped HCA go 9-2. The Crusaders travel to face No. 1 High Point Christian (10-0) on Friday.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Brayan Sanchez and WRH have become one of the best teams in 3A during a rebuilding season.

stretched-out hand of its 500th win.

JK has won the past two games, though WRH triumphed in the previous 16. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 47-29.

The Tigers have had a week o to prepare, while the Bulldogs beat Greene Central 37-36 last Friday in the opening round.

“We’ve had a good and restful week working on the mistakes we made,” said Tim Grady, who is 42-15 since taking over in 2021. “We’re looking for a few wrinkles that could help us out. It’s hard to beat a good team twice, especially given how well we know one another.

“To me, it’s about who makes mistakes and who can excel at the highest level because that’s exactly what it takes in a game like this.”

His counterpart, Kevin Motsinger, who coached at JK for three season (going 24-14 from 2003-05), is 186-85 during a career that includes a nine-year stop at New Hanover.

Yet it’s worth pointing out that WRH has played teams tough, including one-score losses to No. 3 Midway and Pender, the No. 2 seed, in overtime.

JK’s o ense scored twice against the Bulldogs as a scoop and score and kicko return gave the Tigers two defensive touchdowns.

“We respected but didn’t totally realize how good they were up front,” Grady said. “I’ve challenged our o ensive line.”

Motsinger says WRH does not have the depth it has had in past seasons, and the injuries have made the season be one of constant adjustments.

“We’re beat up and banged up and may have nothing left, but those kids are going to give it all they have,” he said. “James Kenan has a lot of athletes, and we have to stop the super power and their passing game.”

WRH will depend on Jamarae Lamb having a big game. He’s averaging more than 200 yards per game and leads Duplin County in rushing (2,281 yards) and touchdowns (29).

But running back Jamari Carr (48- 443, 9 TDs), fullback Montavious Hall (45-263, 2 TDs), split end Adrian Glover (3-86, TD; rushing, 17-365 receiving) and Logan Marks (12-128, TD) will need to make contributions beyond blocking for Lamb, who scored ve times against Greene Central.

JK’s top runner, Jeremiah Hall (104-1,367, 21 TDs), could be in for a breakout game. He was held largely in check in the rst game.

Look for CJ Hill (37-361, 9 TDs) to get his share of totes and to be a target for quarterback Eli Avent (37-61 or 722 yards, 11 TDs).

Taulil Pearsall (45-451, 8 TDs) and David Zeleya are also weapons for the o ense. Zeleya (10.5 tackles per game) is the leading tackler but singlehandedly was the biggest thorn to WRH last season in the playo s.

Other defenders of note include Cal Avent (7.6), Stedman McIver (9.5), Jacquez Smith (7.9), Cal Avent (7.6), Pearsall (7.5 and Zamarion Smith (7.0) and Pearsall.

WRH bulks up with linebackers Will Brooks (6.2) and Aspen Brown (5.3), linemen Khajyre Murphy (7.0) and Adrian Allen (4.3), and defensive backs Darrius McCrimmon (5.1),

Glover and Lamb, who stick to receivers like an old tattoo.

The winner faces the survivor of No. 8 Whiteville (8-3) and No. 9

Ayden-Grifton (7-4). No. 4 Louisburg and No. 5 Martin County (7-3) are likely third-round foes in the upper part of the bracket. No. 3 Midway (8-2) has an interesting matchup with No. 14 Kinston (7-4), while No. 2 Pender (9-1), No. 6 Pasquotank (7-3) and No. 7 Northeastern (7-3) all have the potential to make a run from the bottom bracket.

2A: No. 14 Southside at No. 3 North Duplin

Everything here points toward a Rebels victory as No. 3 ND (9-1) looks to ride senior running back Carell Phillips (160-1,726, 24 TDs) into a third matchup by powering past Southside-Chocowinity (5-6), who beat Pamlico County 52-28 in the opening round of the 2A playo s. ND beat the Seahawks 27-0 in its season opener.

But they will have to keep quarterback Javonn McCall (84-624) in line. The senior had thrown for 1,171 yards and passed for 613.

Yet this could be nothing more than a muscle ex for ND as four of Southside’s wins ve wins have come against Jones Senior, North Edgecombe, Lejeune and Pamlico, who are a combined 5-37.

A win will push ND into the winner of No. 6 Holmes (6-4) and No. 11 Perquimans (5-5). No. 4 East Bladen entertains No. 20 Union in the rst of two Carolina Conference matchups, which includes a rematch between No. 9 Hobbton (6-4) and No. 9 Lakewood (6-4). No. 1 Tarboro (10-0) is the beast of the East in the top bracket.

4A: No. 14 North Johnston at No. 3 East Duplin

This also appears to be a mismatch between schools with Panthers mascots.

While North Johnston (7-5) beat Washington 28-14 in the rst round,

these cats are not on the same level as ED (8-2).

North Johnston won its rst three games against Bedding eld, Holmes and Rosewood; the three are a combined 10-22.

NJ then lost three of ve before, with one victory coming against 1-9 North Lenoir. The Panthers have a more solid resume and roster, which includes running backs Shawn Davis (138-890, 12 TDs), Aaron Hall (101-614, 6 TDs), Dewayne Davis (40-383, 7 TDs), quarterback Branson Norris (8-66 for 429 yards, 7 TDs) and RB/WR Keeshon Mckinnie (6-112, 2 TDs receiving, 3-220, TDs rushing) and wide receiver Zachary Ball (11-170, 2 TDs).

Mckinnie leads ED in tackles, while Ball has a team-high seven interceptions.

North Johnston will depend on quarterback Kaleb Prone for his passing (55-95 for 876 yard, 12 TDs) and running (122-952, 15 TDs) games.

Prone is athletic, as shown in last winter’s basketball season when he averaged 18.9 points per game.

Strong safety Bryson Brown (9.4 tackles), Esiah Bennerman (8.4), Shawn Davis (8.2), Dorian Davis (6.9) and linemen Jacuri Hill (7.4) and Allen Stukes (5.4) are also key playmakers for defensive coordinator Seth Sandlin’s unit.

Head coach and o ensive coordinator Battle Holley (163-60) will likely have a blast see his team dominate the No. 14 team.

The winner takes on the survivor or No. 6 Bunn (8-2) and No. 11 Southwest Edgecombe (6-5). No. 2 West Craven (9-1), No. 2 Andrews (8-2) and No. 10 Clinton (6-5) can’t be overlooked, nor can No. 1 Reidsville (8-2) and No. 4 Central Davidson (9-1) in the top half of the bracket.

It’s win or go home in the playo s as schools in eight classi cation go for the ultimate fall prize.

Duplin County has captured 11 state titles.

For the record WRH (1998, 2009, 2010, 2014-17) has seven titles, JK (1960, 2007, 2013) three, and ND (1972) and ED (2022) once apiece.

NOTICES

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#25E001432-300

The undersigned, TARA J. HOLMES, having quali ed on the 3RD DAY of NOVEMBER, 2025, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of WILBER WOOLARD BAILEY, 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 13TH Day of FEBRUARY 2026, 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 13TH Day of NOVEMBER 2025.

TARA J. HOLMES, ADMINISTRATOR 229 WESTONS WOOD RD. PINK HILL, NC 28572

Run dates:N13,20,27,D4p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA DUPLIN COUNTY

FILE#25E001393-300

The undersigned, SOMMER WILSON, having quali ed on the 6TH DAY of OCTOBER, 2025, as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of ANITA LOIS BURTON, 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 30TH Day of JANUARY 2026, 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 30TH Day of OCTOBER 2025.

SOMMER WILSON, ADMINISTRATOR 140 RAYMOND HUGHES LANE BEULAVILLE, NC 28518

Run dates:O30,N6,13,20p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE OF AUCTION FOR NONPAYMENT

The storage units contents will be sold for nonpayment of storage rental fees. Bid amounts start at the price owed on the units. All payments must be made in full, cash only, prior to the sale to stop the auction process.

Adrian Hall – #26

Zaphorah Brinson – #45

David Hollingsworth – #62

Auction Date: Nov. 24,

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Cal Avent, Lee McRae and Jeremiah Hall plan to celebrate a home win against WRH.

QUINN MCGOWEN

Annie Bernice Drayton

Dec. 8, 1930 – Nov. 4, 2025

Annie Bernice Martin Drayton, 94, of Warsaw, NC, passed away on November 4, 2025, at her residence. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at First Baptist ChurchWarsaw. Visitation will be from 1-2 p.m. (one hour prior to the service). Interment following the service at Martin Cemetery in Warsaw, NC.

On December 8, 1930, a beautiful baby girl was given to Carrie Bowden Martin and William James Martin. Her name was Annie Bernice Martin, and she joined three other siblings: Joseph, Dorothy and James Leonard. The family was a loving, supportive and hard-working Christian family.

“Bernice”, as she was called, always had a zest and curiosity for life. She loved interacting with people and helping people. She manifested a deep concern and a love for children, which is why she chose to enter the teaching profession.

Upon her graduation from the former Douglass High School in her hometown of Warsaw, she entered Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, as an early childhood education major. Upon obtaining the Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Shaw, Bernice was employed at Carter G. Woodson Elementary School in Richlands, North Carolina. There, she earned the respect and love of many students and coworkers.

After her work was completed in Richlands, she returned to Duplin County, where she worked at P.W. Moore Elementary School in Faison, North Carolina, for many years. During the summer, she worked in a Head Start Program at Warsaw Elementary School. Finally, Bernice was called to employment at that same school, Warsaw Elementary. She retired after over thirty years of service.

During her lifetime, she served as a member of the Pastor’s Aide Committee, the church Mother Board, the Missionary Circle, the Hospitality Committee, the History Committee and the Martin Luther King Jr Committee. Bernice also served as a cochairperson, along with the late Mrs. Velma Wilkins, on the Shaw Day Committee. She later became the chairperson of that Committee. Other organizations include the now defunct Daughters of Zion.

Participation in professional organizations include the Duplin County Association of Educators. Bernice was also a member of the NAACP and a dedicated member of the Epsilon Phi Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Additional organizations in which she held memberships were the now-defunct Modern Matrons and Shaw Club.

She loved to travel and enjoyed visiting numerous states and foreign countries.

On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Annie Bernice Martin Drayton peacefully answered the Master’s call at her residence.

She was a loving and dedicated mother to her daughter, Jacquelyn Drayton, and to countless cousins and friends. She will be sorely missed by all.

Thaddeus Hill

Dec. 7, 1949 – Nov. 6, 2025

Thaddeus Hill, 75, of Chinquapin, NC, passed away on November 6, 2025, at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, NC. The service will be at noon on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at First Missionary Baptist Church in Chinquapin. Visitation will be 11-11:45 a.m. (prior to the service). Interment following the service at Hill Family Cemetery in Chinquapin, NC.

Thaddeus Hill was born on December 7, 1949, to the late Vernell and the late Toyie BattsHill. Thaddeus received his grade school education within the Duplin County Public Schools. He developed both wisdom and lifelong friendships, graduating from the Historic Charity High School, Rose Hill, NC. His journey through life was truly divine. On May 29, 1970, he married the love of his life, Pauline Thomas. Their union was blessed with two children — Teresa Renee and

Christine Holland

Dec. 25, 1937 – Nov. 4, 2025

Christine Holland was born on Christmas Day, 1937, in Duplin County and went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at the age of 87.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William ‘Billy’ Holland and brothers, Cecil, H.D., and Mac Southerland. She was the daughter of the late Henry and Wren Southerland.

She is survived by her son, Richard Holland and wife, Diana, of Penderlea; grandson, Matthew Eakins (Sabrina) of Burgaw; greatgrandsons, Atticus and Atlas; sister, Doris Hilliard of Penderlea; and nephews, nieces and friends who loved her dearly.

Christine was a devoted wife and wonderful Ma. She was a Nana who loved her grandson and greatgrandsons and they loved her. She was a great sister and a better Aunt Teen.

The Bible says in Genesis 2:18: “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be

March 21, 1938 – Nov. 7, 2025

Thaddeus Ramon.

Thaddeus worked faithfully for 38 years at General Electric in Castle Hayne, NC. He was known for his good humor and for “jawjacking” with his many friends and co-workers. Even after retirement, he stayed in touch with his GE family — calling, reminiscing, and occasionally going shing with them. A lifelong and devoted member of First Missionary Baptist Church, Chinquapin, NC, Thaddeus served faithfully as an Usher and Trustee, always committed to his church and community.

He leaves to cherish his memory: his loving wife of 55 years, Pauline Thomas Hill of Chinquapin, NC; one daughter, Teresa Renee Roberts (Richard) of Hillsborough, NC; one son, Thaddeus Ramon Hill of Stuttgart, Germany; two granddaughters, Toyie and Iyania Bullock of Mebane, NC; two brothers, Rudy Hill (Judith) of Windsor, CT, and Marvin Hill of Raleigh, NC; one sister- in-law, Lornise DormanWalls (Karl) of Fort Washington, MD; one brother-in-law, James Murray (Maebelle) of Wallace, NC; three nieces, NuyKiesha Hill-Wallace of South Windsor, CT, Jasmine Dorman of Bronx, NY, and Ariel Aarons of Raleigh, NC; two nephews, DaJuan Hill of Hartford, CT, and Robert Murray Jr. of Philadelphia, PA; two aunts, Daisy Dixon and Nicie Williams of Rose Hill, NC; one uncle, Levi Batts (Deborah) of Philadelphia, PA; and a host of other relatives and friends who will dearly miss him.

alone; I will make him an help mate for him.” This personi es who Christine was. But God didn’t just create her to only be a helpmate for her husband. She was a helpmate to her entire family, the matriarch who did not let those around her go without. Not without food, not without shelter and most undoubtedly, not without love.

Gary Chapman has a book called ‘The 5 Love Languages’. Ma’s was Acts of Service…. food service to be exact. She was happiest when there were feet under her dining room table. Her pantry, freezer and heart were full. And everyone who stopped by left satis ed when they came by to visit. She made a mean Pineapple cake! She was the epitome of the Proverbs 31 Woman. ‘For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.’ She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She riseth also while it is yet night…. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengthened her arms. While she was not afraid of snow…she didn’t like it at all (too messy). Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in the time to come.

While we grieve her loss here, we know she is in the presence of God. We are left with that comfort and with memories that will remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

The memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, November 7, 2025, at Quinn McGowen Funeral Home, Burgaw Chapel, with J. W. Hilliard and Michelle Hilliard o ciating the service. The family will receive friends at the funeral home following the service.

November 7, 2025

All services are private. She is preceded in death by her parents, Lonnie and Odith Pritt, and her spouse, Wesley Truman. She is survived by sons John Mobley (Tammy) and Joe Mobley (Beverly), both of Beulaville, NC; daughters Evelyn Smith of Beulaville, NC. Betty Gri n of Albertson, NC, Peggy Bird (Mark) of Orgas, WVa., Ramona “Cricket” Bowen (Roy) of Albertson, NC, and Kim Gri n (Hot Rod) of Beulaville, NC; sister Janet White of Swansboro, NC; brother Larry Pritt (Mary) of Louisville, KY; 17 grandchildren; and close family friends Johnny Miller Sr. and Johnny Lynn Miller.

Thomas Ervin “Pop” Atkinson

Feb. 5, 1954 – Nov. 3, 2025

Virginia- Mr. Thomas Ervin

“Pop” Atkinson, age 71, passed away peacefully at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia, on Monday, November 3, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones. Born on February 5, 1954, in Goldsboro, North Carolina, to the late John D and Alice Atkinson, he lived a full life devoted to his family and career.

Thomas graduated from Goldsboro High School in 1972. He joined the US Army in 1973 and served honorably until his retirement in 1993 as a Sergeant First Class in the Army ROTC Department at

Eugene “Gene” Linwood Nethercutt

Nov. 28, 1927 – Nov. 4, 2025

Eugene “Gene” Linwood Nethercutt, 97, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Gene was born on November 28, 1927, in Beulaville to the late Ivey Clarence and Daisy Hardison Nethercutt. He was happily married to Pauline Bland Nethercutt for 68 years. He is preceded in death by his parents, wife, brother, JC Nethercutt, and sisters, Mildred Howard and Dorene Smart.

Gene is survived by a son, Timmy Nethercutt and wife Lori, and daughter, Joan Barnette and husband Johnathan; ve grandchildren, Lauren Norwood and husband Josh, Heather Jones and husband Taylor, James Nethercutt and wife

Altheria Parker Cornelius

May 27, 1951 – Nov. 4, 2025

Warsaw- Ms. Altheria Parker Cornelius, 74, completed her earthly journey and transitioned from labor to reward on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at Kitty Askins Hospice Center. Please remember her family during their time of bereavement. The Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Hines Chapel Freewill Baptist Church, located at 320 Prospect Street, Warsaw, NC 28398. There will be a viewing from 11-11:50 a.m. She will be laid to rest at Devotional Gardens 1260 NC Hwy 24 & 50, Warsaw, NC 28398.

the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia. He loved his home and community in Buena Vista, Virginia, so he remained there and continued to work at VMI in the Army ROTC Department, retiring again in 2022 as the Recruiting Operations O cer. In 1981, Thomas married Lovie Minter and together they raised two children, Tonya and Michael Thomas. They were blessed with three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Thomas is survived by his brothers, Delton and Darryl Atkinson, and sisters, Judy Best and Terryl Atkinson. Thomas loved all his family and enjoyed spending time with them. He also loved sports, and he earned a reputation for his athletic abilities throughout school, his military career, and in the community.

The Celebration of Life will take place on Friday, November 14, 2025, at 11 a.m. at St. John AME Zion Church, 584 Pecan Road, Dudley, NC 28333. He will be laid to rest at 2 p.m. at Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, 164 Longs Plant Farm Road, Goldsboro, NC 27534. We extend our deepest condolences to the family, and please keep the family in your prayers during their time of bereavement.

Samantha, Paul Barnette, and Hannah Barnette; seven greatgrandchildren, Camden Norwood, Grayson Norwood, Ryker Norwood, Beckett Jones, Everly Nethercutt, Everett Jones, and Luka Nethercutt; sister, LouAnn Mothershead, brother-in-law, Harry Smart, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Gene lived a life anchored in love, rst and foremost, a deep and unwavering love for God. His faith guided every step he took and shone through in the way he treated others, with kindness, humility, and grace. Second only to his devotion to the Lord was his unending love for his family. He cherished his wife, children and grandchildren. Gene was a faithful member of Dobson Chapel Baptist Church for more than 45 years. He served in the United States Navy for four years. Afterwards, he tried his hand as a body mechanic in Kenansville, then chose a life of service with the United States Postal Service for 30 years.

Gene’s legacy is one of steadfast faith, sel ess love and gentle strength. Though he will be deeply missed, his spirit will continue to guide and inspire all who were blessed to know him.

Visitation will be held at Dobson Chapel Baptist Church (1473 S NC HWY 50, Magnolia) on November 8, 2025, at noon. A memorial service will follow at 1 p.m., and burial will take place at Bland Family Cemetery. In lieu of owers, donations may be made to Dobson Chapel Baptist Church.

March 28, 1924 – Nov. 5, 2025

Mt. Olive- Ms. Christine Virginia Jones, a remarkable woman of strength and resilience, passed away on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at her residence, surrounded by her loving family, at the age of 101. She was a beloved soul who touched many lives. The Celebration of Life will be on Friday, November 14, 2025, at noon at Greater St. John FWB Church, 613 Mitchell Road, Dudley, NC 28333. There will be a chapel viewing on Thursday at J.B. Rhodes Jr. Memorial Chapel. 1701 Wayne Memorial Dr., Goldsboro, NC 27534 from 5-7 p.m.. She will be entombed at Wayne Memorial Park. We extend our deepest condolences to the family, and please continue to keep the family in your prayers during their time of bereavement.

Shelvia Pritt Truman

Shelvia Pritt Truman, 87, passed away on Friday,

Christine V. Jones

Jarvis Lane Anderson

Oct. 24, 1942 – Nov. 8, 2025

Faison-Jarvis Lane Anderson, 83, of Faison, passed away suddenly on Saturday, November 8, 2025. Mr. Anderson was born in Duplin County, October 24, 1942, to the late Flonnie Mae Hobbs Anderson DeLuca and Harry Lane Anderson.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at noon at Community Funeral Home Chapel in Warsaw, followed by burial at Faison Cemetery. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at 11 a.m. at Community Funeral Home.

Mr. Anderson is survived by daughters, Mary Faye Lindsay and Bennett Harrell of Wilmington and Jenny Lane Roberts of Greenville; ve grandchildren, Ashley Lindsay Fly, Savannah Bar eld Ivey, Morgan Bar eld Craig, Joshua Cyler Bar eld, Hannah Grace Roberts; four great-grandchildren; sisters, Linda Anderson DeLuca, Gloria DeLuca Whaley, Barbara DeLuca Jackson and Rose DeLuca Blanchard, brothers, James DeLuca Jr., and Mike DeLuca.

Jarvis was a tradesman and outdoorsman. He farmed shing worms for many years and was an avid sherman. He enjoyed shing with both of his grandsons.

Jarvis enjoyed frequent visits with his grandchildren, friends, neighbors and family. He could be spotted in his gold Toyota during his “loa ng” hours.

He gave his life to the Lord and attended Mount Olive First Pentecostal Holiness Church regularly. There, and anywhere else, he passed out peppermint candies to anyone he saw.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Anderson was preceded in death by his grandson, Gregory Alphin Lindsay; siblings, Sheldon Cornelius Anderson, Ola Mae Anderson Francis, Susie Lee Precise, Donnie DeLuca and Ronnie DeLuca.

Jarvis Lane Anderson, 83, of Faison, passed away suddenly on Saturday, November 8, 2025. Mr. Anderson was born in Duplin County, October 24, 1942, to the late Flonnie Mae Hobbs Anderson and Harry Lane Anderson.

A funeral service will be held at noon on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Community Funeral Home Chapel of Warsaw, followed by burial at the Faison Cemetery.

A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at 11 a.m. at Community Funeral Home.

Mr. Anderson is survived by daughters, Mary Faye Lindsay and Bennett Harrell of Wilmington and Jenny Lane Roberts of Greenville; ve grandchildren; four greatgrandchildren; sisters, Linda Anderson DeLuca, Gloria DeLuca Whaley, Barbara DeLuca Jackson, and Rose DeLuca Blanchard; brothers, James DeLuca Jr., and Mike DeLuca.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Anderson was preceded in death by his grandson, Gregory Alphin Lindsay; siblings, Sheldon Cornelius Anderson, Ola Mae Anderson Francis, Susie Lee Precise, Donnie DeLuca and Ronnie DeLuca.

Crowds ock to Rose Hill for Poultry Jubilee Celebration

Warm weather and hometown spirit brought thousands to downtown Rose Hill for the two-day Poultry Jubilee held last Friday and Saturday. An estimated 1,500 visitors gathered Friday evening to enjoy the popular wing cook-off and live band, while even larger crowds filled the streets Saturday for a full day of festivities. A classic car show, vendors, food trucks and carnival rides filled two blocks around the fire house.

By noon, nearly all 30 boxes of chicken, approximately 2,000 pieces, were cooked in the town’s famous icon — the World’s Largest Frying Pan.

The freshly breaded chicken was sold by the plate or bucket, each meal served with green beans and potatoes. Lines stretched for hours as visitors waited to savor the hometown favorite, and people then gathered at picnic tables and bleachers nearby to enjoy their meals together. Proceeds from plate sales help fund the annual Poultry Jubilee and provide scholarships through its pageant program.

PHOTOS BY REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE

Stanly NewS Journal

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WHAT’S HAPPENING

U.S. ight cancellations will continue even after shutdown ends

Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends. The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with deeper cuts to ights at 40 major U.S. airports. After a weekend of thousands of canceled ights, airlines scrapped another 2,300 ights Monday and more than 1,000 for Tuesday. Air tra c controllers have been unpaid for nearly a month. Some have stopped showing up to work, citing the added stress and the need to take second jobs. Controller shortages led to average delays of four hours at Chicago O’Hare on Monday.

Record-low temps shock Southeast while snowfall blankets parts of Northeast

The southeastern U.S. has plunged into record-low temperatures, a ecting 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The cold spell moved from the Northern Plains and brought an abrupt transition to wintry temperatures. Some daily records were shattered, including a low of 28 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida. In Florida, temperatures led to a “falling iguana advisory” as iguanas froze into survival mode and fell from trees. Meanwhile, parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast experienced signi cant snowfall, causing hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters expected temps to rise by the end of the week.

Already-struggling economy furher hurt by shutdown

Washington, D.C.

The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history appears to be nearing an end, but not without leaving a mark on an already-struggling economy. About 1.25 million federal workers missed at least one or two paychecks. Thousands of ights have been canceled. Government contract awards have slowed and some food aid recipients have seen their bene ts interrupted. Most of the lost economic activity will be recovered when the government reopens, as federal workers receive back pay. But some canceled ights won’t be retaken, missed restaurant meals won’t be made up, and some postponed purchases by workers will not happen at all.

Albemarle receives clean audit report for ABC system

The Albemarle ABC Board gave the city $483,000

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle City Council was recently presented with the scal 2024-25 audit report for the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Control system.

At the council’s meeting on Nov. 3, Durham Lewis, CPA, shared the full report, summarizing that the Albemarle ABC Board had a clean audit overall for the data reviewed for June 30, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

“That paragraph indicates that we were able to give an unquali ed opinion to the nancial statements,” Lewis said. “That’s the highest opinion that

can be given by an auditor to a set of nancial statements. That means the books and records were in good order. There were no discrepancies and there were no problems.”

The auditor said the Albemarle ABC Board provided nearly a half of a million dollars to the city in taxes over the past scal year, coming up to a $43,000 increase over the previous scal year.

“The board was able to distribute $20,510 for law enforcement, $28,714 for alcohol education — which is computed according to the formulas laid down by the state ABC Commission — and $483,000 was distributed to the city,” Lewis said.

A total of $4.8 million has been given to the city since the board’s inception.

“Council, I would say to look

Uwharrie Players present ‘Smoke on the Mountain’

The local theater group opened the production last weekend

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — After an opening run last weekend, The Uwharrie Players are returning to the Albemarle Neighborhood Theatre this weekend with their stage production of “Smoke on the Mountain.”

Showtimes are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m.

“We had a great opening weekend of ‘Smoke on the Mountain,’” The Uwharrie Players said in a statement.

“Only three more chances to

“There were no discrepancies and there were no problems.”

Durham Lewis

at the $483,000 and think about the di cult budget we had this year,” Mayor Ronnie Michael said. “Without that, where would we be? That’s about a two-and-a-half-cent property tax increase for us to be equivalent to that amount. This is very much needed for our budget because this year is going to be even tougher.”

Albemarle’s lone ABC Store located at 1930 E. Main St. brought in a gross pro t of $1.4 million last year. Other statistics included in the audit report were a cash

see this show. Don’t miss it!”

The musical comedy marks the third and nal live performance of 2025 for the Albemarle-based community theater organization, which has been celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Earlier in the season, the group staged “You Can’t Take It With You” in the spring and “Once Upon a Mattress” in the summer.

All three main stage productions in the anniversary season have been encore performances of fan favorites from the company’s history. “Smoke on the Mountain” was rst performed by The Uwharrie Players in 1998. Conceived by Alan Bailey and based on a book by Connie

balance of $1,083,422, an inventory of $679,178, net xed assets of $965,682, liabilities payables of $159,683 and a net position of $2,313,862. Additionally, there was $5.9 million for the year in total gross sales, $1.3 million paid out in various liquor taxes and a total cost of sales at $3.1 million.

“That indicates that the board was on strong nancial footing,” Lewis said. “We had a strong cash position and the liabilities were paid current.”

The membership of the Albemarle ABC board is currently held by Chairman John McIntyre, General Manager Cathryn Clayton, and Members Je rey Flake and Terry Morgan. Under the board’s division of revenue, gross pro ts are distributed to law enforcement and alcohol education, while 100% of net pro ts are given to the Albemarle General Fund.

The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

Polar Express train ride heads north from Spencer

The popular holiday attraction at the Transportation Museum runs through Dec. 23

Stanly News Journal sta THE POLAR Express train ride is underway at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer for its 11th season, running through Dec. 23. The holiday attraction drew approximately 83,000 visitors last year. The rst departure was Nov. 7. The train ride operates on

weekends through Dec. 7, then runs daily Dec. 11-23, with various departures between 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The museum begins installing decorations after Labor Day, using more than 1 million lights that take until late October to set up. More than 180 cast members are trained to recreate scenes from the movie.

The round-trip train ride to the “North Pole” includes hot chocolate and cookies served by dancing chefs, a reading of Chris Van Allsburg’s book “The Polar Express,” and a visit from Santa. Each guest

receives a souvenir sleigh bell and golden ticket. Before boarding, families can enjoy live entertainment, holiday lights, s’mores stations and food vendors. After the ride, Candy Cane Lane o ers crafts, photo opportunities, model trains and gift shop items. The experience lasts approximately 70 minutes.

Tickets are available through the museum’s website at nctransportationmuseum.org. Standard class tickets start at $42.77 for children ages 2-12 and $49.69 for those 13 and older.

Nov. 4

• Tracey Janelle Hartsell, 62, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny, rst degree trespass, aiding and abetting obtain property by false pretense, felony larceny, larceny after breaking and entering, and breaking and entering.

• Deon Novell Jackson, 51, was arrested for failure to register as a sex o ender.

• Harry Michael Fahy, 29, was arrested

for communicating threats, larceny of motor fuel, injury to personal property, misdemeanor conspiracy, misdemeanor larceny, and rst degree trespass.

Nov. 8

• Kristen Michelle Harris, 47, was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence and simple assault.

• Jonathan Brian Bra ord, 40, was arrested for failure to register as a sex o ender.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County.

Nov. 15

Handmade Craft Market

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This one-day outdoor event sponsored by the Stanly Arts Guild supports local artisans and allows the public the opportunity to purchase distinctive holiday gifts.

330-C N. 2nd St. Albemarle

Nov. 18

Women of Purpose Brunch 10-11 a.m.

A social event speci cally for widows to assist and encourage them to make new connections. For more information, call 704-781-5119.

Greater Life Church 103 Locust Ave. Locust

Nov. 20

Locust Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration 5-8 p.m.

Christmas tree lighting takes place at 6:30 p.m. There will also be opportunities to shop from local artist vendors and take holiday pictures with the Grinch. Refreshments available onsite. Locust Town Center

THE CONVERSATION

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

Federal and state governments are rooting out DEI & ESG

FOLLOWING PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s executive orders to root out and eliminate ESG and DEI policies from government agencies and departments, it might be easy to think the war against these destructive ideas is won.

Radical leftists are losing voter support for ESG and DEI at the ballot box, in legislative chambers around the country and in public opinion. But sadly, any attempt to declare victory regarding the end of ESG or DEI would be wrong. Ultra-left activists and entrenched government bureaucrats who support these polices are working overtime to rename ESG and DEI rules so they attract less attention but are still enforced.

ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) sound innocent, and that’s the point. Nestled within these two seemingly innocuous acronyms (who could be against inclusion?) are radical, insidious and anti-American agendas.

Going through the letters “ESG,” the realities become apparent. “Environmental” really means climate alarmism and eliminating the safest, most a ordable and most reliable energy sources in favor of solar and wind, which are as unreliable as they are una ordable. “Social” is where DEI lives with racial quotas for hiring, discriminating based on skin color and the worst elements of gender ideology. And “governance” underpins it all by manipulating our free enterprise system to take control of companies and turn them into tools for the woke.

COLUMN | JENNY BETH MARTIN

It’s all a scheme to package the woke left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse, making it unrecognizable. It is moving us from a meritocracy that values hard work and rewards success to a kakistocracy. Particularly insidious is that this allows the left to implement the worst elements of its agenda without winning elections, without passing laws in Congress or state legislatures, and without any of us having a say in our nation’s future.

There is, however, positive momentum. Many state policymakers have been sounding the alarm for years, but this year the movement against ESG and DEI achieved critical mass. Trump has issued three executive orders targeting DEI (Executive Order 14151, Executive Order 14173, and Executive Order 14168) and two targeting ESG (Executive Order 14154 and Executive Order 14259).

These orders terminated all DEI positions in the federal government, banned contractors from using it in hiring, directed the Department of Justice to investigate civil rights violations related to its use in the private sector, directed the U.S. attorney general to block enforcement of state and local ESG laws, and rescinded all Biden ESG and DEI executive orders.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to weed out DEI and ESG from both the public and private sectors, ending programs and cutting funding. The Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport lost more than $37 million in grants when it refused to end DEI. The Trump administration also halted $18 billion in funding

for infrastructure projects in New York City due to concerns about the city’s DEI policies.

State governments have also acted. So far, 22 states have banned or restricted DEI and ESG. Earlier this year, nancial o cers from 21 states sent a warning letter to the nation’s largest banks, urging them to end woke investing policies.

Texas enacted a parental bill of rights that ends DEI and bans instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in public K-12 schools. In Indiana, State Attorney General Todd Rokita moved to block state contracts with law rms that have DEI initiatives following an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun. Before stepping down in August to become a deputy director of the FBI, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued IBM and Starbucks for their discriminatory DEI policies and launched an investigation into two foreign-owned proxy advisory rms for promoting ESG.

Despite all this progress, victory celebrations would be premature. Sal Nuzzo, executive director of Consumers Defense, which works to protect American consumers from ESG and woke companies, warns:

“ESG isn’t dead, it’s simply rebranding. The radicals on the Left are publicly proclaiming that they have seen the light while at the same time simply changing the terms to things like ‘sustainability’ and ‘transparency’ in the hopes of waiting out the current momentum. We forget this to our detriment.”

ESG and DEI aren’t just bad ideas — they are destructive forces that must be eradicated. They harm our economy, divide our country, and increasingly violate state and federal laws. Those who want to change the very fabric of America will not simply concede and surrender. We all must remain vigilant to recognize the next iterations of ESG and DEI and continue to root them out.

Harry Roth is director of outreach for Save Our States. This column was rst published by The Daily Signal.

It’s time to impeach Judge Boasberg

PUBLIC TRUST IN THE impartiality of our judiciary is one of the crown jewels of the American republic. Federal judges, unlike politicians, do not stand for election, and the power they wield is immense precisely because it is supposed to be restrained by duty, precedent and the Constitution. When that restraint fails, the remedy is clear: impeachment. Judge James E. Boasberg’s conduct in approving sweeping subpoenas and gag orders as part of the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation shows a breach of trust serious enough to merit that remedy.

Start with the facts: Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently disclosed that the FBI’s Arctic Frost probe — launched under the Biden administration and later folded into Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe — was far broader than the public was led to believe. The investigation targeted not just a few Trump allies or campaign gures but “the entire Republican political apparatus.” Agents sought records from at least 430 individuals, groups and businesses tied to the GOP, issuing some 197 subpoenas in the process. Among those ensnared were Republican senators, former Trump o cials and conservative organizations such as Turning Point USA.

That level of sweep might be understandable, and tolerable, if justi ed by credible evidence of criminal conspiracy. But Grassley’s review found no probable cause linking this many targets to an identi able crime. Instead, the evidence points to what Grassley called “the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends.” In short, Arctic Frost appears to have been less an investigation into wrongdoing than an exercise in political surveillance.

Boasberg’s role was not tangential. As chief dudge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, he personally approved the subpoenas and the gag orders that kept their existence secret. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, whose phone metadata was sought,

revealed that AT&T had been forbidden by court order to inform him of the subpoena for at least one year. “If a judge signs an order reaching a factual conclusion for which there is no evidence whatsoever,” Cruz said, “that judge is abusing his power.” Cruz is right.

Judges are not grand jurors, nor are they partisan gatekeepers. Their constitutional duty is to test the government’s assertions before granting its requests to intrude on private citizens. A judge’s signature carries the force of law only because it represents independent judgment. When that independence is abandoned — when a judge becomes a rubber stamp for politically charged investigations — the separation of powers itself begins to erode.

Boasberg’s defenders note that the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit routinely handled classi ed or grand jury matters and that his approvals may have been routine. That is precisely the problem. What should never be “routine” is secret surveillance of political actors without clear, nonpartisan justi cation.

Impeachment is not to be taken lightly. The Constitution reserves it for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which historically includes serious abuses of o ce. A judge who repeatedly fails to exercise due scrutiny over politically sensitive investigations ts that description.

Some will object that impeachment of a sitting federal judge risks politicizing the judiciary further. That argument reverses cause and e ect. It is precisely because the judiciary must remain apolitical that accountability is essential when a judge steps into politics. Congress impeached and removed Judge Alcee Hastings in 1989 for falsifying evidence and perjuring himself. It impeached and removed Judge Thomas Porteous in 2010 for corruption. Judicial independence is not immunity. The same principle must apply when a judge’s conduct facilitates the weaponization of justice for partisan ends.

The larger question is whether Americans still believe the law applies equally. The Arctic Frost

a air is a troubling episode that lends weight to the argument that the law is applied unequally. When subpoenas reach across entire political parties while evidence of actual criminality is not made available for public review, citizens cannot be blamed for suspecting the system is tilted.

Congress cannot restore that trust merely by complaining in hearings or issuing press releases. It must act. The House of Representatives has the authority — and the obligation — to investigate Boasberg’s role, to subpoena the Justice Department’s submissions for his approval and to determine whether he violated his oath to “administer justice without respect to persons.” If the evidence shows that he violated his oath, the House should pass articles of impeachment, and the Senate should hold a trial. No other mechanism will su ce to reassert the principle that even judges are accountable under the Constitution.

The strength of America’s republic depends on the restraint of those who wield power — especially those who wield it for life. If Boasberg believed it was appropriate to sign orders allowing the FBI and DOJ to harvest the communications of elected lawmakers and political organizations without solid cause, then he has demonstrated precisely the kind of judgment that the Founders feared. The time has come for Congress to redraw the line. Judicial independence requires it. So does the Constitution.

Jenny Beth Martin is honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | HARRY ROTH

Johnson shuttered House, amassed quiet power by deferring to Trump

The House has been out of session for nearly two months

By Lisa Mascaro

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After refusing to convene the U.S. House during the government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson is recalling lawmakers back into session — and facing an avalanche of pent-up legislative demands from those who have largely been sidelined from governing.

Hundreds of representatives are preparing to return Wednesday to Washington, D.C., after a nearly eight-week absence, carrying a torrent of ideas, proposals and frustrations over work that has stalled when the Republican speaker shuttered the House doors nearly two months ago.

First will be a vote to reopen the government. But that’s just the start. With e orts to release the Je rey Epstein les and the swearing in of Arizona’s Rep.elect Adelita Grijalva, the unnished business will pose a fresh test to Johnson’s grip on power and put a renewed focus on his leadership.

“It’s extraordinary,” said Matthew Green, a professor at the politics department at The Catholic University of America.

“What Speaker Johnson and Republicans are doing, you have to go back decades to nd an example where the House — either chamber — decided not to meet.”

Gaveling in after two months away

When the House gavels back into session, it will close this remarkable chapter of Johnson’s tenure when he showed himself to be a leader who is quietly, but brazenly, willing to upend institutional norms in pursuit of his broader strategy, even at the risk of diminishing the House itself.

Rather than use the immense powers of the speaker’s o ce to forcefully steer the debate in Congress, as a coequal branch of the government on par with the executive and the courts, Johnson simply closed up shop — allowing the House to become unusually deferential, particularly to President Donald Trump.

Over these past weeks, the chamber has sidestepped its basic responsibilities, from passing routine legislation to conducting oversight. The silencing of the speaker’s gavel has been both unusual and surprising in a system of government where the founders envisioned the branches would vigorously protect their institutional prerogatives.

“You can see it is pretty empty around here,” Johnson (R-La.) said on day three of the shutdown, tour groups no longer crowding the halls.

“When Congress decides to turn o the lights, it shifts the authority to the executive branch. That is how it works,” he said, blaming Democrats,

“You have to go back decades to nd an example where the House — either chamber — decided not to meet.”

Matthew Green, professor, Catholic University of America

with their ght over health care funds, for the closures.

An empty House as political strategy

The speaker has defended his decision to shutter the House during what’s now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. He argued that the chamber, under the GOP majority, had already done its job passing a stopgap funding bill in September. It would be up to the Senate to act, he said. When the Senate failed over and over to advance the House bill, more than a dozen times, he refused to enter talks with the other leaders on a compromise.

Johnson also encouraged Trump to cancel an initial sit-down with the Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Je ries to avoid a broader negotiation while the government was still closed.

Instead, the speaker, whose job is outlined in the Constitution, second in line of succession to the presidency,

held almost daily press conferences on his side of the Capitol, a weekly conference call with GOP lawmakers and private talks with Trump. He joined the president for Sunday’s NFL Washington Commanders game as the Senate was slogging through a weekend session.

“People say, why aren’t you negotiating with Schumer and Je ries? I quite literally have nothing to negotiate,” Johnson said at one point.

“As I’ve said time and time again, I don’t have anything to negotiate with,” he said on day 13 of the shutdown. “We did our job. We had that vote.”

And besides he said of the GOP lawmakers, “They are doing some of their best work in the district, helping their constituents navigate this crisis.”

Accidental speaker delivers for Trump

In many ways, Johnson has become a surprisingly e ective leader, an accidental speaker who was elected to the job by his colleagues after all others failed to win it. He has now lasted more than two years, longer than many once envisioned.

This year, with Trump’s return to the White House, the speaker has commandeered his slim GOP majority and passed legislation including the president’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” of tax breaks and spending reductions that became law this summer.

Johnson’s shutdown strat-

egy also largely achieved his goal, forcing Senate Democrats to break ranks and approve the funds to reopen government without the extension of health care subsidies they were demanding to help ease the sticker shock of rising insurance premium costs with the A ordable Care Act.

Johnson’s approach is seen as one that manages up — he stays close to Trump and says they speak often — and also hammers down, imposing a rigid control over the day-to-day schedule of the House and its lawmakers.

Amassing quiet power

Under a House rules change this year, Johnson was able to keep the chamber shuttered inde nitely on his own without the usual required vote. This year, his leadership team has allowed fewer opportunities for amendments on legislation, according to a recent tally. Other changes have curtailed the House’s ability to provide a robust check on the executive branch over Trump’s tari s and use of war powers.

Johnson’s refusal to swearin Grijalva is a remarkable ex of the speaker’s power, leading to comparisons with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision not to consider President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, said David Rapallo, an associate professor and director of the Federal Legislation Clinic at

Georgetown University Law Center. Arizona has sued to seat her.

Marc Short, who headed up the White House’s legislative a airs o ce during the rst Trump administration, said of Johnson, “It’s impressive how he’s held the conference together.”

But, said Short, “The legislative branch has abdicated a lot of responsibility to the executive under his watch.”

Tough decisions ahead for speaker

As lawmakers make their way back to Washington, the speaker’s power will be tested again as they consider the package to reopen government.

Republicans are certain to have complaints about the bill, which funds much of the federal government through Jan. 30 and keeps certain programs — including agriculture, military construction and veterans a airs — running through September.

But with House Democratic leaders rejecting the package for having failed to address the health care subsidies, it will be up to Johnson to muscle it through with mostly GOP lawmakers — with hardly any room for defections in the chamber that’s narrowly split. Je ries, who has criticized House Republicans for what he called an extended vacation, said, “They’re not going to be able to hide this week when they return.”

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) makes a statement to reporters following a vote in the Senate to move forward with a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government through Jan. 30 at the Capitol on Monday.

David Phelps on faith, music, life built in harmony

The powerhouse gospel vocalist brings decades of devotion and storytelling to Albemarle on Friday

By Dan Reeves Stanly News Journal

THE VOICE on the other end of the line is warm, easygoing and unmistakably familiar — smooth as a hymn, powerful as a Sunday morning choir.

David Phelps has lived a life built on musical expression and unwavering faith. And as he prepares to take the stage at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center in Albemarle this Friday, he carries with him three decades of experience, four Grammy nominations and an artistic journey that has taken him from Texas church pews to the Metropolitan Opera.

Phelps grew up surrounded by music and faith — two forces that have de ned him from the beginning.

“I grew up in a family where both faith and music were very important,” he said. “Music became an expression of our faith. It became an expression of emotions and all of that kind of stu because it was something we did all the time.”

His mother was a classical soprano, his sisters both pursued professional music, and their house rang with everything from opera to Journey and Anne Murray. Eclectic, yes — but in his own artistry today, you can hear exactly where that blend took root. By the time he reached his teens, Phelps was singing in church and anywhere else that would have him.

“The preacher at a church in Houston told me, ‘Sing everywhere you can,’” he recalled. “Best advice I ever got.”

He followed it — Rotary Clubs, Sunday schools, small congregations. Wherever a microphone was, he showed up. Each performance built con dence. Each invitation back told him he was on the right path.

After graduating from Baylor University, he and his wife moved to Nashville, Tennessee — ground zero for the contemporary Christian industry. But success wasn’t immediate.

“I signed up with a temp agency. I did anything they sent me to do,” he said. “Data entry, any-

THEATRE from page A1

Ray, “Smoke on the Mountain” features musical arrangements by Mike Craver and Mark Hardwick. The current production is directed by Tom Hollis, with musical direction from Michael Lanier and stage management by Sarah Tysinger.

The story follows Rev. Oglethorpe, the minister of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, as he enlists the Sanders family to help him bring his congregation into the modern world.

“Between songs, each family member witnesses, telling a story about an important event in their life,” the Players provided

thing. Then on the weekends I’d go out and sing.”

Eventually, Word Records took notice and opened the door for an audition with the Gaither Vocal Band — one of the most in uential names in gospel music. Phelps joined the legendary ensemble at age 28, launching a decade-long run that brought Grammy nominations, Dove Awards and lifelong friendships.

“It was a dream come true,” he said. “Bill and Gloria Gaither were iconic to me. I learned so much from them.”

He left the group to pursue his solo work and later returned at Bill Gaither’s request to help reinvent the vocal band.

“It felt like the right thing to do,” he said. “Some things in life just do.”

Phelps’ solo career grew alongside his work with the Gaithers. His powerful ballads, wide-ranging vocals and multigenre inuences earned him a devot-

in a plot synopsis. “Though they try to appear perfect in the eyes of a congregation who wants to be inspired by their songs, one thing after another goes awry and they reveal their true — and hilariously imperfect — natures. By the evening’s end, the Sanders Family have endeared themselves to us by revealing their weaknesses and allowing us to share in their triumphs.”

The cast includes Jet Miller as Rev. Oglethorpe, Jeremiah Tucker as Dennis Sanders, Todd Basinger as Stanley Sanders, Suzanne Holshouser as Vera Sanders, Red Almond as Burl Sanders, Maggie Garrido as Denise Sanders, Lauren Bu-

“The

David Phelps

ed global following. And with that voice, Christmas became one of the natural pillars of his work. An early performance of “O Holy Night” helped launch a decades-long series of Christmas tours. More recently, his Christmas album “It Must Be Christmas” led to his participation in a glossy Google holiday campaign — “Catching Santa,” lmed to promote a new device.

“Christmas is such a great outlet for voices like mine,” he said, laughing. “Mariah Carey comes out every year; Bublé comes out every year. It just works.”

choltz as June Sanders, Michael Lanier as Banjo Player, Heather Almond as Piano Player, Rick Hansen as Guitar Player, Martha Sue Hall and Charles Harris as Bass Players, and Brooke Burrage as Fiddle Player.

Tickets are available at theuwharrieplayers.org. General admission for adults is $20, while senior (60 and older) and junior (17 and under) tickets are $15.

Founded in 1975 as an outgrowth of the Stanly County Arts Council, The Uwharrie Players have brought live dramas, comedies and musicals to Stanly County and surrounding communities for over four decades.

In recent years, Phelps has stepped onto stages far beyond the gospel world. He ful lled a lifelong dream by appearing at New York’s Metropolitan Opera — after rst auditioning there decades earlier. Then came a call from Stephen Schwartz, the revered composer behind “Wicked” and other Broadway staples. Schwartz wanted him for “Children of Eden,” where Phelps would play Adam and Noah. The show ran at the Lyric Opera in Chicago and later at Lincoln Center in New York.

“It was nerve-wracking but amazing,” he said. “To jump in with the best of the best — it was incredible.”

Yet even with his résumé of major venues, awards and Broadway-caliber productions, Phelps remains deeply connected to the spiritual core of what he does. His audience spans teenagers to grandparents, and he sees that range as a

re ection of the message itself.

“In gospel music, it’s the message that de nes the genre,” he said. “People come because they’re searching or they’ve landed in a place of faith and want to be reminded of it. They want to be encouraged. That’s what makes it so special.”

North Carolina has become familiar ground for him, even without family connections.

“We’ve been there so many times,” he said. “North Carolina keeps us coming back.”

And on Friday evening in Albemarle, that connection will continue.

“We’re going to have a great time,” Phelps said. “We’ll laugh, we’ll celebrate music together— and it’s going to be a good time.”

With his roots planted in faith and his voice carrying him across genres and generations, David Phelps stands exactly where he started: singing everywhere he can.

PHOTO COURTESY CRAIG P. SMITH

David Phelps and Selah: Lift Your Voice Tour is coming to Stanly County Agri-Civic Center in Albemarle on Friday, Nov 14.

Bonnie Sue Blackburn

June 14, 1949 – Nov. 6, 2025

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Bonnie Sue Blackburn, of Oakboro, NC, a woman of faith, beloved wife, loving mother, and friend, who left us on November 6, 2025, at the age of 76. Born on June 14, 1949, in North Carolina, Bonnie lived a vibrant life lled with creativity, kindness, and unwavering strength. Bonnie is survived by her husband, Dayle Blackburn, with whom she shared a beautiful journey of love and devotion that began in high school in 1964 where he would always save her a seat on the school bus. Their love story spanned over 57 years, married in 1968, always supporting each other and doing so many things together - traveling, camping trips, boating, and cherished moments with family and friends. She is also survived by her son, Jason M. Blackburn (Becky), of Wilmington, NC, as well as her sisters, Betty W. Smith (John), Judy W. Ricketts (deceased husband Ricky), and Nancy W. Austin (Alvin), along with numerous nieces and nephews. Throughout her life, Bonnie was known for her unwavering spirit and calm demeanor. Despite facing signi cant health challenges starting about 6 years ago, including Covid-19 and kidney failure, she approached each day with courage and a smile despite her home hemodialysis and Covid-19 taking a serious toll on her mobility. After falling six weeks prior to her passing and undergoing back surgery, Bonnie’s health took a turn, but she never lost hope and continued to inspire those around her, never once complaining. It was just too much for her to overcome and passed away peacefully with her husband and sister by her side. Bonnie’s passion for helping others was evident in all she did. She skillfully balanced her career as a claims adjuster in the insurance industry, following her studies in Paralegal Technology and Insurance, working with two law rms, as a legal assistant and three insurance companies as a claims representative, while also sharing her love of crafting with many. She had a special ability to connect with people, whether teaching crafts to a group of ladies or collecting cherished recipes and angels. In honor of Bonnie’s wishes, there will be no formal funeral service. Instead, we will gather to celebrate her life and all the joy she brought to those around her after the rst of the year. In lieu of owers, Bonnie’s family asks that contributions be made in her memory to the National Kidney Foundation. Bonnie will always be remembered as tough as nails, never giving up on a task, never complaining, and above all as Dayle put it, “she was my Trusty Sidekick for over 60 years”. She dedicated her life to loving others and leaving a positive mark on everyone she met. We invite all who knew and loved Bonnie to join us in honoring her remarkable spirit when we come together to celebrate her life. Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Louis White, Mary White. Condolences may be made online at www. greenefuneral.com

OBITUARIES

Ruby Marie Burris Hudson

Dec. 10, 1937 – Nov. 3, 2025

Ruby Marie Burris Hudson, 87, peacefully passed away on Monday, November 3, 2025, at Atrium Health Stanly. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at Poplins Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, o ciated by Rev. Delane Burris. There will be no formal visitation. Born December 10, 1937, in Stanly County, Ruby was the daughter of the late Burch Elem Burris and Annie Maybelle Honeycutt Burris. She built a life centered on faith, hard work, and devotion to her family. Over the years she worked with Stanly Regional Medical Center in Dietary Services and also held positions with Stanly Knitting Mills, Trinity Place, the Stanly News & Press, and Susie’s Friends Daycare. Ruby was active in Poplins Grove Baptist Church for as long as her health allowed and was known for her gentle heart and the unwavering love she showed her family. She is lovingly survived by her son, Rodney Lowder (Karen) of Albemarle; granddaughter, Elizabeth Pintea (Matt) of Stan eld; great-granddaughter, Savannah; and her sister, Susie Bowers. Ruby was preceded in death by her husband, William Lewis Hudson; her brother, Joe Lee Burris; and her sisters, Mary Roselene Schreppel, Sara Elizabeth Yow, and Monzell Coley. Ruby will be remembered as a devoted mother and a woman who cherished those she loved. Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is serving the Hudson family.

Vann Burleson Jr.

Nov. 24, 1944 – Nov. 3, 2025

Vann Burleson Jr, 80, of Albemarle, passed away Monday, November 3, 2025, at Atrium Health Cabarrus Hospital in Concord.

He was born November 24, 1944, in North Carolina to the late Vann Burleson Sr. and Alice Tommie Foreman. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Tommie Burleson.

Vann enjoyed tractors and antique farming equipment and was an avid collector. He often displayed his tractors and other machines at the annual Southeast Old Threshers Reunion in Denton. Vann enjoyed westerns and bluegrass music, particularly the Malpass Brothers, and spending time in the garden and with his grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 12-1:45 p.m., on Friday, November 7, 2025, at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle, followed by the funeral service at 2 p.m., o ciated by Rev. Don Burleyson. A private burial will follow the ceremony.

Survivors include daughters, Laura (Charles) Curcio, and Amy (Roger) Whitley, and grandsons, Tate Hudson Whitley and Laine Alexander Whitley.

The family wants to express their appreciation to the doctors and sta of the Levine Cancer Center in Albemarle for their care and compassion.

Memorials may be made to Hometown Heroes of Monroe.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Burleson family.

Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com

Beth Ann Turner

Aug. 8, 1964 – Oct. 29, 2025

Beth Ann Turner, 61, of Indian Trail, passed away Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Atrium

IN MEMORY

Health Pineville in Charlotte. Beth was born August 8, 1964, in North Carolina to the late Charles Franklin Turner and Martha Sue Turner. She was also preceded in death by brother, Charles Timothy Turner, niece, Mary Kate Turner Severin, and grandparents Mrs. and Mrs. Milton Harris, Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Turner. Beth was a lifelong avid NC State Wolf pack fan, she enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family. The family will receive friends from 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm, Monday, November 10, 2025, at Hartsell Funeral Home Albemarle. The funeral service will follow on Monday at 3:00 pm at Hartsell Funeral Home’s Le er Memorial Chapel, o ciated by

SAMUEL EDWARD PRICE JR. NOV. 17, 1934 – NOV. 4, 2025

Rev. Evan Hill. Burial will follow at New London Cemetery. Survivors include mother, Martha Sue Turner of New London, NC, sister, Susan Brewer (Bob) of Burlington, NC, brother, Joseph Frank Turner (Debbie) of Albemarle, NC, niece, Dana Turner (Tim), niece, Meagan Williams, great nephews, Aiden Williams and Nolan Williams.

Memorials may be shared to Kay Yow Cancer Fund. 4804 Page Creek Lane, Suite 118, Durham, NC 27703 or New London UMC P.O. Box 146 New London, NC 28127 Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Turner family.

Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com

Samuel Edward Price Jr., 90, of Mount Gilead, passed away Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at Atrium Health Stanly Hospital in Albemarle, NC.

Samuel was born on November 17, 1934, in South Carolina to the late Samuel Edward Price Sr. and the late Jessie Lanilta Cooper Price. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Betty Kuykendall Price.

Samuel was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He served his nation proudly by joining the United States Marine Corps and later served another term in the Army. He was a member of the Charlotte Life Saving Crew in Charlotte, NC, and also served as a volunteer re ghter.

Samuel and his wife Betty owned and operated Betty’s Gifts, Flowers, and Cards on North Second Street, Albemarle, NC, in the 1980s. They also owned and operated a bed and breakfast in Mt. Gilead, and they shared ownership with Thaddeus Furr in Uwharrie Sportsman in Mt. Gilead, NC. Samuel served on the initial Board of Directors of Lake Tillery Fire and Rescue of Mt. Gilead, where he also volunteered. He also worked security for numerous organizations such as Carolina Medical Center, Celanese Corporation in Charlotte, NC, The Charlotte Coliseum and Carolina Forest in Troy, NC.

Samuel was a member of The National Society Sons of the American Revolution, The Colonial Order of the Crown, The Summerset Chapter Magna Charta Barons, Sons of the Confederate Veterans and received a certi cate of appreciation from the State of North Carolina Department of Human Resources for his service. He also volunteered for nearly 15 years at Roll-a-Bout Skating Rink in Asheboro, NC.

Some of Samuel’s favorite pastimes were roller skating, playing ice hockey, shing out on the lake, eating butter-pecan ice cream and drinking a Pepsi-Cola. He also made jewelry out of sea shells when he would go to the beach with his family. But out of all the things he has done and places he has been, his most cherished moments were the times he got to spend with his family.

The family will receive friends from 10-11:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle. The funeral service will follow at noon at Hartsell Funeral Home’s Le er Memorial Chapel, o ciated by Pastor Scott Williams. Burial will follow at Sharon Memorial Park at 5716 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC.

Survivors include daughter, Brenda Price Campbell of Troy, NC; son, Samuel Edward Price, III, of Mount Gilead, NC; 10 wonderful grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

HAZEL THOMPSON SMITH

MARCH 7, 1929 – NOV. 5, 2025

Hazel Thompson Smith, 96, of Albemarle, passed away on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at Trinity Place.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 8, 2025, in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel, Albemarle, with Pastor Ron Lo in o ciating. Burial will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory. The family will receive friends at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., prior to the service.

Born March 7, 1929, in Stanly County, Hazel was the daughter of the late Swink Alexander Thompson and Lucy Hatley Thompson. A devoted homemaker and former member of Grace Baptist Church, she was lovingly known as “Nannie.” Her family remembers her as nurturing and compassionate, an excellent cook, a determined and independent spirit and a tireless gardener with a remarkable green thumb. Each October, she planted a thousand pansies, and she could coax life and color from any patch of earth.

Hazel loved being outdoors and was rarely without a purposeful walk; often covering miles on foot while carrying cakes to her son’s business. “Hey, sweetie,” was her trademark greeting to those she loved. “Blueberry Hill” by Fats Domino was her favorite song; for years, she called the radio station every morning to request it, and they soon knew her voice by heart. She delighted in caring for animals, especially her cats, and her daughter Donna fondly recalls how Hazel spoiled the horses. Above all, she took great pride in serving her family good, home-cooked meals.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Max Herman Smith, in 2003.

Survivors include her son, Terry Mitchell Smith (Penny) of New London; her daughter, Donna Smith Baucom (Tommy) of Rockwell; her brother, Ronnie Thompson (Rovetta) of Albemarle; two grandchildren, Tracy B. Heglar (Terence) of Rockwell and Kelly T. Baucom (Katherine) of Wrightsville Beach; and ve great-grandchildren: Dalton Heglar, Max Heglar, Scout Baucom, James Baucom and Indie Baucom.

In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.

ETHEL “FRANCES” BARBEE ALMOND

NOV. 5, 1936 – NOV. 5, 2025

Ethel “Frances” Barbee Almond, 89, of Locust, passed away on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at Stanley Total Living Center in Stanley, NC.

Frances was born on November 5, 1936, in Cabarrus County, NC, to the late Melbert Arleen Barbee and the late Ella Mae Aycock Barbee. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Reece Ray Almond, her sister, Bessie Ruth Tolbert, and her grandson, Neil Brandon Palmer.

Frances was a dedicated lifetime member of Kinza Memorial Baptist Church and loved her Locust community. She enjoyed word searches, coloring and playing board and card games. Frances was a loving mom, grandma and sister.

Survivors include son, Gilton (Bennie) Almond of North Myrtle Beach, SC; daughter, Sybil (Dennis) Bell of Mount Holly, NC; daughter, Sharon (Chris) Truitt of Charlotte, NC; sister, Louise Little of Concord, NC; brother, Bobby (Linda) Barbee of Midland, NC; brother, Roy Lee (Louise) Barbee of Monroe, NC; eight grandchildren Mark, Chris, Brad, Karen, Michael, Jessica, Matt and Allison; 11 great-grandchildren; and three great-great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 1-1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at Kinza Memorial Baptist Church. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. at the church, o ciated by Pastor Tab Whitley. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Stanley Total Living Center, 514 Old Mt. Holly Road, Stanley, NC 28164.

STANLY SPORTS

Albemarle holds o Cherokee in rst round state playo game

The Bulldogs had 186 rushing yards in their win

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Albemar-

le opened its NCSHAA football playo campaign with a 21-15 home win over Cherokee in Bulldog Stadium on Friday night.

Snapping a two-game losing skid they had going into the postseason, the No. 16 Bulldogs

(5-6) used their six-point victory over the No. 17 Braves (3-8) to advance to the second round of the 2A bracket.

Albemarle will now be on the road for the rest of the tournament, beginning with a matchup on Friday against the No. 1 Murphy Bulldogs (8-2), who received a bye last week.

The Bulldogs won all six of their conference matchups during the regular season and have not lost since Sept. 12.

Looking ahead, the winner between Albemarle and Mur-

phy will play a third-round game against either No. 8 Swain County or No. 9 Community School of Davidson on Nov. 21.

In Friday’s home win versus the Braves, Albemarle found itself up 21-7 in the fourth quarter before Cherokee mounted an unsuccessful comeback attempt.

The rst points of the game didn’t come until the nal eight seconds of the rst half when Shoddy Pergee gave the Bulldogs the lead with a 20-yard

run to the end zone. The junior running back nished the night with 13 carries for 125 yards and scored all three of the Bulldogs’ touchdowns.

Pergee added his second score of the night early in the third quarter when he exploded up the middle for an untouched 58-yard run to give Albemarle a 14-0 lead following the extra point.

At the 5:20 mark of the third quarter, the Braves got on the board when running back Kingston Welch took a 25-yard

South Stanly, North Stanly to host second-round state playo matchups

The Bulls and Comets were two of three YVC co-champions

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Stanly County’s four varsity football teams will each see NCHSAA state playo action this week as two squads prepare for home matchups and two others hit the road.

While a pair had a rst-round bye this past weekend, the other two won their games to stay alive and advance to the second round of postseason play.

No. 10 Christ the King at No. 7 South Stanly

Following a bye week in the 2A bracket, the No. 7 South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls are set to host the No. 10 Christ the King Crusaders, who also had a bye to open the state playo s.

The Bulls (8-2) have won four games in a row — along with six of their seven Yadkin Valley Conference matchups — on their way to claiming a share of the YVC title. Meanwhile, the Crusaders (7-3) came away with wins in three of their four October contests leading up to November play.

The winner will play either No. 2 Starmount or No. 15

Cherryville in the third round on Nov. 21.

No. 13 East Surry at No. 4 North Stanly

Like South Stanly, North Stanly also had a rst-round bye to kick o the tourna-

ment after becoming a YVC co-champion at the end of the regular season. In the 3A bracket, the No. 4 Comets (9-1) will now host the No. 13 East Surry Cardinals (5-6), a team that was inconsistent throughout the year but handled No. 20 Polk County

with ease in a 35-15 rst-round victory over the weekend. If North Stanly is able to take down the Cardinals to achieve its fourth consecutive victory, the Comets will face either No. 5 Providence Grove or No. 12 West Davidson in a third-round matchup.

rush to the house to make it a one-score game. Not to be outdone by Cherokee’s rushing attack, Pergee took advantage of a few key blocks to add his third score of the game on a 16-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. Welch then had a response of his own nearly a minute later as his 4-yard score capped o a quick Brave drive to narrow Albemarle’s lead again.

Cherokee faked its extra point kick, and snapper Dillon Beam threw a pass to a wideopen Kimo Sokol in the back left corner of the end zoneto make it 21-15 game with 5:41 left in the matchup. Albemarle’s defense held strong for the remainder of the fourth quarter, ensuring the Bulldogs’ advancement to the second round of the state playo s.

No. 16 Albemarle at No. 1 Murphy

Hosting No. 17 Cherokee in the rst round of the 2A bracket, No. 16 Albemarle got the job done on Friday as the Bulldogs (5-6) snapped a two - game losing skid with a 21-15 win over the Braves (3-8).

Albemarle will now tackle the remainder of the state playo s on the road, starting with a matchup against the No. 1 Murphy Bulldogs (8-2). Murphy is on a six-game winning streak after sweeping its opponents in the Smoky Mountain Conference throughout September and October.

The victor of the two Bulldogs teams will play a third-round game against the winner of No. 8 Swain County and No. 9 Community School of Davidson.

No. 24 West Stanly at No. 8 Burns

Still alive as a No. 24 seed in the 4A bracket, the West Stanly Colts (2-9) pulled out a 24 -22 road win over the No. 9 Lexington Senior Yellow Jackets (6-5) on Friday.

The upset victory snapped a seven-game losing streak for West Stanly, which will now travel to Lawndale to face the No. 8 Burns Bulldogs (6-4). Burns had a rst-round bye after a season in which its 6-2 record in the Southern Piedmont Conference landed the team in third place among eight other teams in the league.

Either No. 1 Brevard or No. 16 West Stokes will be waiting for the Colts or Bulldogs in the third round.

COURTESY STARLA WHITLEY

Albemarle’s Shoddy Pergee takes a hando from Adam Jordan during the Bulldogs’ home win over Cherokee on Nov. 7.

COURTESY CALEB STEWART PHOTOGRAPHY

South Stanly’s Jayden Woods operates in the open eld during a home matchup with Mountain Island Charter on Oct. 24.

NCAA revokes eligibility of 6 more basketball players 30

Arizona State, New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State players are involved in the gambling probe

By Doug Feinberg

The Associated Press

THE NCAA REVOKED the eligibility of six men’s college basketball players as a result of three separate sports-betting cases that involved a power-conference school and allegations of players throwing games to lose by more points than the spread.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions released ndings from an investigation that concluded Chatton “BJ” Freeman at Arizona State; Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short and Jamond Vincent at New Orleans, and Donovan Sanders and Alvin Stredic at Mississippi Valley State either manipulated their performances to lose games, not cover bet lines or ensure certain prop bets were reached, or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024 -25 regular season.

The NCAA said last month it was investigating at least 30 current or former players for gambling allegations. The NCAA also banned three college basketball players in September for betting on their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State.

Arizona State is the only power-conference school involved in the recent announcements. Freeman became implicated in the investigation when the NCAA reviewed text messages between him and a player banned in September, Mykell Robinson, who played at Fresno State. Records on Robinson’s phone indicated that on four separate occasions between November and December 2024, Freeman knowingly provided information to Robinson, who was betting on Freeman through daily fantasy sports accounts. Freeman also knowingly provided information on at least two occasions to his then-girlfriend, who was also betting on Freeman.

In one instance, Freeman provided information to Robinson to bet the over on Freeman’s turnover total against Florida on Dec. 14, 2024, according to the NCAA. Arizona State entered the game 8-1. The Sun Devils lost 83-66 to the ninth-ranked Gators and went on to nish the season 13-20. Freeman had one turnover in the game.

The violations at New Orleans against Hunter, Short and Vincent came to light after the NCAA received a tip about game manipulation. The NCAA said a student-athlete overheard the three players discuss a third party placing a bet on their game against

Number of current or former players currently under NCAA investigation for gambling allegations

McNeese State on Dec. 28, 2024. New Orleans lost 86-61.

That same student-athlete reported that during a timeout near the end of the game, Short instructed him not to score any more points. New Orleans suspended all three student-athletes for the remainder of the season while it investigated the allegations.

The NCAA investigation showed that the three players manipulated their performances in seven games from December through January to lose by more points than the spread for that game.

The NCAA reached out to an integrity monitoring service to review Mississippi Valley State games after a related but separate NBA gambling ring that was uncovered earlier this year showed potential ties to college basketball, including the school.

The service indicated betting trends for the Mississippi Valley State games on Jan. 6 against Alabama A&M were suspicious. Mississippi Valley State lost 79-67.

During an interview with the NCAA, a men’s basketball student-athlete said that before the team’s Dec. 21, 2024, game, he overhead Sanders on the phone with an unknown third party talking about “throwing the game.”

Sanders asked the student-athlete to participate in the call because the third party had told Sanders the individual intended to bet on the game and wanted to know that another of Sanders’ teammates would participate in the scheme.

The student-athlete denied altering his performance or receiving money from Sanders or any other individuals. Sanders texted the same student-athlete after that game and told him to delete their messages.

During a second interview, Sanders could not explain the student-athlete’s account of the events or the text messages. He did say, however, that he and Stredic were o ered money to throw the team’s Jan. 6 game by another anonymous caller, who instructed them to perform poorly in the rst half.

The enforcement sta demonstrated that Sanders knowingly provided information to a third party for the purposes of sports betting for two games and Stredic did the same for one game.

Basketball season ready for tip

County boys’ and girls’ teams will hit the oor for the 2025 -26 season

Stanly News Journal sta HIGH SCHOOL basketball starts this week.

West Stanly and Albemarle get things started with cross-conference boys’ and girls’ games hosted by the Bulldogs on Nov. 14.

West Stanly is coming o a 10-15 season, the third losing campaign in a row for the Colts. The West Stanly girls were 14-12, a half-game better than the previous season and its second straight winning season.

Albemarle is looking to improve on a 2-21 record in

2024-25. The Bulldogs’ girls were 25-5 with a trip to the state’s nal eight.

Gray Stone Day also opens its season on the 14th, on the road at South Rowan. The boys are looking to improve on last year’s 3-17 record. The girls are coming o of a 2-17 campaign.

North Stanly gets things started on Nov. 19, at home against East Rowan. The Comets boys were 22-7 last year, losing in the second round of the playo s. The girls were 13 -13, snapping a string of three straight 20-win seasons.

South Stanly is the last to tip things o , with a Nov. 21game against Central Academy. The Rowdy Rebel Bulls were 17-9 on the boys’ side last season, and the girls were 1-20.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• Nov. 14 West Stanly at Albemarle 6:00 girls 7:30 boys

• Nov. 14 Gray Stone Day at South Rowan 6:00 girls 7:30 boys

• Nov. 18 Charlotte Latin at West Stanly 6:00 girls 7:30 boys

• Nov. 18 Forest Hills at Albemarle 6:00 girls 7:30 boys

• Nov. 18 Sun Valley at Gray Stone Day 6:00 girls 7:30 boys

• Nov. 19 East Rowan at North Stanly 6:00 girls 7:30 boys

Paul Tagliabue, former NFL commissioner, dead at age 84

The league’s longtime leader’s legacy includes more money, diversity and a concussion conundrum

By Arnie Stapleton

The Associated Press

PAUL TAGLIABUE led the NFL to greater riches, more diversity and soaring popularity during his 17-year tenure as commissioner of America’s favorite sport. His stewardship also was marked by the league’s dawdling recognition of the impact and severity of concussions.

Tagliabue, who died Sunday of heart failure at age 84, was commissioner from 1989 to 2006. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

League revenues skyrocketed during the 17 years under Tagliabue, who was succeeded by current commissioner Rodger Goodell after brokering new television and labor deals. In addition to billions of dollars in broadcast revenue, the league also saw construction of a slew of new stadiums and expansion to 32 teams.

Tagliabue established the “Rooney Rule,” under which all teams with coaching vacancies must interview minority candidates. It has since been expanded to include front-o ce and league executive positions. Although the rule is named for the late Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, it could easily have carried Tagliabue’s ID.

Art Shell, a Hall of Fame player, became the NFL’s rst modern-day black head coach with the Raiders. He got to see Tagli-

abue up close and thought him utterly suited for his job.

“After my coaching career was over, I had the privilege of working directly with Paul in the league o ce,” Shell said.

“His philosophy on almost every issue was, ‘If it’s broke, x it. And if it’s not broke, x it anyway.’

“He always challenged us to nd better ways of doing things. Paul never lost sight of his responsibility to do what was right for the game. He was the perfect choice as NFL commissioner.”

There were no labor stoppages during Tagliabue’s 17 years in charge, and that contributed to the sport’s increasing popularity, not only in the U.S. but globally. Tagliabue’s death was announced Sunday morning during the NFL’s game in Berlin, where the Indianapolis Colts beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in overtime in the rst regular-season game played in the German capital.

Taking heed of his predecessor’s regrets, Tagliabue called o NFL games the weekend after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. One of Pete Rozelle’s great

regrets was proceeding with games two days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. The league pushed the Week 2 slate of games in 2001 to the rst week of January and pushed the playo s back a week.

Tagliabue insisted the Saints remain in New Orleans after owner Tom Benson sought to move the team to San Antonio following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A few years later, Drew Brees and Sean Payton, who arrived for the rebuild, brought the Big Easy its rst Super Bowl title.

Among Tagliabue’s major achievements was implementing a policy on substance abuse that was considered the strongest in all major sports. Yet his long wait for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, was pinned on the issue of concussions, which have plagued the NFL for decades.

In 2017, Tagliabue apologized for remarks he made decades earlier about concussions in football, acknowledging he didn’t have the proper data at the time in 1994.

Mason Jackson West Stanly 3-11

Goly Gonda West Stanly 1-11

Javier Padilla West Stanly 1-11

Holden Pope West Stanly 1-10

Pedro Mincitar West Stanly 1-4 AJ Butler Albemarle 1-4 Naijay Hastings Albemarle 1-3

Games last week (Nov. 7) • South Stanly, bye as 7-seed in NCHSAA Class 2A playo s

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

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Paul Tagliabue receives his gold jacket at his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class in 2021 in Canton, Ohio.

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NOTICES

BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000556-830

NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY. SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 25SP000120-830

NOTICE

TONY BIGGERS, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF ALVIN DAVID SPEIGHTS, JR. Petitioner, Vs. SYLVIA SMITH, MAXINE UNDERWOOD, ROGER BLAKE, AL BLAKE, WELLS FARGO BANK AND SYNCHRONY BANK Respondents

NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

Pursuant to an

The

The

nal

subject to the con rmation of the court.

and

will

Any further announcements shall be made at the sale.

Tony Biggers 20283 Hwy 52 S. Albemarle, NC 28001

James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for Tony Biggers Administrator of the Estate of Alvin David Speights, JR. P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002 704-983-2709

Publish: November 5, and 12, 2025

Posted on: October 22, 2025

NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 25SP000082-830 ANNMARIE STOLLE-ROCCO, Petitioner, vs. JOHN ABRUZZO, HOWARD G. STOLLE, JR., MARK STURT TRIPP, LINDA SUSAN VINICOMBE, and PATRICIA MARIE VANMIDDELEM, Respondents.

NOTICE OF SALE

Notice

Under and by virtue of an Order of the Clerk of Superior Court of Stanly County, North Carolina, entered on the 27th day of August, 2025, made in the above captioned Estate, the undersigned, was by said Order appointed Commissioner to sell the land described in the Petition, and will on the 24th day of November, 2025, at 12:00 Noon at the Stanly County Courthouse, Albemarle, North Carolina, o er for sale to the highest bidder for cash, that certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in Locust, Stanly County, North Carolina and being more particularly described as follows:

TRACT ONE BEING all of Lot 30 in Locust Valley Subdivision as shown on map thereof in Plat Book 19, page 153, Stanly County Public Registry. Reference to said plat being hereby made for a more complete description by metes and bounds.

The above-described property is subject to a Declaration of Restrictive Covenants, including the creation of a homeowners association, as shown in Book 1077, page 89, Stanly County Registry. For reference see Deed Book 1166, Page 588, Stanly County Registry. For further reference see deed recorded in Book 1039, page 147, Stanly County Registry. Parcel ID: 557502665767 That by deed dated April 16, 2010, and recorded in Deed Book 1321, Page 294, Stanly County Registry, Fifth Third Bank, conveyed to William H. Dehn (Deceased) property in Locust Township, Stanly County, North Carolina, said property more particularly described as follows:

TRACT TWO

BEING all of Lot 29 of LOCUST VALLEY SUBDIVISION as same is shown on map thereof recorded in Map Book 19 at Page 149-150 in the Stanly County Registry.

The property hereinabove described was acquired by Grantor by instrument recorded in Book 1309, Page 375 of the Stanly County, North Carolina Register of Deeds (the “Registry”). For reference see Deed Book 1321, Page 294, Stanly County Registry. Parcel ID: 557502665649

The Address of the properties are: 220 Vanderbilt Boulevard, and a vacant lot located at 218 Vanderbilt Boulevard, Locust, Stanly County, North Carolina

The above-described real property will be sold subject to any and all liens or encumbrances, superior mortgages, deeds of trust liens, including, without limitation, easements, conditions, restrictions and matters of record, and any unpaid county and city ad valorem taxes, including those for the year 2025, and city assessments, if any. Subject to any encroachments. An earnest money deposit equal to ve percent (5%) of the bid price, or $750.00, whichever is greater, will be required from the highest bidder at the time of sale as evidence of good faith. This sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids.

This the 20th day of October, 2025.

MARK T. LOWDER Commissioner M.T. Lowder & Associates Attorneys at Law P.O. Box 1284 Albemarle, NC 28002 Telephone: 704-982-8558 Fax: 704-986-4808 PUBLISH: November 12 and 19, 2025

‘Freakier

Friday,’ NF, ‘Landman,’

‘Palm Royale,’

Soul powerhouse Summer Walker drops “Finally Over It”

The Associated Press

JAMIE LEE CURTIS and Lindsay Lohan re-teaming as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo in “Freakier Friday” and albums from 5 Seconds of Summer and the rapper NF 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: Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys team up for the new limited-series thriller “The Beast in Me,” gamers get Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Apple TV’s star-studded “Palm Royale” is back.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Richard Linklater’s love letter to the French New Wave and the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” “Nouvelle Vague,” will be streaming on Net ix on Friday. In his review, Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle writes that, “To a remarkable degree, Linklater’s lm, in French and boxed into the Academy ratio, black-and-white style of ‘Breathless,’ has fully imbibed that spirit, resurrecting one of the most hallowed eras of movies to capture an iconoclast in the making. The result is something endlessly stylish and almost absurdly uncanny.” Curtis and Lohan are back as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo in “Freakier Friday,” a sequel to their 2003 movie, now streaming on Disney+.

Black Ops 7

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton attend the “Landman” Season 2 screening in October in Los Angeles. The show returns to Paramount+ on Sunday.

In her review, Jocelyn Noveck writes, “The chief weakness of ‘Freakier Friday’ — an amiable, often joyful and certainly chaotic reunion — is that while it hews overly closely to the structure, storyline and even dialogue of the original, it tries too hard to up the ante. The comedy is thus a bit more manic, and the plot machinations more overwrought (or sometimes distractingly silly).” Ari Aster’s latest nightmare “Eddington” is set in a small, ctional New Mexico town during the coronavirus pandemic, which becomes a kind of microcosm for our polarized society at large with Joaquin Phoenix as the sheri and Pedro Pascal as its mayor. In my review, I wrote that, “it is an anti-escapist symphony of masking debates, conspiracy theories, YouTube proph-

ets, TikTok trends and third-rail topics in which no side is spared.”

An incurable cancer diagnoses might not be the most obvious starting place for a funny and a rming lm, but that is the magic of Ryan White’s documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light,” about two poets — Andrea Gibson, who died in July, and Megan Falley — facing a difcult reality together. It will be on Apple TV on Friday.

MUSIC TO STREAM

The R&B and neo soul powerhouse Summer Walker has returned with her third studio album and rst in four years.

“Finally Over It,” out Friday, is the nal chapter of her “Over It” trilogy; a release centered on transformation and autonomy. That’s evident from the dreamy

able to arrange on-site visits to see the interior and exterior of the apartments on the following dates: Wednesday, Thursday, November 12 and 13, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, November 18, 19 and 20, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM or at other times by contacting Pedro Mincitar at 805-363-0149 or pmincitar@ci.albemarle.nc.us to schedule a visit. Bidders MUST notify Pedro Mincitar in advance of any site visits.

throwback single, “Heart of A Woman,” in which the song’s protagonist is disappointed with her partner — but with striking self-awareness. Consider him one of the biggest artists on the planet that you may not be familiar with. NF, the musical moniker of Nate Feuerstein, emerged from the Christian rap world as a modern answer to Eminem only to top the mainstream, all-genre Billboard 200 chart twice, with 2017’s “Perception” and 2019’s “The Search.”

SERIES TO STREAM

Apple TV’s star-studded “Palm Royale” is back just in time for a new social season. Starring Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Kaia Gerber, Ricky Martin AND Carol Burnett, the show is campy, colorful and fun, plus it has great costumes. The rst episode premiered Wednesday, and one will follow weekly into January.

“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” cast member Heather Gay has written a book called “Bad Mormon” about how she went from a devout Mormon to leaving the church. Next, she’s fronting a new docuseries that delves into that too called “Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay.” The reality TV star also speaks to others who have left the religion. All three episodes are streaming now on Peacock.

Thanks to “Homeland” and “The Americans,” Danes and Rhys helped put the prestige in the term prestige TV. They grace the screen together in a new limited series for Net ix called “The Beast in Me.” Danes plays

Questions regarding the project or bidding shall be directed to bids@stognerarchitecture.com.

Complete Plans and Project Manual will be open for inspection in the o ce of Stogner Architecture, PA, 615 East Broad Avenue, Rockingham, North Carolina (Designer); at the City of Albemarle, Department of Public Housing O ce; or complete Plans and Project Manual will be available for on-line viewing from the o ces of Construct Connect www.constructconnect. com; Dodge Data & Analytics http://dodgeprojects. construction.com; The Blue Book www.thebluebook. com; Construction Journal www.constructionjournal. com, East Coast Digital Plan Room (ECD – Minority Plan Room Provider) plans@speedyblue.com 252758-1616 and Metrolina Minority Contractor’s Resource Center, 2915 Rozzells Ferry Road, Charlotte, NC 28208, Phone: 704-332-5746, Fax: 704-342-9584; E-mail: mmca@mmcaofcharlotte.org.

Complete Bid Documents may be obtained by download from Stogner Architecture, PA. by quali ed bidders.

a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who nds a new subject in her next-door neighbor, a real estate tycoon who also may or may not have killed his rst wife. Howard Gordon, who worked with Danes on “Homeland,” is also the showrunner and an executive producer of “The Beast in Me.” It premieres Thursday.

David Duchovny and Jack Whitehall star in a new thriller on Prime Video called “Malice.” Duchovny plays Jamie, a wealthy man vacationing with his family in Greece. He hires a tutor (played by Whitehall) named Adam to work with the kids who seems likable, personable and they invite him into their world. Soon it becomes apparent that Adam’s charm is actually creepy. Something is up. As these stories go, getting rid of an interloper is never easy. All six episodes drop Friday.

“Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” returns to Fox Nation on Sunday for a second season. The premiere details the story of Saint Patrick. The show is a passion project for Scorsese who executive produces, hosts and narrates the episodes.

Billy Bob Thornton has struck oil in the second season of “Landman” on Paramount+. Created by Taylor Sheridan, the show is set-in modern-day Texas in the world of Big Oil. Sam Elliott and Andy Garcia have joined the cast, and Demi Moore also returns. The show returns Sunday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The Call of Duty team behind the Black Ops subseries delivered a chapter last year — but they’re already back with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The new installment of the bestselling rst-person shooter franchise moves to 2035 and a world “on the brink of chaos.” (What else is new?) Publisher Activision is promising a “reality-shattering” experience that dives into “into the deepest corners of the human psyche.” Lock and load Friday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis pose for photographers at the premiere of the lm ‘Freakier Friday’ in London. The body swap comedy is streaming now on Disney+.

Honoring service

Five hundred American ags were planted at South Asheboro Middle School as part of a Field of Honor installation by the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce for Veterans Day.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Commissioners approve land purchase for new Ashley Elementary site

U.S. ight cancellations will continue even after shutdown ends

Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends. The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with deeper cuts to ights at 40 major U.S. airports. After a weekend of thousands of canceled ights, airlines scrapped another 2,300 ights Monday and more than 1,000 for Tuesday. Air tra c controllers have been unpaid for nearly a month. Some have stopped showing up to work, citing the added stress and the need to take second jobs. Controller shortages led to average delays of four hours at Chicago O’Hare on Monday.

Record-low temps

shock Southeast while snowfall blankets parts of Northeast

The southeastern U.S. has plunged into record-low temperatures, a ecting 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The cold spell moved from the Northern Plains and brought an abrupt transition to wintry temperatures. Some daily records were shattered, including a low of 28 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida. In Florida, temperatures led to a “falling iguana advisory” as iguanas froze into survival mode and fell from trees. Meanwhile, parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast experienced signi cant snowfall, causing hazardous driving conditions.

The property was purchased for $45,000 and totals approximately 0.26 acres

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is moving forward with the purchase of land for the new Ashley Elementary School site.

At its Nov. 6 meeting, the board approved the purchase of 0.26 acres of vacant land located at 1809 N. Liberty St. The board approved a transfer of $50,000 from the 2023 General Obligation Two -Thirds bond proceeds, which is intended to be used to fund a

new Ashley Elementary, with $45,000 going toward the purchase and $5,000 going toward closing costs and attorney’s fees.

The property was sold to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education by Mayes Landscaping and Concrete.

The item was previously delayed at the board’s last meeting due to the commissioners not yet having seen the new design plans for the school and qualms over the cost.

The board also approved the transfer of another $450,000, with $100,000 to be used to establish an estimate/GMP and for other construction-related services provided by Balfour Beatty and $350,000 for architect fees.

$2.00 0.26

Total acreage of the site for the new Ashley Elementary School Pennies have nostalgia but limited

The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Back in 1793, a penny could get you a biscuit, a candle or a piece of candy. These days, many sit in drawers or glass jars and are basically cast aside or collected as lucky keepsakes. But their luck has run out. The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia struck its last circulating penny on Wednesday as the president has canceled the 1-cent coin as the cost of making them became more than their value.

President Donald Trump has ordered its demise as costs climb

In addition, the board approved the appropriation of just over $9,000 in funds from the City of Winston-Salem to Forsyth County Emergency Services for the provision of standby telecommunication services for the Carolina Classic Fair held Oct. 3-12.

The agreement was not previously authorized by the board before the services were provided.

The board also approved two grant items, including an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to fund the control tower renovations at Smith Reynolds Airport.

The total amount awarded to the airport was just under $1.8 million.

In relation to the award, the board approved contracts with Lomax Construction for the renovations and Avcon Engineers and Planners for the provision of construction phase services.

The second grant item, which involved $881,000 in funding received from the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation

them in circulation, but they are rarely essential for nancial transactions in the modern economy or the digital age.

“For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” Trump wrote in an online post in February, as costs continued to climb. “This is so wasteful!”

Still, many people have a nostalgia for them, seeing them as lucky or fun to collect. And some retailers have voiced concerns in recent weeks as supplies ran low and the last production neared. They said the phaseout was abrupt and came with no guidance from the federal government on how to handle customer transactions.

PENNY, page A2 See BOARD, page A2

Some rounded prices down

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BOARD from page A1

Administration, authorized entering into a contract with Oshkosh Corporation for the purchase of a crash re rescue truck for the airport.

“This is basically going to cover everything almost totally, which is great,” said Chairman Don Martin.

Finally, the board approved two contracts — an approximately $613,000 agreement with Capital Ford for the purchase of 13 vehicles (11 Ford PIU, two Ford F-150) for the Forsyth County Sheri ’s O ce, and a three-year, approximately $65,000 contract with Twin City Sprinkler Company for sprinkler system inspection services for various Forsyth County building locations.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will next meet Nov. 20.

PENNY from page A1

to avoid shortchanging people, others pleaded with customers to bring exact change and the more creative among them gave out prizes, such as a free drink, in exchange for a pile of pennies.

“We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way we wanted it to go,” Je Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores said last month.

Some banks, meanwhile, began rationing supplies, a somewhat paradoxical result of the e ort to address what many see as a glut of the coins. Over the last century, about half of the coins made at U.S. Mints in Philadelphia and Denver have been pennies.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Treasurer Brandon Beach were in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon for the nal production run. The Treasury Department expects to save $56 million per year on materials by ceasing to make them.

But they still have a better production-cost-to-value ratio than the nickel, which costs nearly 14 cents to make. The diminutive dime, by comparison, costs less than 6 cents to produce and the quarter nearly 15 cents.

No winners, much frustration in aftermath of historic shutdown

After more than a month, little has changed

By Kevin Freking The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The longest government shutdown in history could conclude as soon as Wednesday, Day 43, with almost no one happy with the nal result.

Democrats didn’t get the heath insurance provisions they demanded added to the spending deal. And Republicans, who control the levers of power in Washington, didn’t escape blame, according to polls and some state and local elections that went poorly for them.

The fallout of the shutdown landed on millions of Americans, including federal workers who went without paychecks and airline passengers who had their trips delayed or canceled.

An interruption in nutrition assistance programs contributed to long lines at food banks and added emotional distress going into the holiday season.

The agreement includes bipartisan bills worked out by the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things. All other funding would be extended until the end of January, giving lawmakers more than two months to nish additional spending bills. Here’s a look at how the shutdown started and is likely to end.

What led to the shutdown

Democrats made several demands to win their support for a short-term funding bill, but the central one was an extension of an enhanced tax credit that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through A ordable Care Act marketplaces.

The tax credit was boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic response, again through President Joe Biden’s big energy and health care bill, and it’s set to expire at the end of December. Without it, premiums on average will more than double for millions of Ameri-

cans. More than 2 million people would lose health insurance coverage altogether next year, the Congressional Budget Ofce projected.

“Never have American families faced a situation where their health care costs are set to double — double in the blink of an eye,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

While Democrats called for negotiations on the matter, Republicans said a funding bill would need to be passed rst.

“Republicans are ready to sit down with Democrats just as soon as they stop holding the government hostage to their partisan demands,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said.

Thune eventually promised Democrats a December vote on the tax credit extension to help resolve the stando , but many Democrats demanded a guaranteed x, not just a vote that is likely to fail.

Thune’s position was much the same as the one Schumer took back in October 2013, when Republicans unsuccessfully sought to roll back parts of the A ordable Care Act in exchange for funding the government.

“Open up all of the government, and then we can have a fruitful discussion,” Schumer said then.

Democratic leaders under pressure

The rst year of President Donald Trump’s second term has seen more than 200,000 federal workers leave their job through rings, forced relocations or the Republican administration’s deferred resignation program, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Whole agencies that don’t align with the administration’s priorities have been dismantled. And billions of dollars previously approved by Congress have been frozen or canceled.

Democrats have had to rely on the courts to block some of Trump’s e orts, but they have been unable to do it through legislation. They were also powerless to stop Trump’s big tax cut and immigration crackdown bill that Republicans

“The Senate Democrats are afraid that the radicals in their party will say that they caved.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson

helped pay for by cutting future spending on safety net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.

The Democrats’ struggles to blunt the Trump administration’s priorities has prompted calls for the party’s congressional leadership to take a more forceful response.

Schumer experienced that rsthand after announcing in March that he would support moving ahead with a funding bill for the 2025 budget year. There was a protest at his o ce, calls from progressives that he be primaried in 2028 and suggestions that the Democratic Party would soon be looking for new leaders.

This time around, Schumer demanded that Republicans negotiate with Democrats to get their votes on a spending bill. The Senate rules, he noted, requires bipartisan support to meet the 60-vote threshold necessary to advance a spending bill.

But those negotiations did not occur, at least not with Schumer. Republicans instead worked with a small group of eight Democrats to tee up a short-term bill to fund the government generally at current levels and accused Schumer of catering to the party’s left ank when he refused to go along.

“The Senate Democrats are afraid that the radicals in their party will say that they caved,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said at one of his many daily press conferences.

The blame game

The political stakes in the shutdown are huge, which is why leaders in both parties have held nearly daily press brie ngs to shape public opinion.

Roughly 6 in 10 Americans say Trump and Republicans

in Congress have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress, according to the poll from The Associated PressNORC Center for Public A airs Research.

At least three-quarters of Americans believe each deserves at least a “moderate” share of blame, underscoring that no one was successfully evading responsibility.

Both parties looked to the Nov. 4 elections in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere for signs of how the shutdown was in uencing public opinion. Democrats took comfort in their overwhelming successes. Trump called it a “big factor, negative” for Republicans. But it did not change the GOP’s stance on negotiating. Instead, Trump ramped up calls for Republicans to end the libuster in the Senate, which would pretty much eliminate the need for the majority party to ever negotiate with the minority. Damage of the shutdown

The Congressional Budget O ce says that the negative impact on the economy will be mostly recovered once the shutdown ends, but not entirely. It estimated the permanent economic loss at about $11 billion for a six-week shutdown.

Beyond the numbers, though, the shutdown created a cascade of troubles for many Americans. Federal workers missed paychecks, causing nancial and emotional stress. Travelers had their ights delayed and at times canceled. People who rely on safety net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program saw their bene ts stopped, and Americans throughout the country lined up for meals at food banks.

“This dysfunction is damaging enough to our constituents and economy here at home, but it also sends a dangerous message to the watching world,” said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). “It demonstrates to our allies that we are an unreliable partner, and it signals to our adversaries that we can’t work together to meet even the most fundamental responsibilities of

MARIAM ZUHAIB / AP PHOTO

Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks with reporters at the Capitol Subway on Day 36 of the government shutdown last week in Washington.

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill,

senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Federal and state governments are rooting out DEI & ESG

FOLLOWING PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s executive orders to root out and eliminate ESG and DEI policies from government agencies and departments, it might be easy to think the war against these destructive ideas is won.

Radical leftists are losing voter support for ESG and DEI at the ballot box, in legislative chambers around the country and in public opinion. But sadly, any attempt to declare victory regarding the end of ESG or DEI would be wrong. Ultra-left activists and entrenched government bureaucrats who support these polices are working overtime to rename ESG and DEI rules so they attract less attention but are still enforced.

ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) sound innocent, and that’s the point. Nestled within these two seemingly innocuous acronyms (who could be against inclusion?) are radical, insidious and anti-American agendas.

Going through the letters “ESG,” the realities become apparent. “Environmental” really means climate alarmism and eliminating the safest, most a ordable and most reliable energy sources in favor of solar and wind, which are as unreliable as they are una ordable. “Social” is where DEI lives with racial quotas for hiring, discriminating based on skin color and the worst elements of gender ideology. And “governance” underpins it all by manipulating our free enterprise system to take control of companies and turn them into tools for the woke.

COLUMN | JENNY BETH MARTIN

It’s all a scheme to package the woke left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse, making it unrecognizable. It is moving us from a meritocracy that values hard work and rewards success to a kakistocracy. Particularly insidious is that this allows the left to implement the worst elements of its agenda without winning elections, without passing laws in Congress or state legislatures, and without any of us having a say in our nation’s future.

There is, however, positive momentum. Many state policymakers have been sounding the alarm for years, but this year the movement against ESG and DEI achieved critical mass. Trump has issued three executive orders targeting DEI (Executive Order 14151, Executive Order 14173, and Executive Order 14168) and two targeting ESG (Executive Order 14154 and Executive Order 14259).

These orders terminated all DEI positions in the federal government, banned contractors from using it in hiring, directed the Department of Justice to investigate civil rights violations related to its use in the private sector, directed the U.S. attorney general to block enforcement of state and local ESG laws, and rescinded all Biden ESG and DEI executive orders.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to weed out DEI and ESG from both the public and private sectors, ending programs and cutting funding. The Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport lost more than $37 million in grants when it refused to end DEI. The Trump administration also halted $18 billion in funding

for infrastructure projects in New York City due to concerns about the city’s DEI policies.

State governments have also acted. So far, 22 states have banned or restricted DEI and ESG. Earlier this year, nancial o cers from 21 states sent a warning letter to the nation’s largest banks, urging them to end woke investing policies.

Texas enacted a parental bill of rights that ends DEI and bans instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in public K-12 schools. In Indiana, State Attorney General Todd Rokita moved to block state contracts with law rms that have DEI initiatives following an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun. Before stepping down in August to become a deputy director of the FBI, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued IBM and Starbucks for their discriminatory DEI policies and launched an investigation into two foreign-owned proxy advisory rms for promoting ESG.

Despite all this progress, victory celebrations would be premature. Sal Nuzzo, executive director of Consumers Defense, which works to protect American consumers from ESG and woke companies, warns:

“ESG isn’t dead, it’s simply rebranding. The radicals on the Left are publicly proclaiming that they have seen the light while at the same time simply changing the terms to things like ‘sustainability’ and ‘transparency’ in the hopes of waiting out the current momentum. We forget this to our detriment.”

ESG and DEI aren’t just bad ideas — they are destructive forces that must be eradicated. They harm our economy, divide our country, and increasingly violate state and federal laws. Those who want to change the very fabric of America will not simply concede and surrender. We all must remain vigilant to recognize the next iterations of ESG and DEI and continue to root them out.

Harry Roth is director of outreach for Save Our States. This column was rst published by The Daily Signal.

It’s time to impeach Judge Boasberg

PUBLIC TRUST IN THE impartiality of our judiciary is one of the crown jewels of the American republic. Federal judges, unlike politicians, do not stand for election, and the power they wield is immense precisely because it is supposed to be restrained by duty, precedent and the Constitution. When that restraint fails, the remedy is clear: impeachment. Judge James E. Boasberg’s conduct in approving sweeping subpoenas and gag orders as part of the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation shows a breach of trust serious enough to merit that remedy.

Start with the facts: Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently disclosed that the FBI’s Arctic Frost probe — launched under the Biden administration and later folded into Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe — was far broader than the public was led to believe. The investigation targeted not just a few Trump allies or campaign gures but “the entire Republican political apparatus.” Agents sought records from at least 430 individuals, groups and businesses tied to the GOP, issuing some 197 subpoenas in the process. Among those ensnared were Republican senators, former Trump o cials and conservative organizations such as Turning Point USA.

That level of sweep might be understandable, and tolerable, if justi ed by credible evidence of criminal conspiracy. But Grassley’s review found no probable cause linking this many targets to an identi able crime. Instead, the evidence points to what Grassley called “the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends.” In short, Arctic Frost appears to have been less an investigation into wrongdoing than an exercise in political surveillance.

Boasberg’s role was not tangential. As chief dudge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, he personally approved the subpoenas and the gag orders that kept their existence secret. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, whose phone metadata was sought,

revealed that AT&T had been forbidden by court order to inform him of the subpoena for at least one year. “If a judge signs an order reaching a factual conclusion for which there is no evidence whatsoever,” Cruz said, “that judge is abusing his power.” Cruz is right.

Judges are not grand jurors, nor are they partisan gatekeepers. Their constitutional duty is to test the government’s assertions before granting its requests to intrude on private citizens. A judge’s signature carries the force of law only because it represents independent judgment. When that independence is abandoned — when a judge becomes a rubber stamp for politically charged investigations — the separation of powers itself begins to erode.

Boasberg’s defenders note that the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit routinely handled classi ed or grand jury matters and that his approvals may have been routine. That is precisely the problem. What should never be “routine” is secret surveillance of political actors without clear, nonpartisan justi cation.

Impeachment is not to be taken lightly. The Constitution reserves it for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which historically includes serious abuses of o ce. A judge who repeatedly fails to exercise due scrutiny over politically sensitive investigations ts that description.

Some will object that impeachment of a sitting federal judge risks politicizing the judiciary further. That argument reverses cause and e ect. It is precisely because the judiciary must remain apolitical that accountability is essential when a judge steps into politics. Congress impeached and removed Judge Alcee Hastings in 1989 for falsifying evidence and perjuring himself. It impeached and removed Judge Thomas Porteous in 2010 for corruption. Judicial independence is not immunity. The same principle must apply when a judge’s conduct facilitates the weaponization of justice for partisan ends.

The larger question is whether Americans still believe the law applies equally. The Arctic Frost

a air is a troubling episode that lends weight to the argument that the law is applied unequally. When subpoenas reach across entire political parties while evidence of actual criminality is not made available for public review, citizens cannot be blamed for suspecting the system is tilted.

Congress cannot restore that trust merely by complaining in hearings or issuing press releases. It must act. The House of Representatives has the authority — and the obligation — to investigate Boasberg’s role, to subpoena the Justice Department’s submissions for his approval and to determine whether he violated his oath to “administer justice without respect to persons.” If the evidence shows that he violated his oath, the House should pass articles of impeachment, and the Senate should hold a trial. No other mechanism will su ce to reassert the principle that even judges are accountable under the Constitution.

The strength of America’s republic depends on the restraint of those who wield power — especially those who wield it for life. If Boasberg believed it was appropriate to sign orders allowing the FBI and DOJ to harvest the communications of elected lawmakers and political organizations without solid cause, then he has demonstrated precisely the kind of judgment that the Founders feared. The time has come for Congress to redraw the line. Judicial independence requires it. So does the Constitution.

Jenny Beth Martin is honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | HARRY ROTH

Anatomy of a news story: ‘60 Minutes’ invites audience into editing process with Trump interview

The new leadership at CBS News released the full video and transcript of the interview

By David Bauder The Associated Press

DURING HIS “60 Minutes” interview, President Donald Trump said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer would rather see the country fail than Republicans do well, complained about investigators searching through his wife’s closet, spoke in detail about ending wars and turned the tables on interviewer Norah O’Donnell to ask about safety in Washington, D.C.

None of that was seen by people who watched the CBS telecast Sunday night.

Less than half of O’Donnell’s interview, conducted Friday, actually made it onto the air. But CBS posted a transcript and video of the full 73-minute discussion online so viewers could see for themselves what the president said that the network deemed worthy for inclusion in the 28-minute on-air segment.

That o ered viewers a rare look inside the editing process at one of journalism’s best-known institutions, showing the dozens of decisions on clarity and newsworthiness that go into telling the story you see on television.

Beyond “60 Minutes,” the process is essentially the same throughout the world of journalism, from local newspapers to The New York Times, from specialty websites to The Associated Press. In short: Much like the old notion that everyone’s a critic, with this move everyone can be an editor.

A contrast to how “60 Minutes” has worked throughout its history

Release of the Trump “outtakes” contrasted with CBS’ treatment of the “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris last fall. Trump sued CBS, claiming the interview with his Democratic opponent was deceptively edited, based on two di erent clips that were aired on the newsmagazine and “Face the Nation.”

CBS did not release a transcript of its Harris interview for four months, and not until the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission had applied public pressure. On a routine basis, “60 Minutes” — and most journalists — don’t release raw material in this way.

If CBS News is going to change its practices routinely in the future, one former “60 Minutes” producer said it should be up front with its viewers about it. Tom Bettag, who worked at the broadcast in the 1980s and

is now a journalism professor at the University of Maryland, said it’s a product of the times in which we live, but there’s a downside to the practice of letting people in on the editing.

“I think there’s a very good reason not to allow people to do that, in order to avoid the arguments of ‘you should have done this’ or ‘you should have done that,’” Bettag said. “The assumption has been that your audience trusts you to use good judgment and to be fair.”

From the very start, the edited Trump interview showed a clear di erence from the raw material. On the broadcast, O’Donnell’s interview began with discussion of the government shutdown. But when the two actually sat down, she started by asking the president about his just-concluded meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

That’s essentially a call journalists make every day in crafting reports: Pick material to emphasize that seems the most newsworthy or of interest to the most people.

“The newsiest portions made the broadcast, which is why programs edit in the rst place,”

Brian Stelter wrote about the “60 Minutes” interview for CNN’s “Reliable Sources” newsletter.

The rst words out of Trump’s mouth — “Democrats’ fault” — came before O’Donnell even completed her question. That

“You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have legit news. And I think that’s happening.”

President Donald Trump

clearly showed where Trump was going, and the broadcast interview re ected that. But it was edited several times for length to avoid tangents and the repetitiveness of partisan attacks.

Of Schumer, Trump said, “He would rather see the country fail than have Trump and the Republicans do well” — a comment left out of the broadcast.

On cutting room oor: Trump says O’Donnell “should be ashamed”

Trump also told O’Donnell that she “should be ashamed” to be asking him about political retribution. That was left o the broadcast. Trump’s complaints about New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey were abbreviated — although his comment that James was a “terrible, dishonest person” was left in.

“I was struck by how much of what didn’t air from the interview were the parts that seemed more rant- lled and often confusing,” wrote journalist Rick

Solar storms bring colorful northern lights to unexpected places in the United States

The auroras were visible far further south than usual

By Adithi Ramakrishnan

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Solar storms brought colorful auroras to unexpected places in the U.S. on Tuesday night, and there could be more to come.

Space weather forecasters con rmed that storms reached severe levels on Tuesday, triggering vibrant northern lights as far south as Kansas, Colorado and Texas.

There were some impacts to GPS communications and the power grid, Shawn Dahl with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a video posted on X.

Over the past few days, the sun has burped out several

bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections. Forecasters think this solar outburst could be the most energetic of the three and have issued a severe storm alert. How bright the auroras are and how far south they are visible will depend on when the burst gets here and how it interacts with Earth’s magnetic eld and atmosphere.

How northern lights happen

The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making the light displays more common and widespread. Colorful northern lights have decorated night skies in unexpected places and space weather experts say there are more auroras still to come.

Aurora displays known as the northern and southern lights are commonly visible near the

poles, where charged particles from the sun interact with Earth’s atmosphere.

Skygazers are spotting the lights deeper into the United States and Europe because the sun is going through a major face-lift. Every 11 years, its magnetic poles swap places, causing magnetic twists and tangles along the way.

Last year, the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades slammed Earth, producing light displays across the Northern Hemisphere. And soon afterward, a powerful solar storm dazzled skygazers far from the Arctic Circle when dancing lights appeared in unexpected places including Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City.

The sun’s active spurt is expected to last at least through the end of this year, although when solar activity will peak

Ellis, who painstakingly compared transcripts of the full interview and what CBS broadcast for the website All Your Screens.

Trump brought up his predecessor, President Joe Biden, more than 40 times in the interview but only six instances made the broadcast, Ellis said. The headline for Ellis’ story read, “‘60 Minutes’ Edits (Most of) the Crazy Out of Its Interview with Donald Trump.”

CBS edited a handful of fact-checks into the “60 Minutes” story, most notably adding a military o cial’s refutation of Trump’s claim that China and Russia were testing nuclear weapons. There were a handful of missed opportunities, such as Trump’s claim that he was able to beat all of the legal “nonsense that was thrown at me.”

CBS removed an exchange during a discussion of crime in cities in which Trump asked O’Donnell whether she felt safer in Washington, D.C., after the president ordered the National Guard to patrol there. Generally, journalists like to keep the focus o themselves.

“You see a di erence?” Trump asked her.

Responded O’Donnell: “I think I’ve been working too hard. I haven’t been out and about that much.”

“60 Minutes” pointed out that O’Donnell’s interview was conducted exactly a year after Trump led his lawsuit regard-

ing the Harris interview. But it left out of the broadcast Trump’s discussion about management changes at CBS’s parent company Paramount since the company agreed to pay him $16 million to settle the case.

“They paid me a lot of money for that,” Trump said. “You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have legit news. And I think that’s happening.”

He praised Paramount’s new leaders along with the news division’s new editor-in-chief, The Free Press founder Bari Weiss.

That editing decision angered a Trump critic, Tim Miller at the Bulwark website.

“‘60 Minutes’ did not air the part where Trump discusses his success extorting the network and calls them Fake News,” he wrote on X. “This edit is harmful to me and I’m considering suing.”

CBS’s editing seemed to draw fewer complaints from Trump supporters. The White House’s “rapid response” X feed posted copies of both the full interview and what CBS put on the air.

Jorge Bonilla, writing for the conservative media watchdog Newsbusters, wrote that O’Donnell’s rst interview with the newsmagazine contrasted with its “debacle” with Lesley Stahl ve years ago, when Trump walked out.

“It appears,” he wrote, “that the Bari Weiss era is now full upon us at CBS News.”

won’t be known until months after the fact, according to NASA and NOAA.

How solar storms a ect Earth

Solar storms can bring more than colorful lights to Earth. When fast-moving particles and plasma slam into Earth’s magnetic eld, they can temporarily disrupt the power grid. Space weather can also interfere with air tra c control radio and satellites in orbit. Severe

storms are capable of scrambling other radio and GPS communications.

In 1859, a severe solar storm triggered auroras as far south as Hawaii and set telegraph lines on re in a rare event. And a 1972 solar storm may have detonated magnetic U.S. sea mines o the coast of Vietnam.

Space weather experts aren’t able to predict a solar storm months in advance. Instead, they alert relevant parties to prepare in the days before a solar outburst hits Earth.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on board Air Force One on his way back to the White House from a weekend trip at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last Sunday.

CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP PHOTO

The northern lights ll the sky behind the Saint Joseph the Woodworker Shrine Tuesday near Valley Falls, Kansas.

Forsyth SPORTS

Coach buyouts piling up beyond $150M, raising questions

Changes to college football have raised expectations on coaches

By Maura Carey The Associated Press

MERELY THREE WEEKS into the season, UCLA’s DeShaun Foster and Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry were out of a job. Seven weeks later, a half-dozen more coaches were added to the list of midseason rings.

A quarter of the SEC’s coaches who started the season are gone. So are longtime coaches James Franklin of Penn State and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy.

It’s not as simple as an uncomfortable conversation and launching a search for the new coach. Universities are on the hook for millions of dollars for coaches they’re no longer employing.

By Week 10, buyout totals for assistant and head coaches have climbed to approximately $185 million, a gure that raises the question of whether athletic departments spending their way out of a headache is still a feasible route to take, especially when higher education funding is under increasing pressure and schools are already sending athletes millions in revenue for the rst time.

“It’s not a sustainable pattern,” said Michael LeRoy, a labor and employment relations expert at Illinois. “Even without revenue sharing, it would be challenging. These gures have been growing exponentially over the past ve to 10 years. Power conference coaching contracts are in this escalating spiral that involves larger buyouts, longer terms and more restrictions on terminating contracts.”

While costs build, so do expectations. Making the 12-team College Football Playo is con-

sidered the minimum seasonal goal for some programs. And leverage largely remains in the hands of highly sought-after coaches, the same ones who will inevitably be in talks for some of the top positions in college football at LSU, Florida and Penn State.

So how does the cycle of ring, rehiring and spending stop?

It probably doesn’t, according to LeRoy.

“I don’t think schools have the willpower,” he said. “They’re always going to be concerned about what their rivals are doing, and there’s always going to be a rival that will break the bank to hire the best coach.”

LeRoy’s answer is in line with Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s philosophy. His annual salary this year is $10.8 million and his current buyout cost exceeds $60 million. The fth-year coach says it’s just the cost of doing business.

“Sometimes you’ve got to pay the guy that’s leading the ship,” Sarkisian said. “That’s the price you pay. If you hired a coach and don’t think he’s the right coach for you, that’s part of it. You got to pay him. That’s just the way it works. ... So if you’re not willing to pay a coach and what his

contract is, well, you’re probably not going to get the coaches you thought you might get.”

The evolving economics in college athletics are rewriting the job description for a modern coach. The criteria for success isn’t what it once was with revenue-sharing, NIL compensation and the transfer portal taking over.

“A coach who had been successful 10 or 15 years ago under a model of recruiting high schools across the country for ve-star players, that isn’t the same model as today,” LeRoy said. “These hires are retrospective in nature, so you’re in e ect hiring a coach who was successful under a di erent business model for coaching success, and therefore, when the coach doesn’t produce the way he had produced in the past, pressure builds really quickly to re him.”

One way or another, the schools already searching for their next hire will all be taking a gamble.

“These coaching contracts are somewhat like buying a Powerball ticket in the millions of dollars in the hopes that you will cash in. Somebody does cash in, but a lot of people are out of a lot of money,” LeRoy said.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jackson Farmer

Reagan, cross-country

Jackson Farmer is a senior on the Reagan boys’ cross-country team.

Farmer won the Central Piedmont 7A/8A individual title in the conference meet in mid-October. He then went on to states, where he placed higher than any other Forsyth County runner. Farmer turned in a time of 15:45.29, which earned him a sixth-place nish at the NCHSAA class 7A championships, 13.14 seconds away from a state title. It was nearly 30 seconds faster than his time in last year’s state meet, when he nished 33rd.

Paul Tagliabue, former NFL commissioner, dead at age 84

The league’s longtime leader’s legacy includes more money, diversity and a concussion conundrum

By Arnie Stapleton

The Associated Press

PAUL TAGLIABUE led the NFL to greater riches, more diversity and soaring popularity during his 17-year tenure as commissioner of America’s favorite sport. His stewardship also was marked by the league’s dawdling recognition of the impact and severity of concussions.

Tagliabue, who died Sunday of heart failure at age 84, was commissioner from 1989 to 2006. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

More money

League revenues skyrocketed during the 17 years under Tagliabue, who was succeeded by current commissioner Rodger Goodell after brokering new television and labor deals. In addition to billions of dollars in broadcast revenue, the league also saw construction of a slew of new stadiums and expansion to 32 teams.

More diversity

Tagliabue established the “Rooney Rule,” under which all teams with coaching vacancies must interview minority candidates. It has since been expanded to include front-o ce and league executive positions. Although the rule is named for the late Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, it could easily have carried Tagliabue’s ID.

Concussion conundrum

“Paul never lost sight of his responsibility to do what was right for the game. He was the perfect choice as NFL commissioner.”

Art Shell

to nd better ways of doing things. Paul never lost sight of his responsibility to do what was right for the game. He was the perfect choice as NFL commissioner.”

More popularity

“After my coaching career was over, I had the privilege of working directly with Paul in the league o ce,” Shell said.

“His philosophy on almost every issue was, ‘If it’s broke, x it. And if it’s not broke, x it anyway.’

“He always challenged us

Art Shell, a Hall of Fame player, became the NFL’s rst modern-day black head coach with the Raiders. He got to see Tagliabue up close and thought him utterly suited for his job.

There were no labor stoppages during Tagliabue’s 17 years in charge, and that contributed to the sport’s increasing popularity, not only in the U.S. but globally. Tagliabue’s death was announced Sunday morning during the NFL’s game in Berlin, where the Indianapolis Colts beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in overtime in the rst regular-season game played in the German capital.

9/11 postponements

Taking heed of his predeces-

sor’s regrets, Tagliabue called o NFL games the weekend after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. One of Pete Rozelle’s great regrets was proceeding with games two days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. The league pushed the Week 2 slate of games in 2001 to the rst week of January and pushed the playo s back a week.

Big Easy

Tagliabue insisted the Saints remain in New Orleans after owner Tom Benson sought to move the team to San Antonio following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A few years later, Drew Brees and Sean Payton, who arrived for the rebuild, brought the Big Easy its rst Super Bowl title.

Among Tagliabue’s major achievements was implementing a policy on substance abuse that was considered the strongest in all major sports. Yet his long wait for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, was pinned on the issue of concussions, which have plagued the NFL for decades. Team owners played a major role in the lack of progress in dealing with head trauma while Tagliabue was commissioner.

In 2017, Tagliabue apologized for remarks he made decades earlier about concussions in football, acknowledging he didn’t have the proper data at the time in 1994 when he called concussions “one of those pack-journalism issues” and contended that the number of concussions “is relatively small; the problem is the journalist issue.”

COURTESY TF_REAGAN / X

GERALD HERBERT / AP PHOTO

LSU head coach Brian Kelly was red earlier this season, joining a large group of high-pro le dismissals.

GENE J. PUSKAR / AP PHOTO

Paul Tagliabue receives his gold jacket at his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class in 2021 in Canton, Ohio.

SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Big Ten says USC should have been penalized on fake punt Rosemont, Ill.

The Big Ten has announced that Southern California should have received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during its game against Northwestern. This was due to a reserve quarterback wearing the same number as the Trojans’ regular punter while executing a fake punt. Early in the second quarter, Sam Huard completed a pass that led to a touchdown ve plays later. The Big Ten stated that USC should have been penalized under the NCAA’s Unfair Tactics rule. The conference plans to continue reviewing the situation with both schools.

NFL White House: Naming new Commanders stadium after Trump would be “beautiful” West Palm Beach, Fla.

The White House says it would be “beautiful” to name the new stadium for Washington’s NFL team after President Donald Trump. The remarks on Saturday came following an ESPN report that an intermediary has told the Commanders’ ownership group that he wants it to bear his name. Trump attended the Commanders’ game against Detroit, becoming the rst sitting president since 1978 to attend a regular-season NFL game. Only two other times did a president go to an NFL game during the regular season while in o ce: Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978.

NBA Miami Heat coach Spoelstra grateful for support after re destroys home

Miami Miami coach Erik Spoelstra has expressed gratitude for the support he received after a re destroyed his home. His children were not at home, and no one was injured. Spoelstra praised the rst responders for their e orts, even though the house couldn’t be saved. He declined time o o ered by the Heat. Spoelstra also thanked the Heat family for their support, noting that some players’ families are helping his children. The cause of the re remains under investigation.

MLB Dodgers’ Vesia, who missed World Series for personal reasons, says baby daughter has died Los Angeles

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia has shared the news that his daughter, Sterling, has died. Vesia and his wife, Kayla, expressed their grief and love for their daughter in an Instagram post. Vesia missed the World Series due to what the team initially described as a “deeply personal family matter.” Both team’s pitchers wore Vesia’s No. 51 on their caps in tribute. The Vesias thanked the medical sta and both teams for their support. The Dodgers won the World Series in seven games against Toronto.

Kneeland’s death highlights need of mental health resources for athletes

The Dallas Cowboys defensive end died in an apparent suicide

By Rob Maaddi The Associated Press

LIKE THE REST of society,

the NFL has come a long way in addressing mental wellness, an evolution aimed at reducing the stigma associated with the issue. It’s a discussion that is returning to the forefront as the NFL mourns the loss of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.

Police in a Dallas suburb say the 24-year-old Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide this week after evading authorities in his vehicle and eeing the scene of an accident on foot. As authorities were looking for Kneeland, a dispatcher told o cers that people who knew him had received a group text from Kneeland “saying goodbye. They’re concerned for his welfare,” according to recordings from Broadcastify, which archives public safety radio feeds. The NFL has put an emphasis in recent years on all aspects of player health.

Players are encouraged to prioritize their mental well-being. They’re told to seek professional support if needed. They have more resources available to them now. The NFL and NFL Players Association in 2019 made it a requirement to have a licensed behavioral health clinician on the sta of each team.

“It’s tough. It’s a hard job. But it’s hard to be a person sometimes.”

Micah Parsons

“We don’t all understand what happened to 9-4 (Kneeland) in the instance, but mental health is important about being there for each other, whether we’re going through hard times or whatever it may be,” Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons said. “It’s tough. It’s a hard job. But it’s hard to be a person sometimes. I think sometimes people evade that you are human. They try to go away from that.”

Many former and current players have opened up about their personal struggles in an e ort to raise more awareness about a topic that used to be a silent illness.

Former Eagles star Brian Dawkins used the platform of his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 to talk publicly about his battle with depression. Dawkins overcame suicidal thoughts to become one of the greatest safeties in the history of the sport. Now he’s on a crusade to educate people about mental wellness.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott lost his older brother, Jace, by suicide in 2020. Teammate Solomon Thomas’ older sister Ella took her life in January 2018 at 24 years old.

The death hit hard for play-

ers and coaches across the league.

“It hurts your heart,” Buccaneers veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard said in Tampa Bay’s locker room. “This game is great and everything; it is one of everybody’s childhood dreams to come and play at this level, but that is the real-life stu people go through. You just never know, so (it) puts things in perspective for you every day that you walk into this building, being grateful and just checking on your brothers as well, make sure everything is OK with them mentally. This game is a lot on us and people tend to forget the real-life aspect of it.” Parsons discussed the difculty of trying to prepare for a game while mourning

theloss of his former teammate.

“I’ve got former teammates that are devastated,” Parsons said. “They can’t comprehend it. Losing a teammate is like a brother. This is someone — people don’t realize how much we’re actually together, like time spent. That’s the challenge. Like regardless, the NFL is like a brotherhood. It doesn’t matter who it is. If you’re breaking sweat, breaking blood with someone, whether it’s opposite team or same team, it’s a brotherhood.”

A second-round pick in 2024, Kneeland scored a touchdown after recovering a blocked punt on Monday night against Arizona. It was a highlight moment in what seemed to be a promising career. Now, he’s gone.

NCAA revokes eligibility of 6 more basketball players

Arizona State, New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State players are involved in the gambling probe

By Doug Feinberg

The Associated Press

THE NCAA REVOKED the eligibility of six men’s college basketball players as a result of three separate sports-betting cases that involved a power-conference school and allegations of players throwing games to lose by more points than the spread.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions released ndings from an investigation that concluded Chatton “BJ” Freeman at Arizona State; Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short and Jamond Vincent at New Orleans, and Donovan Sanders and Alvin Stredic at Mississippi Valley State either manipulated their performances to lose games, not cover bet lines or ensure certain prop bets were reached, or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024 -25 regular season.

The NCAA said last month it was investigating at least 30 current or former players for gambling allegations. The NCAA also banned three college basketball players in September for betting on their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State.

Arizona State is the only power-conference school involved in the recent announcements. Freeman became implicated in the investigation when the NCAA reviewed text messages between him and a player banned in September, Mykell Robinson, who played at Fresno State. Records on Robinson’s phone indicated that on four separate occasions between November and December 2024, Freeman knowingly provided information to Robinson, who was betting on Freeman through daily fantasy sports accounts. Freeman also knowingly provided information on at least two occasions to his then-girlfriend, who was also betting on Freeman. In one instance, Freeman provided information to Robinson to bet the over on Freeman’s turnover total against Florida on Dec. 14, 2024, ac-

cording to the NCAA. Arizona State entered the game 8-1. The Sun Devils lost 83-66 to the ninth-ranked Gators and went on to nish the season 13-20. Freeman had one turnover in the game.

The violations at New Orleans against Hunter, Short and Vincent came to light after the NCAA received a tip about game manipulation. The NCAA said a student-athlete overheard the three players discuss a third party placing a bet on their game against McNeese State on Dec. 28, 2024. New Orleans lost 86-61.

That same student-athlete reported that during a timeout near the end of the game, Short instructed him not to score any more points. New Orleans suspended all three student-athletes for the remainder of the season while it investigated the allegations.

The NCAA investigation showed that the three players manipulated their perfor-

mances in seven games from December through January to lose by more points than the spread for that game.

The NCAA reached out to an integrity monitoring service to review Mississippi Valley State games after a related but separate NBA gambling ring that was uncovered earlier this year showed potential ties to college basketball, including the school.

The service indicated betting trends for the Mississippi Valley State games on Jan. 6 against Alabama A&M were suspicious. Mississippi Valley State lost 79-67.

During an interview with the NCAA, a men’s basketball student-athlete said that before the team’s Dec. 21, 2024, game, he overhead Sanders on the phone with an unknown third party talking about “throwing the game.” Sanders asked the student-athlete to participate in the call because the third par-

ty had told Sanders the individual intended to bet on the game and wanted to know that another of Sanders’ teammates would participate in the scheme.

The student-athlete denied altering his performance or receiving money from Sanders or any other individuals. Sanders texted the same student-athlete after that game and told him to delete their messages.

During a second interview, Sanders could not explain the student-athlete’s account of the events or the text messages. He did say, however, that he and Stredic were o ered money to throw the team’s Jan. 6 game by another anonymous caller, who instructed them to perform poorly in the rst half.

The enforcement sta demonstrated that Sanders knowingly provided information to a third party for the purposes of sports betting for two games and Stredic did the same for one game.

DARRYL WEBB / AP PHOTO

Arizona State guard BJ Freeman shoots during a January game against Iowa State.

RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ / AP PHOTO

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland walks o the eld after a preseason game.

the stream

and

‘Freakier

pose for photographers at the premiere of the lm ‘Freakier Friday’ in London. The body swap comedy is streaming now on

Friday,’ NF, ‘Landman,’ ‘Palm Royale,’ Black Ops 7

Soul powerhouse Summer Walker drops “Finally Over It”

The Associated Press

JAMIE LEE CURTIS and Lindsay Lohan re-teaming as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo in “Freakier Friday” and albums from 5 Seconds of Summer and the rapper NF 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: Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys team up for the new limited-series thriller “The Beast in Me,” gamers get Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Apple TV’s star-studded “Palm Royale” is back.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Richard Linklater’s love letter to the French New Wave and the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” “Nouvelle Vague,” will be streaming on Net ix on Friday. In his review, Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle writes that, “To a remarkable degree, Linklater’s lm, in French and boxed into the Academy ratio, black-and-white style of ‘Breathless,’ has fully imbibed that spirit, resurrecting one of the most hallowed eras of movies to capture an iconoclast in the making. The result is something endlessly stylish and almost absurdly uncanny.” Curtis and Lohan are back as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo in “Freakier Friday,” a sequel to their 2003 movie, now streaming on Disney+. In her review, Jocelyn Noveck writes, “The chief weakness of ‘Freakier Friday’ — an amiable, often joyful and certainly chaotic reunion — is that while it hews overly closely to the structure, storyline and even dialogue of the original, it tries too hard to up the ante. The comedy is thus a bit more manic, and the plot machinations more overwrought (or sometimes distractingly silly).”

Ari Aster’s latest nightmare “Eddington” is set in a small, ctional New Mexico town during the coronavirus pandemic, which becomes a kind of microcosm for our polarized society at large with Joaquin Phoenix as the sheri and Pedro Pascal as its mayor. In my review, I wrote that, “it is an anti-escapist symphony of masking debates, conspiracy theories, YouTube proph-

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton attend the “Landman” Season 2 screening in October in Los Angeles. The show returns to Paramount+ on Sunday.

CJ RIVERA / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Martin Scorsese speaks during a 2024 panel discussion for “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” in New York. The series returns to Fox Nation on Sunday.

ets, TikTok trends and third-rail topics in which no side is spared.”

An incurable cancer diagnoses might not be the most obvious starting place for a funny and a rming lm, but that is the magic of Ryan White’s documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light,” about two poets — Andrea Gibson, who died in July, and Megan Falley — facing a dif-

cult reality together. It will be on Apple TV on Friday.

MUSIC TO STREAM

The R&B and neo soul powerhouse Summer Walker has returned with her third studio album and rst in four years.

“Finally Over It,” out Friday, is the nal chapter of her “Over

It” trilogy; a release centered on transformation and autonomy. That’s evident from the dreamy throwback single, “Heart of A Woman,” in which the song’s protagonist is disappointed with her partner — but with striking self-awareness. Consider him one of the biggest artists on the planet that you may not be familiar with. NF, the musical moniker of Nate Feuerstein, emerged from the Christian rap world as a modern answer to Eminem only to top the mainstream, all-genre Billboard 200 chart twice, with 2017’s “Perception” and 2019’s “The Search.”

SERIES TO STREAM

Apple TV’s star-studded “Palm Royale” is back just in time for a new social season.

Starring Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Kaia Gerber, Ricky Martin AND Carol Burnett, the show is campy, colorful and fun, plus it has great costumes. The rst episode premiered Wednesday, and one will follow weekly into January.

“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” cast member Heather Gay has written a book called “Bad Mormon” about how she went from a devout Mormon to leaving the church. Next, she’s fronting a new docuseries that delves into that too called “Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay.” The reality TV star also speaks to others who

“(‘Freakier Friday’) is thus a bit more manic, and the plot machinations more overwrought (or sometimes distractingly silly).”

Jocelyn Noveck, AP Film Writer

have left the religion. All three episodes are streaming now on Peacock. Thanks to “Homeland” and “The Americans,” Danes and Rhys helped put the prestige in the term prestige TV. They grace the screen together in a new limited series for Net ix called “The Beast in Me.” Danes plays a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who nds a new subject in her nextdoor neighbor, a real estate tycoon who also may or may not have killed his rst wife. Howard Gordon, who worked with Danes on “Homeland,” is also the showrunner and an executive producer of “The Beast in Me.” It premieres Thursday.

David Duchovny and Jack Whitehall star in a new thriller on Prime Video called “Malice.” Duchovny plays Jamie, a wealthy man vacationing with his family in Greece. He hires a tutor (played by Whitehall) named Adam to work with the kids who seems likable, personable and they invite him into their world. Soon it becomes apparent that Adam’s charm is actually creepy. Something is up. As these stories go, getting rid of an interloper is never easy. All six episodes drop Friday.

“Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” returns to Fox Nation on Sunday for a second season. The premiere details the story of Saint Patrick. The show is a passion project for Scorsese who executive produces, hosts and narrates the episodes.

Billy Bob Thornton has struck oil in the second season of “Landman” on Paramount+. Created by Taylor Sheridan, the show is set-in modern-day Texas in the world of Big Oil. Sam Elliott and Andy Garcia have joined the cast, and Demi Moore also returns. The show returns Sunday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The Call of Duty team behind the Black Ops subseries delivered a chapter last year — but they’re already back with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The new installment of the bestselling rst-person shooter franchise moves to 2035 and a world “on the brink of chaos.” (What else is new?) Publisher Activision is promising a “reality-shattering” experience that dives into “into the deepest corners of the human psyche.” Lock and load Friday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

Lindsay Lohan

Jamie Lee Curtis

Disney+.

STATE & NATION

Trump unveils deal to expand coverage, lower costs on GLP-1 obesity drugs

Coverage will expand to Medicare patients starting next year

By Tom Murphy, Aamer Madhani and Jonel Aleccia The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy.

The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years.

But access to the drugs has been a consistent problem for patients because of their cost — around $500 a month for higher doses — and insurance coverage has been spotty.

Coverage of the drugs for obesity will expand to Medicare patients starting next year, according to the administration, which said some lower prices also will be phased in for patients without coverage. Starting doses of new, pill versions of the treatments also will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

“(It) will save lives, improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” said Trump, in an Oval O ce announcement in which he referred to GLP-1s as a “fat drug.”

Thursday’s announcement is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to rein in soaring drug prices in its e orts to address cost-of-living concerns among voters. Drugmakers P zer and AstraZeneca recently agreed to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid after an executive order in May

“Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Health and Human Services

Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

set a deadline for drugmakers to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.

As with the other deals, it’s not clear how much the price drop will be felt by consumers. Drug prices can vary based on the competition for treatments and insurance coverage.

Obesity drugs increasingly popular but costly

The obesity drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that a ect appetite and feelings of fullness. In clinical trials, they helped people shed between 15% and 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases.

Patients taking these drugs usually start on smaller doses and then work up to larger amounts, depending on their needs. Because of obesity being considered a chronic disease, they need to take the treatment inde nitely or risk regaining weight, experts say.

The fast-growing treatments have proven especially lucrative for drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Novo Nordisk. Lilly said recently that sales of Zepbound have tripled so far this year to more than $9 billion.

But for many Americans, their cost has made them out of reach.

Medicare, the federally funded coverage program mainly for people ages 65 and over, hasn’t covered the treatments for obesity. President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule last November that would have changed that. But the Trump administration nixed it last spring. Few state and federally funded Medicaid programs, for people with low incomes, o er coverage. And employers and insurers that provide commercial coverage are wary of paying for these drugs in part because of the large number of patients that might use them.

The $500 monthly price for higher doses of the treatments also makes them una ordable for those without insurance, doctors say.

Medicare now covers the cost of the drugs for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease but not for weight loss alone.

Trump showing he’s in touch with cost-of-living concerns

The e ort to lower costs barriers to popular GLP-1 drugs comes as the White House is looking to demonstrate that Trump is in touch with Americans’ frustrations with rising costs for food, housing, health care and other necessities.

“Trump is the friend of the forgotten American,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Thursday’s announcement. “Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Slime, Battleship, Trivial Pursuit enshrined into Toy Hall of Fame

They beat out Catan, Tickle Me Elmo and snow

By Carolyn Thompson

The Associated Press

SLIME, that gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit.

Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play across generations, culling its nalists from among thousands of nominees sent in online. Voting by the public and a panel of experts decides which playthings will be inducted.

Milton Bradley’s Battleship, a strategy game that challenges

players to strike an opponent’s warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players’ knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold more than 100 million copies over several decades, according to the Hall of Fame.

Battleship started as a pencil-and-paper game in the 1930s, but it was Milton Bradley’s 1967 plastic edition with fold-up stations and model ships that became a hit with the public. Its popularity crested when Universal Pictures and Hasbro, which now owns Milton Bradley, released the 2012 movie “Battleship,” loosely based on the game. Battleship was also among the rst board games to be computerized in 1979, according to the Hall of Fame, and now there are numerous, electronic versions.

Trivial Pursuit lets players compete alone or in teams as they maneuver around a board answering trivia questions in exchange for wedges in a game piece. Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott came up with the game in 1979 and eventually sold the rights to Hasbro. Frequently updated, specialty versions have emerged for young players, baby boomers and other segments and an online daily quiz keeps players engaged, chief curator Chris Bensch said.

Slime’s appeal is more about squish than skill. It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has been manufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a do-it-yourself project. The internet o ers a variety of recipes using ingredients like

Kennedy had previously expressed skepticism to GLP-1s in ghting obesity and diseases related to the condition. But he was full of praise for Trump for pushing to help a broader segment of Americans have access to the drug.

The announcement came after Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia faced a drubbing in Tuesday’s election in which dour voter outlook about the economy appeared to be an animating factor in the races.

Roughly half of Virginia voters said “the economy” was the top issue, and about 6 in 10 of these voters picked Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor, powering her to a decisive win, according to an AP voter poll.

In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won about two-thirds of voters who called “the economy” the top issue facing the state, the poll found. She defeated a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli. More than half of New York City voters said the cost of living was the top issue facing the city. The Democratic mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won about two-thirds of this group. The White House sought to diminish the e ort by the previous Democratic administration as a gift to the pharmaceutical industry because the proposal did not include adequate price concessions from drug makers.

Trump, instead, consummated a “belt and suspenders” deal that ensures Americans aren’t unfairly nancing the pharmaceutical industry’s innovation, claimed a senior administration o cial, who briefed reporters ahead of Thursday’s Oval O ce announcement by Trump. Another senior administra-

tion o cial said coverage of the drugs will expand to Medicare patients starting next year. Those who qualify will pay $50 copays for the medicine.

Lower prices also will be phased in for people without coverage through the administration’s TrumpRx program, which will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. starting in January.

The o cials said lower prices also will be provided for state and federally funded Medicaid programs. And starting doses of new, pill versions of the obesity treatments will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

The o cials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Doctors applaud price drop

Dr. Leslie Golden says she has roughly 600 patients taking one of these treatments, and 75% or more struggle to a ord them. Even with coverage, some face $150 copayments for re lls.

“Every visit it’s, ‘How long can we continue to do this? What’s the plan if I can’t continue?,’” said Golden, an obesity medicine specialist in Watertown, Wisconsin. “Some of them are working additional jobs or delaying retirement so they can continue to pay for it.”

Both Lilly and Novo have already cut prices on their drugs. Lilly said earlier this year it would reduce the cost of initial doses of Zepbound to $349.

Dr. Angela Fitch, who also treats patients with obesity, said she hoped a deal between the White House and drugmakers could be the rst step in making the treatments more a ordable.

“We need a hero in obesity care today,” said Fitch, founder and chief medical o cer of knownwell, a weight-loss and medical care company. “The community has faced relentless barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications, which has ultimately come down to the price, despite the data we have supporting their e ectiveness.”

baking soda, glue and contact lens solution.

“Though slime continues to carry icky connotations to slugs and swamps — all part of the fun for some — the toy o ers meaningful play,” curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer said, adding that it’s also used for stress relief and building motor skills.

The honorees will be on permanent display at the Hall of Fame inside The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

This year’s inductees were voted in over other nominees including the games Catan and Connect Four, the Spirograph drawing device, the “Star Wars” lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo. They also beat out classics including scooters, cornhole and snow.

EVYN MORGAN / THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY VIA AP

The games that will be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2025 include Trivial Pursuit and slime.

Randolph record

Honoring service

Five hundred American ags were planted at South Asheboro Middle School as part of a Field of Honor installation by the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce for Veterans Day.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

U.S. ight cancellations will continue even after shutdown ends

Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends. The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with deeper cuts to ights at 40 major U.S. airports. After a weekend of thousands of canceled ights, airlines scrapped another 2,300 ights Monday and more than 1,000 for Tuesday. Air tra c controllers have been unpaid for nearly a month. Some have stopped showing up to work, citing the added stress and the need to take second jobs. Controller shortages led to average delays of four hours at Chicago O’Hare on Monday.

Record-low temps

shock Southeast while snowfall blankets parts of Northeast

The southeastern U.S. has plunged into record-low temperatures, a ecting 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The cold spell moved from the Northern Plains and brought an abrupt transition to wintry temperatures. Some daily records were shattered, including a low of 28 degrees in Jacksonville. In Florida, temperatures led to a “falling iguana advisory” as iguanas froze into survival mode and fell from trees. Meanwhile, parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast experienced signi cant snowfall, causing hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters expected temps to rise by the end of the week.

$2.00

Former Acme-McCrary mill to be up tted for apartments

The plan projects a maximum of 151 residential units

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The former Acme-McCrary Mill is set to be refurbished, adding more than 100 multifamily apartment units within the building.

At the Asheboro City Council’s Nov. 6 meeting, the council approved a rezoning request for just under three acres of property located at 113, 114 and 159 North St. and 151 North Fayetteville St. to be rezoned to a O ce-Apartment Conditional Zoning for the purpose of a multifamily residential development.

“This is what we do,” said Herb Coleman of Clachan Properties, the developer for

the project. “There are a lot of easier ways to make a living, but it’s a labor of love and the buildings are special, and when they’re done, they’re one of a kind.”

The properties comprise the vacant former Acme-McCrary Mill as well as a former law o ce, and the current plan calls for the building to be uptted with 151 total units — 77 one-bedroom, 70 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom.

“The Acme-McCrary Mill building is proposed to be the same footprint as it is now,” said Planning and Zoning Director Justin Luck.

“(Clachan) restores historic buildings and properties and has done so in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina,” said attorney Bob Wilhoit, who was representing the applicant. “This is not their rst rodeo. They’ve done

this in three states, and they pick and choose properties and are very selective. And they’ve done a remarkable job. So well that Downtown Asheboro vetted them and sold them the last remaining parcel of the Acme-McCrary building.”

Initial plans for the property propose having recreational spaces, a rooftop pool, tness areas, a clubhouse and 155 available parking spaces, which includes the public ones on North Street.

The law o ce, which is located at 151 North Fayetteville St., will be removed and replaced with parking.

“While the Acme-McCrary Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is part of the Downtown Asheboro Historic District and is listed as a local landmark, the 152 North Fayetteville St. building is not,” Luck said.

Incoming mayor ready to tackle mundane topics

Asheboro’s city council will have a di erent make-up when elected o cials are sworn in

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Joey Trog-

don says he hopes his term as mayor of Asheboro is de ned by many of the less-glamorous achievements that he believes are needed for the city in the coming years.

Much like he discussed during the recent election, he wants a concentration on the city’s infrastructure.

“We’ve got some hard decisions to make,” Trogdon said.

“We can’t kick the can down the road.”

Trogdon prevailed this month in a matchup between city council members. He received 1,640 votes for mayor compared to Eddie Burks’ 1,171.

“I felt good going in,” Trogdon said. “I was cautiously optimistic. It’s hard to tell with any election. I had gotten a lot of positive feedback.”

Trogdon’s father, Joe Trogdon, was mayor from 1983-2001.

There are a few weeks remaining in outgoing mayor David Smith’s term. He has been mayor since 2009, but decided to retire from city government.

Trogdon will be sworn in Dec. 4 as part of the next city

“We’ve got some hard decisions to make. We can’t kick the can down the road.”

Joey Trogdon, Asheboro mayor-elect

council meeting. Committee assignments also will be doled out at that time. Burks remains on the council. And there will be the matter at some point of lling the council seat that Trogdon held. Neither Burks nor Trogdon’s council seats were expiring this year. Trogdon said there are “a lot

“There are a lot of easier ways to make a living, but it’s a labor of love and the buildings are special and when they’re done, they’re one of a kind.”

Herb Coleman, Clachan Properties Co-Founder

The zoning would also allow up to 7,500 square feet of nonresidential uses, which, according to the applicant, would more than likely be for restaurants on the ground oor should they choose to implement commercial on the property.

of di erent moving parts” for the city council to address. His background is in construction and, much like while he has been on the council, he said he hopes that he can o er sound expertise on related topics.

“A lot of our stu needs to be replaced and updated,” Trogdon said, referring to issues related to water quality and sewer.

He said equipment and infrastructure have been generally well-maintained, but that some of that has reached a natural end of life. He said he believes residents understand the need for those to be addressed.

There will be three new councilmembers, with Phil Skeen, Phillip Cheek and Mary Joan Pugh taking positions on the board. Kelly Heath kept her spot on the council.

Councilmen Walker Moftt and Clark Bell didn’t seek reelection. William McCaskill failed to keep his seat as he nished seventh among eight candidates on the ballot, which had been trimmed via a primary.

THE RANDOLPH COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

THURSDAY 11.13.25

REMC provides grants for school projects

Six of the selections were designated for schools in Randolph County

Randolph Record sta ASHEBORO — Six teachers from schools within Randolph County were recognized with “Bright Ideas” grants through the Randolph Electric Membership Corporation.

In total, 15 teachers were selected from Chatham, Randolph, Montgomery and Moore counties. The grant funds will support classroom projects in the subjects of science, art, physical education and more, according to REMC information.

The selections in Randolph County were:

• Theresa Lynch of Uwharrie Charter Academy Middle School won $2,000 for an Osobots for Vocabulary Enrichment project. This project is a hands-on project designed to introduce sixth grade students to the fundamentals of coding

CRIME LOG

Nov. 3

• Jesse Cruey, 22, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for statutory rape of a child 15 or younger.

Nov. 4

• Wilson Rogers, 55, of Trinity, was arrested by Asheboro PD for assault with a deadly weapon in icting serious injury and assault on a female.

Nov. 5

THURSDAY NOV. 13

• Taylor Bradshaw, 34, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for felony eeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, possession/receipt of stolen property, larceny of motor vehicle and carrying a concealed weapon.

• Servando SantizoMorales, 39, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for communicating threats and simple assault.

Nov. 6

• Courtney Capel, 36, of Archdale, was arrested by Archdale PD for assault and battery.

• Jesse Caldwell, 43, of Franklinville, was arrested by RCSO for possession of

and robotics through the use of Osobots to enrich vocabulary learning.

• Deborah Wainwright of Southwestern Randolph Middle School won $375 for a SWRM Stream Keepers project. This project aims to identify and collect data on the main sources, types, and consequences of freshwater pollution.

• Kelsey Overton of Farmer Elementary School won $1,118 for a project called Merge Cube. This project engages students in exploring interactive 3D models that connect to both ction and non ction texts, helping them deepen their understanding of story settings, character traits, and informational content.

• Crystal Simpson of Farmer Elementary School won $1,033 for a science lab project. This project aims to enhance science education at the elementary level by providing essential materials and equipment to support a hands-on, inquiry-based science lab.

methamphetamine, felony possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Lester Davis, 43, of Mullins, South Carolina, was arrested by Asheboro PD for misdemeanor larceny and felony possession of stolen property.

• Albert Decius, 24, of Sunrise, Florida, was arrested by RCSO for obtaining property by false pretense and identity theft.

• Richard Heaton, 42, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for non-support of a child.

• Johnny Russell, 41, of Pleasant Garden, was arrested by RCSO for felony possession of Schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor larceny, larceny of motor vehicle parts, injury to property obtaining non-ferrous metal and injuring/ tampering with vehicle parts.

• Travis Wood, 29, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for felony larceny and felony possession of stolen property.

• Brian Smith of Faith Christian School won $280 for Flowing Forward. In this project, students will read “A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park while exploring engineering solutions that make contaminated water safe to drink. Students will design and build a simple water ltration system.

• Lori-Beth Russell of Uwharrie Charter Academy’s high school won $1,000 for a Threads of Tomorrow project, which will fund a new sewing program. The class will be designed to give students a hands-on learning experience that blends creativity, problem-solving and practical life skills. REMC is one of 26 electric cooperatives in North Carolina o ering “Bright Ideas” grants to local teachers.

REMC accepts “Bright Ideas” grant applications each year from April through mid-September. The application process will reopen for interested teachers in April.

Nov. 7

• Robert Martin, 31, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for uttering forged instrument, obtaining property by false pretense and seconddegree trespassing.

Nov. 8

• Gladys Bennett, 31, of Rockingham, was arrested by Asheboro PD for second-degree trespassing, injury to personal property and misdemeanor larceny.

• Joshua Champion, 39, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for carrying a concealed gun and communicating threats.

• Eloy Dimas Bautista, 50, of Burlington, was arrested by Asheboro PD for misdemeanor larceny, injury to personal property and felony possession of stolen property.

Nov. 9

• Brandi Spence, 37, of Archdale, was arrested by Archdale PD for felony eeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, driving while license revoked and multiple tra c violations.

Guide

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Randolph County.

Nov.

14

Military Appreciation Week at the North Carolina Zoo

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All active duty, reserve, veteran and retired military personnel are granted free admission along with no charge for one accompanying guest. Service member identi cation is required to qualify.

4401 Zoo Parkway Asheboro

Nov. 15

Revolutionary War Patriots Plaque Dedication

11 a.m.

As part of ongoing celebrations of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, the Randolph County America 250 NC Committee is hosting a dedication ceremony of a commemorative stone marker to be placed at the cemetery where Col. Andrew Balfour, Revolutionary War patriot, is buried.

2421 Doul Mountain Road Asheboro

Randleman Candlelight Christmas

5-9 p.m.

Arts, crafts and business vendors will line the streets of downtown Randleman and ll Commerce Square Park holiday shopping with entertainment, including the opportunity to meet Santa Claus.

Commerce Square and Main Street

Nov. 16

An Afternoon at the Sunset: Glory Road Gospel Band 3-5 p.m.

SATURDAY NOV. 15

SUNDAY NOV. 16

MONDAY NOV. 17

TUESDAY NOV.

COUNCIL from page B1

“They’re going to produce some really needed housing apartments in the downtown area,” Wilhoit said. “I think that will only enhance the area when people are down here. Their e orts will save this building, enhance it and bring opportunities for other citizens. They want this property to be signi cant, to be restored and for this historic property to still stand.”

The council held two public hearings for rezoning requests, with the rst being for just under six acres of property located at the eastern corner of West Balfour Avenue and Canoy Drive to go from Medium Density Residential to Light Industrial Conditional Zon-

ing for the construction of a 20,000-square-foot facility. Per the applicant, the purpose of the facility will be to increase freezer storage capacity for the adjacent operations at the Randolph Packing facility directly across Balfour Avenue as well as increase employee parking.

The Asheboro City Council will next meet Dec. 4.

A live concert of Southern Gospel Music to bene t the Rady Lady Foundation, Inc. No admission fee: Guests are asked to bring a canned food donation to help the foundation. Donations will be accepted during intermission, with all contributions going directly to the nonpro t organization.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

Nov. 21

Tim Moon’s Talent Showcase Part 2

7 p.m.

Free night of Friday Night Bluegrass as the students of local instrumental instructor Tim Moon put on their annual recital.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Federal and state governments are rooting out DEI & ESG

FOLLOWING PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s executive orders to root out and eliminate ESG and DEI policies from government agencies and departments, it might be easy to think the war against these destructive ideas is won.

Radical leftists are losing voter support for ESG and DEI at the ballot box, in legislative chambers around the country and in public opinion. But sadly, any attempt to declare victory regarding the end of ESG or DEI would be wrong. Ultra-left activists and entrenched government bureaucrats who support these polices are working overtime to rename ESG and DEI rules so they attract less attention but are still enforced.

ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) sound innocent, and that’s the point. Nestled within these two seemingly innocuous acronyms (who could be against inclusion?) are radical, insidious and anti-American agendas.

Going through the letters “ESG,” the realities become apparent. “Environmental” really means climate alarmism and eliminating the safest, most a ordable and most reliable energy sources in favor of solar and wind, which are as unreliable as they are una ordable. “Social” is where DEI lives with racial quotas for hiring, discriminating based on skin color and the worst elements of gender ideology. And “governance” underpins it all by manipulating our free enterprise system to take control of companies and turn them into tools for the woke.

COLUMN | JENNY BETH MARTIN

It’s all a scheme to package the woke left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse, making it unrecognizable. It is moving us from a meritocracy that values hard work and rewards success to a kakistocracy. Particularly insidious is that this allows the left to implement the worst elements of its agenda without winning elections, without passing laws in Congress or state legislatures, and without any of us having a say in our nation’s future.

There is, however, positive momentum. Many state policymakers have been sounding the alarm for years, but this year the movement against ESG and DEI achieved critical mass. Trump has issued three executive orders targeting DEI (Executive Order 14151, Executive Order 14173, and Executive Order 14168) and two targeting ESG (Executive Order 14154 and Executive Order 14259).

These orders terminated all DEI positions in the federal government, banned contractors from using it in hiring, directed the Department of Justice to investigate civil rights violations related to its use in the private sector, directed the U.S. attorney general to block enforcement of state and local ESG laws, and rescinded all Biden ESG and DEI executive orders.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to weed out DEI and ESG from both the public and private sectors, ending programs and cutting funding. The Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport lost more than $37 million in grants when it refused to end DEI. The Trump administration also halted $18 billion in funding

for infrastructure projects in New York City due to concerns about the city’s DEI policies.

State governments have also acted. So far, 22 states have banned or restricted DEI and ESG. Earlier this year, nancial o cers from 21 states sent a warning letter to the nation’s largest banks, urging them to end woke investing policies.

Texas enacted a parental bill of rights that ends DEI and bans instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in public K-12 schools. In Indiana, State Attorney General Todd Rokita moved to block state contracts with law rms that have DEI initiatives following an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun. Before stepping down in August to become a deputy director of the FBI, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued IBM and Starbucks for their discriminatory DEI policies and launched an investigation into two foreign-owned proxy advisory rms for promoting ESG.

Despite all this progress, victory celebrations would be premature. Sal Nuzzo, executive director of Consumers Defense, which works to protect American consumers from ESG and woke companies, warns:

“ESG isn’t dead, it’s simply rebranding. The radicals on the Left are publicly proclaiming that they have seen the light while at the same time simply changing the terms to things like ‘sustainability’ and ‘transparency’ in the hopes of waiting out the current momentum. We forget this to our detriment.”

ESG and DEI aren’t just bad ideas — they are destructive forces that must be eradicated. They harm our economy, divide our country, and increasingly violate state and federal laws. Those who want to change the very fabric of America will not simply concede and surrender. We all must remain vigilant to recognize the next iterations of ESG and DEI and continue to root them out.

Harry Roth is director of outreach for Save Our States. This column was rst published by The Daily Signal.

It’s time to impeach Judge Boasberg

PUBLIC TRUST IN THE impartiality of our judiciary is one of the crown jewels of the American republic. Federal judges, unlike politicians, do not stand for election, and the power they wield is immense precisely because it is supposed to be restrained by duty, precedent and the Constitution. When that restraint fails, the remedy is clear: impeachment. Judge James E. Boasberg’s conduct in approving sweeping subpoenas and gag orders as part of the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation shows a breach of trust serious enough to merit that remedy.

Start with the facts: Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently disclosed that the FBI’s Arctic Frost probe — launched under the Biden administration and later folded into Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe — was far broader than the public was led to believe. The investigation targeted not just a few Trump allies or campaign gures but “the entire Republican political apparatus.” Agents sought records from at least 430 individuals, groups and businesses tied to the GOP, issuing some 197 subpoenas in the process. Among those ensnared were Republican senators, former Trump o cials and conservative organizations such as Turning Point USA.

That level of sweep might be understandable, and tolerable, if justi ed by credible evidence of criminal conspiracy. But Grassley’s review found no probable cause linking this many targets to an identi able crime. Instead, the evidence points to what Grassley called “the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends.” In short, Arctic Frost appears to have been less an investigation into wrongdoing than an exercise in political surveillance.

Boasberg’s role was not tangential. As chief dudge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, he personally approved the subpoenas and the gag orders that kept their existence secret. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, whose phone metadata was sought,

revealed that AT&T had been forbidden by court order to inform him of the subpoena for at least one year. “If a judge signs an order reaching a factual conclusion for which there is no evidence whatsoever,” Cruz said, “that judge is abusing his power.” Cruz is right.

Judges are not grand jurors, nor are they partisan gatekeepers. Their constitutional duty is to test the government’s assertions before granting its requests to intrude on private citizens. A judge’s signature carries the force of law only because it represents independent judgment. When that independence is abandoned — when a judge becomes a rubber stamp for politically charged investigations — the separation of powers itself begins to erode.

Boasberg’s defenders note that the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit routinely handled classi ed or grand jury matters and that his approvals may have been routine. That is precisely the problem. What should never be “routine” is secret surveillance of political actors without clear, nonpartisan justi cation.

Impeachment is not to be taken lightly. The Constitution reserves it for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which historically includes serious abuses of o ce. A judge who repeatedly fails to exercise due scrutiny over politically sensitive investigations ts that description.

Some will object that impeachment of a sitting federal judge risks politicizing the judiciary further. That argument reverses cause and e ect. It is precisely because the judiciary must remain apolitical that accountability is essential when a judge steps into politics. Congress impeached and removed Judge Alcee Hastings in 1989 for falsifying evidence and perjuring himself. It impeached and removed Judge Thomas Porteous in 2010 for corruption. Judicial independence is not immunity. The same principle must apply when a judge’s conduct facilitates the weaponization of justice for partisan ends.

The larger question is whether Americans still believe the law applies equally. The Arctic Frost

a air is a troubling episode that lends weight to the argument that the law is applied unequally. When subpoenas reach across entire political parties while evidence of actual criminality is not made available for public review, citizens cannot be blamed for suspecting the system is tilted.

Congress cannot restore that trust merely by complaining in hearings or issuing press releases. It must act. The House of Representatives has the authority — and the obligation — to investigate Boasberg’s role, to subpoena the Justice Department’s submissions for his approval and to determine whether he violated his oath to “administer justice without respect to persons.” If the evidence shows that he violated his oath, the House should pass articles of impeachment, and the Senate should hold a trial. No other mechanism will su ce to reassert the principle that even judges are accountable under the Constitution.

The strength of America’s republic depends on the restraint of those who wield power — especially those who wield it for life. If Boasberg believed it was appropriate to sign orders allowing the FBI and DOJ to harvest the communications of elected lawmakers and political organizations without solid cause, then he has demonstrated precisely the kind of judgment that the Founders feared. The time has come for Congress to redraw the line. Judicial independence requires it. So does the Constitution.

Jenny Beth Martin is honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | HARRY ROTH

Dorothy Green

May 14, 1936 – Nov. 4, 2025

Mrs. Dorothy Loretta Franks Green was born on May 14, 1936, in Randolph County, to the late Herbert Harris and Beula Corena Franks. She peacefully departed this life on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. She leaves to cherish her memory: two daughters, Rebecca D Green and Robin Green, High Point, NC, one sister, Phyllis Brady, Asheboro, NC, and a host of family and friends.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 1 p.m. at C.C. Hodges Funeral Home Chapel, 222 Brewer St., Asheboro, NC 27203. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m.

Alice Bryant

Aug. 21, 1950 – Nov. 3, 2025

Alice Garner Bryant, born on August 21, 1950, in Guilford County, North Carolina, passed away peacefully at the age of 75 on November 3, 2025, at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro.

Alice was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and sister, whose love for her family was evident in every aspect of her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Annie Foust Strickland, and her brothers, James Strickland Jr. and Tommy Strickland.

Alice spent her entire career working as a waitress, where she enjoyed meeting and talking to people from all walks of life. Her warm and friendly nature made her a beloved gure both in her professional life and in her community.

Outside of work, Alice’s passions included gardening, cooking, canning, and shing. She took immense joy in preparing meals for her family and preserving the bounty of her garden. Family gatherings were a highlight of her life, and she cherished every moment spent with those she loved.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 40 years, John Bryant; her children Bobby Bradds and wife Carrie of Climax, Primela Compton of Climax, and Mary Ann Compton of Climax; and her stepchildren Jennifer Moser and husband Michael of Liberty, Mellissa Taylor and husband Robert of Liberty, and Tamitha VanPelt and husband Chuck of Saxapahaw. Alice also leaves behind her siblings, Brenda Berry of Montana, Shelby Marsh of Florida, Steve Strickland of Georgia, Tommy Strickland and wife Nicole of Asheboro, and James Strickland and wife Susie of Randleman.

Her legacy continues through her grandchildren Dustin, Cassie, Jennifer, Ethan, Brooklyn, Malena, Jarrett, Megan, Wes, Allen, and Rosalind, as well as her great-grandchildren Hutson, Finley, Henry, Sophia, Jaxxon, Jasper, Lailah, Knovi, Daniel, Nathan and Camden, as well as a host of nieces and nephews.

The family will hold services of remembrance at a later date to celebrate Alice’s life and honor her memory.

Alice’s indomitable spirit and boundless love will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Her kindness and generosity left a lasting imprint on the hearts of many, and her memory will be cherished forever. Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service in Asheboro is honored to assist the family of Alice Garner Bryant.

obituaries

Willie Mae Greene

Dec.14, 1934 – Nov. 7, 2025

Willie Mae Greene, 90, of Biscoe, died Friday, November 7, 2025, at Autumn Care in Biscoe.

A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m., Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Huldah Baptist Church Cemetery, Asheboro, with Rev. Tommy Brown o ciating.

Willie was born on December 14, 1934, in Rowan County, NC. She worked at Acme-McCrary Corp. for 55 years.

Willie was preceded in death by her son, Gurnie Greene Jr., and her granddaughter, Sherry Greene.

Surviving are her husband, Gurnie Edison Greene Sr.; son, Roger Greene of Asheboro; daughter-in-law, Helen Greene of Eagle Springs; grandchildren, Josh Greene and Amy Jordan (John); ve great-grandchildren; and sister, Darnell.

Friends may come by Ridge Funeral Home from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11, 2005, to pay their respects.

Memorials may be made to Huldah Baptist Church, 2039 Frank Road, Asheboro, NC 27205.

Eric Nelson

Dec. 21, 1971 – Nov. 3, 2025

Eric Dwayne Nelson, age 53, of Asheboro, passed away on November 3, 2025, at Randolph Hospice House. He was born on December 21, 1971, in Randolph County, North Carolina, the son of the late Jerry Nelson and Edna McDowell Nelson. In addition to his parents, Eric is preceded in death by his sister, Sharon Tyson.

Eric Nelson graduated from Southwestern High School and spent two decades dedicating himself to a career in steelwork with SECO Architectural. Known for his outgoing personality and infectious sense of humor, Eric had an incredible ability to draw others to him, leaving a lasting impression on those he met during the journey. His interests extended beyond his work. He was an avid NASCAR enthusiast, nding joy in the thrill of the race. Whether it was cheering for his favorite football teams, especially the 49ers, or bringing laughter and warmth to family gatherings, Eric embraced life with enthusiasm and joy. Most of all, he cherished every moment spent with his loved ones, believing that the heart of life was found around the family table. His legacy of laughter, love, and unforgettable moments shared with family will continue to inspire those who had the privilege to know him.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Kati Auman Nelson; children, Levi Auman (Austin), Eric Auman (Keanna) and Kassi Auman; grandchildren, Hadley Auman and Saylor Auman; brother, Russell Nelson (Tammy); and numerous other beloved family and friends.

A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

The family would like to thank the sta of Randolph Hospice House for their compassionate care of Eric.

Peggy Stine Seabolt

Feb. 10, 1937 – Nov. 3, 2025

Peggy Stine Seabolt, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother, passed away peacefully at her residence on November 3, 2025, at the age of 88. Born on February 10, 1937, in Alexander County, North Carolina, Peggy was a cherished member of her family and loved dearly.

A devoted homemaker, Peggy dedicated her life to nurturing her family with love and care. She found great joy in reading the Bible, often engaging others by asking their favorite verses. Her faith was a cornerstone of her life, and she was frequently heard praying as she gazed out her door, seeking comfort and wisdom in quiet re ection.

Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Grace Mayberry Stine; her daughter, Cathy Hinshaw; her grandson, Curtis Shane Hinshaw; and her sister, Silma Lee Stine.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 70 years, Curtis Reid Seabolt, who was her steadfast partner in life’s journey. She also leaves behind her loving daughter, Donna Smith, and her husband, Rodney; her grandchildren, Christian Smith and his wife, Christine, and Rebecca Hernandez and her husband, Abe. Peggy’s legacy continues through her cherished great-grandchildren, Chase, Brenden, Stephanie, Rita, Luke, Elijah and Judah; and her precious great-great-grandchild, Ayla.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on November 6, 2025, at Randolph Memorial Park, o ciated by Christian Smith and Pastor Randy Kelley. In accordance with Peggy’s wishes, she will be buried in the gown she wore on her wedding night nearly 71 years ago, a testament to the enduring love she shared with Curtis.

The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America in memory of her father, who passed away from the condition. Peggy will be deeply missed by all who knew her, but her memory will forever remain a source of inspiration and love. Midstate Cremation & Funeral Service in Asheboro is honored to assist the family of Ms. Peggy Stine Seabolt.

Lennie Williams Fonville

Jan. 21, 1938 – Nov. 9, 2025

Lennie Williams Fonville, 87, of Asheboro, passed away on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at Randolph Health in Asheboro. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Wesley Chapel AME Zion Church in Asheboro, with Dr. Traci Miller and Dr. Ramon Patterson Jr., o ciating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memorial Park.

There will be a quiet hour from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, prior to the service at the church. The family will receive friends from 3-7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, at their home, located at 439 Glovinia Street, Asheboro.

William “Willie” Penn Howell Jr.

Aug. 7, 1951 – Nov. 4, 2025

William “Willie” Penn Howell Jr., 74, of Franklinville, passed away Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at Jacob’s Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Madison. A Memorial Graveside Service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Whites Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery of Franklinville, with Rev. Alan Ritter and Rev. Je Joyce o ciating.

Willie was born on August 7, 1951, and was raised in Geneva, New York, moving to Franklinville later in life. He was a 1971 graduate of Phelp’s High School in Geneva and was a skilled carpenter, retiring from Hatteras Yachts in North Carolina. He met his true love in June of 1997, Karen on a date to get ice cream and they were married in 1998. Willie loved hunting deer and turkey, riding motorcycles, camping and cooking out, trips to the mountains and the beach. He enjoyed watching westerns and always wanted to be a cowboy. Willie loved telling stories and working with wood, carving and shaping details into his work while helping build a cabin for Karen. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Yolanda Ricciotti Howell Sr. Survivors: wife of 26 years, Karen Haithcock Howell, of the home, sons, John Howell and wife Devin, of Asheboro, Josh Howell, of Asheboro, Joseph Hinshaw and wife, Amanda, of Angier, sister, Diane Little eld, of Greensboro, half-sister, Sue Ellen Rey and husband, Dave, of Geneva, NY, brother, Robbie Howell, of Geneva, NY, grandchildren, Colton Hinshaw, Delaney Hinshaw, Liam Howell, Grayson Howell, Finley Howell, Zoe Howell, numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to Whites Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 2930 Whites Memorial Road, Franklinville, NC 27248.

Glenn Edwin McNeely

Aug. 11, 1951 – Nov. 8, 2025

Glenn Edwin McNeely, age 74, a resident of Belhaven, NC, died Saturday, November 8, 2025. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Sydney Free Will Baptist Church and will be o ciated by David Pooser.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.

Mr. McNeely was born in Cleveland County, NC, on August 11, 1951, to the late William Edgar McNeely and Merle Hull McNeely. On August 15, 1975, he married Linda Faye Hunt. Mr. McNeely was a kind and caring man. He was good to all his neighbors and friends. Mr. McNeely enjoyed shing, being outdoors, and selling vegetables at the Rocky Mount Farmers Market for 21 years. He was a member of Sydney Free Will Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Linda H. McNeely of the home, a daughter Jessica Alane McNeely of Raleigh, a daughter, Jennifer Jackson Strum of Franklin, NC, a grandson, Matthew Jackson, a brother, Larry McNeely of Vale, and his furry companion, Gabby. He is preceded in death by a son, Joel Glenn McNeely.

Karen Clodfelter Craven

March 14, 1944 – Nov. 6, 2025

Karen Elizabeth Clodfelter Craven, 81, of Asheboro, passed away on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at Randolph Health in Asheboro.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 10, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Asheboro, with Pastor Charles Moses o ciating.

Born on March 14, 1944, in Randolph County, NC, Karen was the daughter of the late Henry Guy Clodfelter and Blanche Craver Clodfelter. She taught business at Old Farmer School and Randolph Community College. She was an excellent cook and gardener. She loved her grandchildren and enjoyed attending all of their extracurricular activities. She also enjoyed family vacations at Cape Lookout.

In addition to her parents, Karen was preceded in death by her son, Phil Craven II, and brother, Sam Clodfelter.

Surviving are her husband, Phillip Craven of the home; daughter, Laura Craven Brim (Lee); son, Heath Craven (Suzanne); grandchildren, Adam Brim (Kaley), Zac Brim (Candace); great-grandchild, Raelynn Brim; special friends, Dorothy Swing, Martha Bristow and Marilyn Fowler. The family will receive friends following the memorial service. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.

Linda Leiber

March 11, 1948 – Nov. 4, 2025

Linda Gail Pearce Leiber, 77, of Asheboro, passed away Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at Randolph Health in Asheboro.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel with Mr. Charles Reeder o ciating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memorial Park.

Mrs. Leiber was born on March 11, 1948, in Vance County, NC, the daughter of the late Leroy McDavis Pearce and Lilly Estelle Pilkinton Strickland. She had retired from Tele ex and loved riding motorcycles in her spare time. The biggest treasure in her life was her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, Mrs. Leiber was preceded in death by her sisters, JoAnn Dickerson and Patricia Adams. She is survived by her husband, Martin Leiber, III, of the home; daughter, Melissa Diane Lester; brother, Allen Young; grandchildren, Savannah Hicks (Joudran), Makenzie Burnell, Kylar Burnell; greatgrandchildren, Braelyn Hicks, Jazemyn Bullins and Zayn Hicks.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home.

Mrs. Leiber had a tremendous love of animals. In her memory, the family requests that memorials be made to the ASPCA, P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929.

Barbara Ann LiVolsi- Conlin

July 29, 1963 – Nov. 6, 2025

Barbara Ann LiVolsi-Conlin of Franklinville, North Carolina, passed away at the age of 62 on November 6, 2025.

Barbara was born on July 29, 1963, to William and Barbara LiVolsi in Stamford, Connecticut.

After Barbara graduated from Brien McMahon High School in 1981, she went o to study Graphic Design at Central Connecticut State University. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1985, she started her rst job at Don Klotz Associates, then Zotos and US Tobacco.

Barbara married her husband, Thomas Allen Conlin, on August 23, 1987, at Saint Matthew’s Church in Norwalk, Connecticut.

After starting a family, Barbara left her job to ful l the role that was the most important to her: being a stay-at-home mom to their two children, Jillian and Thomas Jr.

Barbara was a sel ess mother, always putting her family rst, creating the most loving home and the best memories. She would often talk about how she wouldn’t trade those years for the world.

After raising their two children, Barbara and Tom Sr. moved to Franklinville, North Carolina in the spring of 2021, where she loved her life taking care of her six chickens, her four dogs and thrifting, gol ng, playing pickleball, going to art classes, shing and as she so often called it, “enjoying life.”

Barbara loved all of her dogs: Chester, Winston, Sophie, Rosey, Jack, Hank, Pearl, Pinto and Lulu.

Barbara, also lovingly referred to as ‘B’ and ‘Mom’, was many things: a daughter, a wife, a mother, a friend, an artist, a dog lover, a thrifter (or “picker” as she often called herself) and a ‘crazy chicken lady’. She had the energy and smile to light up every room that she walked into.

Barbara will be forever remembered by her zest for life, the joy she brought to each moment and the love that she poured into every life that she touched.

Barbara is predeceased by her mother, Barbara BrucatoLiVolsi. Barbara is survived by her husband of 37 years; Thomas Allen Conlin Sr., their two children; Jillian Elizabeth Conlin and Thomas Allen Conlin Jr., her father; William Sebastian LiVolsi and her sister; Jeanette LiVolsi Mendence.

Friends and family are invited to a celebration of Barbara’s life at Harvest House in Ramseur, North Carolina, on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from noon to 6 p.m.

In lieu of owers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 7027 Albert Pick Road, Suite 104, Greensboro, NC 27409, the Humane World For Animals, 1255 23rd St., NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20037, or the Harvest House Christmas Supper, c/o Harvest House, 6282 Old Siler City Road, Ramseur, NC 27316.

Nellie Bennett

Sept. 28, 1928 – Nov. 5, 2025

Nellie Pauline Barrett Bennett, 97, of Asheboro, died Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home in Asheboro. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, November 9, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Asheboro, with Rev. Tommy Brown and Rev. L.D. Pritchard o ciating. Burial will follow at Huldah Baptist Church Cemetery, Asheboro.

Born on September 28, 1928, in Rockingham County, NC, Nellie was the daughter of the late Walter Lee Barrett and Arlena Simpson Barrett. Nellie graduated from Madison High School, where she played basketball. She retired from Belk in 1990 after many years of service. Nellie was an active member of Huldah Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school and helped organize their seniors group. She loved her owers and was the “World’s Greatest Gardener”. Most of all, Nellie loved her family and was the “Best Wife, Mother and Grandma Ever”.

In addition to her parents, Nellie was preceded in death by her husband, Cicero W. Bennett; brother, Weldon Barrett; and sister, Lois Barrett Gray. Surviving are her son, Ron Bennett (Sharon) of Asheboro; daughter, Dianne Burrow (Terry) of Asheboro; grandchildren, Angela Leak, Greg R. Bennett (Tyra), Alison Hale (Erik), Katherine Burrow; six greatgrandchildren; four great-greatgrandchildren; special niece, Janice Edwards; and special friend, Pennie Caudill.

The family will receive friends from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m., Sunday, prior to the service at Ridge Funeral Home.

In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Huldah Baptist Church, 2039 Frank Road, Asheboro, NC 27205.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the sta at Clapp’s Convalescent Nursing Home for the above and beyond care, compassion and respect shown to Nellie during her time there.

Roy Lee

Chriscoe

April 10, 1935 – Nov. 6, 2025

Roy Lee Chriscoe, age 90, of Seagrove, passed away on November 6, 2025, at Pennybyrn in High Point.

Mr. Chriscoe was born in Randolph County on April 10, 1935, to Ben and Magleane Cagle Chriscoe. Roy served his country in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army for over 12 years, including a tour in Vietnam. He retired as a prison guard after more than 30 years. Roy loved helping his neighbors, playing the guitar and his animals.

He is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 54 years, Donna Fields Chriscoe; sister, Ruby Mullin (Mike) of Seagrove; nieces, Tina Wood (Dave) of North Myrtle Beach, SC, and Taylor Heaton of Siler City; nephew, Benjamin Cox of St. George; and great niece, Savanna Wood, currently serving in the U.S. Air Force in Japan.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, from 1-1:50 p.m. at Union Grove Baptist Church, 7912 Union Grove Church Road in Seagrove. Funeral services will follow on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the church with Rev. Garry Reeder o ciating. Burial will be held in the church cemetery.

Sarah Norris

July 13, 1936 – Nov. 5, 2025

Sarah Ann Norris, 89, of Asheboro, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at Cross Road Retirement Community in Asheboro.

She was born July 13, 1936, in Gaston County, NC, a daughter of the late Leo and Mary Lee Norris.

After graduating from Cramerton High School, Sarah attended Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan University) in Marion, Indiana. She later earned a master’s degree in education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

During her 30+ year career with Marion City Schools, she served as a teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal and principal. She was active in the Marion community, including serving as President of the American Businesswomen’s Association and a faithful member of College Wesleyan Church. She was a friend to both students and faculty and a strong supporter of her alma mater.

After retiring, she moved to Asheboro in the late 1990s. She attended Rushwood Church, serving as director of the senior citizens groups for many years. She loved the Lord and contributed to many causes to further the gospel. She had a beautiful alto voice and loved playing and singing the hymns of the church.

Sarah spent hours and hours working with her hands. She knit, crocheted, quilted, embroidered and sewed, gifting family members and friends with her beautiful creations. She was also an amazing cook, and her holiday baking treats were always a hit at family gatherings. She will be remembered for her gentle spirit, kindness, generosity, sense of humor and a deep faith and trust in God.

In addition to her parents, Sarah was preceded in death by her brother, Billy Winston Norris, and her special friend, Jim Scott.

Surviving are her sister, Evelyn Norris Dawalt, sister-inlaw Betty Norris, and nieces and nephews Larry Dawalt (Joanne), Susan Whitmire (George), Mark Dawalt (Marlene), Donna Rebello (Brian), Michael Norris (Tamela), Linda Revis (Ken), Phillip Norris (Ginger), plus many great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Sarah’s funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home, located at 908 Albemarle Road in Asheboro. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1-1:45 p.m. Interment will be private.

The family would like to thank the wonderful sta at Cross Roads Retirement Community for their loving care of Sarah for the past three years.

In lieu of owers, memorials can be made to Cross Roads Retirement Community, 1302 Old Cox Road, Asheboro, NC 27205.

John Richard “Papa Bear” Kidd

April 10, 1959 – Nov. 7, 2025

John Richard “Papa Bear” Kidd, 66, of Asheboro, passed away on Friday, November 7, 2025, surrounded by his family at Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at Sunset Avenue Church of God in Asheboro with Pastor Boyd Byerly o ciating. The family will receive friends prior to the service in the sanctuary from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and at other times at the residence.

A Graveside Service will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Oaklawn Cemetery in Asheboro.

Rick was born on April 10, 1959, and was a lifelong resident of Randolph County and a 1977 graduate of Eastern Randolph High School. He received his associate’s degree from Chowan College and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with his bachelor’s degree in history.

Rooted in a love for people, Rick worked at ChemStation/ Hunt & Co. as their Business Development Manager for many years, having been selected as a member of the Presidents Club. Throughout his years of service to communities across the state, Rick found joy in making, creating and maintaining the relationships he had cultivated with not only his customers, but his co-workers as well.

Rick married the love of his life, Tammi Brower, in 1984 and together they began to build a family built on faith and love. Trips to the beach and mountains, cooking together and serving in church became just a few of his favorite things to do with her. He could be found watching Scotty and Allyson play sports, having made it to nearly every single game throughout their time in school. His love for sports, youth and community led to many years of coaching youth sports at Grays Chapel and Ramseur Elementary School as well as leading Boy Scout’s Troop 501 for nearly 18 years. Rick was a sel ess husband, father, grandfather and mentor to all who knew him, consistently the same, full of godly wisdom and advice.

Most important in Rick’s life was his love for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His prayer was that each and every person would see the Lord at the forefront of everything he did. Combining his love for Jesus and his heart of service, Rick held nearly every job in the local church; serving as a deacon, leading Vacation Bible School and teaching Adult Sunday School for more than forty years. Rick was the former CEO of Arborgate Ministries, and Rick and Tammi co-led Transit and young adults, where he had a passion for helping young men and women as they navigated the more challenging times of life. Many of these young adults became family and have continued to be touched by the kindness and “tough love” of Papa Bear. Rick was a faithful member of Sunset Avenue Church of God. He was preceded in death by his father, Bobby Kidd, and mother, Virginia Carol Whitten Staples.

Survivors: wife of 41 years, Tammi Brower Kidd, daughter, Allyson Kidd Speagle and husband Tyler, son, Scotty Kidd and wife Jessica, grandchildren, Liam Kidd, Jackson and Cole Hussey, brother, Rev. Tommy Kidd and wife Karen, step-father, Jake Staples, sister-in-law, Lisa Willett and husband David, brother-in-law, Andy Brower as well as several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend a special “thank you” to his caregivers, Michelle and Renee as well as all of the Hospice of Randolph sta for their compassion and care of Rick and the family over the last few months.

Memorials may be made to Sunset Avenue Church of God Transit Young Adults, PO Box 938, Asheboro, NC 27204 or to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Dr., Asheboro, NC 27203.

Dr. Marilyn Louise Shontz

Nov. 5, 1943 – Nov. 6, 2025

Dr. Marilyn Louise Shontz, 82, of Franklinville, died Thursday, November 6, 2025, at Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro. Services to be held at a later date. Marilyn was a native of Cuyahoga County, Ohio and a resident of Franklinville. She was awarded a Ph.D. in Library Science and was an instructor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Shippensburg State University of Pennsylvania and Rowan University in New Jersey. Marilyn loved animals and rescuing them and also enjoyed gardening and growing owers and vegetables, except for tomatoes! Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, William Painter and Marie Kessler Shontz.

Survivors: spouse, Kathleen Frank, of the home, sister, Rita Beasley, of Mechanicsville, VA, brothers, John Shontz and spouse Katherine Settle, of Sanford, Bill Shontz and spouse Jennifer Wilson, of Granby, Massachusetts.

Carol K. Hobbs

Nov. 15, 1936 – Nov. 9, 2025

Mrs. Carolyn Thelma Kay Hobbs, a ectionately known as “Carol”, age 88, a resident of Chocowinity, NC, died Sunday, November 9, 2025, at Ridgewood Manor Nursing Center in Washington. A graveside celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Pamlico Memorial Gardens, o ciated by Je Harris.

Mrs. Carol was born in Webb City, MO, on November 15, 1936, the daughter of the late Homer Samuel Kay and the late Thelma Schmidgall Kay. After relocating to North Carolina, she graduated from Mitchells Hair Design in Cary. She managed the beauty shop at Spring Arbor Nursing Center in Holly Springs. Following her retirement, Mrs. Carol moved to Chocowinity to be close to her daughter. In her spare time, she loved bowling. She was a quiet person and tended to be a people-pleaser. Mrs. Carol attended Southpoint Community Church.

Survivors include her children: Roxanna Kay Bedor and her husband Phillip of Chocowinity, Brenda Sue Harmless of Goldsboro, Roy William Hobbs III of Texas, and Angela Lynn Edwards of Creedmoor; her grandchildren: Christy Turney of TX, Jack Shannon Seaborn of NC, Carrie Leanne Bedor of NC, Roy Pierce, III of GA, Gina Altman of NC, Andrew Harmless of NC, Adam Harmless of NC, TJ Edwards of NC, Sherry Gunter of NC and Dillon Lee Broadhead of NC; and numerous great grandchildren and great-greatgrandchildren.

Mrs. Carol was the last living child of her parents and was also predeceased, along with her parents and siblings, by three husbands: Roy William Hobbs Jr., Danny Debnum, and Bob Wentz.

STATE & NATION

Trump unveils deal to expand coverage, lower costs on GLP-1 obesity drugs

Coverage will expand to Medicare patients starting next year

By Tom Murphy, Aamer Madhani and Jonel Aleccia

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy.

The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years.

But access to the drugs has been a consistent problem for patients because of their cost — around $500 a month for higher doses — and insurance coverage has been spotty.

Coverage of the drugs for obesity will expand to Medicare patients starting next year, according to the administration, which said some lower prices also will be phased in for patients without coverage. Starting doses of new, pill versions of the treatments also will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

“(It) will save lives, improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” said Trump, in an Oval O ce announcement in which he referred to GLP-1s as a “fat drug.”

Thursday’s announcement is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to rein in soaring drug prices in its e orts to address cost-of-living concerns among voters. Drugmakers P zer and AstraZeneca recently agreed to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid after an executive order in May

“Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Health and Human Services

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

set a deadline for drugmakers to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.

As with the other deals, it’s not clear how much the price drop will be felt by consumers. Drug prices can vary based on the competition for treatments and insurance coverage.

Obesity drugs increasingly popular but costly

The obesity drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that a ect appetite and feelings of fullness. In clinical trials, they helped people shed between 15% and 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases.

Patients taking these drugs usually start on smaller doses and then work up to larger amounts, depending on their needs. Because of obesity being considered a chronic disease, they need to take the treatment inde nitely or risk regaining weight, experts say.

The fast-growing treatments have proven especially lucrative for drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Novo Nordisk. Lilly said recently that sales of Zepbound have tripled so far this year to more than $9 billion.

But for many Americans, their cost has made them out of reach.

Medicare, the federally funded coverage program mainly for people ages 65 and over, hasn’t covered the treatments for obesity. President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule last November that would have changed that. But the Trump administration nixed it last spring.

Few state and federally funded Medicaid programs, for people with low incomes, o er coverage. And employers and insurers that provide commercial coverage are wary of paying for these drugs in part because of the large number of patients that might use them.

The $500 monthly price for higher doses of the treatments also makes them una ordable for those without insurance, doctors say.

Medicare now covers the cost of the drugs for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease but not for weight loss alone.

Trump showing he’s in touch with cost-of-living concerns

The e ort to lower costs barriers to popular GLP-1 drugs comes as the White House is looking to demonstrate that Trump is in touch with Americans’ frustrations with rising costs for food, housing, health care and other necessities.

“Trump is the friend of the forgotten American,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Thursday’s announcement. “Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Slime, Battleship, Trivial Pursuit enshrined into Toy Hall of Fame

They beat out Catan, Tickle Me Elmo and snow

By Carolyn Thompson

The Associated Press

SLIME, that gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit.

Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play across generations, culling its nalists from among thousands of nominees sent in online. Voting by the public and a panel of experts decides which playthings will be inducted.

Milton Bradley’s Battleship, a strategy game that challenges

players to strike an opponent’s warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players’ knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold more than 100 million copies over several decades, according to the Hall of Fame.

Battleship started as a pencil-and-paper game in the 1930s, but it was Milton Bradley’s 1967 plastic edition with fold-up stations and model ships that became a hit with the public. Its popularity crested when Universal Pictures and Hasbro, which now owns Milton Bradley, released the 2012 movie “Battleship,” loosely based on the game. Battleship was also among the rst board games to be computerized in 1979, according to the Hall of Fame, and now there are numerous, electronic versions.

Trivial Pursuit lets players compete alone or in teams as they maneuver around a board answering trivia questions in exchange for wedges in a game piece. Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott came up with the game in 1979 and eventually sold the rights to Hasbro. Frequently updated, specialty versions have emerged for young players, baby boomers and other segments and an online daily quiz keeps players engaged, chief curator Chris Bensch said.

Slime’s appeal is more about squish than skill. It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has been manufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a do-it-yourself project. The internet o ers a variety of recipes using ingredients like

Kennedy had previously expressed skepticism to GLP-1s in ghting obesity and diseases related to the condition. But he was full of praise for Trump for pushing to help a broader segment of Americans have access to the drug.

The announcement came after Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia faced a drubbing in Tuesday’s election in which dour voter outlook about the economy appeared to be an animating factor in the races.

Roughly half of Virginia voters said “the economy” was the top issue, and about 6 in 10 of these voters picked Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor, powering her to a decisive win, according to an AP voter poll.

In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won about two-thirds of voters who called “the economy” the top issue facing the state, the poll found. She defeated a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli.

More than half of New York City voters said the cost of living was the top issue facing the city. The Democratic mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won about two-thirds of this group.

The White House sought to diminish the e ort by the previous Democratic administration as a gift to the pharmaceutical industry because the proposal did not include adequate price concessions from drug makers.

Trump, instead, consummated a “belt and suspenders” deal that ensures Americans aren’t unfairly nancing the pharmaceutical industry’s innovation, claimed a senior administration o cial, who briefed reporters ahead of Thursday’s Oval O ce announcement by Trump. Another senior administra-

tion o cial said coverage of the drugs will expand to Medicare patients starting next year. Those who qualify will pay $50 copays for the medicine.

Lower prices also will be phased in for people without coverage through the administration’s TrumpRx program, which will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. starting in January.

The o cials said lower prices also will be provided for state and federally funded Medicaid programs. And starting doses of new, pill versions of the obesity treatments will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

The o cials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Doctors applaud price drop

Dr. Leslie Golden says she has roughly 600 patients taking one of these treatments, and 75% or more struggle to a ord them. Even with coverage, some face $150 copayments for re lls.

“Every visit it’s, ‘How long can we continue to do this? What’s the plan if I can’t continue?,’” said Golden, an obesity medicine specialist in Watertown, Wisconsin. “Some of them are working additional jobs or delaying retirement so they can continue to pay for it.”

Both Lilly and Novo have already cut prices on their drugs. Lilly said earlier this year it would reduce the cost of initial doses of Zepbound to $349.

Dr. Angela Fitch, who also treats patients with obesity, said she hoped a deal between the White House and drugmakers could be the rst step in making the treatments more a ordable.

“We need a hero in obesity care today,” said Fitch, founder and chief medical o cer of knownwell, a weight-loss and medical care company. “The community has faced relentless barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications, which has ultimately come down to the price, despite the data we have supporting their e ectiveness.”

baking soda, glue and contact lens solution.

“Though slime continues to carry icky connotations to slugs and swamps — all part of the fun for some — the toy o ers meaningful play,” curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer said, adding that it’s also used for stress relief and building motor skills.

The honorees will be on permanent display at the Hall of

New York.

This year’s inductees were voted in over other nominees including the games Catan and Connect Four, the Spirograph drawing device, the “Star Wars” lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo. They also beat out classics including scooters, cornhole and snow.

Fame inside The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester,

EVYN MORGAN / THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY VIA AP

The games that will be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2025 include Trivial Pursuit and slime.

RandolpH SPORTS

Football playo s hit home for county teams

The second round of the postseason will include a variety of games, including notable rematches

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

THERE WILL be ve second-round games played in Randolph County in the football state playo s Friday night. Six teams in total from the county will be in action. Randleman and Southwestern Randolph are in the East Region, while other teams from

Randolph County are assigned to the West Region. Here’s a look at the matchups.

CLASS 6A

Asheboro is seeking its rst postseason victory since 2016. The sixth-seeded Blue Comets (7-3) have a rematch with 11th-seeded Greensboro Dudley (7-4), which lost its rst three games of the season, from a year ago. Greensboro Dudley whipped No. 22 seed Kernersville Glenn 35-14 in the rst round. Last year, Asheboro made a

return to postseason play and lost 55-0 at Greensboro Dudley in the rst round.

The Blue Comets will be in their sixth consecutive game — and seventh overall — against an opponent from Guilford County. Greensboro Dudley’s rst six victories this season came against Guilford County opponents, though the only common opponent is Northeast Guilford.

Greensboro Dudley edged the Rams 21-19 for its rst victory, while Asheboro fell 38-35 to Northeast Guilford in a Triad Area Athletic Conference game.

CLASS 4A

Fifth-seeded Randleman (7-3) has a home game against North Pitt (6-5), which drubbed No. 21 seed Burlington Cummings 44-7 in the rst round.

The Tigers are 5-0 in home games. Randleman’s seasons in each of the past two years ended with home playo losses.

• Eighth-seeded Southwestern Randolph (7-3) didn’t defeat a team that nished the regular season with a winning record. The Cougars beat seven teams that went a combined 16-54 in the regular season, and only

Hirschman repeats as champion in annual North-South Shootout

The seasonending race card was full of twists across two nights of competition in the North-South Shootout’s 23rd edition.

There were a couple of close races as the season ended

Randolph Record sta

SOPHIA — Matt Hirschman maintained his dominance with another victory in the North-South Shootout at Caraway Speedway.

Hirschman held o Paulie Hartwig III to win by more than one second Saturday night, capturing the event’s most high-pro le race for the fth year in a row. He has won the title 11 times overall.

The season-ending race card was full of twists across two nights of competition in the North-South Shootout’s 23rd edition.

Hirschman, a Pennsylvania driver, had to overcome a mishap from the race control when some teams mistakenly allowed some drivers to pit for an early tire change.

Third place went to Jack Baldwin, while Burt Myers and Kyle Scisco rounded out the top ve. They were followed by Max Handley, Jim-

my Wallace, Gary Putnam, Je rey Battle and Tyler

among the 23-driver

In Super Modi

Jon McKennedy claimed the

tory across 60 laps, with a winning margin of less than a second on

ler

one of them won a rst-round game. To extend its season, Southwestern Randolph will have to defeat ninth-seeded Eastern Wayne (7-3), which was a 21-14 winner against No. 24 seed Anson in the rst round.

CLASS 3A

• Third-seeded Eastern Randolph (8-2), riding a ve-game winning streak. will meet No. 19 seed Union Academy (5 - 6), which topped No. 14 Black

See PLAYOFFS,

The Warriors won a game in the state playo s for the rst time in seven years

Randolph Record sta

MILLERS CREEK — Connor Benton scored a touchdown on a 16-yard run in the fourth quarter to lift Wheatmore past host West Wilkes 21-14 in Friday night’s Class 3A state playo game, with the Warriors winning a postseason game for the rst time since 2018. Benton earlier threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Bentley Mills, and Gavin McPherson ran six yards for a touchdown.

Wheatmore (3-8), seeded No. 22 in the West Region, visits sixth-seeded Walkertown (8-1) in the second round. Benton threw for 224 yards, Mills collected 140 receiving yards on ve catches and McPherson rushed for 82 yards on 22 carries. No. 11 seed West Wilkes (7-4), which scored rst, trailed 14-7 at halftime. The Blackhawks nished the season with a winning record for the rst time since 2016.

1

Randolph County football team — Wheatmore — in action during the rst round of the playo s.

Truex

eld.

eds,

vic-

runner-up Ty-

Shullick. Matt Swanson,

Johnny Benson Jr. and Dave Shullick Jr. also held the next three spots. Hartwig also was in action in the 602 Modi eds, notching a wire-to-wire victory in the 68-lap feature. Carter

P.J. WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Providence Grove’s Andrew Thomas picks up yards during a football game at Jordan-Matthews earlier this season.

CARAWAY SPEEDWAY PHOTO

Matt Hirschman was the winner again in the North-South Shootout at Caraway Speedway.

Jonathan Lopez

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Southwestern Randolph, boys’ soccer

Cougars, Blue Comets start strong in state playo s

There were several teams in the county that didn’t advance out of the rst week of the postseason

Jonathan Lopez is a regular contributor for Southwestern Randolph’s boys’ soccer team.

Lopez has been among the Cougars making big impacts as the team tries to return to the state nals. He has been among the core of the team’s roster for four seasons.

Lopez, a senior, had one of the goals when Southwestern Randolph opened the postseason by defeating Burlington Cummings last week. That result gave the Cougars a 17-game winning streak. Entering this season, Lopez was an All-Piedmont Athletic Conference selection in each of his rst three seasons with the Cougars.

Randolph Record sta

SOUTHWESTERN Randolph’s bid to return to thenals of the state playo s in boys’ soccer got o to a rousing start last week.

After a rst-round bye, the Cougars overwhelmed No. 17 seed Burlington Cummings 11-2 in the Class 4A second round in the East Region. Fernando Hernandez scored three goals, while Yael Rebollar-Ortiz posted two goals and two assists.

That set up Southwestern Randolph to meet eighth-seeded Jordan-Matthews earlier this week in the third round. They’re the top two teams in Four Rivers Conference, with the winner advancing to a fourth-round game Thursday. Cummings reached the second round by defeating No. 16 seed Reidsville 3-1.

NCAA FOOTBALL

• Ninth-seeded Randleman fell by 4-0 at Jordan-Matthews in the second round. The Tigers nished with a 16-7-3 record.

Randleman opened the playo s by knocking out No. 24 seed Uwharrie Charter Academy, scoring ve rst-half goals in a 7-1 outcome. Aidan Almond scored for UCA (1-13).

CLASS 3A

In the East Region, seventh-seeded Trinity (10-8-3) had a bye and then stopped No. 10 seed Spring Creek 3-1. Spring Creek had advanced by defeating No. 23 seed South Lenoir 4-0.

Trinity’s next assignment was earlier this week at second-seeded Wallace-Rose Hill.

• No. 12 seed Providence Grove opened at home by defeating No. 21 seed Goldsboro 3-0. Then the Patriots (11-7-6) were nished with a 2-0 loss at fth-seeded Wake Prep. Against Goldsboro, Kevin Baustista, Bryan Carbajal and Seth Johnson scored the goals.

• No. 18 seed Eastern Ran-

Big Ten says USC should have been penalized on fake punt Rosemont, Ill. The Big Ten has announced that Southern California should have received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during its game against Northwestern. This was due to a reserve quarterback wearing the same number as the Trojans’ regular punter while executing a fake punt. Early in the second quarter, Sam Huard completed a pass that led to a touchdown ve plays later. The Big Ten stated that USC should have been penalized under the NCAA’s Unfair Tactics rule. The conference plans to continue reviewing the situation with both schools.

NFL

Basketball season arrives for high school teams

High school basketball seasons can begin Friday for football-playing schools in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. However, most schools in Randolph County won’t be starting their basketball seasons so soon, in part because they’re in the football playo s. Uwharrie Charter Academy, which doesn’t play football, could have started earlier, but the rst action for the Eagles is slated for Friday at Falls Lake.

Asheboro site among venues for youth soccer tournament

A major youth soccer tournament this week in the Triad is using an Asheboro facility as one of its venues. Zoo City Sportsplex is among the locations for games, which will take place Friday through Sunday as part of the Adidas Clash. There are boys’ and girls’ divisions from ages 8 and under through 16 and under. There are 355 boys’ teams and 202 girls’ teams listed as participating. Organizers said that 88 elds will be used in the tournament. Most of those are in Guilford County.

White House: Naming new Commanders stadium after Trump would be “beautiful” West Palm Beach, Fla.

The White House says it would be “beautiful” to name the new stadium for Washington’s NFL team after President Donald Trump. The remarks on Saturday came following an ESPN report that an intermediary has told the Commanders’ ownership group that he wants it to bear his name. Trump attended the Commanders’ game against Detroit, becoming the rst sitting president since 1978 to attend a regular-season NFL game. Only two other times did a president go to an NFL game during the regular season while in o ce: Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978.

PLAYOFFS from page B1

Mountain Owen 24-14 in the rst round.

The Wildcats have had double- gure win totals in the last ve full seasons (aside from the 2021 spring season), so there’s still work to do to reach that level. Union Academy is trying to reach six victories for the rst time since 2019.

• Fifth-seeded Providence

RACING from page B1

McMurray was the runner-up, followed by Sean McElearnery, Gabriel Saavedra and Cayden Lapcevich. The U.S. Legends race Saturday was won by Austin Thompson, who was ahead of Ryan Zima, Spencer Bradshaw, Rhylee Hutchins and Maddox Hooper at the end of the 25-lap racing. A race in the division Friday had the same top ve.

dolph (7-12-3) won 4-0 at No. 15 seed Northeastern in the rst round before a 6-1 setback at Wallace-Rose Hill last Thursday.

• Wheatmore’s No. 20 seed in the West Region meant a game at No. 13 Hendersonville, which won 8-1 despite Grayson Carter’s goal. The Warriors nished with a 9-12 record.

CLASS 6A

No. 10 seed Asheboro won twice last week in the West Region, beginning with a 6-0 home conquering of No. 23 seed St. Stephens as Henry Martinez Cruz scored two goals and Ozmar Martinez provided one goal and two assists. Then the Blue Comets knocked o seventh-seeded Kernersville Glenn 5-4 in overtime last Thursday on Martinez Cruz’s deposit o a rebound. Martinez had three goals and Carlos Gonzalez had the other goal for Asheboro. Next for the Blue Comets was a third-round game at Charlotte Catholic.

NBA Miami Heat coach Spoelstra grateful for support after re destroys home

Miami Miami coach Erik Spoelstra has expressed gratitude for the support he received after a re destroyed his home. His children were not at home, and no one was injured. Spoelstra praised the rst responders for their e orts, even though the house couldn’t be saved. He declined time o o ered by the Heat. Spoelstra also thanked the Heat family for their support, noting that some players’ families are helping his children. The cause of the re remains under investigation.

MLB

Dodgers’ Vesia, who missed World Series for personal reasons, says baby daughter has died Los Angeles Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia has shared the news that his daughter, Sterling, has died. Vesia and his wife, Kayla, expressed their grief and love for their daughter in an Instagram post. Vesia missed the World Series due to what the team initially described as a “deeply personal family matter.” Both team’s pitchers wore Vesia’s No. 51 on their caps in tribute. The Vesias thanked the medical sta and both teams for their support. The Dodgers won the World Series in seven games against Toronto.

Grove (8-2) has a Central Carolina 3-A Conference rematch with No. 12 seed West Davidson (8-3), which stopped No. 21 seed Madison 28-13 in the rst round. This time, the game will be at Providence Grove. The Patriots defeated West Davidson 23-22 on Oct. 3. Providence Grove’s six-game winning streak is its longest in team history. The Patriots are aiming to win a playo game

Austin Thompson took the Saturday win in the US Legends Car feature over Ryan Zima, Spencer Bradshaw, Rhylee Hutchins and Maddox Hooper. Luke Smith prevailed in the 40-lap Chargers race, edging Brody Duggins at the nish line. Greg Story, Corey Willson and Brandon Cox held the next three positions. For Crown Vics, Adam Salter was the winner ahead of

for the second time in program history.

• Wheatmore (3-8), which was the only Randolph County team to play last week, goes to sixth-seeded Walkertown (8-1) in the second round. No. 22 seed Wheatmore has won back-to-back games for the rst time since September 2021. All of the Warriors’ victories this year have come in road games.

Chris Salter after they each had top times in respective qualifying heats. Bentley Black was third ahead of TJ Gibson and Shelby Prather among 18 cars. Steven Collins, who was the track champion in the division, placed sixth. The Vintage cars were separated by divisions, with John Lozyniak winning the Modi eds segment and Jonathan Fleming securing rst place in the Sportsman segment.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

“Moby Dick” published, Oklahoma joins the union, Schwarzenegger becomes Calif. governor

The Associated Press

NOV. 13

1775: During the Revolutionary War, American forces under Continental Army Gen. Richard Montgomery captured Montreal.

1956: The U.S. Supreme Court a rmed a lower court ruling that struck down Alabama’s bus segregation laws as illegal.

1971: The U.S. space probe Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet.

NOV. 14

1851: Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick; Or The Whale” was published in the United States, almost a month after its release in Britain.

1889: Journalist Nellie Bly began her attempt to travel around the world in 80 days; she would complete the journey in a little more than 72 days by ships, trains and other means of transport.

1960: Ruby Bridges, 6, under escort by federal marshals, became the rst black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans.

NOV. 15

1806: Explorer Zebulon Pike sighted the mountain now known as Pikes Peak in present-day Colorado.

1864: Late in the U.S. Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman began their

“March to the Sea” from Atlanta.

1959: Four members of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, were found murdered in their home; two men were later convicted and hanged in a case made famous by Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

1969: A quarter of a million protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in Washington against the Vietnam War.

NOV. 16

1907: Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.

1914: The newly created Federal Reserve Banks opened in 12 cities.

1973: President Richard Nixon signed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act into law, authorizing construction of an 800-mile oil pipeline from the Alaska North Slope to the port of Valdez.

NOV. 17

1869: The Suez Canal opened in Egypt.

1973: President Richard Nixon told a gathering of Associated Press manag-

ing editors at a televised news conference in Orlando, Florida, “People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.”

1989: An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Czechoslovakian students demonstrated in Prague against Communist rule, sparking the nonviolent “Velvet Revolution.”

2003: Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian-born actor who had become one of America’s biggest movie stars, was sworn in as the 38th governor of California.

NOV. 18

1928: “Steamboat Willie,” the rst cartoon with synchronized sound and the debut of Mickey Mouse, premiered at the Colony Theater in New York.

1978: U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan of California and four others were killed on an airstrip in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple; the attack was followed by a night of mass murder and suicide that left more than 900 cult members dead.

1987: An underground re broke out at the King’s Cross St. Pancras subway station in London, killing 31 people.

NOV. 19

1863: President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of a national cemetery on the Civil War battle eld in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

1977: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the rst Arab leader to visit Israel.

1985: President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev met for the rst time as they began their summit in Geneva.

PAUL KITAGAKI JR. / AP PHOTO

Arnold Schwarzenegger smiles to the crowd as he arrives for his swearing in as the 38th governor of California in Sacramento on Nov. 17, 2003.

AP PHOTO

Demonstrators march along Pennsylvania Avenue in an anti-Vietnam War protest in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 15, 1969.

Mysteries solved with internet, modern tech in new Agatha Christie show

The six-part drama premiers next year on BritBox

By Hilary Fox

The Associated Press

LONDON — The scene:

Outside a stately English home, a man and a woman attempt to solve a mystery. What’s unusual about this picture? They’re using the internet.

In a departure from what could be the logline for many a cozy English mystery before it, “Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence” marks the rst time Agatha Christie’s work has been modernized for an English-speaking TV audience. In this six-part drama premiering next year, there are phones, social media and TikTok alongside the usual murky secrets, red herrings and nefarious crimes.

Speaking in late October on the set of the BritBox contemporary series shooting in the U.K., writer and executive producer Phoebe Eclair-Powell says the makers were thrilled to get permission from Christie’s estate and have been careful not to “simplify” solving classic puzzles like a locked room mystery with new tech.

“We have used it but carefully, sparingly and when we

“We have used it but carefully, sparingly and when we think actually that it’s enhanced the original story that it’s adapted from.”

think actually that it’s enhanced the original story that it’s adapted from,” Eclair-Powell explains. She says it’s been a “tricky” part of the process but one they hope Christie herself would approve of.

In Japan, Korea, India and Sweden, there have already been Christie characters living in the modern age, but this is the rst contemporary adaptation in the author’s native language. “Phoebe came to us with a brilliant take on the stories which put them in the modern day and because of the energy & vitality of these characters it felt completely natural to say yes!” Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard, who manages the literary rights to her estate, wrote in an email.

The Associated Press joined stars Antonia Thomas (“The Good Doctor”) and Josh Dylan (“The Buccaneers”) in

the library of a 17th-century mansion. Thomas is delighted to appear in this modern mystery program, her rst as a title character, and says fans will enjoy the interpretation because while it’s “grounded and modern,” she and Dylan are still “capering in a classic Agatha Christie way.”

She also hopes it will attract new viewers who would normally be put o by the period setting of a more traditional Christie crime drama.

Dylan describes the modernization as having a “looseness” and “freshness” that makes the miniseries feel “di erent.”

Readers of the “Queen of Crime” will recognize Tommy and Tuppence as featuring in short stories and four novels spanning from 1922 to 1973 — their stories were favorites of the author and aged alongside Christie in each appearance according to her estate.

In this version, Tommy is a crime writer and Tuppence struggles as an actor, so both are amateur sleuths, and a will they-won’t-they vibe permeates their relationship.

Also featuring Imelda Staunton as Tommy’s Aunt Ada, production on “Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence” continues throughout November and the show is expected to air on BritBox in 2026.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Antonia Thomas and Josh Dylan star in the Agatha Christie series “Tommy & Tuppence,” lmed in Beacons eld, England.

Author Rushdie honored with Dayton peace prize lifetime achievement award

Ayatollah Ruhollah

Khomeini called for the author’s death in 1989

The Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio — Salman Rushdie was among the honorees Sunday at the Dayton Literary Peace Prize event in Ohio, receiving a lifetime achievement award after publishing his rst work of ction since being stabbed on a New York lecture stage three years ago. The prizes honor both literary merit and the writers’ promotion of peace through their work, with separate awards annually for ction, non ction and lifetime achievement. The Ohio city was the site of negotiations that led to the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995, ending a war in the Balkans marked by ethnic cleansing that killed more than 300,000 people, as well as the displacement of 1 million residents.

The 78-year-old Rushdie is best known for his 1988 novel, “The Satanic Verses,” which includes a dream sequence about the Prophet Muhammad that prompted allegations of blasphemy and a 1989 call from Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini for the Indian-born writer’s death, driving him into hiding. He was blinded in one eye from the 2022 attack before a stunned audience, and his assailant — who wasn’t born when “The

RICHARD DREW / AP PHOTO

Author Salman Rushdie, pictured during an interview in New York, was honored with the Dayton Peace Prize lifetime achievement award on Nov. 9.

Satanic Verses” was published — was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Authorities said his attacker, Hadi Matar, then 24 and a U.S. citizen, was attempting to carry out the decades-old edict calling for Rushdie’s death when he traveled from his home in Fairview, New Jersey, to target Rushdie at the summer retreat of Chautauqua, New York, about 70 miles southwest of Bu alo.

Rushdie published an acclaimed memoir about the attack, “Knife,” in 2024, analist for the National Book

SOLUTIONS FOR THIS WEEK

“Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.

Salman Rushdie, “The Satanic Verses”

Award for Non ction. His most recent work, his 23rd, is “The Eleventh Hour,” which includes three novellas and two short stories. Other past recipients of the lifetime achievement award include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, feminist movement icon Gloria Steinem and writers Margaret Atwood, John Irving, Barbara Kingsolver and Studs Terkel. The lifetime achievement award, also known as the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, is named for the American diplomat who was an architect of the Dayton Peace Accords. Other honorees this year include Kaveh Akbar for his novel, “Martyr!” about a poet and son of Iranian immigrants dealing with a mysterious family past, and Sunil Amrith, for “The Burning Earth,” a history of how the global environment has been shaped by empires, wars and humanity’s increasing freedom of movement.

famous birthdays this week

Whoopi Goldberg is 70, King Charles III turns 77, Martin Scorsese is 83, Dick Cavett hits 89

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

NOV. 13

Actor Joe Mantegna is 78. Hockey Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault is 75. Actor Frances Conroy is 73. Actor Chris Noth is 71. Actor-comedian Whoopi Goldberg is 70. Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska is 61. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is 58.

NOV. 14

Britain’s King Charles III is 77. Filmmaker Zhang Yimou is 75. Musician Yanni is 71. Five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault is 71. Basketball Hall of Famer Jack Sikma is 70. Rapper Joseph Simmons (Reverend Run of Run-D.M.C.) is 61.

NOV. 15

Singer Petula Clark is 93. Actor Sam Waterston is 85. Classical conductor Daniel Barenboim is 83. Pop singer Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad (ABBA) is 80. Fashion designer Jimmy Choo is 77. Actor Beverly D’Angelo is 74.

NOV. 16

Actor Miguel Sandoval is 74. NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte is 69. Former MLB All-Star pitcher Dwight Gooden is 61. Jazz singer Diana Krall is 61. Actor Lisa Bonet is 58. Actor Martha Plimpton is 55. Actor Maggie Gyllenhaal is 48.

NOV. 17

Film director Martin Scorsese is 83. Actor-model Lauren Hutton is 82. Actor-director Danny DeVito is 81. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim is 81. “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels is 81. Basketball Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes is 80. NOV. 18

Margaret Atwood is 86. Actor Linda Evans is 83.

Author

Actor Delroy Lindo is 73. Comedian Kevin Nealon is 72. Actor Elizabeth Perkins is 65. Rock musician Kirk Hammett (Metallica)

the stream

is streaming now on

‘Freakier Friday,’ NF, ‘Landman,’ ‘Palm

Royale,’ Black Ops 7

Soul powerhouse Summer Walker drops “Finally Over It”

The Associated Press

JAMIE LEE CURTIS and Lindsay Lohan re-teaming as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo in “Freakier Friday” and albums from 5 Seconds of Summer and the rapper NF 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: Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys team up for the new limited-series thriller “The Beast in Me,” gamers get Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Apple TV’s star-studded “Palm Royale” is back.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Richard Linklater’s love letter to the French New Wave and the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” “Nouvelle Vague,” will be streaming on Net ix on Friday. In his review, Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle writes that, “To a remarkable degree, Linklater’s lm, in French and boxed into the Academy ratio, black-and-white style of ‘Breathless,’ has fully imbibed that spirit, resurrecting one of the most hallowed eras of movies to capture an iconoclast in the making. The result is something endlessly stylish and almost absurdly uncanny.” Curtis and Lohan are back as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo in “Freakier Friday,” a sequel to their 2003 movie, now streaming on Disney+. In her review, Jocelyn Noveck writes, “The chief weakness of ‘Freakier Friday’ — an amiable, often joyful and certainly chaotic reunion — is that while it hews overly closely to the structure, storyline and even dialogue of the original, it tries too hard to up the ante. The comedy is thus a bit more manic, and the plot machinations more overwrought (or sometimes distractingly silly).”

Ari Aster’s latest nightmare “Eddington” is set in a small, ctional New Mexico town during the coronavirus pandemic, which becomes a kind of microcosm for our polarized society at large with Joaquin Phoenix as the sheri and Pedro Pascal as its mayor. In my review, I wrote that, “it is an anti-escapist symphony of masking debates, conspiracy theories, YouTube proph-

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton attend the “Landman” Season 2 screening in October in Los Angeles.

show returns to Paramount+ on Sunday.

CJ RIVERA / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Martin Scorsese speaks during a 2024 panel discussion for “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” in New York. The series returns to Fox Nation on Sunday.

ets, TikTok trends and third-rail topics in which no side is spared.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

ogy; a release centered on transformation and autonomy. That’s evident from the dreamy throwback single, “Heart of A Woman,” in which the song’s protagonist is disappointed with her partner — but with striking self-awareness.

Consider him one of the biggest artists on the planet that you may not be familiar with. NF, the musical moniker of Nate Feuerstein, emerged from the Christian rap world as a modern answer to Eminem only to top the mainstream, all-genre Billboard 200 chart twice, with 2017’s “Perception” and 2019’s “The Search.”

SERIES TO STREAM

Apple TV’s star-studded “Palm Royale” is back just in time for a new social season.

Starring Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Kaia Gerber, Ricky Martin AND Carol Burnett, the show is campy, colorful and fun, plus it has great costumes. The rst episode premiered Wednesday, and one will follow weekly into January.

“(‘Freakier Friday’) is thus a bit more manic, and the plot machinations more overwrought (or sometimes distractingly silly).”

Jocelyn

Noveck, AP Film Writer

have left the religion. All three episodes are streaming now on Peacock.

Thanks to “Homeland” and “The Americans,” Danes and Rhys helped put the prestige in the term prestige TV. They grace the screen together in a new limited series for Net ix called “The Beast in Me.” Danes plays a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who nds a new subject in her nextdoor neighbor, a real estate tycoon who also may or may not have killed his rst wife. Howard Gordon, who worked with Danes on “Homeland,” is also the showrunner and an executive producer of “The Beast in Me.” It premieres Thursday.

David Duchovny and Jack Whitehall star in a new thriller on Prime Video called “Malice.” Duchovny plays Jamie, a wealthy man vacationing with his family in Greece. He hires a tutor (played by Whitehall) named Adam to work with the kids who seems likable, personable and they invite him into their world. Soon it becomes apparent that Adam’s charm is actually creepy. Something is up. As these stories go, getting rid of an interloper is never easy. All six episodes drop Friday.

“Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints” returns to Fox Nation on Sunday for a second season. The premiere details the story of Saint Patrick. The show is a passion project for Scorsese who executive produces, hosts and narrates the episodes.

Billy Bob Thornton has struck oil in the second season of “Landman” on Paramount+. Created by Taylor Sheridan, the show is set-in modern-day Texas in the world of Big Oil. Sam Elliott and Andy Garcia have joined the cast, and Demi Moore also returns. The show returns Sunday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

The R&B and neo soul powerhouse Summer Walker has returned with her third studio album and rst in four years. “Finally Over It,” out Friday, is the nal chapter of her “Over It” tril-

An incurable cancer diagnoses might not be the most obvious starting place for a funny and a rming lm, but that is the magic of Ryan White’s documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light,” about two poets — Andrea Gibson, who died in July, and Megan Falley — facing a difcult reality together. It will be on Apple TV on Friday.

“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” cast member Heather Gay has written a book called “Bad Mormon” about how she went from a devout Mormon to leaving the church. Next, she’s fronting a new docuseries that delves into that too called “Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay.” The reality TV star also speaks to others who

The Call of Duty team behind the Black Ops subseries delivered a chapter last year — but they’re already back with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The new installment of the bestselling rst-person shooter franchise moves to 2035 and a world “on the brink of chaos.” (What else is new?) Publisher Activision is promising a “reality-shattering” experience that dives into “into the deepest corners of the human psyche.” Lock and load Friday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis pose for photographers at the premiere of the lm ‘Freakier Friday’ in London. The body swap comedy

Disney+.

The

HOKE COUNTY

Hoke vs. Hoke

Captains from East Hoke and West Hoke meet for the coin toss at the intercounty clash last Wednesday. The East Hoke Eagles won 18-0 and moved on to face Rockingham for the Southeastern Middle School championship.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

U.S. ight cancellations will continue even after shutdown ends Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends. The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with deeper cuts to ights at 40 major U.S. airports. After a weekend of thousands of canceled ights, airlines scrapped another 2,300 ights Monday and more than 1,000 for Tuesday. Air tra c controllers have been unpaid for nearly a month. Some have stopped showing up to work, citing the added stress and the need to take second jobs. Controller shortages led to average delays of four hours at Chicago O’Hare on Monday.

Record-low temps

shock Southeast while snowfall blankets parts of Northeast

The southeastern U.S. has plunged into record-low temperatures, a ecting 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The cold spell moved from the Northern Plains and brought an abrupt transition to wintry temperatures. Some daily records were shattered, including a low of 28 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida. In Florida, temperatures led to a “falling iguana advisory” as iguanas froze into survival mode and fell from trees. Meanwhile, parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast experienced signi cant snowfall, causing hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters expected temps to rise by the end of the week.

Hoke High band program in need of funds to support growth

The program is projected to grow to around 115 students in the coming year

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Schools Board of Education has been approached regarding additional nancial support for the Hoke County High School band.

At the board’s Nov. 6 meeting, Hoke County High School Band Director Jeremy Ross discussed the program’s need for funds to grow the program.

“We can’t sustain growth in the band program without having some nancial backing through the county,” Ross said.

“Every dollar we raise is put into maintaining the program,

“We can’t sustain growth in the band program without having some nancial backing through the county.”

Jeremy Ross, Hoke County High School Band director

but we don’t have enough funds to grow.”

Items that Ross pointed to needing funds were instrument purchases, repairs, musical supplies, uniforms, technology, travel and clinician sta ng.

“We want to make sure each student has professional-grade resources and that everybody is having the same quality of instrument,” Ross said.

Currently, the program does

not have enough of particular instruments, such as sousaphones and euphoniums, to support the number of students who play them.

There are 95 students in the marching band currently, and according to Ross, that number is projected to grow to 110 to 115 next year

“These things are necessary for the band program to grow and be successful and for its longevity,” Ross said. “This would give it a chance to have purchasing power so that every kid is a orded an instrument that needs it. Right now, we’re surviving o of rental programs.”

While the band does its own fundraisers, Ross stated that money was essentially “in one hand and out the other” due to recurring costs for repairs, cleaning and maintenance.

Board member Ruben Castellon also brought up the fact that the board had allegedly already discussed allowing the band program to get a cut of proceeds from home football games that they perform at, but Ross stated that had not come to fruition.

“They’re performers, they should get paid,” Castellon said. “We thought this was taken care of, but apparently it wasn’t. It needs to be taken care of.”

The board was also presented with the upcoming contract with Learning.com for its K-8 digital literacy program.

“It’s a program that’s part of our North Carolina Digital Literacy Initiative,” said Executive Director of Digital Teaching and Learning Dawn Ramseur.

US Mint in Philadelphia makes nal penny as 1-cent coin gets canceled

Pennies have nostalgia but limited usefulness in 2025

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA — Back in 1793, a penny could get you a biscuit, a candle or a piece of candy. These days, many sit in drawers or glass jars and are basically cast aside or collected as lucky keepsakes.

But their luck has run out.

The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia struck its last circulating penny on Wednesday as the president has canceled the 1-cent coin as the cost of making them became more than their value.

President Donald Trump has ordered its demise as costs climb to nearly 4 cents per

gress passed the Coinage Act. Today, there are billions of them in circulation, but they are rarely essential for nancial transactions in the modern economy or the digital age.

“For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” Trump wrote in an online post in February, as costs continued to climb. “This is so wasteful!”

Still, many people have a nostalgia for them, seeing them as lucky or fun to collect. And some retailers have voiced concerns in recent weeks as supplies ran low and the last production neared. They said the phase-out was abrupt and came with no guidance from the federal government on how to

BAND from page A1

“It’s critical for equipping all of our students with essential digital literacy skills and it ensures that they can demonstrate the academic knowledge that they need in order to navigate the digital world.”

The program, which is fully funded by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction since Hoke County is a Tier I county, will cost just over $37,000. There will be no direct expense to the district.

In addition, the board was presented with the district’s vacancy report — which showed 45 total vacancies, 27 certi ed and 18 classi ed — and an update on the FY 2024-25 audit report.

“The audit is coming to a close,” said Finance O cer Willena Richardson. “We’re wait-

WEEKLY

THURSDAY NOV. 13

FRIDAY NOV. 14

Solar storms bring colorful northern lights to unexpected places in US

By Adithi Ramakrishnan The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Solar

storms brought colorful auroras to unexpected places in the U.S. on Tuesday night, and there could be more to come.

Space weather forecasters con rmed that storms reached severe levels on Tuesday, triggering vibrant northern lights as far south as Kansas, Colorado and Texas. There were some impacts to GPS communications and the power grid, Shawn Dahl with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a video posted on X.

PENNY from page A1

handle customer transactions.

Some rounded prices down to avoid shortchanging people, others pleaded with customers to bring exact change and the more creative among them gave out prizes, such as a free drink, in exchange for a pile of pennies.

ing for numbers from the county o ce so that we can complete the audit.”

Finally, the board was presented with a concern regarding child nutrition as it relates to the current government shutdown.

“Because of the federal government shutdown, November was the last month that the federal government has given child nutrition funds to run the department,” Richardson said. “We’re unsure what’s going to happen with December on, but we do know that there is enough fund balance to run for three months. Right now, we’re not too concerned, and we’re hoping the federal government is going to do what it needs to do to make sure our children get fed.”

The Hoke County Schools Board of Education will next meet Dec. 9.

Over the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections.

Forecasters think this solar outburst could be the most energetic of the three and have issued a severe storm alert. How bright the auroras are and how far south they are visible will depend on when the burst gets here and how it interacts with Earth’s magnetic eld and atmosphere.

The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making the light displays more common and widespread. Aurora displays are commonly visible near the poles.

“We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way we wanted it to go,” Je Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores said last month.

Some banks, meanwhile, began rationing supplies, a somewhat paradoxical result of the e ort to address what many

see as a glut of the coins. Over the last century, about half of the coins made at U.S. Mints in Philadelphia and Denver have been pennies.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Treasurer Brandon Beach were in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon for the nal production run. The Treasury Department

expects to save $56 million per year on materials by ceasing to make them.

But they still have a better production-cost-to-value ratio than the nickel, which costs nearly 14 cents to make. The diminutive dime, by comparison, costs less than 6 cents to produce and the quarter nearly 15 cents.

A podcast local to Hoke-Raeford, NC, with Ruben Castellon and Chris Holland.

CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP PHOTO

The northern lights ll the sky behind the Saint Joseph the Woodworker Shrine Tuesday near Valley Falls, Kansas.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Federal and state governments are rooting out DEI & ESG

FOLLOWING PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s executive orders to root out and eliminate ESG and DEI policies from government agencies and departments, it might be easy to think the war against these destructive ideas is won.

Radical leftists are losing voter support for ESG and DEI at the ballot box, in legislative chambers around the country and in public opinion. But sadly, any attempt to declare victory regarding the end of ESG or DEI would be wrong. Ultra-left activists and entrenched government bureaucrats who support these polices are working overtime to rename ESG and DEI rules so they attract less attention but are still enforced.

ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) sound innocent, and that’s the point. Nestled within these two seemingly innocuous acronyms (who could be against inclusion?) are radical, insidious and anti-American agendas.

Going through the letters “ESG,” the realities become apparent. “Environmental” really means climate alarmism and eliminating the safest, most a ordable and most reliable energy sources in favor of solar and wind, which are as unreliable as they are una ordable. “Social” is where DEI lives with racial quotas for hiring, discriminating based on skin color and the worst elements of gender ideology. And “governance” underpins it all by manipulating our free enterprise system to take control of companies and turn them into tools for the woke.

COLUMN | JENNY BETH MARTIN

It’s all a scheme to package the woke left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse, making it unrecognizable. It is moving us from a meritocracy that values hard work and rewards success to a kakistocracy. Particularly insidious is that this allows the left to implement the worst elements of its agenda without winning elections, without passing laws in Congress or state legislatures, and without any of us having a say in our nation’s future.

There is, however, positive momentum. Many state policymakers have been sounding the alarm for years, but this year the movement against ESG and DEI achieved critical mass. Trump has issued three executive orders targeting DEI (Executive Order 14151, Executive Order 14173, and Executive Order 14168) and two targeting ESG (Executive Order 14154 and Executive Order 14259).

These orders terminated all DEI positions in the federal government, banned contractors from using it in hiring, directed the Department of Justice to investigate civil rights violations related to its use in the private sector, directed the U.S. attorney general to block enforcement of state and local ESG laws, and rescinded all Biden ESG and DEI executive orders.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to weed out DEI and ESG from both the public and private sectors, ending programs and cutting funding. The Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport lost more than $37 million in grants when it refused to end DEI. The Trump administration also halted $18 billion in funding

for infrastructure projects in New York City due to concerns about the city’s DEI policies.

State governments have also acted. So far, 22 states have banned or restricted DEI and ESG. Earlier this year, nancial o cers from 21 states sent a warning letter to the nation’s largest banks, urging them to end woke investing policies.

Texas enacted a parental bill of rights that ends DEI and bans instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in public K-12 schools. In Indiana, State Attorney General Todd Rokita moved to block state contracts with law rms that have DEI initiatives following an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun. Before stepping down in August to become a deputy director of the FBI, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued IBM and Starbucks for their discriminatory DEI policies and launched an investigation into two foreign-owned proxy advisory rms for promoting ESG.

Despite all this progress, victory celebrations would be premature. Sal Nuzzo, executive director of Consumers Defense, which works to protect American consumers from ESG and woke companies, warns:

“ESG isn’t dead, it’s simply rebranding. The radicals on the Left are publicly proclaiming that they have seen the light while at the same time simply changing the terms to things like ‘sustainability’ and ‘transparency’ in the hopes of waiting out the current momentum. We forget this to our detriment.”

ESG and DEI aren’t just bad ideas — they are destructive forces that must be eradicated. They harm our economy, divide our country, and increasingly violate state and federal laws. Those who want to change the very fabric of America will not simply concede and surrender. We all must remain vigilant to recognize the next iterations of ESG and DEI and continue to root them out.

Harry Roth is director of outreach for Save Our States. This column was rst published by The Daily Signal.

It’s time to impeach Judge Boasberg

PUBLIC TRUST IN THE impartiality of our judiciary is one of the crown jewels of the American republic. Federal judges, unlike politicians, do not stand for election, and the power they wield is immense precisely because it is supposed to be restrained by duty, precedent and the Constitution. When that restraint fails, the remedy is clear: impeachment. Judge James E. Boasberg’s conduct in approving sweeping subpoenas and gag orders as part of the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation shows a breach of trust serious enough to merit that remedy.

Start with the facts: Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently disclosed that the FBI’s Arctic Frost probe — launched under the Biden administration and later folded into Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe — was far broader than the public was led to believe. The investigation targeted not just a few Trump allies or campaign gures but “the entire Republican political apparatus.” Agents sought records from at least 430 individuals, groups and businesses tied to the GOP, issuing some 197 subpoenas in the process. Among those ensnared were Republican senators, former Trump o cials and conservative organizations such as Turning Point USA.

That level of sweep might be understandable, and tolerable, if justi ed by credible evidence of criminal conspiracy. But Grassley’s review found no probable cause linking this many targets to an identi able crime. Instead, the evidence points to what Grassley called “the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends.” In short, Arctic Frost appears to have been less an investigation into wrongdoing than an exercise in political surveillance.

Boasberg’s role was not tangential. As chief dudge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, he personally approved the subpoenas and the gag orders that kept their existence secret. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, whose phone metadata was sought,

revealed that AT&T had been forbidden by court order to inform him of the subpoena for at least one year. “If a judge signs an order reaching a factual conclusion for which there is no evidence whatsoever,” Cruz said, “that judge is abusing his power.” Cruz is right.

Judges are not grand jurors, nor are they partisan gatekeepers. Their constitutional duty is to test the government’s assertions before granting its requests to intrude on private citizens. A judge’s signature carries the force of law only because it represents independent judgment. When that independence is abandoned — when a judge becomes a rubber stamp for politically charged investigations — the separation of powers itself begins to erode.

Boasberg’s defenders note that the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit routinely handled classi ed or grand jury matters and that his approvals may have been routine. That is precisely the problem. What should never be “routine” is secret surveillance of political actors without clear, nonpartisan justi cation.

Impeachment is not to be taken lightly. The Constitution reserves it for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which historically includes serious abuses of o ce. A judge who repeatedly fails to exercise due scrutiny over politically sensitive investigations ts that description.

Some will object that impeachment of a sitting federal judge risks politicizing the judiciary further. That argument reverses cause and e ect. It is precisely because the judiciary must remain apolitical that accountability is essential when a judge steps into politics. Congress impeached and removed Judge Alcee Hastings in 1989 for falsifying evidence and perjuring himself. It impeached and removed Judge Thomas Porteous in 2010 for corruption. Judicial independence is not immunity. The same principle must apply when a judge’s conduct facilitates the weaponization of justice for partisan ends.

The larger question is whether Americans still believe the law applies equally. The Arctic Frost

a air is a troubling episode that lends weight to the argument that the law is applied unequally. When subpoenas reach across entire political parties while evidence of actual criminality is not made available for public review, citizens cannot be blamed for suspecting the system is tilted.

Congress cannot restore that trust merely by complaining in hearings or issuing press releases. It must act. The House of Representatives has the authority — and the obligation — to investigate Boasberg’s role, to subpoena the Justice Department’s submissions for his approval and to determine whether he violated his oath to “administer justice without respect to persons.” If the evidence shows that he violated his oath, the House should pass articles of impeachment, and the Senate should hold a trial. No other mechanism will su ce to reassert the principle that even judges are accountable under the Constitution.

The strength of America’s republic depends on the restraint of those who wield power — especially those who wield it for life. If Boasberg believed it was appropriate to sign orders allowing the FBI and DOJ to harvest the communications of elected lawmakers and political organizations without solid cause, then he has demonstrated precisely the kind of judgment that the Founders feared. The time has come for Congress to redraw the line. Judicial independence requires it. So does the Constitution.

Jenny Beth Martin is honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | HARRY ROTH

Anatomy of a news story: ‘60 Minutes’ invites audience into editing process with Trump interview

The new leadership at CBS News released the full video and transcript of the interview

By David Bauder The Associated Press

DURING HIS “60 Minutes” interview, President Donald Trump said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer would rather see the country fail than Republicans do well, complained about investigators searching through his wife’s closet, spoke in detail about ending wars and turned the tables on interviewer Norah O’Donnell to ask about safety in Washington, D.C.

None of that was seen by people who watched the CBS telecast Sunday night.

Less than half of O’Donnell’s interview, conducted Friday, actually made it onto the air. But CBS posted a transcript and video of the full 73-minute discussion online so viewers could see for themselves what the president said that the network deemed worthy for inclusion in the 28-minute on-air segment.

That o ered viewers a rare look inside the editing process at one of journalism’s best-known institutions, showing the dozens of decisions on clarity and newsworthiness that go into telling the story you see on television.

Beyond “60 Minutes,” the process is essentially the same throughout the world of journalism, from local newspapers to The New York Times, from specialty websites to The Associated Press. In short: Much like the old notion that everyone’s a critic, with this move everyone can be an editor.

A contrast to how “60 Minutes” has worked throughout its history

Release of the Trump “outtakes” contrasted with CBS’ treatment of the “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris last fall. Trump sued CBS, claiming the interview with his Democratic opponent was deceptively edited, based on two di erent clips that were aired on the newsmagazine and “Face the Nation.”

CBS did not release a transcript of its Harris interview for four months, and not until the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission had applied public pressure. On a routine basis, “60 Minutes” — and most journalists — don’t release raw material in this way.

If CBS News is going to change its practices routinely in the future, one former “60 Minutes” producer said it should be up front with its viewers about it. Tom Bettag, who worked at the broadcast in the 1980s and is now a journalism professor at the University of Maryland, said it’s a product of the times in which we live, but there’s a downside to the practice of let-

ting people in on the editing.

“I think there’s a very good reason not to allow people to do that, in order to avoid the arguments of ‘you should have done this’ or ‘you should have done that,’” Bettag said. “The assumption has been that your audience trusts you to use good judgment and to be fair.”

From the very start, the edited Trump interview showed a clear di erence from the raw material. On the broadcast, O’Donnell’s interview began with discussion of the government shutdown. But when the two actually sat down, she started by asking the president about his just-concluded meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

That’s essentially a call journalists make every day in crafting reports: Pick material to emphasize that seems the most newsworthy or of interest to the most people.

“The newsiest portions made the broadcast, which is why programs edit in the rst place,”

Brian Stelter wrote about the “60 Minutes” interview for CNN’s “Reliable Sources” newsletter.

The rst words out of Trump’s mouth — “Democrats’ fault” — came before O’Donnell even completed her question. That clearly showed where Trump was going, and the broadcast interview re ected that. But it was edited several times for length

“You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have legit news. And I think that’s happening.”

President Donald Trump

to avoid tangents and the repetitiveness of partisan attacks.

Of Schumer, Trump said, “He would rather see the country fail than have Trump and the Republicans do well” — a comment left out of the broadcast.

On cutting room oor: Trump says O’Donnell “should be ashamed”

Trump also told O’Donnell that she “should be ashamed” to be asking him about political retribution. That was left o the broadcast. Trump’s complaints about New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey were abbreviated — although his comment that James was a “terrible, dishonest person” was left in.

“I was struck by how much of what didn’t air from the interview were the parts that seemed more rant- lled and often confusing,” wrote journalist Rick Ellis, who painstakingly compared transcripts of the full in-

terview and what CBS broadcast for the website All Your Screens.

Trump brought up his predecessor, President Joe Biden, more than 40 times in the interview but only six instances made the broadcast, Ellis said. The headline for Ellis’ story read, “‘60 Minutes’ Edits (Most of) the Crazy Out of Its Interview with Donald Trump.”

CBS edited a handful of fact-checks into the “60 Minutes” story, most notably adding a military o cial’s refutation of Trump’s claim that China and Russia were testing nuclear weapons. There were a handful of missed opportunities, such as Trump’s claim that he was able to beat all of the legal “nonsense that was thrown at me.”

CBS removed an exchange during a discussion of crime in cities in which Trump asked O’Donnell whether she felt safer in Washington, D.C., after the president ordered the National Guard to patrol there. Generally, journalists like to keep the focus o themselves.

“You see a di erence?” Trump asked her.

Responded O’Donnell: “I think I’ve been working too hard. I haven’t been out and about that much.”

“60 Minutes” pointed out that O’Donnell’s interview was conducted exactly a year after Trump led his lawsuit regarding the Harris interview. But it

left out of the broadcast Trump’s discussion about management changes at CBS’s parent company Paramount since the company agreed to pay him $16 million to settle the case.

“They paid me a lot of money for that,” Trump said. “You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have legit news. And I think that’s happening.”

He praised Paramount’s new leaders along with the news division’s new editor-in-chief, The Free Press founder Bari Weiss.

That editing decision angered a Trump critic, Tim Miller at the Bulwark website.

“‘60 Minutes’ did not air the part where Trump discusses his success extorting the network and calls them Fake News,” he wrote on X. “This edit is harmful to me and I’m considering suing.”

CBS’s editing seemed to draw fewer complaints from Trump supporters. The White House’s “rapid response” X feed posted copies of both the full interview and what CBS put on the air.

Jorge Bonilla, writing for the conservative media watchdog Newsbusters, wrote that O’Donnell’s rst interview with the newsmagazine contrasted with its “debacle” with Lesley Stahl ve years ago, when Trump walked out.

“It appears,” he wrote, “that the Bari Weiss era is now full upon us at CBS News.”

MANUEL BALCE CENETA / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on board Air Force One on his way back to the White House from a weekend trip at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last Sunday.

HOKE SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Colin McDavid

Hoke County boys’ soccer

Colin McDavid is the coach of the Hoke County boys’ soccer team.

In his 12th season at the helm, Coach McDavid has the Bucks at 13-8-4, with two more wins than last season and a 6-4 record in the Mid-South 7A/8A conference.

The Bucks drew a No. 10 seed in the NCHSAA Class 8A state playo s and fell in the rst round, 3-0, to No. 7 Garinger. Despite the season-ending setback, McDavid was named the Mid-South conference coach of the year.

Soccer comes to an end as basketball ramps up

North State Journal sta Boys’ soccer

HOKE SAW ITS boys’ soccer season come to an end with a rst-round loss to Garinger in the NCHSAA state playo s.

The defeat ended the high school careers of the Hoke senior class, a group that went 49-37-8 over the last four years.

The senior class includes leading scorers Carson Hewitt and Pedro Ramos, the team’s second-highest steals total in Gabriel Morgan, goaltending saves leader Marcus Monsanto and a group that also includes defender/forward Ayden Flynn, midelder/forward Jesus Hernandez, striker Josiah Jacobs and forward Smayther Velasquez.

Basketball

The boys’ and girls’ basketball seasons are less than a week away. Both teams get started with road games at Ascend Leadership on Nov. 17, followed by home openers against St. Pauls the following day. The boys are coming o a 7-16 season, while the girls look to improve on a 4-20 campaign.

Here’s a look at the schedules for the teams.

BOYS’

Nov. 17 at Ascend Leadership

Nov. 18 vs. St. Pauls

Nov. 21 vs. New Life Christian

Nov. 25 at St. Pauls

Nov. 28 vs. Trinity Christian

Dec. 2 vs. Ascend Leadership

Dec. 5 vs. Seventy-First

Dec. 9 at Westover

Jan. 9 at Purnell Swett

Jan. 13 vs. Overhills

Jan. 16 at Pine Forest

Jan. 20 at Richmond

Jan. 23 vs. Pinecrest

Jan. 27 at Jack Britt

Jan. 30 at Overhills

Feb. 3 vs. Pine Forest

Feb. 6 vs. Richmond

Feb. 10 at Pinecrest

Feb. 13 vs. Jack Britt

GIRLS’

Nov. 17 at Ascend Leadership

Nov. 18 vs. St. Pauls

Nov. 21 vs. Riverside Christian

Nov. 25 at St. Pauls

Dec. 2 vs. Ascend Leadership

Dec. 5 vs. Seventy-First

Dec. 9 at Westover

Dec. 10 vs. Louisburg

Dec. 12 at Seventy-First

Dec. 16-20 Holiday tournament

Jan. 9 at Purnell Swett

Jan. 13 vs. Overhills

Jan. 16 at Pine Forest

Jan. 17 Red Springs MLK Event, opponent TBA

Jan. 20 at Richmond

Jan. 23 vs. Pinecrest

Jan. 27 at Jack Britt

Jan. 30 at Overhills

Feb. 3 vs. Pine Forest

Feb. 6 vs. Richmond

Feb. 10 at Pinecrest

Feb. 13 vs. Jack Britt

Coach buyouts piling up, raising questions

Changes

to college football have raised expectations on coaches

By Maura Carey The Associated Press

MERELY THREE WEEKS into the season, UCLA’s DeShaun Foster and Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry were out of a job. Seven weeks later, a half-dozen more coaches were added to the list of midseason rings.

A quarter of the SEC’s coaches who started the season are gone. So are longtime coaches James Franklin of Penn State and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy. It’s not as simple as an uncomfortable conversation and launching a search for the new coach. Universities are on the hook for millions of dollars for coaches they’re no longer employing.

By Week 10, buyout totals for assistant and head coaches have climbed to approximately $185 million, a gure that raises the question of whether athletic departments spending their way out of a headache is still a feasible route to take, especially when higher education funding is under increasing pressure and schools are already sending athletes millions

in revenue for the rst time.

“It’s not a sustainable pattern,” said Michael LeRoy, a labor and employment relations expert at Illinois. “Even without revenue sharing, it would be challenging. These gures have been growing exponentially over the past ve to 10 years. Power conference coaching contracts are in this escalating spiral that involves larger buyouts, longer terms and more restrictions on terminating contracts.”

While costs build, so do expectations. Making the 12team College Football Playo is considered the minimum seasonal goal for some programs. And leverage largely remains in the hands of highly sought-after coaches, the same ones who will inevitably be in talks for some of the top positions in college football at LSU, Florida and Penn State. So how does the cycle of ring, rehiring and spending stop? It probably doesn’t, according to LeRoy.

“I don’t think schools have the willpower,” he said. “They’re always going to be concerned about what their rivals are doing, and there’s always going to be a rival that will break the bank to hire the best coach.”

LeRoy’s answer is in line

COURTESY HC BUCKS ATHLETICS / FACEBOOK

SPORTS BLAST / FACEBOOK

Hoke boys’ soccer awaits introductions prior to the Bucks’ rst-round playo game against Garinger.

Paul Tagliabue, former NFL commissioner, dead at age 84

The league’s longtime leader’s legacy includes more money, diversity and a concussion conundrum

By Arnie Stapleton

The Associated Press

PAUL TAGLIABUE led the NFL to greater riches, more diversity and soaring popularity during his 17-year tenure as commissioner of America’s favorite sport. His stewardship also was marked by the league’s dawdling recognition of the impact and severity of concussions.

Tagliabue, who died Sunday of heart failure at age 84, was commissioner from 1989 to 2006. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

More money

League revenues skyrocketed during the 17 years under Tagliabue, who was succeeded by current commissioner Rodger Goodell after brokering new television and labor deals. In addition to billions of dollars in broadcast revenue, the league also saw construction of a slew of new stadiums and expansion to 32 teams.

More diversity

Tagliabue established the “Rooney Rule,” under which all teams with coaching vacancies must interview minority candidates. It has since been expanded to include front-o ce and league executive positions. Although the rule is named for the late Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, it could easily have carried Tagliabue’s ID.

Art Shell, a Hall of Fame player, became the NFL’s rst modern-day black head coach with the Raiders. He got to see Tagliabue up close and thought him utterly suited for his job.

“After my coaching career was over, I had the privilege of working directly with Paul in the league o ce,” Shell said. “His philosophy on almost every issue was, ‘If it’s broke, x it. And if it’s not broke, x it anyway.’

“He always challenged us to nd better ways of doing things. Paul never lost sight of his responsibility to do what was right for the game. He

BUYOUTS from page B1

with Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s philosophy. His annual salary this year is $10.8 million and his current buyout cost exceeds $60 million. The fth-year coach says it’s just the cost of doing business.

“Sometimes you’ve got to pay the guy that’s leading the ship,”

“Paul never lost sight of his responsibility to do what was right for the game. He was the perfect choice as NFL commissioner.”

Art Shell

was the perfect choice as NFL commissioner.”

More popularity

There were no labor stoppages during Tagliabue’s 17 years in charge, and that contrib -

Sarkisian said. “That’s the price you pay. If you hired a coach and don’t think he’s the right coach for you, that’s part of it. You got to pay him. That’s just the way it works. ... So if you’re not willing to pay a coach and what his contract is, well, you’re probably not going to get the coaches you thought you might get.” The evolving economics in

uted to the sport’s increasing popularity, not only in the U.S. but globally. Tagliabue’s death was announced Sunday morning during the NFL’s game in Berlin, where the Indianapolis Colts beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in overtime in the rst regular-season game played in the German capital.

9/11 postponements

Taking heed of his predecessor’s regrets, Tagliabue called o NFL games the weekend after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. One of Pete Rozelle’s great regrets was proceeding with games two days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. The

college athletics are rewriting the job description for a modern coach. The criteria for success isn’t what it once was with revenue-sharing, NIL compensation and the transfer portal taking over.

“A coach who had been successful 10 or 15 years ago under a model of recruiting high schools across the country for ve-star

league pushed the Week 2 slate of games in 2001 to the rst week of January and pushed the playo s back a week.

Big Easy

Tagliabue insisted the Saints remain in New Orleans after owner Tom Benson sought to move the team to San Antonio following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A few years later, Drew Brees and Sean Payton, who arrived for the rebuild, brought the Big Easy its rst Super Bowl title.

Concussion conundrum

Among Tagliabue’s major achievements was implementing

players, that isn’t the same model as today,” LeRoy said. “These hires are retrospective in nature, so you’re in e ect hiring a coach who was successful under a different business model for coaching success, and therefore, when the coach doesn’t produce the way he had produced in the past, pressure builds really quickly to re him.”

a policy on substance abuse that was considered the strongest in all major sports. Yet his long wait for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, was pinned on the issue of concussions, which have plagued the NFL for decades. Team owners played a major role in the lack of progress in dealing with head trauma while Tagliabue was commissioner. In 2017, Tagliabue apologized for remarks he made decades earlier about concussions in football, acknowledging he didn’t have the proper data at the time in 1994 when he called concussions “one of those pack-journalism issues” and contended that the number of concussions “is relatively small; the problem is the journalist issue.”

One way or another, the schools already searching for their next hire will all be taking a gamble.

“These coaching contracts are somewhat like buying a Powerball ticket in the millions of dollars in the hopes that you will cash in. Somebody does cash in, but a lot of people are out of a lot of money,” LeRoy said.

GENE J. PUSKAR / AP PHOTO

Paul Tagliabue receives his gold jacket at his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class in 2021 in Canton, Ohio.

Mary Helen Flagg

Jan. 22, 1949 – Nov. 3, 2025

Mrs. Mary Helen Flagg age 76 of Rowland, North Carolina was born on January 22, 1949, to the late Jessie Thomas and the late Helen Thomas Carter. She departed this life on November 3, 2025, at Morrison Manor, Laurinburg, North Carolina. Along with her parents she was preceded in death by her granddaughter Harlee Tarrell Strickland, her siblings, Marilyn Hunt, John H. Thomas, Earl Ray Thomas, Mazelene Thomas.

Mrs. Mary Helen was a knitter for many years at Converse. Mrs. Mary Helen enjoyed spending time with her family, but she spent a great deal of time with her grands and great grands.

Mrs. Mary Helen is survived by her children: Shirlene Strickland, Darlene Chavis (Timmy), Homer McKinley Strickland (Jessica), a special cousin: Diane Locklear, ve grandchildren: Maranda L. Strickland, Zachary T. Chavis (Jordan), Destiny Locklear, Austin Locklear (Lauren), Cerles Locklear, twelve great grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews, a dear friend: Ms. Judy Oxendine, her caregiver: Teresa Casanova, Pembroke Dialysis, along with a host of other relatives and friends.

Stuart Smiling

Aug. 7, 1961 – Nov. 4, 2025

Stuart Smiling of Lumberton was born in Scotland County, NC, on August 7, 1961. He was born into eternity on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, completing his journey of 64 years. Stuart was the loving son of the late James Clinton Smiling and Velma Mae Strong Smiling.

Stuart was a construction worker for many years, earning a degree from Richmond Community College. He loved working with his hands and was skilled in many trades. He was a ectionately known by many as “the plumber.”

Stuart leaves to cherish his memory two daughters, Angelick Smiling Kulp and husband Je of Clarkton, and Katlyn Breanna Smiling of Pembroke, and three granddaughters, Destiny, Ma’leah and Payton Ann. He is also survived by one brother, Reverend Carson Smiling, and wife Jane, and one sister, Ruby Lee Locklear and husband Bobby Carl Locklear.

Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and polarizing VPs in US history, dead at 84

He was the de facto chief operating o cer of the George W. Bush presidency

By Calvin Woodward The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dick Cheney, the hard-charging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, has died at 84.

Cheney died Monday due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said Tuesday.

The quietly forceful Cheney led the armed forces as defense secretary during the Persian Gulf War under President George H.W. Bush before returning to public life as vice president under Bush’s eldest son, George W. Bush.

Cheney was, in e ect, the chief operating o cer of the younger Bush’s presidency. He often had a commanding hand in implementing decisions most important to the president and some of surpassing interest to himself — all while living with decades of heart disease and, post-administration, a heart transplant. Cheney consistently defended the extraordinary tools of surveillance, detention and inquisition employed in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“History will remember him as among the nest public servants of his generation — a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held,” Bush said.

Years after leaving o ce, Cheney became a target of President Donald Trump, especially after his daughter Liz Cheney became the leading Republican critic and examiner of Trump’s attempts to stay in power after his 2020 election defeat and his actions in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Trump said nothing about

Cheney publicly in the hours after his death was disclosed. The White House lowered ags to half-sta in remembrance of him but without the usual announcement or proclamation praising the deceased.

Cheney said last year he was voting for Democrat Kamala Harris for president against Trump.

For all his conservatism, Cheney was privately and publicly supportive of his daughter Mary Cheney after she came out as gay, years before samesex marriage was broadly supported. “Freedom means freedom for everyone,” he said.

In his time in o ce, no longer was the vice presidency merely a ceremonial afterthought. Instead, Cheney made it a network of back channels from which to inuence policy on Iraq, terrorism, presidential powers and energy.

A hard-liner on Iraq, Cheney was proved wrong about the rationale for the Iraq War, a point he didn’t acknowledge.

He alleged links between the 9/11 attacks and prewar Iraq that didn’t exist. He said U.S. troops would be welcomed as liberators; they weren’t.

He declared the Iraqi insurgency in its last throes in May 2005, when 1,661 U.S. service members had been killed, not even half the toll by the war’s end.

Cheney and Bush struck an odd bargain, unspoken but well understood. Shelving ambitions he might have had to succeed Bush, Cheney was accorded extraordinary power.

His penchant for secrecy had a price. He came to be seen as a Machiavelli orchestrating a bungled response to criticism of the Iraq War. And when he shot a hunting companion with an errant shotgun blast in 2006, he and his coterie were slow to disclose that episode. The victim, his friend Harry Whittington, recovered and forgave him.

Bush asked Cheney to lead a search for his vice president, eventually deciding the job should go to Cheney himself. Their election in 2000 was ultimately sealed by the Supreme Court after a protracted legal ght.

On Capitol Hill, Cheney lobbied for the president’s programs where he had once served as a deeply conservative member of Congress and the No. 2 Republican House leader.

On Sept. 11, 2001, with Bush out of town, the president gave Cheney approval to authorize the military to shoot down hijacked planes. By then, two airliners had hit the World Trade Center and a third was bearing down on the capital. A Secret Service agent burst into the West Wing room, grabbed Cheney by the belt and shoulder and led him to a bunker underneath the White House.

Cheney’s career in Washington started with a congressional fellowship in 1968. He became a protégé of Rep. Donald Rumsfeld (R-Ill.), serving under him in Gerald Ford’s White House before he was elevated to chief of sta , the youngest ever, at age 34. He later returned to Casper, Wyoming, and won the state’s lone congressional seat, the rst of six terms.

In 1989, Cheney became defense secretary and led the Pentagon during the 1990 -91 Persian Gulf War. Between the two Bush administrations, Cheney led Dallas-based Halliburton Corp., an oil industry services company.

Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, son of a longtime Agriculture Department worker. Senior class president and football co-captain in Casper, he went to Yale on a full scholarship for a year but failed out. He moved back to Wyoming and renewed a relationship with high school sweetheart Lynne Anne Vincent, marrying her in 1964. He is survived by his wife and daughters.

Vice President Dick Cheney gestures while speaking at the Charlotte Chamber in 2008.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at obits@northstatejournal.com

CHUCK BURTON / AP PHOTO

STATE & NATION

Trump unveils deal to expand coverage, lower costs on GLP-1 obesity drugs

Coverage will expand to Medicare patients starting next year

By Tom Murphy, Aamer Madhani and Jonel Aleccia

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers

Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy.

The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years.

But access to the drugs has been a consistent problem for patients because of their cost — around $500 a month for higher doses — and insurance coverage has been spotty.

Coverage of the drugs for obesity will expand to Medicare patients starting next year, according to the administration, which said some lower prices also will be phased in for patients without coverage. Starting doses of new, pill versions of the treatments also will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

“(It) will save lives, improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” said Trump, in an Oval O ce announcement in which he referred to GLP-1s as a “fat drug.”

Thursday’s announcement is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to rein in soaring drug prices in its e orts to address cost-of-living concerns among voters. Drugmakers P zer and AstraZeneca recently agreed to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid after an executive order in May

“Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Health and Human Services

Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

set a deadline for drugmakers to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.

As with the other deals, it’s not clear how much the price drop will be felt by consumers. Drug prices can vary based on the competition for treatments and insurance coverage.

Obesity drugs increasingly popular but costly

The obesity drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that a ect appetite and feelings of fullness. In clinical trials, they helped people shed between 15% and 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases.

Patients taking these drugs usually start on smaller doses and then work up to larger amounts, depending on their needs. Because of obesity being considered a chronic disease, they need to take the treatment inde nitely or risk regaining weight, experts say.

The fast-growing treatments have proven especially lucrative for drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Novo Nordisk. Lilly said recently that sales of Zepbound have tripled so far this year to more than $9 billion.

But for many Americans, their cost has made them out of reach.

Medicare, the federally funded coverage program mainly for people ages 65 and over, hasn’t covered the treatments for obesity. President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule last November that would have changed that. But the Trump administration nixed it last spring.

Few state and federally funded Medicaid programs, for people with low incomes, o er coverage. And employers and insurers that provide commercial coverage are wary of paying for these drugs in part because of the large number of patients that might use them.

The $500 monthly price for higher doses of the treatments also makes them una ordable for those without insurance, doctors say.

Medicare now covers the cost of the drugs for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease but not for weight loss alone.

Trump showing he’s in touch with cost- of-living concerns

The e ort to lower costs barriers to popular GLP-1 drugs comes as the White House is looking to demonstrate that Trump is in touch with Americans’ frustrations with rising costs for food, housing, health care and other necessities.

“Trump is the friend of the forgotten American,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Thursday’s announcement. “Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Kennedy had previously ex-

Slime, Battleship, Trivial Pursuit enshrined into Toy Hall of Fame

They beat out Catan, Tickle Me Elmo and snow

By Carolyn Thompson

The Associated Press

SLIME, that gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit.

Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play across generations, culling its nalists from among thousands of nominees sent in online. Voting by the public and a panel of experts decides which playthings will be inducted.

Milton Bradley’s Battleship, a strategy game that challenges

players to strike an opponent’s warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players’ knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold more than 100 million copies over several decades, according to the Hall of Fame.

Battleship started as a pencil-and-paper game in the 1930s, but it was Milton Bradley’s 1967 plastic edition with fold-up stations and model ships that became a hit with the public. Its popularity crested when Universal Pictures and Hasbro, which now owns Milton Bradley, released the 2012 movie “Battleship,” loosely based on the game. Battleship was also among the rst board games to be computerized in 1979, according to the Hall of Fame, and now there are numerous, electronic versions.

Trivial Pursuit lets players compete alone or in teams as they maneuver around a board answering trivia questions in exchange for wedges in a game piece. Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott came up with the game in 1979 and eventually sold the rights to Hasbro. Frequently updated, specialty versions have emerged for young players, baby boomers and other segments and an online daily quiz keeps players engaged, chief curator Chris Bensch said.

Slime’s appeal is more about squish than skill. It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has been manufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a do-it-yourself project. The internet o ers a variety of recipes using ingredients like

pressed skepticism to GLP-1s in ghting obesity and diseases related to the condition. But he was full of praise for Trump for pushing to help a broader segment of Americans have access to the drug.

The announcement came after Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia faced a drubbing in Tuesday’s election in which dour voter outlook about the economy appeared to be an animating factor in the races.

Roughly half of Virginia voters said “the economy” was the top issue, and about 6 in 10 of these voters picked Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor, powering her to a decisive win, according to an AP voter poll.

In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won about two-thirds of voters who called “the economy” the top issue facing the state, the poll found. She defeated a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli.

More than half of New York City voters said the cost of living was the top issue facing the city. The Democratic mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won about two-thirds of this group.

The White House sought to diminish the e ort by the previous Democratic administration as a gift to the pharmaceutical industry because the proposal did not include adequate price concessions from drug makers.

Trump, instead, consummated a “belt and suspenders” deal that ensures Americans aren’t unfairly nancing the pharmaceutical industry’s innovation, claimed a senior administration o cial, who briefed reporters ahead of Thursday’s Oval O ce announcement by Trump. Another senior administration o cial said coverage of

the drugs will expand to Medicare patients starting next year. Those who qualify will pay $50 copays for the medicine.

Lower prices also will be phased in for people without coverage through the administration’s TrumpRx program, which will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. starting in January.

The o cials said lower prices also will be provided for state and federally funded Medicaid programs. And starting doses of new, pill versions of the obesity treatments will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

The o cials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Doctors applaud the price drop

Dr. Leslie Golden says she has roughly 600 patients taking one of these treatments, and 75% or more struggle to a ord them. Even with coverage, some face $150 copayments for re lls.

“Every visit it’s, ‘How long can we continue to do this? What’s the plan if I can’t continue?,’” said Golden, an obesity medicine specialist in Watertown, Wisconsin. “Some of them are working additional jobs or delaying retirement so they can continue to pay for it.”

Both Lilly and Novo have already cut prices on their drugs. Lilly said earlier this year it would reduce the cost of initial doses of Zepbound to $349.

Dr. Angela Fitch, who also treats patients with obesity, said she hoped a deal between the White House and drugmakers could be the rst step in making the treatments more a ordable.

“We need a hero in obesity care today,” said Fitch, founder and chief medical o cer of knownwell, a weight-loss and medical care company. “The community has faced relentless barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications, which has ultimately come down to the price, despite the data we have supporting their e ectiveness.”

baking soda, glue and contact lens solution.

“Though slime continues to carry icky connotations to slugs and swamps — all part of the fun for some — the toy o ers meaningful play,” curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer said, adding that it’s also used for stress relief and building motor skills.

The honorees will be on permanent display at the Hall of

Fame inside The Strong National Museum of Play in

New York.

This year’s inductees were voted in over other nominees including the games Catan and Connect Four, the Spirograph drawing device, the “Star Wars” lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo. They also beat out classics including scooters, cornhole and snow.

Rochester,

EVYN MORGAN / THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY VIA AP

The games that will be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2025 include Trivial Pursuit and slime.

Getting on the “X”

WHAT’S HAPPENING

U.S. ight cancellations will continue even after shutdown ends Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the government shutdown ends. The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with deeper cuts to ights at 40 major U.S. airports. After a weekend of thousands of canceled ights, airlines scrapped another 2,300 ights Monday and more than 1,000 for Tuesday. Air tra c controllers have been unpaid for nearly a month. Some have stopped showing up to work, citing the added stress and the need to take second jobs. Controller shortages led to average delays of four hours at Chicago O’Hare on Monday.

Record-low temps shock Southeast while snowfall blankets parts of Northeast

The southeastern U.S. has plunged into record-low temperatures, a ecting 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The cold spell moved from the Northern Plains and brought an abrupt transition to wintry temperatures. Some daily records were shattered, including a low of 28 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida. In Florida, temperatures led to a “falling iguana advisory” as iguanas froze into survival mode and fell from trees. Meanwhile, parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast experienced signi cant snowfall, causing hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters expected temps to rise by the end of the week.

Board of Education holds discussion on SRO issues

Board member David Hensley presented his views on the district’s safety

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

CARTHAGE — The Moore County Schools Board of Education held a discussion regarding their in-house police force at its Nov. 10 meeting.

The discussion, which was brought forth by board member David Hensley, focused on whether or not Moore County should keep having its own police force or if it should turn over SRO responsibilities to the Moore County Sheri ’s O ce.

“We are talking about this tonight because we had a board member request to make a presentation on ensuring the best

safety for our faculty, sta and students,” said board chair Robin Calcutt. “This is not a decision making time when we will be deciding about our SROs.”

“I intend for this to be a discussion because as I’ve said consistently, I just believe the school board should have public discussions on important matters in front of the public,” Hensley said.

Some of the disadvantages of Moore County having its own police force that Hensley brought up were that it is a management distraction for central o ce, it diverts educational funds to law enforcement activities and an overall lack of law enforcement expertise and infrastructure in the district.

“This plan is not to eliminate school security,” Hensley said.

“All of our SROs are here because they want to be.”

Ricky Gooch, Moore County Schools Police interim chief

“It’s to improve it by moving it to the Sheri ’s Department like is done in 98 other counties and 113 other school districts. We’re not asking to do something that is odd and unusual.”

Hensley also pointed to failures to properly recruit and maintain the force and a lack of adequate training and equipment provided by the district.

“The assumption is, if there’s a mass shooting in Moore County or anywhere, it’s going to happen at a school,’ Hens-

ley said. “Therefore we have to have the most capable, the best trained, the best equipped and the most professional police force able to respond to that.”

“All the surrounding counties have SROs provided by the existing professional police forces and they all have as good or better coverage,” Hensley said. “Turning things over to the Sheri ’s department is much better. It’s cheaper, it lets us focus on our core mission and they are sta ed and organized to do it.”

In response, Superintendent Tim Locklair refuted the claims about recruitment — stating the district faces all the same struggles as other law enforcement agencies — training — stating Moore County Schools o cers actually have to undergo more training — and improperly equipping the force — stating that they have access to everything that the Sheri ’s o ce has access to.

“All of our SROs are here because they want to be,” said Interim Chief Ricky Gooch. “All of them had the opportunity to

Pennies have nostalgia but limited usefulness in 2025

The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Back in 1793, a penny could get you a biscuit, a candle or a piece of candy. These days, many sit in drawers or glass jars and are basically cast aside or collected as lucky keepsakes. But their luck has run out. The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia struck its last circulating penny on Wednesday as the president has canceled the 1-cent coin as the cost of making them became more than their value.

gress passed the Coinage Act. Today, there are billions of them in circulation, but they are rarely essential for nancial transactions in the modern economy or the digital age.

“For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” Trump wrote in an online post in February, as costs continued to climb. “This is so wasteful!”

Still, many people have a nostalgia for them, seeing them as lucky or fun to collect. And some retailers have voiced concerns in recent weeks as supplies ran low and the last production neared. They said the phase-out was abrupt and came with no guidance from the federal government

PENNY, page A2

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The All-Veteran Group parachute team jumped Saturday at the annual Veterans Day parade Saturday morning in downtown Southern Pines.

THE MOORE

WEEKLY

THURSDAY

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CRIME LOG

Nov. 5

• Nicholas Andrew Mannino, 40, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for misdemeanor domestic violence, injury to personal property and possession of schedule III controlled substance.

• Roberto Vicente Soto, 36, was arrested by MCSO for resisting public o cer.

Nov. 7

• Aaron Jason Shaw, 32, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for felony possession of marijuana.

Nov. 8

• Michael Dakota Locklear, 27, was arrested by MCSO for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Nov. 9

• Cynthia Morgan Rodriguez, 53, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for possession of schedule IV controlled substance, resisting public o cer and simple assault.

FRIDAY NOV. 14

Solar storms

bring colorful northern lights to unexpected places in the US

The auroras were visible far further south than usual on Tuesday

By Adithi Ramakrishnan The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Solar storms brought colorful auroras to unexpected places in the U.S. on Tuesday night, and there could be more to come.

Space weather forecasters con rmed that storms reached severe levels on Tuesday, triggering vibrant northern lights as far south as Kansas, Colorado and Texas.

There were some impacts to GPS communications and the power grid, Shawn Dahl with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a video posted on X.

Over the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections.

Forecasters think this solar outburst could be the most energetic of the three and have issued a severe storm alert. How bright the auroras are and how far south they are visible will depend on when the burst gets here and how it interacts with Earth’s magnetic eld and atmosphere.

How northern lights happen

The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making the light displays more common and widespread. Colorful northern lights have decorated night skies in unexpected places, and space weather experts say there are more auroras still to come.

Aurora displays known as the northern and southern lights are commonly visible near the poles, where charged particles from the sun interact with Earth’s atmosphere.

Skygazers are spotting the lights deeper into the Unit-

northern

ed States and Europe because the sun is going through a major face-lift. Every 11 years, its magnetic poles swap places, causing magnetic twists and tangles along the way.

Last year, the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades slammed Earth, producing light displays across the Northern Hemisphere. And soon afterward, a powerful solar storm dazzled skygazers far from the Arctic Circle when dancing lights appeared in unexpected places including Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City. The sun’s active spurt is expected to last at least through the end of this year, although when solar activity will peak won’t be known until months after the fact, according to NASA and NOAA.

How solar storms a ect Earth

Solar storms can bring more than colorful lights to Earth.

When fast-moving particles and plasma slam into Earth’s magnetic eld, they can temporarily disrupt the power grid. Space weather can also interfere with air

tra c control radio and satellites in orbit. Severe storms are capable of scrambling other radio and GPS communications. In 1859, a severe solar storm triggered auroras as far south as Hawaii and set telegraph lines on re in a rare event. And a 1972 solar storm may have detonated magnetic U.S. sea mines o the coast of Vietnam. Space weather experts aren’t able to predict a solar storm months in advance. Instead, they alert relevant parties to prepare in the days before a solar outburst hits Earth.

How to see auroras

Northern lights forecasts can be found on NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center website or an aurora forecasting app.

Consider aurora-watching in a quiet, dark area away from city lights. Experts recommend skygazing from a local or national park. And check the weather forecast because clouds can cover up the spectacle entirely.

Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren’t visible to the naked eye.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:

Nov. 15

Moms Unhinged –The Spicy Show

8-9:30 p.m.

A girls’ night out with comedic relief supplied by headliner Lisa Lane and fellow comics Jene’ Suplee and Andrea Marie. For ages 18 and up; tickets are $28 each.

Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines

Nov.

16

National Take Hike Day Noon to 5 p.m.

Free admission to the two-mile trail at the National Athletic Village to enjoy walking or running. This is a family-friendly event, and pets are welcome too.

201 Air Tool Drive Southern Pines

Nov. 21

Movie: “Die My Love” 7-9:30 p.m.

Based on the novel by the same name by Ariana Harwicz, the movie stars Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. The lm explores the pressures that accompany becoming a mother for the rst time and its e ects on relationships and career aspirations. Rated R; tickets are $10.

Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines

on how to handle customer transactions.

Some rounded prices down to avoid shortchanging people, others pleaded with customers to bring exact change and the more creative among them gave out prizes, such as a free drink, in exchange for a pile of pennies.

“We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way

BOARD from page A1

PENNY from page A1 go somewhere else, but chose not to. But I’m going to be perfectly honest, we are seriously getting tired of this mess. We work too daggone hard to be bashed.”

A big point of agreement between the two sides though is the desire to have a dedicated SRO at every school in Moore County. “We do have a temporary safety committee in place right now and we have another meeting scheduled for Nov. 24,” Calcutt said. “We’ve been making progress, we’re analyzing the issue at hand, we’re looking at salaries, involving the experts in the eld, surveying our SROs. Once we get through analyzing that data, then we will bring a recom-

we wanted it to go,” Je Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores said last month.

Some banks, meanwhile, began rationing supplies, a somewhat paradoxical result of the e ort to address what many see as a glut of the coins. Over the last century, about half of the coins made at U.S. Mints in Philadelphia and Denver have been pennies.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Treasurer

mendation to the board.”

The board also approved an up to $105,000 contract with Rhetson Company for design build services and the development of architectural and site plans for the new Technology and Planning, Accountability and Research Building.

“What we are moving forward with pending review of the contract would be the architectural plans,” said Assistant Superintendent of Operations Jenny Purvis. “That would be the actual design of the building and what it’s going to look like and what the actual footprint would be. Once the nal site is selected, then we can move forward with siting that building that is already planned, on whichever site is determined.”

According to Purvis, get-

Brandon Beach were in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon for the nal production run. The Treasury Department expects to save $56 million per year on materials by ceasing to make them. But they still have a better production-cost-to-value ratio than the nickel, which costs nearly 14 cents to make. The diminutive dime, by comparison, costs less than 6 cents to produce and the quarter nearly 15 cents.

ting the architectural plans earlier will allow the district to have a better idea of how much exactly the building will cost.

“We have kind of a roundabout gure, but we really can’t know exactly how much funding we’re going to be needing unless we have those full plans,” Purvis said.

The building is projected to be around 12,600 square feet and there is no worry about nding a suitable site for the plans.

“The building is small enough where you’re going to be able to nd the right terrain to park it,” Hensley said. “You’re not going to have to modify the building much.”

The Moore County Schools Board of Education will next meet Dec. 8.

Nov.

22

Sandhills Children’s Center Festival of the Trees

10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The annual Winter Wonderland display of Christmas trees and other holiday decorations will be on display in the lower level of the Carolina Hotel. A monetary donation to the center gains entry to view the exhibit of items, which are also up for auction to bene t the organization.

80 Carolina Vista Drive Pinehurst

Christmas Holiday Market and Toy Drive

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus along with the elves and the Grinch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Opportunities for family holiday photos, shopping and food purchases from Tanglewood Farms Food Truck. No admission charge for shoppers.

Cox’s Double Eagle Harley-Davidson

7540 U.S. 15 West End

CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP PHOTO

The

lights ll the sky behind the Saint Joseph the Woodworker Shrine Tuesday near Valley Falls, Kansas.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Federal and state governments are rooting out DEI & ESG

FOLLOWING PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s executive orders to root out and eliminate ESG and DEI policies from government agencies and departments, it might be easy to think the war against these destructive ideas is won.

Radical leftists are losing voter support for ESG and DEI at the ballot box, in legislative chambers around the country and in public opinion. But sadly, any attempt to declare victory regarding the end of ESG or DEI would be wrong. Ultra-left activists and entrenched government bureaucrats who support these polices are working overtime to rename ESG and DEI rules so they attract less attention but are still enforced.

ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) sound innocent, and that’s the point. Nestled within these two seemingly innocuous acronyms (who could be against inclusion?) are radical, insidious and anti-American agendas.

Going through the letters “ESG,” the realities become apparent. “Environmental” really means climate alarmism and eliminating the safest, most a ordable and most reliable energy sources in favor of solar and wind, which are as unreliable as they are una ordable. “Social” is where DEI lives with racial quotas for hiring, discriminating based on skin color and the worst elements of gender ideology. And “governance” underpins it all by manipulating our free enterprise system to take control of companies and turn them into tools for the woke.

COLUMN | JENNY BETH MARTIN

It’s all a scheme to package the woke left’s agenda and to fundamentally change America for the worse, making it unrecognizable. It is moving us from a meritocracy that values hard work and rewards success to a kakistocracy. Particularly insidious is that this allows the left to implement the worst elements of its agenda without winning elections, without passing laws in Congress or state legislatures, and without any of us having a say in our nation’s future.

There is, however, positive momentum. Many state policymakers have been sounding the alarm for years, but this year the movement against ESG and DEI achieved critical mass. Trump has issued three executive orders targeting DEI (Executive Order 14151, Executive Order 14173, and Executive Order 14168) and two targeting ESG (Executive Order 14154 and Executive Order 14259).

These orders terminated all DEI positions in the federal government, banned contractors from using it in hiring, directed the Department of Justice to investigate civil rights violations related to its use in the private sector, directed the U.S. attorney general to block enforcement of state and local ESG laws, and rescinded all Biden ESG and DEI executive orders.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to weed out DEI and ESG from both the public and private sectors, ending programs and cutting funding. The Harts eld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport lost more than $37 million in grants when it refused to end DEI. The Trump administration also halted $18 billion in funding

for infrastructure projects in New York City due to concerns about the city’s DEI policies.

State governments have also acted. So far, 22 states have banned or restricted DEI and ESG. Earlier this year, nancial o cers from 21 states sent a warning letter to the nation’s largest banks, urging them to end woke investing policies.

Texas enacted a parental bill of rights that ends DEI and bans instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in public K-12 schools. In Indiana, State Attorney General Todd Rokita moved to block state contracts with law rms that have DEI initiatives following an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun. Before stepping down in August to become a deputy director of the FBI, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued IBM and Starbucks for their discriminatory DEI policies and launched an investigation into two foreign-owned proxy advisory rms for promoting ESG.

Despite all this progress, victory celebrations would be premature. Sal Nuzzo, executive director of Consumers Defense, which works to protect American consumers from ESG and woke companies, warns:

“ESG isn’t dead, it’s simply rebranding. The radicals on the Left are publicly proclaiming that they have seen the light while at the same time simply changing the terms to things like ‘sustainability’ and ‘transparency’ in the hopes of waiting out the current momentum. We forget this to our detriment.”

ESG and DEI aren’t just bad ideas — they are destructive forces that must be eradicated. They harm our economy, divide our country, and increasingly violate state and federal laws. Those who want to change the very fabric of America will not simply concede and surrender. We all must remain vigilant to recognize the next iterations of ESG and DEI and continue to root them out.

Harry Roth is director of outreach for Save Our States. This column was rst published by The Daily Signal.

It’s time to impeach Judge Boasberg

PUBLIC TRUST IN THE impartiality of our judiciary is one of the crown jewels of the American republic. Federal judges, unlike politicians, do not stand for election, and the power they wield is immense precisely because it is supposed to be restrained by duty, precedent and the Constitution. When that restraint fails, the remedy is clear: impeachment. Judge James E. Boasberg’s conduct in approving sweeping subpoenas and gag orders as part of the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation shows a breach of trust serious enough to merit that remedy.

Start with the facts: Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently disclosed that the FBI’s Arctic Frost probe — launched under the Biden administration and later folded into Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe — was far broader than the public was led to believe. The investigation targeted not just a few Trump allies or campaign gures but “the entire Republican political apparatus.” Agents sought records from at least 430 individuals, groups and businesses tied to the GOP, issuing some 197 subpoenas in the process. Among those ensnared were Republican senators, former Trump o cials and conservative organizations such as Turning Point USA.

That level of sweep might be understandable, and tolerable, if justi ed by credible evidence of criminal conspiracy. But Grassley’s review found no probable cause linking this many targets to an identi able crime. Instead, the evidence points to what Grassley called “the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends.” In short, Arctic Frost appears to have been less an investigation into wrongdoing than an exercise in political surveillance.

Boasberg’s role was not tangential. As chief dudge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, he personally approved the subpoenas and the gag orders that kept their existence secret. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, whose phone metadata was sought,

revealed that AT&T had been forbidden by court order to inform him of the subpoena for at least one year. “If a judge signs an order reaching a factual conclusion for which there is no evidence whatsoever,” Cruz said, “that judge is abusing his power.” Cruz is right.

Judges are not grand jurors, nor are they partisan gatekeepers. Their constitutional duty is to test the government’s assertions before granting its requests to intrude on private citizens. A judge’s signature carries the force of law only because it represents independent judgment. When that independence is abandoned — when a judge becomes a rubber stamp for politically charged investigations — the separation of powers itself begins to erode.

Boasberg’s defenders note that the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit routinely handled classi ed or grand jury matters and that his approvals may have been routine. That is precisely the problem. What should never be “routine” is secret surveillance of political actors without clear, nonpartisan justi cation.

Impeachment is not to be taken lightly. The Constitution reserves it for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which historically includes serious abuses of o ce. A judge who repeatedly fails to exercise due scrutiny over politically sensitive investigations ts that description.

Some will object that impeachment of a sitting federal judge risks politicizing the judiciary further. That argument reverses cause and e ect. It is precisely because the judiciary must remain apolitical that accountability is essential when a judge steps into politics. Congress impeached and removed Judge Alcee Hastings in 1989 for falsifying evidence and perjuring himself. It impeached and removed Judge Thomas Porteous in 2010 for corruption. Judicial independence is not immunity. The same principle must apply when a judge’s conduct facilitates the weaponization of justice for partisan ends.

The larger question is whether Americans still believe the law applies equally. The Arctic Frost

a air is a troubling episode that lends weight to the argument that the law is applied unequally. When subpoenas reach across entire political parties while evidence of actual criminality is not made available for public review, citizens cannot be blamed for suspecting the system is tilted.

Congress cannot restore that trust merely by complaining in hearings or issuing press releases. It must act. The House of Representatives has the authority — and the obligation — to investigate Boasberg’s role, to subpoena the Justice Department’s submissions for his approval and to determine whether he violated his oath to “administer justice without respect to persons.” If the evidence shows that he violated his oath, the House should pass articles of impeachment, and the Senate should hold a trial. No other mechanism will su ce to reassert the principle that even judges are accountable under the Constitution.

The strength of America’s republic depends on the restraint of those who wield power — especially those who wield it for life. If Boasberg believed it was appropriate to sign orders allowing the FBI and DOJ to harvest the communications of elected lawmakers and political organizations without solid cause, then he has demonstrated precisely the kind of judgment that the Founders feared. The time has come for Congress to redraw the line. Judicial independence requires it. So does the Constitution.

Jenny Beth Martin is honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action. This article was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.

COLUMN | HARRY ROTH

Anatomy of a news story: ‘60 Minutes’ invites audience into editing process with Trump interview

The new leadership at CBS News released the full video and transcript of the interview

By David Bauder The Associated Press

DURING HIS “60 Minutes” interview, President Donald Trump said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer would rather see the country fail than Republicans do well, complained about investigators searching through his wife’s closet, spoke in detail about ending wars and turned the tables on interviewer Norah O’Donnell to ask about safety in Washington, D.C.

None of that was seen by people who watched the CBS telecast Sunday night.

Less than half of O’Donnell’s interview, conducted Friday, actually made it onto the air. But CBS posted a transcript and video of the full 73-minute discussion online so viewers could see for themselves what the president said that the network deemed worthy for inclusion in the 28-minute on-air segment.

That o ered viewers a rare look inside the editing process at one of journalism’s best-known institutions, showing the dozens of decisions on clarity and newsworthiness that go into telling the story you see on television.

Beyond “60 Minutes,” the process is essentially the same throughout the world of journalism, from local newspapers to The New York Times, from specialty websites to The Associated Press. In short: Much like the old notion that everyone’s a critic, with this move everyone can be an editor.

A contrast to how “60 Minutes” has worked throughout its history

Release of the Trump “outtakes” contrasted with CBS’ treatment of the “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris last fall. Trump sued CBS, claiming the interview with his Democratic opponent was deceptively edited, based on two di erent clips that were aired on the newsmagazine and “Face the Nation.”

CBS did not release a transcript of its Harris interview for four months, and not until the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission had applied public pressure. On a routine basis, “60 Minutes” — and most journalists — don’t release raw material in this way.

If CBS News is going to change its practices routinely in the future, one former “60 Minutes” producer said it should be up front with its viewers about it. Tom Bettag, who worked at the broadcast in the 1980s and

is now a journalism professor at the University of Maryland, said it’s a product of the times in which we live, but there’s a downside to the practice of letting people in on the editing.

“I think there’s a very good reason not to allow people to do that, in order to avoid the arguments of ‘you should have done this’ or ‘you should have done that,’” Bettag said. “The assumption has been that your audience trusts you to use good judgment and to be fair.”

From the very start, the edited Trump interview showed a clear di erence from the raw material. On the broadcast, O’Donnell’s interview began with discussion of the government shutdown. But when the two actually sat down, she started by asking the president about his just-concluded meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

That’s essentially a call journalists make every day in crafting reports: Pick material to emphasize that seems the most newsworthy or of interest to the most people.

“The newsiest portions made the broadcast, which is why programs edit in the rst place,”

Brian Stelter wrote about the “60 Minutes” interview for CNN’s “Reliable Sources” newsletter.

The rst words out of Trump’s mouth — “Democrats’ fault” — came before O’Donnell even completed her question. That

“You

President Donald Trump

clearly showed where Trump was going, and the broadcast interview re ected that. But it was edited several times for length to avoid tangents and the repetitiveness of partisan attacks.

Of Schumer, Trump said, “He would rather see the country fail than have Trump and the Republicans do well” — a comment left out of the broadcast.

On cutting room oor: Trump says O’Donnell “should be ashamed”

Trump also told O’Donnell that she “should be ashamed” to be asking him about political retribution. That was left o the broadcast. Trump’s complaints about New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey were abbreviated — although his comment that James was a “terrible, dishonest person” was left in.

“I was struck by how much of what didn’t air from the interview were the parts that seemed more rant- lled and often confusing,” wrote journalist Rick

Ellis, who painstakingly compared transcripts of the full interview and what CBS broadcast for the website All Your Screens.

Trump brought up his predecessor, President Joe Biden, more than 40 times in the interview but only six instances made the broadcast, Ellis said. The headline for Ellis’ story read, “‘60 Minutes’ Edits (Most of) the Crazy Out of Its Interview with Donald Trump.”

CBS edited a handful of fact-checks into the “60 Minutes” story, most notably adding a military o cial’s refutation of Trump’s claim that China and Russia were testing nuclear weapons. There were a handful of missed opportunities, such as Trump’s claim that he was able to beat all of the legal “nonsense that was thrown at me.”

CBS removed an exchange during a discussion of crime in cities in which Trump asked O’Donnell whether she felt safer in Washington, D.C., after the president ordered the National Guard to patrol there. Generally, journalists like to keep the focus o themselves.

“You see a di erence?” Trump asked her.

Responded O’Donnell: “I think I’ve been working too hard. I haven’t been out and about that much.”

“60 Minutes” pointed out that O’Donnell’s interview was conducted exactly a year after Trump led his lawsuit regard-

ing the Harris interview. But it left out of the broadcast Trump’s discussion about management changes at CBS’s parent company Paramount since the company agreed to pay him $16 million to settle the case.

“They paid me a lot of money for that,” Trump said. “You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have legit news. And I think that’s happening.”

He praised Paramount’s new leaders along with the news division’s new editor-in-chief, The Free Press founder Bari Weiss.

That editing decision angered a Trump critic, Tim Miller at the Bulwark website.

“‘60 Minutes’ did not air the part where Trump discusses his success extorting the network and calls them Fake News,” he wrote on X. “This edit is harmful to me and I’m considering suing.”

CBS’s editing seemed to draw fewer complaints from Trump supporters. The White House’s “rapid response” X feed posted copies of both the full interview and what CBS put on the air.

Jorge Bonilla, writing for the conservative media watchdog Newsbusters, wrote that O’Donnell’s rst interview with the newsmagazine contrasted with its “debacle” with Lesley Stahl ve years ago, when Trump walked out.

“It appears,” he wrote, “that the Bari Weiss era is now full upon us at CBS News.”

MANUEL

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on board Air Force One on his way back to the White House from a weekend trip at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last Sunday.

MOORE SPORTS

Union Pines remains in NCHSAA football playo hunt

Pinecrest and North Moore saw their seasons end in the rst round

North State Journal sta

ONLY ONE COUNTY team is still alive in the NCHSAA football playo s.

Union Pines, who\ich turned in a 9-1 regular season, including an unbeaten 7-0 run through the Carolina Pines conference, entered the playo s as a No. 4 seed, riding an eightgame winning streak. The Vikings won their last four by a combined 205-16 score and received an opening-round bye in the Class 6A bracket.

The Vikings open postseason play this week against No. 13 seed Lee County, which beat No. 20 Westover 21-20 in the rst round. It will be the second time in three games that Union Pines plays the Yellow Jackets. The Vikings beat them at Lee County 42-3 in late October.

The winner of No. 5 Williams and No. 12 Franklinton awaits the winner.

Meanwhile, North Moore saw its playo run end in the rst round of the Class 3A playo s. After a 3-7 regular season, the Mustangs drew a No. 19 seed and were toppled by No. 14 Kinston 53-7. It was North Moore’s sixth straight loss and completed the rst losing season for the Mustangs since 2019-20.

The Mustangs had no answer for Kinston’s receiving tandem of Tyreek Copper and Brennan Chambers, who turned seven of their eight catches in the game into touchdowns, both topping 100 receiving yards on the day.

The loss ends the high school football careers of North Moore’s senior class, a group that includes the team’s No. 2 rusher, Brady Atkinson, and No. 3 rusher Joseph Dunn, second-lead-

junior receiver Eric

a

ing tackler Jayden Hussey, pass rusher DJ Morehead, interceptions leader Kenyen Noah, as well as Martez Johnson, Trace Shaw, Nick Dyer, Tyler Diaz, Joshua Je eries, Jason Harris and Tyler Upchurch. A rst-round upset ended Pinecrest’s Class 8A playo run. The Patriots nished the regular season at 8-2, with an eight-game winning streak sandwiched between losses in the opener and regular season nale. They earned a No. 6 seed, but No. 11 Chambers topped Pinecrest 32-31. Chris Najm ran for 148 yards and two scores, while Dayton Knight added 102 yards. It wasn’t enough, however, and the season came to an end.

Pinecrest bids farewell to leading rusher Najm and the rest of the senior class, including Nos. 2 and 3 receivers Zackary Fleet and RJ Williams, leading tacklers Tanner Corwin and Cole Harrison, interceptions leaders Corben Dallas and Rollins Rodriguez ,and a senior class that includes safety Avery Raynor, receivers Gri n Smith and Nick Ford, running back Mason Swiger, defensive linemen Cohen Potter, Caleb Smith and Orion Lofton, linebackers Austin Sargent, Blake Stroven, Gannon Grosz and Demonte Bullard, defensive back Mason Dembowski, kicker Josh Mandell, and offensive lineman Aiden Johnson, Sam Creed, Andrew Mello and Alex Vazquez.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Chris Najm

Pinecrest, football

Chris Najm is a senior running back on the Pinecrest football team.

The Patriots’ season ended with a rst-round loss in the NCHSAA playo s, but Najm went out on his shield. He ran for 148 yards on 22 carries, a 6.7 yards per carry average. Najm scored two touchdowns. Najm ended a season in which he was the state’s 11th-leading rusher and seventh leading scorer. He led class 8A in both categories, as well as touchdowns scored.

Paul Tagliabue, former NFL commissioner, dead at age 84

The league’s longtime leader’s legacy includes more money, diversity and a concussion conundrum

By Arnie Stapleton

Associated Press

PAUL TAGLIABUE led the NFL to greater riches, more diversity and soaring popularity during his 17-year tenure as commissioner of America’s favorite sport. His stewardship also was marked by the league’s dawdling recognition of the impact and severity of concussions.

Tagliabue, who died Sunday of heart failure at age 84, was commissioner from 1989 to 2006. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

More money

League revenues skyrocketed during the 17 years under Tagliabue, who was succeeded by current commissioner Rodger Goodell after brokering new television and labor deals. In addition to billions of dollars in broadcast revenue, the league also saw construction of a slew of new stadiums and expansion to 32 teams.

More diversity

Tagliabue established the “Rooney Rule,” under which all teams with coaching vacancies must interview minority candidates. It has since been expanded to include front-office and league executive positions. Although the rule is named for the late Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, it could easily have carried Tagliabue’s ID.

Art Shell, a Hall of Fame player, became the NFL’s first modern-day black head coach with the Raiders. He got to

“Paul never lost sight of his responsibility to do what was right for the game. He was the perfect choice as NFL commissioner.”

Art Shell

see Tagliabue up close and thought him utterly suited for his job.

“After my coaching career was over, I had the privilege of working directly with Paul in the league office,” Shell said.

“His philosophy on almost every issue was, ‘If it’s broke, fix it. And if it’s not broke, fix it anyway.’

“He always challenged us

to find better ways of doing things. Paul never lost sight of his responsibility to do what was right for the game. He was the perfect choice as NFL commissioner.”

More popularity

There were no labor stoppages during Tagliabue’s 17 years in charge, and that contributed to the sport’s increasing popularity, not only in the U.S. but globally. Tagliabue’s death was announced Sunday morning during the NFL’s game in Berlin, where the Indianapolis Colts beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in overtime in the rst regular-season game played in the German capital.

9/11 postponements

Taking heed of his predeces-

sor’s regrets, Tagliabue called o NFL games the weekend after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. One of Pete Rozelle’s great regrets was proceeding with games two days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. The league pushed the Week 2 slate of games in 2001 to the rst week of January and pushed the playo s back a week.

Big Easy

Tagliabue insisted the Saints remain in New Orleans after owner Tom Benson sought to move the team to San Antonio following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A few years later, Drew Brees and Sean Payton, who arrived for the rebuild, brought the Big Easy its rst Super Bowl title.

Concussion conundrum

Among Tagliabue’s major achievements was implementing a policy on substance abuse that was considered the strongest in all major sports. Yet his long wait for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio, was pinned on the issue of concussions, which have plagued the NFL for decades. Team owners played a major role in the lack of progress in dealing with head trauma while Tagliabue was commissioner.

In 2017, Tagliabue apologized for remarks he made decades earlier about concussions in football, acknowledging he didn’t have the proper data at the time in 1994 when he called concussions “one of those pack-journalism issues” and contended that the number of concussions “is relatively small; the problem is the journalist issue.”

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Pinecrest

Melton makes a one-handed catch for

touchdown in the Patriots’ rst-round playo loss.

The

GENE J. PUSKAR / AP PHOTO

Paul Tagliabue receives his gold jacket at his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class in 2021 in Canton, Ohio.

Barbara Ann Alpeter

Sept. 11, 1938 – Oct. 31, 2025

Barbara Ann Alpeter, age 87, of Carthage, passed away on Friday, October 31, 2025, at her home, surrounded by her family.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Cox Memorial Funeral Home Chapel from 2-3 p.m. A Celebration of Life will follow in the chapel.

Barbara was born in Ohio on September 11, 1938, to the late Albert Fredrick Krebs and Flossie May Krebs. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Glenn Krebs.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Dean Dennis Alpeter; daughter, Brenda Kay Alpeter of Southern Pines, NC, twin sons, Mark Douglas Alpeter of Texas, Matthew Dean Alpeter of Belmont, NC; three grandchildren.

Barbara was a very talented lady; she composed over 61 songs with music that she played in the di erent churches where she was the organist. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend and will be greatly missed.

In lieu of owers, donations may be made to The Orphans Hands, P O Box 35, Clinton, TN 37716-9900 in memory of Barbara Alpeter.

Skylar Ruthanne Dunn

Oct. 8, 2002 – Nov. 1, 2025

Skylar Ruthanne Dunn, age 23, of Cameron, passed away on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at her home, surrounded by her loving family.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at Cox Memorial Funeral Home Chapel from 4-6 p.m.

Skylar was born in Ohio on October 8, 2002, to Susan Demarest Dunn and the late Albert Charles Dunn. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her maternal grandfather, Jay Demarest.

She is survived by her mother, Susan Dunn; uncles, Jay Demarest Jr., Michael Demarest, Dennis Demarest (Paula); aunt, Anne Demarest, and many cousins.

Skylar loved collecting LEGO and spending time with her family. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

obituaries

Randy Ring

May 8, 1955 – Oct. 31, 2025

Randy Lee Ring, 70, passed away on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Moore Regional Hospital.

A native of Moore County, Randy was the son of the late Raymond Lee and Ellen Council Ring. He had a deep love for the outdoors and could often be found hunting, gol ng, or tending to his yard and caring for every detail with pride.

Randy spent his 39-year career at Gulistan Carpets (formerly JP Stevens). After retiring, he especially cherished his time volunteering at Crystal Lake, where he took great joy in keeping the lake and grounds in pristine condition for all to enjoy. His dedication and work ethic left a lasting mark on the community. Randy was blessed with a servant’s heart and a steadfast love for the Lord. He will be remembered for his kindness, humility, and devotion to both his faith and those around him.

Randy is survived by his beloved wife of 42 years, Cornelia Ring of Lakeview; daughter, Jennifer Marriott (Tyler) of Pinehurst; son, Ben Ring (Megan) of Westmoreland, Kansas; sisters, Tanis Thomas of Carthage, Amy Cameron (Timmy) of Carthage, and Melissa Shaver (Marty) of Pinehurst; brother, Mike Ring (Wanda) of Carthage; beloved grandchildren, Tyler Ness, Cooper Marriott, Evelynn, Zeke, Lucy, Birdie, Molly and Otto Ring, and seven nieces and nephews and their families.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of owers, please consider sending donations to The Foundation of FirstHealth.

Michael Ray Clark Jr.

Dec. 7, 1985 – Nov. 2, 2025

Michael Ray Clark Jr., 39, of Laurel Hill, departed this life on November 2, 2025. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Laurel Hill First Baptist Church. Interment will follow in the Hillside Memorial Park. A viewing and visitation will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Purcell Funeral Home.

Dorothy “Dot” Virginia McGovernLawless

Aug. 24, 1949 – Nov. 6, 2025

Dorothy “Dot” Virginia McGovern-Lawless, age 76, of West End, died Thursday, November 6, 2025, at her home surrounded by her loving family.

Born August 24, 1949, in Clarksburg, West Virginia, to the late Robert and Mary Cannon Swiger. After earning her master’s degree from Trinity College, Dot served as an educator in the Maryland public school system for 32 years. Dot was a member of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Women Educators in the Gamma Sigma Chapter. In 2008, she and her husband, Tom, retired to North Carolina. She had a love for teaching and helping at-risk youth and families. She loved her dogs and following her family’s adventures via Facebook and through pictures. She loved her grandkids and the Christmas holiday season. She enjoyed watching the hummingbirds feed in her backyard and, maybe most of all, Dessert!! She loved God and loved her family dearly.

She is survived by her husband of 22 years, Thomas Lawless; her four children, Shannon Francisco of Seven Lakes, NC, Matthew and Stephanie McGovern of New Market, MD, Meghan and John Jenkins of Pasadena, MD, Colleen and Dan Richmond of Glen Burnie, MD; and her nine grandchildren: Kathryn, Lauren, Aiden, Tyler, Cameron, John, Quinn, Kelly and Imogen.

A mass will be held at a later date by the family.

Barbara A. Ledbetter

Dec. 23, 1944 – Nov. 6, 2025

Barbara A. Ledbetter, 80, of Laurinburg, departed this life on November 6, 2025. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Kenneth M. Purcell Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow in the Hillside Memorial Park. A viewing and visitation will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Purcell Funeral Home.

Patricia “Patsy” Blue Bailey

Nov. 8, 1938 – Nov. 8, 2025

Patricia “Patsy” Blue Bailey of Aberdeen passed away peacefully at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst on Saturday, November 8, 2025 (her 87th birthday), surrounded by loved ones.

Patricia Joyce Blue was born in Aberdeen on November 8, 1938, to the late Herbert Clifton Blue Sr. and the late Gala Nunnery Blue. She was raised in Aberdeen and graduated from Aberdeen High School in 1957. She was on the girls’ basketball team, yearbook sta , newspaper sta , and was the senior class president. She attended Queens College in Charlotte and Women’s College in Greensboro. While working at the miniature golf course at Aberdeen Lake, Patsy met David Ernest Bailey of Southern Pines. Patsy and David were married at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen in 1959.

They then moved to Pittsburgh, where Patsy worked for Western Psychiatric Hospital. They returned to live in Aberdeen when David was stationed at Ft. Bragg while he was in the U.S. Army. They next settled in Derwood, Maryland, where they lived for over 50 years.

Patsy worked for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in various administrative roles and retired from the NIH as the Administrative O cer for the Division of Research Grants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. In 2018, Patsy and David returned to their beloved

Jay Theodore Ingraham

May 9, 1960 – Nov. 3, 2025

Jay Theodore Ingraham, 65, passed away on Monday, November 3, 2025, at Moore Regional Hospital, surrounded by his family.

Jay spent the early part of his life in Indian Harbor, Florida, and was the son of Norman Rockwell and Betsy Farrell Ingraham. A passionate divemaster, Jay found great joy in scuba diving and sharing his love of the ocean with others. He worked as a civilian contractor with Robin Sage,

home state of North Carolina and lived in Aberdeen.

Patsy was an amazing mother to her children and a doting grandmother to her grandchildren. Patsy loved to travel and especially enjoyed her trips to Italy, England, and the American Southwest. She inherited her mother’s green thumb and created beautiful gardens at her homes. She had gifts for storytelling and writing, interests sparked in her youth while working at her father’s newspaper, The Sandhill Citizen, in Aberdeen. She was an active member of Community Bible Study and Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Maryland. In addition to her parents, Patsy was predeceased by her brother, H. Clifton Blue Jr.; sister, Beth Blue Willett; and sister-inlaw, Lynn Frye Blue. Patsy is survived by her husband of over 66 years, David Ernest Bailey; four children: David Eldon Bailey of Raleigh, Alison Joyce Bailey Johnson of Wake Forest, Barbara Blue Bailey Puryear of St. Augustine, FL, and Robert Stewart Bailey (Kathy) of Wake Forest; grandchildren: Alexandra Bailey of Selma, Camden Bailey of Garner, Matthew (Brittany) Johnson of Dallas, TX, Meredith Johnson and Morgan Johnson of Wake Forest, Tyler Parker of St. Petersburg, FL, Colby Puryear and Bailey Puryear of St. Augustine, FL, David A. C. Bailey of Greenville, NC, Lauryn Bailey of Chapel Hill, Aaron Bailey and Elizabeth Bailey of Wake Forest; four greatgranddaughters: McKenna, Maddie, Myla and Melanie of Selma; brother, John L. Blue of Pineblu ; sister-in-law, Kay Blue of Pineblu ; brother-in-law, Max Willett of Cary; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. In lieu of owers, donations can be made to Alzheimer’s research at Bright Focus Foundation, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871. A funeral service will be held at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 2 p.m. A private burial will be held at a later time.

helping train members of the Special Forces—an experience that deepened his admiration and respect for the men and women who bravely serve our country. Jay loved the beach, whether shing, diving, or simply taking early morning walks along the shore. Saturdays often found him happily exploring the ea markets in Fayetteville, always on the lookout for a good nd. Known for his outgoing personality and generous heart, he was a true friend to many and never hesitated to lend a hand to anyone in need.

Jay is survived by his mother, Betsy Ingraham of Carthage; two sons, Kevin Hudson of Hilton Head and Brent McDonald (Meghan) of Whispering Pines; twin brother, Cary Ingraham (Kathleen) of West End, and brother, Norman Ingraham Jr. of Melbourne, Florida; and nephew, Cary Ingraham Jr. of West End.

An evening visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at Fry and Prickett Funeral Home, 402 Saunders St., Carthage, NC, 28327.

Charney Bertice Ragsdale

Nov.19, 1930 – Nov. 4, 2025

Charney Bertice Ragsdale, 94, of Carthage, tragically passed away on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, in Chapel Hill, NC, surrounded by his family.

Bertice was born on November 19, 1930, to the late Charney and Anna Seward Ragsdale in Moore County. He graduated from Farm Life High School. Bertice loved being a farmer, spending his years growing tobacco, other crops and raising commercial chickens. He and Mary raised their children, Dianne and Greg, on their farm and were happily married for 55 years. They spent many of their years traveling with the Carolina Cardinals Motorhome Club, visiting almost every state in the country. Bertice and Mary took great pride in their meticulously maintained yard and the swimming pool where memories were made for so many.

In his later years, Bertice could often be found having breakfast at Pete’s with his brother David or other friends, where everyone knew him as “grandpa”. Bertice was easy to spot in his red car and often wore a red sweater or jacket. He was a classy gentleman and loved by many. Bertice took great pride in his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His family will cherish many memories of playing cards together, summers spent at the RV park and simple times of storytelling and laughter shared around the living room.

Bertice is survived by his daughter, Dianne (Bobby) Kelly of Wilmington, NC; six granddaughters, Elizabeth (Ken) Miller of Tarboro, NC, Kristin (Nathan) Broyles of Winston-Salem, NC, Hilary (Charlie) Holderness of Greensboro, NC, Katie (Ryan) Sharp of Cameron, NC, Jennifer (JT) Cole of Carthage, NC and Rebecca Ragsdale of Columbia, SC; grandson, James (Sidney) Ragsdale of Carthage, NC; brother, David (Joan) Ragsdale; daughter-inlaw, Anita Oakley Jones; close friend, Mildred Reynolds; and sixteen great-grandchildren, Parker Holderness, Elizabeth Holderness, Mary Charlotte Holderness, Blaire Broyles, Padraig Sharp, Kinsley Sharp, Everett Sharp, Ava Cole, Ashlyn Cole, Porter Cole, Langston Ragsdale, Harrison Ragsdale, Ruby Ragsdale, Ken Miller, Finley Miller and Web Miller. He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Mary Wickwire, a son, Gregory Ragsdale, a brother, Marshall Ragsdale, and a sister, Carolyn Salzwedel.

A funeral service will be held at Yates-Thagard Baptist Church in Carthage on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 2 p.m. The family will receive visitors prior to the service at 1 p.m. After the funeral service, Bertice will be laid to rest at the Yates-Thagard Cemetery. Pastors Steven Johnson and Andrew Butner will be o ciating.

Marcus

R.

March 17, 1978 – Nov. 7, 2025

Mr. Marcus R. Collins, 47, of Siler City, North Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Friday, November 7, 2025. Please keep the family and friends of Mr. Marcus R. Collins in your thoughts and prayers.

Lesley “Les” Clyde Bennett

May 20, 1953 – Nov. 5, 2025

Lesley “Les” Clyde Bennett, age 72, of Cameron, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst surrounded by family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 3 p.m. at Cox Memorial Funeral Home in Vass with Full Military Honors. A time of visitation will be held immediately following the service.

Lesley was born in Randolph County, NC, on May 20, 1953, to the late Clyde and Lucille Young Bennett. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his wife, Janet Bennett and brother, Boyd Bennett.

He is survived by his daughters, Martitia “Martie” Taylor (Shane) of Cameron and Jamie Newman (Roy) of Eagle Springs; sisters, Donna Owens of Randleman and LaFayetta Reives of South Carolina; grandchildren, Roger, Christian, Walker, Pyper and Jordan and one greatgrandchild, Josie.

Les proudly served his country in the US Army for 22 years. In addition to his military service, Les retired from the US Forestry Service at Fort Bragg after 15 years of faithful service.

If you have fond memories of Les, please include “A” pink ower in any arrangement sent.

Carl Vipperman

Dec. 31, 1952 – Nov. 8, 2025

Carl James Vipperman, 72, of Robbins, peacefully passed away on Saturday, November 8, 2025, in Pinehurst, NC, surrounded by his family.

Carl was born on December 31, 1952, in Surry County, NC to the late James Arthur Vipperman and Sally Lou Goad Horner. He proudly served his country in the United States Army and the Army National Guard.

Carl was blessed with a servant’s heart and a steadfast love for the Lord. Known for his outgoing personality and generous spirit, he was a true friend to many and never hesitated to lend a helping hand. He will be remembered for his kindness, humility, and unwavering devotion to his faith and to all those around him.

Carl is survived by his son, Daniel (Stacy) Meredith of Ether, NC, his daughter, Brittney Meza of Wadesboro, NC, sisters, Cynthia “Dianne” Foster of Robbins, NC, and Sheila (Floyd) She eld of Robbins, grandchildren: Jonathan Meredith (20), Jacob Meredith (17), Joshua Meredith (10), Estaban “Junior” Meza (10), Catalina Meza (9), Liliana Meza (5), Kyree Rorie (3) and many nieces, nephews and friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by stepfathers Brady Meredith, Wilbert “Tom” Horner, and sister Deborah “Debbie” Bowers.

The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Guiding Light Baptist Church, with Reverend Clyde Allen and Reverend Jim Yow o ciating. The family will receive friends prior to the service, beginning at 1 p.m.

Michael Anthony McClellan Sr.

April 14, 1935 – Nov. 6, 2025

Michael Anthony McClellan Sr., 90, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Thursday night, November 6, 2025, while under the constant care of his devoted wife, Susan. Michael was born on April 14, 1935, in San Antonio, TX, to Albert and Margaret McClellan. Like any man who lives to be ninety, Michael’s life started simple and became more complicated over the years. Michael preferred simplicity. Call him Mike. He was a married man, raised ve children and was one of a kind. Mike loved family, classic cars, the grace of golf, the taste of good music and the chase of good food. Mike grew up in and around the Americas. He road-raced the ats of West Texas, roamed the rose-riped streets of Mexico City and bodysurfed the waves of Peru. All before eighteen. After graduating from the American High School in Mexico City in 1953, Mike spent a short time in college, where and when his life started as his own man. Mike found college to be boring and instead joined the Army. He ended up in South Korea with the Corp of Engineers. Declining the uniform as a career, Mike moved on after the Army.

Post-drab, the young man moved to Alexandria, VA. Shortly after, he met his rst wife, Jou Ann. Mike married Jou Ann. Mike began and fostered his business career. Mike was a salesman, husband and father. He started playing golf. In the land of opportunity, golf was the game of opportunity. Look how many shots you get to be great, he would say. Just like life, he would say. Mike traveled across the seas, loved shing in the ocean and spent half his life just o the Potomac River. But it wasn’t a watered-down life. After the death of Jou Ann, after 43 years of marriage, Mike would meet and marry Susan, and they eventually settled in Southern Pines, NC, where they have remained to this fateful day. Golfers’ Paradise was found for this golf lover.

Mike hid his worldliness behind his American Dream.

Mike knew the year, make and model of every American made car from his teen-aged years. When push came to shove, his favorite theme was patriotism. These colors don’t run. As bold as his blazers, Mike was beautifully lit with national pride nurtured from a childhood spent with the world at war.

Mike was an underdog, an overachiever and a comeback kid. His golfer-ganger was Lee Trevino, and he took Super-Mex’s attitude and borrowed that book from the library. Mike did more with less. One-handed pushups while picking up a cigarette with his teeth. That was Mike. But, like a good round of golf, life well spent eventually leads to the 18th green, and the nal putt is delayed as long as possible, lest the game be over. Mike made his putt. He’ll see you in the clubhouse.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, his older brother Albert and his wife Jou Ann. He is survived by Susan, ve children: D’Ann, Michael Jr., Sean (Lisa), Kelly (Kim) and Shannon Joyce (Sean), ten grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, his brothers Scott, John and Jim, and his sister Maggie. He is also survived by dozens of vintage wall clocks, bags of hickory-shafted Niblicks, and a Tam O’Shanter or two.

Robert “Bob” Alvah Strickland

June 20, 1936 – Nov. 3, 2025

Robert (Bob) Alvah Strickland (89), of Southern Pines, North Carolina, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, November 3, 2025, surrounded by family and friends. Bob was born to Otis and Lorna (Throssel) Strickland and raised in Bay Head, NJ. He is survived by his devoted wife, Barbara, and their ve children: Robert Jr., Amy, Otis (Tomi), Ann (Morgan), Nancy (Sean), his beloved grandchildren, Shion, Riley, Lillian, Abigail and Addison, his sister Peggy Adair, and many cherished nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his rst wife, Susan Seeley Strickland, his parents, Otis and Lorna Strickland, and his sister, Nancy LaFountain. Growing up in Bay Head, NJ, Bob had a “Norman Rockwell” childhood playing baseball with friends, sailing in the Barnegat Bay outside of his home and shing alongside his beloved Chesapeake Bay retriever, Spike. He walked to the Bay Head School every day with Spike, who would lie down at the door and wait for him until the end of the day. This is when Bob’s lifetime love of animals began. Over the years, Bob and Barbara rescued many dogs, cats, bunnies, and guinea pigs, all of whom were family and spoiled rotten.

A lifetime lover of the great game of golf, Bob played from the age of ve and was later the club champion at the Manasquan River Golf Club. He also loved playing golf at Pine Valley Golf Club in Clementon, New Jersey, where he was a lifetime member. He loved sports of all kinds and was team captain of his soccer and baseball teams at the Quaker boarding school he attended in Westtown, Pennsylvania. He later played varsity soccer at the University of Pennsylvania and loved that his team won the Ivy League Championship all four years he played. He loved coaching his ve children in soccer and baseball and never

Feb. 23, 1958 – Nov. 3, 2025

Mr. Curtis William Douglas, 67, of Sanford, North Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Monday, November 3, 2025.

Please keep the family and friends of Mr. Curtis William Douglas in your thoughts and prayers.

missed a game to cheer them on.

Bob also loved dancing, and his dance card was always full. He sang enthusiastically in every high school Gilbert and Sullivan show and enjoyed singing bass in the choir at church. He loved to listen to Italian Opera and college ght songs. He also loved American History and was a devoted American Civil War bu . He never missed the chance to visit a Civil War battle eld or tell stories about his greatgrandfather, who served in the 39th New Jersey Infantry Regiment in the Army of the Potomac.

Bob and Barbara shared more than 60 wonderful years together, beginning in Brielle, NJ, and later retiring to Southern Pines, NC, where the family gathered with laughter and love to celebrate milestones and holidays together.

Bob was a man of great faith and loved serving others. He and Barbara attended church together every Sunday and enjoyed volunteering wherever they were needed. Bob lived the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it showed in the sel ess way he took the time to listen to those who were hurting and share words of hope and encouragement.

Bob was known for his tender heart, wonderful sense of humor and huge smile that could light up any room. He loved his family above all else, especially his grandkids. His favorite times were spent with Barbara and their beloved children and grandchildren. He was always the life of the party, cracking jokes and never taking things too seriously. He had a kind and lighthearted nature and was always willing to lend an ear without judgment. He was welcoming to everyone he met and was loved by all who knew him.

Bob loved animals so much that, in lieu of owers, please consider making a donation in his honor to the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary, where Bob enjoyed visiting and volunteering with the animals.

Visitation will be held on Monday, November 10, 2025 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 9800 US Highway 15 501, Pinehurst, NC 28374 followed by the funeral at noon and burial at Old Bethesda Cemetery in Aberdeen. Curtis William Douglas Feb. 23, 1958 – Nov. 3, 2025 Mr. Curtis William Douglas, 67, of Sanford, North Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Monday, November 3, 2025. Please keep the family and friends of Mr. Curtis William Douglas in your thoughts and prayers.

James David “J.D.” Heath

March 23, 1942 – Nov. 7, 2025

James David “J.D.” Heath, 83, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 7, 2025, surrounded by his family at his home.

A native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, J.D. was the son of the late David and Ruth Lee Anderson Heath. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Christie Lee Heath.

J.D. dedicated 38 years of service to CSX, where he worked as a machinist for the railroad. Known for his kind heart and willingness to lend a hand, he could often be found helping his neighbors with repairs or projects around their homes. A devoted husband and father, J.D. was also deeply committed to his church family at Liberty Baptist, where he took great pride in maintaining and beautifying the church grounds.

Sept. 8, 1944 – Nov. 7, 2025

Please keep the family and friends of Mrs. Lois Mae Hawkins Gilchrist in your thoughts and prayers.

J.D. is survived by his wife of 11 years, Juanita Tracy of Pinehurst; son, Je ery W. Heath of Rockingham; stepsons, Roger Tracy (Tacy) of Alabama, Richard Tracy (Melissa) of Southern Pines, and Randall Tracy (Cheryl) of Alabama; and 12 stepgrandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Memorials may be made in J.D.’s honor to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, lungcancerresearchfoundation. org.

Lois Mae Hawkins Gilchrist

Mrs. Lois Mae Hawkins Gilchrist, 81, of Cameron, North Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Friday, November 7, 2025.

Curtis William Douglas

Collins

STATE & NATION

Trump unveils deal to expand coverage, lower costs on GLP-1 obesity drugs

Coverage will expand to Medicare patients starting next year

By Tom Murphy, Aamer Madhani and Jonel Aleccia

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy.

The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years.

But access to the drugs has been a consistent problem for patients because of their cost — around $500 a month for higher doses — and insurance coverage has been spotty.

Coverage of the drugs for obesity will expand to Medicare patients starting next year, according to the administration, which said some lower prices also will be phased in for patients without coverage. Starting doses of new, pill versions of the treatments also will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

“(It) will save lives, improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” said Trump, in an Oval O ce announcement in which he referred to GLP-1s as a “fat drug.”

Thursday’s announcement is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to rein in soaring drug prices in its e orts to address cost-of-living concerns among voters. Drugmakers P zer and AstraZeneca recently agreed to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid after an executive order in May

“Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Health and Human Services

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

set a deadline for drugmakers to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.

As with the other deals, it’s not clear how much the price drop will be felt by consumers. Drug prices can vary based on the competition for treatments and insurance coverage.

Obesity drugs increasingly popular but costly

The obesity drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that a ect appetite and feelings of fullness. In clinical trials, they helped people shed between 15% and 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases.

Patients taking these drugs usually start on smaller doses and then work up to larger amounts, depending on their needs. Because of obesity being considered a chronic disease, they need to take the treatment inde nitely or risk regaining weight, experts say.

The fast-growing treatments have proven especially lucrative for drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Novo Nordisk. Lilly said recently that sales of Zepbound have tripled so far this year to more than $9 billion.

But for many Americans, their cost has made them out of reach.

Medicare, the federally funded coverage program mainly for people ages 65 and over, hasn’t covered the treatments for obesity. President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule last November that would have changed that. But the Trump administration nixed it last spring.

Few state and federally funded Medicaid programs, for people with low incomes, o er coverage. And employers and insurers that provide commercial coverage are wary of paying for these drugs in part because of the large number of patients that might use them.

The $500 monthly price for higher doses of the treatments also makes them una ordable for those without insurance, doctors say.

Medicare now covers the cost of the drugs for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease but not for weight loss alone.

Trump showing he’s in touch with cost- of-living concerns

The e ort to lower costs barriers to popular GLP-1 drugs comes as the White House is looking to demonstrate that Trump is in touch with Americans’ frustrations with rising costs for food, housing, health care and other necessities.

“Trump is the friend of the forgotten American,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Thursday’s announcement. “Obesity is a disease of poverty. And overwhelmingly these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”

Slime, Battleship, Trivial Pursuit enshrined into Toy Hall of Fame

They beat out Catan, Tickle Me Elmo and snow

By Carolyn Thompson

The Associated Press

SLIME, that gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit.

Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play across generations, culling its nalists from among thousands of nominees sent in online. Voting by the public and a panel of experts decides which playthings will be inducted.

Milton Bradley’s Battleship, a strategy game that challenges

players to strike an opponent’s warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players’ knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold more than 100 million copies over several decades, according to the Hall of Fame.

Battleship started as a pencil-and-paper game in the 1930s, but it was Milton Bradley’s 1967 plastic edition with fold-up stations and model ships that became a hit with the public. Its popularity crested when Universal Pictures and Hasbro, which now owns Milton Bradley, released the 2012 movie “Battleship,” loosely based on the game. Battleship was also among the rst board games to be computerized in 1979, according to the Hall of Fame, and now there are numerous, electronic versions.

Trivial Pursuit lets players compete alone or in teams as they maneuver around a board answering trivia questions in exchange for wedges in a game piece. Canadian journalists Chris Haney and Scott Abbott came up with the game in 1979 and eventually sold the rights to Hasbro. Frequently updated, specialty versions have emerged for young players, baby boomers and other segments and an online daily quiz keeps players engaged, chief curator Chris Bensch said.

Slime’s appeal is more about squish than skill. It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has been manufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a do-it-yourself project. The internet o ers a variety of recipes using ingredients like

Kennedy had previously expressed skepticism to GLP-1s in ghting obesity and diseases related to the condition. But he was full of praise for Trump for pushing to help a broader segment of Americans have access to the drug.

The announcement came after Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia faced a drubbing in Tuesday’s election in which dour voter outlook about the economy appeared to be an animating factor in the races.

Roughly half of Virginia voters said “the economy” was the top issue, and about 6 in 10 of these voters picked Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor, powering her to a decisive win, according to an AP voter poll.

In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won about two-thirds of voters who called “the economy” the top issue facing the state, the poll found. She defeated a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli.

More than half of New York City voters said the cost of living was the top issue facing the city. The Democratic mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won about two-thirds of this group. The White House sought to diminish the e ort by the previous Democratic administration as a gift to the pharmaceutical industry because the proposal did not include adequate price concessions from drug makers.

Trump, instead, consummated a “belt and suspenders” deal that ensures Americans aren’t unfairly nancing the pharmaceutical industry’s innovation, claimed a senior administration o cial, who briefed reporters ahead of Thursday’s Oval O ce announcement by Trump. Another senior administra-

tion o cial said coverage of the drugs will expand to Medicare patients starting next year. Those who qualify will pay $50 copays for the medicine. Lower prices also will be phased in for people without coverage through the administration’s TrumpRx program, which will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. starting in January.

The o cials said lower prices also will be provided for state and federally funded Medicaid programs. And starting doses of new, pill versions of the obesity treatments will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

The o cials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Doctors applaud price drop

Dr. Leslie Golden says she has roughly 600 patients taking one of these treatments, and 75% or more struggle to a ord them. Even with coverage, some face $150 copayments for re lls.

“Every visit it’s, ‘How long can we continue to do this? What’s the plan if I can’t continue?,’” said Golden, an obesity medicine specialist in Watertown, Wisconsin. “Some of them are working additional jobs or delaying retirement so they can continue to pay for it.”

Both Lilly and Novo have already cut prices on their drugs. Lilly said earlier this year it would reduce the cost of initial doses of Zepbound to $349.

Dr. Angela Fitch, who also treats patients with obesity, said she hoped a deal between the White House and drugmakers could be the rst step in making the treatments more a ordable.

“We need a hero in obesity care today,” said Fitch, founder and chief medical o cer of knownwell, a weight-loss and medical care company. “The community has faced relentless barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications, which has ultimately come down to the price, despite the data we have supporting their e ectiveness.”

baking soda, glue and contact lens solution.

“Though slime continues to carry icky connotations to slugs and swamps — all part of the fun for some — the toy o ers meaningful play,” curator Michelle Parnett-Dwyer said, adding that it’s also used for stress relief and building motor skills.

The honorees will be on permanent display at the Hall of

Fame inside The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

This year’s inductees were voted in over other nominees including the games Catan and Connect Four, the Spirograph drawing device, the “Star Wars” lightsaber, Furby and Tickle Me Elmo. They also beat out classics including scooters, cornhole and snow.

EVYN MORGAN / THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY VIA AP

The games that will be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame for 2025 include Trivial Pursuit and slime.